- What Do You Mean? -- GM told investors that it will save over $1 billion for each plant it converts to all-electric vehicles. But the maths is a bit suspect: that saving comes from not having to invest in new stamping, body assembly and paint facilities. These are exactly the same parts of the factory that would be re-used by an internal combustion engine model. So all GM is really saying is that it is better to convert a plant than bulldoze it and build a new one somewhere else (assuming there is no endemic workplace culture). But isn’t that kind of obvious?
- Friends Will Be Friends -- VW CEO Diess invited Elon Musk to address top managers at the German firm and show them what they were up against, and Musk agreed. Musk told the enraptured throng that Tesla was an amazing problem-solving culture created in his own image. They probably all clapped. Are we on our way to a new, happier, world where top executives exhort their rivals to attempt to outdo them in the spirit of ultimate competition? Or does Musk have an underlying reason for sprinkling his magic dust over VW… like, convincing Europeans that his company isn’t a threat?
- Make Some Noise -- AMG’s technical chief doesn’t think that artificial engine noises are the way to go for all-electric cars, fearing the creation of a pastiche. He still wants to give a nod to the internal combustion engine experience by incorporating vibration. Remember when polyphonic ringtones used to cost several pounds to download (looking at you, Crazy Frog fans)? Yet now everyone has their phones set to silent. Will there be a time when the whole discussion appears academic?
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 19th May 2019
Life moving more slowly; hands-off highway driving by Nissan; and is Ford managing its restructuring the right way? Please enjoy our auto industry and mobility […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 12th May 2019
Life goes on for diesel; Audi’s treatment of disgruntled customers; and BMW and Tesla’s software woes? Please enjoy our auto industry and mobility briefing for […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 5th May 2019
Cheaper 3D printing of metal parts; Tesla’s lean cash experiment; and is a battery raw material supply crunch real or imagined? Please enjoy our auto […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 28th April 2019
Mr Musk’s driverless dog and pony show; dirty passengers make dirty vehicles; and why did Ford just spend $500 million on Rivian? Please enjoy our […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 21st April 2019
Improving fuel economy without touching the engine; Uber’s expensive self-driving car technology; and is Audi’s thinking more mature than its rivals? Please enjoy our auto […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 14th April 2019
Ignoring brand history; Ford aims to be fit before the crunch; and underestimating the difficulty of developing electric cars. Please enjoy our auto industry and […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 7th April 2019
Pollution taxes > outright bans; Tesla’s Model S and Model X lose ground; and open CO2 pools in Europe — only for the brave? Please […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 31st March 2019
Self-driving dominoes falling; creating new cars is too expensive; and battery range — it’s all in the manufacturing. Please enjoy our auto industry and mobility […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 24th March 2019
Daimler needs to be Smarter; Ford’s new broom; and fewer powertrains could encourage sharing. Please enjoy our auto industry and mobility briefing for 18th March […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 17th March 2019
European CO2 targets thin the herd; the no-deal Brexit tariff plan; and BMW and Daimler might put E-FIRST. Please enjoy our auto industry and mobility […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 10th March 2019
Cheap cars with batteries that get bigger; electrification’s missing link; and what is going on at Tesla? Please enjoy our auto industry and mobility briefing […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 3rd March 2019
Cheap electric vehicles get more wheels; selling without a storefront; and how far can the Porsche brand stretch? Please enjoy our auto industry and mobility […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 24th February 2019
Mercedes-Benz EQC’s failure to launch; broadening the Model 3’s appeal; and is Ford’s CEO isolated? Please enjoy our auto industry and mobility briefing for 18th […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 17th February 2019
Renault cut the cords of Ghosn’s parachute; using Brexit to bury bad news; and Americans who can’t afford their wheels. Please enjoy our auto industry […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 10th February 2019
PSA’s continued efficiency drive; when Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi met Waymo; and JLR’s big write-down. Please enjoy our auto industry and mobility briefing for 4th February to 10th […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 3rd February 2019
Self-driving cars we can’t understand; smart cars doing stupid things; and Koenigsegg are in the money. Please enjoy our auto industry and mobility briefing for […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 27th January 2019
Old-fashioned electric cars; bicycles that ride themselves; and do panics really only start once everyone is ready? Please enjoy our auto industry and mobility briefing […]Read More
Auto Industry Briefing — week ending 20th January 2019
Paying for travel differently; Tesla’s growing pains; and more creativity needed to sell electric cars. Please enjoy our auto industry and mobility briefing for 14th […]Read More