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The Jaguar I-PACE Is Not Living Up To Its ‘Tesla Killer’ Moniker [Opinion]
The Jaguar I-PACE is many things, but a 'Tesla Killer' it is not.
There are many electric cars that have been branded as a “Tesla Killer,” but the one closest to hitting the mark (apart from the Chevy Bolt, which GM is strangely not aggressively selling to compete against the Model 3) is the Jaguar I-PACE. A crossover all-electric SUV, the I-PACE is powerful enough, and it even has a decent range of about 200 miles per charge.
But is it a Tesla Killer? Not really.
There is no doubt that the I-PACE is a great electric car. Its performance is not bad either, with a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds, which is quicker than the Tesla Model X 100D. Size-wise, the I-PACE is quite a bit smaller than the Model S and X, being closer in size to the Model 3. Starting at $69,500, the Jaguar I-PACE sits right at the same price point as the entry-level Model S, the 75D, according to WIRED. That said, inasmuch as the I-PACE’s cost is justifiable considering the price of its competition, it falls a little bit when compared to a Model 3 of the same price.
The Tesla Model 3 starts at $35,000, though the base variant is not being manufactured by Tesla as of yet, according to a Top Gear report. The Model 3’s top-tier variant, the Model 3 Performance, is in the same price point as the entry-level Jaguar I-PACE, costing $64,000 before any options. For that $64,000, the Model 3 has roughly the same space as the I-PACE, but with superior speed, range, and performance.
The Model 3 Performance is designed to beat high-performance cars like the BMW M3 and the Audi RS5. Its acceleration is pretty brutal, allowing the electric vehicle to sprint from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. The Tesla’s range is also 315 miles per charge, and it is supported by the company’s Supercharger network, which is growing by the day. As noticed by these specs, the Model 3 Performance before any options actually outperforms the Jaguar I-PACE, and it travels farther per charge too.
While it is easy to market a new EV as a Tesla Killer, it should be noted that the more accurate term for this new line of electric cars is a “fossil fuel car killer,” in the way that they boast specs and performance figures that surpass that of gasoline-powered vehicles. Thus, instead of trying to “kill” Tesla, a company that exclusively manufactures electric cars, it would be far better to compare the I-PACE to competing gasoline cars instead.
Apple is late to a self driving milestone — its first test car accident
Apple’s secretive self-driving vehicle program has disclosed its first accident, according to a report filed with the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The low speed accident, which occurred August 24, is a milestone of sorts for the company, albeit not one that is being celebrated. These days, as more companies head out onto public streets… Continue reading Apple is late to a self driving milestone — its first test car accident
Avrios has quietly raised $14M for an AI-fueled fleet management platform
Swiss startup Avrios reckons business mobility is going to get a whole lot more interesting as companies adopt more tailored mobility solutions, rather than sticking with the traditional one car per person model. And at the same time as businesses are seeking to accelerate their progressive cred by moving away from combustion cars to greener alternatives, new… Continue reading Avrios has quietly raised $14M for an AI-fueled fleet management platform
Skip and Scoot are the only companies awarded scooter permits in SF
The great San Francisco scooter decision has been made. And Skip and Scoot have claimed the prize. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) issued one-year permits to Skip and Scoot on Thursday, a decision that ends months of waiting for 12 companies that applied to operate within the city. JUMP, which Uber acquired in April, as well as Lyft, Skip,… Continue reading Skip and Scoot are the only companies awarded scooter permits in SF
Car shoppers could snag fat discounts during Labor Day sales push
Anyone thinking about a new car might want to plan a trip to the showroom over this three-day holiday weekend.
The combination of softening sales and dealers' annual Labor Day sales to make room for next year's models is expected to put consumers in the driver's seat when it comes to snagging good buys on a various makes and models.
“We're seeing some pretty fat discounts on some pretty cool cars,” said Matt Jones, senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com, an online automotive research guide. “Sometimes, in the past, we've seen them only on certain segments, but this time it looks like they're fairly spread across the board.”
Ty Wright | Bloomberg | Getty Images
A customer browses through rows of cars for sale at the Jack Maxton Chevrolet dealership in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
U.S. consumers spent an estimated $86.5 billion on new vehicles in July, about $2 billion less than in July 2017, according to research firm J.D. Power. And although the latest estimates show that the average manufacturer incentive decreased to $3,665 in July — down $204 from last July's $3,869 — the forecast also noted higher discounts were likely soon on their way.
Indeed, some of the current discounts are far above that estimated July average. For example, for the popular Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab, which has a sticker price ranging from about $40,000 to $56,000, some dealers are offering discounts of $12,000 to $15,000 or more.
“That's a big amount of money for a vehicle like this,” Jones said. He added that the savings are available because a 2019 model is coming out, which pushes the value of the existing version down.
Despite trade deal, auto industry is a long way from a resolution, says Consumer Edge Research auto analyst
3:44 PM ET Tue, 28 Aug 2018 | 01:38
Generally speaking, though, it's best not to focus only on the dollar amount of the discount, Jones said.
“That amount can be eye-popping,” he said. “But you have to put it in the context of the price.”
For illustration purposes: While $5,000 off of a $30,000 car is close to a 17 percent discount, that same amount applied to a $20,000 car is a 25 percent discount.
It's worth noting that if your need for a car isn't pressing and price matters most, you might find deeper discounts later in the year. However, the selection of cars that come with special pricing will be more limited, Jones said.
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Additionally, it remains uncertain how trade wars between the United States and other nations will end up affecting car prices. So far, threats from President Trump to impose additional tariffs on imported autos has not materialized.
If you do plan to head to the dealership, here's how to prepare for your trip.
Compare prices in advance
If you know what make and model you're interested in, do some research before showing up at the showroom. There can be differences in pricing and incentives among your local dealerships.
“Each dealership is individually owned,” Jones said. “The manufacturer might be running a special and that's great, but there might be other deals at the dealership level.”
Get pre-approved financing
Unless you plan to pay for your new car with cash, it's smart to get pre-approved for a loan from a bank or credit union. While there's no obligation to use the pre-approval, you'll at least be armed with a comparison when the dealership offers its best loan terms.
“If what a dealer can offer beats your pre-approval, then great,” said Jones. “If not, you still have the pre-approved loan with the better interest rate.”
Gather your paperwork
Before you head to dealership, be sure to gather the information you might need to do a transaction, such as your license, proof of insurance and down payment.
Ford is using drones to keep an eye on its UK factories — and save money
Drones are making Ford's factories safer and more efficient
11:53 AM ET Fri, 31 Aug 2018 | 01:05
There is a new sight buzzing around a Ford engine factory in London: drones.
The second-largest U.S. automaker is now using drones to perform key inspections in difficult-to-reach places around the Dagenham Engine Plant. The unconventional move saves Ford considerable time and money and brings several other advantages, executives say.
In the past, plant managers used to have to shut down the factory at least once a year to perform risky and time-consuming inspections on high-up structures, parts of the factory's roof and other hard-to-reach places. The drones allow the Michigan-based automaker to conduct safety inspections without shutting down production.
The drones also give Ford a more objective plant maintenance record, preventing arguments over the diagnosis and possible solutions to problems, said Pat Manning, a machine production manager for the EcoBlue diesel engine at the plant, where it's code named Panther.
“The video images are fantastic and are a great tool for us,” Manning said.
One of the most common inspections involves overhead structures known as gantries. These are long linear frames suspended near the roof and support a track that shuttles a robotic arm around the plant. The arms on these tracks are what pick up parts in one place and feed them into the machines along the factory floor.
Source: Ford
A drone inspecting a gantry at the Ford Dagenham plant.
There are around 200 gantries in this plant, and they need to be inspected to ensure they don't break down or break loose and fall onto the floor, equipment or people.
The plant has typically done inspections during a three-week shutdown in the summer. On each of the plant's four machine lines, a team of up to six people would roll in motorized lifts and build scaffolds to reach the gantries.
The factory had been looking for a way to make the process more efficient, and one worker joked they ought to mount a remote control car onto the track with a camera attached that could zip back and forth and take footage.
Then someone suggested a drone.
The factory worked with some local companies to develop a custom drone mounted with several cameras, including a thermal imaging camera that can sense heat, a wide-angle lens and a close-up lens. It can take video or still images.
The drone allows a team of two do what had taken almost two-dozen people to do, and the amount of time it takes to inspect a single 120-foot gantry was reduced from 12 hours to 12 minutes. The plant doesn't need to shut down production either, and it allows for more frequent inspections.
It also eliminates the risk of having to scale 150 feet to inspect the gantries.
The drones can also monitor machines and power cable temperatures as well as inspect robots, overhead conveyor belts, cranes, hoists and the roof for leaks.
The team is also exploring the possibility of using the drones for drain and sewer inspections as well as emergency lighting.
Source: Ford
A plant worker using a drone at the Ford Dagenham factory in London, England.
The video and still footage the cameras take have other advantages. They can be stored, allowing the plant to compare images over time and observe changes or patterns.
Automakers breathe a sigh of relief at Trump’s approach to renegotiating NAFTA
STR | AFP | Getty Images
General Motors Buick cars being assembled at Wuhan auto plant in Wuhan, China.
As the Trump administration sought trade concessions from Mexico in recent weeks, automakers and their suppliers feared that manufacturing costs could increase by billions of dollars. Now, they are breathing a sigh of relief.
The auto industry is still waiting to learn details of the preliminary agreement that President Trump and Mexican leaders announced this week and whether Canada will join the deal. Car companies are also watching to see if anything will come of a European Union proposal to eliminate tariffs on vehicles and other industrial goods if the United States agrees to do the same. Mr. Trump on Thursday told Bloomberg News that offer was ''not good enough.''
But analysts and consultants say most companies would be able to comply with the conditions in the agreement with Mexico that have been disclosed so far. Many of the changes that automakers would have to make — like hiring more workers in the United States — were in their plans anyway. But other changes, like requiring automakers to use more parts made in North America and an agreement to cap imports from Mexico, could raise costs and hurt some companies.
Companies ''are glad they now have some certainty on what the new requirements are,'' said Mark Wakefield, global co-head of the industry and automotive practice at AlixPartners, a consulting firm. ''Now they can plan around them and go forward.''
The preliminary deal would require that at least 75 percent of an automobile's value be produced in North America in order for a company to import it into the United States duty free. That is up from 62.5 percent under the North American Free Trade Agreement, the 1993 deal that Mr. Trump has called the ''worst trade deal ever made.''
Automakers would also have to use more local steel, aluminum, glass and other parts. In addition, 40 to 45 percent of vehicles would have to be made by workers earning at least $16 an hour — a provision meant to preserve and create jobs in the United States and Canada, where wages are much higher than in Mexico.
These terms would force automakers to buy more parts made in the United States — and possibly Canada. That should modestly increase employment at suppliers like Delphi Technologies and Johnson Controls, analysts said.
''The main takeaway so far is there is no giant influx of jobs coming into the U.S.,'' said Kristin Dziczek, vice president for industry, labor and economics at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.
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'A solution in search of a problem'
The auto industry has been adding jobs in the United States for several years. In July, more than 972,000 people worked for car and parts companies, 40,000 more than a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Manufacturers have added more than 300,000 jobs since 2009, when General Motors and Chrysler needed a government bailout to survive.
And while a half-dozen auto plants have been built in Mexico in the last decade, new plants are going up in the United States, too. Volvo, the Swedish carmaker, is building a factory in South Carolina that the company says will employ 4,000 people by 2021. Toyota and Mazda recently agreed to jointly build a plant in Alabama.
''In some ways,'' said Charlie Chesbrough, a senior economist at Cox Automotive, the new trade rules amount to ''a solution in search of a problem.''
But some industry associations are not as sanguine. The Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, which represents parts makers, is worried about a side agreement that the Trump administration reached with Mexico that could be used to cap duty-free auto imports from that country in the future.
That side deal ''may serve to decrease American manufacturing jobs and exports and put U.S. businesses at a global disadvantage — all while increasing costs to consumers,'' the association said in a statement.
The Mexican government has said about 30 percent of the cars now exported to the United States do not meet the requirements of the new agreement. They include popular compact models like the Honda HR-V, the Volkswagen Jetta and Golf, the Nissan Sentra, and the Ford Fiesta and Fusion.
If manufacturers can't find enough North American parts for those Mexican-made cars, they could still import them into the United States by paying a 2.5 percent tariff. That would force companies to either raise prices or accept smaller profit margins, or some combination of the two.
Another option is to stop selling those noncompliant vehicles in the United States. Some small cars are already set to go away.
With American consumers flocking to roomier sport utility vehicles, Ford will stop selling the Fiesta, the Fusion and other sedans in its home market. On Friday, the company said it would also cancel plans to import a Focus crossover from China because the Trump administration was considering imposing tariffs on an additional $200 billion of imports from that country. The president has also said he wants to place a 25 percent duty on cars and car parts.
Other companies might not have that choice. Although sales of the Jetta and the Golf have fallen about 40 percent this year, they are two of Volkswagen's top-selling models in the United States. Honda has a lot riding on the HR-V, which is built in an $880 million plant in Mexico that opened in 2014.
''The HR-V is doing really well for us,'' said Adam Silverleib, vice president of Silko Honda, a dealership in Raynham, Mass. Losing the model ''would definitely hurt.''
Some companies could find it harder to meet fuel-economy standards if they got rid of smaller cars. The Trump administration is trying to roll back those standards, though court challenges could prevent a resolution of the issue for years.
While fears about the scrapping of Nafta have eased somewhat, automakers are still concerned about Mr. Trump's plans for higher tariffs on cars and car parts. The president has argued that auto imports pose a threat to national security, a rationale he used to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
Ms. Dziczek of the Center for Automotive Research said those higher tariffs would significantly increase costs and would thus be much more damaging than the terms of the preliminary agreement with Mexico. Even vehicles made in the United States would be affected because many include imported parts.
Her firm estimates that a 25 percent tariff on imported cars — excluding those made in Mexico and Canada — would increase prices of vehicles made in North America by $1,135; imported models would cost $3,980 more.
As a result, the center estimates, annual auto sales would fall by 1.2 million vehicles and the industry would lose 197,000 jobs.
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