shinymetalboxes

Cars, culture & contingent considerations

What Did People Pay at a GM Dealer in Q4 2021?

Posted on February 4, 2022 by shinymetalboxes

By Gary S. Vasilash

Yes, there are things like logistics jams and semiconductor absences that are making getting a new set of wheels (1) difficult at most and (2) more expensive than might seem to be reasonable. (Of course, finding a bag of potato chips might be a challenge, too, and once you find one you’ll discover that its contents is reduced and its price has been raised.)

Still, seeing the average transaction prices for General Motors products in Q4 2021, according to Cox Automotive, is somewhat surprising.

For Cadillac, the amount of money that people actually paid at the dealership—the average transaction price (ATP)—was $77,143. Compared to Q4 2020 that is a 29% increase.

Those rolling out of a dealership in an Escalade paid an average $107,336. That 38-inch OLED screen isn’t cheap.

Perhaps a GMC would be a more reasonable buy. Its ATP was $62,501. Perhaps.

Once, in the stairstep approach to brands, Buick was just below Cadillac. There’s something to be said for not giving up aspirational sedans and switching to a showroom of crossovers: even though Buick 2021 sales were up 10.5 percent, even though its ATPs were up 14% in Q4 2021, it was the lowest overall in GM brands according to Cox: $39,304.

Yes, this means that Chevy had a higher ATP: $50,336.

It is worth noting that in 2021 Buick delivered 179,799 vehicles while GMC moved 482,437, of which more than half (248,924) were full-size pickups.

Still, if those pickups, as well as the Canyon (24,125 were sold in 2021), are subtracted from GMC’s overall sales, it moved 209,388 vehicles, or 29,589 more than Buick.

All of which is to say that talking ATPs into account, GMC is doing significantly better than Buick. Clearly people would rather have a GMC.

That said, the $50,336 ATP for a Chevy (yes, the Silverado pickup price has a lot to do with that) makes me think that if people want a hot dog, apple pie and a Chevrolet, they may have to rethink their choices.

About that Beater’s Price

Posted on February 3, 2022 by shinymetalboxes

According to Kelley Blue Book, which knows about such things, the average used vehicle price at the close of 2021 was $28,205.

That was 28% higher than it was at the end of 2020.

42% higher than in December 2019.

(One thing that is a little odd about this: Given that there was a decrease in the miles traveled during the lockdown portion of that period, as in, say, people working from home and therefore not driving, wouldn’t you imagine that the demand for used vehicles—yes, we know that the lack of semiconductors reduced the availability of new cars, which put some people into the used market—would have been lower, or is it simply that they could have been much higher?)

Back to that $28,205.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in the U.S. in 2020 (these were the latest figures collected as of September 2021) was $67,521, a 2.9% decrease from 2019.

Let’s say for the sake of argument that there was a 5% increase in 2021 (an arbitrary figure based on nothing).

That would make the median income $70,897.

The average used car would be about 40% of that annual income.

Vehicle Types: More of the Same

Posted on February 2, 2022 by shinymetalboxes

By Gary S. Vasilash

According to AutoForecast Solutions, the top global vehicle types in 2021 were:

Small CUV: 24%
B: 12%
C: 10%
Mid CUV: 10%
D: 10%
Minivan: 5%
Large P/U: 5%
Others: 24%

The firm has extrapolated what it sees coming in 2028:

Small CUV: 28%
B: 11%
C: 10%
Mid CUV: 10%
D: 9%
Minivan: 5%
Large P/U: 5%
Others: 22%

In other words, a few more small CUVs and almost everything else just the same.

One could argue the future is now.

Electrify America Tops in Charging Analysis

Posted on February 1, 2022 by shinymetalboxes

By Gary S. Vasilash

Electrify America, the company that was established by Volkswagen as part of its penalties associated with “Dieselgate,” is the network calculated to be best by umlaut, an organization that performs benchmarking, and Charged, an EV magazine.

Electrify America scored highest, with 702 of a possible 1,000 points.

Tesla came in second, at 649.

There were two primary categories:

Digital Platform
Charging Location

The people performing the analysis drove some 2,100 miles in Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. They drove in a Mustang Mach-E and a Tesla Model 3.

In the Digital Platform category, which looks at things like the website and the app, Electrify America came in with 275 points. Tesla was well behind, at 165.

In terms of Charging Location, which is about the actual act of charging, Electrify America scored 426.75 points while Tesla came in at 484.25.

So the biggest difference is not out there plugging in at a station but while on one’s phone.

Guess it comes down to what is more important, especially when you just want to get the damn thing charged and on your away.

The other charge point providers and their scores are: Charge Point (611), EVgo (578), Greenlots (548), Blink (505) and EV Connect (472).

Bollinger on Bollinger

Posted on January 31, 2022 by shinymetalboxes

By Gary S. Vasilash

Back in 2017 Bollinger Motors revealed two vehicles, the B1 a bona-fide SUV (it actually has a frame, which makes it more SUV than crossover), and the B2, a Class 3 pickup.

Both are electric vehicles.

What was absolutely remarkable about the two is that there is a design aesthetic that is all about straight-up functionality rather than either copying the design, more or less, of an existing vehicle with an internal combustion engine or going completely futuristic. As there are more announcements of electric pickups the B2 stands in a place of its own.

And in 2019, when the company announced the pricing for the fully electric, all-wheel drive vehicles, some took in a quick breath: $125,000.

Bollinger Motors B2 (*Image: Bollinger*)

Be that as it may, reservations came rolling in to the company that had moved from New York to greater Detroit in order to be in the midst of automotive development.

On January 14, 2022, Bollinger Motors announced a change in direction:

“We started Bollinger Motors in 2015 with a dream and a desire to make the best trucks possible,” said Robert Bollinger, CEO of Bollinger Motors. “We’ve put countless hours of hard work and passion into making something that makes us proud. However, today, we’re postponing the consumer trucks’ development and shifting our focus to commercial trucks and fleets.”

The company would be focusing its efforts on vehicles in the class 3-6 category, trucks that are typically bought by businesses in volumes of more than one.

Bollinger engineers had developed the underpinnings for electric trucks in terms of the battery system as well as the structure, so that, rather than the exterior sheet metal, is where the company will now be focusing its development efforts.

So why the change?

On this edition of “Autoline After Hours” Robert Bollinger explains the thinking behind addressing the commercial market first rather than pursuing the personal, or individual, market. He notes that the work they’ve done beneath the skin provides the solid workings for commercial vehicles, a place where he—and many others—think that there will be a significant deployment of electric vehicles.

It is worth noting that the B2 was from the start a robust truck and so that is just being amped up for these new applications.

Bollinger discusses this move with “Autoline’s” John McElroy, Greg Migliore of Autoblog, and me.

It becomes clear that Bollinger isn’t just the guy whose name is on the company but a man who is deeply committed to the development of first-rate vehicles.

That is something that makes a tremendous difference between builders who want to make a quick buck and those who want to make something that people will appreciate.

Toyota’s Top SUV Gets High Marks for a Trim

Posted on January 28, 2022 by shinymetalboxes

By Gary S. Vasilash

Vehicle naming protocols can be a tricky thing.

There is a tendency for OEMs to opt for metals when naming vehicles at the top end of their lineups. Platinum is exceedingly popular. The metal is 78 on the Periodic Table. Gold does it one better, however, at 79.

But somehow gold doesn’t seem quite as exclusive as platinum does. In fact it seems rather common (perhaps it has something to do with those late-night commercials from outfits offering to buy your jewelry).

But if platinum keeps being rolled out as a moniker, then it will become far too common. Soon it will become like, well, gold.

That said, the new Mercedes C-Class has a group of interesting trims:

Premium
Exclusive
Pinnacle

The “Exclusive” name is the most amusing in that if something is truly exclusive do you have to tell someone? And if you have to tell someone, is it exclusive or obscure? (And unless you want to sell a whole lot of something, isn’t obscure, in some ways, better, more, well, exclusive without claiming to be?)

“Premium” sounds like an adjective used at outlet malls.

“Pinnacle” is good. Still, it seems a bit out of place for a sedan. Sounds like an SUV (e.g., Jeep Summit.)

But Toyota has just done Mercedes one better.

The 2023 Sequoia, a full-size, three-row SUV that is about the size of a small but stylish building (it can town 9,000 pounds, so think, perhaps, tiny house), comes in five grades, with the pedestrian Limited and Platinum (see?) and the Toyota-specific SR5 and TRD Pro.

But the ultimate, and really an outstanding choice for a vehicle of the Sequoia’s magnitude (remember, that comes from the name of that massive redwood), is:

Capstone

When you consider that the Sequoia is at the top of the Toyota lineup, the top trim for the model truly has to be called out as a crowning achievement.

(Were one to be snarky, it might be pointed out that “stone” isn’t exactly the sort of thing that one would like to ascribe to a vehicle that is meant to move, as that term can bring to mind mass, and while Toyota hasn’t released the specs for the 2023 model yet, the lightest 4WD 2022 Sequoia weighs 5,985 pounds, and the Platinum trim (go figure) comes in at an even three tons. But (a) we aren’t going to be snarky and (b) we really like the Capstone name.)

Who Knew?

Posted on January 27, 2022 by shinymetalboxes

“Manufacturing is Tesla’s core competency.”—Tesla Q4 and 2021 Update

It is interesting to note that in its Fremont plant it has the capacity to produce 100,000 Model S/Model X and 500,000 Model 3/Model Y. In Shanghai, >450,000 Model 3/Model Y.

And it has Berlin and Texas on tap.

Yes, there is a lot of manufacturing capability at Tesla that sometimes gets overlooked by, well, everything else.

Bentley Looks to Its Future

Posted on January 26, 2022 by shinymetalboxes

By Gary S. Vasilash

If you were to draw an inverted triangle between Liverpool, Manchester and Crewe, with Crewe being the point at the bottom, that gives you a sense of the location in northern England where some 4,000 people work building Bentleys.

Bentley is 102 now. It clearly plans to be in the game for many more years to come. (Image: Bentley)

Today it was announced that Bentley is making a £2.5-billion investment in sustainability, which includes building at Crewe what is being called a “Dream Factory” for the production of electric vehicles.

Bentley’s first EV will be built at Crewe in 2025, and by 2030, when the brand is fully electric, there will be four more vehicles.

As Adrian Hallmark, chairman and CEO of Bentley, put it:

“Our aim is to become the benchmark not just for luxury cars or sustainable credentials but the entire scope of our operations. Securing production of our first BEV in Crewe is a milestone moment for Bentley, and the UK, as we plan for a long-term sustainable future in Crewe.”

Automotive manufacturing in the UK needs all the help it can get, and clearly the Volkswagen Group, of which Bentley is a part, is giving it some.

Do People Have to Walk Really Fast?

Posted on January 25, 2022 by shinymetalboxes

Owl Autonomous Imaging has developed and patented “monocular 3D thermal imaging and ranging solutions.”

The company’s tech is applicable to automotive advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

According to Owl, current ADAS systems generally use “mutually dependent visible-light cameras and radar” that can be negatively affected under certain conditions. Like night and/or rain.

So the Owl system is meant to overcome those limitations by using HD thermal imaging and the appropriate computer vision algorithms that are capable of creating “ultra-dense point clouds and highly refined object classification.”

In other words, objects like people and other animals generate heat and this system is able of detecting it.

Here’s the curious thing: the tech that Owl is developing for automotive use is predicated on “a thermal ranging solution developed under a challenge grant from the US Air Force to track missiles in flight traveling at over 1,000 mph.”

Engineering the ’24 Chevrolet Silverado EV

Posted on January 24, 2022 by shinymetalboxes

By Gary S. Vasilash

“Let’s determine what must be true to make it happen—and then let’s make it happen.”

Although it sounds rather simple, what Nicole Kraatz is referring to is the approach that she and her team took to product development under the restrictions that were presented to them because of COVID-19.

Business wasn’t as usual.

And what they were, and are, developing is something that is unlike what had been done before and absolutely important in the offerings of GM:

Kraatz is chief engineer of the Chevrolet Silverado EV.

Imagine: they had to develop a new vehicle while, in many cases, working at their kitchen tables, not the engineering center where there is immediate access to people and tech, not situations where you have to ask the kids to stop streaming because the Internet connection is wonky.

Determine what needs to be done. Then do it.

///

Pickup trucks are essential to the offerings of Chevy in particular and GM in, well, general.

In 2021 Chevrolet delivered a total 1,437,671 vehicles, of which 529,765 were Silverados.

GM sold a total of 2,218,228, vehicles, so Silverado is nearly a quarter of all of its sales.

2024 Silverado EV RST, style meets capability and electricity. *(Image: Chevrolet)*

In addition to which, GM is committed to transforming its vehicle portfolio to all-electric in the years to come, and is in the process of spending some $35-billion in transforming from combustion, including $2.2-billion at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center, which has been transformed to Factory ZERO, where the Siliverado EV will be built.

The 2024 model is interesting compared with the cross-town rival’s F-150 Lightning in that the Chevy is a new vehicle from the tires up, with nothing being brought over from the conventional truck, while the Ford is largely the combustion-based truck that is electrified.

(In the case of the Chevy, the Ultium platform is being used, an all-new EV battery-based architecture that provides a range of modularity such that pickup trucks and midsize SUVs—as in the Cadillac Lyriq—and other vehicles can be based on it.)

The Silverado EV will come in two versions at the start: the WT and the RST. The former is the work truck version, the sort of thing that contractors would be interested in as it will offer 8,000 pounds of towing and 1,200 pounds of payload.

The RST is the truck that someone will boast to their neighbors about was it offers everything from four-wheel steering to automatic adaptive air suspension, and when the Wide Open Watts mode is activated, it will have a 0 to 60 mph time of less than 4.5 seconds. (Remember: this is a full-size pickup truck.)

Both will have an estimated range of 400 miles on a charge and be capable of handling DC fast charging (up to 350 kW).

The Silverado EV represents an opportunity to Kraatz and her team to take the learnings of more than 100 years of GM trucks and make it something new.

Kraatz talks all about the Silverado EV on this edition of “Autoline After Hours” with John McElroy, Joann Muller of Axios What’s Next, and me.

And you can see it here.