The discussion covers the looming UAW strike threat targeting specific Detroit automaker plants amid contract negotiations, with Ford responding by boosting wages and benefits. Ford also unveiled the refreshed 2024 F-150 featuring a new logo, a clever Pro Access tailgate, simplified ordering, and increased hybrid production. The episode highlights Hyundai's plan to adopt large casting technology to cut costs and manufacturing time, joining other automakers in this trend. Additionally, the European Union's investigation into Chinese EV subsidies and ongoing lawsuits against Hyundai and Kia over vehicle thefts are explored. The Battery Show in Michigan showcases emerging electrification tech.
Topics:uaw strike plansford f-150 refreshford contract offerhyundai gigacastingschinese ev subsidieshyundai kia theft lawsuitsbattery show technologyev market competitionautomotive manufacturing innovationstruck tailgate design
- UAW Plans Targeted Strike at Specific Plants - Ford Says New UAW Offer Is Most Lucrative in History - EU Launches Investigation into Chinese EVs - Hyundai/Kia Face Another Lawsuit Over Vehicle Thefts - Ford Reveals Updated F-150 - Hyundai To Adopt Gigacastings
"...igher trim levels, modular bumpers for Tremor and Raptor, and a new Ford logo. Instead of chrome in the le..."
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
Where now one day away from a potential UAW strike. The current contract
expires at midnight tomorrow, and now it's being reported that the union is planning a targeted strike at specific plants of all three Detroit automakers if they don't reach an agreement by the deadline. UAW President Sean Fayne is planning on doing a
live stream on Facebook at five pm today to update members on the negotiations and its potential strike strategy. It's not known what plants the UAW would go after,
but it's a safe bet bet it would be the ones that build the automaker's most popular or profitable models. The unions strike fund currently sits at eight
hundred and twenty five million dollars, which would cover eleven weeks of pay, and it seems like Ford is taking the UAW strike threat to heart. Last
week at fast Track, nearly eight thousand employees to the top wage rate, which translates to an extra nine thousand dollars a year in salary, and now CEO Jim Farley is told the Detroit Free Press that it made its third contract offer to the union and says quote, it'll be the most lucrative offer in the eighty year history of the UAW and FORD. While Farley didn't reveal specifics,
he said there will be huge wage increases, the end of tiered wages, better healthcare coverage, better retirement contributions, more time off, seventeen paid holidays, and five weeks of vacation. There's no word yet on what the
UAW thinks of the offer, but no doubt Fain will have something to say on his live stream today. As we've reported, Europe is concerned about the
flood of low cost evs from China that have entered the mark IT and now the European Union is opening an anti subsidy investigation into Chinese evs. The President
of the European Commission says Chinese automakers are receiving quote huge state subsidies that keep prices artificially low, and if the investigation concludes that the subsidies are hurting the EU auto industry, it could impose tariffs on Chinese evs. A recent UBS
studies said that BYD will have a twenty five percent long term cost advantage against its Western competitors in their home markets. Hondai and Kia are facing another lawsuit
in the US over vehicle thefts, which they're asking a judge to dismiss.
Seventeen cities filed the suit due to the wave of thefts that occurred after social media videos showed how to start Hondai and Kia vehicles without a key because they don't have an engine mobilizer. The makers say they shouldn't be held responsible and
point to policing and prosecution policies and budget decisions in the cities that diverted funds from preventing car thefts. Earlier this year, the companies settled a two hundred
million dollar consumer class action lawsuit over the thefts, and they also face a lawsuit from insurance companies who claim the thefts have cost them six hundred million dollars.
Hondai and Kia did release a software update for most of the affected vehicles to help stop the thefts, but people are still not getting that update.
The taging automotive technologies we combine world class composite materials expertise with cutting edge designs because frankly, there are better ways to lightweight vehicles. So lighten up with
Taging Automotive Technologies the formula for Better Mobility. The best selling truck in America
just got a facelift. Ford revealed the refresh twenty twenty four f one fifty
at an event in Detroit last night. The front end design is mostly new,
with new grills for the different grades, standard led front lighting, which includes a new interpretation of the sea clamp style that's available on higher trim levels, modular bumpers for Tremor and Raptor, and a new Ford logo. Instead
of chrome in the lettering and the ovals around the outside of the logo, it's painted white and there's only one oval on the outside. The logo itself
is also flatter rather than domed. This is picked up on the tailgate as
well, but not in other areas like the wheel center caps or the hornpad.
Ford didn't seem to really want to talk about the new logo. It's
not even mentioned in the press release, which leads me to believe there's a bigger story and it will get spread across the lineup. But let us know
what you think about the new look logo. One of the other big stories
with the twenty twenty four FF one fifty is its clever new tailgate. The
available Pro Access tailgate can fold down like any standard tailgate, but it also features a swing open door in the middle, not quite the full width of the tailgate. The door allows someone to access the bed without having to reach
over the tailgate, and it's even meant to operate with the trailer hooked up.
To order this as a feature requires a sixteen hundred dollar bed utility package that also includes bed lighting in an upgraded tie down system. While the Pro
Access tailgate is one of a number of brand new options, Ford is slashing the number of order configurations for the new F one fifty by ninety percent.
It's doing things like making the extended range fuel tank and Class four trailer hitch standard, and for example, the previous version of the Raptor could be ordered forty different ways, now it's slashing that to just six. Ford is also
seeing more demand for electrified F one fifties. Hybrid sales are up twenty eight
percent and hybrids now account for ten percent of all F one fifty sales, so Ford says it's doubling production of hybrid F one fifties and to make the choice even harder on customers. Initial pricing of the power Boost Hybrid on XLT
to Platinum Plus trims will match the three and a half Leader Eco Boost and sticking with engines for the moment, the base three point three Leader engine is gone. The two point seven Leader Eco Boost is now standard. And Ford
wouldn't come out and directly say that the V eight in the Raptor R will have more power, but the V eight in the Raptor ARE will have more power, But unfortunately we're going to have to wait to see how much more.
But while we're talking about the Raptor, it's available with new graphics, a new pink color, and Fox dual valve shocks. I'd say that pretty
much covers most of the highlights with the new F one fifty, but there are some other new features and if you'd like to learn more, we'll provide a link to the release. Another automaker is copying Tesla's large castings known as
giga castings. Reports say that Hunde is going to make what it calls hypercastings
as a way to reduce manufacturing time and costs. Others like the Gel Group,
including Volvo, Toyota, and GM are going to use large castings, but unlike some of them, Hounde is going to build its own casting, processing and assembly plant, which is expected to be pumping out parts by twenty twenty six. The Battery Show kicked off yesterday in Novai, Michigan, and
it's all about presenting some of the most exciting technology coming into the whole electrified field. John has been running around the floor of the show looking for the
coolest stuff and you may have seen a couple of his videos pop up yesterday, but this is just the start. You'll definitely see more today and probably
tomorrow too, so check that out if you want. But that brings us
to the end of today show. Thanks for tuning in. Autoline Daily is
brought to you by Bridgestone Solutions for your journey, Intrepid Control Systems over the year engineering boost your game, Scheffler we Pioneer Motion and by Tajin Automotive Technologies the formula for better Mobility. We want to know what drives your test.
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