Pub. 9 2021-2022 Issue 2

15 Fall 2021 Stellantis In July 2021, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares announced its upcoming €30 billion five-year investment in electrified vehicles. Sales of its plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles in North America is currently 4%. By 2025, Stellantis plans to have 40 BEVs and 15 plug-in PHEVs for sale in showrooms worldwide. The sales goal for electrified vehicles by 2030 is 40% in North America and 70% in Europe. The Jeep Wrangler 4xe debuted in April 2021 and was soon responsible for 20% of Wrangler sales. The unexpectedly large success surprised company officials. The Jeep brand CEO, Christian Meunier, says Jeep is committed to zero emissions. By 2025, Jeep plans to have a 4xe version for every product. Subaru Corporation In December 2020, Subaru announced a battery-electric SUV. (They released the name later.) The new SUV will be called the Solterra, is a compliance vehicle for the California market and will be sold in the U.S. market starting with the 2023 model. Subaru sells 66% of its cars in the U.S., which is why the Solterra will be released in the U.S. first. In early 2021, Subaru said it plans to offer electrification on all of its models by 2025. Besides the Solterra, Subaru has not offered specifics about the mix of hybrids, plug-in hybrids or EVs. Tesla Tesla has not been specific about its upcoming offerings, but the company just updated the Model S and added a high-performance Plaid version. There has also been some discussion about a pickup truck and second- generation roadster. According to Nathan Dyer on the CARHP website on Aug. 3, 2021, the 2022 Model 3 will have a price that is $8,000 less than in 2021, and Tesla has replaced the 2022 sedan’s lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA) battery with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. The change should boost efficiency and performance. Toyota Motor Company Toyota has long specialized in utilitarian hybrid powertrains, but it has redesigned the Mirai as a hydrogen fuel-cell-powered car. The Mirai uses a rear-wheel-drive Lexus platform and has an estimated range of 402 miles. At $49,500, the Mirai costs about $9,000 less than the previous model. All of the U.S. hydrogen filling stations are in California, but Toyota and Shell are working together to increase the nation’s hydrogen station infrastructure by building more. Toyota now has an e-TNGA BEV- dedicated platform. It is using the new platform for the Toyota bZ4X Concept, but it is still focusing on mainly selling hybrids in North America. The plan between now and 2025 is to add additional electrified options for a variety of models. They will be either hybrid or plug-in hybrids. The first Toyota bz4X models are scheduled to reach showrooms sometime during the middle of 2022. Volkswagen Group The Volkswagen Group has 12 brands: Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN. Some are global, some have niche markets, and some are not sold in North America. Volkswagen U.S. sales are less than those for Toyota, Ford, and GM. Its current bestsellers, according to goodcarbadcar.net, are the Jetta sedan and the Tiguan crossover. Volkswagen is currently transforming itself into an EV manufacturer, with plans to launch 70 EVs and 60 HEVs by the end of the 2020s. It is investing €11 billion before 2024. The Volkswagen ID.4, a small electric SUV, is the most recent addition. Two models from other company brands, the Audi E-Tron GT and the Porsche Taycan EV, are built on the same platform. Bentleys are scheduled to be hybrid or electric plug-ins by 2026. Lamborghini has not yet talked much about electrification plans. As the market shifts toward autonomous driving, the Volkswagen Group is shifting away from selling cars and moving toward selling software and mobility services. The company is also working on battery technology, including recycling and charging infrastructure. Volkswagen has designed an augmented reality head-up display that projects information onto the windscreen based on two fields and two levels. The far-range window is larger than the close-range window, which is underneath the far-range window. Engineers have designed the displays so they won’t overwhelm drivers. 