AD #2993 – GM Launches New Delivery Business; Continental’s 3D Navigation Display; Next-Gen Mustang a Ways Off

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

CONTINENTAL DEVELOPS 3D NAVIGATION DISPLAY
We love to show you new technology from the supplier industry. And today it’s 3D navigation from Continental, which partnered with HERE and Leia to develop the display. The system combines HERE’s maps that include 3D depictions of buildings and topography, Continental’s 3D display and Leia’s Lightfield technology which makes the 3D effect visible from numerous angles. This allows the driver and passengers to see the 3D maps without the need for special goggles or an eye tracking sensor. The companies didn’t reveal when we could see this in a vehicle or if any automakers are interested in the display.

NEXT-GEN PRODUCTS SLATED FOR LATER THIS DECADE
We have some updates on future products from AutoForecast Solutions that will be available late this decade. Production of the current BMW 3-Series at the company’s plant in San Luis Potosi ends in July of 2027. Production of the next-gen version kicks off at the same plant in August of 2027. Mustang fans are going to have to wait awhile for the next-gen model, it doesn’t go into production until December of 2028 at Ford’s Flat Rock, Michigan plant. And Lincoln begins production of the all-electric version of the Corsair at its Oakville, Ontario plant in September of 2026. We don’t know if that will be the company’s first EV but it’s pretty late in the game and by that time Cadillac will have a full lineup of EVs.

BENTLEY HIRES NEW DESIGN DIRECTOR
Bentley hired a new design director. Andreas Mindt is taking over for Stefan Sielaff, who had been with the company for 6 years, but is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Mindt has spent his entire career at the VW Group and previously was the Head of Exterior Design for Audi.

MAHINDRA CUTS NORTH AMERICAN WORKFORCE IN HALF
Mahindra’s roller coaster ride in the U.S. continues. Reuters reports that the company cut more than half of its workforce in North America. As of early 2020, it employed more than 500 people. That should come as little surprise after the International Trade Commission ruled Mahindra’s off-road-only Roxor looks too much like a Jeep, which forced Mahindra to stop building and selling the Roxor in the U.S. But Mahindra expects to hire a good portion of those workers back after the ITC ruled right before Christmas that the automaker’s redesigned Roxor no longer infringes on Jeep. Outdoor recreational vehicles have seen a surge during the pandemic and no doubt Mahindra wants to get in on that action. 

MERCEDES CREATES APP FOR EV CUSTOMERS
Mercedes is launching a new feature on its Mercedes me app, called Eco Coach, which is meant to train plug-in hybrid and pure EV buyers on how to get the most out of their vehicle. Now, before you get bored and click away, there are a few interesting aspects to this. First, users can score points by doing things, like charging in different locations or on successive days, and then use those points to earn bonuses. That includes vouchers for charging or for the Mercedes-Benz Collection shop and even CO2 compensation, where investments are made in CO2 offset programs. And because customer behavior can have a big impact on battery life, Mercedes says one of the main goals of the app is to help prolong the service life of its battery-powered vehicles. 

HYUNDAI TEASES KONA N PERFORMANCE VEHICLE
Hyundai released a teaser video for its next performance vehicle, the Kona N, where we get to see a few of its unique features. The lower air inlet on the front fascia seems to be quite a bit larger and extends more into the upper grille area. The grille pattern is also a different honeycomb pattern. There’s N-specific side skirts, a larger roof-mounted spoiler, integrated diffuser in the rear bumper and dual exhaust tips. Under the hood is a turbocharged 2.0L engine mated to an 8-speed DCT, which is the same setup in the Veloster N. In that car, the engine produces 275 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. The Kona N is expected to go on sale as a 2022 model.

Be sure to join us tomorrow when Sandy Munro will be on Autoline After Hours. Always interesting, often sarcastic, and definitely informative, Sandy is one of our favorite guests. So join John and Gary when we go live at 3 pm eastern time on our website and YouTube channel.

GM JUMPS INTO VTOL SEGMENT
CES is being held virtually this year. Even so, there’s a lot of good automotive technology coming out of the show. General Motors unveiled a bunch of new technologies and products. What’s getting a ton of attention is the VTOL, or vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, that would be part of the Cadillac lineup. It’s a quad rotor, electric drone with an automotive 90 kilowatt motor. The idea is for personal transportation when time is of the essence and you don’t want to get stuck in traffic.

CADILLAC REVEALS LUXURIOUS AUTONOMOUS POD
And once you land, Cadillac has this autonomous vehicle that you can get into. To us, it sure looks like this is a luxurious version of the Cruise Origin. It features huge door openings, a massive glass roof and wrap around sofas instead of individual seats. The layout is meant for passengers, especially families and friends, to focus on each other.  

NEW CADILLAC CELESTIQ DETAILS
GM also showed us a bit more of the Celestiq, but only in the background. And yes, they pronounce it Ce-LESS-tick, not Ce-less-TEAK. This is the limited-production, luxury sedan that will be hand built in Detroit. It’s all electric, built off the Ultiium platform, comes with all-wheel-drive, 4-wheel steering and an all-glass roof. That glass uses suspended particles and is divided into four sections, so each occupant can set the level of transparency they want. It also gets a dashboard screen that stretches from pillar to pillar. GM hasn’t said anything about pricing, but we would expect it to cost at least $150,000, any maybe a whole lot more.

GM LAUNCHES NEW DELIVERY BUSINESS
GM’s presentation involved a lot more than Cadillac. It’s also launching a new business unit for delivery and logistics companies, called BrightDrop. The services cover everything from the first to last mile of delivery. Its first product is the EP1, an electrically assisted pallet that carries up to 200 pounds and is meant to move things short distances, like from a delivery van to a customer’s front door. It can even follow a courier walking on a route at up to 3 miles an hour. BrightDrop’s second product is an electric, light commercial van, called the EV600. It features large door openings and walkways for easier access to the cargo area, which is over 600 cubic feet. And it can be packed full of EP1’s. The van uses GM’s Ultium platform and batteries, with an estimated range of 250 miles. FedEx will be its first customer and will get the first vans late this year. 

Think about all this. In just a couple of years GM will have over 30 electric vehicles in its showrooms, it’s one of the world leaders in autonomous technology, it is ramping up fast in mobility services, and will be a major competitor in electric commercial vans. And it has the capital, the manufacturing facilities and the dealer network to pull it all off. If a startup made an announcement like this the world would beat a path to its doorway. GM stock went up around 4% yesterday, but any startup would have seen a massive jump in its stock.

There’s a lot of good information coming out of CES and you can check out our series of interviews with Magna. Just look in the Autoline On The Road section of our website, or on our YouTube channel. 

But that’s all we’ve got for today. Thanks for watching.