Auto Industry News: PRI Welcomes Enthusiasts, Mach-E Nabs EV Award, NHTSA Turns Attention to Self-Driving Cars, and Chicago Auto Show Previews Buzzy Debuts

Busy week for the auto industry, as Car & Driver kicks off its inaugural EV of the Year Award – crowning Ford’s electrified Mustang with the honors. Meanwhile, NHTSA flexed some federal muscle, cracking down on autonomous tech with mandated crash reporting. Enthusiasts have reason to celebrate, too. Renowned trade organization PRI announced it will open up membership to everyday gearheads and racers, taking a more democratic approach to preserving the sport.

But first – buzzy debuts hit the Windy City. The Chicago Auto Show might look a little different this year, but there will still be plenty to excite!

Chicago Auto Show Preview

The 2021 Chicago Auto Show runs July 15-19, this year. And while that timeline is noticeably shorter than years’ past, event organizers are pleased to be back on the schedule in any capacity after the last year.

The show marks a grand return after 2020’s installment landed on the trash pile of COVID shutdowns. It will also be a milestone for North America’s largest convention center – McCormick Place. The venue hasn’t had a single live, in-person event since the city’s pandemic shutdown.

Typically held in February, previous iterations of the show featured an indoor exhibit with 1-million-plus square feet of cars and demos. However, this year, organizers are capitalizing on warmer weather. The first portion of the show will feature an outdoor street fest showcasing vehicles, food trucks, beer, and music – a welcome change for showgoers used to the freezing cold and dirty slush of a midwestern city’s winter! Indoor exhibits will also take place in McCormick Place’s West Building for the duration of the show.

“While we believe February is the right time for the Chicago Auto Show to have its biggest impact on the industry and the area economy, we’re thrilled to be able to experiment with the July dates,” said Chicago Auto Show General Manager Dave Sloan. “The timing has allowed us to get creative and try new things — and the automakers have really embraced it.”

Ford is offering “Built Wild” and “Built to Electrify” custom outdoor experiences.

The former shines a spotlight on the new Bronco, while the latter showcases the automaker’s growing EV lineup. The Blue Oval’s exhibit is also the first chance for the public to experience the new Ford F-150 Lightning EV pickup in person.

“Built Wild” features a 30,000-sq.-ft. custom experience including a Bronco off-road course personally designed by racecar driver Vaughn Gittin Jr. where visitors can take on a 38-degree high “Bronco Mountain” (with professional drivers, of course). Additionally, the Bronco arena will encourage auto show attendees to participate in “a series of hands-on activations,” intended to highlight the vehicle’s modularity and easy-to-accessorize nature.

Those who prefer the Broncos of yesteryear can enjoy a heritage outdoor display, while those seeking traditional truck performance can wander indoors for an interactive Built Ford Tough display.

Along with these exhibits, the Chicago Auto Show marks the global debut of Ford’s 2022 Maverick. The automaker unveiled the smaller pickup last month with a media blitz of videos, social media posts, and in-depth walkthroughs of the truck features. Coming in at just over $20,000, the Maverick is Ford’s first compact unit since 2012. It features a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder standard hybrid engine and continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Not to be outdone, Jeep will reveal its new Wrangler Xtreme Recon Package.

Noticing the Seven Slot Nation’s predilection for beefy tires, Jeep aims to ramp up stock capability with the new Wrangler Xtreme Recon Package. Debuting July 14 at the Chicago Auto Show, the option offers 35-inch tires straight from the factory. When paired with the Wrangler Rubicon’s six-speed manual transmission, Jeepers will enjoy an industry-first 100:1 crawl ratio right off the showroom floor!

Other key features include BF Goodrich KO2 all-terrain tires, 17-inch by 8-inch beadlock capable wheels, a 4.56:1 axle ratio, and 1.5-inch factory suspension lift with uniquely tuned shocks. These impressive upgrades further improve approach angle (47.4 degrees), departure angle (40.4 degrees), breakover angle (26.7 degrees), ground clearance (12.9 inches), and water fording capability (33.6 inches).

Jeep said production kicks off this August at the company’s Toledo, Ohio plant. The automaker plans to offer the new Jeep Wrangler Xtreme Recon package on both Wrangler Rubicon 4-door and Wrangler Rubicon 392 models.

Additional show highlights include…

• RAM announced the expansion of its light-duty truck lineup with the additions of the new 2022 Ram 1500 Laramie G/T and Ram 1500 Rebel G/T models. Both vehicles will make their debut at the 2021 Chicago Auto Show.

  

• Highlighting its all-electric ID.4, Volkswagen is the latest brand to announce test drives for show attendees.
• On the concept front, the Nissan Z Proto will make its first auto show appearance in North America, while the wacky Toyota Rhombus will show off its unique (and slightly unsettling?) single swivel front seat arrangement.
• Proving mainstream EVs are on the horizon, BMW is set to debut its first electric crossover, the iX, while Nissan will show off its Mach-E competitor, dubbed Ariya. Chevy is bringing its refreshed Bolt EV and all-new Bolt EUV crossover, and KIA will debut its all-new EV6 – the brand’s first vehicle built off of its dedicated electric-vehicle platform.

Check out the full schedule here.

Speaking of car shows, the Carlisle GM Nationals held late last month drew its biggest crowd since 2014 – proving that enthusiasts are ready to get back out and mingle. The two-day event hosted more than 20,000 guests and showcased 1,026 cars, also the best car count since 2014! Top-notch unique displays included the 50th anniversary of the Vega and H-platform cars, autograph sessions from featured guest Aaron Kaufman, and a showcase of GM engine swaps.

PRI Opens Membership

In other good news for gearheads, the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) organization is opening its membership to racers and enthusiasts this month. Previously reserved for businesses and industry professionals, PRI said the welcoming gesture serves to unite the racing industry as it faces new challenges. These include supporting racetracks facing closure, and advocacy for the racing community against current legal threats. PRI also creates educational programs to help businesses and racers succeed.

Membership costs just $40 a year and features benefits like entrance to PRI Shows for qualified attendees, discounts on PRI merchandise, subscriptions to PRI-related publications, and access to the organization’s job board. PRI is also enticing members with its advocacy efforts, like inclusion on its Performance Racing Political Action Committee and its Save Our Race Cars Advocacy program.

The membership is another spoke in PRI’s wheel of programs focused on building up the racing community. With its other efforts like the PRI Road Tour, PRI Ambassador Program, and the PRI Trade Show, the organization says it’s ensuring “the industry continues to grow and succeed.”

Interestingly, the response on social media so far has been somewhat lukewarm. But it’s promising to see PRI offering up a new way for drivers and business owners to have another foothold in the industry.

Membership launches alongside attendee registration for the 2021 PRI Show, slotted for Dec. 9-11 in Indianapolis.

Race fans may also be interested to learn that go-to specialty lubricants manufacturer Champion Brands was just acquired by PLZ Aeroscience. As one of North America’s largest independent specialty aerosol and liquid product manufacturers, the new parent company can lend valuable resources and industry experience to help grow the Champion brand. The Missouri-based manufacturer produces more than 300 functional fluids and performance products like fuel treatments, brake fluids, and engine additives.

EV of the Year

It was only a matter of time – Car and Driver officially instituted its first EV of the Year award. The inaugural darling is none other than Ford’s Mustang Mach-E.

The magazine said the car checks quite a few boxes, including an impressive range and charging speed. Apparently, the driving experience ain’t too shabby either. C&D described it as similar to an ICE engine, “yet the experience is futuristic enough to be exciting.”

The publication chose the Mach-E over 10 other vehicles, including the Volvo XC40 Recharge, Audi E-Tron, Porsche Taycan, and three Teslas. The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Sharon Silke Carty, told CNN that part of Tesla Y getting bumped actually hinged on quality problems. “All of a sudden, I was going 30 in the middle of the highway,” she said.

C&D also reported issues with the touchscreen on the Tesla Y and poor fits between parts. The other two Teslas in the running, the Model 3 and Model S were docked for problems like a large gap around the hood (Model 3) and a failing motor after only 3,600 miles (Model S).

For the Mach-E’s part, the magazine said the car is the perfect vehicle for converting EV skeptics into EV evangelists.

“(The Ford Mach-E) arrives in the familiar shape and size of the crossovers Americans love, at a price that competes with gas-powered alternatives, and with a design that gets noticed,” the publication said, adding that the EV is built for daily errands and commutes but “doesn’t strip the soul out of driving.”

For a country still lukewarm about EVs, Car and Driver pointed to some impressive features it thinks Americans will love. Namely, since the Mach-E’s AWD version comes in 346 horsepower and reportedly hits 60 mph in just under 5 seconds, thrust “comes as fast as your foot can ask for it.”

Stellantis Steps Up

Understanding that those who fall behind get left behind, Stellantis just unveiled its future EV plans. And they are ambitious, to say the least. Last week, the automaker announced it would ramp up spending on vehicles, batteries, plants, and technology to ensure it stays in the game.

Some of its key investments include:

• Upwards of $35 billion earmarked for electrification and software.
• A sales goal of more than 70% of European sales and more than 40% of U.S. sales to be low emission vehicles by 2030.
• Offering BEVs with ranges of 300-500 miles and class-leading fast charging capability of 20 miles per minute.
• Launching electrified solutions across all 14 brands.
• Solid-state battery technology introduction by 2026.

In the full announcement, Stellantis also said it’s determined to make the “total cost of ownership of EVs to be equivalent” to ICE engines by 2026.

Like we said, ambitious.

NHTSA Cracks Down

While the EV race continues to ramp up, so does scrutiny over autonomous vehicle safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently issued a standing general order to over 108 companies requiring operators and manufacturers of AVs featuring SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) or SAE Levels 3-5 automated driving systems (ADS) to report crashes.

By mandating these reports, the agency gains access to critical data that will help identify emerging safety issues in automated systems, explained Dr. Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s acting administrator. He added that the exercise will also help instill “public confidence that the federal government is closely overseeing the safety of automated vehicles.”

The order says companies must update crash reports monthly, regardless if it’s property damage or injury-related. Reports are due 10 days after learning of a crash. If the accident involves a hospital-treated injury, fatality, vehicle tow-away, airbag deployment or vulnerable road user such as a pedestrian or bicyclist, that deadline shortens to 1 day.

Forthcoming actions from the NHTSA are still hard to predict, but the organization did float the idea of sending a Special Crash Investigations team to perform investigations.

Reactions

Automotive News called the move “perhaps the biggest hint yet that the nation’s top highway safety agency is changing course under the Biden administration.”

Consumer advocacy and auto safety groups also applauded the action, calling it long overdue. Other reactions have been more reserved. Carla Bailo, CEO of the Center for Automotive Research, said she sees the order as a way to “kick off discussions” about AV safety – implying there’s much more work to be done.

And she would be right – AVs have proven just how buggy and tragic this new technology can be. With California granting GM-backed Cruise permits to provide passenger test rides in driverless vehicles, NHTSA can’t afford to wait.

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