AD #2924 – California to Ban New ICE Cars; EV Zones Force Rolls-Royce Into EVs; Lynk & Co Reveals 1st Electric Car

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

CALIFORNIA TO BAN NEW GAS-POWERED PASSENGER CARS
And we start off today in California which is ramping up its efforts to get clean cars on its roads. Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an order that will ban sales of new gasoline powered cars and trucks by 2035. But it’s not clear if hybrids or plug-in hybrids will fall under the ban. The order just states all vehicles must be zero emissions by that timeframe. However, it wouldn’t prevent people from owning gasoline powered vehicles or selling them on the used market. The state is also pushing to have all new medium and heavy-duty trucks be emissions free by 2045, where it’s feasible. California says these moves will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 35%. The order is just a proposal at this point but it’s likely setting up a battle with automakers who want a single national standard for emissions, instead of having to face a patchwork of regulations across several states.

EV ZONES FORCE ROLLS-ROYCE TO MAKE AN EV
And it’s not just California that wants zero-emission vehicles on its roads. A number of countries have made similar commitments and several cities around the world have implemented zones where only electric vehicles can drive. And because of those zones, Rolls-Royce said it will reveal its first series-produced electric vehicle by the end of the year. A spokesperson told Automotive News the only reason it’s developing an electric car is to allow owners to be able to drive in the zones, otherwise there is no demand from its customers for EVs. There aren’t many details about the new vehicle but it won’t be one of its existing models with batteries stuffed into it. It’s a new nameplate that will be built on the company’s modular aluminum platform.

CURRENT ENVIRONMENT CAUSES CONTINENTAL & OSRAM SPLIT
We’ve seen a lot of joint ventures recently in the auto industry but here’s one partnership that’s ending in divorce. German supplier Continental and lighting company Osram are dissolving a joint venture they announced three years ago to develop new lighting products and sensors for self-driving vehicles. Low global vehicle production and a poor economy from the pandemic are forcing the companies to split. Continental says it doesn’t see production returning to pre-2017 levels before 2025. Because of this, the joint venture was no longer viable. The two companies are currently negotiating how to split up capital and assets, which includes 1,500 employees in 14 locations.

VW FINALLY UNVEILS PRODUCTION ID.4
After months of teases, Volkswagen finally unveiled its ID.4 electric SUV. While it’s smaller than the Tiguan, its interior passenger volume is similar. It comes standard with a 10-inch touchscreen or you can opt for a 12-inch unit. At launch, it will be available with an 82-kWh battery, which VW estimates provides 250 miles of range. The rear-drive model produces 201 horsepower and after launch, an all-wheel-drive version with 302 horsepower will be offered. VW is taking $100 fully refundable reservations for the ID.4 now and it arrives at dealers in the U.S. in early 2021. Pricing starts at $40,000 without the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. The ID.4 is initially being built in Germany but in 2022, the company will produce it at its Chattanooga, Tennessee factory. Once production begins there, VW will price those models at $35,000.

EX-VW CEO FACES CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS FOR DIESELGATE ROLE
And one of the reasons this model exists, is because of the company’s diesel emission cheating scandal. After it was revealed five years ago, VW made a big pivot, and huge investment, in electric vehicles. But even still, Volkswagen can’t escape the scandal. Earlier today, criminal proceedings were opened in a German court against former CEO Martin Winterkorn for his role in the scandal. And yesterday, Germany charged eight more VW managers and engineers for their help in the cheating. Around 25 employees have now been charged in the U.S. and Germany over the scandal.

LYNK & CO REVEALS ITS FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC VEHICLE
Chinese automaker Lynk & Co, which is owned by Geely, revealed its first all-electric vehicle, the Zero Concept. It rides on Geely’s new Sustainable Experience Architecture that features the batteries mounted in the floor and the ability to house 3 electric motors. It’s said the Zero Concept has a range of over 700 kilometers based on the NEDC test, which would work out to about 300 EPA miles and it will do 0 to 60 in under 4-seconds. Styling is very interesting with short front and rear overhangs. It’s somewhat similar to the Lucid Air, but the back end seems to be jacked up higher like an SUV. Production of the Zero is scheduled to start next year.

GEELY PARTNERS WITH MOBILEYE FOR ADAS TECH
Speaking of Geely, it’s partnering with Mobileye to offer ADAS features in a number of its brands and vehicles. The systems, which come in varying levels, will be powered by Mobileye’s vision-sensing technology and allow for high-level driver assistance and over-the-air updates. It doesn’t say what level of autonomy the system is capable of, but it sounds to us like it’s similar to Cadillac’s Super Cruise. This more advanced system will be used by Lynk & Co, which it calls CoPilot and first launches in the fall of next year in the production version of that Zero Concept we just showed.

GM DESIGNERS SKETCH FUTURE TRUCKS
We know electric pickups are all the rage right now, but could the trend push non-traditional truck makers into the segment? It sure looks like one GM designer thinks so. Check out this picture on the Instagram page of General Motors Design. Looks an awful lot like a Cadillac pickup to us. It’s weird to see the Cadillac logo on such a rugged-looking vehicle, but you’ll notice design cues from current models, which seem to fit well and we think it looks kind of cool. There are a couple of other design sketches featured on the page and if you thought the grille on the new Yukon Denali was big, this one might just blow your mind. Then there is this baja-style truck that is a far departure from anything that we’ve seen from GMC. While these vehicles will never see the light of day, we find it interesting that they all have very low-profile cabin areas. Maybe that’s a trend we’ll see in future trucks.

And what better person to ask than our guest for Autoline After Hours this afternoon. Brian Smith, the Exterior Design Director at Cadillac is on the show. Also joining John and Gary is the Autoextremist, Peter DeLorenzo. So, join us today at 3PM eastern time for some of the best insider discussions in the automotive industry.

But that’s it for today, thank you for watching.