AD #2904 – Chevy Teases New Bolt EUV; U.S. Car Sales Slowly Rebounding; Hyundai Creates Soapbox Car

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

U.S. CAR SALES SLOWLY REBOUNDING
The COVID pandemic sure knocked the wind out of the automotive industry, but it looks like it’s getting its breath back. Wards Intelligence says that the SAAR, the seasonally adjusted annual sales rate, will go over 15 million vehicles for the first time since February. But that’s 2 million units lower than it was a year ago. The problem is with fleet sales, which fell off a cliff, especially with cars sold to the daily rental companies. Retail sales are actually close to where they were last year. Wards sees one big problem. Inventory levels are extremely low and despite the industry racing to make as many vehicles as it can, those levels are still falling.

GM WANTS BACK IN RUSSIA
GM dropped out of the Russian market five years ago because it was losing money there. But now it wants to get back in. But instead of making mass market cars there, this time it wants to import specialty vehicles, and that includes the upcoming Hummer EV. Russia has a goal of selling 200,000 EVs by 2025 and GM wants to get in on the action.

GM ANGERS HOLDEN DEALERS IN AUSTRALIA
Meanwhile, at the other end of the planet, GM has run into a bit of a sticky wicket in Australia. After nearly 90 years of using the Holden brand in Australia, GM stopped manufacturing cars there and dropped the Holden name. Now it’s going to sell select models, such as the Camaro, Corvette and Silverado, under the brand name GM Specialty Vehicles. This all created an uproar. Holden dealers accuse GM of inadequately compensating them for shutting down their franchise and some of them have filed a lawsuit against the automaker. And we want to thank Autoline viewer Warwick Rex Dundas, who lives in Australia, for keeping us up to date on the latest developments.

MAHINDRA PARTNERS WITH REE AUTOMOTIVE ON COMMERCIAL EVs
Indian automaker Mahindra signed a memorandum of understanding with REE Automotive to use its electric vehicle platform to develop and build commercial vehicles for global markets. REE’s platform houses the battery in its floor, while the powertrain, suspension and steering components are all incorporated into the wheel arches at the corners. There’s a number of platform sizes to choose from, ranging from small urban delivery vehicles to large vans. They feature battery sizes from 20 kWh to 100 kWh and boast ranges from 220 km to 420 km or roughly 136 miles to 260 miles, but it doesn’t say what test procedure that’s based on. The platform also has autonomous capabilities. REE says it has a customer need for 200,000 to 250,000 electric commercial vehicles over a few years’ time and this partnership will help support that. Here’s something else to keep an eye on as well. You may remember Ford announced last year it’s establishing a joint venture with Mahindra in India to develop, market and sell Ford and Mahindra branded vehicles in India and other emerging markets. We wonder if Ford could eventually be involved in this partnership with REE Automotive?

CHEVY TEASES NEW BOLT EUV
Chevrolet is letting its fleet customers take a peek at the updated Bolt and Bolt EUV. The EUV is a larger version of the Bolt with a wheelbase that’s 3 inches longer, while the overall length is 5 inches longer. That provides more interior room and cargo space. Notice the kick-up in the sail panel at the rear of the vehicle. While this video clip does not show it, the front fascia was updated and it gets new headlamps. We know that because we saw the Bolt EUV at GM’s Battery Day back in March. It gets an interior with upgraded materials and a new infotainment system, and will also get Super Cruise as an option for hands-free driving. Chevy says that with a Level II charger you can get 100 miles of range in a half hour, and when GM’s next generation Ultium battery is ready they expect that to deliver 100 miles with 10 minutes of charging. The Bolt EUV goes into production about a year from now.

General Motors dominates the market for full size SUVs with the Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon and Escalade. And to maintain that dominance it just completely redesigned them all. That’s why we invited Tim Herrick, the vice president of GM’s global products, to come on Autoline After Hours to bring us up to date on all the changes. Just to give you an idea of how important these SUVs are for GM, we estimate they generate about $20 billion in revenue a year. Stephanie Brinley from IHS Markit will also be on the show, so join John and Gary this Thursday for a deep dive into some of the most profitable vehicles in the automotive industry. 

HYUNDAI CREATES SOAPBOX CAR
Hyundai has vehicles in pretty much every segment around the world and now it’s expanding its portfolio to include soapbox cars. You heard me right, soapbox cars. It released this teaser image of a soapbox vehicle that was created by its design team in Europe. It’s styling was inspired by the company’s 45 concept car. Hyundai says it will be available to customers in Europe soon and it will share more details in the near future.

VITESCO SIGNS DEAL WITH DONGFENG
Vitesco Technologies, formerly known as the powertrain division of the supplier Continental, just signed its first contract with a Chinese automaker for its integrated electric drive unit. Vitesco already has agreements with Hyundai and PSA to use the unit and now it adds Dongfeng as well, which will feature it in its all-new Yixuan car. The package combines the electric motor and power electronics into one unit. The one used by Dongfeng will produce 120 kW of power and 260 Nm of torque and weighs less than 80 kilograms or about 176 pounds. Development of the drive unit was done in both Germany and China but production will take place solely in China. 

BLACKBERRY OS POWERS XPENG’S LEVEL 3 AV SYSTEM
Chinese EV startup Xpeng is using Blackberry’s QNX operating system to power Level 3 autonomous driving in its P7 sports sedan. The system is able to calculate the vehicle’s driving status and provide 360-degree monitoring of the vehicle’s environment in real-time. With Continental supplying Dongfeng with integrated electric drive units and Xpeng using Blackberry’s OS, it clearly shows that there is an opportunity for non-Chinese companies to do business in China.

But that’s all we have for today, thanks for watching and we’ll see you again tomorrow.