2020 sales results

With the arrival of COVID-19, last year was difficult for many companies, including automakers. Sales sagged to levels last seen in 2012. However, the market for new vehicles, especially trucks and SUVs, rebounded in the fourth quarter, with sufficient strength shown in December to make automakers optimistic for 2021. For the year, most automakers saw declines.

Among the Detroit 3, General Motors was down 12 percent, though sales of its Chevrolet Silverado full-size pickup trucks were up by 3 percent. The similar GMC Sierra saw a 9 percent sales improvement. At Ford, sales declined by 16 percent, though fourth quarter results for its Explorer and Expedition SUVs were up by 29 and 8 percent respectively, and demand for the 2021 Ford F-150 pickup truck, traditionally the bestselling vehicle in the United States, are being limited by supplies. Fiat Chrysler saw sales fall by 17 percent for the year, though Jeep and Ram sales rebounded in the fourth quarter.

Among import brands, Honda was off by 16 percent, Hyundai was down 10 percent, and Toyota was off by

11.3 percent for the year. Each of these automakers reported improvements in the last quarter.

Tesla reports only worldwide sales and those were up for the year, reaching 499,550 vehicles, an improvement of 36 percent over 2019 results. The Model 3 remains the company’s most popular vehicle. Automotive News outlined several sales highlights for 2020. In sales by nameplate, Ford led (1,929,298 sales), followed by Toyota (1,837,900) and Chevrolet (1,727,736). In pickup truck sales the Ford F-150 was the top seller with Chevrolet’s Silverado returning to second place, ahead of Fiat Chrysler’s Ram. However, if Silverado sales are combined sales for the nearly identical GMC Sierra, General Motors sold more full-size pickups (839,691) than Ford (787,422). In the pony car sales race the Ford Mustang was the leader once again (61,090 sales) followed by the Dodge Challenger (52,955) and

Chevrolet Camaro (29,775).

2019 fuel efficiency numbers down

With consumers flocking to trucks and SUVs, it was probably inevitable that fleet average fuel economy would fall in 2019, and it did. Last week, the EPA announced just how much the average fuel economy for that year declined: 0.2 miles per gallon (mpg). General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles saw a decline of 0.5 mpg, meaning GM’s fleet average was 22.5 mpg and FCA’s was 21.2 mpg. Ford saw its average improve by 0.1 mpg to 22.5 mpg. A factor in this decline was the EPA finding that vehicle weight and horsepower ratings set records in 2019, with 2020 figures for these two measurements expected to rise once more.

Automakers that fall short of meeting federal standards can buy credits from automakers that exceed those requirements. In 2019, the EPA disclosed that Fiat Chrysler purchased 82.1 million credits, more than any other automaker. General Motors procured 10.7 million credits, BMW bought 5.5 million credits, and Mercedes-Benz purchased 12.2 million credits. On the other side of these transactions, Honda sold 40 million credits, Tesla sold 39.8 million credits, and Toyota sold 33.8 million credits.

New Jeep offers 3rd row

Jeep’s redesigned Grand Cherokee will begin rolling off the assembly line later this quarter and arrive at dealerships shortly thereafter. This model will offer a first for the Grand Cherokee, space for seven passengers thanks to an optional third row seat. To be known as the Grand Cherokee L, this three-row model will compete in the hotly contested fullsize family utility vehicle market. The segment generates more than a million sales a year. Competitors include the

Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Traverse, and Hyundai Palisade. A two-row version of the redesigned Grand Cherokee will be offered later in the year.

The platform for this new Jeep will be new, and features an independent rear suspension. An all-aluminum 3.6-liter V6 engine, rated at 290 horsepower is standard with a 357-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 optional. Interiors have been upgraded with a 10.1-inch screen that operates the vehicle’s new Uconnect 5 infotainment system. An upgraded McIntosh audio system will be offered in the Overland and Summit trim levels. It will be standard in vehicles with the Summit Reserve Package. McIntosh, which has been a maker of premium home and professional audio equipment for more than 70 years, has offered factory installed auto audio systems in the past, including the system for the Ford GT. Currently, this new Grand Cherokee will be only vehicle with an audio system from McIntosh.

Apple car

After several news organizations reported that Apple and Hyundai were in talks to develop an autonomous electric vehicle,

Hyundai confirmed that preliminary discussions between the two companies were taking place. Korea IT news reported that the vehicle resulting from an AppleHyundai collaboration would be built at the Kia Motors factory in Georgia, or at a new plant in the United States. Kia is affiliated with Hyundai. However, an updated version of this report eliminated details on the plant location. Reports and speculation surrounding the talks produced an immediate boost in the value of Hyundai shares.

North American Vehicles of the Year

A jury of auto journalists has selected three vehicles to be named as North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year. The finalists in the car category were the Genesis G80, large luxury sedan, and two compact sedans, the Hyundai Elantra, and the eighth generation of the Nissan Sentra. In the truck category, the finalists were the new Ford F-150, the Jeep Gladiator Mohave, and the Ram 1500 TRX. Utility vehicle finalists were the Ford Mustang Mach-E, a battery electric vehicle, the Genesis GV80, and the Land Rover Defender.

And, the winners are the Hyundai

Elantra, including the hybrid and N Line performance models, the Ford F-150, and Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Stellantis approval

Shareholders in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group have approved the merger of the two companies, to be known as Stellantis. Mike Manley, who will head operations of the new company in the Americas, noted that the portfolio includes a long list of “iconic brands, and I’m speaking of brands such as Jeep, Peugeot, Fiat, Opel, Ram, Citroen, and Maserati, just to name a few.”

Manley’s failure to mention Chrysler and Dodge has concerned Frank Rhodes,

Jr. He is the great-grandson of Walter P. Chrysler, who founded Chrysler Corporation. Rhodes fears that the merger could spell the end of the

Chrysler brand and he worries that the board, which favors the PSA Group, will be more concerned about saving jobs and brands in Europe than in the United States. He also expressed concern that a stake in the company held by Dongfeng Motor, a Chinese company, will create national security concerns, though U.S. regulators have approved the deal, according to Fiat Chrysler.

Shares in the new company were slated to start trading on stock exchanges in Milan and Paris this Monday. Trading of these shares on the New York Stock Exchange is slated to begin on Tuesday.

NIO Day

NIO, a Chinese maker of electric vehicles, took the wraps of its ET7 luxury sedan last week during a “NIO Day” event. The message was clear: Tesla is about to get a serious competitor for the vehicles it makes at its Shanghai factory.

The ET7 is NIO’s first sedan. Set to arrive early next year, it features sleek styling and bristles with autonomous driving features. The door handles extend when the driver approaches and the roof is made of glass. With the optional 150 kWh battery, NIO claims a range of 621 miles, beating the Tesla Model S (402 miles) and the upcoming Lucid Air (517 miles). The starting price in China for a model with a 70 kWh battery is about $69,000.

GM’s new logo

For the first time in 56 years, General Motors is changing its logo. The new corporate symbol is said to be more modern. The letters are now cast in lower case with the “m” said to resemble an electric plug in support of the company’s planned migration to electric vehicles. GM is pledging to have an EV for every consumer, regardless of a person’s transportation needs and budget. To do this, GM is spending $27 billion on battery powered and autonomous vehicle development. It plans to offer 30 electric models worldwide by 2025.

Toyota’s self cleaning concept

Jalopnik.com is reporting that Toyota has filed a patent application for technology that would allow a self-driving car to realize that it was dirty and then drive itself off to the car wash. No human intervention would be necessary. In the oblique language of the application, the system works when “…traveling information of the automated driving vehicle satisfies the car wash condition, a car wash instruction unit transmits an instruction signal for moving the automated driving vehicle to a car wash station.” In other words, your car will know when it has been driven in inclement weather or on a dirt road. It then contacts a car wash for a time slot for a wash. If on a trip, it determines whether there is sufficient time for a suds, scrub and rinse detour. If not, it will put off the cleaning for a better time. There was no mention of the car being able to recognize that its owner had grabbed a sponge, a bucket of sudsy water and a garden hose and completed a manual wash in the driveway.