Ford Launches HD EV Trucks in Europe; BYD Turns to PHEV Boxer Engine – Autoline Daily 4186
This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry. After another fire broke out at Nollis’s plant in New York last week, Ford stock plunged because it’s one of the aluminum suppliers largest customers. We think that stock drop is part of the reason that Ford and Nollis released a joint statement saying the fire has been contained and there were no injuries. Some of the operations are back up and running and Ford is receiving finished material from the plant. Ford also reaffirmed its fullear adjusted EBIT guidance and fullear adjusted cash flow. In an effort to boost its aluminum supply chain, Novellis is tapping into its global network and is also planning to open a new plant in Alabama next year. Anybody remember back when Ford made class 7 and 8 semi-tractors? It used to make them in Ohio, but sold that business to Freightlininer in 1997. It also made heavy trucks in Brazil until it got out of that business around 2020. So, it may surprise you to learn that Ford is still making heavy trucks in Turkey via its joint venture called Autosan. And Autosan just came out with a line of heavy electric sectors. There are two versions. A 4x two tractor gets a big 294 kilowatt hour NMC battery pack with a 235 kW motor which translates to 315 horsepower. Ford says it has a 250 kmter range or 155 miles. A 6×2 version has an even bigger 392 kWh pack and a 310 kW motor or 415 horsepower. It offers a 300 kilometer range or 186 miles. According to market intel advisers, the market for heavyduty electric trucks in Europe will hit nearly $2 billion this year, then rocket up to about $35 billion by 2032, thanks to strict emission regulations and government subsidies. Chinese automaker GAC has started pilot production of all solid state batteries at a new facility in China. The solid state batteries are expected to double the capacity of current batteries and offer better safety. GAC is aiming for mass production to start sometime between 2027 and 2030. Chinese automaker SIC also says its partner will begin producing prototype cells for solid state batteries by the end of the year and is aiming for mass production in 2027. While automakers and battery companies say production of solid state batteries will start in the next couple of years, a group of battery experts in China recently said it will likely be low volume and mass production won’t happen until after 2030 and it could be closer to 2035 because more R&D work needs to be done. The automotive and industrial sectors are undergoing a historic transformation. electrification, digitalization, supply chain reinvention, regulatory shifts. The pace is accelerating and the pressure to adapt is real. This is not a time for hesitation. It’s a time for bold decisions backed by fast, effective execution. You need a partner who understands complexity from factory floors to boardrooms and delivers measurable results. That partner is Alex Partners when it really matters. As of March of this year, Subaru is no longer able to claim that it’s the only mass market brand making horizontally opposed or boxer engines. BYD launched a new 2 L turbocharged 4-cylinder unit in the U7 sedan for its luxury brand Yang Wang. Uniquely, it’s used in a plug-in hybrid setup paired with a generator and two electric motors. While the engine can send power directly to the wheels, it’s mainly used to generate electricity for the batteries or motors. Boxer engines themselves are also a bit unique because the pistons move horizontally rather than on an angle or straight up and down. That makes them better balanced than other types of engines and they can also provide a lower center of gravity. BYD now claims that it’s the first to use a boxer engine in an electrified architecture, but it might not be for long. In May, Subaru revealed its new eboxer engine that’s being combined into a new series parallel hybrid system, and production should have already kicked off. As you probably know, Porsche has also used this engine setup for a long time, but it’s not considered a mass market brand. Hyundai used to be a major player in the Chinese market, especially with taxis in some of the big cities. But as Chinese automakers emerged as formidable competitors, and as relations between South Korea and China turned sour, Hyundai lost so much ground that it ended up closing several of its Chinese assembly plants. Now comes word that Chongan, one of the state-owned car companies, is buying a Hyundai plant for only 228 million bucks. Located in Chongqing, it cost over a billion dollars to build that plant, and it was toolled to make $300,000 cars a year. No word yet on what Chong will build there, but we can expect more news like this. Foreign automakers in China are burdened by excess capacity, so they don’t need as many plants. That doesn’t mean that foreign automakers are giving up on China, or at least not all of them. Volkswagen is going to launch an extended range EV next year. The E-Rev was developed in China for China and is expected to look like the ID Era concept car. It’s also expected to use an E-Rev powertrain from SEIC, which is one of VW’s joint venture partners. It’s reported to have an 800vt system with a 66 kWh battery pack that will deliver 450 kilometers of EVON CLTC range. We estimate that would be about 195 EPA miles. Overall, it’s expected to have over 1,000 km or 620 mi of range, and it will be interesting to see how the vehicle sells. E-Revs have been one of the hottest segments in the Chinese market, but we’re hearing that they’re losing some of their luster as fast charging BEVs take the sting out of range anxiety. GM Design has been showing off a number of unique sketches and renderings out of its studio in China. One is for a new Buick model that kind of looks like a high- riding wagon or fastback sedan. And we think the styling even has a little bit of a Porsche vibe. This is another Buick, a crossover that’s aimed at families. The interior is a pretty big departure from what it offers now with a multi-layer display screen and yolk like steering wheel, but we think it could easily replace any of Buick’s current crossovers. And lastly, here’s one designer’s idea for an electric Chevrolet crossover. It’s a pretty simple design that uses wedgie shapes in a two-tone paint to help project a sporty style. And before I go, I want to give a heads up to our Patreon and YouTube members that we’ll be holding a live Q&A with John and I tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time. We’ll answer any questions you have or get into any topics you might want to discuss. Look for more info in the post tab on YouTube or on our Patreon page. Now, that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for tuning in. Autoline Daily is brought to you by Alex Partners, when it really matters. CSP, the composits solution partner. Intrepid control systems. overthe-air engineering. Boost your game. And thanks to the following YouTube and Patreon members. Developing today’s vehicles, issues can happen in an instant. What good is knowing your problems without the data to solve them? Meet Wireless Nevi Cloud, your secure off-the-shelf solution, empowering realtime collaboration for quick resolution. With wireless Nevi Cloud, your team can prevent issues before they can escalate. driver communication data and remote diagnostics to analyze and resolve your problems using OTAA, allowing your executives oversight throughout the process. Wireless Neby cloud, your vehicle update solution in production and on the road. Intrepid control systems driven by your data. 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Autoline reports breaking global car news, with great insight and analysis. Also, top auto executive interviews. We cover electric vehicles (EV), autonomous vehicles (AV) and internal combustion engine technology (ICE), as well as car sales & financial earnings and new car reviews.
0:00 Ford Assures Shareholders Over Novelis Fire
0:49 Ford Launches HD Electrics in Europe
2:10 GAC Starts Solid-State Pilot Line
3:47 BYD Turns to PHEV Boxer Engine
5:03 Changan Buys Hyundai Assembly Plant in China
5:53 VW To Launch EREV In China
6:53 GM China Previews Future Designs
Story Links:
– Ford Statement About Aluminum Fires: https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2025/joint-statement-from-ford-motor-company-and-novelis
– Ford HD EV Trucks: https://www.fordtrucks.com.tr/en/emobility#vehicles
– BYD Solid State Battery Production: https://carnewschina.com/2025/11/23/chinas-first-large%e2%80%91capacity-60-ah-class-all-solid-state-battery-production-line-built/
– SAIC Solid State Battery Production: https://carnewschina.com/2025/11/23/saic-motor-to-begin-mass-delivery-of-solid-state-batteries-in-2027/
– BYD PHEV Boxer Engine: https://carnewschina.com/2025/11/24/byd-teardowns-its-2-0t-boxer-engine-first-flat-four-for-plug-in-hybrids/
– Changan Buys Old Hyundai Plant in China: https://carnewschina.com/2025/11/24/changans-deepal-confirms-plan-to-use-former-hyundai-chongqing-plant-in-2-28-billion-usd-deal/
– VW Launching EREV in China: https://carnewschina.com/2025/11/24/volkswagen-china-ceo-revealed-mass-produced-id-era-erev-crossover-to-launch-in-2026/
– GM China Designs: https://www.instagram.com/generalmotorsdesign/
– To read the transcript for today’s show click here:
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