Interesting Car/Truck Manufacturer News

[jeffh81]

Really?

Dammit

yep...multiple reviews on YouTube confirm it.

 

[CobraBob]

The new 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is SO awesome looking. Tough and mean, to the bone. This is not NEW news, just another article I found on Fox News. Beast! Bathed in Hydro-Blue Pearl Coat, it's one hell of a beautiful beast.

"Just like 65 million years ago, the end won’t come overnight, but it does appear to finally be nigh.

Ram has also announced plans for an "electrified" truck in the coming years, but its internal combustion-engine models aren’t going out without making a very big bang of their own.

The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is the most powerful production pickup ever made. Period. Not even close.

T. Rex, as it’s affectionately known, features a trucked-up version of the 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 that originally debuted in 2015 in the Dodge Challenger and is tuned here to produce 702 hp, which bests the 2004-2006 Ram SRT-10’s 500 hp segment record rating.

The closest light-duty pickup to it these days is the 2020 Ford F-150 Raptor, which recently ended production stumbling around with a relatively measly 450 hp, so the TRX could’ve shown up with 550-600 hp and embarrassed it, but Ram decided to stomp all over its fellow paleontologically nicknamed rival and eat it for lunch.

The TRX isn’t all about brawn, however. Ram thoroughly reengineered the 1500’s chassis to turn it into an off-road supertruck that can leave the Raptor in its dust. Its screaming Hemi V8 can inhale a cloud of that with a giant 29-liter airbox designed to filter out plenty of particulates as it sends 650 lb-ft of torque through an 8-speed transmission to a 4x4 drivetrain with a low-range transfer case, locking rear differential and full-time all-wheel-drive capability.

The 1500’s frame has been beefed up with stronger steel sections and rides on a 6-inches-wider suspension than the rest of the lineup. The TRX is so broad that it requires amber indicator lights like a heavy-duty truck. The suspension uses aluminum control arms, four-corner coil springs and unique computer-controlled, remote reservoir Bilstein shocks that can handle 100 mph trips through the desert along with the occasional Olympic-level high jump.

Prices for the TRX start at $71,690, which is a mere $200 more than a Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody sedan. The TRX offers more size, luxury and technology features than one of those, including optional adaptive cruise control, heated leather sport seats, a 360-degree camera system and a 19-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system in case supercharger whine and rumbly exhaust aren’t your favorite duet.

For a jacked-up truck with 11.8 inches of ground clearance, the TRX exhibits very nice manners on the street and better body control than can be expected of anything that weighs 6,396 pounds. Including an elephant. Its appetite for gas is pretty voracious, however, at 12 mpg combined. Drink it while you’ve got it, I guess.

Off-road is where it really shines, though, and the rougher the better. The TRX has 13 inches of front-wheel travel, 14 inches in the rear and about as much articulation as a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. That makes it a capable rock crawler, but it prefers to run.

It makes bumps disappear at high speeds and feels light as a feather as it does it. It’s only when you put the massive 15-inch brakes to work that you get a sense of the inertia at hand, and it’s easy to get yourself in trouble until you tune your mind to adjust.

The TRX is the undisputed king of the dinosaurs for now, but will it mark the end of an era? Ford does have a new Raptor in the works that rumor has it might borrow the aptly named Predator V8 from the 760 hp Mustang Shelby GT500 to hunt the TRX down with, while Ram’s pals at Dodge have had no problem squeezing over 800 hp out of the Hellcat.

No one goes extinct without a fight."

Gary Gastelu, FoxNews.com

 

[Weather Man]

Vehicle sales continue to rebound in December, TrueCar says
Dec. 28, 2020 10:16 AM ETTesla, Inc. (TSLA)By: Liz Kiesche, SA News Editor24 Comments

• TrueCar (TRUE +2.7%) forecasts that total vehicle retail sales for Q4 will rise 0.6% vs. 2019 when adjusted for the same number of selling days and will jump 34.2% from Q3, also on an adjusted basis.
• The projections underscore the rebound the industry has experienced since the pandemic derailed auto sales in March.
• For December 2020, total new vehicle sales are expected to reach 1,605,101 units, down 6.5% Y/Y on an adjusted basis.
• This month's seasonally adjusted annualized rate for total light vehicle sales is estimated to be 16.2M units.
• Excluding fleet sales, TrueCar expects U.S. retail deliveries of new cars and light trucks to be 1,428,094, down 2.2% Y/Y.
• Average transaction price, though, is projected to rise 5.3%, or $1,950 from a year ago and up 2.6%, or $988, from November 2020, setting an all-time record as the price climbs closer to $40K.
• TrueCar projects that U.S. revenue from new vehicle sales will reach more than $62B for December 2020, up 10.2% (based on a non-adjusted daily selling rate) from a year ago and up 35.6% from last month.
• "Retail vehicle sales have nearly reached normal levels with sales down only 2.2% from last year, which is a truly impressive outcome," said Nick Woolard, director of OEM Analytics at TrueCar. "The momentum from a strong third quarter carried into the fourth quarter and solidified the industry’s comeback. Production and inventory have gone back up in the fourth quarter and, as a result, retail sales are up 34% quarter-over-quarter."
• Three brands, all luxury names, increased in volume in 2020 — Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), Volvo, and Alfa Romeo; by brand ranking, Tesla surpassed Audi sales to become the No. 4 luxury brand.
• For the year, total new vehicle sales are forecasted to reach 14.6M, down 15% Y/Y, and new vehicle retail sales are forecasted to reach 12.7M, down 8% vs. 2019. Used vehicle sales are forecasted to reach 38.4M for 2020, down 6% Y/Y.
• Previously (Oct. 28, 2020): Auto industry recovery obvious with new and used vehicle retail sales improvement in October.

 

[Weather Man]

Hyundai, Kia gain U.S. market share in 2020; SUVs the strength
Dec. 30, 2020 1:14 PM ETHyundai Motor Company (HYMTF)By: Khyathi Dalal, SA News Editor

• Market research firm, J.D. Power indicated that against the broader auto industry's drop of 12% through November, Hyundai Motor (OTCPK:HYMTF) selling brands under two separate companies (Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors (OTCPK:KIMTF)) expanded its U.S. market share and held steady retail sales during the year, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
• Noted below, expanding market share and outperforming other automakers in YTD returns:

• Listed separately on the Korea exchange, Hyundai and Kia gained 67% and 49% respectively (until Dec.29 close) outperforming other traditional auto makers such as General Motors and Volkswagen AG.
• As per TrueCar estimates, total new vehicle sales will reach 1.24M units in November 2020, down 0.5% Y/Y (adj. for the same number of selling days); total retail sales are seen 2.9% higher Y/Y and 8.4% M/M. (Deeper dive here for December forecast.)
• A quick look at the total unit sales, brand-wise, indicates that compared to other majority of brands which recorded double digit drops in Y/Y and M/M, Hyundai and Kia have managed to stay afloat reporting single-digit declines:

• Notably, Hyundai and Kia have gained market share vs. the rest of the brands:

• To fight stagnation or decline in unit deliveries, automakers counteracted and targeted customers to switch over from cars to more expensive trucks, SUVs, and compact SUVs, and by raising prices on all vehicles.
• During the 12-month period through October, marginal 3.52M new cars were delivered, compared to 11.05M new trucks, SUVs, compact SUVs, and vans.

• Analysts believe, Hyundia and Kia followed suit and strengthened their pricing by cutting their overall spending on discounts and expanding the appeal of their brands to more- affluent buyers by selling larger, pricier SUVs.
• SA Contributor Vladimir Dimitrov, CFA recently assigned a Bullish rating on Hyundai indicated that the company's strategy is working even in the midst of the pandemic.
• As per Cox Automotive data, share of Hyundai buyers with a household income of more than $100K was 43% this year, up from 33% five years ago while for Kia share has jumped to 36%, up from 23%.
• The company's recent strength is driven by the release of two new SUVs—the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade - which attracted high demand through 2020.
• Both the companies are all set to sell about a dozen SUV models in the U.S., up from six nameplates five years ago.
• José Muñoz, Hyundai’s global COO said that the company was late on SUVs, but it has learned its lesson and wants to lead on electric cars.
• Hyundai stated that it seeks to establish a new sub-brand for selling EVs in 2021 with three battery-powered models planned in the next four years.

 

[Weather Man]

Chrysler heir proposes alternative to Fiat Chrysler's Stellantis deal
Dec. 30, 2020 3:26 PM ETFiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCAU)By: Liz Kiesche, SA News Editor9 Comments

• Frank B. Rhodes, Jr., the great-grandson of Chrysler Corp. founder Walter P. Chrysler and client of Titan Global Advisors, proposes to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCAU +0.7%) an alternative to the merger with Peugeot (OTCPKUGOY).
• FCAU stockholders are set to vote on the Peugeot merger to form Stellantis on Jan. 4; Rhodes said the Fiat Chrysler's London office hasn't been responding to phone calls or emails.
• Rhodes proposes changing the company's name to Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram Corp. and moving its headquarters to the U.S., while retaining the London European headquarters.
• The proposal suggests that in addition to a cash price to be negotiated, and the payoff of all existing debt, existing stockholders would receive rights to acquire shares in the buyer entity if it's taken public in the future.
• The final agreement would be subject to approval by FCAU's board, termination of the existing merger agreement, completion of financing, execution of a definitive agreement and obtaining all required approvals.
• Rhodes filed an objection to the proposed Stellantis transaction with the Committee of Foreign Investment in the U.S. and advised senators to oppose the merger, which would remove future profits and technologies from the U.S.
• He considers the proposal better than the existing merger agreement in that it would return Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram brands to the U.S. and "away from the proposed Chinese and foreign control."
• Rhodes's statement didn't say how he would finance the deal.
• Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot were planning to close the merger before the end of Q1 2021.

 

[Weather Man]

Russian-designed Bremach Taos SUV coming to US for $26G | Fox News
One of America’s newest trucks is literally old-school.
Italian commercial truck brand Bremach has announced plans to begin selling a Russian-designed 4x4 SUV in the U.S. sometime in 2021.

(Bremach)

The Bremach Taos is a rebadged version of the UAZ Patriot that first hit the market in 2005 and is similar in size to the Jeep Cherokee.

However, the Taos is a true body on frame truck like the Toyota 4Runner that’s been updated with the modern safety systems required to make it street legal in the U.S.

(Bremach)

Final assembly is set to take place in California with prices starting at $26,405, not including delivery fees.

OFFICIAL: TOYOTA LAND CRUISER DEAD IN 2021

That gets you a Taos with a four-wheel-drive system that includes a two-speed transfer case, a six-speed automatic transmission and 150 horsepower 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine that’s covered by a 10-year/120,000-mile warranty, while the rest of the vehicle gets 5 years and 60,000 miles of coverage.

Details on the start of production and dealer network have not been announced, but Bremach is currently accepting reservations with a $100 deposit.

 

[Weather Man]

Ford, Mahindra call off India auto JV
Dec. 31, 2020 6:05 PM ETFord Motor Company (F)By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

• Ford (NYSE:F) says it is pulling out of a proposed automotive joint venture with India's Mahindra (OTCPK:MAHDY) due to the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and continue its standalone business in the country.
• The decision ends a deal reached more than a year ago in which Ford and Mahindra would form a joint venture in India in a move to cut costs for developing and producing vehicles for emerging markets, hoping to launch three new utility vehicles and jointly develop electric vehicles for emerging markets.
• Ford CEO Jim Farley said the JV with Mahindra could allow Ford to double its revenue from India.
• Ford has multiple growth drivers coming out the pandemic, and its stock is nearing a potentially large breakout, Mott Capital Management says in a bullish analysis published recently on Seeking Alpha.

 

[Weather Man]

Mazda U.S. sales expanded 18.2% in December
Jan. 05, 2021 12:51 PM ETMazda Motor Corporation (MZDAY)By: Niloofer Shaikh, SA News Editor

• Mazda (OTCPK:MZDAY) reports unit sales increased 18.2% Y/Y to 31,308 in December.
• Car sales slipped 4% to 5,637 units while Truck sales expanded 7.9% to 25,671 units.
• CPO sales grew 23.9% to 5,945 units for the month and +8.4% to 66,193 units for the year.
• FY2020 Mazda U.S. sales +0.2% to 279,076 units.
• "Overall, our sales improved in 2020, which is remarkable when you consider the events of the year," MNAO President Jeff Guyton said. "This isn't the year anyone expected, and Mazda's approach to 2020 was informed by 100 years of operations and always finding innovative ways to brighten people's lives. Our dynamic product lineup, purposeful community programs, enhanced dealership experience, and new financial partner have led to our success."

Hyundai U.S. retail sales rose 12% in December
Jan. 05, 2021 11:09 AM ETHyundai Motor Company (HYMLF)By: Niloofer Shaikh, SA News Editor

• Hyundai (OTCPK:HYMLF) reports sales in the U.S increased 2% to 66,278 units in December. Q4 sales down 2% to 178,844 units with 3% increase in retail sales.
• Retail sales were up 12% whereas fleet sales declined 34% for the month.
• Retail sales for Venue +108%, Kona +11%, Tucson +10%, Santa Fe +27% and Palisade +46%.
• Eco-friendly vehicle retail sales grew 92% with Ioniq up 101% and Sonata Hybrid up 409%.
• "We have to give a lot of credit to our Hyundai dealers. It was their ingenuity and resiliency that sustained us through this challenging year and positioned the company for future growth," said Randy Parker, vice president, National Sales, Hyundai Motor America. "We were leaders in retail and total market share gain for the year thanks to quick action by the entire company and one of the strongest product lineups in the industry."

EV vehicles outlook uplift demand for metals 14 times by 2030
Jan. 05, 2021 10:34 AM ETNickel Futures (LN1:COM)By: Niloofer Shaikh, SA News Editor6 Comments

• As the car companies moves towards electrification and away from fuels, demand for metals like nickel, aluminum and iron are expected to increase by as much as 14x by 2030.
• “The global shift away from carbon, boosted by ostensible Chinese environmental concerns as well as Biden’s recent win, is driving capital to sectors involved with or likely to benefit from the focus on green or renewable resources,” said Tai Wong, head of metal derivatives trading at BMO Capital Markets. “This focus is likely to improve supply over time.”
• This increase in demand can be directly linked to the outlook for electric vehicles over the next ten years, with vehicle battery output expected to rise by tens of millions.
• Other metals important to the creation of electric car batteries, such as lithium and graphite, are also expected to rise substantially in demand by around 9-10 times by 2030.
• Electric vehicle batteries will stimulate demand for a group of metals:
  

Nikola beefs up board as stock continues to look for footing
Jan. 05, 2021 8:55 AM ETNikola Corporation (NKLA)By: Clark Schultz, SA News Editor22 Comments

• Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA) has added Mary Petrovich as a new independent director to the company's board.
• Petrovich has engineered three successful private equity turnaround and guided start-up ventures, according to H2-View. Most recently, she served as executive chairman of Axle-Tech, where she helped shape the company’s electric vehicle strategy for the truck and bus market.
• "Her transformative experience in automotive, and trucking specifically, parallels nicely with Nikola's needs," says board chair Steve Girsky.
• Nikola's board also features execs from Robert Bosch, Carlyle Group, VectoIQ and Inclusive Capital Partners.
• Nikola is down 1.99% premarket to $15.78. Shares are off 32% over the last 90 days even with a sizzling electric vehicle stocks rally in play.

 

[Weather Man]

Fiat Chrysler U.S.: Jeep Gladiator demand almost doubled in 2020, retail sales up 1% in the last quarter
Jan. 05, 2021 3:45 PM ETFiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCAU)By: Shweta Agarwal, SA News Editor

• FCA US (FCAU +1.4%) reports retail sales volume growth of 1% to 499,431 vehicles in Q4 2020, bringing the year end sales volume to 1,820,636 vehicles.
• Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Ram brands have been the stellar performer in the company's commercial vehicles portfolio with Jeep Gladiator sales almost doubling (94%) during the year to 77,542 vehicles.
• Q4 retail sales, by brand: Jeep Gladiator 20,552 vehicles (+23% Y/Y); Alfa Romeo 6,093 vehicles (+23%); Ram also had its best month of retail sales in December since the brand first launched in 2010.
• However, the headwinds from fleet sales led to a quarterly decline of 8% in total U.S. sales; full-year sales were down 17%.
• "The fourth quarter provided a strong springboard heading into 2021. Looking ahead, we anticipate an exciting year that will include a variety of new vehicles. Just in the first quarter alone, we will be offering the Ram 1500 TRX, Jeep Wrangler 4xe, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, the refreshed Dodge Durango and the refreshed Chrysler Pacifica," says U.S. Head of Sales Jeff Kommor.
• He adds "Gas prices remain low; housing remains strong and consumers have access to credit," all pointing in the right direction for the start of 2021.
• FCA US Q4 2020 Sales Summary snapshot, see full summary here.
  

 

[Weather Man]

Nissan's US sales declines 19.3% in Q4
Jan. 05, 2021 5:06 PM ETNissan Motor Co., Ltd. (NSANY)By: Shweta Agarwal, SA News Editor

• Nissan Group (OTCPK:NSANY) repots U.S. Q4 sales of 243,133 units, down 19.3% Y/Y. Total 2020 U.S. sales decreased 33.2% to 899,217 units.
• Q4 highlights: Versa sales up 89%; Nissan LEAF up 42.6%; Kicks up 45.9%, which recorded an increase of 1.1% in full calendar year 2020.
  

Electric truck startup Rivian raises more funds
Jan. 05, 2021 3:30 PM ETRivian Automotive, LLC (RIVN)By: Clark Schultz, SA News Editor26 Comments

• Rivian (RIVN) is close to raising funds at a $25B valuation for the company, according to Bloomberg. That valuation is higher than the cap for Delta Air Lines, Tyson Foods and Equifax. Several investors are said to be participating in the round for several billions of dollars.
• Last summer, Rivian raised $2.5B in a funding round led by T. Rowe Price (NASDAQ:TROW). Other participants in the round included Soros Fund, Coatue, Fidelity Management, Baron Capital, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and funds managed by BlackRock. Ford (NYSE:F) is also an early investor in Rivian.
• Rivian has developed and vertically integrated a connected electric platform that it says can be flexibly applied to a range of applications including the company's adventure products as well as B2B products such as the Amazon last mile delivery vans.
• The company has 3K employees split between sites in California, Michigan and a production facility in Normal, Illinois.

 

[CobraBob]

Hmmm, that's horrible news for Nissan.

 

[Weather Man]

American Honda makes strong 2020 finish through higher trucks and EVs sales
Jan. 05, 2021 6:07 PM ETHonda Motor Co., Ltd. (HMC)By: Shweta Agarwal, SA News Editor

• Honda's (NYSE:HMC) US total sales decline 8.9% to 366,068 in Q4, including cars sales of 138,925 (-13.4%) and trucks sales of 227,143 (-5.9%).
• However, the company wrapped a globally-challenging year on a positive note with a 3.6% December gain for trucks, plus a new record for electrified vehicles in third straight year, totalling 62,982 in 2020.
• Aura: Q4 sales down 7.3% to 41,329; however, strong December posted sales performances at 15,648 (-3%). ILX, MDX and RDX in the spotlight.
• Honda: Q4 sales down 9.1% to 324,739; December recorded 0.3% upside in sales volumes to 120,819 driven by 4.2% gain in trucks sales.
  
• "Civic posted strong sales of 261,225 in 2020 to lead all compact cars and remain the best-selling model to millennial and first-time buyers."
• The company sees 2021 as promising year with the launch of Honda Civic, 4th-gen Acura MDX and the return of Type-S performance variants.
• "While 2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges, through the efforts of our Honda and Dealer associates and the continuing loyalty of our customers, we were able to deliver 1.3 million vehicles," says Dave Gardner, EVP of National Operations at American Honda.

 

[Weather Man]

Mitsubishi Motors North America sales down 42% in Q4
Jan. 06, 2021 6:13 AM ETMitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMTOF)By: Niloofer Shaikh, SA News Editor

• Mitsubishi Motors (OTCPK:MMTOF) reports 4Q20 sales decreased 42% Y/Y to 14,770 units and FY2020 sales decreased 28% to 87,387 units.
• Looking ahead in 2021, Mitsubishi Motors' plan to reinvigorate its presence in the U.S. marketplace continues in full-force. By the end of the first quarter of 2021, the brand will launch three considerably upgraded vehicles, the redesigned 2022 Eclipse Cross, redesigned 2021 Mirage and Mirage G4, and the all-new next-generation 2022 Outlander.

 

[Weather Man]

Ford's Q4 U.S. sales fall 9.8% vs. estimates for 14% decline
Jan. 06, 2021 10:18 AM ETFord Motor Company (F)By: Niloofer Shaikh, SA News Editor

• Ford (F +1.6%) reports U.S. sales fell 9.8% in Q4 to 542,749 vehicles to beat the consensus expectation of a 14% drop.
• Total retails sales fell 3.4% Y/Y.
• Truck sales declined 12.5% to 288,698 units, SUV sales grew 4% to 216,732 units and car sales plunged 41.1% to 37,319 units.
• F-Series sales dropped 15.2% to 198,388 units for the quarter, F-150 sales were off 32.7%.
• “Fourth quarter represented an inflection point at Ford in our transition from cars to a much greater focus on iconic trucks, SUVs and electric vehicles to better serve our customers. We began to see our strongest evidence of this in December with retail sales up 5.3 percent with the launch of our new F-150, Bronco Sport and Mustang Mach-E. We are well positioned to see the benefits of our focused efforts throughout 2021.” – Andrew Frick, vice president, Ford Sales U.S. and Canada

 

[Weather Man]

Baidu +2% on report of electric vehicle partnership with Geely
Jan. 07, 2021 10:24 AM ETBaidu, Inc. (BIDU)By: Clark Schultz, SA News Editor3 Comments

• Baidu (BIDU +2.7%) jumps after Reuters reports the company is moving forward with creating an electric vehicle company.
• Baidu will reportedly hold a majority stake in the new entity and Geely Automobile Holdings (OTCPK:GELYF) will hold a minority stake. Sources indicate that the new venture will revamp some of Geely's existing car manufacturing facilities to make the vehicles, while Baidu will provide the software for the vehicles.
• The Baidu development has been widely anticipated with Apple's auto ambitions expected to kickstart big auto-tech partnerships this year.

 

[Weather Man]

Nikola said to be ready to unleash some Tre trucks
Jan. 07, 2021 2:20 PM ETNikola Corporation (NKLA)By: Clark Schultz, SA News Editor37 Comments

• JPMorgan says it believes three Nikola (NKLA +8.7%) Tre trucks are now in Arizona and are at various stages of commissioning.
• The process is expected to conclude by the middle part of February.
• Analyst Pau Coster: "At least one of the trucks is already mobile, but optimal performance requires software-based integration of approximately 20 subsystems, which is an iterative process. The company seems happy with the performance of the trucks, and expects delivery of the next batch (9 trucks) by early February."
• JPMorgan has an Overweight rating on Nikola and price target of $35.
• The negative news flow has slowed down for Nikola and the stock is participating in a broad rally in EV stocks today.

 

[Weather Man]

Apple said to have picked up ex-Tesla exec for electric car push
Jan. 07, 2021 3:32 PM ETApple Inc. (AAPL)By: Clark Schultz, SA News Editor

• Apple (AAPL +3.7%) has reportedly hired former Tesla exec Stuart Bowers for its car team in the latest sign that the project is moving forward.
• Bowers was the VP of Engineering at Tesla before leaving in 2019 after a 16-month stint.
• Apple is several years away from producing a car (some reports suggest five), but is expected to cast a large shadow on how EV-tech partnerships shake out.

 

[Weather Man]

Honda to cut car production on massive chip shortage - Nikkei
Jan. 07, 2021 6:57 PM ETHonda Motor Co., Ltd. (HMC)By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor1 Comment

• Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC) will reduce vehicle production in Japan because of a supply shortage of semiconductors used in vehicle control systems, NikkeiAsia reports.
• The automaker reportedly will first shrink production by ~4K units this month, mainly affecting the Fit subcompact manufactured at a plant in Suzuka, but the cuts could be worse later in the year.
• A cutback of 4K autos would represent less than 0.1% of the 4.77M units Honda produced globally in FY 2019.
• "The period starting in February may be grim," according to a source cited in the report, and the shortage could "impact tens of thousands of vehicles during the January-March quarter on the domestic side alone."
• Honda is slowly establishing a stronger presence in the electric vehicle market, Aleksey Razdolgin discusses in an analysis published on Seeking Alpha.

 

[Weather Man]

Lordstown Motors racks up large order
Jan. 08, 2021 11:38 AM ETLordstown Motors Corp. (RIDE)By: Clark Schultz, SA News Editor

• Lordstown Motors (RIDE -6.5%) has reportedly secured an order for a significant quantity of Endurance trucks from Mike Albert Fleet Solutions.
• Mike Albert Fleet Solutions President Jeff Hart says Lordstown Motors has the perfect prototype to prove the bright future for EVs. "Its innovative, all-electric in-wheel drive system with four hub motors and integrated software really caught our attention and set the Endurance apart from other EV pickups we've seen," he states.

 

[Weather Man]

General Motors shows off new look to usher in EV transition
Jan. 08, 2021 12:53 PM ETGeneral Motors Company (GM)By: Clark Schultz, SA News Editor4 Comments

• General Motors (GM -1.6%) is debuting a new marketing campaign as part of the company's comprehensive efforts to accelerate mass adoption of electric vehicles.
  
• The automaker says the "Everybody In" campaign is a call to action meant to reflect a movement that's inclusive and accessible. GM is also evolving its brand identity as GM transforms itself to deliver on a vision that creates a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion.
• The "Everybody In" campaign focuses on the themes of (1)
• exciting a new generation of buyers and accelerating EV adoption, (2) demonstrating GM's EV leadership and (3) highlighting the range, performance and flexibility of the Ultium platform.