Although the U.S. government is rolling out various and sundry rules, regulations and funding schemes meant to increase the number of electric vehicles on the roads, elsewhere governments are drawing lines in the proverbial sand and saying, “After this date certain, no more ICE.”
In the UK there had initially been a plan to ban the sale of new vehicles with combustion engines (gas or diesel) by 2040, but even that was considered extreme by people in the auto industry.
Still, in 2020 the UK government set the time when it would no longer be permissible to sell new combustion vehicles: 2030.
But last year, British prime minister Rishi Sunak, member of the Conservative Party, pushed that deadline back by five years, to 2035. That happens to be when the European Union has announced it will enact a ban. Seems like there was something the UK and the EU could agree on.
(It is worth noting that the Germans are taking a carve out: it will be permissible to sell combustion engine powered vehicles there beyond 2035—if those vehicles use carbon-neutral fuels. Odds are there aren’t going to be a whole lot of e-fuels available there or anywhere else at that time, unless the big oil companies go at it right away, and given that as about 85% of crude oil by weight is carbon, carbon neutrality will be a tough assignment.)
Back to the UK.
There will be an election for a new prime minister in the UK on July 4.
Sunak will be facing Keir Starmer of the Labour Party.
The party has written a “manifesto” outlining its approach to various social and economic issues facing the UK.
And in it there’s this:
“Labour will support the transition to electric vehicles by accelerating the roll out of charge points, giving certainty to manufacturers by restoring the phase-out date of 2030 for new cars with internal combustion engines, and supporting buyers of second-hand electric cars by standardising the information supplied on the condition of batteries.”
That’s right: going back to 2030.
Somehow this probably isn’t “giving certainty to manufacturers.”
When you think of the quintessential full-size pickup truck, the sort of thing that you imagine farmers loading with bales or hay or contractors carrying loads of gravel, it is probably the Ford F-Series.
With good reason, given Ford sells those trucks the way McDonald’s sells hamburgers. The numbers are staggering.
But odds are, those images of the F-Series are probably not entirely accurate.
BMW 5 Series. Or you could consider a pickup truck. (Image: BMW)
Listen to Erin Keating, executive analyst for Cox Automotive, talking about vehicle transaction prices in May.
First she notes: “The popularity of fully loaded, full-size pickup trucks that are more luxurious than many luxury vehicles is unique to the U.S. market.”
Which can be understood that (1) there aren’t a lot of full-size pickup trucks sold in other markets around the world* and (2) those trucks are probably used as utility vehicles (e.g., the opening examples).
Keating does on: “The Ford F-Series outsold BMW 2-to-1 in May, and BMW’s ATP [average transaction price] was only marginally higher than the F-Series.”
Whereas the average transaction price for a BMW in May was $72,946, the ATP for an F-Series was $67,837.
Now that’s about a five-grand difference, which isn’t exactly trivial.
But somehow a Bimmer seems as though it is in another category all together compared with something that you probably once saw with a decal of Calvin relieving himself on a Chevy bowtie on the back window of the truck.
Of course, not a $68,000 truck, but nonetheless. . . .
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*That full-size pickups are pretty much indigenous to the U.S. market is something that makes the development of EV versions of the trucks somewhat problematic in the long run. That is, on a global basis something like the Ford Mustang Mach-E has more applicability than an F-150 Lightning. While it seems to have been thought by some OEM execs that because customers in the U.S. buy lots and lots of trucks, then if a somewhat sizable percentage of them buy electric versions then everything will be great. For reasons including cost and/or performance, that is not proving to be the case. This means that scale isn’t being achieved, and if there is something that is necessary for an OEM, it’s that. So by spending lots of engineering and manufacturing resources on making a type of vehicle that has a limited domestic market and a nearly non-existent global market, achieving scale is anywhere is not particularly likely.
Something you actually need to drive—assuming you are one of the remaining few who knows how that third pedal works in an era being increasingly characterized by one-pedal driving
By Gary S. Vasilash
“Wow! You should drive the wheels off that!”
Which isn’t the sort of remark that you’d ordinarily get when someone sees a parked car. Not even a muscle car.
2024 VW Golf GTI: Engineered to be driven. (Image: VW)
Especially not something when the guy saying it probably grew up watching muscle cars on Telegraph or Woodward.
It was clear that one look and he thought that it is a vehicle to be driven and everything else would just be icing on the cake.
He was looking at the VW Golf GTI.
In autodom in general the GTI is somewhat rare.
That is, it didn’t appear in the U.S. until 1983.
And while 41 years is a non-trivial number, there isn’t an abundance of the cars out there.
In 2023 Volkswagen of America delivered 7,451 GTIs.
Through Q1 2024 it has delivered 2,412, which is a 156% increase over Q1 ’23.
If it maintains the Q1 pace through the remaining three quarters it could reach 9,648 by the end of the year. As a percentage, a lot. But as tires on the ground, not so many.
And the reason is simple.
While the Golf in Germany* is still primarily a family car that is available with a variety of powertrains, the GTI is, quite simply, a car that it categorized by enthusiasts as a “hot hatch.”
The hatch configuration lends itself to, say, stocking up on things for the family. And with the rear seat folded the GTI offers 34.5 cubic feet of cargo capacity. Plenty.
But odds are Costco is not the destination for the car, especially not the Mk3 GTI 380, as it is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission.**
It is meant to have its wheels driven off. So to speak.
When the observation was made, even though the car was standing still the bright-red brake calipers seen though the gloss-black wheels inserted in the summer tires telegraphed the message that this car is meant to go.
And it does.
The transmission is mated to a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that produces 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque.
It is a front-drive car. To help mitigate issues when getting on the accelerator therew is an electronically controlled torque-sensing limited-slip differential that keeps the car going where pointed.
There is something that strikes me as somewhat ironic about the GTI with the six-speed.
There are metal surfaces on the pedals. A massive metal dead pedal. It is a car that you have to, comparatively speaking, work at driving.
In effect, it is more “mechanical” that your run-of-the-road vehicle. And I mean that in a positive way.
Yet as this is a contemporary car it has, in the words of VW, a “technologically advanced cabin, which offers an integrated high-end digital experience.”
Yes, this means digital gauges for the driver and an infotainment system. Now obligatory.
But the thing that is amusingly odd that for being such a “mechanical” vehicle, the interfaces are not knobs and buttons but smooth, touch-sensitive surfaces.
If there is any car that really needs a large, knurled volume knob, it is the GTI.
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*Whenever an auto plant is launched, politicians typically come out and make a speech. When the eighth-generation Golf went into production in Hall 12 of the Wolfsburg plant, Stephan Weil, Minister President of the State of Lower Saxony, made some remarks including, “I’m an absolute fan of the Golf and have myself been driving one for several years. For many people in Lower Saxony, the Golf is a piece of home and something they can identify with. Just like the VW Beetle was in the past, the Golf has been a symbol of mobility and freedom for decades. Since 1974, the Golf has made a significant contribution to the stability and growth of Volkswagen and industry in Lower Saxony.” During the past 50 years there have been more than 37-million Golfs sold around the world, of which more than half were produced in Wolfsburg. More of these cars are transportation vehicles rather than enthusiast cars.
**The GTI is also available with a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission with Tiptronic. The automatic is optional. Here’s something that seems, well, different. The MSRP for the GTI with the six-speed ranges from $32,685 to $40,825. But the MSRP for the vehicle with the optional seven-speed ranges from $31,965 to $40,505—less than the models with the manual. Presumably this has something to do with volume: something made in fewer numbers tends to have a higher price than something made in greater numbers. Or maybe it goes to the point that this is the final year there will be a manual in the GTI, so if you want it you’ve got to pay a bit more for the privilege.
Yes, it is still round. But it provides increased functionality
By Gary S. Vasilash
Steering wheels have increasingly become not only the means by which drivers can aim their vehicles, but as a user interface for a variety of functions, from controlling the audio system to engaging cruise control.
Then there is the packaging for the airbag.
Oh, and the steering wheel still is the place where one honks the horn. (Something that is more apparent in, say, New York City.)
Note the horizontal interface across the wheel. (Image: ZF LIFETEC)
A new approach to the steering wheel has been concepted by ZF LIFETEC.
No, this isn’t something where the configuration is radically changed, as though someone is piloting an aircraft rather than an auto.
But there is a horizontal element that goes across the diameter of this concept steering wheel that is described as serving as a control for the “vehicle’s entertainment and assistance functions.”
It is a seamless surface with force-sensitive “buttons.”
The airbag?
It “deploys from the top side of the steering wheel through the upper steering wheel rim toward the driver.”
By this repositioning from where the airbag is typically located the designers and engineers are able to provide that horizontal section with a variety of functions, perhaps even at some point a central screen.
For every action there is still an opposite reaction. . .
By Gary S. Vasilash
While it might seem that anyone riding in a large SUV would be safe, especially in relation to those who are not riding in a large SUV when said vehicle has a collision with the non-large vehicle—and, yes, according to IIHS president David Harkey, “The huge mass of these large SUVs provides some additional protection in crashes with smaller vehicles, though that also means they present more danger to other road users” (like those in smaller vehicles)—turns out not all is without risk.
Wagoneer in the small overlap front test. (Image: IIHS)
Harkey: “The flip side of their large size is that there is a lot more force to manage when they crash into a fixed obstacle like a tree or bridge abutment or the barriers we use in our front crash tests.”
Yes, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has a tendency to crash all manner of vehicles into barriers of various sizes and orientations.
IIHS recently tested the Jeep Wagoneer, Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition.
And of the three, only the Wagoneer received the organization’s 2024 TOP SAFETY PICK award.
The reasons the Chevy and Ford didn’t get the pick are various, including “subpar performance in the small overlap front crash test.”
What is surprising about that is, as IIHS points out, “More than 90% of new models have sailed through this evaluation with good ratings since 2021.”
The small overlap front crash test is about “maintaining survival space for the driver and front passenger.”
Survival space.
Of the three, IIHS found the Expedition to be most troubled when rammed into barriers on either the driver or passenger sides.
Another troubling thing is that while big vehicles like these are typically people movers, all three were not particularly good when it came to the second-row passengers during the moderate overlap test.
All of which is to say: No matter how big your vehicle is, drive it carefully and safely. After all, your passengers depend on it. To say nothing of how things like footwell intrusion should you be driving can be more than merely problematic.
Although the number of vehicles sold in a given month in the UK isn’t particularly large, from a percentage standpoint there are undoubtedly some people at US OEMs who wish they’d have the kind of EV registration numbers that exist in the UK:
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), in May EVs have 17.6% of the market.
While the whole market was up 1.7% in May, SMMT figures show that EV sales were up 6.2%. Clearly, EVs in the UK are doing rather well.
Do British consumers know something that American consumers don’t?
Well, maybe not.
Turns out that consumer retail EV sales were actually down 2%.
The uptick in the EV market came from fleets.
In the UK there is something called the “Vehicle Emissions Trading Scheme” that mandates zero-emissions vehicles represent 22% of a manufacturers’ annual sales.
Apparently there are incentives available to businesses for getting EVs that are not open to consumers. The SMMT believes that it is necessary for “the next government to provide consumers with meaningful purchase incentives.”
Conservative leader Rishi Sunak, current UK prime minister, will square off against Labour leader Keir Starmer on July 4.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive:
“As Britain prepares for next month’s general election, the new car market continues to hold steady as large fleets sustain growth, offsetting weakened private retail demand. Consumers enjoy a plethora of new electric models and some very attractive offers, but manufacturers can’t sustain this scale of support on their own indefinitely. Their success so far should be a signpost for the next government that a faster and fairer transition requires carrots, not just sticks.”
While of the subject of incentives and such, it should be noted that in May plug-in hybrids were up 31.5% are regular hybrids up 9.6%, both handily outperforming EVs.
And while the May ’24 market share for plug-ins is 8% and hybrids 13.2%, each below the EV’s 17.6%, combined they represent 21.2% of the market.
Evidently consumers aren’t against reduced emissions but are in favor (favour?) of the convenience and range provided by hybrids.
One of the things that seemingly more European drivers—particularly those in Germany—do that isn’t as frequently performed by Americana drivers is to swap out their tires from summer tires to winter tires. Winter tires provide more grip than even the all-season tires that are more common in the U.S. And a lot more grip that that provided by summer tires.
Apparently there is a bit of an issue with winter tires and electric vehicles.
BMW/Pirelli jontly developed winter tire with EV applicataions as the focus. (Image: BMW)
The compounds and the tread patterns found on winter tires that provide the grip are such that the rolling resistance is increased.
And when it comes to EVs in particular, that rolling resistance can decrease range.
So BMW Group and Pirelli have developed 20-inch P Zero Winter 2 tires, specifically for the BMW 7 Series, including the electric i7.
The companies say that compared to a conventional winter tire, the i7 can get 50 km (31 miles) of additional range.
According to Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, senior vice president, Development Driving Pleasure, BMW Group (with a title like that, I’d quote him even if it was not even tangential to the subject), “These tires exemplify our commitment to pushing the boundaries of our cars in even dimension.”
The tires will be available in August, then fitment for the new BMW X3 later this year.
One of the aspects of electric vehicles that is regularly not talked about is that because they tend to be pricier than vehicles with gas engines (according to KBB the average transaction price for an EV is $54,021 compared to $47,218 for vehicles in general) is that insurance rates are higher.
Higher because the vehicle itself is more expensive.
Higher because the cost of repairs is higher.
(When people talk about the need for more EV infrastructure, it is mainly about charging stations. But here’s something to consider: what is the level of availability of repair shops for EVs? I recently went to a repair shop on a Monday to find out when I could get some simple service performed for a non-EV. The scheduler said, “Erm, how about Friday? We’re understaffed.” I suspect that had it been an EV I would have heard, “Well, the EV guy is pretty much booked through. . .” and it would have been beyond Friday.)
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Consumer Price Index, while prices for goods and services across the board is up 3.4% from April ’23 to April ’24, motor vehicle insurance over the same period is up 22.6%.
Experian has surveyed consumers and found that 71% say that inflation has “impacted their road trip plans.”
However, over the past 12 months food away from home is up 4.1% and gasoline 1.2%, so it is hard to understand why so many people see inflation as being a big problem.
For the past few years it seems like there hasn’t been a Hyundai the exterior design of which I haven’t been most impressed by. Sedan or crossover, ICE or electric, the design team at Hyundai has been delivering in a way that I’m sure there are some at other OEM studios can only shake their heads at in wonder, admiration and jealousy.
Former head of Ford design J. Mays used to say, in effect, that it cost as much to stamp a boring body panel as it does an intriguing one. So given that. . . .
It does seem to be the case, however, that Hyundai’s competitors have watched the way the company is gaining market share, going from a brand that didn’t seem to be having much of an effect on the market* (in effect, just getting buyers on the margin) to one that is growing, step by step (i.e., in pre-pandemic 2019 Hyundai sold 668,771 vehicles in the U.S.; in 2023 that number was up to 801,195; 2024 sales through May show a 2% increase over 2023, not a big number by any means, but one that is still on the plus side). And what those competitors see is that people in non-trivial numbers like non-boring sheet metal, so they have, in an increasing number of instances, elevated their games.
Which is good for consumers.
That said, Hyundai design has persistently produced vehicles that are striking.
Which led me to fear that I was becoming too enamored with the marque.
A shift (and it has a single-speed reduction gear transmission). . .
But then I saw the rear of the 2024 Kona Electric and that fear became unfounded.
Rear of the 2024 Kona Electric (Images: Hyundai)
It strikes me—yes, yes, entirely subjective—as simply too slabby.
The rear of the original Kona, model year 2018, is something that I think is far more interesting. And as I spend time looking at photos of the earlier iteration of the Kona, I think its design is superior to the current one. The forms are much tighter.
Rear of the original, 2018, Hyundai Kona. I like this one better. Much, much better.
Of course, OEMs are interested in moving their current models, not ones from the past. (Interestingly, in terms of purchasing, the Cox Automotive 2023 Automotive Car Buyer Journey Study found that 68% of buyers considered both new and used vehicles and it is worth noting that there some 36 million used vehicles sold in 2023, more than double the number of new. For the consumer, used matters.)
OK. Now completely objective info.
Just the facts. . .
The Kona Electric is, well, an electric vehicle. It is powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor that produces 150 kW (a.k.a., 201 hp). The motor powers the front axle. There is a 64.8 kWh lithium-ion battery. According to the EPA this setup provides a range of 261 miles.
With DC fast charging the battery can go from 10% to 80% in approximately 43 minutes. With a Level II charger, using the 11 kW onboard charger, it can go from 10% to 100% in 6 hours, 14 minutes. (This is the sort of thing that can happen at home.)
The Kona Electric’s outside measurements are: wheelbase, 104.7 inches; length, 171.5 inches; width, 71.9 inches; and height, with roof rails, 62.2 inches.
The Kona Electric’s inside measurements are: passenger interior volume with sunroof, 96.8 cubic feet.
The Kona Electric’s cargo capacities are: behind the second row, 25.5 cubic feet; second row folded, 63.7 cubic feet.
The Kona Electric’s frunk capacity: 0.95 cubic feet. (Think of a place to store the charging cable.)
Not just the facts. . .
On the inside (now going back to the subjective mode with some numbers thrown in) there is the clean, contemporary look that Hyundai is bringing to all of its vehicles.
There is a 12.3 driver information screen and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. While it doesn’t fake being one screen, for practical purposes this is 24.6 inches of screen, which is quite impressive. (Plus the visual appearance is first-rate.)
There is an eight-way power driver seat; the passenger has to adjust their own, xix ways. But both front seats are heated and ventilated and are trimmed out with “H-Tex” leatherette (a.k.a., pleather).
There are wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Bose premium audio.
There is Hyundai Digital Key, which means you can use your phone in lieu of the fob; the fob has proximity capability which means you can approach the locked vehicle and it will open when you tug the handle.
There is an array of safety tech (e.g., blind-spot collision warning; parking distance warning; navigation-based smart cruise control with stop and go; lane-keep assist). There is also something that is useful in regular driving: use the turn signal and there is a camera view in the driver information screen showing what’s along side the vehicle (yes, the sort of thing you can see in the side-view mirrors—but better).
So. . .
Drives well. (Somewhat) reasonable range (I am in the 300-mile club). Good tech and nice interior. Excellent MSRP for this loaded (Limted) model: $41,045.
The 2025 Grom is part of the miniMOTO model lineup that American Honda has on offer.
The “mini” is absolutely spot-on.
You’ll meet the nicest–and possibily thriftiest–people on a Grom. (Image: Amercan Honda)
The bike has a 47.2-inch wheelbase and a seat height of 30 inches. It weighs just 224 pounds.
The Grom has a 124-cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine. (It meets current EPA and even CARB standards.) It has a five-speed transmission. Hydraulic disc brakes.
There is a 1.6-gallon fuel tank.
If you go to Home Depot for a gas-powered push mower, odds are the engine is going to be bigger than the one on the Grom (though the fuel tank will be smaller).
But here’s something very cool about the Grom:
Its fuel economy is an estimated 166.5 miles per gallon.
Consider: If the average American’s commute is a total 40 miles, then the Grom, with a single tank of gas, would allow five days of commuting and still leave gas in the tank for weekend errands.
And when you go to the gas station to fill the Grom, the price will be so low you’ll have plenty of money left for snacks.
(And speaking of spending, the starting MSRP for the ’25 Grom is $3,599.)
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