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Runtime: 11:14
0:07 U.S. New Car Sales for June
3:14 Toyota Launches Mobility Service for Company Cars
3:47 Porsche Recalling Taycan for Power Loss Issue
4:27 Tesla Model S Plaid Bursts Into Flames
5:08 Tesla Set to Report Record Deliveries
6:39 Better Shocks Really Improve Off-Road Capability
9:07 How Jeep Improved Grand Cherokee L’s Departure Angle
9:54 Ford Files Trademark for ‘Rattler’ Name
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
U.S. NEW CAR SALES JUNE, 2021
Every single automaker in the American market is bragging about how much their sales shot up in June. But we say, ignore what they’re saying. Things are a lot worse. Ward’s Intelligence reports that the SAAR dropped to only 15.3 million vehicles, down from 17 million in May. That’s because automakers sold 286,000 fewer vehicles than they did in May. So why are automakers bragging about how much sales shot up? Because they’re comparing sales to a year ago, when the market was hurt by pandemic shutdowns. So of course everything looks better compared to that. And that’s why we believe you get a clearer idea of what’s really going on by looking at May sales.
| U.S. New Car Sales June, 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| June | May | |
| SAAR | 15.3 Million | 17 Million |
| Sales | 1.29 Million | 1.58 Million |
Keep in mind that the drop in sales is not because consumer demand is cooling off. Just the opposite, Consumer demand is going through the roof. The problem is that automakers can’t make enough new cars and trucks because of the chip shortage. But some automakers are handling the shortage better than others. Toyota outsold all automakers, pushing General Motors into the Number Two slot. Then came Honda, followed by Hyundai-Kia, Stellantis and Ford. Just to show you how badly Ford has been hurt by the chip shortage, the F-Series fell from Number One to Number Three in the pickup segment. It was handily outsold by the Chevrolet Silverado and Ram pickups.
.tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top}| U.S. New Car Sales June, 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Toyota | 207,000 |
| GM | 200,000 |
| Honda | 153,000 |
| Hyundai/Kia | 145,000 |
| Stellantis | 136,000 |
| Ford | 109,000 |
| June Full-Size Pickup Sales | |
|---|---|
| Silverado | 51,577 |
| RAM | 47,833 |
| F-Series | 40,121 |
| Tundra | 7,624 |
| Titan | 2,478 |
Sales of passenger cars fell, but so did sales of trucks. In fact truck sales fell faster than pass cars, so pass cars actually picked up a bit of market share. Sales of pure electric cars also fell, but they fell the least of all, so they picked up share, too, accounting for 2.7% of the total market, up from 2.4% in May.
Amazingly, three brands actually increased their sales: Audi, Genesis and Maserati. Not by much mind you. But anyone who can point to rising sales in this environment really has some bragging rights. And then there’s this little tidbit that caught our eye. Polestar, the offshoot from Volvo, did not sell any cars last month. Not one. We’re going to have to find out what’s going on there, because that’s something we’ve never seen before.
TOYOTA OFFERS MOBILITY SOLUTION FOR COMPANY CARS
Automakers are experimenting with how to get involved with mobility services. Toyota is launching a new service in Japan to manage company cars for corporate customers. It allows employees to reserve company cars with a smartphone app. And it also allows employees to use company cars for private use during holidays or at night when the vehicles aren’t being used for business. Called Booking Car, it costs just $8 bucks a month. Toyota has 200 companies interested in using the service.
PORSCHE RECALLING TAYCAN FOR LOSS OF POWER ISSUE
Porsche is going to recall the Taycan due to a software issue that can cause a sudden loss of power. The automaker says it will update the software for the power electronics and engine control unit for nearly 43,000 Taycan and Taycan Cross Turismos from the 2020 and 2021 model years. Porsche says owners can continue driving the model but they’ll be contacted soon by dealers to come in for the free software update that will take one hour to complete. Huh, we thought they were supposed to be able to do that sort of thing with an over the air update.
TESLA MODEL S PLAID BURSTS INTO FLAMES
And speaking of technical issues with EVs, a new Tesla Model S Plaid caught fire while the owner was driving it. It happened just outside of Philadelphia. The owner says he noticed smoke coming from the back of the car and tried to open the door to get out but had to force his way out because he claims the electric locks would not open. After he bailed out, the car kept on rolling and burst into flames. It took firefighters about 3 hours to get it under control. Attorneys for the owner say they’re hiring an independent investigator to look into what happened. They’ve also been in touch with Tesla and plan to release more info soon.
TESLA SET TO REPORT RECORD DELIVERIES
But it’s not all bad news for Tesla. It will announce delivery and production numbers for the second quarter tonight and they’re expected to set a record. According to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, the EV maker will report deliveries of more than 200,000 vehicles. It set a record in the first quarter with nearly 185,000 deliveries. As we reported yesterday, Tesla hasn’t really been impacted much by the chip shortage, so it’s not surprising that it could outperform Q1 deliveries.
BETTER SHOCKS REALLY IMPROVE OFF-ROAD CAPABILTIY
Anybody who’s ever been off-roading knows just how much fun it can be. Even some stock vehicles are quite capable. But as you can easily guess there’s limitations. Many stock setups feature double-wall steel tube shocks, which are OK for smooth surfaces, but are terrible at preventing two things you don’t want while off-roading; heat build up and fluid aeration. While attending a recent FOX shocks event at the Holly Oaks ORV Park in Michigan I was absolutely floored at how hot the shocks got on a stock Wrangler with only a little bit of off-roading. I couldn’t keep my hand on them for more than a few seconds before wanting to pull away. And when it comes to fluid aeration, think of a shock while it’s off-roading like taking a water bottle and shaking it up really hard. You get a ton of bubbles. Those are the things you want to prevent and why someone would want to upgrade to something better. In the case of FOX, the next step up would be its 2.0 Series shocks. They offer a monotube body, which allows for more oil capacity, and are made of aluminum to better dissipate heat. Going from the stock Wrangler to this setup was a night and day difference. Not only can you go faster but it feels like the vehicle is much more under control. And you’re not necessarily going to break the bank. All the shocks together come in under $700 and if you add in a stabilizer, 2.5-inch suspension lift and aftermarket wheels and tires, you’re in the $2,500-$3,000 range. Upgrading from this point usually involves remote reservoirs and/or bigger, beefier shocks. And more money. FOX’s 2.5 Series shocks cost around $2,800 for all four and roughly $5,500 for its 3.0 Series. But those setups increase fluid capacity even further and not only allow for better heat dissipation and reduce the chance of aeration but more control of the piston through its entire range. It makes you feel like you’re more in control of the vehicle and gives you that feeling that you can go anywhere. And as we know, there’s a lot of people that buy a vehicle for that go anywhere feeling, even if they never take it off-road.
HOW JEEP IMPROVED GRAND CHEROKEE L’S DEPARTURE ANGLE
Speaking of off-roading, it’s a huge part of Jeep’s identity. And here’s an interesting thing Jeep did to give the new Grand Cherokee L the best departure angle it could. During any plant tour you get to see things you normally wouldn’t see. And I noticed during a walk around the new Mack plant in Detroit where the body is married to the chassis that the exhaust, in particular the mufflers, are shoved up really high into the body. So much so, and I’m sorry I don’t have a picture for this, that it requires an extra heat shield on the inside of the bumper cover. By doing this it gives the Grand Cherokee L a better departure angle and helps Jeep retain its off-road identity. And remember, that go anywhere feeling can sell vehicles.
FORD FILES TRADEMARK FOR ‘RATTLER’ NAME
And one last bit of possible off-roading news. Ford filed for a trademark of the name ‘Rattler,’ as in rattlesnake. Some people are speculating that could be the name for an off-road version of the Maverick. With names like Raptor and Tremor, Rattler would seem to fit in Ford’s naming structure. And if you’d like to learn more about Ford’s new small pickup, check out the Autoline After Hours we did yesterday with the Chief Program Engineer and Marketing Manager for the Maverick.
But that brings us to the end of today. Don’t forget we’ll be off all next week for our summer break, but we’ll be right back here on July 12th.
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Seamus and Sean McElroy cover the latest news in the automotive industry for Autoline Daily.
