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Runtime: 6:12
0:33 VW Won’t Develop ICEs After 2026
1:05 VW May Build Cars at Ford Plants
2:10 Chevy Introduces Silverado HD
2:57 Alonso To Use Chevy Power at Indy 500
4:20 FCA Sales Surprises in November
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On today’s show…VW says its last generation of ICEs will be launched in 2026…Fernando Alonso will use Chevy power at next year’s Indy 500…and Ram comes within a whisker of outselling the Silverado in November. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the voice of the automotive industry.
VW WON’T DEVELOP ICEs AFTER 2026
Volkswagen is going all in with electric vehicles. The company is spending billions to develop EVs in the wake of its diesel emission scandal. And now the company’s strategy chief, Michael Jost, said Volkswagen will develop its last generation of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines in 2026. The company will continue to update the ICEs to meet emission standards during the lifetime of those vehicles. But this shows VW is serious about reducing its environmental impact.
VW MAY BUILD CARS AT FORD PLANTS
And in other VW news, CEO Herbert Diess revealed more details about its alliance talks with Ford. He said VW could use some of Ford’s unused capacity at its U.S. plants to build cars. Diess made the comment after meetings with the Trump Administration, which also included BMW and Daimler. Trump has threatened to slap a 25% tariff on European car imports, so, VW could be trying to avoid those tariffs by agreeing to build vehicles at Ford’s plants. Ford and VW are in deep talks about partnering up on developing platforms and new technology, as well as sharing manufacturing, but nothing official has been announced yet.
Still to come…Chevy introduces the new heavy duty version of the Silverado.
CHEVY INTRODUCES SILVERADO HD
Check it out! We’re getting our first look at the all-new Silverado HD. As you can see, it bears some resemblance to the other Silverado models, but also features many unique styling cues. While the Silverado HD won’t go on sale until mid-way through next year, we are getting a few details about the truck. There will be two powertrain options: an all-new gasoline engine with direct injection mated to a six-speed transmission, or a Duramax Diesel V-8, which makes 910 lb-ft of torque and is mated to an all-new Allison 10-speed transmission. Chevy says it will offer significant increases in towing and payload capabilities as well as all-new trailering technology.
ALONSO TO USE CHEVY POWER AT INDY 500
And in other Chevy news, two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso will race in the 2019 Indy 500 in a Chevy-powered McLaren race car. Alonso competed in the historic race last year with McLaren, but that car was powered by Honda, which was its sponsor in F1 as well. However, the Honda engine was plagued with issues in Formula 1 and was also the reason Alonso dropped out of the 2017 500. So, for the 2018 season McLaren F1 switched over to a Renault engine, which left an opening for the Indy 500 and Chevy stepped in. As some of you may know, Chevy and McLaren do have a history of racing together. The two partnered in the mid-60’s for the Can-Am Series and their teams won more than 70 percent of the races over the next seven years, including 23 in a row from 1968-1970.
FCA had some surprises in its November sales numbers and we’ll take a look at that, right after this.
FCA SALES SURPRISES IN NOVEMBER
Yesterday, we reported that FCA had the largest sales gain in November amongst the full line manufacturers. The company sold just over 180,000 vehicles, which is a 17% increase compared to a year ago, according to data from WardsAuto. But let’s take a deeper dive into its numbers, which had quite a few surprises. Perhaps the biggest is Ram Truck nearly outsold the Chevy Silverado. It was only 335 units behind in November, thanks to the popularity of its diesel engine. And in a market with plunging passenger car sales, FCA bucked that trend. The Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Charger, all posted big double digit gains. Yes, the volumes are low but it’s still a surprise to see nonetheless. FCA’s November sales were also boosted by double digit gains at Alfa, Dodge, Ram and Jeep. And overall, it’s been a good year for the company. Through November sales are up 8% compared to last year, which is well ahead of the overall market.
| FCA NOVEMBER 2018 U.S. SALES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ram vs. Silverado | ||
| Chevy Silverado | 51,179 | |
| Ram Truck | 50,844 | |
| Passenger Car Sales | ||
| Chrysler 300 | 4,569 | +54.8% |
| Dodge Challenger | 5,022 | +30.1% |
| Dodge Charger | 7,309 | +20.9% |
| FCA Brand Sales | ||
| Alfa Romeo | 1,957 | +35.9% |
| Dodge | 33,196 | +15.1% |
| Jeep | 73,784 | +11.8% |
| Ram | 56,758 | +45.5% |
| Fiat | 1,309 | -24.5% |
| Chrysler | 13,094 | -20.7% |
| Source: WardsAuto | ||
And this is your reminder that you can watch tomorrow’s Autoline After Hours live at 3pm eastern time. Car critic for The Detroit News, Henry Payne will be here to talk all about his high-performance Tesla Model 3 RWD, which he’s also tested out on the track. And joining John and Gary for that show is Jack Keebler from Keebler Auto.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and we’ll see you 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.
