Interesting Car/Truck Manufacturer News

[Weather Man]

The Drive
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GM Incentivizes Dealers to Pick Up Their Own Cars and Trucks From the Factory​

Story by Chris Rosales •3h



GM Incentivizes Dealers to Pick Up Their Own Cars and Trucks From the Factory© Bob Johnson Chevrolet

Despite car inventory increasing and sale prices dropping, various issues are still preventing automakers from filling dealer lots with shiny new cars. For a while, the trouble was actually building and completing the cars. Now, General Motors is having trouble shipping them away from the factories. The solution? GM is paying dealers for each car that gets picked up.

Yes, dealers actually stand to save quite a bit of money by circumventing the conventional cost of shipping cars and trucks from factories. According to Automotive News, instead of paying GM to ship the vehicles directly to dealers, GM will pay dealers up to $1,050 per vehicle recovered directly from the factory. Presumably, it costs GM less to pay dealers than it does to ship every car, all while incentivizing dealers to foot a bill that is normally much larger than that.

 

[Weather Man]

Interesting! If it had brakes, be a potent camper puller.


The Drive
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Ford Wants to Offer a Bolt-On Third Axle for the F-150​

Story by Nico DeMattia •2h



Ford© Provided by The Drive

Converting pickups in to three-axle, six-wheeled monsters isn't anything entirely new. However, they're typically done on the aftermarket, with companies like Hennessey and Rezvani adding third axles to existing pickups for extra performance. However, it seems Ford wants to give customers the option to add another axle to their F-150 pickups right at the dealer, according to a new patent found by CarBuzz.
Ford's new patent, filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), shows a bolt-on third axle that can be added at any time. However, it isn't for off-road performance or pure badassery (though, that's certainly a side affect). Instead, this additional axle is made to increase the F-150's payload capacity. Ford previously offered a Heavy Payload Package for the F-150 but dropped it for the 2024 model year, as it was overly expensive to produce and wasn't a popular option. According to Ford's patent filing, this bolt-on third axle would be cheaper to produce and allow customers too add it even after they've already taken delivery of their truck.

Even more interesting is the potential to electrify the third axle. While the extra axle would be a lazy axle that isn't powered by the engine, Ford recognizes that customers might need extra power if they're carrying extra weight. An electric motor on the third axle, powered by a small battery, would turn the F-150 into a plug-in hybrid and give the engine a hand with some extra torque.

There's still a question of bodywork, though. Ford would have to package some sort of modified wheel arch kit for the bed, to accommodate the third axle and two extra wheels. If body modifications are made to the bed, though, that could make the third axle a permanent addition to the truck.

Depending on the cost, this could be a very interesting option for F-150 owners. If it's affordable enough, I can see F-150 owners adding this third axle to their trucks just to have the look of a 6x6 pickup, even if the third axle is lazy. But for owners that might actually need the added payload capacity, this could be both cool looking and helpful.
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[Weather Man]

Pretty amazing interview. Basically explaining why they legacy 3 and others may become bit players in the car market. The Paradym shift between parts suppliers and the OEM's is crazy.

 

[VRYALT3R3D]

Pretty amazing interview. Basically explaining why they legacy 3 and others may become bit players in the car market. The Paradym shift between parts suppliers and the OEM's is crazy.

He leaves out the part where it was intentional that they had the suppliers design and engineer these parts rather than the OEM. Furthermore, Ford has extremely bad relations with their supplier and have no problem eroding their profits.

 

[Weather Man]

He leaves out the part where it was intentional that they had the suppliers design and engineer these parts rather than the OEM. Furthermore, Ford has extremely bad relations with their supplier and have no problem eroding their profits.

That relationship between parts suppliers and the OEM's has worked fairly well for a very long time. It will now shake out pretty horrifically with EV's.

 

[VRYALT3R3D]

That relationship between parts suppliers and the OEM's has worked fairly well for a very long time. It will now shake out pretty horrifically with EV's.

lol no. The relationship was never well. The Big 3 always ranked dead last with their relations with supplier.

 

[Weather Man]

lol no. The relationship was never well. The Big 3 always ranked dead last with their relations with supplier.

Nah, every OEM/supplier relationship has its horror stories. That tension exists in every industry, not just auto.

 

[VRYALT3R3D]

Nah, every OEM/supplier relationship has its horror stories. That tension exists in every industry, not just auto.

No. The domestic automakers have far worse relations with their competitors than Japanese or Euro or Korean automakers.

 

[Weather Man]

No. The domestic automakers have far worse relations with their competitors than Japanese or Euro or Korean automakers.

You need to read more.

 

[VRYALT3R3D]

You need to read more.

lmfao

https://fordauthority.com/2023/05/ford-supplier-relations-deteriorated-significantly-last-year/

https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2023/05/22/auto-parts-supplier-ranking-ford-relationship-trust/70229561007/

 

[Rb0891]

lmfao

https://fordauthority.com/2023/05/ford-supplier-relations-deteriorated-significantly-last-year/

https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2023/05/22/auto-parts-supplier-ranking-ford-relationship-trust/70229561007/

Damn. I claim to know nothing about this topic but this seems like the most relevant piece of information on an obscure topic that I have ever seen.

 

[Weather Man]

lmfao

https://fordauthority.com/2023/05/ford-supplier-relations-deteriorated-significantly-last-year/

https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2023/05/22/auto-parts-supplier-ranking-ford-relationship-trust/70229561007/

Funny the Japanese are on top, their suppliers are literally captive companies that do exactly what they are told to do.

Based on what Fords top exec said about taking all EV sub-assembly programming in house, that would lead to strain. The Japanese and Koreans just impose it on their suppliers.

 

[Weather Man]

Damn. I claim to know nothing about this topic but this seems like the most relevant piece of information on an obscure topic that I have ever seen.

LOL, one chart put out with no context does not make a case.

 

[VRYALT3R3D]

LOL, one chart put out with no context does not make a case.

Brutal.

Toyota Sweeps Supplier Relations Rankings in Study; is "most preferred" customer

/PRNewswire/ -- Results of the 20th annual North American Automotive OEM - Supplier Working Relations Index® (WRI®) Study released today by Plante Moran show...

www.prnewswire.com

Toyota, Honda, GM finish 1-2-3; Nissan overtakes Ford in annual Supplier Working Relations Study | Get to Know Us | Plante Moran

Results of the 23rd annual Working Relations Index® (WRI®) Study that evaluates the relations between U.S. automakers and their suppliers were released May 22 by Plante Moran.

www.plantemoran.com

 

[Weather Man]

Brutal.

Toyota Sweeps Supplier Relations Rankings in Study; is "most preferred" customer

/PRNewswire/ -- Results of the 20th annual North American Automotive OEM - Supplier Working Relations Index® (WRI®) Study released today by Plante Moran show...

www.prnewswire.com

Toyota, Honda, GM finish 1-2-3; Nissan overtakes Ford in annual Supplier Working Relations Study | Get to Know Us | Plante Moran

Results of the 23rd annual Working Relations Index® (WRI®) Study that evaluates the relations between U.S. automakers and their suppliers were released May 22 by Plante Moran.

www.plantemoran.com

Comparing how the Japanese work and operate to American auto companies is like comparing apples to fish. But please, keep flashing your lack of depth.

 

[Weather Man]

Hmmmmm. Fords patented 2nd axle concept for half ton.

 

[VRYALT3R3D]

But please, keep flashing your lack of depth.

You have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Copy & Paste.

 

[Rb0891]

LOL, one chart put out with no context does not make a case.

Oh I have no idea if this is legit or BS. I just found it hysterical that there was something on such an obscure. Of course I am sure this may not be obscure for some people/companies.

 

[Weather Man]

When the insurance companies figure out the claim rate for these cars, yikes. Does welding cracks become acceptable?


The Drive

Toyota Will Adopt Tesla-Style Cast Bodies That Might Be Impossible to Fix​

Story by James Gilboy •2h


Toyota Will Adopt Tesla-Style Cast Bodies That Might Be Impossible to Fix© Toyota
Toyota has reportedly demonstrated a prototype production line for a cast car chassis, made by a process sometimes referred to as "gigacasting." The new manufacturing technique may offer significant production advantages, but could hand consumers the short end of the stick when it comes to the castings' repairability.

The casting process was demonstrated at Toyota's Myochi plant in Japan, where it fabricated the rear third of a unibody at an event attended by Nikkei Asia. Cast unibodies are proposed as a potential replacement for conventionally assembled unibodies, which combine shaped metal pieces via welding, industrial adhesives, and more to form a car's frame. In an example given by Toyota, a unibody built with traditional methods required 86 parts, 33 steps, and hours on an assembly line. But in its demo, the company reportedly produced a cast equivalent in a mere three minutes.


Toyota Will Adopt Tesla-Style Cast Bodies That Might Be Impossible to Fix© Provided by The Drive
Toyota's "gigacasting" prototype. Toyota

Toyota reportedly expects cast bodies to reduce production complexity, costs, and preparation time, not to mention make more efficient use of factory floor space. Fully optimized, Toyota anticipates it'll generate 20 percent higher productivity than its competitors, and could halve body assembly time from 10 hours.

The technology will reportedly first be used for a mass-produced electric vehicle that will arrive in 2026 with cast front and rear body structures. Toyota reportedly plans to make cast bodies integral to its EV strategy, though 40 percent of its EVs in 2026 will still use variations of the existing TNGA architecture.

Cars with cast unibody components are already sold by Tesla, which nicknamed the technique "gigacasting." However, Tesla's pattern of poor quality control emerged here too, with one driver of a Model Y made in Austin, Texas finding frame fissures they could shine a light through. This doesn't mean casting is unsuitable for unibodies, as Toyota—whose identity and image are rooted in quality and reliability—likely wouldn't ship a car with such a worrying flaw.

That said, it's unclear what the implications of using cast unibodies could be. Casting could theoretically cut costs and weight, but the porosity of cast metals could reduce strength, and therefore safety. Additionally, there is the question of repairability, as cast bodies might be more difficult to fix in the event of major damage, such as a crash. Body Shop Business describes repair options for cast metals as "limited," so it's possible any significant damage could total a vehicle with a cast unibody.

Such a scenario would be to Toyota's benefit however, as an unrepairable car will still need replacement—potentially with a new car. Repairability is something the automotive industry has directly combated in recent years, with a Toyota-backed industry group sponsoring a scare campaign to (unsuccessfully) undermine a right-to-repair bill. Car companies make their money from selling new cars, not keeping old ones on the road. If cast bodies serve that end better than those stitched together, it'd be no surprise to see them become the industry standard.

Toyota did not respond to The Drive's request for further details on cast unibodies.
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[Relaxed Chaos]

Akuchually, KIA/Hyundai/Genesis make great cars.

Hyundai, Kia Recall Nearly 3.4 Million Vehicles Due To Fire Risk, Urge Owners To Park Outdoors

The recalls cover multiple car and SUV models from the 2010 through 2019 model years including Hyundai’s Santa Fe SUV and Kia’s Sorrento SUV.

www.news9.com