AD #3385 – Some Europeans Still Want Their Diesels; Last Call for Dodge Piston Power; Ram to Build EV Vans In Europe

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

SOME EUROPEANS STILL WANT THEIR DIESELS
Diesel engines used to account for half of all new car sales in Europe. Not anymore. Dieselgate and the availability of electric cars took care of that. Diesel sales have plummeted. But LMC Automotive says there’s a hard-core group of customers who still want their diesel engines. About 20%, or one out of five, new-car buyers in Europe order cars with diesel engines. In fact, diesels outsell BEVs and there’s even talk of a diesel resurgence. But LMC doesn’t put credence in any kind of diesel revival and predicts that BEVs will start outselling diesels in Europe sometime next year. Diesel sales are strongest in Austria and Germany and the weakest in the Netherlands and Norway.

VW & MAHINDRA EV PARTNERSHIP
Could India, with a population of nearly 1.4 billion people, become the next China? Some automakers certainly hope so. Tesla is negotiating with India to build an assembly plant there and now Volkswagen and Mahindra are forming an EV partnership. VW will supply MEB components, including the electric drivetrain, the battery system and cells, for Mahindra’s new INGLO EV platform, which will be used for five new SUVs from the brand. The two automakers also agreed to explore other potential opportunities including vehicle projects, battery cell manufacturing, as well as charging and energy solutions for the Indian market.

GM APPOINTS ANOTHER WOMAN TO THE BOARD
General Motors appointed another woman to its board of directors. Joanne Crevoiserat, 58, is the chief executive officer of Tapestry, Incorporated, which owns luxury brands like Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman. GM has 12 board members, 6 of whom are women. GM is the only automaker in the world with such a high number of women on its board. Some automakers in Japan and South Korea typically have one token woman on their board.

RAM WANTS TO BUILD EV VANS IN EUROPE
Even though the electric version of the Ram ProMaster doesn’t launch until next year, the head of the brand, Mike Koval, says they’re looking for ways to boost production because it expects high demand. Ram wants to increase production at its plant in Mexico where it will be built but the company is also considering producing it in Europe, where parent company Stellantis already builds vans for Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen. Koval says there are homologation challenges building a vehicle for North America in Europe but it will work through those problems because it needs the extra capacity to meet demand. Ram accounted for 40% of Stellantis’ commercial vehicle sales last year and by 2024 the brand is aiming to sell 1 million vehicles.

MERCEDES’ STUNNING EQE INTERIOR
Mercedes revealed the interior of its upcoming EQE SUV. As you can see it’s dominated by what Mercedes calls the MBUX Hyperscreen. The entire instrument panel is essentially one giant screen, which consists of several high-resolution screens that merge under a single glass cover. Other styling elements include vents that are designed to look like turbines and there’s ambient lighting throughout that’s available in five color combinations. That’s about all Mercedes is sharing for now but we’ll learn more when the five-seat SUV makes its world debut in October.

SILVERADO ZR2 BISON FOR HARD-CORE OFF-ROAD
You got the Ford Raptor, the Ram TRX and the Silverado ZR2. Hard-core off-road packages are sizzling hot in the full-size pickup segment. And now Chevrolet is taking the ZR2 up another notch. Meet the ZR2 Bison, which Chevy developed with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), which sells hard core off-road aftermarket parts. Here’s what you get. Five different hot-stamped boron steel skid plates that protect the front and rear differentials, the transfer case and the fuel tank. Multimatic DSSV spool-valve dampers. Locking differentials front and rear. Gloss black 18-inch AEV wheels with 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires. A standard 6.2L V-8 engine with a 10-speed automatic. 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft torque. An optional 3.0L Duramax Diesel with 305 hp, up10%, and 495 lb-ft, up 7.6%. All these modifications increase the front approach angle to an estimated 32.5 degrees, compared to 31.8 degrees. The departure angle is an estimated 23.4 degrees, compared to 23.3 degrees. Ground clearance is11.2 inches. Of course, you pay for what you get. It all comes to $78,490, but at least that includes delivery charges.

LAST CALL FOR DODGE PISTON POWER
The piston powered versions of the Dodge Charger and Challenger are going away for good next year, and Dodge is sending them off in a blaze of glory. It’s teasing 7 special-edition models at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit this week. Six of them connect to iconic Dodge models of the past, the 7th will be unveiled at the SEMA show in Las Vegas this November. It’s also offering a rainbow of heritage colors, an expansion of SRT Jailbreak models, a commemorative “Last Call” under hood plaque for all 2023 Charger and Challenger vehicles and a new vehicle allocation process. Last Call means just that. This is the last chance anyone will have to buy a new Charger or Challenger with a piston engine under the hood.

DROP TOP CHALLENGER
And if you’d like to convert your Challenger into a convertible, Dodge will do that for you too. It’s working with a company called Drop Top Customs to convert any 2022 and ‘23 Challenger. The cost is $26,000, plus the price of the car.

POLESTAR 6 CONFIRMED FOR PRODUCTION
Polestar confirmed that it’s going to make the Polestar 6 electric roadster. Up to now it’s only hinted that the concept car could make it into production. But it won’t launch until 2026. If you can wait long enough, here’s what it has to offer. An 800-Volt electric architecture. A dual motor arrangement with 884 hp, or 650 kW, and 663 lb-ft of torque, which is 900 Newton meters. 0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph or 250 km/h. There’s also going to be a limited-edition model called LA Concept, since the concept was unveiled in LA in March. Customers can order a Polestar 6 starting today.

And that wraps up today’s report. Thanks for watching Autoline Daily, and if you’re not a YouTube subscriber we encourage you to sign up today.