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Runtime: 10:42
0:00 One Of Three UAW Workers Didn’t Bother to Vote
0:51 Subaru Raises Wages to Fend Off UAW
1:24 Brightdrop No Longer Independent from GM
2:05 Cadillac Going to Australia & New Zealand
2:43 Cadillac Unveils New EVs For China
3:44 Lucid Launches Its 1st SUV
5:34 Honda Offers Hands-Free Driving
6:15 Amazon to Sell Hyundai’s
6:55 GAC Going to Solid-State Batteries
7:37 BMW’s Centerlock Wheels Need 685-lb/ft Torque
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ONE OF THREE UAW WORKERS DIDN’T BOTHER TO VOTE
Well it’s official. UAW workers at GM, Ford and Stellantis voted in favor of their new labor contract. But here’s the interesting thing. One-third of UAW workers did not even bother to vote on the contract. In fact, nearly half of all UAW workers at Ford did not bother to vote. At Stellantis nearly 39% of workers sat out the vote and at GM it was about 26%. That says to us the support for the contract is stronger than the final votes suggest, because we can only imagine that if people didn’t bother to vote they’re happy enough with the contract that the union negotiated.
| 2023 UAW CONTRACT | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Votes | Total UAW Members | % Not Voting | |
| Ford | 30,826 | 57,000 | 46% |
| Stellantis | 26,289 | 43,000 | 39% |
| GM | 35,957 | 48,500 | 26% |
| TOTAL | 93,072 | 148,500 | 37% |
| Source: UAW, industry sources | |||
SUBARU RAISES WAGES TO FEND OFF UAW
Even though the voting is over, we’re still seeing the ripple effect of the union’s new labor contract. Subaru told Reuters it will raise wages for workers at its plant in Lafayette, Indiana, but it has not decided by how much yet. So far Toyota, Honda and Hyundai have announced they will raise wages. UAW president Shawn Fain says he’s now going to try and organize the transplants and EV startups, so the non-union automakers will want to raise wages to try and keep the union out.
BRIGHTDROP NO LONGER INDEPENDENT FROM GM
Another development that could be strike related is that General Motors is going to bring Brightdrop into the corporate fold and will no longer let it operate as a separate subsidiary. Travis Katz, the CEO who was running Brightdrop, is going to leave the company. And all of Brightdrop’s software and service development will also be integrated into existing GM operations. Maybe General Motors was already contemplating this move, but it needs to find ways to cut costs to offset the higher price of its new labor contract. And bringing Brightdrop in-house is definitely a cost-cutting move.
CADILLAC GOING TO AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
Of course, you can’t cost-cut your way to prosperity. You have to grow the top line too. And GM announced its going to start selling Cadillac Lyriq’s in Australia and New Zealand as 2025 models, which suggests they could go on sale there next year. It will also start selling the Lyriq in Sweden, Switzerland and France in the first half of next year. The Lyriq was designed from the outset to accommodate right hand steering, so it should not be an expensive conversion. And that opens up other right-hand-steering markets like the UK, Japan and India.
CADILLAC UNVEILS NEW EVS FOR CHINA
But GM did not say if the Lyriq’s for those markets will be built in the US or in China. Earlier this morning it unveiled a new rear-drive version of the Lyriq for the Chinese market. Up to now it only sold all-wheel-drive versions there. The rear-drive one starts at $41,275 which is about $10,000 less than the all-wheel-drive version. Cadillac also teased the Optiq, a smaller crossover that will be priced even lower, but will only be available in the Chinese market. And it showed two other EVs under wraps that will be launched in China by the end of this year, which means we’ll see a couple of other reveals in just a few weeks.
LUCID LAUNCHES ITS 1ST SUV
EV startup Lucid Motors revealed its first SUV, the Gravity. It shares similar front end styling to the Air sedan and the rear clam-shell liftgate mirrors the Air’s trunk lid. But it also offers three rows of seating. The Gravity will feature a newer version of Lucid’s 900-volt electrical architecture, which will allow it to add up to 200 miles of range in about 15 minutes of charging. Overall, it will have more than 440 miles or 708 kilometers of range. Lucid was already known for having a compact, but powerful electric motor and it says the SUV will get an even newer version of it, which will help it go from 0-60 in under 3.5 seconds and tow up to 6,000 pounds. The interior is similar to the Air as well, but there’s some different treatments on the dash and doors and the center screen is set higher and floating, rather than more integrated into the center console. Lucid hints that the Gravity might have a different battery pack. The one in the Air ranges from 88-118 kWh, but it says Gravity will set new standards for SUVs with a smaller, lighter, more sustainable battery pack that is a little more than half the size of some of its battery-hungry competitors. Pricing will start under $80,000, but sales won’t kick off until the end of next year. Lucid’s sales have tapered off, so a new model is going to inject some excitement into the company. But it will also be under more pressure to scale up production. The big thing Lucid has going for it that not too many EV startups have is billion dollar backers in the Saudi Investment Fund.
HONDA OFFERS HANDS-FREE DRIVING
Automakers keep taking steps that are getting us closer to autonomous driving. Honda will offer hands-free driving next year. It’s coming out with a new version of its safety technology, called Honda SENSING 360+ that adds a driver monitoring system and high-definition maps. These new features make it so the system now supports hands-free driving on the highway and lane changes when the driver uses the turn signal. The new Accord is the first model to get Honda SENSING 360+. And China will be the first market where it’s available, which will be sometime next year. After that, it goes global.
AMAZON TO SELL HYUNDAIS
Hyundai dealers can sell vehicles online through Amazon’s U.S. stores starting next year. Buyers can search for vehicle’s, pick the model, trim, color and features they want, and choose payment and finance options through Amazon’s online checkout. They can then pick it up or have it delivered to their local dealer. Hyundai will use Amazon AWS as its cloud provider to help with the automaker’s digital transformation for operations, production and customer service. And Hyundai will also integrate Amazon’s Alexa voice-assistant into its vehicles starting in 2025.
GAC GOING TO SOLID STATE BATTERIES
Solid state batteries could be a game changer for electric vehicles and Chinese automaker GAC announced that it plans to equip its EVs with fully solid-state batteries in 2026. The batteries have an energy density of 400-Wh per kilogram, which compares to about 300 for most of today’s batteries. And the company says it will meet safety and reliability standards. That’s all the details we have but it looks like GAC could be the first automaker to sell EVs with full solid-state batteries. Toyota, Honda and Nissan are also developing them and are aiming to bring them to market by the end of the decade.
BMW’S CENTERLOCK WHEELS NEED 685 LB/FT TORQUE
I never realized how tight you have torque down centerlock wheels. BMW is offering quick-change centerlock wheels for versions of the M2, M3 and M4, which replaces the wheel studs and/or lugs with one central screw. But it says that screw has to be bolted down to 930 Nm or 685 lb-ft of torque. I came here from a world of working on cars and trucks, but most vehicle lug nuts are torqued to about 100 lb-ft, while some full-size trucks would be around 150 lb-ft or a little more. I was just very shocked to see that number. And like any set of good aftermarket wheels, these are not that cheap with a price tag of over 12,000 euros.
But that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for tuning in and I hope that you have a great weekend.
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I’m a little surprised by that wheel torque number but not a lot because I knew that the torque figure for some of the single sided sport bikes is quite high, Ducati 1198 is 170 ft/lbs.
I’ve been involved with unions for 30 plus years and although it’s really hard to draw conclusions from things like low voter turnout I suspect you are probably correct Sean. People tend to show up when they aren’t happy and stay home when they are.
My Lincoln MKZ requires 150 lb-ft on the lug nuts. So, it’s not just full-size trucks requiring that torque.
And what tool is used to achieve 650 lb-ft? Clearly, no human can achieve that with hand tools. I sure hope they use run-flat tires.
Will Brightdrop workers join the UAW?
Yes, The UAW contract turnout was so low probably because most members just assumed it would have no problem passing.
It’s like a satisfaction survey. People will make an effort to complain but if people are satisfied, they just assume that’s the way it should be and are less likely to make any effort.
Wonder how Aptera is doing? They were supposed to launch production in late 2023. After the typical pushed back launches that every start up seems to deal with.
Does the BMW’s come with a 6 ft extension bar in the trunk to get the lug nut off?
Lambo, it must be a folding bar for the BMW wheels.
Brightdrop workers are already represented by a union. They are members of Unifor not the UAW since the plant is in Ontario.
I have to imagine that the Cadillac Lyriqs that will be sold in Europe, Australia and New Zealand will be assembled in their China plant. The US production is still running at a snail’s pace and they have a large backlog to address once they get volume Ultium battery production going. I can only imagine the heat being rained down on the management team at the Ultium production plant in Ohio. Yikes!
Thanks Sean and crew for another great week.
The first Saturday F1 in years is tomorrow night.
GM Veteran — I was thinking something similar about the Lyriq! They are moving them so slow out of the US plant, unless they build the vehicles elsewhere, it will be a minute before GM sees any return from selling it in other markets!
An article in AutoCar about the Lucid Gravity, said that it will have more energy dense batteries and that they are lighter too!
Did the Lucid Gravity get its name because it weighs about 4 tons?
Kit, I think an excessive curb weight wouldn’t match Lucid’s engineering approach. And the battery capacities don’t speak for that either. This actually looks a lot like a lifted station wagon…
GMVet, agree about the Lyriqs’s provenance. Here in Europe, they’ve begun to advertise it online, so there must be some availability.
Good discussion and argument around the F1 and Andretti-Cadillac getting into the sport. (approx. 10 minute video; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAloENVn-vw ). Some good points, and could Cadillac still get into the sport without Andretti if they commit to engine development (for 2028).
Sean W., yeah, the Lucid Air is only 5015 pounds according to CR. Their Model S weighed 4625. Both are substantially lighter than an EQS, which weighs 5810 pounds.
ChuckGrenci, interesting video. To me, it’s crazy how many engine builds F1 has, and will have, when IndyCar is lucky to have two. F1 already has 4, and will be adding two more. Cadillac, actually probably mostly Ilmor, would be 7. As the video implied, I would almost expect GM to say “forget it” if they won’t let Andretti in.
What the Gravity is, is a salvo across the biw of Range Rover. Ranger Rover has cut out a name for itself, as being both light on its feet on pavement and able to to go anywhere off road! JLR has long said/suggested, though, that to produce a vehicle with all the capability of a RR, batteries would be too heavy, if not impossible, and was looking into a different solution. Yet, Rivian and it’s R1S has proven that, not only is it doable, but it is highly skilled in doing so. Now, here comes the Gravity with claims of being an SUV with sports car dynamics and not afraid of going off be beaten path and is an BEV to boot! The argument can be made that the R1S may not have the same footprint as the biggest of Rovers and the Gravity has yet to prove itself. That being said, outside of complaints and promises, Ranger Rover has yet to offer a showing. The crazy thing is Range Rover’s sister brand, Jaguar, was one of the first to bring an electric SUV to market, strangely enough! Even to that vehicle, RR has yet to field a credible response.
I never knew why Jaguar made SUVs/CUVs in the first place. Their sister brand, Land Rover exists for those vehicles, while Jaguar always existed for sports cars and near-luxury sedans.
As far as iPace, it performs well, but is inefficient, and has less range than a Chevy Bolt that costs less than half as much. I’ve read that it is being dropped by 2025 with the time for a replacement unknown.
The Rivian SUV is actually slightly larger than the big Range Rover, and, of course, weighs a lot more.
KIT — I also forgot to mention the EV Hummer SUV, which also has a similar footprint to the standard size Ranger Rover. While a agree that Jaguar’s specialty has always been coupes and sedans, with the world’s love affair with CUV and SUVs, it’s not surprising that Jag took that route. Yet, their rush to be one of the first EV SUVs made no since, when their sister brand is the SUV expert in that family, still has me scratching my head! Then to let it sit there with little to no farther development, as other OEMs bring better and more efficient EV SUV products to market AND Land Rover/ Range Rover standing pat, definitely seems like a missed opportunity. Now there has been grumblings and extremely vague teaser pictures, but nothing to excite fans of what they have in the offing. Then Lucid comes with the Gravity, another contender in the space JLR has yet to decidedly show up! At this rate, when they do, as the market has continued to move on, will their product have the range, power and charging speed as the new leaders in the class? Or, after waiting all this time, will they emerge as no greater as middle of the pack on these key points, hoping to just remain competitive? While not being at the front of the pack, does not mean that they can’t be successful, but it does raise the question of just what have they been doing?!
While Tesla is still the tip of the arrow, the Gravity shows that a midsize or smaller full-size EV SUV doesn’t need folding, gullwing doors, or look, or though stylish, like a hand held vacuum cleaner from some angles. While I like the look of both the Hummer, R1S, EQS and EQE SUV’s, the Gravity has a classic look that is very, very appealing and attractive as well, with none of the weirdness of the iX! While the phrase: ‘to each his own’, would definitely apply in each of these cases, but the one I feel works best is: ‘when the competition is good, the consumer wins’!
KIT — I also forgot to mention the EV Hummer SUV, which also has a similar footprint to the standard size Ranger Rover. While a agree that Jaguar’s specialty has always been coupes and sedans, with the world’s love affair with CUV and SUVs, it’s not surprising that Jag took that route. Yet, their rush to be one of the first EV SUVs made no since, when their sister brand is the SUV expert in that family, still has me scratching my head! Then to let it sit there with little to no farther development, as other OEMs bring better and more efficient EV SUV products to market AND Land Rover/ Range Rover standing pat, definitely seems like a missed opportunity. Now there has been grumblings and extremely vague teaser pictures, but nothing to excite fans of what they have in the offing. Then Lucid comes with the Gravity, another contender in the space JLR has yet to decidedly show up! At this rate, when they do, as the market has continued to move on, will their product have the range, power and charging speed as the new leaders in the class? Or, after waiting all this time, will they emerge as no greater as middle of the pack on these key points, hoping to just remain competitive? While not being at the front of the pack, does not mean that they can’t be successful, but it does raise the question of just what have they been doing?!
For some reason this comment originally didn’t post, so I did it again. I apologize if it’s on this thread more than once.
It looks like Land Rover wants to remain “traditional” for now, burning gas (and diesel outside of the US), though they have a PHEV, and will have a “wait list” for an electric Range Rover beginning in late 2023. I think they still top most lists of least reliable vehicles. LR mostly goes for boxy, off-road capable vehicles, that few people actually drive off-road. They sold a total of ~60K vehicles in the US in 2022, with 7-8 different models.
A bit of data regarding average sales prices in the US, quote: non-luxury vehicles have seen a price increase of less than 1% YoY, with the average price for new non-luxury vehicles in November standing at $44,331. This price is down slightly from last month, but is up about 1% from one year ago.
Unquote, source Cox Automotiva, September 12, 2023
That’s a lot more helpful to the discussion than including luxury and near-luxury vehicles. Since a nice, perfectly family-compatible RAV4 can be had for substantially less, there should be some insights that can be derived. Cars also are built better and last longer, nowadays.
Oops, source CarEdge New Car Price Trends in 2023 (Updated Monthly), last updated Nov 14, 2023
with data from Cox
Sounds like the F1 race in Vegas was not as successful as they hoped it would be. Sounds like hotels and stands were not filled and they spent a ton of money with barricades and security to make sure people couldn’t get even a glimpse of the race without purchasing an expensive ticket. So rather than maybe bringing in some more fans they just turned people off to the sport. Had they offered some cheap seats or at least places for people to get a view they may have only watched for a few minutes that might then consider buying a ticket.
Then with the drama behind the FP2 postponement until 2am and then fans kicked out of their seats due to security and limited staffing concerns. Those folks were not offered a refund so talks of a class action lawsuit is already being heard.
The sport doesn’t have as huge of a following in the US and this was an opportunity to bring people in, and sounds like they missed the mark in spectacular fashion.
Lambo, in addition to what you described, they would have lost most TV viewership in the US by having the qualification and race in the middle of the night. They would have gained viewership in Europe, though.
They should not only refund ticket buyers at least part of their money due to the FP2 fiasco, but the organizers should pay for the damage to Sainz’s car resulting from the course not being properly prepared.
Sean W., I assume $75K Suburbans and $60K pickup trucks are included in the $44,331 non-luxury average price. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it were even higher. A base RAV4 is under $30K, but I suspect a lot of them are mid-30s. Most Highlanders are in the 40s.
The only F1 race I’ve been to was at Indy. The drivers didn’t like the course very well, but it was great for spectators. General admission was cheap, and you could walk around and watch from various places around the course. Even the best reserved seats were not too expensive. Indianapolis is not “glitzy” like Miami or Las Vegas, though, so Bernie didn’t like it, nor does whoever has replaced Bernie.
I gave up watching F1 for the exact reason you mention. Seems that they were more interested in the glitz and glamour than the actual racing. So it became a bore to me. No surprise the F1 governing body would not like anywhere Indiana. Indiana is just not a state with their kind of empty vacuous posh “vibe”. Vegas seems like a place for them even though it was a total disaster both on and off the track.
…and F1 has made a 10 year commitment for Las Vegas. Crazy.