Hyundai, Kia U.S. Sales Surge to November Records
U.S. sales at Hyundai and Kia rose double digits last month from a year ago, with both brands setting November records. Deliveries jumped 43 percent at Hyundai and 25 percent at Kia. "This was a terrific November for sales and especially our line-up of eco-friendly vehicles," Hyundai Motor America CEO Randy Parker said in a statement Thursday. "Despite economic headwinds, we were still able to record an all-time retail and total sales record in November." The results come amid rising production and inventory across the industry after the microchip shortage and other supply chain snags limited automakers from being able to meet demand for new vehicles for much of the past two years, reports Automotive News. Hyundai said its inventory has more than doubled from a year ago, to 39,898 vehicles at the end of November. That's up from 31,529 a month earlier and 17,096 in November 2021. Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., Subaru and Mazda will release November sales later Thursday, followed by results for the month from Ford Motor Co. on Friday. The rest of the industry reports U.S. sales on a quarterly basis. Click here for the full story.
Honda Will Get New Hands-Off Features Mid-Decade
Honda Motor Co. revealed plans to expand its Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver-assistance technology to include hands-off features on all U.S. models by 2030. Honda says the technology reflects its vision to cut global traffic fatalities involving Honda autos and motorcycles in half in the same timeframe on its way to eliminating the fatalities by 2050. Automotive News reports the upgraded suite, called Honda Sensing 360, is now being deployed on some models in China. It uses an expanded sensory range around the entire vehicle that eliminates blind spots and enhances collision avoidance. In 2024, Honda will add new features and bring the technology to the United States at mid-decade. The Acura version of the tech bundle will be called AcuraWatch. Honda said the expanded features are derived from its development of Level 3 automated driving technology, which is part of Honda's Sensing Elite package that debuted on the Legend but is only available in Japan. Click here for the full story.
New BMW Suspension Turns Speed Bumps into Electricity for Electric Cars
The quest for energy efficiency has led BMW to invent a way to harvest energy from potholes and speed bumps. This is according to a new patent unearthed by CarBuzz, which details a new suspension design to generate electricity from a car's vertical wheel movement from bumps in the road. This invention should appear on one of BMW's electrified flagship models, so expect to see it soon in future iterations of flagships like the BMW i7. As the motor industry transitions into the brave new world of electric vehicles, energy conservation is increasingly important. That's why one-pedal driving exists, and coasting systems that regenerate power while switching off the combustion engine in many a hybridized setup. Yet these systems all require the car to be in a state of energy recovery, and none generate power latently outside of a specific set of circumstances. BMW's new solution might, thanks to an untapped energy source: the energy introduced to a car's springs by suspension articulation. BMW has taken a fresh look at the energy stored in suspension springs and found a way to harvest this energy instead of wasting it in the dampers. Click here to learn more.
EV Sales Report Reveals Need for Drastic Improvements in Auto Industry
A new U.S. Department of Energy report analyzing EV sales numbers found that battery-powered vehicles not only failed to attract consumers but failed to lower emissions over the last decade. The USDE’s Argonne National Lab compiled data on mileage, energy consumption, EV sales and CO2 emissions from the last decade. Their full findings, published this November, are sobering. In their analysis, the researchers found that EVs had failed to make meaningful progress in the market. After ten years of research and development, and billions in investor funds, they are still economic outliers, comprising only 4 percent of vehicle sales as of 2021, reports CBT News. Worse still, only 1 percent of cars on the road are battery-powered, making their supposed environmental benefits negligible. In fact, the report estimates the impact EVs have had on greenhouse gas emissions is less than one percent. EVs have been met with great enthusiasm by businesses and consumers alike. However, their utility and profitability has long been a concern among industry experts, anxieties seemingly confirmed by Argonne’s report. Click here to learn more about the report.
VW Eyes Canada in Search for First North America Cell Plant
Volkswagen and its battery subsidiary PowerCo SE have begun searching for a site for the carmaker's first battery cell factory in North America, a company source told Reuters on Thursday. The source said Canada was "a logical option" for the plant, which would be VW's first gigafactory outside Europe. The move was described as an expansion of the memorandum of understanding signed between Volkswagen and mineral-rich Canada in August, in which they agreed to intensify efforts to secure access to lithium, nickel and cobalt. Europe's carmakers have pushed to secure stakes in battery production on the continent, but the industry there is still in its infancy. In September, Volkswagen announced a $2.9 billion battery parts joint venture with Belgian materials firm Umicore. On the hunt for a location in North America, Volkswagen board member for technology Thomas Schmall said: "PowerCo is about to jump across the Atlantic. The framework conditions in North America are highly attractive. The most competitive location wins the race." Click here for the full story.
Around the Web
Mercedes Becomes First Brand Approved for Level 4 Self-Driving in Germany [Carscoops]
Aston Martin Says It's 'On Target' to Win F1 Title By 2025 [Jalopnik]
Hydrogen-Powered Honda CR-V Coming in 2024 [Fox News]
2023 Mini Cooper SE First Drive: A Sign of Great Things to Come [Motortrend]
