The redesigned F-150’s 3.5-liter V-6 PowerBoost hybrid variant will get 25 MPG combined when equipped with 2-wheel drive. This makes the F-150 best-in-class among gasoline powered light-duty pickups. It will deliver 430 horsepower and 570 lbs. of torque and be rated at a maximum of 12,700 lbs. of conventional towing.
The Fleet Management Industry anticipates an increase in recommendations of repairs and the costs of unscheduled services throughout 2021. Repair facilities are businesses and they need to try to maintain their business and cover their expenditures. This may lead to more thorough inspections and more items being recommended, along with the associated price increases.
Another factor that may play a bigger issue in 2021 is that vehicle service lives are being extended as companies right-size their fleets or look to reduce new-vehicle acquisition budgets brought forth by the pandemic.
Ford Bronco orders banks were to open this week. Unfortunately, this has been pushed to mid-January for reservation holders to complete their purchases. German supplier, Webasto, to equip the Michigan facility with the removable roofs has been hampered by the coronavirus
In an effort to pivot the luxury brand to lead its all-electric vehicle efforts, GM has informed its 880 U.S. Cadillac dealers that in order to sell (and service) their upcoming Electric Vehicles (EVs), they would need to invest approximately $200,000 to upgrade their dealerships. This could prove difficult for smaller dealers.
Approximately 150 Cadillac dealers have accepted buyouts in the range of $300,000 to $1 million. These dealerships will stop selling Cadillacs in the near-term. Clearly GM is accelerating their EV efforts, which include investing $27 billion in all-electric and autonomous vehicles by 2025. It has been reported that GMC will not offer such buyouts to dealerships that are reluctant to sell & service EVs.
Recent tweets from the founder of the luxury EV brand, Henrik Fisker, show us that the EMotion is not the only model in the works. And while the EMotion will be reserved for big spenders, coming in at $129,000, the forthcoming crossover EV is supposed to be near the $40,000 price point.
The crossover EV has moved beyond the concept stage, as Fisker announced the vehicle will be available in 2021. The preliminary stats come detail a +80 KWh lithium-ion battery pack delivering a 300-mile range. Similar to the Karma, the vehicle will be equipped with a solar roof. It has also been noted that aspects of the interior will be made with recycled materials. While interior shots have not been released yet, he’s got us intrigued.
In another tweet, the image of what appears to be a truck tailgate is shown. Furthering speculation that a Fisker pickup is on the way comes from the text that accompanies the image, in which Fisker states “ALL automotive segments have to be electrified! After our Fisker electric SUV, we have already decided on our next 2 EV’s on the same platform!”
This news shouldn’t be all that surprising, as the electric pickup market is set to explode in the coming years. Price, range, and towing capability will be huge factors in determining which automaker grabs ahold of the segment from the onset. While being first to market is great, consumers, knowing that many options are soon to follow, may be inclined to wait-and-see before making the move. Regardless, news that yet another player has joined the game is exciting news for all.
To receive frequent updates on the automaker’s future plans, Fisker’s twitter seems to be the best avenue:
Ford Recently put their electric F-150 prototype to the test and proved that they’re serious about owning the forthcoming EV pickup market. In a display that boggles the mind, the prototype pulled ten double-decker rail cars loaded with 42 F-150s. The combined weight of the train and trucks? 1.25 million pounds. While you may not get the best range when towing at this rate, the fact that it’s even possible is amazing.
The electric F-150 is still some time away from making it to production, but marketing ploys like this give us the indication that we’re in for a treat once it does. Ford is set to release the first hybrid version of the best-selling truck in 2020 which will be followed by the EV “in the coming years,” as Ford puts it. The Blue Oval brand set their goal to have 40 electrified vehicles by 2022. We’re just hoping the F-150 is one of those 40, because even a two-year wait is two years too many.
Check out the video on YouTube here:
Pricing information has been announced for the all-new compact sedan in the Cadillac CT5. The starting price of $37, 890 gives the CT5 a head start on the major competitors, who all sit above that starting MSRP. The CT5 comes standard as rear-wheel drive, though buyers can opt to upgrade to and all-wheel drive for $2,600 (for the base of Sport trim), or $3,090 on the Premium Luxury trim.
The base models of the BMW 3 Series ($41,245), Audi A4 ($40,195), and Lexus IS ($39,585) all start above the CT5 base asking price.
A 2.0L turbo-four comes standard on the CT5 and produces 237hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. There’s also an optional 335hp twin-turbo V6. And of course there’s a V-trim level, which is set to be equipped with a 355hp version of the same twin-turbo V6. The standard safety options include forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, and automatic braking.
Cadillac’s replacement for their axed CTS and ATS sedans looks to be off to a good start. Time and sales stats will tell if this all-new compact luxury sedan can take a piece of the German-dominated segment.
Learn more about the CT5 on Cadillac’s official site:
The new rules help to increase the amount of details shared with owners in regards to the safety defect recalls that are being issued.
The expanded regulations will require manufacturers to provide complete details to the Minister of Transport, including a timetable of events, warranty claims, service reports, and a timeline for when the non-compliance notices will be sent to owners and dealerships.
In addition to this, companies must also clearly outline the safety defect recalls while also providing guidelines on any precautions to take prior to the issue being repaired.
Some of this information has been shared by most manufacturers in the past, but the new rules make it mandatory for all. The new rules are similar to the guidelines manufacturers are required to follow in the US.
According to a study, nearly 25% of owners never get recalls repaired. These new rules increase awareness of a given issue and aim to reduce this number, helping to increase the safety on the roadways.
A link to the official posting on the Government of Canada website is below:
Canada has finalized the updated electronic logging (ELD) device rule, which the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) claims will put Canada ahead of the US in regards to the safety and compliance guidelines that must be adhered to.
The ELD rule requires third-party device certification, something that is not required in the US. This third-party certification process helps to prevent tampering that may occur during self-certifications. No exact timeline was given, but officials have stated they hope to get the new rule in effect as quickly as possible.
By June 2021, third-party-certified ELDs will have to be used by all truck drivers currently required to maintain a logbook. This timeline was cut in half, as it was initially proposed as a four-year transition. The hours-of-service rules themselves will not be changed, they will now have to be recorded using an ELD.
Stephen Laskowski, CTA president, stated that “As we learned from the previous era of paper logbooks, the non-compliant segment of our industry, while a minority, have a history of finding workarounds of the rules. We must ensure that there are no gaps or opportunities to manipulate the technology and that compliance is the only option.”
Another step to ensure improved safety and adherence is the removal of the grandfather clause. This facet of the rule does not allow for existing automatic on-board devices to be used. Mike Millian, the head of the Private Motor Truck Council (PMTC) worries that this update may cause financial and logistical headaches for companies that implemented these devices in the recent past, so tracking how that plays out will be interesting.
He states that, “as a certifying body has yet to be determined, [these fleets] may have to wait to find out the status of their device, which reduces their lead time to plan a transition if their current device is not certified. That can be problematic and time-consuming if the device is integrated into back office systems.”
The CTA is taking the time and effort to meet with ELD suppliers to hash out the details. They are also working to create educational programs to help ensure everyone is on the same page as this moves forward and goes into effect. A major aspect still to be determined is who will provide these third-party certifications.
Back in February of this year, Ford recalled 1.26 million US-based F-150 pickups that could experience an unexpected downshift to first gear. This recall impacted F-150s that are equipped with the 6-speed automatic transmission.
Today, Ford added an additional 123,000 F-150s to that total. These additional vehicles were added to the recall list after it was discovered that the 5L and 6.2L gas engines were not adequately repaired in a previous recall.
The bigger story from today comes in the form of the 1.2 million 2011-2017 model year Ford Explorers that are also being recalled for a different issue. The affected SUVs have a flaw that can result in the driver losing steering control of the vehicle due to the possibility of a rear suspension fracture, thus impacting the driver’s ability to steer the vehicle. In their release, Ford noted that vehicles frequently driving over rough terrain are more susceptible to experiencing this issue. No injuries related to this issue have been reported.
Much smaller recalls include:
-4,300 2009-2016 Econoline vans due to a potential welding flaw
-12,000 vehicles in Canada that may experience the loss of steering control. The vehicles impacted by this include:
2010-2017 Taurus
2009-2017 Flex
2009-2015 Lincoln MKX
2010-2017 Lincoln MKT
You can check to see if you VIN is impacted by this or any other recall by going to:
