Honda – Page 637 – I wish I had more to offer

Plug-In Hybrids No Longer Banned From Beverly Hills Charging Stations

3 H BY WADE MALONE New state law requires Beverly Hills City Council to walk back PHEV restrictions. In April of last year, the city of Beverly Hills, California put into effect new restrictions on 35 public charging stations at city parking facilities. In addition to new enforcement regulations and charge fees, Beverly Hills restricted… Continue reading Plug-In Hybrids No Longer Banned From Beverly Hills Charging Stations

Leading the way: Tesla trounces luxury competitors in year-end sales tally

2017 Tesla Model 3
Now that Tesla has released its final sales numbers for the end of last year, we finally have a yardstick to measure the company’s sales success.

In the third quarter, Tesla made a point of noting that, with the Model 3 approaching full production, it became the fifth bestselling—non-SUV—car model in America.

On New Year’s Day, the company reported it delivered 63,150 Model 3s from October to December. That’s up 13 percent from 55,840 from July through September.

READ THIS: Tesla cuts prices $2,000, almost hit 250,000 vehicles in 2018

Taking Tesla's sales numbers at face value for the moment, the company says it sold more Model 3s in the third quarter than some entire brands, including some of its chief competitors, including Acura, Audi, Cadillac, and Infiniti.

Other rivals were also feeling the heat from Model 3 sales. In total Lexus sold 71,107 vehicles and BMW sold 85,949, according to sales numbers from Automotive News (subscription required.)

2018 Tesla Model S and 2018 Tesla Model X

Model 3 sales for Q4 weren’t that far behind entire affordable brands such as Mazda (65,203) and Volkswagen (87,836).

And that’s just one model from Tesla, versus other brands’ entire lineups.

It’s not a direct comparison, because Tesla’s numbers include Canadian sales, while those from other brands are only in the U.S. Still, in the third quarter, Tesla sold about 1,500 Model 3s in Canada, as it focused sales there to delay the expiration of its federal tax credit in the U.S. So the numbers aren’t far off.

Whole lineups

Counting the Model S and Model X (which are exported in greater proportion), the company sold 75,100 cars in the U.S. in Q4, according to Automotive News numbers, more than Lexus (71,107), Audi (55,903), Buick (51,627), Acura (44,451), Infiniti (44,031), Cadillac (41,462), Lincoln (28,307), or Volvo (24,224).

Only BMW and Mercedes sold more, at 95,710 and 101,047, respectively. Using Tesla’s own number of 90,700 sales for the quarter wouldn’t change that order, even though Tesla’s number includes sales of all three of its cars in Canada, and the Model S and Model X around the world.

Head-to-head

When it comes to direct competitors to the Model 3—upscale sedans costing $45,000 to $80,000—the Model 3 trounces all competitors, with the next closest models, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Lexus ES coming in with about 18,000 and 14,000 sales respectively for the quarter. BMW sold 9,847 3-Series sedans, though it has sliced much of that market into niche products such as the 4-series.

DON'T MISS: Tesla Model 3 is fifth bestselling car in U.S., production still short of profitability goal

For the quarter, the Model 3 outsold such mainstays of American roads as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, the Subaru Forester and Outback, and the Honda Pilot. It almost conquered the Toyota Highlander, which had 63,812 sales, and wasn't far behind the Toyota Corolla (68,564) and the Honda Civic (70,724) for the quarter. With its slow production ramp-up early in the year, however, it couldn't approach those top-selling cars for the full year.

Annual sales

Tesla’s slow ramp-up to full Model 3 production was one of the major stories of the year, and the car didn’t start posting big sales numbers until Q3, so many of its sales look less impressive on an annual basis.

For the full year, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, and Audi—even Mazda and VW—sold more cars than Tesla. Many of those brands, though, sell full lineups of cars and SUVs in multiple sizes and formats (front-wheel drive/rear-wheel drive; sporty, luxurious, car- or truck-based, for example.) Tesla sells three models: two luxury cars and a crossover SUV.

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Why you should buy a Volvo or an Audi instead of the 2019 Infiniti QX60

Mack Hogan | CNBC

Mack Hogan | @macklinhogan

8:48 AM ET Wed, 2 Jan 2019

Infiniti is often forgotten in the luxury market. Created by Nissan as the Japanese company's premium brand, it plays in the near-luxury space alongside Acura and Buick. One of its most important products is the QX60.
For the many who aren't familiar with Infiniti parlance, the QX60 is the company's three-row crossover that slots between the gargantuan QX80 and the all-new QX50. It's a family crossover aimed squarely at segment stalwarts like the Acura MDX.
There's one problem, though: It doesn't feel like a proper luxury product.

The Good

As first impressions go, the QX60 isn't bad. Despite being the sort of massive crossover that American families crave, it still manages to look svelte. Some credit must go to the combination of gun-metal gray accents and lovely deep Bordeaux paint fitted to $65,930 Luxe model I tried.
I was impressed by creamy leather that's quilted to look more upscale. The breeziness of the cabin is magnified by a light wood trim and moon roofs stretching to the third row, helping the QX60 to feel bigger than it actually is. An accomplishment for sure, as the QX60 is no small beast.

Mack Hogan | CNBC

The third row is suitable for seating adults, while still offering a reasonable 16 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back row. It's also easy to move about the cabin, with seats that fold without any hassle and create large passageways for the kids to pile through.

Mack Hogan | CNBC

Finally, it's hard to complain about the on-board equipment. My tester had rear-seat entertainment, a Bose stereo, heated and cooled front seats, heated second-row seats, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, a surround-view camera and the aforementioned surplus of moon roofs. In a three-row luxury crossover, that's not a negligible list of kit for $65,930.

Mack Hogan | CNBC

The Bad

But you can put all the kit you like on a luxury crossover and still get nowhere; it has to feel like a premium product. And the QX60 simply doesn't.
Part of the blame has to be assigned to the working-class roots of the QX60. Underneath, it shares most of its architecture with the Nissan Pathfinder. Plus, we haven't seen an all-new model in over five years.
Neither of those factors is disqualifying in and of themselves. Lexus cars often share bits with Toyota but still manage to feel luxurious, for instance. But the QX60 certainly doesn't. See, offerings from the newest generation of three-row family haulers manage to shrink around you. Buyers don't want to feel like they're commanding a battleship when they're parking outside of Target.

Mack Hogan | CNBC

Yet the QX60 hearkens back to that era. Pulling it into my garage felt like steering a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier through the Panama Canal. On the freeway, it's ponderous and floaty with no discernible connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels of the vehicle. Yes, it's quiet and comfortable, but so are the three-row haulers from Toyota, Mazda, Chevy and even Nissan.
If you're thinking that the tech justifies the price, I'm afraid that isn't the case. While active safety features are on board, they aren't as advanced as the ones on Nissan's Rogue, an SUV that is a full class below the QX60 and doesn't even make an attempt at being a luxury SUV.

Mack Hogan | CNBC

You're also getting a navigation system that was designed during the Bronze Age and that's flanked with acres of gray plastic that has no place in a $65,000 SUV.
As for the powertrain, it's an utterly forgettable combination of Nissan's 3.5-liter V-6 with the company's standard Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). If there's any life in this engine, the CVT sucks it out.

Mack Hogan | CNBC

Final Thoughts

If you've never driven an honest-to-goodness luxury car, the QX60 probably feels nice. You could probably buy one and be entirely satisfied. But some day, your friend is going to offer you a ride in their new Volvo XC90 or Audi Q7. And when you find out that you could have had one for the same price as your Infiniti, you'll never enjoy it again.
In sum, the QX60 doesn't feel any more special than your run-of-the-mill Highlander, CX-9, Pilot or Durango. In some ways — like in the infotainment department — it's far behind even those choices.
Infiniti, though, charges a luxury price for a definitively mainstream crossover. I suggest you look elsewhere.
Rating:
Exterior: 4
Interior: 2
Driving Experience: 1
Value: 1
Overall: 2
Price as tested: $65,930

Mack Hogan | CNBC

SK Plans To Double Investment At U.S. Battery Factory

5 H BY MARK KANE Construction to start later this year As we learned in December, South Korean SK Innovation intends to build a lithium-ion battery plant in Commerce, Georgia, investing $1.67 billion and employing more than 2,000 people (first phase to be more like $1 billion and more than 1,000 jobs). The article states that by… Continue reading SK Plans To Double Investment At U.S. Battery Factory

It’s a Linux-powered car world

Linux is everywhere including your car. While some companies, like Tesla, run their own homebrew Linux distros, most rely on Automotive Grade Linux (AGL). AGL is a collaborative cross-industry effort developing an open platform for connected cars with over 140 members. This Linux Foundation-based organization is a who’s who of Linux-friendly car manufacturers. Its membership includes Audi,… Continue reading It’s a Linux-powered car world

1/5 Luxury Cars Sold in USA in 2018 = Tesla Model 3 or Tesla Model S

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Published on January 3rd, 2019 |

by Zachary Shahan

1/5 Luxury Cars Sold in USA in 2018 = Tesla Model 3 or Tesla Model S

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January 3rd, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

As I just reported, the Tesla Model 3 was the #11 best selling car in the USA in 2018. As reported earlier today, in December, the Tesla Model 3 was the #1 top selling car in the USA that was produced by an American car company.

But that’s just the beginning of notable Tesla sales results.

In the month of December, Tesla sold more luxury cars than all other automakers. In fact, it accounted for approximately 30% of luxury car sales. Tesla sold more luxury sedans than BMW and Audi combined, more than Mercedes-Benz and Lexus combined. It absolutely crushed the luxury car competition.

Luxury Car Brand
December 2018 US Sales
Segment Share

Acura Cars
3,988
4%

Audi Cars
9,047
10%

BMW Cars
17,428
18%

Buick (est.)
2,388
3%

Cadillac (est.)
2,268
2%

Infiniti Cars
4,681
5%

Jaguar Cars (est.)
1,000
1%

Lexus Cars
9,551
10%

Lincoln Cars
3,044
3%

Mercedes-Benz Cars
15,482
16%

Volvo
966
1%

Tesla Cars (est.)
28,670
30%

TOTAL
94,526
100%

In terms of all luxury vehicles — SUVs and crossovers included — Tesla was #4 in December, just a bit behind Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and BMW … despite not having a crossover/CUV on the market.

Luxury Auto Brand
December 2018 US Sales
Market Share

Acura
16,774
7%

Audi
22,765
9%

BMW
34,357
14%

Buick (est.)
20,503
8%

Cadillac (est.)
16,585
7%

Infiniti
18,065
7%

Jaguar Land Rover
14,079
6%

Lexus
35,524
14%

Lincoln
11,526
5%

Mercedes-Benz
36,254
14%

Volvo
8,826
4%

Tesla (est.)
31,970
13%

TOTAL
250,454
100%

If you look at the full year, naturally, Tesla didn’t perform as well — it spent most of the year ramping up production. Nonetheless, approximately 1 out of 5 luxury car sales were Teslas (the Model 3 or the Model S).

Luxury Car Brand
2018 US Sales
Segment Share

Acura Cars
43,842
5%

Audi Cars
97,071
11%

BMW Cars
193,465
22%

Buick Cars
33,781
4%

Cadillac Cars
31,746
4%

Infiniti Cars
48,259
5%

Jaguar Cars (est.)
11,000
1%

Lexus Cars
92,660
11%

Lincoln Cars
28,610
3%

Mercedes-Benz Cars
150,147
17%

Volvo Cars
21,456
2%

Tesla Cars (est.)
169,390
19%

TOTAL
877,585
100%

Across all types of luxury vehicles — SUVs and crossovers included — approximately 1 out of 10 sales were Tesla sales (Model 3, Model S, or Model X).

Luxury Auto Brand
2018 US Sales
Market Share

Acura
158,934
7%

Audi
223,323
10%

BMW
311,014
14%

Buick
206,863
9%

Cadillac
154,702
7%

Infiniti
149,280
7%

Jaguar Land Rover
122,626
6%

Lexus
298,310
14%

Lincoln
103,587
5%

Mercedes-Benz
315,959
14%

Volvo
98,263
5%

Tesla (est.)
197,680
9%

TOTAL
2,181,607
100%

This company is 15 years old. The Model S hit the market 6½ years ago.

Can you spell disruption? More importantly, can luxury automaker execs and shareholders spell disruption, and can they see it coming?

The good news is that these competing automakers are getting more serious about electrification — a bit more serious. The bad news (for them as well as humanity) is that they’re still moving too slowly and are years behind Tesla in critical ways.

The other good news is that Tesla is moving down market and is broadening its vehicle offerings into the crossover and pickup categories in order to pull in more buyers. The other bad news is that conventional automakers don’t seem well prepared to compete with their own highly compelling and widely available electric options in those classes. I don’t say this often, but the next few years are going to be interesting. Tesla getting up to 250,000–400,000 sales a year is an explosion, but it’s not putting any competitors into bankruptcy. Reaching 1–2 million thanks to the introduction of an electric crossover (Model Y) and electric pickup could be another story.

If you would like to buy a Tesla and want the benefits that come with a referral, feel free to use my referral code — http://ts.la/tomasz7234 — or not.

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About the Author

Zachary Shahan Zach is tryin' to help society help itself (and other species). He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. He's also the president of Important Media and the director/founder of EV Obsession and Solar Love. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, and Canada.

Zach has long-term investments in TSLA, FSLR, SPWR, SEDG, & ABB — after years of covering solar and EVs, he simply has a lot of faith in these particular companies and feels like they are good cleantech companies to invest in. But he offers no professional investment advice and would rather not be responsible for you losing money, so don't jump to conclusions.

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Reuss, 35-year GM veteran, to succeed Ammann as president

FILE PHOTO: General Motors Executive Vice President Global Product Design Mark Reuss talks about the new 2019 GMC Sierra Denali pickup truck at the Russell Industrial Center in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., March 1, 2018. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) said on Thursday that Mark Reuss would succeed Dan Ammann as president, effective… Continue reading Reuss, 35-year GM veteran, to succeed Ammann as president

CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-Reuss, 35-year GM veteran, to succeed Ammann as president

FILE PHOTO: General Motors Executive Vice President Global Product Design Mark Reuss talks about the new 2019 GMC Sierra Denali pickup truck at the Russell Industrial Center in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., March 1, 2018. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) said on Thursday that Mark Reuss would succeed Dan Ammann as president, effective… Continue reading CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-Reuss, 35-year GM veteran, to succeed Ammann as president