Nissan Sees Price Parity for EVs and E-Power Vehicles
In a push to sell less-costly, better-performing electrified vehicles, Nissan is planning a next-generation electric powertrain lineup that will debut in 2026. The new technology will enable Nissan to achieve price parity between its internal-combustion offerings and its e-Power hybrid offerings in 2026 and its full-electric and gasoline-burning vehicles in 2030, reports Automotive News. The advance will give Nissan an integrated powertrain unit that is 10 percent smaller in size and costs 30 percent less to produce. It will be used across full-electric offerings and e-Power vehicles, replacing a patchwork of different powertrains currently in use. The new range will streamline product development, while cutting costs and improving performance, Senior Vice President Toshihiro Hirai said during a preview of the technology at Nissan's global headquarters. Key to the strategy is increasing commonality and reducing complexity. "For new electric vehicles, we would like to reduce diversity," said Hirai, head of Nissan's powertrain and EV engineering division. He said the powertrains will start to debut in 2024 or 2025 and scale up to mass production in 2026. Click here for the full story.
Hyundai Close to Making Wireless EV Charging a Reality
Physically plugging your Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV into a charging station could become a thing of the past, as according to a patent, discovered by CarBuzz at the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), Hyundai has devised a way to perform high-speed and efficient wireless EV charging. First, let's take a quick and highly simplified look at how wireless charging works, using your phone as an example. Wireless charging uses electromagnetism as its energy transfer medium between a base (the wireless charging pad) and a receiver (your phone). The base and receiver both contain large numbers of wire coils wrapped around individual ferrite (magnetizable) cores. When the base is energized by connecting it to an alternating current power source, it generates a rapidly alternating magnetic field which is mirrored by the receiver to generate energy. Hyundai believes this technology is worth developing, despite numerous problems with upscaling the concept from its current mobile device incarnation. To make it happen, they've employed some very high-tech methods. Click here to learn how Hyundai is making wireless EV charging a reality.
Gasoline Use Is Declining and it’s Not Just Due to EVs
Americans aren’t fueling up like they used to. Gasoline has driven America for a century, but a confluence of factors is seeing demand decrease. Around 8.8 million barrels of gasoline were consumed daily in the U.S. in 2022, reports The Detroit Bureau. That’s down from 9.3 million barrels in 2019, according to the Energy Information Administration. Sure, the pandemic undoubtedly had an impact, but new statistics reveal that demand has been dropping in 2023, falling 1 percent year-over-year, and analysts are doubtful that it will return to its previous levels. Part of the reason is a decline in the number of commuters. According to projections, by the end of 2023, 25 percent of professionals are expected to be working remotely. But beyond the attraction of working from home, there’s the price of fuel, which a year ago was pushing $5 a gallon, hardly an incentive to want to hit the road. Then there’s the changing nature of the automotive fleet. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, gas-electric hybrid vehicles accounted for 5.5 percent of light vehicle sales in 2021, while electric vehicles accounted for 3.2 percent. Click here for the full story.
Auto Dealer Optimism Rises in Q1
Dealers surveyed by Cox Automotive expressed more optimism about the coming three months after surprisingly strong January sales that followed three quarters of declining expectations. But while franchised dealers’ sentiment did rebound slightly, according to the first-quarter Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index survey, their outlook for their markets three months in the future is still nowhere near the enthusiasm they carried for most of the last three years as strong demand and inventory constraints fueled a booming business during the coronavirus pandemic. Still, “they see hope that this year isn’t going to turn out as awful as the mojo seemed to be late last year,” Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke told Automotive News. “And even if the market is challenged, the rest of the business is likely strong.” The U.S. consumer continues to prop up the economy despite high interest rates and stubborn inflation, Smoke said. And while auto sales are slow by historical standards, the sales pace has improved early this year. Despite a rebound from record-low expectations in fourth-quarter polling, franchised dealers' three-month outlook score of 56 represented one of the lowest levels since Cox began its survey. Click here for the full story.
U.S., EU To Launch Talks on Free-Trade-Like Status, Easing EV Trade Dispute
U.S. President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to agree on Friday to begin negotiations on ensuring free-trade agreement-like status for the European Union. The leaders are set to meet in Washington on Friday. Reuters reported last week that the U.S. and EU were working to make European minerals eligible for tax credits under the $430 billion U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, citing a senior EU official. That law requires rising percentages of battery minerals to come from the United States or a Free Trade Agreement partner. A U.S. Treasury spokesperson said the department, which oversees the electric vehicle tax credits at the heart of the dispute, would evaluate any newly negotiated agreements to ensure they meet the critical minerals requirement of the tax credit during the rulemaking process. "Given the extremely high concentration of Chinese control over critical mineral extraction globally, strengthening our supply chains for critical minerals along with like-minded partners is vital for the growth of the clean energy economy," the spokesperson said. Working with allies to reduce U.S. reliance on China for critical minerals would aid U.S. energy and economic security, the spokesperson added. Click here for the full story.
Carfax Names Top-rated Dealers for 2023
For the fourth straight year, Carfax is recognizing dealerships around the country with its Top-Rated Dealers Award. The 2022 Carfax Top-Rated Dealers received an average of 4.5 stars out of a possible five from verified consumers who rated them on the vehicle history and used-car listing site.
“These dealers have been recognized by consumers as the best of the best when it comes to building trust and transparency,” said Gregg Cleary, Carfax Vice President of Dealer Business. “They truly set the bar high for customer care. Carfax has more than 4.1 million verified ratings and reviews, and dealers earn the Top-Rated distinction strictly from that verified feedback.”
Johnson Lexus of Raleigh, North Carolina, has not only earned a CARFAX Top-Rated award all four years, but they have the most five-star reviews in 2022, with 559. “We are proud to hold that distinction,” said Mike Dalton, General Manager at Johnson Lexus of Raleigh. “It’s a true reflection of how hard our team works to provide unprecedented customer service. This is our fourth year earning CARFAX Top-Rated Dealer, and we proudly share that honor knowing it’s backed by our customers verified reviews and the CARFAX brand.”
Carfax Top-Rated Dealer winners receive a kit of materials to display in their dealerships. Click here to view the 2022 Carfax Top-Rated Dealers.
Around the Web
Toyota’s New Prius May Be the Best Argument Yet for Hybrids [CNN Business]
Genesis Spotted Testing 2023 G90 with a LiDAR [Carscoops]
1,331-HP Mercedes-AMG GT63 4-Door Claims to Be the Quickest in the World [Carbuzz]
The Next Porsche 911 GT2 RS Could Have a Hybrid Powertrain and Over 700 HP [Jalopnik]
