AD #2964 – GM Speeds Up EV Development; Lincoln Nautilus Refreshed; JLR Seeks to Block VW Group SUV Imports

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

GM STEPS UP BEV COMMITMENT
At Barclay’s Automotive Conference yesterday, General Motors dropped some jaw dropping stats about its EV efforts. By 2025, 40% of the products in its showrooms will be BEVs, and 60% of its product development spending is already for EVs and AVs. It even created a new business unit called EV Growth Operations. That will be headed up by Travis Hester, who some of you may recognize from Autoline After Hours when he was the executive chief engineer on the Cadillac CT6. 

GM SPEEDS UP EV DEVELOPMENT
GM has cut its product development time on EVs in half. It did that with system modelling, computer simulation, eliminating the hardware prototype stage, and directly releasing math data to production tooling. Specifically, GM was able to get rid of a year’s worth of development time. Thanks to that, it will bring the Cadillac Lyriq EV to market 9 months earlier than previously announced. It’s also pulling 12 other EV models forward.

GM ON TRACK TO GET BATTERY PACK COST BELOW $100/kWh
GM says it’s on track to get the cost of a battery pack below $100 per kilowatt hour when it comes out with the second-generation chemistry of its Ultium battery in a couple of years. While it’s still working with LG Chem to develop battery cells, GM opened its own R&D lab for developing cells. And it’s building a new lab for R&D on manufacturing cells. GM says it’s developing deep expertise in batteries, and will cut the cell cost by 60% compared to the batteries in the Chevrolet Bolt EV today. By our estimate, that would be about $84 per kilowatt hour.

GM INVESTS $27 BILLION IN EVs OVER FIVE YEARS
General Motors is putting its money where its mouth is. CEO Mary Barra says they now have 20,000 software and electrical engineers in-house and the company is raising its capital spend by $7 billion. That brings total spending to $27 billion by 2025. And she says that EVs are core to generating shareholder value for GM. And that is quite a commitment from a traditional automaker.

LINCOLN REFRESHES THE NAUTILUS
After ranking dead last in Consumer Reports’ reliability survey and with Cadillac announcing it’s going all-electric much faster, Lincoln needed to come out with some positive news. So, here’s the refreshed Nautilus. But in terms of exterior styling, there’s not much that’s fresh. The treatment around the lower front fascia and rear exhaust is a bit different and there’s three new exterior colors, but that’s about it. The biggest changes are in the interior. And the first thing to jump out at you is a new horizontally mounted 13.2-inch center display screen. We find it interesting that Lincoln is going with a horizontal screen, while Ford has gone vertical. Could be a way they’re trying to distinguish themselves? But that big, new screen includes SYNC 4, a first for Lincoln and the ability for over-the-air updates. Moving on from the screen, the interior overall is pretty much a direct copy of the all-new Aviator with long horizontal lines and a center console that’s separated from the dashboard. Lincoln will also produce the Nautilus in China for Chinese consumers, making it the third vehicle it manufactures in the country. China currently accounts for nearly 40% of Lincoln’s global sales and the automaker avoids massive import tariffs if it produces the SUV in China. For North America, the Nautilus is made in Oakville, Ontario and will arrive in dealerships early next year.

CORVETTE NOW AVAILABLE IN CHINA
Sticking with China, we recently reported how GM will offer its full-size SUVs in the country, but consumers there will also have access to a much more exciting vehicle from the automaker. The Corvette will join Chevy’s lineup, which already includes the Blazer, Equinox, Malibu and Menlo EV. 

XPENG TO EQUIP PRODUCTION VEHICLES WITH LIDAR
And over at the Guangzhou auto show, EV startup Xpeng announced it has significantly upgraded its autonomous driving hardware and software. Beginning next year, its production vehicles will be equipped with LIDAR. While Xpeng claims it’s the first to put LIDAR in production vehicles, Audi started equipping LIDAR in the 2018 A8. However, this is still a significant development. Consisting of 32 sensors, the system is able to provide navigation-guided autonomous driving in different road conditions, including city and highway driving, underground parking lots, toll gates, tunnels and at night.

TOYOTA CROWN MAY GET THE AXE
Now let’s jump over to Japan, where a report has surfaced that Toyota will drop the Crown sedan, a model that’s now in its 15th generation and has been around for 65 years. The vehicle had become something of a status symbol in the country, but just like everywhere else in the world, its sales have diminished in favor of crossovers and SUVs. The Crown also shares its platform with the Lexus GS and Lexus announced it was going to discontinue that sedan back in April. But it’s said the Crown name could live on, in the form of an SUV based on the Highlander. 

BOSCH HELPS EV STARTUPS GET TO MARKET FASTER
Bosch wants to help startups get electric vehicles to the market faster. So it teamed up with chassis and technology supplier Benteler, to show how Bosch’s EV components can be integrated into vehicles. Benteler takes care of the mechanical integration by embedding components and subsystems into a rolling chassis. It’s a ready to drive modular platform, which supports a number of different body types. Customers can choose from a complete solution or pre-integrated modules, which is a combination of the e-axle, braking and steering system and the control unit. Bosch says the market value for this could be worth billions and expects most of its customers to come from China and North America but also Europe.

JLR WANTS TO BLOCK VW GROUP FROM IMPORTING SUVs TO U.S.
Here’s an interesting fight that’s brewing. Jaguar Land Rover is trying to block Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini and Volkswagen from importing SUVs to the U.S. JLR filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission, accusing the brands of using its patented Terrain Response technology without permission. JLR wants to block imports of the Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus, Volkswagen Tiguan and the Audi Q5, Q7, Q8, A6 Allroad and e-tron vehicles. JLR also filed patent lawsuits against the companies in federal courts in Delaware and New Jersey to seek cash compensation. That’s because the International Trade Commission can’t award damages, it can only block imports. Who knows what will happen but this will be an interesting story to follow.

But that’s a wrap for this week. Thanks for watching and stay safe.