Runtime: 6:54
0:33 More to UAW & FCA Scandal?
1:10 Saudis Told Musk He Should Take Tesla Private
2:18 Hydrogen Fuel Breakthrough?
3:11 VW’s Electrify America Launches TV Ad
4:21 Pricing for Ford Ranger Announced
4:53 Ford to Launch New Performance Vehicle
5:15 Mid-Size Pickup Truck Sales
5:43 Nissan Frontier Sales Keep on Truckin’
6:04 Honda Ridgeline Sales Way Down
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On today’s show… Elon Musk says it was the Saudis who approached him about taking Tesla private… a research group in Australia may have come up with a breakthrough in making hydrogen for fuel cell cars… and the UAW scandal with FCA may have been going on a lot longer than anyone knew. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.
UAW & FCA SCANDAL MAY GO DEEPER
The scandal between the UAW and FCA may run much deeper than what’s been revealed. The government says the conspiracy to corrupt labor contracts started in 2009. But the lawyer of Alphons Iacobelli, FCA’s former labor negotiator, says it started before Iacobelli arrived in 2007. Iacobelli faces up to 8 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to violating the Labor Management Relations act and cheating on his taxes. FCA denies any execs above Iacobelli were aware of the conspiracy.
SAUDIS TOLD MUSK HE SHOULD TAKE TESLA PRIVATE
In a letter to shareholders published yesterday, Elon Musk said it was the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund that approached him multiple times about taking Tesla private. He says the first meetings go back to early 2017. Musk says the sovereign fund has more than enough money to take Tesla private. At a July 31st meeting he says the Saudis told him they regretted he had not yet moved to take Tesla private and that they were eager to proceed. Musk says this is why he tweeted out “funding secured.” Now we wonder if he can get the deal done before he has to announce whether or not Tesla turned a profit in the third quarter.
Did the Aussies just come out with a breakthrough for making hydrogen? We’ll be back with more right after this.
HYDROGEN FUEL BREAKTHROUGH?
One of the big things holding back fuel cell vehicles is the lack of a hydrogen infrastructure. But Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization or CSIRO, says its developed a breakthrough. It uses liquid ammonia which can easily be shipped and then uses a modular unit with a unique membrane, which separates hydrogen from the ammonia. Remember, the chemical composition of ammonia is NH3, so it has even more hydrogen than water, or H2O. The modular units can be used at or near a refueling station, so you can make hydrogen on-site. To prove it works, CSIRO recently tested a Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo using hydrogen produced with its method.
VW’S ELECTRIFY AMERICA LAUNCHES TV AD
Electrify America is the company that Volkswagen was forced to set up as part of its diesel emissions settlement. It has to invest $2 billion in EV charging stations in the U.S. and promote Zero Emission Vehicles. So it’s launching a national TV ad campaign called The JetStones. It starts with the music from The Flintstones then transitions to The Jetsons. A friendly voice tells you how instant acceleration makes EVs more fun to drive and how they are becoming more affordable. Interestingly, it features ZEVs from Chevy, Hyundai, BMW, VW, Honda and Nissan. Nothing from Toyota or that other car company that starts with a “T.”
Coming up next, the mid-size pickup segment is doing better than anyone expected.
PRICING FOR FORD RANGER ANNOUNCED
Ford announced the pricing for the Ranger pickup that it will sell in the U.S. market. The base price, for a two wheel drive, extended cab with a 6-foot bed is $25,395 including destination charges. If you want 4-wheel-drive that adds over $4,000. At the top of the line, a 4X4 Lariat model, SuperCrew with a 5-foot bed is $39,480. Ford says dealers are taking orders right now.
FORD TO LAUNCH NEW PERFORMANCE VEHICLE
And we may soon see the Raptor version of the Ranger for the European market. Ford says it will reveal a new performance vehicle at Gamescom, Europe’s largest gaming event that’s in Germany. And it sure looks like a 4-door version of the Ranger Raptor. The vehicle will also be added to a racing video game that’s coming out.
MID-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK SALES
In the U.S., the Ranger is getting into a mid-size pickup segment that is red hot. Sales of the Toyota Tacoma are up 23% this year. The Chevrolet Colorado is up 33%, while the Nissan Frontier is up 1.8% and the GMC Canyon is up 10%. Now the question is, will the Ford Ranger and upcoming Jeep pickup help the segment keep growing, or will they just slice the pie thinner?
| YTD U.S. Mid-Size Pickup Sales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Tacoma | 138,110 | +23.3% |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 82,029 | +33.4% |
| Nissan Frontier | 46,283 | +1.8% |
| GMC Canyon | 19,447 | +10.2% |
NISSAN FRONTIER SALES KEEP TRUCKIN’
Nissan must be pleased with sales of the Frontier. Even though sales are only up slightly, this is an old truck. It’s been around for nearly 20 years. Autoforecast Solutions says it will not be replaced with a new design until November of 2020, when it will go into production at Nissan’s plant in Canton, Mississippi.
HONDA RIDGELINE SALES WAY DOWN
Should we include the Honda Ridgeline in this comparison? It sure seems to fit in better here than counting it in the full-size pickup segment. But no matter which category you put it in, it’s not doing very well. Sales are down 17% so far this year.
| YTD U.S. Mid-Size Pickup Sales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Tacoma | 138,110 | +23.3% |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 82,029 | +33.4% |
| Nissan Frontier | 46,283 | +1.8% |
| GMC Canyon | 19,447 | +10.2% |
| Honda Ridgeline | 17,476 | -17.5% |
We have a great Autoline After Hours coming up on Thursday. We’ll be talking with Craig Erlich from the company George P. Johnson which is known around the world for making auto show displays.
And that wraps up today’s show, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.
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John McElroy is an influential thought leader in the automotive industry. He is a journalist, lecturer, commentator and entrepreneur. He created “Autoline Daily,” the first industry webcast of industry news and analysis.
