Tag Archives: Reports

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Porsche Opens Its First Stand-Alone Service Center In The USA

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Porsche has just opened its first freestanding service center in the United States with a facility near the Atlanta airport.

The Porsche Service Center South Atlanta features 13 lift bays and forms part of an expansion of Porsche Cars North America headquarters at the site, which also includes a Porsche Experience Center track.

According to the German car manufacturer, the service center is a 22,000 square-foot facility, with 12,000 square-feet dedicated to servicing customer vehicles. The site also includes floor-to-ceiling windows in the customer area and takes architectural inspiration from Porsche Palm Springs, a bold dealership in California.

The service center also incorporates a 3,400 square-foot customer space with a reception area, a Porsche Driver’s Selection boutique, and a Porscheplatz lounge with a coffee bar, complete with various food and beverage options, as well as Porsche retail items.

Read Also: Porsche Vision Renndienst Interior Revealed With Center Driver’s Seat, Lounge-Like Third-Row

“Having the Service Center kick off our exciting expansion plans at our headquarters in Atlanta highlights our shared commitment to the customer experience,” president and chief executive of Porsche Cars North America, Kjell Gruner, said in a statement. “To see two dealerships come together to create a first-class and very convenient service experience is a significant milestone. We appreciate their investment and we think our customers will as well.”

The service center opened its doors on July 12 and is being operated jointly by Porsche Atlanta Perimeter and Hennessy Porsche North Atlanta.

“The Service Center is one great way to meet the expectations of a growing customer base in the Atlanta region,” dealer principal of Hennessey Porsche North Atlanta, Peter Hennessy added. “We are thrilled to provide another service option for Porsche drivers. The location inside of the Atlanta perimeter near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport should add value to many customers by making it easy and convenient to visit.”

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Bentley Mulliner Celebrates 1,000 Bespoke Creations With A Special Bentayga

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Mulliner has just built its 1,000th commission since it was formed back in 2014 as Bentley’s dedicated design team. The project was for a European customer who wanted specific interior features for their Bentayga.

The customer’s first request was the use of Olive Ash veneer, which is typically found in the Mulsanne, and their second request was the inclusion of a contrasting twin stitch to the seat uppers and door trims.

See Also: Thanks To Mulliner, Your Bentley Bentayga Can Have Stone Veneers and Tweed Accents

While this Bentayga is certainly not the most daunting project Mulliner has undertaken, that’s not to say it isn’t interesting, as aside from it’s special status, it wears a unique eggplant over tan color scheme with black exterior accents.

Flash back seven years, and Mulliner’s first project was a limited run of 15 Flying Spurs that focused on increased passenger comfort and featured reworked seats and headrests as well as an exclusive diamond-quilted pattern on the cabin upholstery. Even to this day you can still get the pattern on the Continental GT Mulliner.

Read More: Bentley Wants To Be More Sustainable So It Turned To Scotch-Maker The Macallan For Help

Regarding the milestone, Paul Williams, Director of Mulliner and Motorsport, said: “Since 2014, our Mulliner Design team has averaged three customer commissions a week, showing just how popular bespoke Bentleys are becoming. The team, led by Design Manager Phill Dean, has worked on everything from Continental GT3 liveries all the way up to the specifications and details of the 12 cars of the Blower Continuation Series. The only thing all of those designs have in common is that they are for individual customers – apart from that, each one is as unique as the rest.”

“The scope of what’s achievable with a standard production Bentley has now been brought to life by the team through the use of the dedicated Mulliner visualizer, which allows our customers to choose the colour and trim specifications of their cars with real-time photorealistic visualization of the result. The co-creation process with Mulliner designers is now available to everyone.”

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VW Opposes Proposal That Would Give Union-Made EVs More Incentives

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There’s a growing consensus in the United States that the electric vehicle tax credit should be reformed, but how to go about it remains up for debate.

While a number of people are calling for the credit to be expanded and increased, one proposal is gaining attention for blatantly favoring union-made vehicles.

As noted by Automotive News, the Clean Energy for America Act includes a proposal by Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow that would give customers an incentive of up to $12,500 (£9,023 / €10,532) for buying an electric vehicle. That would be a significant increase from the current $7,500 (£5,414 / €6,320) credit, but it wouldn’t apply to EVs evenly. Instead, the full amount would be reserved for vehicles made by union workers at plants in the United States.

Also Read: U.S. Senate Panel Advances New EV Tax Credit Bill, Could Be As Much As $12,500 For Cars Under $80,000

Needless to say, that’s not sitting well with everyone as it would mean Teslas wouldn’t be eligible for the full amount despite the fact that Tesla is an American company and makes vehicles in the United States. The proposal would also impact foreign automakers, who have plants in the United States which aren’t unionized.

More interestingly, it would ‘punish’ the Mexican-made Ford Mustang Mach-E. That’s pretty notable as Stabenow represents Michigan and Ford has contributed thousands to her campaigns over the years.

A number of automakers and industry groups are understandably against the proposal as Volkswagen Group of America told the publication, “While we are encouraged by the Biden administration’s support for [EVs] and other related infrastructure, it is critical to ensure EV policies support rather than bifurcate the market, so that the U.S. remains an e-mobility leader and that it is consumers who drive choice — not the government.” The company added it supports incentives that “do not favor one automaker over another.”

While it’s easy to dismiss the proposal as a political ploy to boost unions, the Clean Energy for America Act was advanced by the Senate Finance Committee in May. However, it seems doomed as Automotive News stated it is “unlikely to be taken up by the full Senate.”

However, it brings up an interesting question, should EVs be treated differently depending on where they’re made and who makes them?

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Kia EV6 Buyers Opt For Home Charger Over Free Apple Watch As First Edition Sells Out In Hours

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The First Edition of the Kia EV6 has sold out within a day of launch. Originally scheduled to be offered online on June 3, the Kia America website faced technical difficulties due to the overwhelming demand for the new BEV.

Although the reservation date was pushed back to the 8th of June, the minor hurdle didn’t hamper future owners, with all 1500 EV6s reserved with a refundable deposit of $100.

Deliveries aren’t expected to commence until Q1 2022, but First Edition cars were sought after in part thanks to a few incentives. These included gifts in the form of either an Apple Watch, 1000 kWh of charging credits, or a home charging station. Perhaps sensibly, 81 percent of pre-ordering customers opted for the home charger.

Other unique touches that were offered to early adopters were three unique color combinations. These included Steel Gray Matte with black seats, Urban Yellow with black seats, or Glacier White with dark green seats. All First Edition cars also came with an individually numbered badge and illuminated “First Edition” door sill plates.

See: The New Kia EV6 Electric Crossover Detailed In Up Close Video

The new EV6 First Edition also includes amenities such as a sunroof, a 14-speaker Meridian audio system with a two-year Sirius XM subscription, heated front and rear seats, 20-inch alloy wheels, an augmented reality head-up display, as well as remote smart and parking assist.

“Kia welcomes the first EV6 buyers who join us in this historic movement,” said Sean Yoon, president and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America. “Kia’s ‘electric lifestyle’ delivers a unique combination of luxury, performance, and technology, and the First Edition EV6 will provide owners with an experience all of their own.”

Priced at $58,500, the EV6 First Edition features the larger 77.4 kWh battery pack supplying energy to a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain. It produces a combined output of 320 hp (239 kW / 324 PS) and 446 lb-ft (605 Nm) of torque. Although it doesn’t quite match the range-topping 576 hp GT model, it still enables the First Edition to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in approximately 5.1 seconds and travel approximately 265 miles (426 km) on a single charge.

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Lordstown Halves Production Goals For 2021, Needs More Capital

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Lordstown Motors may only build half the number of all-electric Endurance pickups this year than originally planned.

During a recent conference call, Lordstown chief executive Steve Burns revealed that the automaker will only be able to achieve its original production targets if it can raise additional capital. “What we are saying is that if we don’t get any funding, we might only make half of what we thought,” he said.

Watch Also: Lordstown Retires Endurance Electric Truck From Desert Race After Just 40 Miles

Burns added that the EV startup has had discussions with strategic investors who could provide the company with additional funding. It has also looked into borrowing money by using its plants and other assets as collateral, as well as getting funds from a federal government program designed to support the development of electric vehicles. However, as The New York Times reports, it is unclear if there are any funds left to lend out.

Lordstown had planned to build as many as 2,200 examples of the Endurance pickup by the end of this year but without any additional funding, it will probably build fewer than 1,000.

The EV startup went public last year after it merged with a special purpose acquisition company. It recently acknowledged that it is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and during the first quarter of 2021, lost $125 million and ended the quarter with $587 million in cash.

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Daimler Is Ready For An Electric Car Future, But Admits It May Cost Jobs

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Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius is claiming that the Germak carmaker is well ahead of their 2039 target to gradually eliminate combustion engine cars.

In a report by The Financial Times, the auto giant’s chief executive mentioned that high demand for electric Mercedes models had encouraged the company to speed up its transition into an EV manufacturer. This is a huge contributing factor towards the group’s goal to offer a complete carbon-neutral car range within the next two decades.

Earlier this year, Daimler assured its investors that it would not cut off production and sales of petrol and diesel vehicles ahead of time but rather use them as a “cash machine” to fund their plans for an electric future.

Since being appointed as a leader at Daimler, Ola Kallenius has had a watchful eye over the rollout of the EQS, Mercedes‘ very first luxury electric-powered vehicle, which is to be marketed as an alternative for the premium S-Class. However, the headman refused to put his finger on a precise date that combustion engines will be permanently executed. Rather, he mentioned that regulatory pressure coupled with lower battery costs and “market dynamics” all point towards a sensible switch.

Read: Nissan Jettisons Its 1.5% Stake In Daimler For $1.2 Billion

As of now, electric car sales are gaining steady momentum, with Mercedes selling 16,000 EVs and 43,000 plugin hybrids worldwide within the first three months of this year, accounting for 10 percent of global sales.

But a serious debate remains on how electrification will make a considerable number of auto jobs redundant. According to the report, Kallenius admitted that assembling an electric powertrain takes less labor than that of its combustion-based counterpart, concluding that the German automakers will have to have “an honest conversation about jobs.”

Mercedes’ new electric small crossover, the EQA, was introduced earlier this year

According to Autonews Europe, the transition towards EVs may create an “employment fiasco.” The warning comes from Joerg Hosmann, president of IG Metall, the dominant metalworkers’ union in Germany and the largest industrial union in Europe. His comments comes after a survey by the IFO institute shows that the switch to the production of pure EV’s could result in 100,000 jobs in the industry being obsolete by 2025.

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NTSB To Release Report On Deadly Tesla Crash Within A Month

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will publish its report on the deadly accident involving a Tesla Model S in Texas within a month.

Earlier this month, a Model S crashed into a tree in Texas, erupting into flames and killing both occupants. Authorities discovered that one of the occupants was in the front passenger seat while the owner was in the back seat, prompting speculation that the vehicle’s Autopilot system may have been enabled.

“A preliminary report typically comes out in a month, but we are working hard to get it out as soon as possible because we recognize there is this confusion out there,” deputy director of the NTSB Kristin Poland said in a statement issued to Reuters.

Read Also: No One Was Driving The Tesla Model S In Fiery Crash Where Two People Were Killed

A Harris County fire marshal’s report says that 69-year-old Everette Talbot was seated in the right front passenger seat with his upper torso “in a forward-leaning position, with both arms rolled forward”. Meanwhile, 59-year-old Williams Varner was found in the left rear passenger seat with his upper torso “in a rear-leaning position, with both arms rolled back and in a pugilistic pose.”

Taking to Twitter in the immediate aftermath of the crash, Elon Musk claimed that an early analysis had determined that Autopilot was not activated. Speaking during the company’s Q1 earnings call, vice-president of vehicle engineering at Tesla, Lars Moravy, claimed that the steering wheel of the Model S was deformed, leading him to suggest there was someone in the driver’s seat at the time of the crash.

“We recognize that that’s not an ideal circumstance,” Poland said of the continued confusion about the accident. “The sooner we can get the preliminary report out the better it will be for everybody to provide as much clarity as possible,” she added, stating that the report will be based on solid facts.

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Michelin Looks To Hydrogen Fuel Cells And 3D Printing To Secure Its Post-COVID Future

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Michelin is looking at how to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and will focus on more than just tires to secure its future.

Like most businesses in the automotive sector, the French tire maker was hit hard by the pandemic in 2020 and although it expects to fully recover by 2022, it will look to create new revenue streams.

“While staying true to our DNA, the company’s profile will evolve greatly by 2030, with a bigger role for new, high-value activities around, and beyond, tire-making,” Florent Menegaux, Michelin CEO, said in a statement.

The company plans to grow its revenue to €34 billion ($40.5 billion) by 2030, up from €20.5 billion ($24.4 billion) in 2020, according to Reuters.

Also Read: GM And Michelin Testing Airless Tires, Could Offer Them On Vehicles In 2024

Michelin expects the fastest growth to come from Symbio, a partnership with parts manufacturer Faurecia that makes hydrogen fuel cell systems for cars, SUVs, and trucks. Although Toyota, Honda and Hyundai are currently the only ones making hydrogen vehicles, and they haven’t been that successful with buyers, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, and big oil companies are all investing heavily in the technology. Michelin also plans to move into the new field of 3D metal printing for medical devices.

These endeavors do not mean that the company will stop making tires, though it has some ideas for how to make that more profitable, too. More specifically, it plans to grow its core business by focusing on higher-margin tires and outsourcing production to lower-cost locations.

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Chevrolet Drops 1LE Package From 4- and 6-Cylinder Camaros

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Chevrolet Camaro LT models will no longer be offered with the 1LE performance package for the 2022 model year. That means that the 1LE package will only be offered on SS and ZL1 models that are V8-powered.

GM Authority first reported that the 1LE performance package would no longer be offered on the smaller-engined cars and we confirmed the decision with GM independently.

“Chevrolet is retiring the Turbo 1LE and V6 1LE from the Camaro line when model year 2021 concludes in order to produce more in-demand models like the LT1, which has risen to be nearly a quarter of Camaro sales since hitting showrooms in model year 2020,” a Chevrolet spokesperson told Carscoops. “The Camaro SS 1LE and ZL1 1LE track stars will continue with nationwide availability into model year 2022.”

Read Also: 2021 Chevrolet Camaro LT1 Can Be Had From $274 Per Month For 39 Months

First introduced in 2019, the Turbo 1LE model matched high-performance parts to the four-cylinder Camaro. The model made 275 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque and was offered exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission.

The package also offers larger-diameter front and rear stabilizer bars, customer dampers, Brembo brakes, stiffer cradle bushings at the rear, a suede flat-bottom steering wheel, Recaro seats, and more.

In all, the 1LE package was good enough to make the 335 hp Camaro V6 1LE nearly as fast around Virginia International Raceway as a 707 hp Dodge Charger Hellcat in 2016, according to Road & Track.

The LT1, meanwhile, features a naturally aspirated V8 engine making 455 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque, but aggressive lease deals mean it can be had for a smaller monthly payment than a Turbo 1LE, which makes less than half as much power.

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MINI Plants Mini Forest Near Its UK Plant In Swindon

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MINI has teamed up with Earthwatch Europe in the UK to improve the biodiversity of both flora and fauna through their “Tiny Forests” program.

The automaker planted its first Tiny Forest in East Wichel Park, near its plant in Swindon. It will be the size of just a tennis court but will contain 600 densely packed trees that are native to the area.

That, Earthwatch Europe reckons, will be capable of attracting more than 500 animal and plant species in just three years.

“Tiny Forests provide rich opportunities for connecting young and old alike with the environment and sustainability,” said Louise Hartley, Tiny Forest Program Manager at Earthwatch Europe. “We are delighted to be working with MINI UK to bring these inspiring spaces to Swindon and Oxford.”

Also Read: Bentley Builds Bat Boxes to Bolster its Base’s Biodiversity

This is the first Tiny Forest in the Swindon area. Data from the project will be collected by the community and school children to determine its efficacy as a carbon sink, a flood mitigator, a social boon, and an encourager of local biodiversity. The move follows a similar project from Bentley to build bat boxes nears its Crewe factory.

“We are really pleased to be working with Earthwatch Europe and MINI UK to bring the first Tiny Forest to Swindon,” said Chris Watts, Chair of South Swindon Parish Council. “The Tiny Forest is being planted in the relatively new community of East Wichel. We hope it will become a unique feature for that community that people from across Swindon will visit.”

MINI already has plans for its next Tiny Forest. It will be planted in Oxford in 2022, and more are on the way, it says. Moreover, its future will also be “green”, as BMW recently announced that it will turn MINI into an all-electric brand in the early 2030s.

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