Tag: VW

European car sales drop 8.7 percent in December – ACEA

MILAN, Jan 16 (Reuters) – European car registrations fell 8.7 percent year-on-year in December, with sales at all major carmakers except Daimler and Jaguar Land Rover contracting as the introduction of tougher new emissions tests continued to weigh on demand. Registrations fell to 1.04 million cars in the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade… Continue reading European car sales drop 8.7 percent in December – ACEA

Fiat Chrysler looking at options to plug hole in its truck lineup – CEO

FCA last year outlined plans to launch such a pickup – smaller than its current Ram 1500 model – by 2022. DETROIT: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV Chief Executive Mike Manley told Reuters on Tuesday he is open to partnerships to develop a new midsize pickup truck the automaker could sell in Latin America and other… Continue reading Fiat Chrysler looking at options to plug hole in its truck lineup – CEO

Tesla To Release ‘Midrange’ Model 3 Sedan, Its Cheapest Car Yet

For most car buyers, the average Tesla may be more than a bit too pricey for comfort. But that could be changing, as the company’s CEO and co-founder, Elon Musk, announced Thursday that it is now taking orders for a more affordable version of the Model 3 sedan.

According to Business Insider, the “lower cost, midrange” Tesla Model 3 will be sold at $45,000, with federal and state tax rebates reducing the base cost to $35,000 for California buyers. In a Twitter post, Musk said that the “true cost of ownership” could be closer to $31,000 once gas savings are taken into account. Interested buyers can now choose the midrange version on Tesla’s newly updated Model 3 configurator, where it joins the existing high-performance and long-range battery versions.

The lower-priced Tesla Model 3’s base variant comes with a single motor and rear-wheel drive, and an estimated range of 260 miles per charge for its battery pack. This sets the new version apart from the performance and long-range editions, which both have dual-motor setups, all-wheel drive, and battery packs that allow the vehicle to last about 310 miles between full charges.

According to Mashable, the midrange Model 3 has an estimated 0-to-60 mph time of 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 125 mph. The car is being offered in black, deep blue metallic, midnight silver metallic, red, and white, though all color options but the black version will cost an additional $1,500 to $2,500.

As noted by USA Today, the Model 3’s initial announcement last year put Tesla “on the radar of average car buyers,” as its usual price tag of around $55,000 made the car substantially more affordable than the Model S and the Model X, which could both set customers back by more than $100,000 for some of the higher-end trims. The publication speculated that the release of the new midrange Model 3, combined with Tesla’s steady improvements in quarterly production, could help the Palo Alto-based automaker become more competitive in a premium midsize sedan market that also includes cars from Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz.

Despite the midrange Tesla Model 3’s lower price point, Business Insider wrote that the new version falls short of what Elon Musk had originally promised ahead of the car’s announcement. The publication pointed out that Musk previously teased a version that would cost $35,000 before tax incentives, or $10,000 less than the midrange edition’s base price. Likewise, Musk’s previous comments that the cheaper Model 3 will be shipping by the end of the year were also cited, as automotive industry analysts predicted last month that Tesla might not be able to make good on its promise of a late 2018 rollout.

A spokesman for Tesla told Business Insider that deliveries for the midrange Tesla Model 3 are expected to start in about four months from now.

Ford looks to change minds with its first all-electric vehicle

Ford looks to change minds with its first all-electric vehicleDetroit — Ford Motor Co. is trailing plenty of competitors in the electric-vehicle market — and senior leaders at the Blue Oval said that might work in their favor when the company launches its first fully battery-powered vehicle next year.
“Our strategy is different,” Jim Farley, Ford president of global markets, said Tuesday at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit. “In a way we had the advantage of watching what happened the first time around. What customers have told us is 'Just give us the good stuff.'
“We're going to change a lot of people's minds.”
Ford global product chief Hau Thai-Tang went so far Tuesday as to say in a presentation to Wolfe Research that Ford's electric-vehicle business won't be a drain on profitability. Automakers have historically had trouble making money on EVs.
The automaker plans to launch in 2020 a battery-electric vehicle with a 300-mile-plus range. The vehicle is “Mustang-inspired.” Farley has said several times that essentially means it'll be a utility vehicle that goes fast.
The comments come days after Ford rolled out four all-new vehicles during the Detroit auto show, including the company's first-ever hybrid Explorer SUV. Ford is currently in the middle of a sweeping global restructuring as the Dearborn automaker readies for a new chapter in the automotive industry. Farley is responsible for several pieces of the changes.
Under CEO Jim Hackett, Ford's senior leadership is pushing to trim $25 billion in operating costs and spend $11 billion to shake up failing businesses in Europe, China and South America, and better position the automaker's North American business for continued profitability through the next decade.
Officials announced last week plans to revive its unprofitable European business by cutting salaried and hourly workers, ending production at plants in France and Germany, eliminating less-profitable vehicles like the C-Max from the lineup there, and possibly exiting a Russian joint venture.
Ford then on Tuesday announced it had entered an agreement with Germany's Volkswagen AG to partner on commercial vans and midsize pickup trucks to be sold outside of North America.The partnership is aimed at boosting Ford's European business, in part.
Meantime, the automaker enters 2019 with a full hopper of new vehicle announcements and launches planned. Ford's midsize Ranger returned to showrooms this month. The all-new Aviator is on the way. The automaker also plans to launch its redesigned Explorer, all-new Escape and new Super Duty this year ahead of continued launches in 2020, which will include the long-awaited Bronco.
ithibodeau@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Ian_Thibodeau
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VW-Ford, Nissan electric SUV, an electric Cadillac? Today’s Car News

GAC Entranze concept, 2019 Detroit auto show
Nissan reveals some details about its upcoming electric crossover SUV. Ford and VW announced a partnership to develop vans and pickups for overseas markets that could spill over into electric cars. And we ask readers if they would buy an electric car from Cadillac in our latest Twitter poll. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

An announcement from Volkswagen in Germany revealed that the company plans to launch a new brand, called Elli, to sell clean power, electric-car charging equipment, and maybe even stationary batteries for home installations. The plan looks modeled on Tesla's ancillary services aimed at promoting environmentalism beyond selling electric cars.

In an exclusive interview, Nissan revealed some details about its upcoming electric crossover SUV. The model, due out in 2020, is expected to have 300 miles of range and a flexible battery architecture that Nissan can upgrade over time.

As part of their new tie-up to produce small commercial vans and pickups, VW and Ford announced plans to announce plans to cooperate on developing electric vehicles. Naturally, those plans sound pretty murky.

Following GM's announcement last week that it will turn Cadillac into its lead brand for electric cars, and its first peek at a Cadillac SUV in Detroit on Monday, our latest Twitter poll asks readers whether they would buy an electric car from Cadillac.

Infiniti set a new direction for the brand with its new QX Inspiration electric concept SUV in Detroit on Monday. As Nissan's luxury brand plans to convert to selling primarily electric cars, the QX Inspiration could lead the way.

As a measure of validation for car sharing and autonomous ride-hailing services, a new study by Pew Research shows that more than a third of Americans have used one. That number, however, hasn't been going up.

Finally, Chinese automaker GAC showed a new electric minivan called the Entranze at the Detroit auto show Monday that could be the first car from a Chinese automaker to be sold in the U.S. Its debut, however, has been pushed back to 2020.

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Industry must rein in spend on electric, self-driving cars -Magna CEO

DETROIT (Reuters) – Global automobile and auto parts makers which want to capitalize on electric and autonomous vehicles need to cut back investments and forge more partnerships instead, the chief executive of global parts supplier Magna International said Tuesday. FILE PHOTO: Magna CEO Don Walker speaks during the company’s Annual Shareholder Meeting in Toronto, May… Continue reading Industry must rein in spend on electric, self-driving cars -Magna CEO

Audi is bringing its all-electric supercar to production to compete with new Tesla Roadster

Audi has reportedly confirmed that it is bringing its new PB18 e-tron all-electric supercar to low-volume production and it could arrive just in time to compete with the new Tesla Roadster. Several automakers are coming up with new all-electric supercars, which some dub ‘hypercars’, in order to enter the EV space from the top and gradually decrease… Continue reading Audi is bringing its all-electric supercar to production to compete with new Tesla Roadster

Alliance of car manufacturers: VW and Ford announce alliance for light commercial vehicles

DPA VW boss Herbert Diess, Ford chief Jim Hackett in Detroit: alliance for light commercial vehicles The global alliance of the car company Volkswagen Show stock market chart with the US rival Ford Show stock market chart initially limited to the division of light commercial vehicles. The first concrete step of the cooperation is the… Continue reading Alliance of car manufacturers: VW and Ford announce alliance for light commercial vehicles

Fiat Chrysler looking at options to plug hole in its truck lineup -CEO

CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Mike Manley attends the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., January 14, 2019. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook DETROIT (Reuters) – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCHA.MI) Chief Executive Mike Manley told Reuters on Tuesday he is open to partnerships to develop a new midsize pickup truck the automaker could… Continue reading Fiat Chrysler looking at options to plug hole in its truck lineup -CEO