Ford will reveal its new Mustang-inspired electric SUV, conceived as a high-performance rival to the Tesla Model Y, next month. The American firm has released a teaser featuring a sketch of the new machine’s profile, confirming it will be launched on Sunday 17 November, just ahead of the Los Angeles motor show where it will likely be shown in public for the first time. Due to go on sale in 2020, a concept will be unveiled later this year, Ford claims the as-year-unnamed model will transfer the spirit of the iconic Mustang pony car into a truly 21st century model. The new model was given the ‘Mach 1’ tag during early development because of strong public opinion against the use of the branding historically reserved for Mustangs. However, the Blue Oval recently applied to trademark the ‘Mach-E’ nameplate, which seems a perfect fit, given the car’s brief. The new car will be the first Ford designed as an electric car from the ground up, with a bespoke new platform enabling both rear and four-wheel drive. It will crown the brand’s wide-reaching electrification plan under which European customers will be offered a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or fully electric version of every new model launched. The only technical detail Ford has officially revealed is the car’s range: it will be capable of 370 miles of WLTP-certified range on a single charge, beating the Tesla Model X (351 miles) and Jaguar I-Pace (292 miles). A less expensive version with less battery capacity and range is also expected. Ford claims charging will be “effortless” and it is “redesigning the ownership experience to ensure it addresses customer pain points that currently hold back broad (electric car) adoption”. The car’s performance remains undisclosed, although chairman Bill Ford has previously claimed it “is going to go like hell”. At a Bank of America summit last month, a Ford presentation showed that it would offer a higher-performance variant of the electric crossover, targeting the more accelerative versions of Tesla’s EVs. Although it is not officially confirmed, reports suggest Ford will reveal the car’s name along with the concept before the year is out. Like many of Ford’s recent models, it’ll be a globally engineered vehicle with few changes between regions. UK deliveries are tipped to start in late 2020. It’s not the only EV in Ford’s product plan, because the Michigan-based maker is also working on a more affordable electric crossover. Codenamed CX430, it will be based on the latest Focus platform and be similar to the Kuga. The CX430 has been in Ford’s product plan for several years. The long-awaited push into electrification comes after news that Ford will be dropping former best-sellers from its US line-up: the Taurus, Fusion and Focus, alongside the Fiesta. Ford’s supermini never found huge popularity in the US, but the momentous decision to end Ford’s 110-year presence in the US passenger saloon market sent a clear signal that profitability, not diversity, is the new focus for the
Origin: Ford to reveal Mustang-inspired electric SUV next month
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Swedish EV firm NEVS to sell final new Saab 9-3 this month
The last new Saab 9-3 ever to be made will be auctioned off later this month to raise funds for research into zero-emissions travel. The almost-unused saloon was built in 2013. It will now be sold by National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), the EV manufacturer that acquired Saab’s assets upon the firm’s collapse in 2012. Proceeds will be donated to NEVS’ Sustainable Mobility Scholarship at Sweden’s University West. NEVS said: “The fund will be awarded to individuals making significant efforts to pave the way for future mobility solutions, ranging from electric car technologies and sharing economies to initiatives for self-driving cars.” The model up for auction is a 217bhp 2.0-litre petrol Aero Turbo saloon in silver, which, according to the company, was intended for crash test purposes and set aside from customer models. The car has been parked ever since, with around 40 recorded miles on the clock, making it the final new 9-3 to leave the Tröllhattan factory. Saab ceased production of the 9-3 in 2011 and planned to unveil an all-new model at the following year’s Paris motor show. It was to be a dramatically styled two-door coupé with a 200bhp 1.6-litre turbo engine supplied by BMW. The Swedish manufacturer’s collapse in 2012 put a stop to development of the new 9-3. Production of the final-shape model resumed under NEVS in 2013, with contribution from around 400 external suppliers, but ended just a year later, with only 420 units having left the factory. NEVS recently began production of the 9-3 EV, a 186-mile-range electric saloon based on the conventionally fuelled
Origin: Swedish EV firm NEVS to sell final new Saab 9-3 this month
Swedish EV firm NEVS to sell final Saab 9-3 this month
The last new Saab 9-3 ever to be made will be auctioned off later this month to raise funds for research into zero-emissions travel. The almost unused saloon was built in 2013. It will now be sold by National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), the EV manufacturer that acquired Saab’s assets upon the latter’s collapse in 2012. Proceeds will be donated to the firm’s Sustainable Mobility Scholarship at Sweden’s University West. NEVS said: “The fund will be awarded to individuals making significant efforts to pave the way for future mobility solutions – ranging from electric car technologies and sharing economies to initiatives for self-driving cars.” The model up for auction is a 217bhp 2.0-litre petrol-powered Aero Turbo saloon in silver, which, according to the company, was intended for crash test purposes and set aside from customer models. The car has been parked ever since, with around 40 recorded miles on the clock, making it the last new 9-3 to leave the factory. Saab ceased production of the 9-3 in 2011, with plans to unveil an all-new model at the following year’s Paris motor show. It was to be a dramatically styled two-door coupe, with a 200bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged engine supplied by BMW. The company’s collapse in 2012 put a stop to development of the new 9-3, and production of the final-shape model continued under NEVS in 2013, with contribution from around 400 external suppliers. Production finally ended in 2014, with just 420 units having left the ex-Saab factory in Trollhättan, in the south of Sweden. In 2018, NEVS began production of the 9-3 EV, a 186-mile electric saloon based on the conventionally fuelled
Origin: Swedish EV firm NEVS to sell final Saab 9-3 this month
Canadian auto sales fall for 16th straight month
In this Monday, April 24, 2017, photo, GM pickup trucks are on display at Quirk Auto Dealers in Manchester, N.H.Charles Krupa / Associated PRess The Canadian auto industry posted its sixteenth consecutive deceleration in sales in June, contracting another 7.2 per cent during the month compared to the same period last year.The latest monthly report from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. reveals virtually all the top-selling brands such as Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler reporting lower sales.Year-to-date, auto manufacturers saw sales of roughly 980,000, compared to just over one million during the same period last year.Weve been expecting single-digit declines all year and thats exactly what weve been getting. The auto markets have always been cyclical and were clearly in a correction period, says Dennis DesRosiers, president of the Toronto-based consultancy.According to DesRosiers, most vehicles are built to last for around a decade, or about 300,000 kilometres. Most people bought new vehicles in the early part of the cycle and they continue to hold on to it, leaving the market saturated.DesRosiers expects this downward movement to continue this year and possibly into 2020.What is more puzzling is the decline in sales of luxury vehicles a trend DesRosiers has been noting since January. Luxury vehicles are a more reliable segment, and until recently, had been one of the fastest growing since this century. In 2008, luxury cars held 7.1 per cent of the countrys market share, but by 2018, that share had grown to 12.1 per cent.Luxury cars have a shorter lifespan, and a regular turnover with income levels often not deemed an issue for their buyers. Mercedes-Benz saw a 17.7-per-cent drop year-to-date, with contracting Audi just over 20 per cent and BMW falling 6.6 per cent during the period.We wonder if some of that is pretend luxury buyers, people that got into the luxury market but really werent legitimate luxury buyers, said DesRosiers. Now that vehicle is 8 or 9 years old were back down to a more normal situation and they just cant afford to go in.While overall auto sales may be down, the actual ownership of vehicles has never been higher in Canada. According to DesRosiers, in 2000, 17 million, or two-thirds of the population owned a vehicle that figure now stands at 86 per cent, or 28 million.Were becoming very American-like in our ownership habits and the types of vehicles were driving, said DesRosiers. U.S. Department of Transportation data shows that there were 0.77 cars for every person in America in 2016.In terms of individual brands, Ford led the pack once again with 154,203 units sold in Canada this year to date, marginally lower compared to the same period last year. DesRosiers attributes Fords continued dominance in the market to its F-series and the latest edition of the F-150 heavy pickup truck. General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Toyota followed Ford, respectively.Looking at the glass half full, if sales for the remainder of 2019 track along current levels, we will still have one of the better sales years ever in Canada, David Adams, president of industry association Global Automakers of Canada, said in a separate report.The slowdown in Canada is in sharp contrast to auto sales across the border, which rose nearly 2 per cent to 206,083, driven by a 56 per cent jump in FCAs Ram
Origin: Canadian auto sales fall for 16th straight month
Hertz launching car subscription service for US$1,000 per month
Hertz is joining a host of other companies, including several automakers, in offering a vehicle subscription service, which lets customers take home and used a borrowed car for an indefinite period of time, for a monthly fee. Labelled Hertz My Car (your author would have gone with Hertz My Ride, but whatever) the program will offer two different tiers of cars. Tier One is priced at US$999 per month and includes full-size sedans, small SUVs and trucks. Tier Two offers snazzy luxury sedans, regular SUVs and large trucks for US$1,399. Customers can exchange their vehicle twice a month for another make or model within the tier but, if they want to switch it up more frequently, they can do so for a US$75 surcharge. There’s also a one-time enrolment fee of US$250. The all-inclusive monthly subscription covers vehicle maintenance, roadside assistance, vehicle damage and limited liability protection. There’s a US$1,000 deductible if you beat stuff up, by the way. Hopefully Hertz has cleaned up its computer records, as a “glitch in the system” recently led to several people being summarily hauled away by the cops after Hertz reported the vehicles they were renting as stolen. One person apparently spent over a week behind bars while others tell tales of ending up on the business end of handcuffs before getting the whole mess sorted out. One thing that’s certain is that consumer preferences toward vehicle ownership and leasing are shifting. Hertz cites a survey by Cox Automotive that claims nearly 40 per cent of respondents said while access to transportation is necessary, owning a vehicle is not. For urban respondents, 57 per cent said private vehicle ownership is not necessary to get from point A to point B. Hertz My Ride kicks off in the cities of Austin and Atlanta, but sadly does not include any scheduled appearances by Xzibit or Chamillionaire at those launch
Origin: Hertz launching car subscription service for US$1,000 per month
MG ZS EV electric SUV to make UK debut this month
MG’s first ever electric car, the ZS EV, will be on display for the first time in the UK this month ahead of sales beginning in September. The brand will use the London motor show, which opens its doors on 16 May, as the venue for the model’s debut. The brand also claims it has had 800 “expressions of interest” from buyers, the most it’s ever had in Britain. The Kia Soul EV rival was first revealed at the Guangzhou motor show in China last year, and will be sold alongside the existing petrol versions of the ZS. While specifications have yet to be confirmed, the UK-bound ZS EV is expected to use the same front-mounted 148bhp electric motor as the model sold in China. The car’s lithium ion battery will reportedly be good for a 268-mile range on the old NEDC test cycle, and MG says it can achieve an 80% charge in as little as 30 minutes. As a guide, the WLTP range of the Nissan Leaf is 28.5% lower than its NEDC range, and the same reduction would put the ZS EV at 192 miles. “We’re delighted to be entering the electric car market at such an exciting time,” said Daniel Gregorious, MG’s head of sales and marketing. “With MG’s trademark value-for-money approach, we’re confident that we can help more and more new car buyers to go electric.” UK sales weren’t confirmed at the ZS EV’s global debut last year, but they were considered likely as part of the slow but steady growth of the MG brand worldwide and its transition to being a maker of SUVs. MG is enjoying sales success in China, under the ownership of SAIC. Last year, it sold 134,786 cars, a significant increase over the 80,389 sold in 2016. That success accelerated in 2018; MG had already surpassed its 2017 total by the end of August, having sold 179,109 cars. China is the world’s largest market for electric cars, and ranges in excess of 250 miles are now the norm there, rather than the exception. The ZS EV first made its debut alongside the new HS SUV, which is understood to be lined up to replace the GS in MG’s UK range later this
Origin: MG ZS EV electric SUV to make UK debut this month
Four rare — and original — Shelby Cobras heading to auction next month
1967 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C RoadsterHandout / Mecum Mecum will auction off four rare (and original) Shelby Cobras next month from the estate of late car collector Steven Juliano. Per MotorAuthority, the snakes up for auction will be a 1967 427 S/C Roadster and a 1966 427 Roadster, plus a 1965 289 Dragonsnake and a 1964 289 Roadster. The ’67 S/C ticks all of the boxes of what you’d expect the classic Cobra to be, fitted with the outrageous 427 cubic-inch Ford V8. Side pipes, hood scoop, roll hoop, and wide hips are all present. On top of that, it’s an S/C model, short for Semi-Competition. Only 31 of these vehicles were converted from race cars into street spec, making them an extremely rare beast — especially this one, with only 10,760 miles on the clock. The second car is a 1966 model-year Cobra. It’s also fitted with a 427, but lacking the side pipes, hood scoop, and roll hoop — all of which makes it almost rarer and more unique than the S/C. It traded hands in the U.S. a few times before heading to Japan in 1987, where it was kept in perfect shape until 2010, when Juliano acquired it. The oldest Cobra here is a 1964 Factory Stage III outfitted with a 289 cubic-inch V8. This race-spec snake is the only one in the world built for street use, and was originally finished in Princess Blue before the first owner sent it back to the factory to be repainted in Ford Rangoon Red. It is considered to be one of the most highly optioned Cobras of its day. The last Cobra is a real doozy, a 1965 Dragonsnake, originally built by Shelby for drag racing and one of only six to have that distinction. It was specially ordered in yellow by brothers Don and Mike Reimer to match their Thunderbird tow vehicle. This one is also a Factory Stage 3 car. Each Cobra is estimated to sell around the US$2 million mark. The auction will take place between May 14 and 19 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Take Our
Origin: Four rare — and original — Shelby Cobras heading to auction next month
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