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William Maley

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Everything posted by William Maley

  1. I would go Miata RF myself since I know that I can have more fun with it (in legal limits). Mustang would be a close second.
  2. If you wanted an long-range electric vehicle that didn't have a Tesla badge, your best choice was the Chevrolet Bolt EV as it offered a range of 238 miles. But there is a new long-range EV champion/ The EPA has announced the figures for the 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric. It will have a maximum range of 258 miles, which is 20 miles more than the Chevrolet Bolt. It also soundly beats a number of other competitors, 107 miles more than a Nissan Leaf (151 mile range) 134 miles more than a Hyundai Ioniq Electric (124 mile range) 169 miles more than a Honda Clarity EV (89 mile range) Of course, the Tesla Model 3 Long Range beats the Kona Electric soundly with a range of 310 miles. But standard range Model 3 trails it by 33 miles (215 mile range). No word on pricing, but the Kona Electric will go on sale towards the end of the year. Source: EPA View full article
  3. If you wanted an long-range electric vehicle that didn't have a Tesla badge, your best choice was the Chevrolet Bolt EV as it offered a range of 238 miles. But there is a new long-range EV champion/ The EPA has announced the figures for the 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric. It will have a maximum range of 258 miles, which is 20 miles more than the Chevrolet Bolt. It also soundly beats a number of other competitors, 107 miles more than a Nissan Leaf (151 mile range) 134 miles more than a Hyundai Ioniq Electric (124 mile range) 169 miles more than a Honda Clarity EV (89 mile range) Of course, the Tesla Model 3 Long Range beats the Kona Electric soundly with a range of 310 miles. But standard range Model 3 trails it by 33 miles (215 mile range). No word on pricing, but the Kona Electric will go on sale towards the end of the year. Source: EPA
  4. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' new CEO Mike Manley has a lot on his plate. He has address multiple challenges in the U.S. that were left by the passing of Sergio Marchionne last month - moving forward with the five year plan, figuring out the future of Chrysler and Dodge; and getting new vehicles out the door. But that doesn't compare to the challenges in Europe. The Wall Street Journal reports that Manley has a number of issues that need be addressed. The biggest one is improving the overall profitability in the region. Last year, FCA had an operating profit of $5.96 billion in the U.S. In Europe, only $840 million. A key reason for this is that three-quarters of FCA's European sales are made up of Fiat models that have razor-thin profit margins. Each Fiat sold makes an operating profit of €250 ($288), compared to the average of €2,850 ($3,274) for every Jeep and Ram model sold. Alfa Romeo was seen as a possible way to help boost profits, but sales have fallen very short of targets in a market where the likes of the Audi, BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz dominate. “FCA would need a merger to improve the profitability in Europe,” said Martino De Ambroggi, an analyst with Equita told the journal. Marchionne tried his best to court FCA to other automakers such as GM, but to no avail. Earlier this year, FCA said the search for a possible partner was taken off the table and that it could survive on its own. There is also the question as to whether FCA has too many workers in Europe. The region makes up about 36 percent of FCA's workforce, but only a tenth of its profit. A key example is FCA's Mirafiori plant which employs 13,000 people, but is on track to build 50,000 vehicles this year. In 1997, the plant produced 463,000 vehicles. Source: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) View full article
  5. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' new CEO Mike Manley has a lot on his plate. He has address multiple challenges in the U.S. that were left by the passing of Sergio Marchionne last month - moving forward with the five year plan, figuring out the future of Chrysler and Dodge; and getting new vehicles out the door. But that doesn't compare to the challenges in Europe. The Wall Street Journal reports that Manley has a number of issues that need be addressed. The biggest one is improving the overall profitability in the region. Last year, FCA had an operating profit of $5.96 billion in the U.S. In Europe, only $840 million. A key reason for this is that three-quarters of FCA's European sales are made up of Fiat models that have razor-thin profit margins. Each Fiat sold makes an operating profit of €250 ($288), compared to the average of €2,850 ($3,274) for every Jeep and Ram model sold. Alfa Romeo was seen as a possible way to help boost profits, but sales have fallen very short of targets in a market where the likes of the Audi, BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz dominate. “FCA would need a merger to improve the profitability in Europe,” said Martino De Ambroggi, an analyst with Equita told the journal. Marchionne tried his best to court FCA to other automakers such as GM, but to no avail. Earlier this year, FCA said the search for a possible partner was taken off the table and that it could survive on its own. There is also the question as to whether FCA has too many workers in Europe. The region makes up about 36 percent of FCA's workforce, but only a tenth of its profit. A key example is FCA's Mirafiori plant which employs 13,000 people, but is on track to build 50,000 vehicles this year. In 1997, the plant produced 463,000 vehicles. Source: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required)
  6. Hyundai's N performance division has seen early success with the i30 N in Europe, already hitting its full-year sales target at the end of June and customers waiting six to seven months to get their vehicle. This has the brand encouraged that the upcoming Veloster N due for the U.S. later this year will see similar success. It also has N planning two more models, along with the possibility of a third. According to Automotive News, the first of the two new N models will the i30 Fastback N, debuting at the Paris Motor Show in October. This model wasn't originally planned, but would be green-lighted after Hyundai-Kia design chief Peter Schreyer showed a mock-up to Albert Biermann, head of vehicle testing and high-performance development. Following this is a possibly an SUV. We've heard reports that it could be the Tucson or Kona. Biermann said there could be a fifth model in the wings. "There's a car within the next two or three months that we probably have a chance to show to Vice Chairman Chung [Eui-sun] and our top management. Depending on what is the current mood and situation, we might get a spontaneous 'OK, go for it,' " he told Automotive News. Also being talked about at N is what alternative powertrains could power their vehicles. "When we think of cars after 2021 for N, I think we cannot avoid electrification. We will have an EV sooner or later. It's just a matter of timing," said Biermann. "As an example, we have an Ioniq EV. Were we to find a nice battery, a bigger motor and inverter, we could make an Ioniq EV N with a nice chassis and more power. Something like that is not fully crazy." Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article
  7. Hyundai's N performance division has seen early success with the i30 N in Europe, already hitting its full-year sales target at the end of June and customers waiting six to seven months to get their vehicle. This has the brand encouraged that the upcoming Veloster N due for the U.S. later this year will see similar success. It also has N planning two more models, along with the possibility of a third. According to Automotive News, the first of the two new N models will the i30 Fastback N, debuting at the Paris Motor Show in October. This model wasn't originally planned, but would be green-lighted after Hyundai-Kia design chief Peter Schreyer showed a mock-up to Albert Biermann, head of vehicle testing and high-performance development. Following this is a possibly an SUV. We've heard reports that it could be the Tucson or Kona. Biermann said there could be a fifth model in the wings. "There's a car within the next two or three months that we probably have a chance to show to Vice Chairman Chung [Eui-sun] and our top management. Depending on what is the current mood and situation, we might get a spontaneous 'OK, go for it,' " he told Automotive News. Also being talked about at N is what alternative powertrains could power their vehicles. "When we think of cars after 2021 for N, I think we cannot avoid electrification. We will have an EV sooner or later. It's just a matter of timing," said Biermann. "As an example, we have an Ioniq EV. Were we to find a nice battery, a bigger motor and inverter, we could make an Ioniq EV N with a nice chassis and more power. Something like that is not fully crazy." Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
  8. For a time, you could order an Audi A4 or A5 with a manual transmission at no-cost. But that option will be going away when the 2019 models begin arriving at dealers. Car and Driver reports that low demand for the option has Audi pulling off the option sheet. Audi points out that only five percent of U.S. buyers picked an A4 with a manual transmission. The news isn't that surprising as more automakers are dropping them due to low demand and automatic transmissions returning better fuel economy figures. If you really want to get your hands on an A4 or A5 manual, you might want to hurry to your nearest Audi dealer. Car and Driver says there is still a sizable amount in inventory. Source: Car and Driver View full article
  9. For a time, you could order an Audi A4 or A5 with a manual transmission at no-cost. But that option will be going away when the 2019 models begin arriving at dealers. Car and Driver reports that low demand for the option has Audi pulling off the option sheet. Audi points out that only five percent of U.S. buyers picked an A4 with a manual transmission. The news isn't that surprising as more automakers are dropping them due to low demand and automatic transmissions returning better fuel economy figures. If you really want to get your hands on an A4 or A5 manual, you might want to hurry to your nearest Audi dealer. Car and Driver says there is still a sizable amount in inventory. Source: Car and Driver
  10. Last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) could help provide the necessary funding to make the company private. But a new report hints that the PIF could invest its money into a different electric automaker. Reuters has learned from sources that the PIF is in talks with Lucid Motors about a potential investment. The two have drawn up a term sheet where the PIF could invest more than $1 billion into Lucid Motors and become the majority stakeholder. One source adds that the first investment would only be for $500 million and that subsequent investments would only come if Lucid Motors is able to hit certain production milestones The sources do caution that the talks may not result in a deal. Despite the PIF having $250 billion in assets, Reuters says the fund has already made a number of substantial investments into other things such as a $45 billion investment into a giant technology fund. This leaves them with limited funds, which makes the deal with Lucid more appealing. Banks have estimated that Tesla could need up to $72 billion if Tesla pays the $420 per share announced by Musk a few weeks ago. However, the price could drop if current shareholders keep their shares in the private company. Lucid Motors made a big splash in 2016 with the introduction of the Air. The model made some big promises such as having the interior space of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class and a max range of up to 400 miles on a charge. Lucid was planning to start production of the sedan this year in Arizona. But last year, the company pushed back production to 2019 as they needed to raise more funds. Source: Reuters View full article
  11. Last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) could help provide the necessary funding to make the company private. But a new report hints that the PIF could invest its money into a different electric automaker. Reuters has learned from sources that the PIF is in talks with Lucid Motors about a potential investment. The two have drawn up a term sheet where the PIF could invest more than $1 billion into Lucid Motors and become the majority stakeholder. One source adds that the first investment would only be for $500 million and that subsequent investments would only come if Lucid Motors is able to hit certain production milestones The sources do caution that the talks may not result in a deal. Despite the PIF having $250 billion in assets, Reuters says the fund has already made a number of substantial investments into other things such as a $45 billion investment into a giant technology fund. This leaves them with limited funds, which makes the deal with Lucid more appealing. Banks have estimated that Tesla could need up to $72 billion if Tesla pays the $420 per share announced by Musk a few weeks ago. However, the price could drop if current shareholders keep their shares in the private company. Lucid Motors made a big splash in 2016 with the introduction of the Air. The model made some big promises such as having the interior space of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class and a max range of up to 400 miles on a charge. Lucid was planning to start production of the sedan this year in Arizona. But last year, the company pushed back production to 2019 as they needed to raise more funds. Source: Reuters
  12. If I ever get my hands on one, I'll report back
  13. Most people aren't so keen on letting an autonomous system take control of their vehicle according to a new survey done by Cox Automotive. Nearly 85 percent of the 1,250 people surveyed said they should have the option to drive themselves even in a self-driving vehicle. Only 16 percent said they would feel comfortable allowing a autonomous driving system take over. When asked if they would be a fully-autonomous vehicle (Level 5 under SAE's vehicle autonomy guidelines), almost half said no. Automotive News notes that is up from the 30 percent of people surveyed in 2016. Why the increases in overall apprehension? It mostly comes down to number of crashes that autonomous vehicles have been involve in, such as the Uber crash that killed a pedestrian. “People now have a deeper understanding of the complexities involved when creating a self-driving car, and that has them reconsidering their comfort level when it comes to handing over control,” said Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. In the past two years, awareness into self-driving tech increased 24 percent. But the perception of the safety of self-driving vehicles dropped 20 percent. Despite the trepidation, Cox believes the adoption of self-driving vehicles will gain traction - bringing big implications for automakers and dealers. “Miles traveled will shift toward fleet-owned vehicles, causing what we believe to be a potential 40 percent reduction in consumer vehicle sales,” said Isabelle Helms, vice president of research and market intelligence at Cox Automotive. We should note that Cox Automotive does an interest in the self-driving marketplace. Automotive News says the company has created a new unit that will sell software and services for car-sharing, ride-hailing, subscription programs, and, eventually, self-driving taxi fleets. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article
  14. Most people aren't so keen on letting an autonomous system take control of their vehicle according to a new survey done by Cox Automotive. Nearly 85 percent of the 1,250 people surveyed said they should have the option to drive themselves even in a self-driving vehicle. Only 16 percent said they would feel comfortable allowing a autonomous driving system take over. When asked if they would be a fully-autonomous vehicle (Level 5 under SAE's vehicle autonomy guidelines), almost half said no. Automotive News notes that is up from the 30 percent of people surveyed in 2016. Why the increases in overall apprehension? It mostly comes down to number of crashes that autonomous vehicles have been involve in, such as the Uber crash that killed a pedestrian. “People now have a deeper understanding of the complexities involved when creating a self-driving car, and that has them reconsidering their comfort level when it comes to handing over control,” said Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. In the past two years, awareness into self-driving tech increased 24 percent. But the perception of the safety of self-driving vehicles dropped 20 percent. Despite the trepidation, Cox believes the adoption of self-driving vehicles will gain traction - bringing big implications for automakers and dealers. “Miles traveled will shift toward fleet-owned vehicles, causing what we believe to be a potential 40 percent reduction in consumer vehicle sales,” said Isabelle Helms, vice president of research and market intelligence at Cox Automotive. We should note that Cox Automotive does an interest in the self-driving marketplace. Automotive News says the company has created a new unit that will sell software and services for car-sharing, ride-hailing, subscription programs, and, eventually, self-driving taxi fleets. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
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