The discussion covers UAW president Shawn Fain's disputed union election tactics and his appointment to President Biden's Export Council. China's EV market growth contrasts with Western efforts to limit Chinese cars, while automakers increasingly collaborate with Chinese firms to cut EV costs. Tesla's $56 billion pay package for Elon Musk faces shareholder opposition. Ford's upcoming hands-free driving tech and electric van cost savings in Europe highlight innovation and shifting market dynamics. The episode also touches on Ford's Pike's Peak electric truck, Hyundai's EV race cars, and the rise of humanoid robots in automotive production.
Topics:uaw union election disputeshawn fain export councilchina ev market growthautomaker chinese partnershipstesla elon musk pay packageford hands free drivingelectric van cost savingspikes peak electric truckhyundai ev race carshumanoid robots in production
- UAW’s Shawn Fain Is “Election Denier” - Biden To Appoint Fain To Export Council - China EV Sales Soar in May - U.S. and EU OEMs Run to China for Help - More Opposition to Elon’s $56 Billion Payday - Jeep Wagoneer To Get Ram EREV - Ford to Offer Eyes-Off In 2026 - EV Vans Can Save €8,700/Yr In Fuel - F-150 Lightning Supertruck To Race at Pike’s Peak - Hyundai Ioniq 5 N to Race at Pike’s Peak - Dongfeng Using Robot Workers
"... last bit of Ford news, here's the f one to fifty lightning super truck that will race up Pike's Peak on June..."
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This is out Alying Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry. UAW president Sean Fain is a quote unquote election denier. At least
that's what the Center for Union Fact says. The anti union organization ran an
ad in The New York Times calling him an election denier and accused him of quote trying to undermine workplace democracy. The UAW wants the National Labor Relations Board
to void the results of the recent election at Mercedes Alabama plant and hold another one. Fifty six percent of workers at the plant voted against the union,
but the UAW claims the vote was unfair because the company ran a quote relentless anti union campaign and fired pro union workers. We think it's unlikely the NLRB
will overturn the vote, but if the union didn't fight the results, some members could accuse Fane of not trying hard enough. Meanwhile, President Biden will
name Sean Fain to the administration's Export Council. The council's job is to advise
the President on policies and programs that affect US trade. There's signs that China's
economy is slowing down, but you wouldn't know it. Based on sales of
new electric cars last month. While we don't have the official numbers yet for
the total market, preliminary data shows that sales of EV's and plug in hybrids grew thirty three percent to seven hundred and seventy thousand units, while ic E vehicles drop more than five percent. Byd reported sales were up almost twenty five
percent. Zeker said It's sales doubled, Neil was up two hundred and thirty
four percent, Japang was up thirty five percent, and le Otto was up twenty four percent. With EV's doing so well, we wonder if automakers will
call a cease fire in their price war or if they'll just keep cutting prices.
Even though the United States in Europe are doing their best to keep Chinese cars out of their markets, American and European automakers are running to China to help them slash cost of their electric cars. Stalantis will use technology from Leap
Motors. Bloomberg reports that one reason Stalantis went with Leap is that the Chinese
automaker is very vertically integrated, which gives it a big cost advantage. VW
is getting tech from Japan. Audi is going to SAIC, Toyota is getting
it from BYD, and Ford is using Changan to develop its skunkworks car.
It's very likely that we'll see other foreign automakers working with Chinese companies. Elon
Musk is pushing Tesla to make good on his fifty six billion dollar pay package, but he's running up against some growing opposition. Shareholder advisory firm Glass Lewis
recommended voting against it. Some of the US's largest pension funds have done the
same, and last week proxy advisory firm iss urged shareholders to vote against the proposal. The fifty six billion dollar pay package was approved by shareholders in twenty
eighteen, but in January, a Delaware judge voided it because of misleading statements from the company and Elon's close personal relationships with the Tesla board. But that's
what the experts think. We think Tesla shareholders will overwhelmingly approve the massive payout.
Michigan is leading the charge in mobility and innovation, and I can't think of a better state to be in. When the jeep Wagoneer was revealed about
four years ago, we reported that there would eventually be a plug in hybrid version of the Big suv V. The four ye version of the Wrangler was
revealed at about the same time, so we wondered if it might have a similar setup, but JEEP CEO Antonio Filosa says it will be based on the propulsion system of the RAM Charger pickup, which is an extended range EV that's where the vehicle still has a gas engine, but it's only used as a generator to charge the battery. The setup in the RAM Charger consists of a
three point six liter V six engine to charge a ninety two kilo hour battery pack, which feeds front and rear electric motors that produce about six hundred and sixty horse power When combined. That provides pretty impressive performance, with zero to
sixty estimated at four point four seconds, but the real advantage to a setup like this is range. In towing, the RAM Charger is estimated to get
up to six hundred and ninety miles or over eleven hundred kilometers of range and the ability to tow up to fourteen thousand pounds. While the pickup is expected
to come out in the fourth quarter of this year, there's no official word yet for the wagon ear for ye two more years. That's what Fords Jim
Farley says, in two more years, the offer hands free in eyes Free driving. He says it's already technically possible, they just have to get the
cost down. Farley tells Bloomberg it will work at speeds up to eighty miles
an hour, but only in good weather, and it should be ready for mass production in twenty twenty six. Farley says it will turn your car into
an office where you can safely do conference calls while your car takes you to where you're going. Ford currently charges twenty one hundred dollars for a three year
subscription to its hands free Blue Crew system, or owners can pay seventy five dollars a month. No word yet if eyes Free will cost more, but
Ford clearly sees subscription services as a key way to boost its growth and profitability.
Speaking of for it says an electric van in Europe will make up for its higher initial cost compared to a similar gas or diesel van in just three years, according to a report commission by Ford's commercial division. The biggest reason
for that is the cost of filling up. Average cost to charge an electric
van is thirty seven hundred euros for a full year compared to twelve four hundred euros for a gas or diesel van. Reduced operating expenses was the top reason
for switching to evs, according to people that responded to the survey. Access
to low emission zones, which limit gas and diesel cars, is another reason for switching. That's because small and medium businesses, which make up almost ninety
nine percent of businesses in Europe, are more and more adopting electric vans because they need to be able to travel into those low emission zones. In total,
it says van related businesses in Europe contributed about a trillion euros across the EU and the UK last year. But the biggest thing holding back even more
evy expansion is a lack of charging. And in one last bit of Ford
news, here's the f one to fifty lightning super truck that will race up Pike's Peak on June twenty third. To me, it looks more like a
modified version of last year's supervan, but it will still be very impressive.
That massive rear wing looks to be nearly a third the size of the whole truck, and Ford says all of its arrow features combined have been designed to generate six thousand pounds of downforce at one hundred and fifty miles an hour, and just for a little reference, that's about three and a half times more downforce than an F one car generates. And electric vehicles participating in the Iconic
Hill Climb have really gained in popularity over the years, and Hyundai will also have a couple of electrics at the race. Not only will that have two
productive five ends, but it will also run two modified versions of that car.
Upgrades include new shock absorbers, brakes, wheels and tires, and a new arrow package. The powertrain is carried over from the production car, but
a software tune squeezes out an extra thirty seven horse power, which brings total output to roughly six hundred and eighty five horse power. It will even use
modified driving sounds pumped through speakers add up to one hundred and twenty decibels to replace sirens that evis typically have to use during the race. More and more
automakers are testing humanoid robots on the production line. BMW, Neo, Tesla
and Magna are all doing so, and now Chinese automaker dong Fun will deploy robots at one of its plants. The automaker signed a deal with Ubtech to
use its Walker S humanoid robot for a number of tests including safety belt inspection, door lock testing, body quality checks, oil filling, and label application.
The robots will also work with regular automated machinery to handle complex tasks in unmanned production. This is the exact same company and task that Neo is doing
the test with. But that brings us to the end of today's show.
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