Tag Archives: Crossovers/CUVs

A Week With: 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 4Matic

admin • February 11, 2021

The 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 4Matic offers an impressive mix of comfort and performance.

Entry-level luxury vehicles walk a tightrope. Manufacturers must maintain the illusion of luxury while offering a high-end vehicle at a popular price. But more often than not, consumers must add options to get any luxury, rendering the initial “reasonable” price a work of fiction.

Yet luxury goods have never been a value proposition. For every 5% in improvement in quality, you’re greeted with a 50% improvement in price. Certainly, that’s always been the case with the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 4Matic, a premium performance variant of its redesigned entry-level 2021 GLA 250 and 250 4Matic crossover.

Overview: Once a rarified trim on a handful of vehicles, AMG performance models are now far more common, accounting for 12% of Mercedes-Benz’s U.S. sales. Like the CLA-Class sedan, with which the GLA-Class shares its platform, the GLA 35 gets the same AMG treatment as the CLA 35, with a $11,230 premium added to the GLA 250’s $36,230 base price.

For 2021, the new AMG GLA 35 gets a new-look exterior that isn’t quite as distinctive as its predecessor.

An even hotter GLA 45 is also available, allowing you to reach 60 mph 0.8 second faster, but it will cost you an additional $6,950, or $54,550 – a 50% premium from the base model’s $36,320 starting price. And that’s before adding options.

That’s why the GLA 35 is the better deal; you get upgraded performance, but without the nosebleed pricing.

Exterior: The redesigned GLA-Class is more handsome and imposing than the first generation. It certainly seems worthier of its price, despite being 0.6 inches shorter.

But the new styling comes at a cost, since the GLA has grown 3.6 inches taller.

“… Lost is the previous generation’s aggressively sporty stance, derived from its low roof and high ground clearance. Certainly, the new GLA is handsome, but a bit less distinctive …”

Interior: Nevertheless, the added height does provide more interior space, as does the GLA’s wheelbase, which has been lengthened by 1.1 inches. Now, there’s usable back seat with enough legroom to be practical every day.

Giving the GLA the AMG treatment adds $11,230 to the vehicle’s price tag.

Material quality also seems far better than the GLA it supplants. Three large air-conditioning vents framed in shiny black plastic give the interior a sophisticated visual punch.

That feeling is enhanced by the $400 AMG Performance steering wheel wrapped in Nappa leather, and the gray and black MB-Tex seats, as the $47,550 base price isn’t enough for Mercedes-Benz to provide leather seats.

Surprisingly, items like heated front seats ($500), AMG steering-wheel buttons ($460), and a navigation system with augmented reality ($1,295) are not standard.

And the test car’s $53,220 price didn’t include ventilated seats, which are optional, or a heated steering wheel, which isn’t offered at all.

Powertrain: All GLA-Class models come with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine connected to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Mercedes-Benz describes the GLA 35’s engine as “AMG enhanced,” distinguishing it from the GLA 45’s “AMG handcrafted.”

The interior of the new GLA is covered in Nappa leather on the steering wheel and seats.

The difference? Eighty horsepower. And whereas the GLA 35 reaches 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, the GLA 45 does the deed in 4.3 seconds. GLA 250s can be had with front-wheel or all-wheel drive, GLA 35 and 45s come solely with all-wheel drive.

Technology and Safety: Surprisingly, many of the driver-assistance features you might expect are absent. That said, you do get stability control, brake assist, blind-spot assist and a rearview camera. An optional $1,700, Driver Assistance Package adds many of the missing features.

Like many recent Mercedes-Benz products, a horizontal MBUX touchscreen is visually incorporated into the digital instrument cluster. The display can be configured in one of three modes, Classic, Sport and Supersport.

The striking high-definition graphics and user interface are easy to use, either by touching the screen or using the touchpad on the center console. Processor speed is impressive. The GLA offers Bluetooth audio streaming, four USB-C ports and is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible.

Driving Impressions: Its engine may not be handcrafted, but it still packs a wallop. It’s a fantastical fun mill, generating huge power the nanosecond after you punch the throttle. Throw the GLA 35 into a corner, and you’ll find it to be a very fun dance partner. The steering is accurate, if numb, and the brakes are up to the task of bringing this party to a halt.

The stiff, unyielding suspension is tuned for German roads, not American ones, so imperfections are uncomfortably magnified, and accompanied by an incredible amount of road and tire noise that drown out any conversation, not to mention the audio system. The combination makes any long-term drive an exercise in endurance.

Wrap Up: How badly do you want an AMG? While the GLA 250 makes a convincing case as a premium commuter, the GLA 35’s punchy engine is compromised by a stiff unyielding suspension and symphony of road and tire noise that seem out of place given this car’s premium price tag.

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After Warning from Feds, Tesla Recalling 135,000 Faulty Vehicles in the U.S.

admin • February 2, 2021

Tesla is recalling 135,000 vehicles to fix an ongoing problem with its touchscreens.

With federal safety regulators breathing down its back, Tesla has agreed to recall nearly 135,000 battery-electric vehicles equipped with touchscreens that are prone to unexpectedly failure – which could make it difficult for motorists to operate the vehicles and potentially lead to a crash.

The problem has been widely reported by owners and Tesla has been making free repairs on an ad hoc basis, but that didn’t satisfy the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which felt that the screens should be replaced before they fail, avoiding the chance that drivers would be left at risk.

Tesla uses its laptop computer-sized displays to operate virtually all vehicle functions and such failures could make it difficult to see what gear a vehicle is operating in, as well as being able to use its backup camera. And because the driver could lose the ability to control the vehicle’s climate control system – including front and rear window defoggers, NHTSA warned the problem “may decrease the driver’s visibility in inclement weather.”

(Tesla told to recall 158,000 vehicles due to touchscreen failures.)

The recall covers two of Tesla’s original product lines, a total of 134,951 Model S sedans and Model X SUVs.

The problem can cause the Model S touchscreen to fail, impacting several of the vehicle’s functions.

The safety agency has been looking into the touchscreen problem since last June – upgrading the probe in November after receiving 12,523 reports related to the problem.

It took the unusual step of requesting a recall in a letter sent to the EV manufacturer on Jan. 13. That followed discussed between Tesla and NHTSA officials, including a presentation that, regulators said, “confirmed that all units will inevitably fail.”

What has become known as the “eMMC failure” issue involves the displays that are ubiquitous in all Tesla vehicles but, in particular, those used by 2012-2018 Model S sedans and 2016-2018 Model X SUVs. They rely on NVIDIA processors and an 8 gigabyte flash memory device known as an eMMC NAND. The memory systems have a limited capacity and lifecycle. Once exceeded, they fail, taking down the Tesla display screen.

When it launched the probe in November, NHTSA announced that, “The data show failure rates over 30% in certain build months and accelerating failure trends after three to four years in service.”

(NHTSA expands probe into Tesla touchscreen issue.)

Early on, Tesla had been charging owners for repairs if their vehicles were out of warranty when the screens failed. The carmaker subsequently began making all repairs for free but, until now, had declined to proactively replace the displays until they did fail – something it knew would happen on all of the affected vehicles eventually.

The “eMMC failure” issue involves the displays in 2012-2018 Model S sedans.

The automaker tried to downplay the risks a failure could cause by stating that, “the driver can perform a shoulder check and use the mirrors. If the screen is not visible to control the climate control and defroster settings, the driver will be able to manually clear the windshield.”

The automaker also advised owners of the affected vehicles that it had released a software update that would maintain at least some critical functions in the event of a touchscreen failure. If the update were installed, “then the rearview backup camera will remain available, the exterior turn signal lighting will remain functional, and the windshield defogging and defrosting controls will automatically default to a preset cabin temperature to ensure windshield visibility,” Tesla said, while warning that vehicles that weren’t updated faced “possible malfunctions.

While Tesla resisted, until now, recalling the vehicles in the U.S., it did take such a step already in China, its second-largest market.

The touchscreen issue raises further concerns among safety advocates about Tesla’s extreme reliance on technology without offering any backup. That approach was underscored last month when the automaker announced that the new, super high-performance version of the Model S, the Plaid+ edition, will adopt a squared-off, yoke-style steering wheel devoid of manual turn signals. According to Tesla, the vehicle will intuit when a driver is about to make a turn. It has also said the vehicle itself will know when it needs to shift into forward or reverse.

(Tesla cleared of sudden unintended acceleration by NHTSA.)

This isn’t the first time the automaker has had a run-in with federal safety regulators. And it has been cited on several occasions for playing at least a partial role in serious, and sometimes fatal, crashes involving its Autopilot system. With the new Biden administration expected to call for increased diligence by NHTSA and other regulators, it could mean closer scrutiny for Tesla as it continues to push the boundaries of technology in its vehicles.

Toyota Agrees to Pay Record $180M Fine for Emissions Violations

admin • January 15, 2021

Toyota agreed to pay a $180 million fine after failing to report EPA-mandated emissions information.

Toyota Motor agreed to pay the largest civil penalty ever – $180 million – to settle a lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice because the automaker failed to report violations of U.S. emissions regulations for a decade.

The Japanese automaker avoided reporting violations of the Clean Air Act to the Environmental Protection Agency between 2005 and 2015. The company didn’t report defects that hindered its vehicles’ ability to control tailpipe emissions “designed to protect the public health and the environment from harmful air pollutants,” the DOJ said.

The lawsuit was filed and settled simultaneously in U.S. District Court in Manhattan because Toyota agreed to all the provisions in the consent decree. The company’s late or, in some cases, non-existent filings allowed for millions of potentially non-compliant vehicles to be sold in the U.S.

(New Toyota patent lets dirty car drive itself to the car wash.)

For a decade, the automaker systematically failed to report defects and top Toyota executives in Japan knew about the practice but failed to stop it, the DOJ contends.

Toyota either delayed or simply failed to send emissions information to the EPA from 2005 – 2015.

“Toyota shut its eyes to the noncompliance,” Audrey Strauss, the acting U.S. attorney, said in a statement, “failing to provide proper training, attention, and oversight to its Clean Air Act reporting obligations.”

“Toyota’s actions undermined EPA’s self-disclosure system and likely led to delayed or avoided emission-related recalls, resulting in financial benefit to Toyota and excess emissions of air pollutants. Today, Toyota pays the price for its misconduct with a $180 million civil penalty and agreement to injunctive relief to ensure that its violations will not be repeated.”

(Toyota boss Akio Toyoda remains EV skeptic.)

While Toyota officials agreed to pay the fine, they appear unwilling to go as far as being the environmental bad guy the Justice Department suggests. Eric Booth, a spokesman for the automaker, told the New York Times the company alerted the authorities as soon as the lapses came to light, and that the delay in reporting “resulted in a negligible emissions impact, if any.”

Toyota contends that while it erred in not sending the information, the impact was negligible.

“Nonetheless, we recognize that some of our reporting protocols fell short of our own high standards, and we are pleased to have resolved this matter,” Booth added.

This isn’t Toyota’s first brush with this issue. In 2003, the automaker was penalized $20 million for selling 2.2 million vehicles with noncompliant on-board diagnostic systems. That was two years before the current round of transgressions began.

(Launching 25 models over 16 months, remain active in passenger car segments.)

In addition to the financial penalty, the company is working under an injunction that ensures it complies with emissions-reporting requirements going forward.

GM Offers Peek at Ultra-Exclusive Cadillac Celestiq — and Jetsons-Like Flying Car

admin • January 12, 2021

GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra’s been pushing the company’s all-electric future, she offered a peek as some of that at CES 2021.

General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra is fond of saying the automaker is “on a path to an all-electric future,” something she underscored during a virtual CES webinar focusing on not only the automaker’s battery technology but also showing off some of the many battery and autonomous vehicles in development.

Along with models the automaker already has unveiled, like the Chevrolet Bolt EUV and GMC Hummer, several other projects were revealed during the hourlong presentation, including an ultra-luxurious new Cadillac dubbed Celestiq, as well as a flying car concept “designed for the moment when time is of the essence.”

“The key” to just about everything GM has in development is electrification, stressed Barra, who has led a massive shakeup of GM’s traditional approach to the car business since being named CEO in December 2013. Barra recently announced GM will introduce 30 all-electric models by 2025, up from the previous target of 20 by 2023. Meanwhile, spending on EVs and AVs, or autonomous vehicles, will jump to $27 billion by mid-decade.

(GM wants to revolutionize e-commerce with electric droids and vans.)

GM’s Crystal Windham talks about Cadillac’s latest product, the Celestiq, during CES 2021.

The automaker introduced its first long-range all-electric model, the Chevrolet Bolt EV, in 2016 and is set to begin expanding the line-up this year with the stretched Bolt EUV and GMC Hummer pickup. The pace will rapidly accelerate in 2022 when Cadillac’s first battery-electric vehicle, the Lyriq SUV, launches, along with an SUV version of the Hummer and other products.

The Cadillac brand was GM’s first to offer a specific target date, 2030, for going entirely electric, and the new Celestiq will fill a long-opened gap as the luxury division’s new flagship. First shown during a media backgrounder last March as a pure concept exercise, the project was formally confirmed during Tuesday’s CEO keynote.

It’s “a designer’s dream,” said Crystal Windham, Cadillac’s director of interior design. While the Celestiq prototype was shown largely concealed by shadows during the webinar, the version seen by reporters last March bore much in common with the over-the-top Cadillac Sixteen concept of 2003 with what Windham described as “a dramatic presence with a low profile and rear-drive proportions.”

One of the most distinctive features of the Celestiq will be an all-glass roof divided into four quadrants. It will use electroluminescent technology so that each of the exotic sedan’s passengers will be able to change it from transparent to opaque. The instrument panel, meanwhile, will take things a step beyond what is offered in the latest-generation Caddy Escalade, introducing a video screen running pillar to pillar. There will be additional screens for rear seat passengers and additional touchscreens to operate climate and other vehicle controls.

GM didn’t offer an unobscured view of the Celestiq, but instead showed bits and pieces of the luxury EV.

GM officials have been mum about other details but Celestiq will use an all-wheel-drive version of GM’s new Ultium BEV platform and, based on comments made recently by brand boss Steve Carlisle, range of 400 or more miles is likely. Meanwhile, the Ultium platform can deliver up to 1,000 horsepower, though it is not clear if the Cadillac Celestiq will push that high.

During the Barra-led webinar, GM’s battery lab group manager Mei Cai revealed some of the automaker’s plans for the Ultium batteries that will soon start rolling off a new assembly line in Ohio built as part of a joint venture with Korea’s LG Chem.

The new cells will deliver 60% more energy than batteries used in today’s Chevy Bolt and deliver as much as 450 miles per charge, depending upon the vehicle and the size of its pack. They’re also about 40% lower in cost, which would mean something at or below $100 a kilowatt-hour.

(GM rolls out new logo and marketing campaign pitching its corporate transformation.)

In addition to luxury EVs for the road, GM revealed a VTOL flying car.

But GM already is working on second-generation Ultium technology which, said Cai, will yield another 40% reduction in price and double the energy capacity – meaning a range of as much as 600 miles per charge. Last March, GM President Mark Reuss also noted a longer-term goal of reducing charging times to as little as 10 minutes.

Lighter, more energy-dense batteries could prove critical for another project GM revealed during the Barra seminar. While just a concept, for now, it suggests the automaker is ready to join competitors like Hyundai, Toyota and Aston Martin in working on flying cars.

The four-rotor prototype, dubbed the VTOL (vertical-take-off-and-landing), is “designed for the moment when time is of the essence and convenience is everything,” said Michael Simcoe, GM’s vice president of global design.

Even fewer details were revealed about the VTOL than about Celestiq, though Simcoe did note the concept would use a 90 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

The flying car would be targeted at Cadillac customers, as would another prototype revealed during the webinar, this one a sort of living room on wheels that adopts the sort of toaster-on-wheels shape that we’re seeing with many driverless vehicle concepts.

Michael Simcoe talks about the Cadillac Halo pod concept at CES 2021.

GM’s “provides a societal space for a group of friends or family to spend time together on their way to a destination,” said Simcoe. Like Celestiq, it features an all-glass roof, “but encourages eyes to turn inside to focus on one another.”

Among other things, the high-tech cruiser uses biometric sensors to constantly control interior temperature and humidity, as well as lighting and ambient noise levels, and even introduces aromatics to influence the “well-being” of its passengers.

(CEO Barra wants GM to be dominant global EV maker.)

As with the VTOL flying car, the prototype is envisioned to become part of what Simcoe described as the “Cadillac Halo portfolio.” No details were offered on production plans for either model.

Japan Joins Growing List of Countries Set to Ban Sales of Gas-Powered Vehicles

admin • December 28, 2020

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga supports the move to ban the sale of non-electric new vehicles staring in 2035.

Despite strong pushback from the country’s largest automaker, Japan has announced plans to halt the sale of vehicles relying solely on internal combustion engines after 2035.

The move means the Asian nation will join a growing list of countries planning to phase out vehicles powered by gas or diesel, including both the United Kingdom and Norway. A number of other countries, including France and Germany, are considering similar bans.

Vehicles with internal combustion engines won’t be banned entirely. Automakers will still be able to market hybrids in Japan, regulators ruled. Even so, the plan released on Christmas Day was a significant victory for Japanese environmentalists considering it was strongly opposed by key industry leaders, including Toyota President Akio Toyoda who warned earlier this month that a broad shift to electric vehicles could cause the auto industry’s traditional business model “to collapse.”

(Toyota boss Akio Toyoda remains EV skeptic.)

Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s top officer, is against the ban.

As the head of Japan’s largest and most powerful company – and in his role as the head of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association – Toyoda hoped to convince regulators to back off on the proposed ban. But it had widespread backing from other quarters, including Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

In October, shortly after assuming his post, Suga had pledged to cut Japan’s carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2050 while indicating he supported a shift to battery-powered vehicles.

Global sales of electrified vehicles remain modest, running in single digits in all but a handful of markets, even when including hybrids, PHEVs and fuel-cell vehicles, as well as pure battery-electric vehicles. But demand is expected to increase sharply as key obstacles, such as range, cost and public charging, are addressed. It also will help that scores of new BEVs are scheduled to go into production in the coming years, proponents say.

While Japanese automakers were pioneers with their early push to bring hybrids to market, “Japan is very far behind” in terms of developing more advanced products relying solely on battery power, Masayoshi Arai, an official with the country’s

Nissan is one of a few Japanese automakers dedicating resources to a move to EVs.

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, said last week.

Toyota only recently introduced a BEV model in Europe, though it has announced plans to add two more – one through the flagship Toyota division, a second under the Lexus badge. It also this month revealed an all-electric microcar targeting the Japanese home market. Only the Nissan and Mitsubishi brands, among Japanese automakers, have committed significant resources to the development of pure battery-electric vehicles and, even then, they have fallen behind key foreign rivals in terms of bringing new products to market.

(Toyota hopes to boost interest in hydrogen tech with second-generation Mirai.)

Toyota officials have, throughout the years, pointed to numerous concerns about BEVs, including their cost, limited range and other obstacles to widespread consumer acceptance. For his part, company chief Toyoda said this month that he feared a switch to all-electric models would seriously disrupt the classic automotive industry business model. He also raised questions about whether Japan’s electric grid could supply the needed energy — and, if it did add the generating capacity, he warned, that could actually increase the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.

With the debut of the 2021 Mirai fuel-cell vehicle, Toyota’s hoping to spur interest in the tech again.

For his part, Japan’s new prime minister is downplaying such concerns and said that efforts to address greenhouse gas production “should be tackled as a strategy for growth, not as a limitation on growth.”

Downplaying the need for new coal or natural gas plants, the plan released by the Japanese government would add up to 45 gigawatts of new offshore wind generating capacity by 2040.

With the Christmas Day announcement, Japan becomes the second member of the Group of Seven, or G7, to lay out specific plans to ban non-electrified vehicles.

The UK originally had planned to do so by 2040 but now has pushed that target date up to 2030. Like Japan, its ban will continue to permit the sale of hybrids – but only through 2035, at which point only pure, zero-emissions vehicles will be able to be sold in Great Britain. That will include both BEVs and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.

Despite its reticence about EVs, Toyota rolled out a new battery-electric car Dec. 25: the C⁺pod.

A handful of other countries, including Norway, have also laid out ZEV transition plans. So have some states and regions – including California and the Canadian province of British Columbia. A number of cities, such as London, Paris, Berlin and Mexico City, plan to bar vehicles not running in zero-emissions mode, meanwhile. China, meanwhile, has laid out plans to have “New Energy Vehicles,” plug-based models, reach 20% of the market by 2025. It is considering a total ban at a later date.

(Britain to ban sale of all new gas and diesel cars by 2030.)

With most of the country’s automakers reluctant to bring plug-based models to market, demand has grown far more slowly than in many other major regions. The Ministry of Economy, Industry and Trade noted that consumers purchased only 6,000 PHEVs and BEVs during the third quarter of 2020. By comparison, demand tripled in Europe to 270,000 – all-electric models accounting for roughly three-quarters of Norwegian sales. China, meanwhile, is expected to again top 1 million plug-based models for all of 2020.

Former Michigan Governor in Line for Secretary of Energy Post

admin • December 16, 2020

Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm is reportedly Biden’s choice to head the Department of Energy.

President-elect Joe Biden is apparently prepared to nominate former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to lead the U.S. Department of Energy, giving the domestic auto industry an influential ally in the new administration’s inner circles.

Granholm’s selection, which hasn’t been announced formally, was kept well below the radar. However, Biden worked with Granholm on the critical effort to rescue General Motors and Chrysler Corp. during the early days of the Obama administration in 2009 when she was in her last term as Michigan’s governor.

As Michigan’s governor, Granholm was a forceful champion of the domestic auto industry and pushed hard to bailout Chrysler at a time when some of Obama’s Wall Street-oriented advisers and others were recommending the company be allowed to fail and its remnants absorbed by other automakers.

(As Biden’s new Transportation chief, “Mayor Pete” will face massive list of automotive challenges.)

Granholm’s advocacy earned her the thanks of the United Auto Workers and her proven track record with union should help bolster the Biden administration’s credibility with blue-collar workers, particularly in the Midwest.

General Motors Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre (left to right), Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano look on as the first Chevrolet Volt battery comes off the line at the GM Brownstown Battery plant in Brownstown Township, Michigan Thursday, January 7, 2010. The facility is the first lithium ion battery pack manufacturing plant in the U.S. operated by a major automaker. X10SN_SN013 (Photo by Steve Fecht for General Motors) (01/07/2010)

Then-General Motors Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre left, Granholm, and former U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu at a GM battery plant .

At the same time, she also prodded Detroit’s automakers to adopt new technology.

In addition, Granholm has long been a champion of alternative energy, pushing Michigan’s utilities to develop wind and solar power despite opposition from state Republicans, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and other business leaders, who complained incessantly that the state’s cold, cloudy weather made it impossible to use wind or solar power.

Now Michigan’s two major electric utilities, Consumers Power and Detroit Edison, are in the process of phasing out coal-fired plants.

Granholm’s commitment to alternative energy dovetails neatly with Biden’s own commitment to develop new sources of energy that could gradually wean the U.S. from its dependence on the oil — a commitment Biden defended during his final debate with President Donald Trump before the election.

Under Trump, the DOE had been run by former Texas Governor Richard Perry, who was heavily influenced by oil and gas interests.

(Barra, Gamble meet with President-elect Biden.)

According to Politico, the lion’s share of DOE’s budget is revolving around nuclear power and nuclear weapons.

Granholm, left, with the-auto recovery czar Ed Mongomery, argued to save Chrysler Corp.

However, it also oversees a network of 17 national laboratories that act as a key resource for the development of new technology and have worked closely with automakers on batteries and electric propulsion and other inventions for use in manufacturing.

Carla Bailo, CEO for the Center for Automotive Transportation in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said during a webinar sponsored by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation it is important that the technology necessary for building and operating electric vehicles be developed in the United States and not drift offshore to China and Europe, which are making major investments in electric vehicles.

While the Trump administration has made a trade a central part of its China policy, the incoming Biden administration is very aware that the U.S. is in a race for new technology with the Peoples Republic of China, according to Chris Krueger, managing director of the Cowen Washington Research Group.

Getting more consumers to use battery electric vehicles will also require a substantial effort to educate consumers about the noted, Michelle Krebs, executive analyst with Autotrader. Up until now, consumers have been reluctant to let go of traditional vehicles, she noted.

Granholm was first elected Attorney General of Michigan in 1998 and served one term before capturing the Democratic nomination for governor in 2002. She was re-elected in 2006, defeating Richard DeVos, the husband of Trump’s Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos.

(Unions helped Biden in 2020 election.)

Since then she has been a law professor at the University of California-Berkeley and a political commentator on CNN.

Used Cars Booming, Honda Takes Aim at Retailers Like CarMax, Carvana

admin • December 7, 2020

Honda wants a bigger share of sales of its own used cars in the previously owned segment, competing with big players like CarMax and Caravana.

The U.S. used car market is running hot during this year of the pandemic, and Honda wants to grab a bigger share of the business away from the likes of CarMax and Carvana, two of the leaders in the “previously owned” segment.

Honda already has seen significant growth in demand for its Certified Pre-Owned, or CPO, business that focuses on select, recent-vintage vehicles carrying like-new warranties and other features – for a price premium. Now, it also wants to boost its share of the 3 million used Hondas each year that don’t fall into the CPO category, two-thirds of which aren’t sold through Honda dealers.

“With the continued rise in new-vehicle prices, the first vehicle purchase for many buyers will come from the used-car market, and our upgraded website makes this process more simple and enjoyable,” said Dan Rodriguez, manager of auto remarketing at American Honda. By having its franchised dealers pick up more of that business

(Honda adds new tech, tweaks styling to keep 2021 Accord fresh.)

Where CPO programs typically focus on used vehicles of around one to four years old, Honda’s new program will target models that have been in use as much as a decade, Rodriguez said during an online interview.

Honda’s looking to grow its non-CPO used-car business where 3 million Hondas change hands annually.

Older vehicles naturally tend to cost less, making them more appealing to younger buyers, many purchasing their first vehicles, said Rodriguez, so the goal of the “pre-owned initiative” is to get them familiar with not only Honda products but Honda dealers. That increases the odds they will come back the next time, he said, for a CPO model and “then come back for a new Honda.”

Virtually every automaker today offers a certified pre-owned vehicle program. The specifics may vary a bit from brand to brand but the basics are largely the same. Relatively recent models, typically one to four years old, go through extensive checks and, where needed, maintenance and repairs. They also carry features such as like-new warranties. All that comes at a price, however, a CPO vehicle running anywhere from several $100 to $1,000 or more compared to a similar, non-certified model.

By reducing the “buyer-beware” factor in purchasing used, CPO programs have become a win for brands like Honda, and for their dealers, helping them capture a much larger share of near-new vehicle sales than in years past.

Now, Honda wants to target those on a more limited budget, especially young, first-time buyers. The new program is, for now, a work in progress, explained Rodriguez. The first step is to begin listing non-certified products on its corporate website, much as it already does with CPO vehicles. This should make it easier for potential buyers to track down the exact Honda product – and price – they want. And it more directly mirrors what companies like CarMax and Carvana have been doing as they try to transform the used car market.

The initiative is a work in progress and Honda plans to add more features in the coming year.

(First Look: 2022 Honda Civic.)

Looking forward, Honda hopes to add still more features “leveraging” some of the processes– such as the 182-point inspection – that vehicles go through when they’re put into the CPO program.

Rodriguez wouldn’t go into specifics, “But over the next year,” he hinted, “we’re going to be working on a couple extra things that I’m not prepared to talk about right now, but that’ll make the program a little more robust and attractive to consumers and our dealers.”

The new used-car initiative will pay off in several ways, or so the automaker hopes. Demand for used cars this year has remained far more robust than the new vehicle market, in part due to the strained economy, but also because pandemic shutdowns have left dealers short of inventory. They’ve been able to make up some of the financial hit by focusing on previously owned products.

For Honda, the program aims to keep its dealer network healthy while also ensuring that a higher percentage of those today buying one of the marque’s used vehicles will stay loyal and return, eventually, for a new Honda.

(Find out what the Honda extended warranty covers.)

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GM Looking to Grow its Finance Arm’s Capabilities

admin • November 27, 2020

GM is reportedly looking to apply for a banking charter for its financing unit, GM Financial.

General Motors has been generating plenty of attention for its plans to shift to battery-electric vehicle production; however, the auto company has also been looking to get back into some old businesses too, namely banking.

It’s an oversimplification, but the Wall Street Journal reported today that GM’s captive financing unit, General Motors Financial Company Inc. is seeking to apply for a banking charter. The move would allow the company to accept deposits — like a bank. The move is part of a strategy allowing it to form an industrial loan company.

The specialized charter gives a company the ability to own a commercial firm and banks — typically a no-no with a traditional banking license, the newspaper noted. GM has done this before with its GMAC unit, which not only offered auto loans, but also home mortgages and other types of lending options.

(GM financial arm strengthens loan portfolio.)

GM’s financing arm, GM Financial, has contributed to the auto company’s bottom line in growing amounts of significance during the past decade.

That could occur as early as next month, according to sources cited by the WSJ. The company has been nosing around the subject with federal and state regulators for several months. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Utah Department of Financial Institutions are reportedly on board with this.

GMAC nearly failed during the Great Recession in 2008 due to subprime mortgages. The government bailed the unit it out and it was renamed Ally Financial, and GM eventually sold its stake in 2013. Ally Financial currently offers auto loans for several automakers, including Fiat Chrysler and Hyundai, as well as offering online banking resources.

According to WSJ sources, this would not be round two of GMAC, rather the deposits would be used to help with the automotive loan business. It would essentially act as a low-cost form of capital for those auto loans. Currently, the unit has to issue debt in order to provide financing for its customers. It’s possible the newly chartered unit would offer high-yield savings accounts as well as other deposit-based accounts to consumers.

(Treasury adds capital to GMAC Financial Services.)

GM isn’t alone in offering financing to potential buyers. In fact, it’s often part of the marketing push to draw customers into dealerships by advertising low rates on new car loans and leases. It gives dealers a chance to secure sales to buyers with less-than-ideal credit scores.

The move to accept deposits would give GM Financial a low-cost form of capital for auto loans.

In the case of GM Financial, it’s added some green to the company’s bottom line. It generated $14.5 billion in 2019, accounting for 10.6% of GM’s overall revenue, WSJ noted. In 2010, the unit’s revenue was less than 1% of auto company’s revenue while it rose to 4.2% in 2015.

Getting the industrial loan company structure in place wouldn’t make it unique in the auto industry, the newspaper noted. Toyota Motor Co. and BMW AG employ similar units to not only offer auto financing, but home mortgages and credit cards. What is different is that few companies have attempted to get back into that business since the 2008 banking collapse.

(GM delivers $4B in Q3 earnings as auto market rebounds.)

Fiat Chrysler Deal with Unifor Sets Up Big EV Investment

admin • October 20, 2020

Unifor President Jerry Dias secured a new deal with $1.2 billion in new investment.

Members of Unifor ratified a new three-year labor contract with Fiat Chrysler that includes a $1.2 billion investment that expected to lead to 2,000 additional jobs FCA Windsor Assembly plant as well as new work for the company assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario, and a casting plant Etobicoke, Ontario.

The contract covers more than 9,000 Unifor members employed by FCA in Canada.

“This agreement solidifies and builds on FCA’s footprint, with a game-changing investment of up to $1.2 billion for a state-of-the-art platform to build both plug–in hybrid vehicles and battery-electric vehicles, along with a $40 million investment to bring multiple derivatives of the Dodge Charger and Challenger to the Brampton plant where production of the Chrysler 300 is being extended,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.

(FCA, Unifor reach agreement on new deal, averting strike.)

“The commitments we have secured in these negotiations will stabilize FCA’s operations in Canada and position us as a global leader in the transition to zero emission vehicle production.”

FCA’s Windsor (Ontario) Assembly Plant is going to get a new electric vehicle to build.

Fiat Chrysler forecasts the return of the third shift in Windsor by 2024, adding as many as 2,000 jobs along with $14 million investment at the Etobicoke Casting Plant, and a 22% increase in the hourly workforce where the work force had dwindled to 100 from 500 in the past four years.

“Workers who have feared plant closures and job losses in recent years can now look forward to a bright future with good jobs for years to come,” said Dias.

FCA, in a separate statement, confirmed the basic content of the contract and said they expected both the Ontario provincial government and Canada federal government to help finance the renovation in Windsor, which will turn the plant into a hub of EV production, matching those at new EV plant under development by General Motors and Ford on the other side of the Detroit River in the U.S.

(Unifor vows to fight FCA plan to cut third shift in Windsor.)

“FCA has maintained a strong footprint in Canada for nearly a century. Over the last decade, we have invested over $4 billion in our Canadian manufacturing facilities, more than any other OEM in the country and it is our intention to maintain this leadership,” said Mark Stewart, chief operating officer, FCA North America.

The company plans to invest $40 million in its Brampton, Ontario.

“This agreement bolsters our global competitiveness and positions us for future growth with new product investment and new jobs, while also demonstrating our commitment to our employees, their families and the communities we represent,” he added.

Stewart said working in collaboration with Unifor, as well as both the federal and provincial governments, FCA has committed to install a new multi-energy vehicle architecture, including plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicle capability, and at least one new model on that architecture at its Windsor Assembly Plant.

(Unifor members ratify new Ford labor pact.)

The additional investments Brampton Assembly, which will produce three new variants of the popular Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger muscle cars, in addition to continuing production of the Chrysler 300, while Etobicoke Casting Plant will receive two new products FCA’s transport operation also will receive $14.3 million in equipment upgrades, FCA said.

Tesla Raising $5 Billion by Selling Stock after 5-for-1 Split

admin • September 1, 2020

Tesla CEO Elon Musk got his massive payday, and is now the third wealthiest man in the world.

The day after Tesla completed its 5-for-1 stock split, the EV maker revealed it plans to sell as much as $5 billion of the newly divided shares to help offset future debt needs.

The California-based EV maker saw its stock take off this year like a SpaceX rocket, passing $2,000 a share just before the split. Not only did the stunning rise in prices make it the world’s most valuable automaker, it made CEO Elon Musk the third-richest man in the world.

Selling stock isn’t uncommon after a split as companies often look to raise money for a variety of reasons, and Tesla has several that $5 billion could handily address. The company had $8.6 billion in cash and cash equivalents at the end of June.

(Tesla CEO Musk hints of big battery breakthrough.)

This is going to be a familiar site for Tesla officials as the company is building two new Gigafactories: one near Berlin, Germany and one near Austin, Texas.

Tesla’s got several irons in the fire right — expensive irons, if you will. The company is in the midst of building a Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany and recently announced it would start construction on its second U.S. Gigafactory on a large site just outside of Austin, Texas.

Additionally, Musk appears to be trying to accelerate the development and production of the Cybertruck as well as the Semi truck as competitors like Nikola, Daimler, Lordstown, General Motors, Rivian, Ford and others are closing the gap in their move to produce electric trucks of all sizes.

According to the company’s official filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, it plans to use proceeds from the offering to strengthen its balance sheet and for general corporate purposes. Tesla’s shares were down 4.76% today to $475.05 in late-day trading.

(EV sales slumped during first half, even Tesla losing ground despite launch of Model Y.)

Craig Irwin, a Roth Capital Partners analyst who has the equivalent of a ‘hold’ rating on the stock, on Tuesday said the capital raise did not come as a surprise.

Tesla’s Cybertruck is slated to begin production next year: another big expense for the EV maker.

“They will need cash for all the facilities they are building, and new growth initiatives,” Irwin told Reuters.

Other analysts were uncertain if Tesla would actually sell $5 billion in stock, perhaps being comfortable with less. David Whiston, an analyst at Morningstar Research, said he wasn’t certain how much the company would raise, suggesting to Reuters that the automaker doesn’t “need the money right now.”

“I can understand them taking advantage of the stock’s incredible run, but they don’t need the money right now,” Whiston said.

(Tesla announced 5-for-1 stock split; shares rise again.)

Tesla in February had announced plans to raise $2 billion in a stock offering. The company’s market capitalization is around $465 billion. The move pushed Musk’s personal net worth past $100 billion.

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