Tag Archives: Automakers

First Look: 2022 Rolls Royce Ghost Black Badge

Who would have thought you could make the Rolls-Royce Ghost look so sinister?

Rolls-Royce revealed a new addition to the Rolls-Royce Ghost line-up in Miami Thursday — the Black Badge — during a North America dealer meeting that saw about 100 retailers meet with the automaker’s top executives. 

The automaker revealed the new model to dealers at the Mad nightclub in the hip and trendy Wynnewood section of Miami, and will do the same for customers later this week.

“We just felt this was very Black Badge,” said Richard Carter, director of communications for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “It’s very, noir; It’s very alternative; and that’s the essence of Black Badge.”

The Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge expands a line-up that began with the Wraith coupe, followed by the Phantom sedan in 2016, the Dawn cabriolet in 2017 and the Cullinan SUV in 2019. The murdered-out Black Badge models now account for more than 27% of Rolls-Royce sales worldwide, including 40% of Cullinan sales.

The darker side of opulence

To realize the Ghost Black Badge’s menacing demeanor, the company uses 100 pounds of the industry’s darkest black paint. The Spirit of Ecstasy and Pantheon Grille are darkened using a chrome electrolyte applied during chrome plating. The new model wears exclusive 21-inch wheels with as many as 44 layers of carbon fiber.

The 2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge can be had in more that 44,000 different hues, although most Black Badge customers choose black.

As you’d expect, interior components are darkened including air vents and the wood veneer, along with Black Badge badging and other unique interior touches, although clients are free to specify any number of colors and trim to be used on the car’s interior.

Engineers also contributed, fitting larger air springs to alleviate body roll during assertive cornering. There’s also roughly 29 additional horsepower and a revised transmission to make the Black Badge a bit more athletic. They also reduced brake pedal travel.

A quick turn behind the wheel of pre-production prototypes revealed a car that can be driven more aggressively than your average Ghost. Grip is impressive while cornering, staying firmly planted despite some noticeable body roll. Body motions never become excessive, and rebound over bumps is very well controlled. Yet its agility doesn’t come at the expense of the brand’s legendary comfort.

An idea born in Beverly Hills

The idea of Black Badge occurred in 2014 in Beverly Hills.

“This whole notion of the alter ego of Rolls Royce, the slightly noir, naughty, edgy side of Rolls Royce is something that we were thinking about. We were looking at ways and means of lowering the age profile of our brand,” Carter said.

The Pantheon Grille and Spirit of Ecstasy also receive the Black Badge treatment.

At the time, the brand had one model, the Phantom, and an average buyer’s age of 57. “We were selling one model to a dying set of customers, and there was no future in that,” he said.

At the time, the company was about to release the first-generation Ghost, followed by its two-door spinoff, the Wraith, both of which would attract younger buyers. But the company needed more. They were searching for an idea, but hadn’t settled on anything yet.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, chief executive officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, was waiting for a car to pick him up at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills when a murdered-out Phantom Coupe pulled up. Ötvös was stunned, and asked the owner why he modified his Phantom.

“He told me over the weekend, that he wants to be a different kind of character,” Ötvös said. “For some of the week, he is friendly and nice. But over the weekend, he wants to be something different. He enjoyed playing a different role; how he was dressed, looked and talked.” 

A couple weeks later, Ötvös had similar experiences particularly in the United States, particularly in California. This led to the creation of Black Badge at a time where murdered-out cars weren’t mainstream.

A surprising success

The Ghost Black Badge is revealed for the first time at the Mad nightclub in Miami.

Initially, executives expected Black Badge models to have a 10%-15% take rate. But they were mistaken. It turned out to be a stunning success, with a far higher take rate. Currently, Black Badge represents 40% of Cullinan sales. Black Badge, along with new models like Ghost, Wraith and Cullinan, have brought the average Rolls-Royce buyer’s age down to 43, quite a large drop in a little less than a decade. 

“We are even younger than Mini as a brand in the BMW Group,” Ötvös said, who then explained that the type of wealthy car buyer has changed. 

“When you look into ultra-high net worth individuals, those people who are our target group worldwide, they became younger and younger over time because the way to generate wealth is very, very different from what it used to be 15-to-20 years ago.”

Rolls-Royce sees its Black Badge line as one that appeals to iconoclasts, a type of buyer that the brand has always attracted, particularly during the pre-World War II years, when all coachwork was custom built.

“Black Badge was the most instrumental piece we had in an all-new brand strategy to massively decrease the average age and illuminate the brand in a significant way,” Ötvös said. 

Mission accomplished.

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First Look: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

The new Mitsubishi Outlander already has proven to be one of the most important products the long-struggling automaker has launched in its bid to become relevant to U.S. motorists again. Now, Mitsubishi is hoping to gain even more traction with the upcoming launch of a plug-in hybrid version.

2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Hero Image
The gas-powered 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander made its debut in February.

The Japanese automaker claims it will yield more range than the old Outlander PHEV, at an estimated 87 km, or nearly 55 miles, per charge — though that’s using the global WLTP test cycle and will likely come down once the American version is tested by the EPA.

“With low (carbon dioxide) emissions and environmental impact from manufacturing and use,” said Takao Kato, MMC’s president and CEO, “the all-new Outlander PHEV model can be considered the best solution for carbon neutrality today.”

Updated, upgraded drivetrain

The Outlander was first introduced in 2001 and, with the fourth generation, it has become a core part of the brand, accounting for about 20% of its global volume. The first plug-in hybrid version was unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. It produced a combined 197 horsepower by pairing a 2.0-liter inline-4 gas engine with twin 60-kilowatt electric motors drawing power from a 12 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.

The new Outlander PHEV gets numerous powertrain upgrades, though the automaker isn’t releasing hard specs yet. In a statement announcing the new vehicle it said the plug-in gets “an increase of around 40% in the output of the front and rear motors and drive battery.” The lithium-ion pack, it did note, jumps to 20 kWh. The gas engine, added a spokesman, is a “slightly updated” version of the old PHEV’s 2.4-liter package.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV charging port 2022

The new Outlander plug-in hybrid will arrive in the U.S. in the second half of 2022.

Mitsubishi also revealed, “The power drive unit for the front motor is newly equipped with a booster function which bolsters driving force by raising the supply of voltage to the front motor while simultaneously improving electricity consumption by raising the efficiency of the generator.”

Third row added

The automaker also took steps to downsize some of the hardware, notably the rear motor and control unit. As a result, the new plug-in will gain room for a third row yielding space for seven occupants.

The drive system now will allow One-Pedal Driving, as well, a feature that effectively allows motorists to minimize the need to jump from throttle to brake when driving in light to moderate traffic. That feature was found to be extremely popular with EV owners, according to the recent J.D. Power Technology Experience Index.

With only modest tweaks, the plug-in adopts the same exterior and interior design as the gas-powered Outlander. The overall strategy is based on a concept dubbed “I-Fu-Do-Do,” which means “authentic” and “majestic” in Japanese.

New design

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV badge 2022

The new Outlander PHEV is expected to travel more than 55 miles in electric-only mode.

The fourth-generation Mitsubishi Outlander adopted a new styling language called “Dynamic Shield.” Up front, it features a more upright nose with a pinched, dual-level grille and stacked headlamps. From the side, the SUV features a more deeply sculpted silhouette with a bit of a floating roof element.

The automaker clearly wanted to give the new Outlander a more solid and robust look, with such touches as 20-inch wheels and tires and what it calls the Hexagon Guard rear end.

The new SUV grew larger in virtually all dimensions, the width expanding by 2 inches. That means the cabin of the new Outlander is both wider and more spacious than the outgoing model, Mitsubishi adopting more upscale materials and features like tri-zone climate controls, real aluminum panels and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display.

The gas-powered Outlander is powered by a 2.5-liter inline-4 that bumped up power by 8.9 percent. At the same time, it reduced fuel consumption by 2.6 percent.

Pricing TBD

Many of the features from the current model are expected to carry over into the PHEV, though Mitsubishi hasn’t provided specific details. The gas model offers Hill Descent Control and Trailer Stability Assist. A Multiview camera system helps drivers see what’s around the vehicle, whether on-road or off. Other features for the new Mitsubishi Outlander include a power-operated panoramic roof and an electrically operated tailgate that can be opened with a kick of the foot under the rear bumper.

Pricing for the gas model starts at $25,795 — plus $1,195 in delivery fees. Pricing for the PHEV is expected to run higher, though the numbers won’t be released until closer to sales launch. That holds for a variety of other specs, including U.S. range, power and performance.

“Sales will commence in Japan on Dec. 16, followed by Australia and New Zealand in the first half of 2022 and North America in the second half of 2022,” Mitsubishi said in a statement. While it did not offer specifics, that would suggest that the Outlander PHEV will be marketed as a 2023 model in the U.S.

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First Look: 2023 Kia Sportage

Kia pulled the wraps off the 2023 Sportage Wednesday. More precisely, it lifted the covers off the U.S. version of its popular subcompact crossover — and it revealed relatively few changes from the South Korean version of the Sportage introduced earlier this year.

2023 Kia Sportage - driving
Kia carries over its “Opposites United” design language for the 2023 Sportage.

And that means the American crossover will retain the distinctive new “Opposites United” design language which takes the 2023 Kia Sportage in a very different visual direction from the outgoing model.

The new model is larger than the old SUV, features a tauter, more sporty look, with a broader “Tiger Nose” grille and new boomerang-shaped running lights, to start with. It also picks up some of the design cues found in the carmaker’s new EV6 battery-electric vehicle, most notably the rear liftgate.

More trim levels for 2023

If anything, even more versions of the Sportage will be available in 2023, from the base LX to the Sporty X-Line and upscale SX-Prestige. Kia is adding all-new, “off-road ready” Sportage X-Pro and X-Pro Prestige trims, and a GT-Line is expected. There will be a hybrid version, as well, though Kia said details won’t be released until “a later date.”

2023 Kia Sportage - driving side

Kia expanded the Sportage line-up for the new model year to six trim levels.

“While Kia moves purposefully toward electrification, we are further strengthening the Sportage line-up by adding a variety of options suited for all different kinds of customers,” said Sean Yoon, president and CEO, Kia America, Kia North America. “The tremendous success formula of our current stable of SUVs has been infused into every ounce of the new Sportage, transforming it into a leader of the pack with its cutting-edge design, adventurous capability and desirable in-car technology.”

The latest-generation Sportage shifts to the same N3 platform as the bigger Sorento, and grows a full 7.1 inches in overall length, even though the wheelbase has been stretched just 3.4 inches. Kia claims the ute now offers segment-leading rear cargo space and best-in-class rear cargo capacity of 39.6 cubic feet. The 2023 Sportage also adopts a dual-level rear cargo floor.

More technology

2023 Kia Sportage - interior

The SUV now offers a panoramic curved display that pairs a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system.

The new Sportage design is more muscular outside, and more upscale inside. The SUV now offers a panoramic curved display that pairs a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. Angular air vents add to the technical feel of the instrument panel. The asymmetric center console places buttons closer to the driver and now features a new rotary e-shifter.

Other technical upgrades includes a first-time WiFi hotspot that can connect to as many as five devices simultaneously, and a navigation system that, depending upon model, can keep maps up-to-date using over-the-air updates. The cloud-based system is able to revise routing on the fly, as well. The infotainment system now can be programmed by voice, touch or with a new touchpad. And it features both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The seats now feature real stitching and, for higher grades, adopt vegan “leather” surfaces.

Bigger, more fuel-efficient engine

Under the hood, the 2023 Kia Sorento gains a new 2.5-liter inline-4 powertrain. It’s tentatively rated at 187 horsepower. It will be available in either front- or all-wheel drive the AWD models gaining 1.5 inches of ground clearance. Despite the increase in the overall size of the 2023 Sportage and the boost in engine output, Kia said it is anticipating an 8% increase in EPA-rated mileage. It currently gets up to 26 mpg Combined.

2023 Kia Sportage - driving rear 3-4

Under the hood, the 2023 Kia Sorento gains a new 2.5-liter inline-4 powertrain.

“The available Active AWD system uses electro-hydraulic coupling with center-locking differential to actively distribute power between front and rear wheels depending on road and driving conditions,” Kia noted in a release.

The X-Line and X-Pro add off-road-oriented details, including larger wheels, unique bumpers, a roof rack and on the Pro, LED foglamps and an optional two-tone roof.

Increased safety tech

The new Sportage will add several advanced driver assistance systems, including optional features such as 360-degree Surround View Monitor with 3D View and live feed Blind-Spot View Monitor.

Most versions of the new 2023 Kia Sportage will be assembled at the automaker’s plant in West Point, Georgia.

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New IIHS Study Confirms Brighter Headlights Reduce Number of Nighttime Crashes

To the surprise of no one, a new study completed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety confirmed brighter headlights help reduce vehicle collisions.

Audi R8
In 2016, Audi’s new laser headlamps were brighter than conventional lights so the maker adjusted the lights to shine low and wide.

The organization noted the number of nighttime vehicle accidents are nearly 20% lower for vehicles with headlights earning a “good” rating in IIHS evaluation, compared with those with “poor” rated headlights. Vehicles IIHS rates as having “acceptable” or “marginal” headlights crash rates are 10% to 15% lower than for those with poor ratings.

“Driving at night is three times as risky as driving during the day,” said IIHS Senior Research Engineer Matthew Brumbelow, who conducted the study. “This is the first study to document how much headlights that provide better illumination can help.”

An evolving light 

Until recently, there was little need to evaluate headlights, as all cars used sealed beam headlights, a technology that became an industry standard by the 1940s. Like the lights in your home, sealed-beam and halogen headlights are incandescent. They use electricity to heat a bulb’s filament, which in turn produces light.

The addition of halogen gas in the 1960s allowed the headlight’s tungsten filament to generate a brighter light that lasted longer. In 1983, the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard was revised, allowing for all composite headlight assemblies to have replacement bulbs. Yet overall, headlights had changed little since electric headlights first appeared on cars in 1898.

IIHS headlight crash reduction chart

That changed with the introduction of high-intensity discharge headlights, or HIDs. These are arc lamps, much like a neon sign, which produce light by the sparking an electrical arc between two conducting electrodes inside the bulb. Far more efficient than halogen lamps, they not only produce more light, but also use less energy and last far longer. 

Then, in 2004, the first LED headlights appear on the Audi A8. An LED a semiconductor that emits light when a current is passed through it, using far less energy than other types of bulbs. This led to the creation of LED Matrix headlights, which uses LEDs, sensors and cameras to light the road depending on road conditions. Now, automakers are starting to employ laser lighting, affording 1.25 miles of visibility.

Testing counteracts an outdated federal standard

Given evolving lighting technology, IIHS began evaluating headlight effectiveness in 2016 to counteract the federal government’s outdate lighting standard, one that considered all headlight types equal. The problem is, they’re not. Five years later, IIHS has rated approximately 1,000 different headlights, bestowing them with the same good, acceptable, marginal and poor ratings used for the crash test evaluations.

The IIHS’s new study shows that good-rated reduces driver injuries in crashes by 29% and the rates of tow-away crashes and pedestrian crashes by about 25%.

“Better scores in our headlight tests translate into safer nighttime driving on the road,” said IIHS’s Brumbelow. 

Despite the changes in headlight technology, the Federal standard for automotive lighting hasn’t changed significantly since 1968. What’s worse, the standard specifies minimum and maximum brightness for headlights without taking into account how well it is installed. The standard also lacks any regulations for newer technology, such as curve-adaptive headlights. 

To address such failings, the IIHS’s evaluation of vehicle lighting are done while driven on a test track. Performance varies considerably; current low beam headlights illuminate anywhere from 125 feet to 460 feet. That’s a difference of as much as 6 seconds when driving at 50 mph. The tests have compelled OEMs to improve the quality of their lighting, IIHS says. 

“Our awards have been a huge motivator for automakers to improve their headlights,” Brumbelow says. “Now, with our new study, we have confirmation that these improvements are saving lives.”

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Q&A: Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius

When the Mercedes-Benz EQS rolls into showrooms later this month it will become the luxury brand’s first all-electric vehicle targeting the U.S. market. But it certainly won’t be the last. If anything, Mercedes plans to roll out a broad line-up of battery-powered products, from the little EQB crossover to an all-electric version of the big G-Class SUV.

Kallenius speaking 2021
Mercedes-Benz Cars CEO Ola Källenius is leading the company through one of its biggest transitions in its history. He talks with TDB.

Until a few years ago, Mercedes put its primary focus on diesel, but it changed direction in the wake of an embarrassing emissions scandal — and in the face of increasingly stringent global emissions standards. By 2025, the goal is to have plug-in hybrid and all-electric models account for 50% of the company’s worldwide sales. By 2030, CEO Ola Källenius announced in July, the target is 100% BEVs “where market conditions allow.”

The Swedish-born executive — the first non-German to helm Mercedes since it was founded — is a true believer in electrification, as he made clear during a virtual interview with TheDetroitBureau.com and a handful of other journalists.

TheDetroitBureau: From your perspective, how has the (industry’s) approach to electrification changed? It appears things are ramping up at a faster and faster pace. Why is that happening?

Källenius: If we look back in history, when one technology replaced another … for the longest time, it seems like nothing is happening. Then, it happens all at once and the whole market flips. It goes very fast. If you miss that point that can be very unfortunate for your business with the development cycles we have in the auto industry. From the first stroke of a pen to have the first vehicles from a completely new architecture (is) usually a four- or five-year process. So, we are now upping the bet.

TDB: But why such a big investment?

Källenius: I’m ever so slightly biased but I think the EQS is a phenomenal vehicle and can imagine what the electric car will look like 10 years from now. I think there’s optimism in terms of the technology, with better energy density on the battery side. Cost are scaling (down) and we’re pushing to an inflection point where the new technology will be superior to what we have now.

Mercedes CEO Ola Kallenus with an assortment of new and upcoming EVs and PHEVs

Källenius with an assortment of new and upcoming EVs and PHEVs.

Drivers of change and acceptance

TDB: Is the shift being driven by new regulations?

Källenius: Partly, it is regulatory driven, but it’s through one common purpose we have as mankind, to solve the CO2 problem. It’s not going to go away. Climate change is real and the Paris Agreement is the right thing to do. It’s a Herculean task for humanity, a complete paradigm shift over to new energy sources. A company like Mercedes, in the luxury car (market), can be on the forefront of such a shift.

TDB: What is the key obstacle to consumer acceptance? Is it the lack of a solid charging infrastructure?

Källenius: Something that could make this happen a little faster or a little slower is the infrastructure. People aren’t going to (drive) less. In fact, we believe people are going to (drive) much more 10 years from now. So, here, industry and government need to work hand-in-hand to put in (a charging) infrastructure. The quicker that happens, the quicker the shift. In markets that don’t do this, it will be an obstacle that makes the transition to EVs go slower.

TDB: It certainly appears investors want automakers to shift to electric.

Källenius: Every conversation that we have with investors, even rating institutes like Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s, the financial markets have made up their minds. It’s going to be increasingly difficult to find capital to invest in (internal combustion) technology, and everybody is betting on the new technology so in a way the market economy and allocation of capital is pushing this forward.

2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 4Matic - by lighthouse

The EQS is leading Mercedes move into the all-electric future, signifying the company’s commitment to that path.

New set of competitors

TDB: Not only do you have to compete with legacy automakers but you have to now start competing with this wave of EV startups, what’s the unique challenge there when it comes to competing with nascent EV makers? How do you compete with them?

Källenius: It’s natural that new players look at a market and enter and so the competitive intensity in this decade will likely be higher than what we have experienced in the past. We are taking the usual suspects seriously, as well as the new kids on the block. You cannot run around like a headless chicken chasing this that or the other company, you’ve got to know who you are. In this situation you cannot rest on your laurels, you have to look forward. So, what we need to do is to double down on technology, primarily electric drive and software and the connected vehicle and autonomous driving. But, at the same time, (we must) deliver what everybody expects from a Mercedes, you know this sublime ride and drive the equation to detail this superior aesthetic quality. If we hit the spot (and) deliver on both innovation and the luxury aspects of the Mercedes brand, that’s how we think we can win the competition.

TDB: You have been a powerhouse in the all-electric Formula-E series. What are your future plans?

Källenius: We won the championship this year and we’re going to have one more season, but beyond that season, we’re focusing everything on Formula One. We’re going to turn to synthetic fuels so we can run the whole race carbon neutral. I’ve been to a few Formula E races myself and enjoyed it as a racing fan, but if you would take one of those cars and go to Spa, you would maybe do a lap and a half and then it would be over. So for those who are, you know, hardcore racing fans at heart, you can’t replace (traditional racing cars with electric).

2023 Mercedes EQE 350 - front 3-4 driving

The new EQE is the battery-powered alternative to the marque’s classic E-Class sedan.

TDB: Can you talk about the role of electrification in motor sports?

Källenius: I actually had the privilege back in 2008 to develop the very first performance hybrid for Formula One. And now we are (more than) 10 years later, and you can’t win the world championship, unless you have the best performance hybrid system. And what we’re now launching in the AMG GT is the first road version of that technology. It will be on many of the AMG cars that we’re going to launch in the next two to three years. Formula One is the most sophisticated high performance Lab in the world.

TDB: This raises the subject of EV performance. It appears that one of the things drawing people to EVs is the great performance they offer.

Källenius: The great thing about an electric motor is that the torque is instantly available, and you have a lot of torque. So, at a red light, we all feel like we’re driving an AMG GT, right. You have this instant punch. Maybe you saw that we bought the UK company, Yasa, that is developing an electric motor with an absolutely phenomenal power-to-weight ratio. So there will be there will be a performance dimension beyond just being quick at the red light.

Advanced technology pros and cons

TDB: You’ve introduced the Hyperscreen in the EQS (which covers virtually the entire instrument panel with video screens). Do you think they’ll ever be a move back towards more simplification for an older demographic that can’t take advantage of most of what it can do?

Ola Källenius with Hyperscreen

Källenius said the the future of vehicles is going to look a lot more like the Hyperscreen than with knobs and buttons.

Källenius: I read an article the other day in a Swedish supercar magazine and the chief editor wrote an article where he says I hate screens. Give me the knobs back, the buttons and the knobs. But I’m afraid that’s probably not going to happen. And it’s not specifically tied to the electric car and we’re not doing some different level of digitization in our combustion based vehicles and our electric vehicles, per se. We need to make (technology) more intuitive and easy to use, but we’re not going back and put 50 different knobs and buttons in the car. I just don’t see that.

TDB: Who is the most difficult person to convince (about) electrification?

Källenius: People that buy a G Wagen, an S-Class, or maybe an E … they usually are technology and innovation-minded, and also appreciate luxury aesthetics. They are naturally going to drift to whatever is the next level technology. I think there is some skepticism, but I think it will recede.

TDB: What are you going to do about recyclability of materials?

Källenius: Next to the challenge of CO2 for us, as an industry, is the circular economy, what we call resource preservation. It’s hugely important. Our vehicles, already today, are 95% recyclable. That doesn’t mean we already use 95% of the material. But we put in in our books to raise the amount for every new vehicle, and for beyond the usual candidates like steel. Recycling has to get into the polymers and other things inside the battery cells, no doubt about it.

TDB: One last question. You have the new EQS sedan, but you’ll also have an EQS SUV next year. And the same with the EQE. Won’t that create some branding confusion?

Källenius: Yeah. There are probably PhD thesis documents in marketing talking about nomenclature on the part of Mercedes. When I was in marketing and sales we said let’s clean this up once and for all, and we thought we did. Could we have done a GL QS or something like that (instead of EQS SUV)? We thought it was so obvious when you see the vehicle, you know whether you’re buying an SUV or a sedan. But maybe we didn’t succeed.

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GM’s Ultra Cruise Will Leapfrog Tesla Autopilot, Offer Full Hands-Free Driving Virtually Everywhere

In the race to put self-driving vehicles on the road, General Motors may be ready to take the lead with the new Ultra Cruise system it plans to put on the road by 2023.

Cadillac plans to expand the rollout of Super CruiseTM, the world’s first true hands-free driver assistance feature for the freeway. Super Cruise will be available on all Cadillac models, with the rollout beginning in 2020. After 2020, Super Cruise will make its introduction in other General Motors brands.
GM is currently rolling out its original Super Cruise system on a wide range of products, including Chevy and GMC models, as well as those from Cadillac.

The new system will increase by tenfold the number of miles of roads GM’s Super Cruise system can operate on – and where the current system only can operate on limited-access roadways, Ultra Cruise will cover “every road including city streets, subdivision streets and paved rural roads, in addition to highways,” GM said in a statement announcing the new technology. At launch, Ultra Cruise will operate on 2 million miles of roads, said GM, with a goal of increasing that to 3.4 million.

With Ultra Cruise, GM seems positioned to leapfrog Tesla, the EV automaker that marketed the first “self-driving” system, Autopilot. Despite releasing a new update it refers to as “Full Self-Driving,” Tesla’s technology still requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel at all times.

“Ultra Cruise is not just a game changer in terms of what it enables ­− a door-to-door hands-free driving experience − but a technological one as well,” said Doug Parks, GM’s executive vice president of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain.

The race for autonomy

The auto industry is in a race to develop autonomous vehicle technology – with the eventual goal of having vehicles operate without the assistance of a human driver. GM’s San Francisco-based Cruise subsidiary recently won approval from the State of California to test prototype vehicles that don’t even have a steering wheel or other driver controls. But most experts believe that it will be late in the decade before such systems are ready for widespread use.

(Click to expand.)

In the meantime, the focus is on more limited systems that can reduce the role of the driver – though a motorist would still need to be ready to take control in an emergency, or if the vehicle were to travel outside a “geofenced” area.

A number of manufacturers are developing these systems – known in industry parlance as “Level 2 autonomy.” Tesla was first to market with the original Autopilot, GM following with Super Cruise which it is now rolling out on a wide range of vehicle lines.

Both have significant limitations and make various trade-offs. Tesla has dubbed the latest version of Autopilot “Full Self-Driving,” and many owners have been using the system hands-free. Some have been recorded going so far as to jump into the back seat while the vehicle is moving. But the automaker actually stresses that motorists need to maintain at least a loose grip on the wheel.

Tesla v GM

GM claims drivers actually can take hands off the wheel using Super Cruise. But the system is restricted to about 200,000 miles of U.S. and Canadian roads. And the GM system uses a camera to ensure that the driver remains alert and in position to take over quickly, if necessary.

Tesla FSD Simulation

A digital simulation of Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system.

Tesla has, until recently, not monitored the driver. But it plans to do so after coming under fire for the lax way in which many drivers use Super Cruise. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is conducting a probe of Autopilot in the wake of several dozen crashes, a number of those involving Tesla vehicles impacting stationary emergency vehicles.

“The way Tesla is doing it, there always will be error problems,” said Sam Abuelsamid, principal auto analyst with Guidehouse Insights.

Tesla relies on the data gathered by a network of cameras to operate Autopilot. GM, on the other hand, uses radar, as well as ultra high-definition street maps, with Super Cruise. And the Ultra Cruise system will add LIDAR, a 3D laser technology.

“This is a more robust solution,” said Abuelsamid. “They’ve taken a safer approach (even as they) expand tenfold the number of roads they can use Ultra Cruise on.”

No rollout roadmap – yet

The GM system will be able to recognize street signs and traffic signals, as well as pedestrians, bicyclists and animals. And it will be able to handle pretty much any sort of situation that a human driver would normally be required to negotiate, according to GM.

The automaker hasn’t provided a specific roadmap for rolling out Ultra Cruise but it’s expected to follow the same model used for the original Super Cruise system. That would begin with the flagship Cadillac brand and then expand to other GM brands.

Motorists pay additional fees for vehicles equipped with the basic Super Cruise hardware and GM recently announced that it will charge a monthly usage fee, as well. Tesla, Ford and other manufacturers are adopting similar pricing models.

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Daimler Shareholders Approve Split and New Name

Shareholders approved splitting Daimler AG into two company into two companies one for trucks, Daimler Truck Holdings, and one for cars, making plans to restore the historic Benz name by changing its legal name to the Mercedes-Benz Group AG.  

Daimler AG building
Daimler shareholders approved a plan to split the company into two entities: one focused on trucks the other on cars.

The Benz name, to the consternation of any number of the company’s tradition-minded German shareholders, was lost when Daimler-Benz AG entered the ill-fated merger with the Chrysler Corp. to create DaimlerChrysler in 1998. DaimlerChrysler disappeared after the spinoff of Chrysler in 2007. 

Daimler Truck Holding AG will be listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, or DAX, so shareholders will hold stock of one of the world’s leading commercial vehicle builders in addition to their shares in Daimler AG, which is now set to change its name officially in February 2022, according to the resolution approved by shareholders during the virtual special shareholders meeting. 

The new name reflects the focus on the car and van business with the brands Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and Mercedes-EQ, according to top executives, who have spent more than two years preparing for splitting the company in two independent companies. 
 
Bernd Pischetsrieder, chairman of the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG, said the split will safeguard the success of both companies, Daimler Truck and Mercedes-Benz will be able to master the transformation of the industry even more successfully with full entrepreneurial freedom and an independent management structure.  

Källenius FY 2020 earnings meeting
Daimler CEO Ola Källenius said the split will unlock the potential of both new companies.

More value for shareholders promised 

The split also creates value for shareholders, increases profitability and fully exploits the potential of both units, Pischetsrieder said. 
 
Ola Källenius, chairman of the Boards of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, said, “Daimler is splitting into two strong and independent companies.  Now is the right time to take this step: self-determined and from a position of strength. By unlocking the full potential of both companies, we are establishing two undisputed innovation leaders who will set the pace in the transformation of their industries,” he added. 
 
Martin Daum, chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck AG and designated chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck Holding AG, said as a technologically leading manufacturer of trucks and buses, the new company’s plans call for accelerating the development of battery and fuel-cell vehicles in all segments along the way to emission-free transport. 

First Look: Honda’s Rugged New Off-Roader, the Passport TrailSport

When Honda brought back the Passport three years ago, it positioned it as the most rugged SUV in its line-up. Now, it’s amping things up with a combination of new exterior trim and improved off-road capabilities.

2022 Honda Passport TrailSport - off-roading
Honda’s looking to add a little “rough-and-tumble” to its line-up, starting with the Passport TrailSport edition.

The new model will also get a new badge as the first entry into a brand-within-a-brand Honda has dubbed TrailSport. The Japanese automaker is the latest on a growing list of manufacturers hoping to take advantage of a back-to-nature boom, joining competitors like Subaru, Chevrolet and GMC in creating unique off-road sub-brands.

“Some may not realize the true rugged, off-road capabilities of our light trucks,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of National Operations, American Honda Motor Co. Inc. “Now they’re getting tough, rugged looks to match, and the addition of TrailSport will further enhance the off-road capability of our vehicles in the future.”

“A more emotional appearance”

The 2022 Honda Passport TrailSport gets distinctive design features, starting with a major update from the A-pillars forward, including standard LED headlights. There’s also as a new rear bumper, as well as larger dual exhaust pipes. The goal, the automaker says, is to give the TrailSport model a “more emotional and adventurous” appearance.

The TrailSport model rides on machined 18-inch wheels with Pewter painted highlights. The front and rear track have been widened 10 mm to improve appearance and stability.

2022 Honda Passport TrailSport - rear
The new Passport TrailSport is slightly wider for 2022 to improve functionality — plus it looks better.

Inside, the EX-L package adds contrast stitching on perforated leather seats and the requisite embossed “TrailSport” logo. An 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system is standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The rugged exterior looks are for more than just appearance. The TrailSport’s ground clearance increases to 8.1 inches and it comes standard with Honda’s i-VTM4 all-wheel-drive syste with torque vectoring. Power comes from a 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 paired with a 9-speed automatic.

Heading back to nature

The original Honda Passport was launched back in 1994 as the automaker’s first true SUV. Produced by Japanese rival Isuzu, it remained in the line-up until 2002. Honda relaunched a crossover-based Passport in 2018, slotting it in-between the existing CR-V and Pilot models. But it was also positioned as a more rugged offering, a senior executive at the time suggesting it was “more personal, powerful, and off-road-capable.”

2022 Honda Passport TrailSport - interior
Part of the interior design for TrailSport models will include this vibrant logo on the seats and other places.

But the off-road game has been amped up during the last few years, and for good reason, Americans spend an estimated $900 billion annually on everything from kayaks to camping gear — and they’re looking for vehicles that not only can get them to a backwoods cabin but take them out to places like Moab, Utah and down the Rubicon Trail.

Ford is awash in orders for the new Bronco family and Jeep’s Wrangler is setting new sales records seemingly every month. Ford unveiled the new Timberline version of its big Expedition SUV at the Motor Bella show in Detroit on Tuesday. Subaru, meanwhile, is getting ready to bring out the second entry into its new Wilderness sub-brand, a ruggedized version of the Forester SUV. And Chevrolet is introducing an off-road-ready ZR2 version of its 2022 Silverado.

More to come

In Honda’s case, it plans to expand TrailSport into a full line-up of more rugged crossovers, though it has so far confirmed just one, the new version of Pilot.

As a midcycle addition, Honda was limited in what it could do with the Passport variant. It plans to take things further going forward, however.

“Over the next few model years,” it said in a release, “the off-road capability of the Passport TrailSport will increase further with possible future upgrades such as more aggressive tires and off-road tuned suspension.   

Ford’s New Electric Vehicle Center Links “Past and Future”

As far as Corey Williams is concerned, we’re walking on “hallowed ground.”

Model A sedans roll down the line at the old Rouge Assembly Plant, one of the first factories with a moving assembly line.

A year ago, there was nothing but a dusty parking lot where Ford Motor Co.’s new Electric Vehicle Center now stands. But dig deeper into the past and you realize this was the site of the original Ford Rouge Assembly Plant where generations of blue-collar workers built everything from Model A sedans to Mustangs to F-Series pickups — as well as armor, engines and tanks as part of the “Arsenal of Democracy” during World War II.

Starting next spring, this new factory will begin building the new Ford F-150 Lightning, the all-electric pickup truck has so far garnered over 150,000 advance reservations since it was unveiled in May. That’s part of a $30 billion electrification plan Detroit’s second-largest automaker has in play.

Rolling out the first battery-powered version of Ford’s iconic pickup — the nation’s top-selling truck for 44 years — might be significant enough on its own. But the new Electric Vehicle Center is also functioning as a research lab that could radically change the way cars and trucks are built all over the world.

“This is hallowed ground. This is history,” said Williams, the plant manager. “This is where we are going from the past to the future.”

Where’s the assembly line?

Automated Guided Vehicles, or AGVs, replace the moving assembly line at the Electric Vehicle Center.

Take a tour of the center, which is slowly launching early prototype production, and you can’t help but notice something missing. The moving assembly line that was originally introduced by company founder Henry Ford 108 years ago is gone. The assembly line is a fixture at all but the lowest-volume plants building cars virtually by hand — and slowly, very slowly.

That’s not the case here. With the $250 million expansion Ford announced on Thursday, the Electric Vehicle Center will be capable of producing as many as 80,000 Lightnings annually. That’s not quite as fast as the plant next door where traditional, gas and diesel trucks or built, but quickly enough that this is a radical departure.

Instead of a fixed line, partially assembled pickups are loaded onto AGVs, or Automated Guided Vehicles. These are, essentially, robotic pallets that creep along the shop floor, guided by thin magnetic ribbons carved into the concrete. Sonar sensors help make sure they don’t collide with one another or with the hundreds of workers who’ll soon populate the plant.

It’s not the first time AGVs have shown up in factories. General Motors started using them in the 1980s, primarily to deliver parts to workstations along the line. This is the first time they’ve been put to use in such a high-volume operation completely abandoning Henry Ford’s movable assembly line.

Getting workers plugged in

F-150 Lightning - body and chassis marriage
An F-150 Lightning body is “married” to a chassis containing its electric drive system.

A major change, yes, but as far as Williams is concerned, one of the real hallmarks of the Center is the way workers become active, intelligent parts of the production process. Reaching their post, they log in at one of three tablet-style screens and can check on what happened during earlier shifts, then report in during their own.

Among other things, that will help Ford track and quickly resolve problems, explains Christopher Skaggs, who oversees Ford’s EV planning and implementation.

The AGVs not only move vehicles from workstation to workstation but they recognize the operators at each point, rising or lowering to maximize ergonomics, reducing stress and strains.

As is today’s norm, even in traditional assembly plants, there’s a high dependence on robots, including Transformer-sized beasts that can weld, glue and handle jobs like mounting windshields.

Robots and cobots

Ford F-150 Lightning - cobots
Cobots — “collaborative robots” — check out a partially assembled Lightning

The center also introduces what Ford has dubbed “cobots,” or collaborative robots. Rather than being isolated and fenced off, they operate right alongside human workers. They can do tasks like sanding or, in this case, help their flesh-and-blood colleagues examine bodies for minor dings or damage using artificial vision.

The production process isn’t entirely unique. It still proceeds one workstation at a time and, as Lightning bodies follow their serpentine path they’re eventually snagged by an overhead conveyor, carried to the point where they are “married” to the chassis that contains each Lightning’s battery pack, motors and other drivetrain components, as well as wheels and suspension.

As the final assembly tasks are completed, the now operative electric pickups enter a series of inspection stations. One uses a massive robotic arm to press down on each Lightning’s cargo bed. Sensors built into the truck are designed to tell the driver how much weight it’s carrying. The test confirms that system is accurate to within a percent or so, explains manufacturing manager Liza Currie.

One last look

F-150 Lightning - in lighting booth
A final check for dings or paint problems and the F-150 Lightning is ready to go — though this is just a prototype to be used for testing.

Finally, each truck will roll into a blindingly bright booth featuring dozens of carefully positioned lights. Human and robotic vision work together to ensure some exterior flaw — a ding, perhaps, or a chip in the paint — doesn’t get passed on to a consumer without being repaired.

As he surveys the new plant, Williams said he’s confident, “We’ve incorporated the latest and the greatest.”

Many of the new features will reappear in other Ford plants. But Williams hesitates when directly asked whether the conventional F-150 plant next door will switch to AGVs, abandoning it fixed line, when the truck goes through a makeover around 2025. That’s for higher-ups to decide, he defers, but it’s clear he sees the Electric Vehicle Center as the high profile test for a radical new system that could replace what Ford Motor Co.’s namesake gave to the manufacturing world a century ago.

“I believe what you’re seeing here,” Williams said, “is the beginning” of a massive transformation in the manufacturing process.

Others May be Coming, But Tesla’s Still King of the EV Mountain in U.S.

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E front driving
The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium is a true competitor for the Tesla Model Y.

Much of the talk about electric vehicles lately focuses on the wave of EVs coming in the next 12 to 18 months; however, until then the latest round of electric vehicle registrations shows Tesla’s still king of the EV world, well, at least in the U.S.

According to Experian, which tracks new vehicle registrations in the U.S., sales of electric vehicles are up through the first six months of the year — and up big. There were 255,393 EVs registrations during the time period, equating to an increase of 133% compared to the same period last year. Automotive News first released the registration numbers.

A look at the top 10 EVs registered shows some new names, most notably the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The automaker’s first long-range EV debuted with a splash last fall and, according some analysts, has taken away as much as 10% of Tesla’s sales.

Tesla Model 3

The only electric vehicle that outsells the Tesla Model 3 in the U.S. is the Model Y.

However, the lofty sales number doesn’t appear to be so much Ford conquesting from Tesla, although some of that is happening, the entire market is up, meaning there is plenty to go arounds. In fact, the Tesla Model Y, the vehicle the Mach-E most directly competes with, was up five-fold through July, logging 93,708 registrations.

The reports of my demise …

As the number of options for buyers interested in electric vehicles has grown — slowly — in the last 12 to 18 months, so has the number of predictions about when Tesla will be surpassed as the leading seller of battery-electric vehicles. 

If the latest top 10 list of EV registrations is any indication, it’s going to be awhile. Here is the top 10 list of EV registrations in the U.S., according to Experian:

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV driving

Despite its current recall, the Chevrolet Bolt was the third-best-selling EV in the U.S. through July.
  1. Tesla Model Y: 93,708 units
  2. Tesla Model 3: 68,448 units
  3. Chevy Bolt EV: 21,898 units
  4. Ford Mustang Mach-E: 13,950 units
  5. Nissan Leaf: 9,445 units
  6. VW ID.4: 8,404 units
  7. Porsche Taycan: 6,071 units
  8. Hyundai Kona EV: 6,069 units
  9. Audi e-tron: 5,473 units
  10. Kia Niro EV: 4,091 units

Some of the non-Tesla vehicles have seen substantial sales gains in 2021, including the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV, which is currently the subject of a massive recall due to battery manufacturing problem that has been pinpointed as the cause of more than 10 vehicle fires. 

The company’s recalled all of them and shut down the Orion, Michigan plant that produces them as it works with its supplier, South Korea’s LG Chem, to fix the problem. Despite all this, its sales were up 138% during the timeframe, according to InsideEVs.com.

Rivian R1T

The Launch Edition of the Rivian R1T will begin production and deliveries later this month.

However, the dominance of Tesla is still strong. It holds the top two spots on the list, accounting for 162,156 units. This is more than two times the rest of the top 10 at 75,401 vehicles. What vehicles occupy the No. 11 and No. 12 spots? The Model S and Model X, respectively.

Overall, the company gives new meaning to the term “California King” as it accounts for more than two-thirds of all EVs sold in the U.S. right now.

Change is inevitable

While Tesla enjoys a substantial lead, it seems it’s only a matter of time when the rest of the world begins flooding the U.S. market with new electric options — and that time essentially starts, well, now.

Starting with newbie Rivian and its Launch Edition R1T electric pickup which will begin deliveries later this month, at least 27 brands accounting for nearly 50 distinct vehicles, which TheDetroitBureau.com chronicled in two part story you can read by clicking here for Part I and here for Part II, are scheduled arrive in the U.S. between now and the end of next year.

Tesla’s not twiddling its thumbs, waiting for the wave to come crashing down on it, expanding its production base in the U.S. with Giga Austin, its massive new plant expected to come online by the end of this year or early next to produce even more of the Model 3 while prepping to for the Cybertruck and possibly a less expensive vehicle in the $25,000 range.