This is Outoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts with global automotive industry. Elon Musk's title as richest person in the world is at risk. A judge in Delaware voided his fifty five billion dollar plus pay package at Tesla.
The lawsuit was filed in twenty eighteen by a Tesla shareholder who felt the performance benchmarks Must had to hit weren't clear enough and that the board had conflicts of interest in approving it. The stock options that he received as part of the pay package are worth about fifty one billion dollars right now, which is just under a quarter of his total wealth.
Must can appeal the ruling, so he'll keep his rich man title for now. But this also comes right at the same time that Tesla is said to be preparing new contract negotiations with the CEO, who some feel is still threatening Slash, demanding that he get even more control over the automaker by posting on social media that he's quote uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI and robotics without having about twenty five percent voting control.
As we've reported, ev demand is slowing and now it's happening in California two. According to data that Experience collected for the California New Car Dealers Association, registrations for light passenger evs were just below ninety thousand in the fourth quarter of twenty twenty three, which is down ten percent from the one hundred and one thousand registered in the third quarter, and that Q three figure was down slightly from the second quarter, meaning that EV registrations have dropped for two consecutive quarters in California.
While the EV market is still strong in the state, reaching twenty one percent market share in twenty twenty three, the drop in sales has to be a bit alarming for automakers since California is a bellweather for EV's in the US.
We have confirmation of a report from late November that GM was going to bring back hybrids to the US. CEO Mary Barras says that GM will specifically turn to plug in hybrid technology for the North American market at a time when EV demand has slowed and the automaker has struggled to ramp up production of its ultium based evs.
GM will use phabs as a way to meet toughening emission standards. Back in November, We were told by a source at GM that the hybrids it's also developing for South America could be brought to the US. But should GM have continued to develop the Chevy Volt.
I think it's an interesting question considering what it's doing now. But speaking of GM, it's giving customers a cheaper option to replace their headlights. It's working with a company called Link Technologies to sell remanufactured headlamp assemblies that it claims cost forty percent less than brand new lights and about twenty five percent less than an aftermarket unit.
Link is also a supplier of interior components, but it came up with a way to reuse up to ninety percent of an old headlamp. It then rebuilds the light to OEM spec and it comes with a new part number in two year warranty.
They're currently available for twenty sixteen to twenty nineteen Silverados in twenty eighteen to twenty twenty equinoxes, but Link says it wants to work with all the OEMs and has another deal with Stilantis for a re manufactured part the Tajin 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 tajing automotive technologies the formula for better mobility. You know, we've been talking a lot about the EU being worried about cheap Chinese evs flooding their market and making European brands less competitive, So maybe they should look at what Nison is doing.
Reports say Nissan is going to install cheaper LFP batteries into evs that will be sold around twenty twenty six in emerging markets. LFP batteries are about twenty to thirty percent less expensive to produce than lithium ion batteries.
They also provide about that much less range than lithium ion, but LFP could be a way for other automakers to compete with the Chinese. BMW introduced refresh versions of the four series coup and convertible.
Both models get updated exterior styling, including new grills, headlights, and tail lights. Inside, the vehicles feature new steering wheel designs, new trim elements, and the latest generation of its Eye drive system.
Powering the four series is a two liter inline twin turbo four cylinder engine that's paired with forty eight volt mild hybrid technology. It produces two hundred and fifty five horse power and two hundred and ninety five pound feet of torque.
But if you want more power, you can step up to the M version, which is equipped with a three liter inline twin turbo six cylinder that also features forty eight volt mild hybrid technology. That setup cranks out three hundred and eighty six horse power and three hundred and ninety eight pound feet of torque.
The new fourth series will launch in March with the starting price of fifty thousand, seven hundred dollars for the coup in fifty eight thousand, seven hundred for the convertible. The M version of the coup starts at sixty four thousand, two hundred and fifty bucks, while the M convertible costs seventy two thousand, two hundred and fifty dollars.
Tesla's FSD Version twelve is getting all kinds of attention because it relies on using video clips to learn how to drive autonomously instead of using millions of lines of code directing it what to do.
So to help all their automakers do the same thing. A South Korean startup called Amo is using AI to dive into massive video databases to pull out only the video that engineers need. For example, do you need video of dogs walking along a road to help train your system, then just buy that video, not the whole database, and then you have to hunt around looking for the clips that you want.
The way AMO explains it is why buy the whole Schmortgish board of food when all you want is the spaghetti. It's partnering with BMW and a soon to be announced USOEM which sounds to us like GM or TESLA.
AMO claims a large OEM can save thirty to forty percent of the cost of data collection, curation, annotation, and evaluation by using its services. Jeep is gearing up for the launch of its first EV for global markets, the Wagon ear S, earlier this month.
It tees the front end of the suv, which looks very similar to the concept that it already showed, and now Jeep is giving us a glimpse of the interior. It has an upscale look, which the company says will feature premium materials in technology.
The Wagon ear S will have four ye off road capability, six hundred horse power and will move from zero to sixty in about three and a half seconds. It launches in the US this fall, followed by other major markets.
Wooling, that same brand that sells the roughly forty five hundred dollars Mini EV, is coming out with its first entirely new native platform. It will be used for a commercial van called the Yang Gwang and features a new liquid cooled battery that's designed specifically for commercial vehicles.
There's not much else to report on right now, but we hope to have more soon. If you haven't accord from a few years back and our bum that you can't wirelessly integrate your smartphone with your car, well now you can.
Honda is offering an upgrade for twenty eighteen to twenty twenty two Accords to enable wireless Apple CarPlay in Android Auto. The software update has to be installed at a Honda dealer, which costs one hundred and twelve box plus labor.
Honda will also install the upgrade on certified pre owned Accords at no additional charge to help make those models more attractive to use car buyers. Honda says this is part of its effort to maximize the lifetime value of its vehicles with upgrades and new digital services.
That brings us to the end of today's show. Thanks for tuning in. Auto Line Daily is brought to you by Bridgetone Solutions for your Journey, Intrepid Control Systems, over the air engineering boost your game, and by Tajin Automotive Technologies the formula for better Mobility.
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About this episode
Elon Musk's $55 billion Tesla pay package was voided by a Delaware judge amid shareholder concerns, though he may appeal. EV sales in California have dropped for two consecutive quarters, signaling a slowdown in a key market. GM plans to reintroduce plug-in hybrids in the US to meet emissions standards amid EV production challenges. Other highlights include Nissan's move to cheaper LFP batteries for emerging markets, BMW's refreshed 4 Series with mild hybrid tech, Jeep's upcoming 600-hp electric SUV, and Honda's wireless Apple CarPlay upgrade for older Accords. AI-driven video data curation for autonomous driving is also gaining traction.
- Musk’s Tesla Pay Package Voided by U.S. Judge - EV Sales Drop in California - GM Brings Back Plug-In Hybrids to U.S. - GM Now Offering Remanufactured Headlamps - Nissan To Offer Cheaper EVs With LFP Batteries - BMW Reveals Refreshed 4 Series - Tech Startup Uses AI and Video to Train Self-Driving Cars - Jeep Shows Off Electric Wagoneer Interior - Wuling Launches Electric Commercial Van - Honda Offers Software Upgrade to Old Accords
