Auto Industry News: Ford Captures Wandering Eyes, Toyota Teases Sneak Peeks, Tesla Delays Cybertruck and a Whole Lotta Legislative Happenings

Burly pickups and off-road SUVs continue to dominate consumer sentiment, as evidenced by Ford’s recent sales numbers and Toyota’s teasing Tundra. Despite the segment’s clear popularity (and profitability) however, the current administration continues to push an aggressive EV agenda. In fact, a lot happened in D.C. this past week and we break down the legislative hoopla below.

Ford Revels in “Conquest Sales”

Ford’s finding itself with a crop of new customers lately, and they’re seemingly coming in from all different directions.

About a year ago, the automaker announced its plans to convert Jeep Wrangler lovers with what it called “a much superior product,” referencing its forthcoming Bronco. While that scenario did not play out exactly as Ford projected, the Motor City heavyweight still has reason to celebrate.

In its July 2021 sales report, Ford noted more than 70% of Bronco orders are coming from outside the brand. The Blue Oval sold 3,277 Broncos in July, with an overall AWD/4WD mix of SUVs at more than 68%. Those numbers mark a new record for the automaker, playing what it calls “a significant role” in transaction price expansion. (SUV transaction pricing in July hit a record of $42,000 per SUV, up $6,200 over last year.)

Interestingly, the Blue Oval’s “conquest sales” aren’t just coming from its popular new Bronco.

Ford Authority points out the all-electric Mustang Mach-E crossover is turning heads, too. A whopping 70% of buyers came from competitive EV brands. As for the soon-to-arrive F-150 Lightning? Ford said almost 80% of the prospective customers are coming from other brands, with the majority of orders coming from California.

Perhaps most shocking though, is that Jeep lovers are, in fact, jumping ship… for the Baby Bronco. An impressive 63% of Ford Bronco Sport buyers came from other brands, with Ford noting that Jeep deserters lead the charge.

To stay ahead of this influx of new buyers, Ford plans to adopt a “build-to-order” reservation system. The move should help down on dealer costs and promotions, the automaker said. Seeing as Ford just delayed Bronco deliveries again, we’ll hazard a guess this strategy also aims to alleviate some ongoing supply chain woes.

Toyota Builds Buzz

Toyota offers truck lovers another brief glimpse of the 2022 Tundra. The teaser images, which began rolling out in July, reveal various features of the new pickup including the exterior, part of the cockpit, and the power rear window. As CNET’s Roadshow aptly pointed out, the automaker is walking a fine line between building anticipation and flat out “milking it.”

Regardless, this last peek behind the curtain revealed something quite tantalizing. It appears the Tundra is ditching its leaf spring setup for a more modern coil spring suspension.

Based on the photos, we are clearly looking at the TRD Pro model. (Note the giant branded skid plate.) According to Car and Driver, the 2022 Tundra will update the current model’s setup of a solid rear axle with leaf springs to one using coil springs in the rear and control arms up front. “TRD Pro models will have a lifted suspension equipped with Fox dampers and a red-painted anti-roll bar, which should be exclusive to the TRD Pro model,” C&D continues. “The off-road-focused model will also get a TRD front skid plate along with Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires sized 285/65.”

2022 Tundra details continue to trickle in every couple of weeks. (The automaker urges fans to sign up for updates on the product’s landing page). Toyota plans to fully unveil the 2022 Tundra this fall.

Legislative Updates

The $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed on Aug. 10 with bipartisan approval.

The massive plan, covering everything from climate change provisions and broadband internet expansion to road upgrades and public works improvements, has been front-and-center for President Biden since he took office. The bill passed with a vote of 69-30, including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

The expansive bill now heads to the House, with strings already attached.

Senate Democrats have warned they could reject the bill unless it moves ahead with a separate $3.5 trillion antipoverty and climate plan. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday her plan is to pass the budget resolution the week of August 23. The announcement didn’t sit well with moderate House Democrats however, who insisted last week they would not approve the spending proposal until the infrastructure bill becomes law. Meanwhile, progressive Democrats are arguing the opposite: No infrastructure until social priorities are funded.

The divide places Pelosi in a pickle. As CBS News points out, “Democrats have only a slim majority in the House, and with virtually no possibility of any Republicans backing the $3.5 trillion that Democrats want to spend on things like free community college and free universal preschool, Democrats need nearly every vote to pass the president’s social agenda.”

President Biden recently set voluntary targets for EVs, hybrids, and hydrogen fuel-cell models to make up 50% of new auto sales by 2030.

The executive order received support from most major automakers, including a joint statement by Ford, GM, and Stellantis, plus a thumbs up from BMW, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. Even the United Auto Workers, which openly expressed trepidation about EVs and in February asked “everyone to take a little step back” endorsed the move.

GM and Ford CEOs Mary Barra and Jim Farley flanked the president as he signed the EO. Notably, Tesla – which has built more electric vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker – was not in attendance.

When asked if the White House did not invite Musk because Tesla does not use union workers, press secretary Jen Psaki said: “I’ll let you draw your own conclusion.”

According to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the EV target “doesn’t function as a mandate” but rather “creates the conditions” for Americans to meet the ambitious goal. He added that the transportation sector is the “biggest part of our economy emitting greenhouse gases, and cars and trucks are one of the biggest parts of that.”

In light of the new target, it will be curious to see how the coming years play out. While EVs have been a hot-button item in terms of what automakers are marketing, the logistics still pose some challenges for the road ahead. A glaring one being the sheer lack of charging stations in the U.S. – matched with an outdated electrical grid that needs major maintenance to meet this new EV wave.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that despite Detroit automakers’ loud PR-friendly approvals, internal production forecasts indicate they plan to build more big pickups and SUVs than EVs well into the late 2020s. So, profits seem to still take precedence.

28 U.S. House Democrats want $85 billion in EV charging infrastructure funding.

Part of Biden’s infrastructure plan earmarks $7.5 billion to expand America’s EV charging network. Some Democrats, however, don’t think that number is sufficient. Twenty-eight House Democrats are calling for a whopping $85 million to build the network – more than ten times the planned investment. They say the heftier price tag is designed to help address not just the lack of charging stations but fix flaws in the nation’s grid and make it more resilient in the face of climate change.

According to Reuters, the lawmakers insist Congress ensure charging for “disadvantaged communities, including on-street and public parking, multi-unit dwellings, public and affordable housing, public parks, public buildings, places of work, (and) commuter transit hubs.”

In tandem with these measures are efforts to reduce emissions with new mileage standards and greenhouse gas limits.

On Aug. 5, the Biden Administration and the EPA proposed aggressive new guidelines.

The stronger-than-expected emissions rules will mandate fleet-wide vehicle mileage of 52 mpg by 2026. That’s up from 40 mpg this year. According to EPA, the proposal should result in a 10% reduction in vehicle emissions in model year 2023, and then a 5% greater emissions reduction improvement each following year through 2026.

The move harkens back to the Obama Administration-era’s stricter standards on emissions. The Clean Power Plan, one of President Obama’s talking points, called for reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030.

Speaking of EVs…

Tesla Cybertruck Delayed

Tesla might be at the forefront of EV innovations, but it sounds like we won’t see an all-electric pickup from them just yet. The automaker announced that the Tesla Cybertruck — its angular, Mad Max-looking truck prototype — was pushed back to 2022. Initially, Tesla set a release date for late 2021. The futuristic build comes in three options: single, dual, or tri-motor AWD. It has an estimated range of 250 miles and a 7,500 lb. towing capacity. Right now, interested buyers can reserve a Cybertruck with a $100 deposit and complete configuration once production kicks off.

This means Tesla will have to play catch-up, since GMC’s slotted to launch the first all-electric pickup this fall with the Hummer EV.

The Hummer EV Edition 1, the first of four scheduled trim options for the lineup, comes with 800-volt DC fast-charge capability, up to 350kW, charging roughly 100 Miles in 10 minutes. But, if you had your hopes set on this model, you might be waiting just as long. As of late, GMC says its reservations are entirely full for Edition 1, and the next trim option, Hummer EV3X, isn’t scheduled until fall 2022.

The Engine Block is your one-stop source for any and all auto industry news. Keep an eye on our weekly round-up of enthusiast coverage, product reviews, vehicle spotlights, auto show/expo features, and more. Be sure to check back Wednesday for Part 2 in our series covering the Ford Coyote engine. Catch up with Part 1 here.