AD #3581 - Tesla Model 3 Now Only $32,000; GM AVs Coming To Showrooms; Lexus Baby LBX Debuts

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

Lots of people in the industry say that autonomous vehicles are a long way off, but GM CEO Mary Barra is not one of them. Not only

does she see giant growth opportunity for avs, but she predicts they'll be in showrooms by the end of this decade. The company expects to generate fifty billion

dollars a year in revenue from GM Cruise eventually, and it has plans to expand in Japan and Dubai. As we reported last week, the National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration wants to mandate AEB or automatic emergency breaking. While many vehicles

already have the tech, NITZA wants better performance. For example, it wants

AEB to work at much higher speeds and at night, but that most likely means that AEB systems are going to need improvements like thermal cameras or lidar, especially to avoid pedestrians when it's dark outside. NITZA is collecting input from automakers

and others before issuing a final ruling. In addition to avoiding twenty four thousand

injuries, a year. Nitza says this technology could avoid three hundred and sixty

fatalities. The top selling EV company in China last month was byd It sold

one hundred and ten thousand b evs for the month, followed by Gacaion, which sold forty five thousand b evs. Tesla came in third place with an

estimated forty three thousand cars. Tesla actually delivered seventy seven thousand, six hundred

and ninety five made in China Model wise in threes, which was up two point four percent from the month before. While the company did not divulge domestic

sales or exports, Analyst and China believe the other roughly thirty three thousand units were exported. Tesla has a refreshed version of the Model three that should be

out later this year under a program codenamed Highland, which should help increase its sales growth. Meanwhile, in the US, the Model three just got much

more affordable. The cheapest version now qualifies for the full seventy five hundred dollars

US federal tax credit. That means it costs just over thirty two thousand dollars,

and with state incentives, the price can even drop below thirty grand.

The full credit also applies to Model threes currently in inventory. Previously, the

cheaper version of the three only qualified for half of the credits because the batteries were made in China. So this suggests that Tesla is now using cells made

in the US for this model. God Schiffler Pioneer Motion Electrifying Mobility, Manufacturing

Smart, reducing CO two emissions, making energy production clean. Scheffler Pioneer's Motion

to advance how the World moves. Hey America, the VW bus is coming

back. It revealed the all electric ID Buzz that will go on sale in

the US and Canada next year. The model is based on the long wheelbase

version of the MB platform, which means it gets a bigger battery pack and it also gets the same in house developed electric motor that's going into the ID seven sedan. The battery has eighty six kilowatt hours of usable space and the

same path back in the eighty seven provides an estimated four hundred and thirty five miles or seven hundred kilometers of range on the WLTP cycle. The motor sends

up to two hundred and ten kilowatts or two hundred and eighty two horsepower to the rear wheels, and there will eventually be an all wheel drive version that makes three hundred and thirty horse power. The interior features seating for six or

seven passengers with a third row, and I think the real story here is the functionality. Both the second and third rows can slide forward and back about

eight inches and have folding seat backs, and the third row can be removed completely as well. While initial report said Volkswagen would build the idy Buzz in

the US, the company confirmed to Auto Line that it will only be built in Hanover, Germany, and for it to be considered to be built in the US, it would take sales of one hundred thousand plus units in VW just doesn't think it's there yet. For that reason, VW also confirmed it

won't be bringing the commercial version of the Buzz to the US because it would get hit with a twenty five percent import tariff, the so called Chicken tax.

Europe complained about the Inflation Reduction Act being unfair, but some countries in the EU are now trying to do their own ira Wruters reports that France is aggressively pursuing battery companies by offering big incentives. French President Emmanuel McCrone helped lure

four gigafactories to the country, and government officials are also trying to get by D and Tesla to build battery plants there too. France is trying to catch

up to other European countries in battery production. It has one hundred and sixty

nine gigawatt hours of existing or planned capacity, but that's well behind Germany at five hundred and forty five gigawatt hours, and even less than Hungry, which has two hundred and fifteen gigawatt hours. Lexus revealed that new small cross over

the LBX. It teased a few weeks back for a quick refresher. It's

based on the Toyota Yaris cross and will slot below the UX. Styling wise,

I think this is like a Baby RX. Narrow headlamps, large air

curtains down low on the facia. The grilled designs are similar, and so

are the thin rear tail lights that stretch from one tail lamp to the other.

The interior is highlighted by dual digital screens, and we like how the twelve point four inch center screen is mounted down low, so it seems like the LBX should have good forward visibility. Lexus didn't detail the powertrain set up,

but says it will have quote an enhanced hybrid system using the latest electrification technology. For reference, the Yaris Cross Hybrid has a one and a half

liter three cylinder engine and a total system output of about one hundred and fourteen horsepower. But we should know more soon. Lexus says the LBX will be

introduced to Europe, Japan and other select markets in the fourth quarter of this year. Automakers learn the hard way that they need to directly buy raw materials

for EV batteries themselves instead of relying on suppliers. That way, they can

lock in a reliable supply. So GM is expanding a joint venture with chemical

company Pascoe Future m to increase production of cathode active material and what's called precursor cathode active material in North America. The total investment in the project is expected

to exceed a billion dollars. GM and Pasco will produce enough material for three

hundred and sixty thousand evs annually, and the companies will announce where it will be produced at a later date. The guy that's pretty much been the face

of Jeep Design for the last ten plus years is retiring and it's taking two people to replace them. Mark Allen, the had A Jeep Design, is

stepping down after more than thirty years with the company, so Jeep is promoting Vince Galante, the VP of Exterior Design and Ryan Nagodi, the VP of Interior Design, both of whom have been with the company since the early two thousands. Stilantis also appointed Leandro Pinto as VP of Global User Experience system.

That brings us to the end of today's show. We'd hope to see you

right back here again tomorrow. Autoline Daily is brought to you by Bridgetone Solutions

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AD #3581 - Tesla Model 3 Now Only $32,000; GM AVs Coming To Showrooms; Lexus Baby LBX Debuts

Volkswagen Bus

Volkswagen Id Buzz

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