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Europe is starting to develop a case of pickup truck fever. According to data from JATO Dynamics, 80,300 trucks were sold in Europe in the first half of this year. This pales in comparison to the 1.1 million full-size and 216,194 midsize trucks sold in the U.S. in the same timeframe. But sales in Europe are climbing. LMC Automotive says sales of trucks in Europe are up 19 percent and they predict sales will crest 200,000 next year. Why this steady rise in pickups? According to Automotive News Europe, it comes down to the lack of alternatives and government regulations. "One of the reasons is usage. Previously people used large, body-on-frame SUVs to tow boats or horse trailers. Nowadays, with high regulations and pressure [to move to] small engines with dual-clutch automatic gearboxes, it's not really possible to use SUVs to tow. People with these hobbies need to have a truck," said Renault's product director of pickups, Anton Lysyy. Take for example the Land Rover Defender. When production of this off-road icon ended last year, many buyers switched to the likes of the Ford Ranger as it offered the off-road capability of the Defender. Truck manufacturers have taken notice of this increase in sales and are starting to offer more extras. That includes new infotainment systems, active safety equipment, and a long list of accessories such as hardtops. New manufacturers are wanting to take a slice of this growing market as well. Mercedes-Benz will soon be launching their X-Class, while Renault announced their Alaskan truck (both models based on the Nissan Navara). PSA Group revealed earlier this year that it would be working with Chinese automaker Changan Automobile on developing a new truck that would be sold in China and Europe in 2020. Source: Automotive News Europe (Subscription Required) -
Europe is starting to develop a case of pickup truck fever. According to data from JATO Dynamics, 80,300 trucks were sold in Europe in the first half of this year. This pales in comparison to the 1.1 million full-size and 216,194 midsize trucks sold in the U.S. in the same timeframe. But sales in Europe are climbing. LMC Automotive says sales of trucks in Europe are up 19 percent and they predict sales will crest 200,000 next year. Why this steady rise in pickups? According to Automotive News Europe, it comes down to the lack of alternatives and government regulations. "One of the reasons is usage. Previously people used large, body-on-frame SUVs to tow boats or horse trailers. Nowadays, with high regulations and pressure [to move to] small engines with dual-clutch automatic gearboxes, it's not really possible to use SUVs to tow. People with these hobbies need to have a truck," said Renault's product director of pickups, Anton Lysyy. Take for example the Land Rover Defender. When production of this off-road icon ended last year, many buyers switched to the likes of the Ford Ranger as it offered the off-road capability of the Defender. Truck manufacturers have taken notice of this increase in sales and are starting to offer more extras. That includes new infotainment systems, active safety equipment, and a long list of accessories such as hardtops. New manufacturers are wanting to take a slice of this growing market as well. Mercedes-Benz will soon be launching their X-Class, while Renault announced their Alaskan truck (both models based on the Nissan Navara). PSA Group revealed earlier this year that it would be working with Chinese automaker Changan Automobile on developing a new truck that would be sold in China and Europe in 2020. Source: Automotive News Europe (Subscription Required) View full article -
Tesla's CEO Elon Musk teased last week of a new master plan that would be appearing early this week. But like the launch of one of their new vehicles, there was a bit of delay. Last night, the plan was unveiled. If you were hoping for some exciting announcements, then you'll be disappointed with this plan. One of the big parts of 'Master Plan, Part Deux' is to "the major forms of terrestrial transport." What this means is the company is working on developing a compact SUV and a and a "new kind of pickup truck." Musk also says early development work has begun on a Telsa-Semi (Musk's name, not ours) and methods of urban transportation. Musk goes on to talk about developing Tesla's semi-autonomous systems further. A lot of this will rely on utilizing fleet learning (i.e. Autopilot) to help speed up development to a fully autonomous system. The post says the world could be ready to accept autonomous vehicles after they've driven 6 billion collective miles. Using three million miles per day as an estimate, it could take up about 2,000 days (about 5.5 years). Musk stands behind the Autopilot, saying “deploying partial autonomy now, rather than waiting until some point in the future” because “when used correctly, it is already significantly safer than a person driving by themselves (sic) and it would therefore be morally reprehensible to delay release simply for fear of bad press or some mercantile calculation of legal liability.” Other bits of this master plan include, Setting up a car sharing service allowing owners to make some cash Creating solar-panel roofs with "seamlessly integrated battery storage." (Would involve the merger of Tesla and solar panel installer SolarCity) Source: Tesla View full article
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Tesla's CEO Elon Musk teased last week of a new master plan that would be appearing early this week. But like the launch of one of their new vehicles, there was a bit of delay. Last night, the plan was unveiled. If you were hoping for some exciting announcements, then you'll be disappointed with this plan. One of the big parts of 'Master Plan, Part Deux' is to "the major forms of terrestrial transport." What this means is the company is working on developing a compact SUV and a and a "new kind of pickup truck." Musk also says early development work has begun on a Telsa-Semi (Musk's name, not ours) and methods of urban transportation. Musk goes on to talk about developing Tesla's semi-autonomous systems further. A lot of this will rely on utilizing fleet learning (i.e. Autopilot) to help speed up development to a fully autonomous system. The post says the world could be ready to accept autonomous vehicles after they've driven 6 billion collective miles. Using three million miles per day as an estimate, it could take up about 2,000 days (about 5.5 years). Musk stands behind the Autopilot, saying “deploying partial autonomy now, rather than waiting until some point in the future” because “when used correctly, it is already significantly safer than a person driving by themselves (sic) and it would therefore be morally reprehensible to delay release simply for fear of bad press or some mercantile calculation of legal liability.” Other bits of this master plan include, Setting up a car sharing service allowing owners to make some cash Creating solar-panel roofs with "seamlessly integrated battery storage." (Would involve the merger of Tesla and solar panel installer SolarCity) Source: Tesla -
Rumorpile: GM Puts Next-Generation Pickups On Rush
William Maley posted an article in General Motors
General Motors has put a rush on the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra to counter Ford's F-150. According to Reuters, GM has pushed up the launch date of their next-generation pickups, codenamed T1XX, by nine months to the fall of 2018. The new trucks will undergo a diet much like the new F-150. Full-size SUVs will follow a year after. While this will trail the next F-150 by four years, supplier sources says GM has a lot in store for its next-generation trucks, including a ten-speed automatic being jointly developed with Ford, direct-injection, turbocharging, and auto stop/start technologies. In the meantime, some of GM's current trucks and SUVs will get an eight-speed automatic. Source: Reuters William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. -
General Motors has put a rush on the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra to counter Ford's F-150. According to Reuters, GM has pushed up the launch date of their next-generation pickups, codenamed T1XX, by nine months to the fall of 2018. The new trucks will undergo a diet much like the new F-150. Full-size SUVs will follow a year after. While this will trail the next F-150 by four years, supplier sources says GM has a lot in store for its next-generation trucks, including a ten-speed automatic being jointly developed with Ford, direct-injection, turbocharging, and auto stop/start technologies. In the meantime, some of GM's current trucks and SUVs will get an eight-speed automatic. Source: Reuters William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 22, 2013 Last week, General Motors announced they would be raising the prices on the new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra by as much as $1,500. This week, dealers are giving the company a piece of their mind with this decision. They say sales of the two trucks are getting beaten up by discounts and rebates being offered by Ford and Ram to clear out their stock of 2013 models. "We all know that it's a great truck. But [GM's] position is that the vehicle stands on its own and it doesn't need a bigger rebate. That's not what the market is telling us," said W. Carroll Smith, president of Monument Chevrolet in Pasadena, Texas. Part of the problem for GM is that its trucks are arriving at the time when the current F-150's is reaching the end of its lifecycle, a fact that Ford has taken advantage of by offering massive discounts. Dealers want GM to fight back by offering more incentives. GM is sticking to its guns however. "You don't ever want to let the oldest trucks in the market dictate strategy for the newest and best truck in the market," said GM spokesman Jim Cain. Dealers and analysts do believe that the price disadvantage on GM's new trucks is only temporary and sales will climb back up when Ford and Ram's supply of 2013 models is depleted. However, some dealers believe this move could hurt sales in the long run. "It looked like we're finally going to get into the game. Then they raise the prices. It's like it kicks you in the head," said Rox Covert, dealer principal at two Chevrolet dealerships and two Buick-GMC stores in the Austin, Texas, area. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 22, 2013 Last week, General Motors announced they would be raising the prices on the new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra by as much as $1,500. This week, dealers are giving the company a piece of their mind with this decision. They say sales of the two trucks are getting beaten up by discounts and rebates being offered by Ford and Ram to clear out their stock of 2013 models. "We all know that it's a great truck. But [GM's] position is that the vehicle stands on its own and it doesn't need a bigger rebate. That's not what the market is telling us," said W. Carroll Smith, president of Monument Chevrolet in Pasadena, Texas. Part of the problem for GM is that its trucks are arriving at the time when the current F-150's is reaching the end of its lifecycle, a fact that Ford has taken advantage of by offering massive discounts. Dealers want GM to fight back by offering more incentives. GM is sticking to its guns however. "You don't ever want to let the oldest trucks in the market dictate strategy for the newest and best truck in the market," said GM spokesman Jim Cain. Dealers and analysts do believe that the price disadvantage on GM's new trucks is only temporary and sales will climb back up when Ford and Ram's supply of 2013 models is depleted. However, some dealers believe this move could hurt sales in the long run. "It looked like we're finally going to get into the game. Then they raise the prices. It's like it kicks you in the head," said Rox Covert, dealer principal at two Chevrolet dealerships and two Buick-GMC stores in the Austin, Texas, area. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. -
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 8, 2013 The Chicken Tax, a fifty year-old tariff put in place to tax 25 percent on all imported trucks could be gone in the near future. The U.S. is currently in talks currently in negotiations with the the Trans-Pacific Partnership over free-trade agreements. One of the countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership is Japan, a country that currently imposes strict restrictions on U.S. imports. The U.S. is using the elimination of the Chicken Tax as bargaining chip in the negotiations to hopefully open up and let domestic automakers come in. “The automakers see it as some leverage to getting other countries to open up their markets. The tariff doesn’t seem to make any sense now, particularly since the industry has globalized, or at least regionalized, but this is what happens with transfer programs, with protectionism, with social safety nets," said Daniel Ikenson, director of the Cato Institute’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies. Cases in point: Honda, Nissan, and Toyota build their trucks in U.S. Ford and for a time Chrysler used a loophole in the Chicken Tax to bring their vans into U.S. The Chicken Tax has also hurt automakers. For example, MINI pulled the Clubvan in the U.S. partly due to the Chicken Tax. If the U.S. is not successful in their negotiations, the Chicken Tax could stay on the books for another 25 to 30 years. Source: The Detroit News William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. -
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 8, 2013 The Chicken Tax, a fifty year-old tariff put in place to tax 25 percent on all imported trucks could be gone in the near future. The U.S. is currently in talks currently in negotiations with the the Trans-Pacific Partnership over free-trade agreements. One of the countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership is Japan, a country that currently imposes strict restrictions on U.S. imports. The U.S. is using the elimination of the Chicken Tax as bargaining chip in the negotiations to hopefully open up and let domestic automakers come in. “The automakers see it as some leverage to getting other countries to open up their markets. The tariff doesn’t seem to make any sense now, particularly since the industry has globalized, or at least regionalized, but this is what happens with transfer programs, with protectionism, with social safety nets," said Daniel Ikenson, director of the Cato Institute’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies. Cases in point: Honda, Nissan, and Toyota build their trucks in U.S. Ford and for a time Chrysler used a loophole in the Chicken Tax to bring their vans into U.S. The Chicken Tax has also hurt automakers. For example, MINI pulled the Clubvan in the U.S. partly due to the Chicken Tax. If the U.S. is not successful in their negotiations, the Chicken Tax could stay on the books for another 25 to 30 years. Source: The Detroit News William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 13, 2013 At one time, the term 'luxury pickup truck' was an oxymoron. But now, automakers are churning them out like they're not going out of style. Ford has three different luxury versions of the F-150 (King Ranch, Platinum, Limited), General Motors has the GMC Sierra Denali and Chevrolet Silverado High Country, and Ram has the Laramie Longhorn and Laramie Limted. However, Ram CEO Reid Bigland believes there is more room for a more posh truck. “I don’t even know where the ceiling is on the premium pickup truck,” Bigland said to reporters this week. For those wondering, the Ram Laramie Longhorn models start at $44,585 for the 1500 and goes upward from there. “We don’t even know if that’s the ceiling or if we should go above that,” Bigland said. Bigland didn't go into details of what a super-premium pickup would look like, but noted Ram would have to be careful the add-ons weren’t “frivolous.” Source: Automobile Magazine William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 13, 2013 At one time, the term 'luxury pickup truck' was an oxymoron. But now, automakers are churning them out like they're not going out of style. Ford has three different luxury versions of the F-150 (King Ranch, Platinum, Limited), General Motors has the GMC Sierra Denali and Chevrolet Silverado High Country, and Ram has the Laramie Longhorn and Laramie Limted. However, Ram CEO Reid Bigland believes there is more room for a more posh truck. “I don’t even know where the ceiling is on the premium pickup truck,” Bigland said to reporters this week. For those wondering, the Ram Laramie Longhorn models start at $44,585 for the 1500 and goes upward from there. “We don’t even know if that’s the ceiling or if we should go above that,” Bigland said. Bigland didn't go into details of what a super-premium pickup would look like, but noted Ram would have to be careful the add-ons weren’t “frivolous.” Source: Automobile Magazine William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. -
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 11, 2013 Pickup Trucks continue to be the lifeblood for the American automaker's financials. A very good thing since truck sales seems to be in very good health - in fact Automotive News says that truck sales are arguably healthier than they were pre-recession, despite the volume is still below pre-recession levels. How? The per-unit profit has increased massively, outpacing the industry average by more than double since 2005. Edmunds says the average transaction price of pickup truck stands at $39,915 – a 8 percent increase (after inflation) when compared to 2005's average transaction price of $31,059. How important are trucks to American automakers? Well a Morgan Stanley analyst says 90 percent of the Ford Motor Company's 2012 profits come from the F-Series. General Motors follows closely behind with two-thirds of their 2012 profits coming from the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Analysts say the near-term future looks very good for trucks. Thanks to the recent increases in the housing market, truck sales are expected to keep climbing. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article
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Average Transaction Price of Trucks Are Rising
William Maley posted an article in Automotive Industry
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 11, 2013 Pickup Trucks continue to be the lifeblood for the American automaker's financials. A very good thing since truck sales seems to be in very good health - in fact Automotive News says that truck sales are arguably healthier than they were pre-recession, despite the volume is still below pre-recession levels. How? The per-unit profit has increased massively, outpacing the industry average by more than double since 2005. Edmunds says the average transaction price of pickup truck stands at $39,915 – a 8 percent increase (after inflation) when compared to 2005's average transaction price of $31,059. How important are trucks to American automakers? Well a Morgan Stanley analyst says 90 percent of the Ford Motor Company's 2012 profits come from the F-Series. General Motors follows closely behind with two-thirds of their 2012 profits coming from the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Analysts say the near-term future looks very good for trucks. Thanks to the recent increases in the housing market, truck sales are expected to keep climbing. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. -
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 16, 2012 If you're in the market for a pickup truck, there is some very good news for you. Truck manufacturers are offering rebates ranging from $1,500 to $4,500. So why the large rebates? Well, part of it is to make room for the 2013 models. The other part is due in part to GM. GM's supply of pickup trucks has been growing and growing due in part to the company making sure they have enough supply when they shut down their plants to retool. GM is stuck between a rock and hard place on trying to make sure they have the right amount of trucks. Starting after Labor Day, GM started their semiannual truck promotion which offers rebates on trucks up $3,500 or $4,500 with a trade. This is a surprise since the promotion usually starts in October. "They've pulled forward truck month, so we get both September and October, and they're putting a lot of cash on the hoods. With a little participation from the client, I think we'll be fine," said Chris Haydocy, a Buick-GMC dealer in Columbus, Ohio Not to be outdone, Ford, Ram, and Toyota have introduced rebates and incentives to bring people into one of their trucks. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 16, 2012 If you're in the market for a pickup truck, there is some very good news for you. Truck manufacturers are offering rebates ranging from $1,500 to $4,500. So why the large rebates? Well, part of it is to make room for the 2013 models. The other part is due in part to GM. GM's supply of pickup trucks has been growing and growing due in part to the company making sure they have enough supply when they shut down their plants to retool. GM is stuck between a rock and hard place on trying to make sure they have the right amount of trucks. Starting after Labor Day, GM started their semiannual truck promotion which offers rebates on trucks up $3,500 or $4,500 with a trade. This is a surprise since the promotion usually starts in October. "They've pulled forward truck month, so we get both September and October, and they're putting a lot of cash on the hoods. With a little participation from the client, I think we'll be fine," said Chris Haydocy, a Buick-GMC dealer in Columbus, Ohio Not to be outdone, Ford, Ram, and Toyota have introduced rebates and incentives to bring people into one of their trucks. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. -
General Motors Announces $275 Million Investment For Truck Plant William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com October 27, 2011 General Motors announced yesterday they will invest $275 million for their Fort Wayne, Indiana to build the next generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks. GM says the investment will create or retain 150 jobs on top of the 3,400 workers who currently build trucks at the plant. “This investment will allow us to continue building award-winning pickups that offer better fuel efficiency than ever before without sacrificing features and functionality. We remain committed to providing customers the utility and capability of our world-class full-size pickups,” said Larry Zahner, GM manufacturing manager, in a statement. Press Release is below GM Invests $275 Million in Ft. Wayne Assembly Plant Supports next-generation full-size pickups and creates or retains 150 jobs 2011-10-26 - FT. WAYNE, Ind. – General Motors will invest approximately $275 million to prepare its plant here to build the next generation of Chevrolet and GMC full-size pickup trucks, creating or retaining 150 jobs. The plant, which currently has 3,400 employees on three shifts, builds the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickups. The investment announced today is the last announcement of the $2 billion GM announced in May 2011 that will create or retain about 4,000 jobs in 17 facilities in eight states over the next 18 months. “This investment will allow us to continue building award-winning pickups that offer better fuel efficiency than ever before without sacrificing features and functionality,” said Larry Zahner, GM manufacturing manager. “We remain committed to providing customers the utility and capability of our world-class full-size pickups.” September was a very good month for GM’s full-size pickup trucks. GMC Sierra sales were up 26 percent and Chevrolet Silverado sales were up 36 percent. Sales of GM full-size pickups have increased month over month since July, contributing to a year-to-date market share gain of about one full point. “Today’s announcement is great news for the hard-working members of UAW Local 2209,” said Joe Ashton, UAW vice president, representing the GM Department. “Our members’ experience and knowledge will ensure that this next generation of trucks will exceed the expectations of our customers. This is an important vehicle program for GM and the decision to locate the work in Fort Wayne demonstrates our mutual commitment to making GM a great American company.”
