Interesting Car/Truck Manufacturer News

Weather Man

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Ford and General Motors escalate legal battle over 'cruise' terminology
  • Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) plans to ask the U.S. Patent Office to rescind trademarks from General Motors on the terms "Cruise" and "Super Cruise" in a further escalation of a legal battle between the two Detroit automaker over automated driver assistance terminology.
  • The core legal issue is if "cruise" can be considered a generic term for technology that allows the car to take over some share of driving tasks from a human motorist.
  • "To defend itself, Ford has no choice but to ask the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to rescind both of GM’s 'Cruise' and 'Super Cruise' trademark registrations that should have never been registered in the first place," state Ford in the legal tussle. General Motors has already sued Ford on the issue.


Tesla is being probed by NHTSA once again over Autopilot
  • Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is under formal investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over the electric vehicle maker's Autopilot feature.
  • The agency points to 11 crashes since 2018 in which Teslas on Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control have hit vehicles with flashing lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board or cones warning of hazards. The investigation covers the Models Y, X, S and 3 from the model years 2014 through 2021.
  • The development is not a total shock with individual Tesla crashes involving automated drive systems under investigation by NHTSA since 2016.
 

Weather Man

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Detroit auto giants expect strong truck and SUV demand even as EV transition plays out
  • Automakers in North America are not pulling back from plans to build more large big pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles than electric vehicles well into the late part of this decade, according to Reuters. Internal production forecasts indicate that demand for pickups and SUVs will stay strong even as the government supports the EV industry and sets lofty sales goals.
  • While Ford (F -0.9%) General Motors (GM -1.3%) and Stellantis (STLA -0.8%) issued a joint statement of support for the Biden Administration's target for EV sales to account for 40% to 50% of production by 2030, production plans at the moment are for 2.6M battery electric vehicles and 585K plug-in hybrid EVs in 2028, which amount to an estimated 18% of all production. Unless those numbers change dramatically, EV and PHEV production would have to double between 2028 and 2030 in order to hit the low-end EV target of 40% of production. Strong demand for electric versions of popular truck lines like the Ford F-150 or Chevy Silverado could also help the EV target be more achievable.
  • GM has been investing heavily in its EV future, but regular truck plants have not been ignored with the company's capital expenditure spending.
 

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Detroit auto giants expect strong truck and SUV demand even as EV transition plays out
  • Automakers in North America are not pulling back from plans to build more large big pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles than electric vehicles well into the late part of this decade, according to Reuters. Internal production forecasts indicate that demand for pickups and SUVs will stay strong even as the government supports the EV industry and sets lofty sales goals.
  • While Ford (F -0.9%) General Motors (GM -1.3%) and Stellantis (STLA -0.8%) issued a joint statement of support for the Biden Administration's target for EV sales to account for 40% to 50% of production by 2030, production plans at the moment are for 2.6M battery electric vehicles and 585K plug-in hybrid EVs in 2028, which amount to an estimated 18% of all production. Unless those numbers change dramatically, EV and PHEV production would have to double between 2028 and 2030 in order to hit the low-end EV target of 40% of production. Strong demand for electric versions of popular truck lines like the Ford F-150 or Chevy Silverado could also help the EV target be more achievable.
  • GM has been investing heavily in its EV future, but regular truck plants have not been ignored with the company's capital expenditure spending.

I'm predicting a strong possibility of "Buy what we tell you to buy, or else!" within the next decade or so unless there's a serious political shift.
 

Weather Man

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New billboard up by my house pushing the EV Ford pickup.

Ford doubles production target for electric F-150 pickup - Reuters​

Aug. 23, 2021 3:51 PM ETFord Motor Company (F)By: Lucas Heilman, SA News Editor97 Comments

Ford Motor Company Reveals First All-Electric Pickup Truck
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images News

  • Ford (F +1.6%) shares trade up on reports from Reuters that the company has doubled its F-150 Lightning production target based on strong demand ahead of its 2022 launch.
  • Sources say that Ford will spend $850M to meet a higher annual production target of 80,000+ electric trucks in 2024, up from the prior target of over 40,000.
  • The company plans to ramp up production of the F-150 Lightning from 15,000 pickups next year to an annual goal of close to 150,000 in late 2025.
  • An anonymous source said Ford was "pleasantly surprised by the demand for the Lightning." The company previously announced that it had 120,000 reservations for the truck.
  • Analysts have questioned whether consumers would be willing to give up their gas-powered trucks for electric versions as automakers including Tesla (TSLA +3.9%) and GM (GM -1.1%) plan production of electric pickups.
 

Weather Man

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I keep thinking the reality of the grid and other factors will cause people to wake up about going EV. I don't think that anymore, we are going full speed ahead down the rabbit hole.

REV Fire to launch fully electric North American-style fire apparatus
  • REV Fire Group, part of REV Group (REVG), said it will introduce the first fully electric North American-style fire apparatus.
  • Developed with technology partner Emergency One Group, the new electric fire truck packs 316 kW of automotive-grade batteries. This enables departments to drive and pump on electric only. The rig features a North American design and is completely customizable to every department’s unique needs.
  • The company said a range-extender diesel engine is used for backup when pumping beyond three to four hours on a hydrant or for extended operation in blackouts and natural disasters.
  • The product will be available for delivery in 2022.

GreenPower Motor unveils the BEAST, a new electric school bus

GreenPower_Motor_Company_BEAST.jpg

  • GreenPower Motor Company (GP +0.6%) unveils an all-electric, zero-emission school bus named the BEAST. This is GreenPower's first school bus, with its other products including cargo trucks and transit buses.
  • The bus can seat up to 90 passengers and initial deliveries will begin in September.
  • "We are confident that the BEAST will drive the future of the all-electric school bus paradigm shift while providing parents the peace-of-mind knowing their children are safe and protected from diesel emissions and harmful noise pollution," said Fraser Atkinson, CEO of GreenPower. "The BEAST will provide school districts with dramatic fuel cost savings, reduced operational costs and material progress towards reducing their carbon footprint."
 

Weather Man

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General Motors preps old factory to be electric vehicle cornerstone

  • General Motors (GM +0.4%) says zero hour is approaching for the transformation of its former Detroit Hamtramck plant into what it calls Factory ZERO. The updated facility will be GM's dedicated electric vehicle assembly facility in the Detroit region.
  • Factory One is expected to turn out a variety of electric trucks and SUVs as the flagship of the automaker's commitment to producing all-electric vehicles, starting with the all-electric GMC Hummer EV pickup. The Cruise Origin will also be built at the site. GM says Factory ZERO is poised to be the benchmark in sustainable manufacturing, leading-edge technology and tooling, employee training and state-of-the-art production of world-class vehicles.


Schneider Electric will add 50 EV trucks in push to reduce emissions

  • Schneider Electric (SNDR -0.6%) announces plans to build one of the largest battery-electric truck fleets in North America as part of the carrier’s plan to reduce greenhouse emissions.
  • BSchnider will add 50 Freightliner eCascadias to its Southern California intermodal operations beginning in 2022.
  • Funding for the 50 BEVs will be part of the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative.
  • “Schneider’s sustainability initiatives got a big boost when we were selected to participate in the state of California’s Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative,” said Schneider President and CEO Mark Rourke. “The scaling of zero-emission vehicles is a key component of our goal to reduce carbon emissions by 7.5% per mile by 2025 and by 60% per mile by 2035.”
  • Schneider National has had to resort to using chartered vessels to circumvent crowded ports and deliver goods to the U.S. in time.
 

Weather Man

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Interesting...

Gas Stations Face Tough, Costly Choice on EV Chargers


“We don’t see an investible marketplace,” said A.J. Siccardi, president of Metroplex Energy Inc., the fuel-supply subsidiary of RaceTrac Petroleum Inc., which owns more than 750 RaceTrac and RaceWay gas stations, primarily in the Southeastern U.S. “We’re perfectly OK putting capital at risk. The key is we’ve got to have a viable business case,” he added.


Metroplex has been evaluating electric-vehicle charging for about two years and would like to invest but so far hasn’t found a deal that makes sense, Mr. Siccardi said, noting that risks include potential competition with utilities, some of which have their own plans to build charging stations.
 

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All Wrangler models can now be ordered in a limited-edition color called Tuscadero Pink.

A similar hot pink color was previously offered on the 2010 Dodge Challenger as Furious Fuchsia and will only be available through November as a $395 option.
 

Weather Man

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Hyzon Motors rallies after striking deal to supply SoCalGas with utility truck



  • SoCalGas says it is taking a step to decarbonize its fleet through a partnership with Hyzon Motors (NASDAQ:HYZN).
  • As part of the arrangement, Hyzon will deliver a Class 3 commercial service body utility truck to SoCalGas by 2022. The truck is expected to reach a maximum power of 200 kilowatts, with a range of 300 miles and will be built on the existing chassis OEM used by SoCalGas, minimizing the updates needed for operations, servicing and training.
  • The partnership with SoCalGas also marks Hyzon's entrance into the light truck vehicle class sector. "The fuel cell does not care what it is powering," notes Hyzon CEO Craig Knight. "Since Hyzon's fuel cell can power up to 154-ton trucks, we can adapt it to support the performance needs of SoCalGas' fleet," he adds.
 

Weather Man

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Volkswagen's Dieselgate troubles continue as Ohio seeks to file lawsuit



  • Volkswagen AG (OTCPK:VWAGY +1.3%) asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a decision by an Ohio court that would let the state continue with a lawsuit covering Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal.
  • The German automaker claims that the federal Clean Air Act, under which Volkswagen had to pay over $20B in violation settlements and other costs, pre-empts state law-based claims and state oversight post-sale.
  • VW noted in court papers that Ohio’s claims for emissions violations and deceptive recalls "could total $350 million per day, or more than $127 billion per year, over a multi-year period."
  • Diesel-gate stems from a 2014-2017 Volkswagen scandal in which the company installed software that allowed cars to switch between a fully-compliant emissions mode and a separate normal running mode depending on if the car was being tested by regulators. In 2016, Volkswagen agreed to pay a settlement of $15.3 billion, the largest auto-related consumer class-action lawsuit in United States history.
 

Weather Man

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Allison Transmission rebrands test center, expands electrification capabilities
  • Allison Transmission (NYSE:ALSN) has expanded electrification testing capabilities at its Vehicle Environmental Test Center, which will be rebranded as the Vehicle Electrification and Environmental Test Center.
  • The facility is located on the campus of Allison's headquarters in Indianapolis.
  • With the increasing demand to test and validate larger battery electric vehicles, the company extended the test center’s Battery Emulation capability to accommodate above 500 kilowatts with a maximum of 900 volts DC for around the clock testing without the need to stop and recharge.
  • "Allison was proud to announce the expansion and rebrand of the Vehicle Electrification + Environmental Test Center for the first time at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo,” said David Proctor, general manager, Allison Vehicle Electrification + Environmental Test Center.


Nikola to build Bosch fuel cell modules under new agreements

  • Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA) and Bosch Group have signed a series of agreements that will enable the former to build Bosch fuel-cell power modules at its facility in Coolidge, Arizona.
  • Bosch will supply fully assembled modules as well as components for Nikola to assemble at its facility. The two will also work on sourcing the remaining components for assembling the modules. Nikola, which makes commercial heavy-duty battery-electric vehicles, will use the power modules for its Nikola Tre and US Nikola Two fuel-cell electric vehicles.
  • The modules will launch in 2023 and first be used in the Nikola Tre, a Class 8 regional-haul fuel-cell electric vehicle. Nikola expects the module to support a range of ~500 miles for the Nikola Tre and plans to expand capacity for use in the Nikola Two, another Class 8 long-haul vehicle, with an anticipated range of ~900 miles.
  • The vehicles will use 200 kW and 300 KW configurations of the power modules. The Nikola Tre will also launch in the EU, utilizing the modules planned at Nikola's joint venture in Ulm, Germany with IVECO.
  • Nikola will also expand its Coolidge manufacturing facility by 50,000 square feet, adding up to 50 manufacturing jobs for initial assembly of the fuel-cell power modules by 2023. It will undertake subsequent expansions to support the ramp-up of Nikola Tre and Two models in the US. The company is also building up testing and engineering facilities for the modules at its Phoenix headquarters.
  • Nikola will begin road testing of the Nikola Tre powered by the new modules by the end of 2021.
  • Nikola Chief Executive Officer Mark Russell said, "This announcement is the result of a multi-year working relationship with Bosch. After extensive analysis of the best options out there, we are proud to enter into this strategic relationship with Bosch. The result is the best of both worlds in our 'make versus buy' analysis. We will be collaborating with Bosch to develop and assemble fuel-cell power modules specifically for our applications at the same Coolidge, Arizona facility where we manufacture our Nikola vehicles, utilizing major components from the Bosch global manufacturing network."
 

Weather Man

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Ford on Thursday announced an electric crate motor designed to make EV conversions easy. Dubbed Eluminator, it will be unveiled at the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas this fall.

The automaker didn't provide much detail, only showing renderings of the motor. The name is a play on the Aluminator name Ford has used for certain V-8 crate engines over the years.


Ford has been eager to show the performance potential of electric cars, building a 1,400-hp Mustang Mach-E and an electric Mustang drag car that logged an 8.27-second quarter-mile run last fall.




Ford Eluminator electric crate motor
 

Weather Man

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Tesla further delays Cybertruck timeline to late 2022



  • Tesla's (NASDAQ:TSLA) upcoming electric pickup truck, Cybertruck which was supposed to make it to market by the end of 2021 has been pushed to late 2022.
  • CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that he does not expect it to begin production until the end of 2022 and does nor see volume production until late 2023 whereas at the beginning of the year, he expected a few deliveries of the Cybertruck towards the end of this year, but "volume production" to be in 2022.
  • The Cybertruck, which was unveiled back in 2019, is going to have some challenges in production due to features such as the steel exoskeleton body, which requires completely new manufacturing processes.
  • Model Y production is supposed to start at Gigafactory Texas by the end of the year so it doesn’t eliminate the possibility that Cybertruck production could start this year.
 

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Looks like EV is here to stay.

I still firmly believe they are going to only really exist in dense suburban/cities, which is where they are really needed the most. Cut down on smog/idling. Charge it at home. Really no impact.

I know if we bought one the charger would go right in the garage. Already have a 220 circuit on the wall. If it gets 300 mi to a charge, we'd need to charge it 3-4 times a month.
 

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New billboard up by my house pushing the EV Ford pickup.

Ford doubles production target for electric F-150 pickup - Reuters​

Aug. 23, 2021 3:51 PM ETFord Motor Company (F)By: Lucas Heilman, SA News Editor97 Comments

Ford Motor Company Reveals First All-Electric Pickup Truck
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images News

  • Ford (F +1.6%) shares trade up on reports from Reuters that the company has doubled its F-150 Lightning production target based on strong demand ahead of its 2022 launch.
  • Sources say that Ford will spend $850M to meet a higher annual production target of 80,000+ electric trucks in 2024, up from the prior target of over 40,000.
  • The company plans to ramp up production of the F-150 Lightning from 15,000 pickups next year to an annual goal of close to 150,000 in late 2025.
  • An anonymous source said Ford was "pleasantly surprised by the demand for the Lightning." The company previously announced that it had 120,000 reservations for the truck.
  • Analysts have questioned whether consumers would be willing to give up their gas-powered trucks for electric versions as automakers including Tesla (TSLA +3.9%) and GM (GM -1.1%) plan production of electric pickups.

Sorry to tell the haters, but that truck is going to be really good. It would not surprise me if it was faster than a Mach E GT.

Looks like EV is here to stay.

I still firmly believe they are going to only really exist in dense suburban/cities, which is where they are really needed the most. Cut down on smog/idling. Charge it at home. Really no impact.

I know if we bought one the charger would go right in the garage. Already have a 220 circuit on the wall. If it gets 300 mi to a charge, we'd need to charge it 3-4 times a month.

Suburbanites and short run fleets will be the primary buyers for a while.
 

Weather Man

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Sorry to tell the haters, but that truck is going to be really good. It would not surprise me if it was faster than a Mach E GT.



Suburbanites and short run fleets will be the primary buyers for a while.

The mandates for all EV by 2035 and maybe earlier give the manufacturers no choice, they must start sending product to marker now.
 

Weather Man

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That can will get kicked down the road.

The avalanche of EV product is on the way, ready or not. I would have more confidence in the can getting kicked down the road, if logic had any part in what is going on.
 

365 Saleen

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There is no infrastructure in place outside of large urban areas. Nobody that has to drive long distances every day will buy an EV vehicle. Until you can get 500 miles of range and charge it up in less than 4-5 hours there will be no meaningful sales outside of large cities.
If I want to tow my race car to Atco Dragway there is not a EV P.U on the market that can do it without taking me a week to make the 500 mile one way trip.
 

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