Geely – Page 760 – I wish I had more to offer

Tesla sales, VW tech, electric Harley-Davidson: Today’s Car News

Toyota Research Institute simulation of actual 3-car crash, to test Guardian active-safety system
With final sales reports out from the whole auto industry, we built some context around Tesla's end-of-the-year sales numbers. The Model 3 is setting the pace among luxury cars. Volkswagen buys wireless tech from Volvo. Harley-Davidson announces pricing and a date for buyers interested in purchasing its LiveWire electric motorcycle. And our readers are sanguine about falling electric-car tax credits in our latest Twitter poll. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

The Tesla Model 3 outsold every direct competitor and most competing brands in the fourth quarter. Annual numbers reflect the model's slow production ramp-up early in the year.

Volkswagen bought a wireless vehicle connectivity subsidiary from Volvo in an effort to bring over-the-air updates to its cars.

Harley-Davidson aims to win its freedom-loving bikers over to electric power with its new LiveWire electric motorcycle. The company has now revealed more specs, as well as when it will go on sale and how much it will cost.

Our Twitter followers weigh in on what effect they think the reduction in tax credits will have on GM and Tesla vehicles in 2019.

Toyota reveals its first self-driving vehicle technology at the CES show in Las Vegas. The company says it doesn't replace human control, however, only amplifies it.

Finally, just in time for the roll-out of the electric Audi e-tron quattro SUV, Audi announced it will end European delivery for its U.S. customers.

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Geely/China autos: higgledy-piggledy

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Black cab maker LEVC to delay launch of range-extender van

The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) has delayed plans to launch a new range-extender van this year, according to the firm’s boss. The company has planned to start testing the new machine, which it will offer alongside its TX taxi, ahead of sales starting later this year. It was initially targeting public sector fleets, with the Geely-owned… Continue reading Black cab maker LEVC to delay launch of range-extender van

Volkswagen buys wireless car service from Volvo

Volkswagen MOIA electric ride-pooling van
In automotive electronics news that doesn't come from this week's CES, Volkswagen announced late last month that it is buying wireless automotive technology from Volvo.

The technology is expected to enable VW's upcoming We car sharing program as well as to allow drivers to control some vehicle functions remotely, which could impact things such as charging for electric cars.

Automakers are scrambling to catch up with Tesla's ability to update cars remotely, and also to enable car-sharing services to compete with companies such as Uber, Lyft, and Google in launching self-driving shuttle and taxi services.

READ THIS: The Apple car to finally hit the road, only it's a VW Bus

The deal is worth $122 million, for Volvo's WirelessCar division, which was founded in 1999, which has been a subsidiary of Volvo since 2007.

Microsoft will also provide wireless services aimed at updating VW cars—and almost certainly first models from VW's luxury divisions, Audi and Porsche—over the airwaves.

DON'T MISS: VW updates I.D. Cargo Buzz with solar for LA Show

The companies plan to develop a secure platform to such updates that won't be vulnerable to the kind of attacks that hackers have demonstrated in principle.

Secure communications and the ability to send commands and updates to cars remotely will be necessary pieces for automated taxi services.

CHECK OUT: Electric car-sharing programs expanding in U.S.

For example, such a service could send updated maps with live construction detours to cars that might venture into areas with weak cellular service.

The sale is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019.

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

Volvo Polestar 2, Tesla Model 3 range, self-driving Lexus: Today’s Car News

Volvo 40.2 concept
Tesla bumps up the range of its Mid Range Model 3, slightly and announces it will start delivering Model 3s to China in March. Volvo teases a look at its first electric model, the Polestar 2. Faraday Future flutters its eyes open, looking for its future, as it agrees to a mutual cease-fire agreement with its main investor. Toyota reveals its first fully-self driving vehicle. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

Tesla gave buyers a few more reasons to choose its Mid Range Model 3 with an updated range estimate that's four miles longer than before: now 264 miles.

The company also announced it will begin delivering Model 3s to China in March.

Volvo teases a picture and a few more details about its first electric car, which will come from its new Polestar performance brand.

Faraday Future ended a months-long dispute with its chief investor, Hong Kong's Evergrande Health group, giving a spark of hope for the company's revival. The company is now seeking new funding, but with few employees and no remaining executives with automotive experience, it's hard to gauge how much interest it may find.

Toyota reveals its first fully-self-driving system in a comfortable Lexus sedan that might make passengers want to pay to ride in it.

Finally, Infiniti gave a clearer look at its upcoming electric SUV concept scheduled to appear later this month at the Detroit auto show.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk says Singapore Government has been ‘unwelcome’ to the company – The Straits Times

NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) – Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk reiterated that Singapore has been “unwelcome” to the company, doubling down on his previous assertions that the Government is not supportive of electric vehicles. Musk was responding to a tweet inquiring why Tesla wasn’t in the city-state. He had said in May that Tesla tried to… Continue reading Tesla CEO Elon Musk says Singapore Government has been ‘unwelcome’ to the company – The Straits Times

The all-electric Polestar 2 will be the first car with Google’s native Android Auto

Volvo’s futuristic performance brand Polestar released the first teaser image of its second car this week (seen above). The aptly named Polestar 2 will be Volvo’s first all-electric car, and has specs (on paper, at least) that match up with some of the best EVs that are about to hit the road. It will also… Continue reading The all-electric Polestar 2 will be the first car with Google’s native Android Auto

Future Model 3 rival: Volvo Polestar 2 electric performance car teased

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Polestar 2 teased
Volvo’s Polestar sub-brand has released a teaser picture and revealed a little more about its first electric car, to be called the Polestar 2. And the fledgling tech-performance brand doesn’t miss a beat in mentioning the Tesla Model 3.

The Polestar 2, which will be the first fully electric vehicle from the entire Volvo Car Group, will be a four-door fastback that offers more than 300 miles of range and more than 400 horsepower. Polestar says that it will be sold in the same range as the Model 3—which currently, given the Model 3’s price cut this week, starts at $45,200.

DON’T MISS: Volvo confirms Polestar 2 electric “sedan”

With production volume too small to justify its own from-scratch platform, Volvo/Polestar is expected to borrow from Volvo and Geely’s shared CMA architecture, which underpins the Volvo 40-Series models, such as the XC40. The design of the Polestar 2 is expected to be a little more SUV-like than Polestar is making it sound here, though—more like the Volvo 40.2 concept, a small SUV more like the BMW X4.

Volvo 40.2 concept

Polestar says that the 2 will be the first vehicle in the world to get the new Google Android HMI (human-machine interface)—essentially the successor to Android Auto—as well as the in-car version of Google Assistant.

CHECK OUT: Volvo XC40 crossover SUV to be company's first all-electric car

It will be available for sale, but the company will emphasize a subscription based on the Care by Volvo package, which wraps the vehicle plus all associated motoring costs (like insurance) into one monthly payment—and, significantly, offers the ability to trade for other Volvo models for a few days a year outside the U.S.

The 2 will go into production in early 2020 (or possibly as soon as later this year). The first electric vehicle to bear the actual Volvo badge is expected to be a version of the XC40 crossover, reaching the market later in 2020. Volvo has already suggested that model will have a range in the vicinity of 250 miles and a starting price of $35,000 and $40,000.

Polestar will borrow some ideas from the Tesla playbook while tapping into the on-the-ground resources Volvo already has in place. Vehicle purchase—or subscription—will be via a web page, but shoppers can see the vehicle at its own urban showrooms. Traditional Volvo dealerships come into play as service and logistics hubs for concierge service.

Volvo says that a full reveal of the Polestar P2 is just a few weeks away.