Speaker 1: This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry. About forty percent of the vehicles
that Stalanta sells in the US are imported from other countries, and according to the Investment Bank Jeffries, that will have a huge impact on Stalantis's bottom line if the Trump Administration's tariffs go into full effect. It says three hundred
and five thousand of the one point three million vehicles that the automakers sold in the US last year would have been subject to the tariffs, and when you add in the tariff on non US parts, it would have cost to Lantis seven point one billion dollars. So that's
why Jeffries is forecasting that the company's earnings could be cut by as much as seventy five percent this year.
The Investment Bank also says that BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagen would be hit extra hard with estimated tariff bills between four point three and five point four billion dollars. But
it looks like some countries and regions of the world will face different tariff rates. The Premiere of Ontario says
he spoke with the US Secretary of Commerce who said that Canadian made vehicles with fifty percent or more US parts will not face the tariffs. Ontario is home to
five automakers with eight vehicle assembly plants, as well as sites that make engines and transmissions, and the premiere claims, quote unquote, a lot of the vehicles made there have fifty sixty percent US parts, So automakers like four GM, Stilantis and Toyota that make a good amount of vehicles in Canada won't be hit as hard by the terraffs as long as they have a good amount of US content.
And we wouldn't be surprised to see Mexico get a similar deal since it's also part of the US MCA Free Trade Agreement. The Hyundai Group revealed a new mobility
software platform called PLEOS and its software defined vehicle architecture at a developer conference in South Korea yesterday. It calls
it an end to end platform that covers everything from the chips and controllers, the operating system, the infotainment system, to the cloud infrastructure in fleet management, as well as mobility and logistics solutions. The operating system is newly developed
in house by the group and features a centralized computing system with more powerful computers, which helps allow for things like autonomous driving functions, but it will be a little late to the game in this regard. The group doesn't
expect to launch Level two plus hands free driving until the end of twenty twenty seven. But going back to
the operating system, it also speeds up the overall performance of the company's new infotainment system called pleos Connect. It's
based on the Android Automotive OS which is supposed to provide a more phone like interface, and we'll make its debut in the second quarter of next year. That infotainment
system could also include more creative and useful apps for users on the center screen. The group established an open
platform where app developers can access automotive software to see if their apps will work in a vehicle, and then they can offer it through an app market for users to download. And the last thing will highlight is the
company's mobility in fleet management efforts. This includes something called
the Autonomous Vehicle Foundry, which is its initiative to supply autonomous vehicles to other companies. The foundry provides everything from
development kits, fleet management, production certification, to the technical support.
And you may remember that it's already signed up Uber as a partner.
Speaker 2: Developing today's vehicles, issues can happen in an instant. What
good is knowing your problems without the data to solve them.
Meet Wireless neo vi Cloud, your secure off the shelf solution, empowering real time collaboration for quick resolution. With Wireless neova Cloud,
your team can prevent issues before they can escalate driver communication data and remote diagnostics to analyze and resolve your problems using OTA, allowing your executives to oversight throughout the process.
Wireless neovi Cloud your vehicle update solution in production and on the road in trapid control systems driven by your data.
Speaker 1: GMC is expanding the Sierra EV lineup with the introduction the eight four and Elevation trims. The AT four gives
the Sierra more off road capability with two extra inches of ground clearance, thirty five inch all terrain tires, and it comes exclusive with an off road driving mode. The
AT four starts at just over eighty one thousand dollars including destination charges, and it's an extra ten grand for the longer range version. The Elevation trim is now the
lowest priced version of the Sierra EV with a starting price of just under sixty five thousand bucks. It features
a sixteen point eight inch touchscreen, a power operated hood, and a MultiPro tailgate. For comparison, the Denali version of
the Sierra EV, which was already available, starts at about seventy one eight hundred dollars, and the top trim version Denali costs more than one hundred grand. The new versions
of the Sierra EV go on sale this summer and in other general motors news, but shifting over to China, the automaker is celebrating the grand opening of its first Durant Guild experience center, and it also kicked off deliveries of the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon to customers. The
experience centers feature lounges and VIP areas, vehicle showrooms, and dedicated areas for accessories, merchandise delivery, and after sales services.
Those services are meant to help support the customer throughout the lifetime of the vehicle, which IT hopes enhances the ownership experience. The Durant Guild is a business that GM
created for the Chinese market to import premium vehicles and sticking with the Chinese market car sales are expected to increase this month. The China Passenger Car Association is forecasting
one point eight five million sales, up nine percent from a year ago. That's outpacing the first two months of
the year, which saw sales only increase one point two percent to three point two million. Vehicles. And electric vehicle
sales this month are expected to be strong thanks to China extending a vehicle scrappage program, where owners receive a subsidy to trade in their gas powered car for a new EV. The trade group estimates that NYVS, which includes plugins, E, revs,
and b evs, hit one million sales, accounting for fifty four percent of the overall market. Daimler Truck is expanding
its defense business. It's forming a partnership with ARCS Robotics,
which is based in Germany, to integrate its robotics and AI technologies into vehicle platforms from Daimler Truck. The truck
maker develops defence vehicles through its Mercedes Benz Special Trucks business, and the military versions of the Unimog and Zetros will be the first to be integrated with the tech. The
models will be capable of networking with other software defined systems like drones and other vehicles. They'll also have autonomous
capabilities that can find the best route and open terrain, carry out remote controlled landmine clearance, and evacuate people without putting soldiers in danger. The two companies say they're also
looking into retrofitting existing vehicles with the technology. But that
brings us to the end of today's show. Thanks for
tuning in, and I hope that you have a great weekend.
Speaker 3: Auto Line Daily is brought to you by Intrepid Control Systems over the Air Engineering Boost your game, and by Tajan Automotive Technologies the formula for better mobility.
Speaker 4: There's nothing wrong with heavy metal, hey light enough, but with world class composite material, Tajin Automotive Technologies makes vehicles lighter, safer, and more eco friendly.
Speaker 3: Wards is the industry leader for news data analysis. That's
why companies across the globe subscribe to our premium service.
May be even your own log in for subscriber access now check your company's intranet for details and rely on Ward's auto dot com to keep you informed.
About this episode
The episode covers the impact of U.S. tariffs on automakers like Stellantis, BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagen, highlighting regional tariff variations benefiting Canadian and potentially Mexican production. Hyundai unveils its new PLEOS software platform and delayed plans for hands-free driving by 2027, alongside an advanced infotainment system and autonomous vehicle initiatives. GMC expands its Sierra EV lineup with new trims and debuts a premium experience center in China amid rising vehicle sales and EV incentives. Daimler Truck partners with ARCS Robotics to develop autonomous military vehicles with advanced AI and remote operation capabilities.
- Tariffs Could Hit Stellantis' Profits Hard - U.S. Tariffs Will Vary By Region - Hyundai Reveals New Software Platform and SDV - GMC Expands Sierra EV Lineup - GM's Durant Guild Opens 1st Experience Center - March China Sales Expected to Grow - Daimler Partners for Autonomous Military Vehicles