It smells like a campfire outside my window, which is true for many people living in the United States right now. I’ve been told that out-of-control Canadian wildfires are to blame, though I’d also believe the scent is emanating from Stuttgart, where a German business magazine just lit up the company and its CEO. Sabrina Carpenter voice: Oh boy.
When everyone was pledging to go full-EV or nearly full-EV by 2035, Ola Källenius had a different plan. Mercedes was going to shoot for 2030, and the EQS, EQE, and related SUVS were going to lead the way. The problem, as any regular Morning Dump reader will know, is that those products weren’t very good, and even if they had been good, the market in the United States wasn’t there. What’s a CEO to do?
General Motors is the 2nd largest EV seller in the United States, albeit a distant second behind Tesla. How many new EVs can we expect in the coming years? Uh, just the one, actually. General Motors has plenty right now and needs to pivot back towards making sedans and other cars. Still, GM has to be ready for China, because China is coming, according to Bill Ford.
That’s heavy. Let’s lighten it up a little. Do you like 7-Eleven? Do you like cars? I’ve got great news for you.
‘It Was Too Late To Stop It’
So far as I know, no one from The Autopian was invited to the Mercedes launch for the AMG GT EV in Los Angeles, even though our company is based there. Hopefully it wasn’t because we’ve written a fair bit of criticism about their product line, about the AMG GT, and about their claim to have invented the car; I like the brand and I generally like the cars, so that would be kind of a bummer.
Will this stop us from reporting on their woes or writing honestly about how we feel about them? Of course not. To paraphrase the other Michael Bolton: Why should I change, they’re the ones who…uh, are having some challenges.
It seems like our collective groan at the new electric AMG GT was shared by at least one executive at the company as reported by Manager Magazin‘s Margaret Hucko, who wrote this morning about the tenure of Källenius and the launch event:
“This car shouldn’t even exist,” one of the Mercedes executives fumed. “But it was too late to stop it.” The electric GT was already too far along in its development. The same applies to the two electric derivatives. First, a high-performance SUV will hit the market next year, followed by an SUV coupé.
According to the Manager Magazin report, the push to make fast EVs for AMG has already cost over $1 billion. The whole Mercedes effort to make EVs has been strange and stands in contrast to BMW, which has just quietly built decent electric cars without making a big deal out of it. So far this year, Mercedes has only reached an 11.6% share of BEVs, whereas BMW is at 17.7%. KRS One voice: A real thug is a thug that’s hush.
Allegedly persuaded by Tesla’s stock price, Källenius went super hard on the concepts of luxury and electrification, at the expense of either mass market models or gas-powered profit centers like vans. It’s how we ended up with the expensive and objectively mediocre EQS. [Ed Note: To be fair, pretty much every automaker saw Tesla’s stock price and proceeded to set billions of dollars on fire trying to chase it. Also, I like the way the new AMG GT looks. It’s wacky, and I like wacky. -DT]
There’s some more gossip in the piece specifically around the EQS and a reminder that Källenius was involved there, too:
But Källenius’s passion for eco-friendly vehicles also came to an abrupt end in late 2023. When the supervisory board met to review the 2024 plans, sales of the EQS and EQE electric sedans had plummeted by 90 percent. Källenius, then head of development, had spearheaded these models, hoping they would usher in a new era for the company. Mercedes had invested around 5 billion euros in the development of the EQS, EQE, and two related SUVs alone, with billions more spent on manufacturing, marketing, and all the associated costs. But now the disaster was obvious to the board members. “It was clear then that these cars were the biggest failures in the company’s history,” says one board member who was present at the time.
Yikes!
This is a rough report for Källenius, and I want to be fair because he’s getting a second swing at some of these vehicles and they seem good. The Mercedes-Benz VLE van looks awesome and is apparently more than decent. The new CLA is also extremely promising and maybe, maybe, we’ll eventually get to drive one.
GM’s Only New EV Will Be The Hyundai Van Thing
There’s a story in Automotive News about how GM, which is very EV-heavy, is going to consider building more hybrids, sedans, and other vehicles that’ll make the market happy (and that the company probably shouldn’t have stopped building). What jumped out at me was the revelation that GM is slow-rolling EVs so much that it’ll only have one debut the rest of this decade.
GM’s plans to launch new EVs this decade largely have been pushed back or canceled. A commercial van codeveloped with Hyundai is now the only new EV expected to be released by GM through 2030. But it will make some updates to current electric models, including a redesigned Equinox EV around 2028.
That van looks super cool, though, and I think GM’s brands have the EV market fairly well covered when you consider they’ve got everything from a new Bolt up to a Celestiq. Ariana Grande voice: I want it.
Bill Ford Admits Chinese Cars Can’t Be Kept Out Forever
China continues to be an existential threat to the automotive industry, and it’s likely that some sort of bipartisan support will push a bill to effectively ban Chinese car sales will become law sooner rather than later. Does that mean we won’t see Chinese cars ever? Ford Exec Chairman Bill Ford doesn’t think that’s realistic:
“We have to go toe-to-toe with China,” said Bill Ford, the automaker’s executive chair, at an Axios event in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. “We can’t expect to keep them out forever, and we have to be able to beat them at their own game.”
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Bill Ford also acknowledged that politics sure is making the making of things hard:
“Ford, the great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford, said Tuesday that U.S. plans must include an industrial policy that keeps the country competitive with major automotive hubs like China, Japan and South Korea. It must also be able to withstand policy changes ushered in by elections, he said.
“Our lead times are longer than political lead times,” Ford said. “I think an industrial policy that is a bipartisan one—which, as I say today, even saying that might sound difficult—we really need that.””
Kacey Musgraves voice: Yup.
Check Out This Sweet 7/11 GT-R Hot Wheels
Is 7-Eleven actually cool or have I just been Larry Chen-pilled? Either way, 7-Eleven is having a moment, and the latest clothing/accessories/fashion collection from the brand will include this handsome GT-R. From a press release:
This year’s collectible puts the spotlight on the high-performance 2017 Nissan GT-R (R35), a legendary model beloved by car enthusiasts. The model features a sleek white wrap with 7-Eleven’s iconic logo on the hood and sides, creating the kind of die-cast livery collectors love to discover.
Charlie XCX voice: Vroom vroom.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
I would accept the argument that the Sophie-produced “Vroom Vroom” from Charlie XCX is sound-forward that we really haven’t quite caught up to it yet. Man, I miss Sophie.
The Big Question
What’s the best car Mercedes currently makes?
Top photo: Mercedes-Benz
I wasn’t aware Mercedes (Streeter) makes cars, but I wouldn’t be surprised! Ha ha. Although I would buy one
I don’t think the AMG existing as an EV is an issue so much as it looking…like that. Who the hell approved that hideous mess?
Their current GTD and LMGT3 cars would be my pick. They look great out on the racetrack.
Just a suggestion, but maybe MB could have spent those billions getting back to the quality and subtle understated elegance the brand was renowned for.
What made Tesla into what it is today is not the car. The Model S was good looking and cool but it would have been DoA if Tesla hadn’t spent billions building the SuperCharger network.
That’s the big ‘duh’ I want to tell all the automakers that are chasing Tesla’s stock price by copying the cars. The cars aren’t what make Tesla, Tesla. And the cars aren’t the reason why people are plugging their nose and continuing to buy Teslas, despite Elon’s actions. It’s the whole package.
I really wish someone else had licensed the NACS charger tech prior to the world realizing what a shitbag Elon is so we could compare how essential SuperChargers are/were to the buying decision of an EV.
You know what I haven’t heard about in a while? Rivian’s charger network. What happened to them installing chargers at all the national parks or whatever their plan was.
I really don’t think 90% of the car buyers really care or even think negatively about Elon. Sure the 10% is loud and noisy and blocking traffic and most probably don’t even own a car.
I own 5 cars, the oldest is a 2024 and the cheapest is a 2025 Ford F150 Platinum. You must not be on many car forums if you think people don’t hate Elon, at least not any new or more expensive car forums.
Odd flex.
I don’t think most people care about Leon.
I have a friend that has a new Model Y and another that recently purchased an used Model 3. Both are sheepish about the association to Elon. So do they think negatively about him? Yes. Do they care? Not enough to consider other options. They both cited the charger network and I told the first to consider a Mach-E with NACS.
A used car or AN used car? An used car just doesn’t seem right…
Rivian is still building out the RAN Network, new ones pop up pretty regularly. Not sure they get much press, as any BEV can use them.
The smoke….it’s so bad!
Wildfire smoke is the worst. We had to deal with it several years in a row when fires in CA and wind conditions made for a situation where we didn’t see blue skys for weeks. It was awful.
You can make an emergency air purifier with a box fan and a forced air furnace filter if you can’t get a proper one.
We have had a lot of fires in the north-east of Spain. It’s absolutely terrible.
We have a big problem, no matter how much they want to deny it.
Like this?
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7270799
I wonder if Mercedes can identify the make, model and history of this locomotive and do a deep dive.
I’m in Toronto, something like 1000kms from the fires and the air yesterday was about the same as I experienced being close enough to a Washington fire to feel the heat years ago. Today it actually rained ash.
It’s going to get worse. We had a very wet spring with late tree budding that nourished a lot of undergrowth that’s now drying out.
The AQI has been sitting at 500 all day, which seems to be the max the phone app can register. It’s terrible.
Dang. I’ve got 243 locally at this moment (Matt, that’s in Queens), and yesterday’s peak was around 9 pm so who knows.
Having lived through bad air in CA, buy a high quality and high capacity air purifier. It is worth it. I also have a high quality air monitor, Airthings View Plus. Check consumer reports for air purifiers.
They make big filters designed for HVAC systems that can easily be adapted as very good room filters.
They can be six inches to two feet thick.
Use a commercial style filter as a pre filter before it.
Typically you want a 95% filter.
Low cfm makes them clean better.
They usually have a metal case.
I got some with shipping damage at a good price.
Used with a low speed blower and pre filter, filter might last forever, with true hepa quality.
Carbon filtering can be diy too.
I have not identified the locomotive that the train crew was stuck in. However, the locomotive that blew past it was CN 3945 (ex-CREX 1430), a General Electric ES44AC. 4,400 HP, 12-cylinder prime mover, AC traction motors!
Drove one of those vans (hybrid edition) on a recent trip. It drove like a van. I did like the mileage though.
A gold plated “peace prize” offered to a certain someone will bring Chinese cars to our shores faster than mold on an old orange.
I’m glad GM is partnering with Hyundai on a new EV van. GM’s previous partnerships with Korean companies have produced such great bangers as the Chevrolet Aveo and Pontiac LeMans.
The Nissan partnership was pretty half assed too, but I’m not sure Nissan was to blame. Then there was their own Brightdrop opportunity wasted.
I’m not sure GM can even get their own divisions to partner effectively despite the rampant badge engineering. Probably too many egos.
Exactly. They’re the one brand that doesn’t need to introduce anything because they’ve basically got the EV market covered. Although if they kill the Bolt again that will leave a bit of a hole at the bottom end. The Equinox is cheap, but not as compact as the Bolt.
I didn’t realize how bad the wildfire smoke was because it mostly isn’t hitting my area, but I drove about an hour north last night and holy cow, it was bad. Fortunately it’s so hot here right now that I don’t really want to be outside anyway, so I guess that’s a positive?
RE Bill Ford: Yes, and that’s a lesson your company WAS actually learning 35-40 years ago, particularly during the Mazda joint venture years. I’d argue that in ’90 or so Ford was the best placed domestic manufacturer with the most modern overall product line.
And 5-6 years after that, mid 90s, it was probably Chrysler. Weird as that sounds
Correct, by ’96 or so the tide had shifted towards Chrysler. The WJ, the ’94 Ram, the LH sedans, cloud cars and Neons. They were on a roll until the disasterous ‘merger of equals’.
Who would have thought Renault of all partners would introduce them to modern platforms?
RE wildfire smoke: It is getting BAD here north of Pittsburgh. It is not haze – it is smoke. My allergies are starting to act up and my eyes burn if outside too long.
Yeah, it’s bad. I’m close to NYC. Unfortunately I’ve had a lot of experience with bad air having living in California for decades and in Asia for many years. Good day to stay inside and crank the air purifiers to ELEVEN.
Probably replace the A/C filter next week. I don’t smell it inside but open a door and it is a punch in the face. Gotten worse over the course of the day.
Reminder to replace car cabin filters this autumn.
I was just thinking about that. I still have the same one in from last year, when the AQI hit 451 (no pun) here one day. Then again, I was staying put as much as possible.
I’m in Toledo and we briefly had the 2nd worst air quality in the entire world today. It hasn’t improved much since then. I know I have nothing to really complain about since I’m not dealing with the actual fire, but you’re right, this is actually smoke. And yet my neighbor is still mowing his yard.
Well, based on our recent weather it is at least cooler in the day without the solar loading. But gonna be hot as f*** overnight.
I’m in Milwaukee and it’s horrible. AQI of 500 right now which, my phone tells me, is quite hazardous!
Breathe deep of the life giving hydrocarbons.
Ash, a carbon filter for the lungs!
Will the free hydrocarbons make our cars go faster? Probably the opposite as the pollution mitigation bits have to process more crap.
“GM’s Only New EV Will Be The Hyundai Van Thing”
That’s great news. But I have to wonder if this is a longer term partnership or just a stopgap until the next gen BEV platform is in volume production that a future van will be built off of.
“Bill Ford Admits Chinese Cars Can’t Be Kept Out Forever”
It’s basically a replay of Japanese cars in the 1970s and 1980s. And what Ford and others need to do is essentially up their game. That’s the only good long term solution.
“What’s the best car Mercedes currently makes?”
That’s a tough one as I don’t really like anything they make these days. I’m gonna nominate the Mercedes S214 E300e plug in hybrid wagon. And an honorable mention to the EQS… though after watching some reviews on the EQS, there is room for improvement with that model.
Due to my age, when you say that Sabrina Carpenter says ‘oh boy’ I immediately think you meant Sabine Schmitz.
Due to my age, when you say Sabrina Carpenter, I say, “You call that music?!!! Lemme’ tell you about real music” . . . and then I’ll name a few bands that broke up before the first Clinton administration.
Due to my age, when you say that Sabrina Carpenter says ‘oh boy’, I know she’s not talking to me.
Due to my age, when you say Sabrina Carpenter, I immediately feel like a dirty old man.
7-Eleven is pretty great…in Japan. Hell any convenience store (konbini!) there is somewhere you can get shockingly good food.
When I worked for a Japanese company I had to warn colleagues from the home office in Okazaki that 7-Eleven here in the US was, uh, not going to be on the same level.
Their Spicy Big Bite hot dog is excellent in the US, I must say.
Their pizza is also better than average for gas station/convenience store pizza
Copenhagen, Denmark’s 7-11 shops are shockingly good.