Auto Industry News: GM & Ford Rivalry Ramps Up, Big Oil Butts Into EVs, Tire Design Takes a Turn, and Jeep Earns Patriotic Nod

Longstanding Detroit rivals, GM and Ford, remain locked in an all-electric race to the finish. Both automakers pull out all the stops to be first in successfully mainstreaming EVs in the U.S. GM’s latest move includes drawing Big Oil into EV charging, proving clean energy can still be a dirty business. Plus, with manufacturers pumping out new EVs at impressive rates, tire engineers find their work cut out for them. Turns out all that excess weight, torque, and road noise makes finding a fresh pair of shoes a tricky task.

But first — Jeep gets some special accolades for America’s birthday, while two young girls make Great Race history!

Jeep Remains Most Patriotic Brand

For the 19th year in a row, the Seven Slot Nation can celebrate the Jeep brand’s recognition as America’s Most Patriotic Brand. The adventure-loving badge has held the coveted title since Brand Keys began holding the 50 Most Patriotic Brands survey in 2002.

Eighty years ago this year, Jeep first forged its reputation of American fortitude during WWII. This recognition is “both a testament to the Jeep community and to the people who, since 1941, have dedicated themselves to building iconic SUVs known around the world for outdoor adventure, freedom, and off-road capability,” said Jim Morrison, Vice President of Jeep Brand North America.

“The Jeep community is like no other,” added Olivier Francois, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Stellantis. “With the Jeep brand’s recognition as America’s ‘Most Patriotic Brand,’ we see that there is no other automotive brand that is so instantly recognizable and none whose freedom proposition is cemented into the history of its home nation like the Jeep brand, and protected with such passion by its owners and enthusiasts not only in America but around the world.”

An extraordinary accomplishment for an extraordinary holiday! Happy Fourth of July!

AWE Tuning celebrates an anniversary of its own. Ten years ago, the company deployed its first 180 Technology® resonators. This technology would go on to propel AWE to its current position in the market as The Best Sounding Exhausts on the Planet™. Hear it for yourself in the video above. 

Cross-Country Victors Make History

Down in Greenville, S.C., holiday celebrations kicked off a little early as sisters Olivia and Genny Gentry won the 2021 Hemmings Motor News Great Race. The victory makes them the first-ever all-female team and youngest duo to ever win the title.

Olivia (20) drove, while Genna (18) managed the calculations. For nine days and 2,300 miles, the determined ladies piloted their 932 Ford five-window coupe, which boasts an original-style 21-stud flathead V8 engine with a 3-speed transmission. The Gentrys also took home a hefty $50,000 check — and bragging rights for outracing their mother! Beth Gentry placed second, losing out to her daughters by about 9 seconds. (Kind of begs the question of how that check will get divvied up back home, eh?)

The historic time-distance rally drew 120 entries this year. With no modern navigation tools or electronic devices allowed, Great Race competitors must rely on maps, stopwatches, and “old-fashioned reckoning,” to reach the finish line, said event organizers.

GM and Ford EV Race Picks Up Steam

While nearly every major automaker signals its commitment to mainstreaming an EV-only lineup sometime in the next decade, longtime Detroit rivals Ford and GM are speeding up their efforts – considerably. Right now, the two automakers are in a high-profile race where one continues to outdo the other on a weekly, sometimes daily basis.

In mid-June, Ford said it was committing to four BEVs by 2030 – just for its Lincoln brand. That doesn’t include the other SUV, truck, and van builds it plans to roll out over the next year. Crosstown rival GM just unveiled plans for two more U.S. battery plants to its manufacturing lineup, turning up the flame on an EV rivalry that has been simmering for a few years now.

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

Back in 2018, Ford allocated $11 billion to bring 40 new full-electric and hybrid vehicles to market by 2022 – one year after GM announced it would debut 20 new all-electric, zero-emission vehicles by 2023. GM upped that number to 30 late last year, adjusting the target to 2025 and earmarking a whopping $27 billion to make it happen.

Then, this past February, Ford said it expects 40% of its global sales volume to be EVs by 2030 and doubled its investment to $22 billion. By May, that number was $30 billion, encouraging GM to up its ante to $35 billion through 2025. That’s a 30% jump from the company’s projections in late 2020!

However, this is about more than legendary competitive spirit…

Money. It’s about money.

GM and Ford want to be in front of new drivers eager to make the switch to electric. According to a Cars.com’s national survey, two-thirds of Americans are interested in EVs after hearing the Biden administration’s infrastructure investment plans.

In fact, Ford CEO Jim Farley told Axios in late May, that Ford+ (the name the automaker gave its EV initiatives) was the manufacturer’s biggest growth opportunity “since Henry Ford started to scale the Model T – and we’re grabbing it with both hands.”

GM’s CEO Marry Barra showed similar enthusiasm for her company’s initiatives, touting the automaker’s roadmap during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.” She said she sees long-term value for the manufacturer – and its shareholders – with the plans. As Joe McCabe, CEO of AutoForecast Solutions, very succinctly explained to Automotive News: “Wall Street wants to invest in what could be. So, when Mary Barra says ‘we’ll hit this 2035 target,’ the stock price goes up.”

The proof is in the pudding: GM’s stock jumped roughly 4% following Barra’s June 16 interview, and the automaker’s share had tripled as of last month. Plus, GM’s sales of EVs now surpasses 200,000 units, indicating buyers are interested.

Little guys refuse to fall behind. German automaker Audi recently said it will only launch new all-electric models on the global market starting in 2026. As part of the plan, ICE engine production will phase out by 2033. Read more at Automotive News.

Amazon calling?

The race for innovation and tech advancement is creating a bit of a crossover phenomenon between auto execs and the tech world.

Late last month, Ford announced that its Chief Technology Officer, Ken Washington was leaving the automaker to serve as vice president of software engineering at Amazon. Washington’s move is particularly interesting since multiple GM execs also made the jump to the e-commerce giant.

Normally, high-profile execs switching careers isn’t eye-opening. However, two competing manufacturers joining the same e-commerce giant – which recently got into the EV game? Well, now that’s worth watching.

Last fall Amazon rolled out its first electric delivery van through a partnership with EV-startup Rivian. Rivian landed a $500 investment from – you guessed it – Ford, to develop an all-new Blue Oval EV using Rivian’s skateboard platform.

That all said, it’s unlikely we’ll see EV sedans with Prime two-day delivery sometime soon.

GM has other irons in the fire, too…

Big Auto + Big Oil = EV Charging?

GM added more ammo to its cache in the EV race through a recent partnership with Shell. You read that right. The big oil giant and the automaker announced an initiative in late June to expand electric vehicle charging in the U.S., starting in – where else? Texas. Big Oil’s hometown.

In the spirit of one-upping, Ford made a similar move back in 2019. Unfortunately, when the automaker touted what it referred to as “North America’s largest electric vehicle public charging network,” some online sleuths quickly revealed the network consisted mainly of third-party networks vs. exclusive charging stations. Still, the ambitious network shows the automaker’s efforts in building out nationwide EV adoption in the U.S.

GM and Shell’s venture is different.

The project is actually a joint venture between GM and Shell-owned power company MP2 Energy. MP2 spans the gamut with energy solutions like EV programs, community solar options, and solar buybacks. Regardless, the move will help polish Shell’s dirty climate reputation – especially after a Dutch court told the oil giant it needs to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030.

This new program plans to offer qualifying BEV owners free overnight charging for their cars, with the choice to opt-in on renewable home energy plans. Available to eligible Texans who own Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac, GM expects to eventually expand the program.

While the Lonestar State may seem an odd place to kick off a Big Oil-backed clean energy campaign, data indicates Texans show a growing interest in EVs. California may have a whopping 425,000 electric vehicle registrations, but Texas still comes in at about 52,000.

Over in Michigan, the Motor City experienced severe storm damage and flooding last week. The recently-opened Stellantis plant – set to pump out new Grand Cherokee L models – saw its staging lot utterly submerged. Read more at the Detroit News.

Tire Design Takes A Turn

Automakers seem to have their finger on the pulse with EV innovation right now. However, a critical part of all this technology is still in the works: Tires.

“Since electric vehicles are still such a small part of the market, most EV owners are forced to use what’s off the shelf,” explains Dan Guyer, Keystone Category Manager. “More than anything else, you’ll see tires that would normally be on a sport SUV, because of EVs’ increased weight. That’s their biggest hindrance to performance – the weight just chews through tires.”

In addition to handling higher loads from heavier electric powertrains, EV tires face several other new challenges not shared by their ICE counterparts.

These include:

• Creating less friction (or rolling resistance) to save energy.
• Biting into asphalt to handle instant, maximum torque.
• Remaining lightweight enough to extend driving distance between charges.
• Staying whisper quiet. Remember: With no motor to mask the sounds of rubber hitting (or bouncing off) the road, tire sounds can fill up the EV cabin quickly.

Major suppliers like Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone/Firestone, Continental, and Cooper Tire are slowly starting to push the needle on fresh EV tire development. They’re also using more sustainable materials to do so – from rice husk ash from soybean production to a Russian dandelion that shares the same DNA as natural rubber.

A couple of notable releases so far include Michelin’s Pilot Sport EV line (intended for electric sports cars) and Bridgestone’s Turanza Eco (found on the new Volkswagen ID.3). Both are designed to improve efficiency and handling. In fact, Michelin’s new tire supposedly extends EV range up to 37 miles!

Fake It Til you Make It

However, Guyer says it is more common for manufacturers to re-engineer an existing product line – at least until EVs command more market share.

For example, Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli recently announced that an updated version of its Scorpion range would outfit the new Rivian R1T pickup and R1S SUV. To meet Rivian’s demands, Pirelli tire engineers employed a higher-silica compound and reduced tire tread to render the all-season tires more energy-efficient. On the all-terrain model, the manufacturer used a symmetric, high-void pattern to balance smooth (and quiet) on-road operation with aggressive off-road looks and traction.

If these innovations sound familiar, it’s because similar strides are being made in traditional tire design.

Like EVs, performance-oriented ICE vehicles are heavy, tire-chewing beasts. “And, generally, the better they perform – the louder they are,” notes Guyer. “That’s why manufacturers developed tires to offer longer wear with great grip, while also prioritizing noise reduction.”

Off-Road Leads the Charge

The biggest innovation, however, has been on the truck side, says Guyer. He points to Mickey Thompson’s new recruit: the Baja Boss A/T hybrid all-terrain. “This thing is really aggressive,” says Guyer. “It’s almost closer to an R/T (rugged-terrain), but it’s dead silent! It was also specifically designed to have a 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake certification. So, this is aggressive and it complies – that’s a big leap forward. It’s also why we can’t keep them in stock.”

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. Struggling with your summer towing setup? Come back Friday for a comprehensive rundown on must-have towing accessories.