AD #3527 – BMW Expects Big Boost from EVs; Distracted Driving Underestimated; VW Reveals Sub 25,000 Euro EV Concept

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BMW EXPECTS BIG BOOST FROM EVs
BMW expects to bring in more cash by selling more EVs and high-end models. By the end of this year it will have launched the new i5 and iX2, sales of the convertible version of the electric Mini Cooper will start and Rolls-Royce will kick off deliveries of the all-electric Spectre. Combined with all its current electric models, BMW thinks BEVs could make up 15% of its total sales in 2023. This will pave the way for its next generation of EVs, what BMW calls its NEUE KLASSE of vehicles. For them it developed a new wiring harness that allows for a new user interface, they get new motors that are more powerful and efficient and it gave them more sustainable materials. Production of the NEUE KLASSE of vehicles will start in the second half of 2025 and the first models will be an SUV and sedan that fit in today’s 3 Series segment. By the middle of 2026 BMW expects to be producing 6 NEUE KLASSE models.

GERMANY IN DANGER OF MISSING CLIMATE TARGETS
Despite higher fuel prices and record EV sales, CO2 emissions from Germany’s transport sector increased last year. Emissions from cars, trucks, ships and planes were up 0.7% to 148 million tons in 2022. Germany’s Federal Environment Agency says the country must reduce its emissions by 6% per year or it is at risk of missing its 2030 climate targets. It also wants Germany to cut subsidies for combustion engines and the aviation sector while increasing investments in public transportation. But Germany doesn’t want to give up on the IC engine and it’s currently working with other EU nations to block the region’s total ban of ICEs in 2035.

 

VW REVEALS SUB 25,000 EURO EV CONCEPT
While there’s been a lot of anticipation over Tesla’s $25,000 model, Volkswagen sort of beat Tesla to the punch and just revealed an EV concept about the size of a Golf that it thinks it can sell for under 25,000 euros. Called the ID. 2all, it’s built on an “enhanced” version of VW’s MEB platform, what it calls MEB Entry. It’s front-wheel-drive-based and comes with an updated drive motor, battery and charging system. It has a range up to 450 kilometers or about 280 miles based on the WLTP cycle but VW didn’t reveal the size of the battery. The ID. 2all concept also showcases VW’s new design language, but that’s about all the details it shared. VW’s aiming to launch the production vehicle in Europe in 2025. But this isn’t the only affordable EV it’s working on. It’s also developing an electric that costs below 20,000 euros but didn’t reveal any details.

AUDI TESTS 1ST PPE EV
Audi is gearing up to launch the all-new version of its e-tron SUV. But you may remember this model is undergoing a name change from e-tron to Q6 e-tron. And it will no longer use the VW Group’s MEB platform. It will be the first Audi model to ride on the PPE or Premium Platform Electric, which is based on an 800-volt architecture and like the BMW NEUE KLASSE of vehicles, it will feature more powerful and efficient motors and an improved charging system. The “close-to-production” model is undergoing winter tests right now and should be on sale as a 2025 model year vehicle. And like the current e-tron SUV, there will also be a sportback version.

AUDI OFFERS EXCLUSIVE EV IN THE U.S.
Speaking of Audi EVs, it’s launching a special-edition of the e-tron GT in the U.S. Limited to just 75 examples, the project_513/2 is made to look more like the prototype version of the car. It comes in an exclusive wrap, a first for Audi from a factory car, as well as a number of red painted accents. That red is also picked up on the interior air vents, steering wheel, seats and floor mats. The dashboard even features a carbon fiber inlay that matches the exterior wrap. The car goes on sale this spring and each of those 75 initial customers will shell out over $180,000 at least. Oh, in case you were wondering about that name; project_513/2. It’s internal Audi code for the product segment, generation and body style.

IAM UNION GOES AFTER NISSAN U.S. WORKERS
The UAW has struggled to organize workers at plants of foreign automakers but perhaps another union will have luck. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union or the IAM is trying to organize technicians at Nissan’s Smyrna plant in Tennessee. The 86 tool and die workers are voting today on whether to join the union. Nissan tried to prevent the effort because it said the vote should apply to all workers at the plant since they share working conditions but the National Labor Relations Board rejected the claim. Line workers have twice rejected efforts by the UAW to organize the plant. But if the techs do decide to join the IAM union, it could pave the way to unionizing the whole plant.

 

IMPACT OF DISTRACTED DRIVING UNDERESTIMATED
Safety advocates say the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration needs to improve the way it measures distracted driving because they claim the agency is underestimating just how many deaths and injuries are caused by it. According to NHTSA’s most recent data, of the nearly 39,000 people killed in traffic accidents in the U.S. in 2020, a little more than 3,000 were caused by distracted driving, less than 10% of all accidents. And another 324,000 were injured by distracted driving. But the National Distracted Driving Coalition says the actual number is closer to 25% to 30% of all accidents. It says NHTSA’s numbers are low because the car crash data system created decades ago is out of date and hasn’t kept up with advancements in technology. Also different states and different police departments collect data differently and it’s also hard to prove a driver was distracted. By improving data collection, the safety advocates say it will be easier to come up with solutions to combat injuries and deaths from distracted driving.

TESLA INSTALLING NEXT-GEN CHARGERS
Everybody knows Tesla has the best chargers and now they’re getting even better. The EV maker opened the first station to feature its newest generation Supercharger, the V4. Located in the Netherlands, it boasts a longer charging cable, which it says will provide easy access for all EVs. It didn’t reveal specs, but Electrek compiled reports from local owners who show the stations could be capable of 600 kW of output. V3 stations are capped at 250 kW. However, Tesla’s cars currently aren’t able to handle 600 kW, but it could be an indicator of what future cars are capable of.

 

And make sure to tune into Autoline After Hours today. Sandy Munro and Corey Steuben from Munro Live will be on the show. Some of the topics they’ll dive into is Tesla’s new assembly process and what they think it will take for Tesla to come out with a $25,000 car and still make a profit. So join John and Gary this afternoon at 3PM eastern time for what should be a fun show.

But that’s it for today, thanks for watching.