Polestar to Make Electric SUV at U.S. Volvo Plant, Starting in 2022
Polestar, the premium electric vehicle maker owned by China’s Geely and Volvo Cars, will build its Polestar 3 electric SUV at Volvo’s U.S. plant in South Carolina starting in the second half of 2022, the brand’s chief executive said. Thomas Ingenlath told Reuters in a telephone interview that the Polestar 3 is "nicely suited for the U.S. as a . . . big, tall, grown-up SUV. This is a win-win situation." The Volvo plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina, near Charleston, currently builds the Volvo S60 sedan and will add the Volvo XC90 SUV in 2022, Polestar said on Wednesday. The annual capacity at the plant, which opened in 2018, will be 150,000 vehicles with the Volvo and Polestar SUVs added, a Volvo spokesman said. The Polestar 3 will be built on the same electric premium platform, called the SPA2, as the XC90, Ingenlath said. It will compete with such models as Tesla Inc's Model X SUV. Read more here (Source: Reuters).
Nissan to Idle More U.S. Output Amid Chip Woes
The global semiconductor shortage roiling the auto industry will have a significant effect on Nissan Motor Co.'s U.S. production this summer, reports Automotive News. The company plans to idle output of three Nissan models — the Murano crossover, Leaf electric hatchback, and Maxima large sedan — at its plant in Smyrna, Tenn., for four extra weeks following the plant's two-week summer shutdown, which begins in late June, according to sources at two suppliers familiar with the matter. Nissan declined to comment on production schedules at its Smyrna, Tenn., plant but said output of the midsize Altima sedan in Canton, Miss., will be suspended for two weeks following the summer shutdown. The chip shortage is complicating a product overhaul central to Nissan's efforts to revive consumer interest and profitability in the U.S. The Japanese automaker's U.S. plants are preparing to introduce three key redesigned models: the Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 crossovers and the Nissan Frontier midsize pickup. Read more here (Source: Automotive News).
Survey: Honda, Toyota Have Lowest Service, Warranty Costs
Honda vehicles have the lowest average actual service and warranty costs for non-luxury brands and are tied with Toyota’s Lexus brand among luxury brands, according to the inaugural We Predict Deepview True Cost Report. WardsAuto reports that the Deepview True Cost report measures service and warranty costs compiled from actual service records. The report measures money spent by owners and manufacturers of 2021 model-year vehicles after three months on the road. It reveals the lowest service costs among brands and models across 21 segments, including electric vehicles. Toyota leads all automakers with four vehicles at the top of their respective segments for the lowest service and warranty costs. They are the Lexus GX luxury midsize SUV, Lexus LC premium sports car, Lexus UX small CUV, and Toyota Sequoia large SUV. Read more here (Source: WardsAuto).
Hyundai Motor Group Chases S. Korean Chips Amid Shortage, Report Says
Hyundai Motor Group is in talks with South Korean chip companies to help it reduce reliance on foreign supplies amid a global shortage that has halted assembly lines at automakers around the world, reports Automotive News. Hyundai officials have met with local "fabless" companies -- which design chips but outsource manufacturing to the likes of TSMC and Samsung Electronics Co. – as it explores long-term strategies to better diversify its supply chain, according to two people at local fabless who met with Hyundai. The South Korean auto group, which houses Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., wants to shift chips such as microcontroller units to South Korean designers, the people said. Read more here (Source: Automotive News).
Lordstown Motors Claims 18 Months of "Confirmed" Truck Orders
Just a few days after troubled EV truck maker Lordstown Motors saw its top two executives resign, their replacements kept an appointment with journalists to try to provide some clarity and offer numbers to bolster company’s contention it’s not in trouble, reports The Detroit Bureau. Angela Strand, Lordstown’s new executive chairwoman; Rick Schmidt, president; and Darren Post, chief engineer sat down with the Automotive Press Association for a virtual question-and-answer session Tuesday. The trio revealed their plans for the company’s future — and that there is one — production plans, as well as issues the team is dealing with. But the message was clear: we’re here and we’re going to build trucks starting in late September — as planned. “It’s a new day at Lordstown,” Strand said during her opening remarks. “There are no disruptions and will be not disruptions to our day-to-day operations.” Read more here (Source: The Detroit Bureau).
Podium Included as Honda Certified Customer Interaction and Online Reputation Management
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Around the Web
2022 Subaru Forester Will Have a Fresher Look [Car and Driver]
2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring First Look [MotorTrend]
Redesigned 2022 Toyota Tundra Coming Soon with New iForce Max Powertrain [MotorAuthority]
