Tesla introduced new lower-priced Model 3 and Model Y versions with reduced features and smaller batteries, sparking debate over affordability. Meanwhile, Chinese automakers are expanding production in Europe to bypass tariffs, expected to make up 6% of EU output by 2028. Toyota is advancing solid-state battery tech through a partnership and developing an off-road drone to aid drivers. Jeep plans to drop the Wagoneer name, focusing on the Grand Wagoneer for its large SUV. Industry shifts include leadership changes at Stellantis and concerns over EU steel import regulations impacting automakers.
Topics:tesla model 3 and y updatesaffordability and pricingchinese automakers in europesolid state battery developmenttoyota off road dronejeep wagoneer discontinuationstellantis leadership changeseu steel import regulationsautomotive production capacityus department of energy funding
- Tesla Unveils “Affordable” Model 3 and Y - Stellantis Shakes Up Management - U.S. Energy Department May Revoke GM and Stellantis Grants - Chinese Automakers Forecast to Build 860K Cars in EU by 2028 - European Automakers Say EU Steel Proposal Goes Too Far - Toyota Secures Cathode Supply for Solid State Batteries - Toyota Developing Drone for Off-Road Use - Jeep Dropping Wagoneer From Line-Up
"...as nice enough to invite us to check out that new Grand Wagoneer yesterday, which is why I wasn't hosting the show..."
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Speaker 1: This is Outoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry. Those Tesla teasers from Monday turned
out to be new versions of the Model three and Why with less content, which lowers their starting price. Under
the skin, the model's feature a smaller sixty nine kilowat hour battery pack, which lowers range, acceleration and charging speed.
Looks wise, only gray, white and black paint are available.
The front rear light bars have been removed, there's new wheels, the center console is smaller. Ambient lighting was taken away,
as was the rear screen. There's also fewer speakers, and
Tesla even dropped native AMFM radio along with lane centering as a default feature. However, they do have all the
software and hardware needed for supervised FSD, which can be purchased in the US for eight thousand dollars. We've seen
a lot of criticism for how Tesla has priced these new versions of the Model three and Why, which it calls standard. Before the federal tax credit for eves went
away at the beginning of this month, a base Tesla Model Why was about thirty seven five hundred dollars, but now that same model now called Premium, starts at about forty five thousand dollars. The new standard version of the
Y cuts five thousand dollars from that price, while the Model three Standard starts at thirty seven thousand bucks. It
seems that some people were expecting an affordable version of the Model Why and these aren't affordable enough for them.
Stillanta CEO Antonio Filosa must be getting close to finally having his team in place. Since taking over the role
in June, he's made a number of leadership appointments, including a big new shakeup in Europe. In my opinion, Jean
Philippe and Perata was demoted because he had been in charge of all of Your Europe, but now he's running sales and services as well as maintaining a role as CEO of Maserati. His former job goes to Emmanuel Kapellano,
who had been in charge of South America. The company
also announced its leaders for South America, Africa and the Middle East, China and the Asia Pacific region, as well as a new head of global manufacturing. The US Department
of Energy is considering revoking just over a billion dollars in funding to General Motors. In Stillantis Reuter's reports. It
includes grants for GM to convert its Lansing, Grand River plant to build EV's and for Stillantis to convert its Belvedere plant in Illinois to make mid size electric trucks, as well as to retool its Cocomo, Indiana plant to build EV components. The DOEGM and Stillants haven't commented on
the report yet, but last week the Energy Department announced plans to cancel seven and a half billion dollars in financing for energy projects which it said one provide sufficient returns to taxpayers.
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Speaker 1: Chinese automakers are building or taking over existing plants in Europe in order to avoid teriffs. A new report from
Jeffries says that Chinese automakers will account for six percent of European auto production by twenty twenty eight. While that
doesn't sound like a lot, it's equivalent to about eight hundred and sixty thousand vehicles. However, that's still not enough
to offset the overall loss of production in the region.
Car production peaked in twenty seventeen at twenty one million vehicles, but since then it's dropped by four million units. Even so,
Jeffries says the overall industry is quote unquote relatively healthy at eighty four percent capacity over the last five years.
The Renault and VW groups have the highest utilization rate in Europe, while Stillantis, Nissan, and Ford are at the bottom three, and is particularly bad for Stalantis and Ford.
Jeffries estimates that Stillantis has up to one point four to five million units of excess capacity, or thirty percent of the industry total, while it says that Ford's low utilization rate raises doubts about its ability to quote retain a presence in the region. Automakers in Europe are pushing
back against a new EU plan designed to protect the region's steel industry. The EU is proposing to cut tar
free steel quota by nearly fifty percent, as well as double the out quota terrifs by fifty percent. The new
plan would also require importers to identify where the steel was melted and poured. But the European Automobile Manufacturers Association
or ACEA, says automakers are concerned about the rising impact of stricter steel imports. While the ACEA says they source
about ninety percent of their direct steel purchases in the EU, automakers still need to import a certain amount of steel and the new rule would add higher input and administrative costs.
Yesterday we reported about how a Chinese academy had come up with a possible breakthrough for solid state batteries. Well
now Toyota is one step closer to having evs with these types of batteries. It announced a joint development agreement
with Sumatomo Metal Mining Company for the type of cathode material that solid state batteries need. The agreement will help
Toyota produce the batteries on a mass scale, and it hopes to have them in its vehicles by twenty twenty seven or twenty twenty eight. And in other Toyota news,
the automaker said in a filing with the US Federal Aviation Administration that it's developing a drone for off road vehicle use. The drone would allow the driver to identify
potential hazards around the vehicle and plan a safer route.
The drone could also be used to fly above the tree line to help the driver figure out what's around them, but Toyota hasn't committed to launching a system like this yet.
Jeep is dropping the Wagoneer after this model year, according to a dealer that Automotive News spoke to, The brand will only use the Grand Wagoneer name for its big suv.
Jeep has already teased the refreshed version of that vehicle for the twenty twenty six model year, which now has a Jeep badge on it for the first time. The
vehicles previously had Wagoneer on the hood as Jeep tried to separate the models from the rest of its lineup, But the dealer says having two names just confuse some customers, so that probably played into the name change. Jeep was
nice enough to invite us to check out that new Grand Wagoneer yesterday, which is why I wasn't hosting the show.
But we'll be able to report on that next week.
And that brings us to the end of today's show.
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