Ferrari has no imminent plans for a modern-day Dino, although chief commercial officer Enrico Galliera has refused to rule it out entirely. When asked if the new Dino was dead, he said: “I would never use the word dead in the future strategy. (But) it’s certainly not something that we’re planning shortly.” A V6-powered, entry-level Dino was on the drawing board as recently as 2016. At the time, then-Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne said both a reintroduction of the famous Dino name and a V6 engine were possible. The plans have since been shelved; Ferrari’s fifth model line instead became the SF90 Stradale, revealed earlier this year as the brand’s first plug-in hybrid. That launch was part of new boss Louis Camilleri’s revised strategy, in which 15 models will arrive by 2022, including the four already revealed this year: the F8 Tributo, SF90 Stradale, F8 Spider and 812 GTS. Rather than developing a new Dino, which would be the cheapest model in the line-up, Ferrari is instead choosing to focus on growth through new segments, especially higher-priced models, such as the SF90 Stradale. That car costs 25% more than the rest of the Ferrari range. Galliera said: “Our product line-up is basically trying to redesign our positioning, but we don’t feel there is a need for an entry-price (model) in our product range, and we plan to remain consistent with what we already declared we want to
Origin: Ferrari shelves plan for entry-level Dino model
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Trump lashes out against carmakers cool to his mileage plan
U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions from the press while departing the White House on November 26, 2018 in Washington, DC.Win McNamee / Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at automobile manufacturers whove pushed back on his administrations plan to weaken fuel-efficiency requirements, dismissing them as politically correct.My proposal to the politically correct Automobile Companies would lower the average price of a car to consumers by more than $3000, while at the same time making the cars substantially safer, Trump tweetrf Wednesday.Engines would run smoother. Very little impact on the environment! Foolish executives!The tweet was apparently prompted by a compromise that Ford, Honda, BMW and Volkswagen have reached with Californias clean-air regulator to boost the fuel efficiency of autos sold in the U.S. through 2026, defying the Trump administrations plan. Gavin Newsom, Californias Democratic governor, has called on other automakers to join the pact though none have thus far.My proposal to the politically correct Automobile Companies would lower the average price of a car to consumers by more than $3000, while at the same time making the cars substantially safer. Engines would run smoother. Very little impact on the environment! Foolish executives! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2019That deal represents the most clear-cut example of auto industry unease with the Trump administrations August 2018 proposal to dramatically ease fuel economy and vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards drafted by the Obama administration, which sought to boost average fuel efficiency to roughly 50 miles per gallon by 2025.The Trump administration instead recommended capping mileage requirements at a 37-mile-per-gallon fleet average after 2020, and revoking Californias authority to regulate tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions, which its done in coordination with Washington for several years.Trump regulators have argued that capping fuel economy standards at 2020 levels would lead to less-expensive new cars than under the current rules, allowing consumers to replace their older vehicles with newer, safer ones more rapidly and avoid thousands of traffic fatalities.Experts and EPA career staff have disputed those assertions. Automakers for months have urged the Trump administration to moderate that plan, fearing a lengthy legal battle over Californias regulatory powers would throw the critical standards into uncertainty for years. Those efforts have had little sway so far on the White House, which rejected a plea by 17 carmakers last month to work out a compromise with California.The companies also want to avoid a split market with federal mileage requirements in most states and more stringent rules in more than a dozen states that adhere to Californias standards. The states that follow California standards account for more than a third of all U.S. auto
Origin: Trump lashes out against carmakers cool to his mileage plan
Autocar confidential: Porsche’s colour conundrum, Renault hatches a plan and more
In this week’s round-up of automotive news bites, we hear why Volkswagen’s CEO thinks EVs are the only way, how Porsche created the 911’s interior colour combinations, and more. Renault’s hatch, back? Renault will not quit the small car segment, unlike some brands, according to its Europe boss Jean-Christophe Kugler. “I’ve been asking my team to investigate deeply this segment” he said. “Let’s look at it and understand what is the evolution in the main cities.” Kugler also claimed car sharing could make the Twingo – now dropped from the UK – more viable. Porsche’s colourful combos One of the biggest challenges in developing the new Porsche 911 was making sure that all the interior trim colours matched, according to the firm’s quality control boss, Frank Moser. He noted the 11 interior colours offered on the new 911 had to work with 16 equipment levels and across 300 visible parts featuring 51 different materials, produced by 76 different suppliers. Ssangyong predicts a taxing period for manufacturers The growing uptake of EVs is going to have major effects on the rest of the UK car industry when it comes to taxation, according to Ssangyong’s UK MD, Nick Laird. “Manufacturers invested big in diesel technology for 20 years because that’s what all the signals the governments were giving. The government needs to find that (missing fuel duty) from somewhere.” Is hydrogen a load of hot air? “There’s no alternative to electricity to cut emissions and make mobility CO2-free,” VW Group chairman Herbert Diess said, despite Audi recently restarting its hydrogen powertrain research. The group’s vehicles are responsible for 1% of all transport-related emissions worldwide and it is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Origin: Autocar confidential: Porsche’s colour conundrum, Renault hatches a plan and more
Nissan confirms plan to cut 12,500 jobs globally
Nissan will reduce its production capacity and model range, and axe around 12,500 jobs worldwide, in a bid to turn its fortunes around. The major restructure, which was first reported by the Nikkei Shinbum media organisation in Japan, was confirmed by the firm during the publication of its first quarter results for the 2019 financial year. In the three-month period running from April to June Nissan’s net income was down 94.5% year-on-year, with sales down in several key markets. The car maker announced 4800 job cuts earlier this year, as part of an initiative to turn its fortunes round, having suffered its lowest profits for almost ten years. The 12,500 job losses – around 9% of the firm’s global workforce – will come as a result of a move by Nissan to reduce its global production capacity by around ten per cent. There is no word yet on which of the firm’s plants will be affected. Nissan also says it will reduce the size of its product line-up by around 10 per cent by the end of 2022, and will “focus investment on global core models and strategic regional models.” As with many car firms, Nissan will spend heavily on future technologies, and says it will invest heavily in its ProPilot driver assistance system. It is also plotting further investment in electirifed vehicles, including battery electric models. It will also investigate new business models, including ride-sharing mobility services. Global sales stagnation in the US and Europe, plus falls in Asia, political uncertainty, tariffs, the need to invest in electrification and autonomy and a part-ageing product line-up, including its successful Qashqai and Juke SUVs, and greater competition from rival manufacturers in the SUV segment have been cited as reasons for Nissan’s profits slump. The initial reports suggest that the bulk of the losses will fall on workers outside of Japan. Although there have been no specific warnings of losses at Nissan’s UK operations, earlier this year the firm made headlines when it reversed a previous decision to make some X-Trail models at its Sunderland factory. That was said to have led to “hundreds” of new jobs not being created at the plant. At the time it made specific reference to Brexit negotiations undermining the company’s position in the UK, although falling diesel sales and the EU’s tariff-free trade deal with Japan were also believed to be factors. Nissan has also hit the headlines recently with the arrest of former boss Carlos Ghosn, who is now suing the firm for unfair dismissal. The firm has previously committed to making the next-generation Juke – set to be revealed at this year’s Frankfurt motor show – and Qashqai in Sunderland. In May this year Nissan reported net profits annual profits of 319bn yen (£2.37bn), down 5% on the previous year. This was the lowest figures since 2009/10, in the wake of the global financial crisis. The company has also warned that the current year could be
Origin: Nissan confirms plan to cut 12,500 jobs globally
New road safety plan includes stricter seatbelt laws and alcolocks
The Department for Transport (DfT) has published a new road safety action plan as it sets out to reduce the number of fatal incidents that occur on Britain’s roads. The document details 74 proposed measures for implementation over the next two years, chief among which is a plan to increase penalties for drivers who fail to wear a seatbelt. Currently, drivers caught not wearing a seatbelt are liable to receive a £100 on-the-spot fine, which could rise to £500 if the case goes to court. The proposed revisions would see rule-breakers hit with penalty points as well, although it is unclear how many. Reinforcing the importance of wearing a seatbelt is viewed as a priority by the DfT. The organisation notes that 27% of road fatalities in 2017 involved drivers and passengers who weren’t belted up: “one in four car deaths could have been prevented”, it said. A planned graduated driver licensing scheme, detailed ahead of the document’s publication, could result in novice drivers being restricted to daytime driving, as part of a move to combat high accident rates occurring within a year of passing a test. Drink- and drug-driving rates could be minimised with the mandatory installation of ‘alcolocks’ to repeat offenders’ vehicles. These devices measure alcohol levels in a driver’s breath and prevent the vehicle from being started. Also detailed in the plan is a strategy to better educate young people with regard to staying safe on the roads. As well as encouraging larger numbers of pupils to cycle to school, the DfT has invested £200,000 in providing augmented reality training resources to primary schools across the UK, which will help pupils develop an awareness of road safety. Better education fot new drivers forms an integral part of the proposals; the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is developing “a behavioural change campaign designed to encourage learners to broaden the range of roads they practice and learn on”. The initiative aims to give learner drivers more experience of driving independently, in the dark, and in rural environments before they take their driving test. Additional measures include funding research into the implications of worsening eyesight in elderly drivers, liaison with commercial vehicle fleet operators to enhance awareness of work-related road safety, a ban on old tyres being fitted to heavy goods vehicles and promoting the importance of helmets for cyclists. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “The UK has some of the safest roads in the world, but we are not complacent and continue to look at how we can make them safer. “Today’s action plan is a key milestone in our road safety work and sets out the important steps we are taking to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our
Origin: New road safety plan includes stricter seatbelt laws and alcolocks
Automakers question B.C.’s plan to phase out gas vehicles by 2040
A Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) at a charging station outletHyundai Big automakers are questioning B.C.’s proposed 2040 ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars, SUVs and light trucks. Japanese automaker Honda said it has been trying to tell the B.C. government that limiting new sales in 2040 to electric and hydrogen vehicles, while discounting gains in fuel-efficiency for future hybrid electric-gas engines, may not be the best way to achieve the province’s pollution reduction goals. “With the way technology is advancing it’s hard to predict, said Honda Canada president Dave Gardner. And that’s what we’re concerned about. At this stage of the game, let’s not pick a winning technology. Let’s just embrace anything that will achieve the overall goals. South Korean-based Hyundai, which is riding high on the successful launch of its new electric Kona SUV, said Ottawa should be regulating vehicle sales and not individual provinces like B.C. But Hyundai Canada president Don Romano also applauded B.C. for at least trying to push the issue. He said the province could become a leader if it mandated that existing gas stations – often owned by oil companies – also install electric and hydrogen fuel chargers, automatically creating a vast new charging network. I would cite to the B.C. government the fact they haven’t done anything with the gas industry, Romano said. If you want to see electric vehicles at 100 per cent at that time, or hydrogen vehicles, you need electric and hydrogen charging stations at every gas station across the province. It just makes sense. Energy Minister Michelle Mungall said B.C. is not considering such a move. Right now the private market is responding to building infrastructure associated with charging, and they are doing that at a fairly rapid pace, said Mungall. In terms of using the policy mechanism of government intervention, at this point I don’t know that that’s necessary. I haven’t even asked that question because the private sector is jumping in that quickly with charging stations. Mungall also said she believes B.C.’s legislation is flexible enough to accommodate Honda’s concerns. B.C.’s electric vehicle legislation is currently being debated in the legislature. In the first quarter of 2019, electric vehicle sales accounted for six per cent of B.C. vehicle sales. There are more than 17,000 zero-emission vehicles currently on B.C. roads. Plug-in hybrids, with batteries and gas engines, will still be allowed after 2040, but B.C. will award auto companies significantly reduced credits for selling them compared to fully electric models. Companies will need to accumulate enough credits to avoid being fined by the government. Hybrids without plug-in capability – currently more common in the marketplace – won’t be allowed for new sales in B.C. after 2040. Mungall said the proposed system rewards the cleanest vehicles with the longest range, and is the most flexible way to approach the issue. Honda Canada’s popular Civic sedan and CR-V SUV are both currently only available in gasoline models. Honda also sells a plug-in hybrid called the Clarity, which starts at $40,100. The next big thing you’ll see from Honda is to gasoline-electric, what you’d call a traditional hybrid engine, said Gardner. Because the traditional gasoline-electric hybrid can reduce or improve fuel economy from 20 to 25 per cent.” It’s not a position shared by Hyundai, which said plug-in hybrids still pollute. B.C. should stick with a zero-emission definition that is fully electric or hydrogen, said Romano. Ultimately, we need to remove combustion engines, he said. Hyundai’s electric Kona is the first electric subcompact SUV in Canada, with a starting price of $44,999. Hyundai says it has a travel range of 415 kilometres on a single charge, meaning it may only need to be charged once a week for some consumers. Kona EVs went on sale in January with 1,854 vehicles sold in February, then increased 197 per cent in March to 2,717 vehicles, and a further 53 per cent in April to 2,348 vehicles. Romano said government electric vehicle subsidies – $5,000 provincially and $5,000 federally – caused a run on demand and Hyundai is sold out of Konas. It’s an anomaly, he said. It doesn’t reflect the sustainable demand we’re going to see over the next couple of years. An EV electric vehicle charging parking spot in a parking lot at UBC, Vancouver, February 20 2019. Gerry Kahrmann / Postmedia Honda cited another trend that B.C.’s legislation fails to account for—mainly the consumer push away from fuel-efficient sedans toward larger SUVs and light trucks, where electrification is more difficult. Passenger cars are now accounting for less than 30 per cent of the marketplace, and we’re not motivating or trying to change the consumers who want bigger more utility vehicles and therefore by their nature are less fuel efficient, said Gardner. Hyundai disagreed, saying its Kona is proof that electric SUVs are possible and
Origin: Automakers question B.C.’s plan to phase out gas vehicles by 2040
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