I am always excited about new automakers, and the electric car hype boom (plus low interest rates) combined to encourage a bunch of them to launch. The track record of those new startups hasn’t been great, but that hasn’t discouraged new players like Scout and Slate. Both were initially EV-only, though one is starting to diverge.
The Morning Dump is a big fan of Europe’s car association (the ACEA) because it puts out detailed data, which allows us to see how big hybrids are there and how far some brands continue to fall. You can probably guess the brands.
GM is mostly out of the European market, and its recent investment announcements show that this will likely continue. That automaker is still in Brazil, where it has to compete with a suddenly interesting Jeep brand.
Scout’s Question: To Hybrid Or Not To Hybrid
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David has been very excited lately about the Volkswagen-owned truck/SUV subsidiary Scout. He’s into it so much that he put down a deposit on one. The brand initially intended to launch as an EV-only company before suddenly adding an EREV option at the last minute to better serve its most important market (the US of A).
There’s a lot already known about this product, including that it’ll be one of the first VW vehicles to have full Rivian integration. Automotive News just did a deep dive into the company, which is about to build more production-like pre-production models, and this caught my eye:
In September, Scout CEO Scott Keogh said the brand had procured most of the materials, parts and key components for the Traveler and Terra.
Scout has relied on the vast resources of VW Group to secure better pricing and availability on parts. Scout also plans to source batteries from VW Group’s PowerCo subsidiary.
Decker said Scout has not decided whether it’s going to launch production of both models at the same time or which powertrain will be available first.
The time between the announcement of Scout and the actual first vehicles in customers’ hands is annoyingly long (which is an industry-wide problem), so it makes sense to maybe focus on getting one product out faster while holding off on the other. A report last month indicated that the hybrid was going to come first, but this seems to contradict that. Also, Scout said early on that it got way more orders for the EREV version than the EV version, so why do the EV first?
There’s a model for this. Ram straight-up cancelled its EV truck in order to build a range-extended Ram 1500. I sense that it’ll be hybrid first, but who knows. Perhaps Scout is just afraid people will cancel the EV orders if they find out how long it’ll take to come to market.
Hybrids Continue To Dominate In Europe, EVs Not Bad, Tesla Sinks Further
It’s almost getting boring writing about how poorly Tesla has done in Europe since it started facing real competition from China as well as, you know, controversy surrounding the company’s CEO. As of October, the ACEA reports that Tesla has dropped nearly 39% year-to-date and by almost 50% year-over-year this month.
The European car market is up slightly overall, so it’s not entirely a market issue. Is it an EV issue? Not quite, EVs are doing well (now 16.4% of total market share), but not as well as hybrids. This is important because it means that it’s unlikely Europe can meet its ambitious goals, even with more affordable Chinese EVs and a return of EV incentives, as the ACEA notes:
Despite this recent positive momentum, overall volumes remain far below pre-pandemic levels. The battery-electric car market share reached 16.4% YTD, yet it is still below the pace needed at this stage of the transition. Hybrid-electric vehicles lead as the most popular power type choice among buyers, with plug-in hybrids continuing to gain momentum.
It turns out people want affordable cars and a mix of powertrains, pretty much everywhere.
GM Announces More Investments In The United States
With the sale of Vauxhall/Opel, GM has mostly (but not entirely) gotten out of Europe. While China is still a key market for General Motors, there’s been a distinct shift back towards the United States. That’ll continue with the announcement this week of more production here, mostly focused on gas-powered cars, though including some Bolt:
General Motors is reinforcing its leadership in American manufacturing with a new ~$250 million commitment in its Parma Metal Center in Ohio. This will enable production of sheet metal stampings and assemblies to support the multi-billion-dollar product allocations announced at Orion Assembly (MI), Spring Hill Manufacturing (TN), and Fairfax Assembly (KS) earlier this year.
With this new commitment, GM’s total manufacturing investments for 2025 now approach $5.5 billion, underscoring the company’s aggressive commitment to domestic manufacturing and meeting customer demand across its ICE and EV portfolio.
Moon over Parma, bring a Camaro to me tonight.
Another Jeep Exec Crashes Through A Window
Yet again, a Jeep executive has missed their turn and crashed a brand-new Jeep through the window of a press event, this time in Brazil. When will this madness end?
The Morning Dump Was Made While Listening To
The reference to Parma above made me think of the only song I know about the Ohio suburb. It’s “Moon Over Parma” from The Drew Carey Show opening.
The Big Question
Are you hitting the road this Thanksgiving? How long of a drive, and what are you taking?
Photo: Scout
Re: Scout not knowing if Hybrid is correct. Seriously Scott Keogh? 80% or more of deposits for the EREV! Not to mention the absolutely overwhelming market trends in favor of Hybrids, PHEVs and EREVs. If you are the CEO of a new brand backed by a mega-conglomerate with large amounts of procurement and production forecasting on the line and you cannot see the absolute mountain of evidence in front of you screaming for an obvious product decision, you should be fired immediately.
Driving about an hour to my brother’s house, where he and his wife are hosting a major holiday meal for the first time. This is normally our burden for basically all holidays, so I’m pretty fucking stoked to just show up and enjoy. It’ll be a full house (about 16 people) but honestly, should be a really nice time. He and his wife can both cook, they’ve taken our notes (we take elevating Thanksgiving meal very seriously) and I trust them to pull it off.
I will be driving the family down in my Chrysler van, because well, that’s what the van is obviously for.
Yup – I will be braving the roads of SW FL for the ~5mi drive to my friend’s place where our annual “Maine Expat Thanksgiving Gathering” will take place. About 15 of us, every year for Thanksgiving, most years for Christmas dinner too. Potluck, I usually bring scratch-made fancy Mac ‘n Cheese for Thanksgiving, and baked rigatoni at Christmas. A good time is had by all.
As for the Scout, the hybrid is the no-brainer to me.
If only they had a Hybrid to launch or a Plug-In Hybrid, but unfortunately they don’t, they only have an extended range EV. Either way it is a crap shoot. Launch EV only and watch the majority of reservation holders get annoyed. Launch the EREV first and the EV fan boys will cry foul, and correctly spout how bad EREVs are. Of course they will also spout, incorrectly, how people will rarely plug them in.
Are you hitting the road this Thanksgiving? How long of a drive, and what are you taking?
Oh boy, yes. Oakland to Palm Springs (about 500 miles each way), the first major trip/test after having swapped the engine and transmission in my E39, bumping it from a 525iT to a 530iT. I’ve already put about 1,300 miles on it locally post-swap, so I’m not too anxious, but the camshaft position sensor (which of course I should have, but didn’t, replaced when the engine was out of the car) going out last week has shaken my confidence just a teensy bit. But it’ll be fine, right?
You’ll be fine. To ensure it, make sure whatever road service membership you have is paid up. Like having spares in the trunk, whatever you have will never, ever fail.
Never. Family knows if they want the best eating, they come to me.
I’m that person who buys turkeys like nuts around Thanksgiving. Excluding skin, it’s 42% meat by weight, so you get a lot of inexpensive lean protein (around $1.20/lb using that 42%). Roast turkey. Turkey sandwiches (incl. shredded BBQ turkey). Turkey tacos. Turkey soup. Turkey pot pie, turkey burritos… and so on, and so forth.
As a result, I usually cook at least four turkeys a year. Sometimes as many as six. Usually one or two sit in the freezer and break them out later in the year.
So I have a LOT of practice cooking turkeys. So they are always amazing.
Then I also make the best sides. Plus the best desserts. So family comes to me.
What’s your secret? Brine? Dry or wet? Spatchcocked? Wife is on a dry brine kick now, spatchcocked at the butcher shop, then uses America’s Home Test Kitchen recipe with the olive oil puree under the skin. Will start preparing today.
Long roast at 200-205F. Take it out at 161-162F.
Want to keep moisture in the bird? Prevent it from phase changing to steam.
You take it out at 161-162F for two reasons. The main reason is it takes a while to make a proper gravy. So you’ve already butchered the bird, put all the extras in the pot to get the gravy started, and can start carving it up. Just keep it covered in the oven, sliced up, at like 180F.
Gravy done? Great. Turkey is certainly 165+, and ready to serve.
Even THREE DAYS LATER the breast meat STILL is moist!
— ——
The problem is most people cook turkey only once a year. They’ve no practice, and haven’t had time to learn how to really nail it. The above is the result of what you learn fast when you make four in six weeks and are eating 3.25 of them entirely by yourself — it BETTER be good!
Yes.
About 32 miles The Valley to my wife’s aunt’s house.
Tiny Lexus Hybrid, with the turkey, dressing, and homemade cranberry sauce (not from cans).
Great that some people want EVs and buy them.
But more people want PHEVs Hybrids, EREVs. So, respond to the market forces if you want to survive.
Cranberry sauce is one thing.
Could I interest you in a smooth, creamy, cranberry curd tart pie? Paired with a bit of stiff cream piped along the edge, and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream?
I live in very much a cranberry state, and a friend’s father operated a cranberry bog. I’m still to find a better use for cranberries than that pie recipe. Which people devour.
If you’re adventurous and know how to make double-layer cheesecake desserts, you can also do one with cheesecake on the bottom, with the cran pie layer on top.
Well, the cranberries are frozen, so not all that homemade, I guess.
I am not really a fan of even the best turkey (I come from a holiday ham/pork roast sort of family), but I would eat that cranberry tart until I explode! I wouldn’t even sully it with ice cream.
My grandmother used to make your cheesecake combo. She was not a great cook (severe lack of both imagination and willingness to employ anything spicier than butter in fine Old New England tradition), but an absolutely gifted baker.
Assume MA or RI? We are an old ME family.
MA, Boston area, despite high-horsepower RWD everything,
Do keep a can of ye olde Maine B&M Brown Bread around though!
Hybrid first, for the sole reason of volume.
There will be a larger market for it, and since you are less constrained on battery production capacity, you can serve that larger market much more easily.
Let it get traction in the marketplace, work out any kinks, then offer the BEV.
Pure business decision that also will give most customers want they want.