AUGUST 5, 2020

Editor-in-Chief's Note: There seems to be a bit of a buzz out in Internet Land around the fact that Jim Farley is an "enthusiast" and so that means Ford is in good hands. Let me assure the uninformed out there that whether or not Farley is an enthusiast matters not one iota when it comes to Ford's future. Instead, look to Ford's product development chief - Hau Thai-Tang - and the other True Believers in Ford Design, Engineering and Product Development, because they will determine Ford's fate. But don't worry, if things go south Farley will deflect the blame, and if things go swimmingly well he will take all of the credit. -PMD

  FCA. GM has filed a motion for reconsideration of its racketeering case against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. GM now alleges that FCA and co-conspirators engaged in "corporate espionage" that directly harmed GM. "New facts about the direct harm FCA caused GM have come to light and they are detailed in our amended racketeering complaint. These new facts warrant amending the court's prior judgment, so we are respectfully asking the court to reinstate the case," GM said in a statement. GM's racketeering suit, filed in November, was dismissed last month with prejudice by U.S. District Judge Paul Borman, but the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later said Borman failed to consider other remedies and said his reasoning — that the lawsuit would distract the companies from dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and recent racial tensions across the country — was unrelated to the case at hand, as reported by Hannah Lutz in Automotive News. "As we have said from the date the original lawsuit was filed, it is meritless," FCA said in a statement on Monday. "The court agreed and dismissed GM’s complaint with prejudice. FCA will continue to defend itself vigorously and pursue all available remedies in response to GM’s attempts to resurrect this groundless lawsuit.” GM's filing on Monday in U.S. District Court in Detroit says FCA and co-conspirators used a broad network of foreign bank accounts containing millions of dollars in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Italy, Singapore and the Cayman Islands to directly harm GM. Editor-in-Chief's Note: This is not going to end well for FCA, folks. GM has got the goods this time, and this case is likely to unfold in huge negative chunks that FCA won't be able to counteract in court. As we like to say around here, it's giant pasta bowl of Not Good for FCA. -PMD

(Cadillac images)

Cadillac’s move into an all-electric future began Thursday evening (August 6) with the debut of its LYRIQ show car - a fully electric luxury crossover with striking design features. The propulsion system and supporting technologies "position Cadillac to be a leader in electrification, connectivity and automated driving" according to Cadillac PR minions. The LYRIQ is based on GM’s next-generation, modular electric vehicle platform and driven by the Ultium propulsion system, allowing Cadillac to deliver customers a variety of range and performance options. Cadillac is designing LYRIQ to offer beyond 300 miles of range on a full charge, based on internal testing. Ultium’s state-of-the-art NCMA (nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminum) chemistry uses aluminum in the cathode to help reduce the need for rare-earth materials such as cobalt. In fact, GM engineers reduced the cobalt content by more than 70 percent, compared to current GM batteries. The advanced battery chemistry is packed in large, flat pouch cells that enable smart module construction to reduce complexity and simplify cooling needs. Additionally, the battery electronics are incorporated directly into the modules, eliminating nearly 90 percent of the battery pack wiring, compared to GM’s current electric vehicles. Other details? Charging options that fit a variety of preferences for home, the workplace and on the road — including DC fast charging rates over 150 kilowatts and Level 2 charging rates up to 19 kW2; rear-wheel drive and performance all-wheel drive configurations; the latest version of Super Cruise3 - the industry’s first truly hands-free driver assistance feature - available on more than 200,000 miles of compatible highways and recently enhanced to include automated lane change; new technologies such as dual-plane augmented reality-enhanced head-up display and remote self-parking; Cadillac's most seamless and adaptive technology interaction with the driver and passengers, including the latest Cadillac user experience, which is showcased in a 33-inch-diagonal advanced LED screen the spans the entire viewing area of the driver. “Led by LYRIQ, Cadillac will redefine American luxury over the next decade with a new portfolio of transformative EVs,” said Steve Carlisle, executive vice president and president, GM North America. “We will deliver experiences that engage the senses, anticipate desires and enable our customers to go on extraordinary journeys.” The production date has not been announced.

(Volvo)
This is the new "minimalist" Volvo. The only options are a windshield, seat belts and airbags, and surround vision cameras. All for $5,999.00 - if you act now! Actually it's Volvo's Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform, which was co-developed by Volvo Cars and Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely) and introduced in 2017. The Volvo Car Group, including its strategic affiliates Lynk & Co and Polestar, have sold - including to the end of July - more than 600,000 group vehicles based on the platform.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: This just in from Dave Guyette, our Portland-based correspondent. Enjoy! -PMD

Minimally Inspiring Volvo.

By Dave Guyette

Portlandia. As an automobile, I find this 'minimalist' Volvo... inspiring. As I kept looking at it, I kept thinking. Here are my top ten thoughts on Volvo's Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform: 

10. Peter Horbury... just called it in, didn't he? 
9. These were the only parts not tariff'd out of China. 
8. So light, it will exceed the most stringent CAFE standards. 
7. ...and it collapses to fit underneath the bed of a Jeep Gladiator! 
6. A lifestyle vehicle for crash tests dummies. 
5. It's actually an X-ray of the Ford Mustang Mach-E. 
4. No... this is a Porsche Taycan BEFORE options. 
3. Prototype vehicle for the next season of "Entourage"-? 
2. Tesla will probably sue for infringement. Or something. 
1. Finally, a new car I can actually afford!

AE Song Lyrics of the Week:

All day starin' at the ceilin' makin' friends with shadows on my wall
All night hearing voices tellin' me that I should get some sleep
Because tomorrow might be good for somethin'
Hold on, feelin' like I'm headed for a breakdown
And I don't know why

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know, right now you can't tell
But stay a while and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know, right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be, me

I'm talkin' to myself in public, dodging glances on the train
And I know, I know they've all been talkin' about me
I can hear them whisper, and it makes me think
There must be somethin' wrong with me
Out of all the hours thinkin', somehow I've lost my mind

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know, right now you can't tell
But stay a while and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know, right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be

I've been talkin' in my sleep
Pretty soon they'll come to get me
Yeah, they're takin' me away

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know, right now you can't tell
But stay a while and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know, right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be yeah, how I used to be

How I used to be
Well, I'm just a little unwell
How I used to be, how I used to be
I'm just a little unwell

"Unwell" by Matchbox Twenty from the album "More Than You Think You Are" (2003)*. Watch the video here.
*This was written by Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas. On the live DVD Show, he explains that this song is about people who are "F--ked up and feel alone like that," adding, "We all feel a little f--ked up sometimes... you're not alone."In an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Thomas said: "'Unwell' is about having a despondent relationship with yourself. In the end, it's a positive song, because you come to terms with the fact that you're not crazy." The Meiert Avis-directed video follows Rob Thomas through a psychotic episode that includes driving around town with an animated dog while being pursued by A Clockwork Orange-inspired characters. The band chose the director's treatment over many other submissions because it was the weirdest. Avis also directed clips for U2 and Bruce Springsteen, among others. The lyrics center on Thomas coming to terms with how uncomfortable he felt as a rock star. He recalled the story in a Genius attribution: "We were going into our third record. It came from the idea of still not feeling comfortable in my own skin, and the job sometimes even less so. I was always very comfortable in small groups, and I was always very comfortable on a stage. And then never comfortable in the group. You'd do things where you're out and amongst, and I was never really comfortable. That led me to having really crazy panic attacks and having to figure out a way to get all of that under control. Once I started to get older, once I started to grow up, the fabrication that I'd made of how comfortable I was and how secure I was in myself started to go away. I was left with the reality I need to deal with how uncomfortable I am at all times, how unsure of myself I am, every word that comes out of my mouth, in every situation. 'Unwell' was the beginning of that for me." The song features some a six string banjo played by Matchbox Twenty multi-instrumentalist Paul Doucette. Thomas recalled: "It was kind of awesome, because at the time, everything was either Ludacris and Nelly or boy bands. And then we were hanging in there with a song with a banjo in the intro. That felt like a little win for us. When I wrote that song, it was a much faster song. It was Paul who was like, 'It's like that, like you're playing it on the piano. Slow it down there.' It made all those lyrics seem a little more poignant. A lot more longing to it then it would have. I think I wanted it to sound like a Nelly song." (Knowledge courtesy of songfacts.com)