Tag Archives: Pickups

Ford Recalls Nearly 185K F-150s

Ford announced it’s recalling almost 185,000 F-150 full-size pickups. The 2021 and 2022 model-year trucks are experiencing driveshaft problems that could cause it to fracture.

All-new F-150
Ford is recalling nearly 185,000 F-150 pickups from the 2021 and 2022 model years.

The issue only affects certain F-150 Crew Cab 4×4 pickups, according to the filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The company’s began examining the issue since July.

The truck’s underbody thermal/acoustic insulators can loosen over time. If they come in contact with the truck’s aluminum driveshaft, they can cause scoring or marks. If this goes on long enough, the heat generated each time can eventually crack the driveshaft.

Potential results if the issue is not repaired

“A fractured driveshaft may result in loss of motive power,” the report states, “unintended vehicle movement while the vehicle is in park if the parking brake is not applied, and may result in secondary damage to surrounding components.”

Additionally, once fractured, the driveshaft could break loose and touch the ground, causing the driver to lose control of the pickup, potentially resulting in a crash. The company is unaware of any accidents or injuries caused by the problem.

2021 Ford F-150 - at work site

Some Ford F-150 pickups are facing issues with the aluminum driveshaft on the truck.

Owners are advised to look for a “loose underbody insulator.” They should also listen for a rattling, clicking or clunking noise due to the loose insulator coming in contact with the driveshaft. The scoring or marking on the driveshaft described earlier may also be visible.

Next steps

Ford’s taken steps to resolve the problem during production by swapping the underbody thermal acoustic insulator for an under-carpet thermal patch at the two plants — Dearborn (MI) Truck and Kansas City (KS) Assembly — already.

Dealers received the notice Tuesday, and owners will begin receiving notices in the mail shortly. They will be instructed to make an appointment with their dealer to have “positive attachment features adde to the underbody insulators.”

They’ll also inspect the driveshaft for scoring or marks that may have already occurred. This will be done at no expense to the truck owner.

As of Dec. 7, Ford received 27 reports of fractured aluminum driveshafts possibly related to sagging underbody insulators on the F-150s, the automaker said in an Automotive News report.

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EV Interest on the Rise, But Purchases Coming When Prices Drop, Study Says

2019 Hyundai Kona EV charging

 

Interest in electric vehicle ownership continues to grow, but prospective buyers want prices to drop before they commit to buying one.

While EVs have been in the news a lot lately, consumer concerns about the cost of an initial purchase are a real thing.

Those worries came to light as part of a survey by OC&C Strategy Consultants, Reuters reported. Consumers around the world are much more interested in purchasing EVs than ever before, the study showed, but remain wary about the price of battery-powered cars, which are generally more expensive than their internal combustion engine counterparts.

The report shows that more than half of potential new-car buyers in Italy and France are interested in purchasing an EV. Numbers in the U.K. and the U.S. are even higher — 81% and 61%, respectively.

This problem is nothing new. U.S. News & World Report reported last year EVs are frequently more expensive up front than comparable gas-powered vehicles. “Sticker shock” can turn shoppers away from EVs, especially since initial prices are more widely considered than the overall cost to own.

But concerns about initial cost remain a barrier.

ChargePoint charging outlet

 

Automakers are preparing an overwhelming number of electric vehicles for U.S. consumers.

Of the consumers likely to buy an EV, 69% said they would not pay more than a $500 premium compared to a gasoline-powered car — an unlikely scenario without government subsidies.

Countries with purchase incentives have seen a faster uptick in EV sales and European countries have introduced several generous incentives.

Help might be on the way in the U.S.

President Joe Biden recently unveiled a $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan for the country. Included is a proposed $174 billion to promote U.S. EV manufacturing, sales and the development of infrastructure.

Part of the sales promotion part is to give EV buyers “point of sale” rebates and tax incentives to buy American-made EVs. This reflects the reality that consumers are still worrying about purchase costs.

And OEMs are also aware of the cost problem. One solution is to reduce the cost of EVs, and some are moving in that direction. GM spokesman Phil Lienert said that GM sees a lot of promising technological improvements that will really help reduce EV costs to the consumer.

 

GM showed of its third-generation global electric vehicle platform with its Ultium battery technology.

“Our third-generation EVs will use the Ultium platform,” Lienert said. “This is about 40% less expensive than the Bolt EV platform. We are working to get that number closer to 60% less expensive.”

And as production of EVs ramp up, economies of scale kick in, further reducing EV prices. But despite the dropping costs of batteries and EVs, it is believed that consumers still need incentives to buy more expensive electric cars.

To help with that, Biden plans to extend the current $7,500 federal tax credit, an amount that diminishes for vehicles built by automakers including Tesla and General Motors that already have sold more than 200,000 electric vehicles. Biden could eliminate that 200,000 ceiling as well as enhance incentives for EV buyers in disadvantaged communities.

Incentives matter

“EV buyers love their cars, even there are challenges along the way,” said Joel Levin, executive director of Plug In America, an EV owners advocacy group in February.

2021 Tesla Model Y blue

 

Already the top seller of EVs in the world, Tesla would definitely benefit from the reinstatement of the $7,500 tax credit for buying a battery-powered car.

The phase out of federal tax credits, said Levin. Both Tesla and General Motors no longer can offer the $7,500 incentives after hitting a Congressionally mandated sales threshold. Nissan and Ford are approaching the phase-out point, as well.

“It certainly hurts the market, especially for those who want to buy American,” said Levin.

While the upfront cost of purchasing an EV might be higher than an ICE car, there are other cost factors to consider.

Throughout a vehicle’s lifetime, the cost maintaining the typical vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine will add up to around 6.1 cents per mile, according to research by Consumer Reports. By comparison, BEV owners can expect to spend about 3.1 cents per mile. Surprisingly, the study found that maintaining a plug-in hybrid, such as the Toyota Prius Prime, can be even slightly less expensive, at 3 cents per mile.

“Electric vehicle owners don’t need a coupon to get half-off typical maintenance and repair costs from their dealer, it comes standard,” said Senior Transportation Policy Analyst Chris Harto, author of the study which is based on real-world data from Consumer Reports. “These savings are going a long way to offset the upfront costs for consumers.”

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E front driving

 

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium is part of the wave of new EVs coming available.

Sell the concept, not individual concerns

GM spokesman Stuart Fowle said the company’s goal is to reach beyond early adaptors and tech nerds. To do that GM plans to launch 30 new EV models by 2025.

“I have two children,” Fowle said. “I need a car bigger than a Bolt but I don’t need one as big as a Hummer. Once you get a line-up that matches consumer needs, you can sell EVs.”

But selling EVs is not about going line by line and saying they are cheaper in the long run or easier to maintain or improving range, Fowle said. It’s about getting the public comfortable with the tech.

As more consumers see friends and neighbors drive EVs, a tipping point will be reached where people will feel left out if they don’t buy an EV.

“That day is coming sooner than many people think,” Fowle said.


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“Zoom Zombies” Are the Driving Dead

Zoom call

Too many of these could turn you into a zombie if you have to climb behind the wheel afterward.

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who have been working from home and spending hours a day in video meetings you might notice it can become difficult pulling your thoughts back together at the end of the day. And if you then have to climb behind the wheel that could prove deadly.

A new study raises concerns about “Zoom Zombies,” motorists who can’t fully focus on the road ahead after a day of videoconferencing. This may be one of the reasons why in 2020 U.S. highway deaths posted their biggest year-over-year increase in nearly a century.

“COVID-19 fundamentally changed the way we interact with our vehicles,” said David Timm, founder and CEO of Root Insurance, which raised concerns about Zoom Zombies in its annual Distracted Driving Awareness Survey. “As many abruptly shifted to a virtual environment, Americans’ reliance on technology dramatically increased along with their screen time, causing a majority of drivers to carry this distracted behavior into their vehicles.”

Covid-19 and the distracted driving pandemic

rollover crash

NHTSA estimates that more than 10% of highway deaths stem from distracted driving.

Distracted driving has become an increasingly serious problem as more and more motorists interact with smartphones and other technology while behind the wheel. Even before the COVID pandemic, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that more than 10% of highway fatalities involved distracted driving. Preliminary analysis suggests that has gone up since last year’s lockdowns began.

The Roots study found 64% of the U.S. motorists it surveyed acknowledging they check their phones while driving. That’s up 2% from last year, and 6% from the 2019 Distracted Driving Awareness Survey. Meanwhile, 53% of the respondents said they check their phones within the first 15 minutes behind the wheel — a 9% jump from 2019 — when they should be trying to shift focus to driving.

Add the fact that drivers are downplaying the risks. The study found three in 10 drivers don’t see the risk of driving while using a mobile phone. That’s up from 24% just a year ago.

But the study raised another concern: even when motorists aren’t texting or chatting on their phones, they still might not be paying full attention to the job of driving.

Lexus Driving Disrupted distracted drivers

Younger drivers are more likely to have trouble concentrating on the road after engaging in some sort of video conference call.

The younger the driver, the worse the problem

Root reports that 54% of the 1,819 adult motorists it surveyed have had trouble concentrating on the road after making videoconference calls with Zoom, Microsoft Meet or some other software platform. The younger the driver, the worse the problem. For Gen Z motorists, 65% reported losing focus while driving, while it was 61% for millennials and 48% for Gen-Xers.

“The problem with distraction is huge and it’s not just checking e-mail or texting,” said Russ Rader, an executive with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “There’s the risk of cognitive distraction, looking at the road while your thoughts are elsewhere. That zoning out may mean you don’t notice a dangerous situation soon enough to react.”

Whether you call them “Zoom Zombies” or “Zoombies,” the problem has gained widespread attention, and concern — especially when it comes to driving.

If it appears drivers has seemingly forgotten how to drive as pandemic-related restrictions eased, it’s because, well, they have.

“I think computer use, in general, can overload you,” especially after a series of videoconference meetings, said Joan Claybrook, a former NHTSA administrator and longtime auto safety advocate. “After you get into your car you may be operating on auto pilot.”

Driving skills have atrophied

That’s all the worse as we emerge from the pandemic, experts told TheDetroitBureau.com. During the last 12 months, most Americans have been driving less and even as roadways begin to look more crowded, “driving skills have atrophied for many people,” warns Sam Abuelsamid, principal auto analyst with Guidehouse Insights.

“It’s become harder to drive safely because you’re going to forget some of the skills you learned over time,” added Abuelsamid. “It’s not as easy as just jumping back on a bike.”

While he believes Zoom fatigue is “likely a contributor to the increase in highway fatalities,” how much it contributes is uncertain. What’s clear is that highway fatalities soared in 2020, even as motorists slashed the number of miles they drove.

Record surge in fatalities

Preliminary data indicated as many as 42,060 Americans were killed in motor vehicle crashes last year, the National Safety Council reported last month. That was an 8% increase from 2019. That surge occurred even though Americans drove a total of 2.83 trillion miles in 2020. That was a 13.2% decrease from the year before, marking the lowest level of driving by American motorists in two decades, reported the U.S. Federal Highway Authority.

Traffic fatalities rose in 2020, rising 8%, but the death rate, the number of deaths per miles driven, jumped 24% compared with 2019.

So, on a per mile basis, the death rate surged by 24% in 2020, the biggest year-over-year increase since 1924.

Why does “Zooming” take so much out of people? It’s not like sitting around a table for an in-person meeting. Key visual cues are absent, such as body language, while others can overwhelm, according to psychologist Sharon Parker, director of the Centre for Transformative Work Design.

They tend to be sharply focused, without the normal chit-chat and other interactions that come before — sometimes during — and after in-person meetings, Parker wrote. One result: participants come away struggling to interpret what actually happened rather than transferring attention to what comes next.

And that may extend beyond the work day to when you’re behind the wheel and should be focusing on the road ahead.


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These Automakers Now Plan an All-Electric Future

The debate about whether or not automakers will shift to electric vehicles has seemingly changed to when the change will occur.

The age of the internal combustion engine is coming to a close — or so you might think considering the latest headlines.

A growing number of countries and regions have laid out plans to ban gas and diesel engines, Great Britain recently moving its ban up to 2030. California wants to ban internal combustion engine sales by 2035.

While automakers have traditional resisted regulatory requirements, the industry is actually taking the lead, in many cases. At least 10 have laid out plans to fully electrify their product lines. Some, including General Motors, intend to switch to 100% zero-emission vehicles — which can include battery-electric, as well as hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Others plan a mix of BEVs and hybrids.

Here’s a look at where things stand today — though you can expect to see even more news in the next year or two, other manufacturers hinting they may follow.

General Motors

The GMC HUMMER EV is designed to be an off-road beast, with all-new features developed to conquer virtually any obstacle or terrain.

The world’s fifth-largest automaker by sales — demoted one spot after the recent formation of Stellantis — is the largest manufacturer laying out plans to go 100% battery electric. The company has been accelerating plans and now expects to have 30 BEVs in global showrooms by 2025, while banning ICE power entirely a decade later. The rollout is just gaining momentum but the Hong Guang Mini EV GM is building with Chinese partners Wuling and SAIC is now the world’s best-selling BEV. Significantly, the flagship Cadillac brand will be first to go 100% electric by 2030, officials revealed.

Volkswagen

The story here is a complicated one. The German giant clearly is spending more than any competitor on electrification — more than $80 billion to bring out more than 50 BEVs by mid-decade. But its plans vary by brand. The flagship VW marque launched its first long-range all-electric model, the ID.3, in Europe last year, with the ID.4 SUV reaching U.S. showrooms in a matter of weeks. And there are plenty more coming, including the ID.Buzz microbus. But the company has not yet indicated if or when it would give up gas and diesel power with its anchor brand.

Audi

Audi RS e-tron GT - debut high angle

The new Audi RS e-tron GT is just the latest EV coming from the world’s automakers.

VW’s largest luxury division is another marque aggressively migrating to electric propulsion, just last month revealing the new e-tron GT sports car. There’s been no formal plan for eliminating gas or diesel but Audi officials have broadly hinted that could come within the next 10 to 15 years.

Bentley

Meeting future emissions and fuel-economy mandates will be difficult for luxury brands, especially ultra-premium marques known for large, high-performance products like Bentley. In a major move that caught almost everyone off guard, Bentley announced last December that it will offer only plug-based models by 2026, going entirely BEV by 2030.

Nissan

The 2021 Nissan Ariya is about the size of a Rogue SUV – but features the interior space of the bigger Murano.

As part of the broader Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, the Japanese marque battles it out for industry dominance for VW and Toyota. It was an early EV pioneer with the original Nissan Leaf. Now, after a decade delay, it is finally moving to electrify more of its line-up, the all-electric Ariya SUV launching for 2022. In January, Nissan said all products in “key markets” will use some form of electric propulsion by the “early 2030s.” This will include not only BEVs like Leaf and Ariya but also vehicles using the new e-Power range-extending hybrid system.

Toyota

This company, proud of its leadership in hybrid technology, has long been skeptical of pure electric propulsion. For now, it is committed to offering hybrid and plug-in versions of all its product lines by around mid-decade. Facing increased competition, as well as regulatory pressures, Toyota is readying a modest number of BEVs but could move fast, officials have hinted, if it sees EVs as inevitable. It has hinted this could happen by 2040. Significantly, it is investing heavily in next-generation solid-state batteries. It also wants to be a leader in hydrogen fuel-cell technology.

Hyundai Motor Group

The Hyundai Ioniq 5

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the company’s new all-electric sub-brand with a new design language.

The automaker is reserving space for internal combustion engines though, even here, it is moving towards hybrids and plug-ins. The Korean carmaker, which includes the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands, expects to have 23 all-electric models in global showrooms by 2025. A number of them will be sold through the new, battery-car sub-brand, Ioniq. It soon could announce a move entirely to Zero-Emission Vehicles. But, like Toyota, that would include both BEVs and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.

Ford

An early pioneer in electrification, Ford announced last month that it will offer only plug-in hybrids and pure battery-electric vehicles in Europe by mid-2026. It has yet to lay out plans for the U.S., China and other key markets but Ford is ramping up spending on battery programs and will launch some significant products over the next several years, including an all-electric version of the F-150 pickup. It’s off to a good start, the Mustang Mach-E winning honors as North American Car of the Year for 2021, while generating significant sales.

Volvo

Volvo C40 Recharge front

Volvo’s rolled out its second battery-electric model, the C40 Recharge.

The Swedish automaker and its Chinese parent Geely are making hefty investments in electrification. It launched its first long-range BEV, the XC40 Recharge, for 2021, and this month unveiled a second all-electric model, the S40 Recharge. Volvo had been planning on a mix of BEVs and plug-in hybrids but, by the end of the decade it will abandon those PHEVs and only sell BEVs.

Daimler/Mercedes-Benz

The leading global luxury brand is another brand moving aggressively into electrification while not quite ready to lock down a hard date to ban ICE technology. At the moment, that appears likely to happen before 2040. Mercedes already is moving in that direction with the launch of its EQ line-up. That sub-brand will cover a broad spectrum of sedans, SUVs and other body styles with products like the EQB and EQS coming out during the next several years. A significant development came with news that the high-performance AMG arm also will begin electrifying.

Smart

smart EQ fortwo

Smart was the first company to make the switch to an all-electric line-up with its fortwo.

Daimler’s city car brand became the world’s first to formally commit to switching from gas and diesel to all-electric propulsion back in 2018. The move is seen as a logical choice for the sort of buyers targeted by products like the little fortwo. The shift was already underway by the time the German parent decided to pull Smart out of the American market.

Stellantis

The merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and France Groupe PSA instantly created the industry’s fourth-largest automaker. It left many questions lingering about what the newly created Stellantis might be planning for electrification. Brands like Peugeot and Citroen were adding BEVs and hybrids and are looking to accelerate the shift. The big uncertainty is on the old FCA side. That said, the Fiat brand is set to have 60% of its offerings either hybrid or fully-electric by the end of this year, and may push even further.

Maserati

Then there’s Maserati. The high-performance arm of the old Fiat Chrysler said last November the new Ghibli Hybrid is just the start of its electrification program. Last November, CEO Davide Grasso declared, “All our line-up will be electrified in the next five years.”

BMW Chairman Oliver Zipse with iX and i4

BMW Chairman Oliver Zipse revealed the new i4 alongside the iX — three months early.

BMW

Another early pioneer, with products like the i3 BEV and i8 plug-in sports car, BMW appeared to be debating strategy for a few years before launching two long-range all-electric models, the new iX and i4. And there are plenty more in the pipeline. But the near to mid-term strategy calls for a mix of hybrids and BEVs, which will generate 50% of BMW’s global sales by 2030, Chairman Oliver Zipse said last week.

Mini

The British-based Mini brand is a different story. Here, parent BMW isn’t wavering. This month it confirmed that Mini will become an all-electric brand by 2030 “in every region of the world.” That’s a fast changeover considering that the very first Mini BEV, the SE, just came to market this past year. Significantly, the next-generation Mini Countryman will be produced both in gas and all-electric versions when it comes to market shortly.

Jaguar Land Rover

The Jaguar I-Pace hastened the brand’s shift in to the “Reimagine” program.

The Jaguar side of the British carmaker got a jump on competitors like BMW and Mercedes with its I-Pace model. A second all-electric SUV is now in the works. And CEO Thierry Bollore last month said that JLR’s “Reimagine” program will see the Jaguar side go 100% BEV by 2025, well ahead of key competitors. Surprisingly, though, the BEV version of the flagship Jaguar XJ sedan has been scrapped. As for the Land Rover side, the company plans to retain a mix of electrified powertrains, though it believes battery-only models will deliver 60% of total sales volumes by 2030.

Plenty of startups

We’ve focused on mainstream U.S., European, Japanese and South Korean brands. Expect to see a number of Chinese marques to lay out all-electric strategies, as well. That will include market leaders like Volvo parent Geely. It also will include a long list of Chinese start-ups. According to analyst Michael Dunne, more than 100 potential EV entrants hope to get licensed by the Beijing government, alongside other recent startups. There are plenty of other EV wannabes in the U.S. and Europe, such as Rivian, Lucid, Bollinger and Lordstown Motors.

Then there’s the EV market’s 800-pound gorilla. Tesla continues to dominate the market, though it has begun losing ground to a few competitors. The Ford Mustang Mach-E took 12 points of market share away from Tesla in the U.S. in recent months. The Wuling microvan is outselling all Tesla models combined.

The real question is whether consumers will back all the investments in electrification. All battery-based models combined still account for barely 6% of global new vehicle sales, BEVs roughly 2%. But industry forecasters see big jumps coming, especially if regulators continue to lay out plans banning internal combustion engines.

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A Week With: 2021 Ford F-150 Limited SuperCrew

2021 Ford F-150 Limited front

The 2021 Ford F-150 Limited SuperCrew is the best iteration of the truck thus far.

Gawwwwddd I miss my truck.

Actually, I’ve had two in my lifetime a 1992 Ford Ranger “powered” by an anemic 4-cylinder engine that I bought not long after graduating from college and a 2004 Ford F-150 XLT motivated by the 5.4-liter V-8 engine that so many associate with the company’s full-size pickups.

My F-150 was a slight better than middle of the road model. It was an extended cab with shift-on-the-fly 4-wheel drive, power windows and locks, air conditioning and a bench set just big enough to haul my three children, who were then a teenager, a four-year-old and a toddler.

No leather. No satellite radio. No wi-fi. Just room for five to be comfortable inside and enough room to haul my son’s invisible motorcycle in the bed. Now that I’m old, er, older. I’ve gained an appreciation for things like … leather recliners, vehicles that are easy to get in and out of and technology that both entertains and makes my life easier.

Enter the 2021 Ford F-150 Limited SuperCrew.

2021 Ford F-150 Limited side

The new F-150 is the most aerodynamic version of the truck ever offered.

Overview

The newest generation of Ford full-size truck is undoubtedly the best yet, especially from my perspective. It offers all of the functionality and capability that young me loved about my 2004 F-150 while catering to old, uh, older me and my admiration for a comfortable leather chair and impressive technology.

Exterior

The exterior of the 2021 F-150 is clearly an evolution from the one that rests fondly in my memory – but bigger. The new truck with its massive grille and boxy fenders and cab looks like it could take on a tank and win. Instead its taking on the Chevy Silverado and Ram 1500 and, in my mind, it wins that battle too – although the Ram should make Ford designers sweat a little.

The F-150 Limited provides capability and utility with three different size beds.

Despite its brick-on-wheel shape, it’s the most aerodynamic offering ever. The truck employs active grille shutters and automatic air dam to help reduce drag and improve fuel economy. More importantly, it’s big and brawny without looking over the top or gaudy – think Superman instead of Batman.

Interior

Climbing inside the new F-150 is easy and it’s almost like entering a different world. While today’s pickups are larger and more fuel efficient that the generations that precede them, it’s the interior cabin where the biggest difference is, and Ford may be the best of the group … and not just for trucks.

Since the first thing you touch when you get in the vehicle is likely the seat, let’s start there. The two-town leather is supple and comfortable. The front seats are both heated and cooled, while the back seats are just heated – talk about a first-world problem. Additionally, they recline nearly flat, in case you need to pull over for a nap. During an extended drive, I found them to be supportive without making you want to, well, pull over for a nap.

“… it’s big and brawny without looking over the top or gaudy – think Superman instead of Batman …”

The F-150 Limited’s driver cockpit is well designed with controls that are easily accessed and read.

Once seated, the next order of business is the dashboard, which features large gauges that are manipulated using steering wheel-mounted controls that are simple and intuitive. The eye catcher is the 12-inch touchscreen on the center console. It’s bright and clear, making it very usable without feeling like you need to put on a pair of sunglasses to cut down on the glare. The truck comes with Sync 4 and while I’d like to tell you all about it, it also comes with Apple CarPlay and I use it exclusively. That sald it paired nicely and worked as expected.

It also features a massive center console that not only offers cupholders and plenty of storage, it also offers wireless charging. I use an iPhone 12 Pro Max and it charged without problem. It’s not as fast as plugging it in, but it was pretty good.

However, Ford recognizes that while trucks are oftentimes the family vehicle, they are also at the same time someone’s work vehicle. The Limited makes it awfully convenient to get some work done in the vehicle. The center console folds flat while the gear-shift lever folds down flat as well giving the user a space big enough to hold a 15-inch laptop – or fast food for two.

Powertrain

The interior is comfortable and upscale without being gaudy. Perfect for a high-end pickup.

For the 2021 model year, the F-150 can be ordered with one of six engine offerings. The Limited comes with the 3.5-liter two-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6. It puts out 400 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. Towing a boat? No problem. Need to merge with traffic? No problem. Need to merge with traffic while towing a boat? No problem.

Fuel economy isn’t bad considering it’s a nearly 5,000-pound vehicle with a powerful engine that encourages a bit of lead-footed driving. It gets 18 mpg city, 23 highway which is good for a combined 20 mpg. I found that to be a pretty accurate representation for my week in the truck. Overall, it’s pretty good for a full-size pickup and if you can afford to buy or lease an F-150 Limited, you’re likely not counting the change in the cupholder to put gas in it.

Technology and Safety


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Stellantis Enjoys Warm Welcome from European Investors

  

 

 

Stellantis Chairman John Elkann is meeting with the media tomorrow to talk about the company’s future.

Not every merger involving an automaker these days involves a blank-check company. The newly minted tie-up between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. and Peugeot S.A. was finalized over the weekend and the resulting company, Stellantis N.V., is enjoying a warm welcome.

At least on the stock market.

The new company’s stock trades on three exchanges and it finished the day on the Paris exchange up nearly 7%, closing at €13.14. It also jumped up 7.7% on the Milan exchange.

The New York Stock Exchange, the third exchange it’s traded on, was not open today due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

(Chrysler is no more as Stellantis comes to life.)

  

 

 

CEO Carlos Tavares has a lot on his corporate plate now that the merger is complete.

The $52 billion merger of near equals creates a massive enterprise with operations on six continents, employs about 400,000 people, sells – at least for the time being – 14 vehicle brands and sells 8.1 million vehicles annually, making it the fourth-largest automaker in the world behind Volkswagen, Toyota and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.

With all of those possibilities, it’s going to take a press conference Tuesday to start revealing what Stellantis will look like now that’s it’s a living, breathing entity. What brands will stay? How many workers will keep their jobs?

People are nervous because the CEO of the new enterprise, Carlos Tavares, has a history of being fearless when it comes to eliminating unprofitable operations and processes in the pursuit of corporate profit. One need only look at how what he did with former General Motors’ subsidiary Opel. A money-loser for a decade, he had it in the black in one year.

(FCA CEO Manley gets new assignment following Stellantis merger.)

“Stellantis faces a mixed outlook as U.S. stimulus plans may buoy Chrysler vs. a more uncertain outlook for Peugeot in Europe,” Michael Dean, BI automotive analyst told Bloomberg. “Former PSA CEO Carlos Tavares takes the helm and, similar to his handling of PSA’s takeover of Opel in 2017, we anticipate a new strategy in the first 100 days of his stewardship. All regions face a difficult 1H amid continued lockdowns.”

  

 

 

Quirky name aside, investors gave Stellantis a warm welcome when it began trading Monday.

The two companies have worked to allay fears of major cutbacks in France and Italy. While top managers have outlined plans to trim costs by $6 billion following the merger, they insist they will be able to do that without closing any plants. They have outlined 40% of those cost savings coming from purchasing, 40% from combining product development efforts, and 20% from marketing and other operations.

However, it’s unclear how Tavares plans to tackle other issues such as improving the company’s performance in China, the world’s largest automotive market, and bolstering its electrification efforts, especially in the aforementioned China as well as in the U.S. Just addressing those two issues are likely to require billions of dollars and euros. Some of plans for these things and more may get touched on Tuesday, Marco Santino, a partner at consulting firm Oliver Wyman, told Reuters.

(Fiat Chrysler and PSA not exactly a “merger of equals.”)

“He has proven to be the kind of person who prefers action to words, so I don’t think he will make loud statements or try to over-sell targets,” he said.

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Auto Sales Gain Traction as Americans Avoid Mass Transit

Fewer and fewer people are relying on taxis to get them around town due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taxi business in New York City has dropped by 90% since the start of the pandemic, even as mass transit ridership has fallen precipitously.

The situation, repeated across the country, reflects a variety of factors, including a huge increase among those working from home and a sharp decline in business travel. But even among those who must commute, there’s been a sizable shift away from mass transit and ride-hailing services to the use of personal vehicles. And that is leading not only to a surge in car sales, both new and used, but also in the type of vehicles American motorists are purchasing.

Among new car buyers, in particular, motorists are ordering vehicles loaded with the latest in high-tech features, from smart safety devices to infotainment systems, as well as in-car WiFi and other technology, members of an expert panel agreed during a session at the virtual CES 2021.

(Pandemic may not have changed car buying habits of consumers.)

Workers who had previously taken public transportation are now shifting to driving themselves in large numbers.

“COVID is probably going to change commuting patterns permanently,” said Carla Bailo, the CEO of the Center for Automotive Research, noting research that finds only 20% of Americans expect to go back to their offices full-time, while 90% expect to go to an office less frequently. Americans “won’t revert back,” stressed Bailo, “even when we get through the COVID pandemic.”

It’s not just the way Americans travel for work that’s changing, added Bailo. Though tens of millions wound up traveling during the Christmas and New Year holidays, AAA found a significantly higher percentage took the family car, rather than flying or traveling by train, compared to pre-pandemic holidays.

“We’ll see for some time people reverting back to their cars for social holidays,” said Bailo.

The pandemic has not only made people more reliant on their cars for traveling, but seen people use their vehicles as places to work and even to get a break from family members after extensive isolation, said Christiane Zorn, a senior marketing executive with Audi. And the pattern is playing out in other global markets, as well, she added.

The car, suggested Zorn, is becoming “a personal device,” one increasingly loaded up with even more technology than the typical home or office, echoed Andrew Poliak, an executive with Panasonic Automotive.

Due to the pandemic, travel during the holidays was be down slightly, but most of those trekking to see friends and family were driving.

“We’re coming to this point of convergence,” Poliak said, where many of the things a person could do at home or office can be done in the car. Indeed, he added, it’s becoming increasingly common to have a better audio system in the family vehicle than in the typical living room.

(Auto industry “in much better place,” but price surge likely to continue.)

“Technology will play a big part in the design of the automotive interior in the future,” according to Poliak, and that’s reflected by some of the latest automobiles, such as the Cadillac Escalade, with its 39 inches of video screens. The new Mercedes-Benz EQS due out next year will have a “pillar-to-pillar” Hyperscreen display, the automaker announced during a separate CES event.

Tellingly, when Ford redesigned its F-150 for the 2021 model year it developed a retractable gearshift lever that opens up a large workspace that can be used for a motorist’s laptop computer.

While much of the new wave of technology is designed for passenger comfort and convenience, there’s also been significant growth in the use of advanced driver assistance systems, such as forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking. Some new models offers dozens of these smart safety features.

New and used car sales are on the rise as people move away from public transportation and back into personal vehicles for their commute.

And the first semi-autonomous driving systems, such as Tesla’s Autopilot and General Motors’ Super Cruise, are receiving warm public receptions. Stefan Buerkle, a senior vice president at mega-supplier Robert Bosch, expects to see the growth of auto-parking technologies that could allow a motorist to exit at their destination and then send their vehicle off to find a parking spot on its own. A press of a keyfob or a tap on a smartphone app would summon the vehicle later.

“You won’t have to park your car anymore, or go looking for a spot,” something that adds to urban congestion, said Buerkle. But there’s another advantage, he added. “That will also make much better use of the infrastructure, especially in cities, where space is at a premium.”

Self-parking technology could allow cities to shift to remote parking locations and reduce the need for lots to be set up in dense urban centers, the CES panelists agreed.

While such technology is likely still a few years from production, it will simply add to the trend that has seen new car prices rise rapidly in the last several years. At a separate conference last week, analysts from Cox Automotive noted that the typical new vehicle sold in the U.S. is now rolling off the dealer lot for a record price of around $40,000.

(Commuting may have changed forever, finds new study.)

But the new technologies showing up in the latest vehicles also seem likely to change the basic business model of the auto industry, Bailo and her fellow panelists said. The push to add 4G and even 5G connectivity will allow automakers to not only sell new vehicles but also develop new revenue streams. That will include providing in-vehicle entertainment and using smartphone-style over-the-air updates to add additional features, said Zorn, much as Tesla plans to do with the next major update of Autopilot.


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Detroit Auto Show Organizers Moving NAIAS Again: Fall 2021

A rendering of the 2021 North American International Auto Show reveals a new feature: a chance for visitors to test drive new vehicles. It will now be a fall show.

The North American International Auto Show for 2021 is moving from its projected June date to now late September in what organizers are calling a “reimagined indoor and outdoor show.”

Public days for the show will now be Sept. 28 – Oct. 9, 2021 with the media preview and other events actually kicking off Sept. 24. Organizers say the NAIAS will be a “fall show going forward.”

The annual event was previously held in early January, but due to competition with other auto shows and the Consumer Electronics Show held just prior, organizers elected to move the event to mid-June to give themselves some breathing room while coinciding with a slew of other auto-related events in the Detroit area during that time like the Detroit Grand Prix and the Woodward Dream Cruise.

(“Whichever way is necessary,” the Detroit Auto Show will be back in 2021, organizers say.)

There were some who were unhappy with those new show dates, although grumbling was kept to a minimum. However, the auto show schedule has been thrown into chaos due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shows have been shifting to new dates or cancelling altogether as everyone tries to made due the best they can.

“We have talked with many of our partners, particularly the OEMs, and they are fully on board and excited about the date change,” NAIAS Executive Director Rod Alberts said in a statement.

That uncertainty apparently provided some time for reflection — and change. NAIAS officials say the show “is teed up to be a global powerhouse of current product and next-generation mobility combined with immersive brand activations and product engagement for both the international media and the public.”

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If You’ve Gotten a Dog, It May be Time to Get a Different Car

Nissan’s Rogue Rogue project shows off the maker’s ability to make travel safe and convenient for dogs, which is important as National Dog Day approaches.

People are coping with being cooped up inside in different ways, including expanding their families by adopting pets at a rapid rate. Adding a pet is a big responsibility, making sure you have everything you need at home is important – as is getting that new family member home.

Fortunately, finding the right vehicle for your new family member won’t be as difficult as you may think. Each of the last seven years in honor of National Dog Day on Aug. 26, AutoTrader.com partners with Dogtrader.com to create a list of top vehicles for dogs.

“Trips around town or to local destinations have become an important part of our lives these last few months and for many people, that means bringing along their pets as they hit the road,” said Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader.

(Subaru lets the dogs out.)

Automakers offer a variety of accessories that allow man’s best friend to travel in comfort and safety.

“To help new car buyers that are traveling with four-legged friends, we’ve carefully curated a list of the best cars that offer great comfort and safety features while also making the lives of pet parents just a little easier.”

To get on the list, these vehicles must offer some form of unique advantage to dog owners. The vehicles on this year’s list are in alphabetical order and include:

  • 2020 Audi Q5
  • 2020 Chrysler Pacifica
  • 2020 Honda Fit
  • 2020 Hyundai Kona
  • 2020 Jeep Wrangler
  • 2020 Kia Soul
  • 2020 Subaru Outback
  • 2020 Tesla Model Y
  • 2021 Toyota Sienna
  • 2020 Volvo V60

These vehicles have features aimed at keeping both humans and dogs safe for the ride ahead – including large rear doors, low cargo floors and even “dog mode.”

(Nissan Rogue projects cater to canines.)

Several automakers offer pet-related accessories that can be purchased from dealers, ranging from seat covers to safety harnesses (i.e. seat belts) to pet ramps or stairs. Tesla even offers Dog Mode in its vehicles, which keeps the car at a safe temperature for dogs while posting a note on its center screen letting anyone who looks inside the dogs are safe and the owner will be back shortly.

Tesla has Dog Mode in its vehicles.

In addition to the top car recommendations, Autotrader also provides the top tips for traveling with your pets, how to keep your car looking its best for summer road trips and a list of pet friendly car accessories.

To celebrate National Dog Day, AutoTrader and DogTrader features limited-edition dog vests, to make dog hair clean up quick and easy while on the road, keeping your vehicle looking its best. Available exclusively on Autotrader’s dog-focused website, Dogtrader.com, dog parents can enter for a chance to win this limited-edition accessory for their furry companion from Aug. 24 through Sept. 14.

(Tesla pushing for FCC approval on sensor for child detection system.)

Prospective pet parents can also search for local dogs on Dogtrader.com, searching for that perfect make and model to become a new part of their family. Through a donation to Adopt-a-Pet.com, Autotrader is also driving home its mission is to help get homeless dogs out of shelters and into loving homes.

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Driving Off into the Sunset: Models Being Discontinued in 2021

The last Ford Fusion rolled off the line earlier this summer as part of the automaker’s plans to shift away from sedans.

It’s been a tumultuous year for the auto industry, something that would have been likely even if we didn’t have a deadly pandemic delivering such a shock. If anything, the slump in sales has forced automakers to take a good, hard look at their product portfolios and consider pulling the plug on models that haven’t been delivering.

At the moment, we know of at least 18 different products that won’t be back in 2021 trim, and we’d not be surprised if a few more fade away mid-model year.

What you’ll likely notice is that virtually every vehicle on the list falls in the passenger car segment. No surprise there, either, considering the steady shift from sedans and coupes to SUVs and CUVs. With the departure of the Ford Fusion, Lincoln Continental and Lincoln MKZ Ford Motor Co. is effectively out of the passenger car business – with the exception of the Mustang. And other brands aren’t far behind.

(End of an era at Ford as last Fusion rolls of production line.)

Here’s a look at the soon-to-be-departed models we already know about.

Acura sold just 600 unit of the RLX in the first half of this year and that number isn’t really expected to rise.

Acura RLX: The heir to the once legendary Acura Legend was positioned as the top end of the Japanese luxury brand’s line-up. But the RLX has lost most of its momentum, demand all but drying up over the last several years. With Acura selling barely 600 units during the first half of 2020, likely few will even notice its departure.

Alfa Romeo 4C: This quirky little sports car was never expected to sell in big numbers, the original coupe and spider convertible that followed intended to create buzz around the return of the Alfa brand to the U.S. market after a nearly quarter-century absence. The 4C did create plenty of interest – but few sales and virtually no halo effect for the still struggling Alfa marque.

BMW i8: One of the two original models in BMW’s groundbreaking electric “i” brand, the i8 was seductively styled and featured a technically intriguing plug-in hybrid drivetrain. But its high cost and relatively low power didn’t set enough hearts aflutter. For now, the automaker is taking a different, all-electric tack as it prepares a second wave of products for BMW i.

Buick Regal: One of the longest-running nameplates on the U.S. market, Regal was once a powerhouse for a brand that is, today, rapidly shifting from sedans to SUVs. In fact, with the demise of Regal, Buick will sell only utility vehicles in the U.S. going forward.

BMW is ending the run of its i8 PHEV sports coupe to focus on other electric vehicles.

Cadillac CT6: Parent General Motors insists it is not giving up on sedans, and Caddy will continue with the new CT4 and CT5 models, but the flagship CT6, despite generally favorable reviews, has reached the end of its run. Curiously, while Cadillac is launching the all-new high-performance Blackwing line, the CT6 was the only model ever to offer the Blackwing V-8 engine.

Chevrolet Impala: The bowtie brand is only a step behind crosstown rival Ford in shifting to utility vehicle, especially with the demise of the big Impala following the smaller Cruze model into the nameplate scrapyard. Like Buick’s Regal, the nameplate had been in use, though not continuously, for more than six decades.

(End of the Run: the last Chevy Impala rolls off the line.)

Chevrolet Sonic: A decade ago, Chevy set out to prove it could build small cars profitably in the U.S. market, and it looked like it had succeeded with the launch of the original Sonic. Of course, with gas at record prices, there was reason for Americans to buy a car like the Sonic. These days, SUVs and CUVs are the ticket and this, the last subcompact assembled in the U.S., will soon be a memory.

Dodge Grand Caravan: Typically counted on the truck side of the ledger, minivans haven’t fared nearly as well as SUVs and CUVs and, during the past decade, the number of options has been steadily dwindling. With the demise of the Grand Caravan, there will now be just one people-mover, the Chrysler Pacifica, offered by Fiat Chrysler, the company generally credited with inventing the modern minivan.

Despite it performing fairly well, Cadillac gave the CT6 the ziggy.

Dodge Journey: The Dodge Journey has been a crossover that reviewers and buyers alike have never taken a shine too. Its styling is forgettable, it is available only in front-wheel drive and it has little else going for it. Add the decision to have Dodge focus exclusively on muscle cars and the demise of the Journey was mercifully welcome.

Ford Fusion: The end of the road has finally come for Ford’s once widely popular passenger car line-up. That saddens those who remember the 2007 launch of the midsize Fusion which, at the time, featured one of the most striking designs on the market. Combine the fact that Ford did little to update Fusion as sedan sales started dwindling and its departure was preordained.

Honda Civic Si and Civic Coupe: There should be no surprise the compact coupe version of the Civic is going away. Two-doors are an increasing rarity these days, even more endangered than sedans. As for the four-door Civic Si, Honda seems intent on getting performance buyers to focus on the newly updated Civic Type R, though word has it the Si will be gone for only a year or so before returning to the line-up.

Honda Fit: This small hatchback seemed to have so much promise when it was introduced mid-decade, thanks to an unexpectedly roomy interior and flexible seating system. But subcompacts simply don’t sell these days, not on the passenger-car side, anyway. Instead, Honda hopes it can steer buyers over the the HR-V crossover, instead.

Mercedes-Benz is putting an end to its small roadster, but it’ll go out with a bang with a “Final Edition” package.

Lexus GS: There was a time when the GS sedan was nearly as much a powerhouse nameplate as the Lexus RX, but crossovers have won the battle and demand for the sporty sedan has largely evaporated. With a full range of SUVs and CUVs in showrooms, Lexus simply didn’t need to waste resources keeping the GS fresh.

Lincoln Continental: It’d be easy to say the Continental was simply the victim of declining sedan sales but the truth is that it just didn’t have the looks, features or basic mojo needed to compete with comparable European and Asian alternatives. Worse, Lincoln got spanked for losing the spark of the Continental concept vehicle this was supposed to be based on.

Lincoln MKZ: With steadily dwindling demand for luxury sedans, and with plenty of SUV/CUV alternatives in its line-up, it’s no surprise Lincoln might consider offloading the four-door model originally known as the Zephyr. But its fate was assured when Ford decided to pull the plug on the more plebian Fusion model that shares the same, underlying platform and assembly plant.

Mercedes-Benz SLC: Originally known as the SLK, this compact two-door sports coupe made a buzz early on, in part due to its origami-style folding hardtop, as well as a reasonably affordable entry prices. But the German marque over-extended its line-up over the past few decades and is rationalizing its mix, starting with the SLC. Don’t be surprised to see other passenger car variants follow.

(And another one bites the dust: farewell Mercedes SLC.)

Toyota Yaris: To hear tell from Toyota, it’s firmly committed to the passenger car market – but not enough to prop up this slow-selling subcompact in an SUV-centric market. Even offering both hatchback and sedan versions couldn’t bring enough shoppers into showrooms – all the more surprising since Toyota held down development costs by sharing platforms with the Mazda2 which soldiers on alone.

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