+++ AUDI is reportedly close to signing an agreement with Chinese firm SAIC for the rights to use an electric vehicle platform employed by its upmarket brand, IM Motor. The 2-year-old structure is planned to be used by Audi to underpin a series of upcoming electric-powered models following delays to the Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) being developed by Audi’s parent company, the Volkswagen Group. Among the existing models already based on the SAIC-developed platform, which supports both rear- and four-wheel drive, are the IM Motor L7 saloon (photo) and LS7 SUV. According to SAIC engineering sources, the modular IM Motor electric vehicle platform shares key elements of its structure with the Nebula platform used by the MG, Roewe and Rising brands. According to information supplied by SAIC, the Nebula platform is engineered to support batteries of up to 2.023 mm in length and both single- and dual-motor drivetrains with ouputs from 204 hp to 812 hp. It also supports both 400 and 800 Volt drive electric architectures and wheelbases ranging between 2.690 mm and 3.100 mm. IM Motors was founded in 2020 by SAIC, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech and the Alibaba Group as a luxury car brand based in Shanghai, China, with SAIC as the majority shareholder. Secrecy surrounds the future models that Audi plans to base on the IM Motor platform, although insiders suggest it could be suitable for production versions of the German car maker’s Activesphere, Urbansphere, Skysphere and Grandsphere concepts. The Volkswagen Group’s existing MEB, J1 and Premium Platform Electric (PPE) structures have been deemed unsuitable for these planned models. The IM Motor L7 saloon was developed jointly by SAIC and British-based Williams Engineering. Its dual-motor drivetrain develops 542 hp and 700 Nm of torque, giving it a claimed 0-100 kph time of 3.9 seconds. It is offered with either a standard 93 kWh or optional 118 kWh battery; the latter claimed to provide it with a range of up to 1.000 km on the CLTC test procedure used in China. +++
+++ FORD appears to have an electric vehicle inventory problem. In a sign that Ford’s EV ambitions are still outpacing demand, the company’s sales numbers, amount of EV supply, and dealer sentiment all indicate the Blue Oval is sitting on more Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning pickup trucks than it can sell. Ford dealers were able to sell 86.4% of their Mach-E inventory within 30 days in the second quarter of 2022, but that figure (known as a turn rate) dropped to 27.7% in the same period of 2023 even as Ford had over twice as much inventory on the market, according to data from analytics firm Cloud Theory. Ford’s second-quarter sales of the Mach-E fell 21% from 2022 (10.941 vehicles) to the same period this year (8.633). Erich Merkle, Ford’s head of U.S. sales analysis, pointed out that Ford’s EV sales overall were up nearly 12% through June. He also said that all of the unsold Mach-E inventory isn’t just sitting on dealer lots, because it spends more time in transit. About 52% of undelivered Mustang Mach-Es are still in transit, he said. Deliveries of the Lighting are also up this year compared to last year, when production of the vehicle was still ramping up, but the rate of sales appears to be slowing, according to data from Cloud Theory. They say the automaker sold 70% of its Lightning inventory within 30 days in the second quarter last year, but has only been able to sell 39.3% of it within that time frame so far in 2023. Ford’s targeting EV production of 600.000 vehicles this year. But while it plows $50 billion into the new programs, it’s expecting to lose at least $3 billion in the process and likely won’t turn a profit on the segment for 3 years. In fact, it’s losing about $58.000 on each EV it sells (not abnormal for the first few years of a launch.) Hefty rebates and steep price cuts to keep up with Tesla’s price war aren’t helping profitability, either. At the same time, it required dealers to spend anywhere from $500.000 to over $1 million to become “EV certified” to sell the expensive and usually unprofitable vehicles. One East Coast Ford dealer told that while they’re bullish about and invested in EVs, Ford’s current production rate is out of step with customer demand. “I think Ford’s got a real problem on their hands based on the bets they’ve made”, they said. “I have Lightnings in stock and Mach-Es in stock. We’ve never had that before”. Ford dealers are given monthly allocations from Ford’s assembly plants based on dealer needs and specific market demands. EV allocation has been a point of contention for some Ford dealers, who have claimed in lawsuits that Ford’s EV sales requirements violate franchise laws. “I think production is exceeding demand”, the East Coast dealer added. “We are able to decline allocation. We didn’t decline any model except EVs”. They noted, anecdotally, other Ford dealers that they speak with have declined some of their Mach-E allocation from Ford. Ford is not alone in its struggle to match EV production with demand. Even Tesla, the world’s top seller of electric vehicles, has had trouble with bloated inventory this year, leading to a series of price reductions and deals on Supercharger miles. Rival General Motors, which is also investing billions of dollars into electrification, also has very low electric vehicle sales numbers. Through June, GM had sold 2.316 Cadillac Lyriq EVs and 49 Hummer EVs. For Hummer, that’s compared to 371 deliveries in the same period in 2022. This is all a reflection of how difficult the next 5 or 10 years will be for EVs now that the industry has surpassed the early-adopter market, industry analysts say. As the US car industry nears EV sales totaling 10% of the market, a plateau is appearing, Karl Brauer, an executive analyst for iSeeCars told. “There seems to be this natural resistance somewhere between 7% and 10% of market share in a given state”, Brauer said, citing a recent study that found the states with the biggest EV sales are also the slowest growing. “That seems to be the cap, and then it gets much harder to grow it further”. As for the Lightning, Ford said it received more than 200.000 Lightning reservations at the end of 2021; with its production plans, a 3 year backlog. Ford reopened its Lightning order book for non-reservation holders this spring. But one Ford dealer in the Midwest, who also spoke to Insider on the condition of anonymity, says many Lightning orders are still sitting uncompleted in the bank for extended periods of time. That leaves order holders with plenty of time to pick up a different EV before their Lightning finally arrives. This could cause problems as these Lightnings arrive on dealer lots, the Midwest dealer said. Many EV sellers have had trouble converting order-holders into owners as many prospective EV customers have put in multiple reservations with the plan of taking whichever vehicle arrived first. +++
+++ The Goodwood Festival of Speed is ready to cheer anything with pretensions to velocity, equally respectful to new hooligans trying to seize the day and veterans that have had theirs. MASERATI ’s brought both to the ‘sceptered isle, sometimes demonstrated in the same body. The house of the trident will start shutting down V8 production next year, bringing an end to 64 years of 8-cylinder Maseratis going back to the 5000 GT of 1959. The Ghibli 334 Ultima and Levante V8 Ultima special editions commemorate the sunset, both powered by the departing twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 making 580 hp and 730 Nm of torque. The sedan gets the “334” designation of its top speed in kilometers per hour. That’s 5 kp/h more than the Ghibli Trofeo’s top speed. Performance and aero updates include a new carbon fiber spoiler, special tires made from a new compound and 21 inch Orione wheels. The sprint to 100 kp/h drops from 4.3 seconds to 3.9. The automaker calls this car the “current fastest internal combustion engine sedan in the world” and it’s going to climb the Goodwood hill. Each special edition gets 103 examples. Maserati hasn’t discussed regional allotments nor how to make a reservation. The rest of the Italian showcase in Lord March’s back yard revolves around the new. The GrandTurismo Trofeo with a Nettuno V6 will be there, the 550 hp V6 stepping further out of the shadow of the V8. The battery-electric GranTurismo Folgore takes a bow as well, as does the Grecale Folgore. Artsy types will want a look at the GranTurismo Prisma, a one-off based on the Nettuno-powered GranTurismo Trofeo. Revealed a few months ago, this tips a cap to 75 years of the automaker. Artists hand-painted the body with 14 colors that nod to classic Maserati hues, then hand-painted the names of classic models like the Indy, Mistral and Amaranto, applying more than 8.500 individual characters. Finally, a GranTurismo Folgore and an MC20 Cielo will join the Ghilbli 334 Ultima making a run up the hill. The MC20 Cielo is returning for a second run after a debut jaunt last year. +++
+++ The NIO ET5 electric saloon and EL7 large SUV have become the first 2 cars to complete the newly updated Euro NCAP safety test, with both models achieving perfect 5-star scores. The 2 cars were subjected to tests introduced in 2023, involving child presence detection, vehicle submergence specifications and updated motorcyclist and vulnerable road user detection. To achieve a high rating, NCAP says new cars must also show improvements to passive safety for occupants and vulnerable road users, and active safety to prevent or reduce the outcome of a crash, as well as include systems for post-crash rescue. Also included in the organisation’s tests for the first time are the impacts of car-to-car crossing, head-on car-to-car impacts, systems that prevent a door from opening into the path of a passing cyclist, and driver-state monitoring. The Nio ET5, tested in 75 kWh battery guise, scored 96% for adult occupancy and 85 % for child occupancy protection. The 4-door saloon secured an 83% score for vulnerable road users and 81% for its safety assist systems. Euro NCAP also applied the 5-star score to the 100 kWh variant. Meanwhile, the Nio EL7 scored 93% for adult occupancy protection, 85% for child occupancy and 80% for vulnerable road users. The Audi Q8 e-Tron rival also earned a 79% rating for safety assistance. Both models will go on sale in Europe imminently. NCAP bosses have sought to reassure drivers that its new test cycle is beneficial to the launch of new cars, with new technologies meaning car makers would be selling the “safest possible vehicles”. Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP’s secretary general, said: “As the new rating gets tougher, to be among the first cars tested might be slightly daunting. However, Nio has stepped up to the challenge and achieved a 5-star result twice, underlining their big ambitions for the brand. “Safety technologies are becoming complex, yet I want to reassure consumers that Euro NCAP will continue to anticipate and adapt to changes in our rating scheme, challenging vehicle manufacturers to ensure drivers (and the road users they interact with) are offered the safest possible vehicles”. +++
+++ Despite the abundance of magnificent boulevards in PARIS that seem so inviting to big automobiles, the city fathers want drivers of plus-weight vehicles to pay more to park. Although the proposed surcharges are ostensibly aimed at owners of SUVs (details of the plan are still fuzzy) reports so far suggest that the rules are to contain “auto-besity” and that size, weight and the vehicle’s motor will dictate the higher prices. Besides souffles and coq au vin, Paris is famous for its pollution, and under the new regs, electric vehicles are expected to escape the increased fees that are supposed to come into effect on January 1 next year (despite vehicle weight being one of the factors being penalized). Paris councilors approved the measure in an unanimous vote last month. Frédéric Badina-Serpette, a councilor from the EELV ecology party that proposed the increased charges, said the aim was “to focus on an absurdity: auto-besity … the inexorable growth in the weight and size of vehicles circulating in our cities, and particularly in Paris”. Officials say the number of SUVs in the city has increased by 60 percent in the past 4 years and they now make up 15 percent of the 1.15 million private vehicles that choke Parisian streets. David Belliard, a deputy mayor responsible for public space and mobility policy, said SUVs were incongruous in an urban environment. “There are no dirt paths, no mountain roads. SUVs are absolutely useless in Paris. Worse, they are dangerous, cumbersome and use too many resources to manufacture”, Belliard said. Pierre Chasseray, a spokes for a drivers organization, told Le Parisien that SUVs were appropriate “family vehicles … we’re pandering to a tiny minority of the very urban population who have decided to make the SUV the symbol of the battle against pollution”. +++
+++ Back in January, PORSCHE revealed its Vision 357, a modern take on the company’s original 356 sports car to celebrate the brand’s 75th anniversary. But it turns out, Porsche created a companion 357, a convertible Speedster variant. And the differences go even further, because whereas the coupe got a 4.0-liter flat-6, this one is all-electric, borrowing from the Mission R concept. As one would expect, the 357 Speedster looks just like the coupe, except for the lack of roof. Most of the body is the same, including the disguised headlights, massive curved fenders, and slick vertical grille slits down the back. Where the roof has been removed, there’s a single cowl behind the driver seat, and the passenger side is hidden by a tonneau cover. It does get a unique paint scheme in silver and grey with light blue accents. It even has an animal mascot like other recent Porsche concepts: a unicorn, found on each side ahead of the rear wheels. The interior features mainly bare carbon fiber. The driver seat is actually molded into the carbon fiber monocoque with a bunch of pads to provide some comfort. A six-point harness keeps the driver in place, and instead of a glove box, there’s a shelf with some more straps to secure important documents. The biggest difference is under the skin, though. The chassis comes from the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, which isn’t a huge departure from the also 718-based 357. But instead of the flat-6, the Speedster goes electric. Porsche didn’t give precise specs, but it said the motors and batteries are Mission R-based. The Mission R used a pair of motors, one in the rear with 650 horsepower, and one up front making 435, with a combined 1,085 horsepower. The Mission R also had an 82 kWh battery pack. All those parts would make the 357 Speedster a true monster in performance compared to the 357 coupe. Sadly, but not surprisingly, the 357 Speedster is a one-off concept. It’s a stylish counterpoint to the coupe’s full-retro celebration of everything Porsche has been; demonstrating what Porsche can and will be, while also acknowledging what has made it great. The car will be first displayed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend, followed by the Rennsport Reunion this September. +++
+++ Japan’s second-biggest steelmaker JFE Holdings Inc sees usage of technology known as ‘Gigacasting’ as a risk to the company’s business as it could lead to reduction of steel usage, its President Koji Kakigi told reporters. Toyota, the world’s topselling automaker, became the latest car producer planning to adopt ‘Gigacasting’ house-sized aluminum die-casting machines able to produce aluminum parts far bigger than anything used before in auto manufacturing. Pioneered by TESLA , ‘Gigacasting’ allows for production of larger and lighter parts (essential for electric vehicles with heavy batteries) reducing costs, and attracting interest from automobile giants including General Motors and Hyundai. “The amount of crude steel used will obviously decrease”, Kakigi told a press conference on Wednesday, calling ‘Gigacasting’ “a very big problem”. As aluminum is less strong compared to steel, iron might be needed in the most vulnerable EV parts to increase safety, he said. JFE Holdings may consider investing into coking coal essential for steelmaking, Kakigi added, expecting demand to remain solid for such assets in the next couple of decades. In May, JFE Holdings said it expected to post a 17% increase in the current fiscal year’s net profit to 190 billion yen ($1.4 billion) on stronger steel demand thanks to a recovery in the auto sector. +++