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Runtime: 11:18
0:00 GM’s Barra Faces Big Problems
1:21 Cruise Continues in Japan, Dubai
2:36 NTSB Wants Speed Limiters in Cars
3:53 Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Tesla
5:07 Use A Phone to Buy Your Mercedes
5:31 Honda Invests in Making Batteries
6:09 NIO Hits 2,100 Battery Swap Stations
7:21 NIO Targets Maybach S-Class
7:57 ONE Gets into LFP Storage Business
8:23 Heat Pumps Help EVs In Cold Weather
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
GM’S BARRA FACES BIG PROBLEMS
GM CEO Mary Barra probably can’t wait for this year to end. It hasn’t been a good one for her. First, GM’s EV launches have been riddled with production problems. Second, it just went through bruising contract negotiations with the UAW and ended up with a contract that will significantly raise its labor costs. And third, GM Cruise, its robotaxi business, ran into a buzz-saw of safety complaints in California. That led GM to stop all rides in the U.S. pending a review of its processes and procedures. Yesterday, Kyle Vogt, the tech entrepreneur who helped found and run Cruise, resigned from the company. So far this year Cruise has lost $2.6 billion. It still has $2.1 billion in cash, but that means it either has to start generating a lot more revenue or get a lot more investment before that money runs out. Not surprisingly, Wall Street doesn’t like what it’s seeing. GM’s stock is down 17% this year and its market cap has fallen to only $38 billion.
CRUISE CONTINUES IN JAPAN, DUBAI
But maybe GM’s pause with Cruise is just related to the American market. Reuters reports that Cruise is still testing its autonomous cars on public roads in Japan and Dubai, countries that are not known for their product liability lawsuits. As we said before, Mary Barra is probably shy when it comes to any kind of safety problem because of the disastrous way that GM handled its ignition switch defect nearly a decade ago. She has to tip-toe carefully. GM has poured billions into Cruise and Barra is counting on it to generate $50 billion a year in revenue by the end of the decade. So she has a lot riding on it, maybe even her job. But a study done by the Transportation Research Institute at the University of Michigan shows that Cruise robotaxis get in about one third fewer accidents than taxis with human drivers, which were operating within the same geo-fenced area. So even if robotaxis aren’t perfect, it looks like they’re still safer than cars with a human being behind the wheel.
NTSB WANTS SPEED LIMITERS IN CARS
Speaking of safety, the National Transportation Safety Board wants NHTSA to mandate speed-limiters in cars to help prevent speeding. The NTSB is citing a fatal crash in Las Vegas where a driver was traveling 103 MPH in a 35 MPH zone and ran a red light, striking a minivan and killing a family of seven. The driver, who also died in the crash along with a passenger, was found to be high on PCP and cocaine. The NTSB doesn’t have the authority to make new laws and regulations, so it’s calling on NHTSA to mandate technology that would warn drivers if they’re driving above posted speeds or even automatically reduce a car’s speed to the limit. The NTSB also wants more educational campaigns about speeding, tougher punishments for speeders and make speed-limiter technology a part of the New Car Assessment Program rating system. But we think mandating speed-limiters could be dangerous. For just one example, what about those times when you’ve got to stomp on the gas to avoid getting hit by another vehicle?
JUDGE DISMISSES LAWSUIT AGAINST TESLA
An antitrust lawsuit against Tesla was dismissed by a U.S. Judge. The suit accused Tesla of forcing customers to pay high prices and endure long wait times for repairs because the EV maker monopolized the market for maintenance and replacement parts. The complaint also said Tesla vehicles must be repaired at approved service centers and can only use Tesla parts. But the judge dismissed the suit because she said the plaintiffs couldn’t prove they were unaware of the problem before they bought their vehicle and the judge said they didn’t prove Tesla forced them into using its services and parts.
USE A PHONE TO BUY YOUR MERCEDES
Mercedes is making it easier for customers to lease its vehicles in Germany by allowing them to do it digitally, even on your phone. Every step of the leasing process can be done online within a few minutes and it is all legally binding. Mercedes says it plans to offer the service to other markets and for business customers but it did not say where or when it will happen.
HONDA INVESTS IN MAKING BATTERIES
Honda is buying shares in a company that it plans to make EV batteries with. It’s purchasing nearly 2.5 million shares in Yuasa, a company that makes batteries for all kinds of products. Honda will now control about 5% of Yuasa’s shares and the two are also forming a new battery joint venture. In Particular, they plan to research and develop lithium-ion batteries and battery production methods for EVs. But Yuasa makes batteries for motorcycles and power products, like ATVs and wave runners. So, I could see the partnership spilling over into other areas as well.
NIO HITS 2,100 BATTERY SWAP STATIONS
Battery swapping continues to grow in China. NIO has opened nearly 800 new swap stations this year, which brings its total to over 2,100. It says it has completed more than 32 million battery swaps to date and now averages 60,000 in a day. Chinese automaker GAC also started getting into battery swapping last year and just signed a deal with a tech company that will provide it with a digital platform where users can locate and pay for its charging services, which includes battery swapping. GAC has been slow to roll out the services. Only two of its models offer battery swapping and it’s not available on every trim level. It also cut back on initial plans and will build 500 swap stations by 2025, instead of 1,000. But GAC has partnerships with Honda and Toyota, so there’s potential to expand. However, incentives also play a role in the adoption of the technology. China currently exempts anyone from the EV battery tax if the model has battery swapping capability.
NIO TARGETS MAYBACH S-CLASS
Speaking of NIO, it’s drawing a bead on the Maybach S-class from Mercedes-Benz. Car New China reports that NIO will unveil a flagship luxury sedan next month to compete with the Maybach in China. It’s said to cost about $140,000, will sit on NIO’s NT3 EV platform and will use an autonomous chip that NIO developed in-house. NIO probably gave us a hint of its proportions and packaging two years ago when it unveiled the Eve concept car.
ONE GETS INTO LFP STORAGE BUSINESS
How are battery companies going to make up for the slowdown in EV sales? Well ONE, or Our Next Energy, is partnering with General Electric’s sustainable energy division called GE Vernova, to supply it with LFP battery modules for its Solar & Storage Solutions business. And energy storage is going to play a big role in upgrading electric grids all around the world
HEAT PUMPS HELP EVs IN COLD WEATHER
I think by now everyone knows that EVs lose range in cold weather – yes, I know. ICE vehicles lose range in the cold too, but we’re talking about EVs – and according to data from Recurrent, the average EV today loses about 30% of its range when temperatures fall to 0-degrees Celsius or 32-degrees Fahrenheit. The best performer is the Audi e-tron, losing just 16% of its range and the worst is the VW ID.4 at 46%. What’s surprising is that both these vehicles are based on the MEB platform, but the e-tron features a heat pump, which helps keep the battery at optimal temperature, and the ID.4 does not. It’s amazing how big a difference that one bit of tech makes. Tesla, which also uses a heat pump, performs well with the Model 3, Y & X all losing 24% of their range in the cold.
But that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for tuning in.
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Speed limiters, my GPS will tell me the speed limit and it’s ofter correct when it knows or thinks it knows. Sometimes it doesn’t so I don’t see how that kind of system would work or at least work well. Not to mention if someone is going 100mph/hr in a 30 it’s not like they were confused to the speed limit.
Limiting speed- everyday millions of vehicles capable of going 100mph/hr plus are on the roads and things are fine. Speed is almost never the cause of a collision but gets the blame a lot.
Maybe we should make driving while hi illegal ….. oh wait. Never mind.
Range loss in a Tesla is significant if one is driving an antique one like 2018 before heat pump and uses resistant electricity like baseboard heating in a house.
Limiting speed of vehicles is a really bad idea. It would be especially bad when overtaking on two lane roads, where it would cause head on crashes by extending the time needed to overtake. Also, would it make much difference if the car that ran the red light and hit the van was going only 80 instead of 103?
Won’t lithium batteries be something completely new to Yuasa? All of their batteries I’ve seen are lead acid.
GM’s biggest problem seems to be the inability to build any EVs, except for Bolt. People will change their minds about even wanting a Lyriq.
Kit – yes, the difference could be significant. A 103 mph impact has about 50% more energy that an 80 mph collision would. I won’t argue degrees of catastrophe…
The report was generous about the Chevy Bolt. It claimed a 42% reduction in range. We see a solid 50% reduction. Maybe we just like to be as comfortable in the winter in the Bolt as in our Subaru. Being retired, it’s not an issue for us but would be for some, particularly with the slow high speed charging of the Bolt.
Still a great deal for an EV if it fits your lifestyle.
The VW id4 has a heat pump in Canada.
Both comments above relating to speed limiters ring true with me as well. Specifically using one example for why speed should be ‘controlled’, is a knee-jerk reaction (if I’ve ever heard of one). A wide spread edict should be in reaction to a trend, which also relates, sort of, to the Cruz accident in which an unusual happenstance shut down an ‘industry’.
The cabin heat temperature setting would make a huge difference in lost range of an EV with resistance heating. If you are dressed warm enough for the outside temp, you might not need much cabin heat, being out of the wind. Of course, we are used to “free” cabin heat of ICErs which convert about 80% of the energy from gasoline to waste heat.
The proposed Chevy Equinox would be an ideal vehicle (if it met GM press releases) for introducing EVs to the general market. I think it would sell in the hundreds of thousands. Another lost opportunity for GM. I think they need more engineering background at the top.
This article puts some perspective on the actual lessons learned of the Vegas incident. Take note that they blame systemic deficiencies in Nevada for this driver escalating his behaviour resulting in the death of this family. I.E. it was not the cars fault but more of a system of governing that was extremely lenient and lacked accountability for actions. This driver was stopped 5 times in 1 year and got off each time with a slap on the wrist and the charges reduced to “parking violations” even when he was going 20+ over the speed limit. Ever notice it is always a dodge product with these types of articles? Anyhow, I think it is best to hold the Nevada legislature to account for this tragedy and not the tens of millions of people across the USA who had nothing to do with the failure of the Nevada legislature to govern their citizens properly. That family would have been alive today had they revoked his license and impounded his car like most states do to gross offenders when they are caught speeding excessively.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ntsb-systemic-deficiencies-led-las-180115114.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMwS4GD5f5Z1uorzncZYOKSWVmaOMUQNPlgIE2sHRnkDStNFhS2hufzqba9JdbDtltLq_A5wk6vLLPUCP-VwjXBEoP2zkd-Xv-0fd6fJW4zeeiASBY_Qlzr88tD6F1SWFQ4uTlxNOvPpq2t7IzseUD1VU75h3l7dRhdgGAefKXV3
Speed limiters, ya no thanks
I honestly don’t care what the NTSB wants. This is nothing more than a brainless response made with emotion and not with any actual thought. Limiting speed is just another step towards being in a nanny state and governmental control. Is what happened tragic? absolutely! Would I feel different if it was my family? No! I would be upset at the driver who drove while on a couple drugs and the state which had the opportunity to get this fool off the road and failed to do so multiple times. A step toward restricting the entire population over the actions of one is a fix for the results not a fix to the problem. As others have pointed out certain driving conditions require you to exceed the limit at least momentarily. I do feel it is one of those things that remind us we are free and have choices. Sadly, some shouldn’t be allowed to have that freedom. Besides once we are all in driverless cars, car travel will be as exciting as riding the bus.
The way people everywhere run red lights, I look both directions before going when I get a green light, but I certainly might miss someone going 100 mph.
I suspect most of that guy’s speeding tickets were way “underwritten,” even before being reduced to parking violations. If you get stopped for going 50 in a 45 zone, you are extremely unlucky, or were doing something else to get the attention of the cop. You are unlucky to get stopped even going 80 in a 65 zone a lot of places. About half of drivers are doing that some places I know of on I-95. The guy must have done a lot of things to get attention, but yet he kept his license. Maybe just the car got attention of the cops, especially if it was a Hellcat.
Shortly after we bought our new C8 Corvette. It is capable of running 194 mph with the base car. Ours had the Z51 track package that reduces the top seed to 184 mph. (Z51 is geared to accelerate faster, and more aerodynamics for better cornering), I’ve never gone that fast. On a trip we were driving on U.S. 2, which runs west to east, across the upper part of Montana. While driving on U.S. 2, in daylight, good weather, and rarely we saw other vehicles (mostly pickup trucks). You could look as far as you can see and not see a vehicle on the road. Only liberals would want to block an American car with that capability.
The reason I got so upset yesterday over stupid rules that protect us from the dumb is we continually move toward a position of control. We give up freedom in the name of safety. When the results are you end up with neither. Part of living in a free society is not being restricted. It’s basically the definition of being free. However, some people cannot handle that responsibility and penalties need to be in place for those unable to live free while not harming others. If our government fails to enforce those penalties, then we have chaos.
One person built a shoe bomb and now everyone needs to remove their shoes in order to fly. One person hijacked a plane with a box cutter and now you can’t even take nail clippers on a plane. A few deranged people shoot up a school and we are expected to all hand in our guns. The country we live in today is far less free than we were just 60 years ago. You can’t go to a sporting event a concert or even the courthouse without being searched and going through a metal detector. Some people are in favor of the government screening anyone’s e-mails and text massages in the hopes they may detect a terrorist plot. We subjected everyone to “rules and orders” (not laws) during the pandemic that were very much over-reaching and out of line in the name of safety. ALD reported on the idea some maker had to equip all of our cars with a device to detect alcohol content and basically not allowing the vehicle to start. because of the few that drink too much and drive.
So, making restrictions on cars for everyone because of a single person’s irresponsible actions is ridiculous. What’s next? When a guy uses his car to plow down pedestrians, we geo-fence vehicles to not operate in areas of more than 50 people gather?
You just have to have some common sense; If a couple kids are playing and accidentally lock one of their friends in the trunk and that kid dies. Its a horrible accident but you don’t pass laws making it illegal to put someone in a trunk. That would not have prevented it. You also don’t tell manufacturers they can’t make vehicles with trunks anymore. You put some thought into it and pass a law making an emergency release handle required on the inside of the trunk. Better yet make it glow in the dark. Doesn’t restrict anyone’s freedom and solves the problem.
On a somewhat related note to todays topic of the struggles at GM, There is something afoot with the Lyriq. This vehicle is supposedly having issues with battery manufacturing and the plant is only able to dribble them out of in small quantities. You would think this would mean supply shortages.
What I am seeing is that inventory is readily available in any color at every dealer around me. If you are a GM employee, you can even get an employee discount on a Lyriq. GM does not typically give employee discounts on high demand vehicles. It appears to me that it is not the hit that GM had hoped it to be. Of course all of them in inventory are starting around $65K, not very well optioned, and going up from there. They are expensive for their size/features and maybe that is why it appears that moving inventory is challenging.
Expensive vehicles across the board are not selling so well in recent weeks so maybe it is just the general trend that anything above 60K is going to sit and is not specific to Lyriq. Maybe it is just unfortunate timing on GMs part that production hit at the same time everyone is pulling back on buying expensive cars. If you are a GM employee though, with the discount and tax payer subsidy, you can get close to $10K off the price. That makes it somewhat reasonable for its size/features.
I just checked their web site, and if it’s accurate, there are 4 Lyrics at the dealer near me. They are in the mid $60s. That does not look good, given the few that have been produced.
Speed is not the problem. Seems in the Las Vegas case that PCP had something to do with it. Even at a lower speed running a red light is never a good thing. Research years ago showed that “speed” was the cause default for enforcement agencies. If you can’t determine the cause, call it speed. I’ve been bothered by cars crossing the yellow line more than speeders.