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Car companies may need to start curbing model proliferation

Looking at the current automotive landscape, especially from German makers, you quickly get the impression that less definitely isn't more. BMW alone offers its 3 Series platform in practically every segment possible, including the regular sedan and 4 Series Gran Coupe, which would seem to be direct competitors. Porsche might be the winner, though, with 20 different variants of the 911 listed for sale on its US website. However, some of this model madness might be reaching an end as companies begin cutting back spending or shifting money to other priorities.
According to Yahoo Finance, the offerings from the German automakers are up 25 percent over the past three years to over 200 models in Europe. The peak is expected to come around 2018 at 230 separate vehicles, according to consulting company PwC.
Amazingly, BMW, which is among the poster children for this model explosion, might be changing its tune. "I'm sure there will be points in the future where we look at certain cars and say, 'Maybe we need to think differently now,'" said head of sales Ian Robertson in an interview, according to Yahoo Finance. The statement certainly sounds shocking coming from a company rumored to have 23 front-wheel-drive vehicles all using a single platform on the way.

Mixed sales results, but automaker stocks rise on need for cars in Houston

DETROIT — The Big Three Detroit automakers on Friday reported better-than-expected August sales and issued optimistic outlooks for demand as residents of the Houston area replace flood-damaged cars and trucks after Hurricane Harvey, sending their stocks higher. General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler posted mixed August U.S. sales, with GM up 7.5 percent and Ford and Fiat Chrysler down. Japanese automaker Toyota improved sales by nearly 7 percent, while Honda fell 2.4 percent. Still, analysts focused on the potential for Detroit automakers to cut inventories and stabilize used vehicle prices as residents of Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, are forced to replace tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of vehicles after the devastation from Hurricane Harvey. Mark LaNeve, Ford's U.S. sales chief, told analysts on Friday that following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 "we saw a very dramatic snapback" in demand. That said, Ford sales fell 2.1 percent in August. It sold 209,897 vehicles in the United States, compared with 214,482 a year earlier. Sales were down 1.9 percent in the Ford division and off 5.8 percent at Lincoln. Demand was down for cars, crossovers and SUVs. It was not clear how many vehicles in the Houston area will be scrapped, LaNeve said, saying he had seen estimates ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 to 1 million. Ford's Houston dealers may have lost fewer than 5,000 vehicles in inventory, he said. Ford is the No. 1 automaker in the Houston market, with 18 percent share, according to IHS Markit. The company plans to ship used vehicles to Houston dealers and has "every indication we would have to add some production" of new vehicles to meet demand, LaNeve said. Investor concerns about inventories of unsold vehicles and falling used car prices have weighed on Detroit automakers' shares most of this year. Now, automakers can anticipate a jolt of demand from a big market that is a stronghold for Detroit brand trucks and SUVs. "It's got to be a positive for the industry," LaNeve said. Investors appeared to agree. GM shares rose as much as 3.3 percent to their highest since early March. Ford increased 2.8 percent at $11.34, and Fiat Chrysler's U.S.-traded shares were up 5.2 percent $15.91, hitting their highest in more than five years. GM reported a 7.5 percent increase in U.S. auto sales in August, helped by robust sales of crossovers across its four brands.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla truck's close call, Tesla age discrimination suit

A semi with a trailer full of Teslas has a close call on the highway in this video. With a half-dozen electric vehicles in tow, the truck has to swerve onto the shoulder as a commuter bus nearly hits it after crossing multiple lanes. An example of human error, this near miss is the type of thing Tesla would like to prevent by advancing and widely deploying autonomous vehicle technology. Watch the heavy-duty mishap in the video above, and read more at Teslarati. A former Tesla engineer is suing the automaker for age discrimination. 69-year-old Thomas Flessner, who was fired from his Materials Engineer position in February, says he "was isolated due to his age and routinely chastised for completing projects slower than his coworkers." The suit claims younger engineers working at a similar pace were not subject to the same criticism. Flessner encountered further problems after taking time off for surgery, when a supervisor told him, "these guys are gunning for you." Read more from Fusion. Audi has placed orders with Ballard as part of Volkswagen Group's HyMotion fuel cell technology program. Audi has taken over responsibility for Volkswagen's program to develop its next-generation fuel cell stack. Ballard is providing engineering services to the automaker until at least March 2019. "Our HyMotion team of engineers and scientists are collaborating closely with Audi's experts and together we are on-track with respect to key technical and financial goals set for the current year," says Ballard VP of Technology and Product Development, Dr. Kevin Colbow. Read more at Yahoo Finance. Car2go has reached 2 million members worldwide. The world's largest car sharing service has 800,000 members in North America, 1.1 million in Europe, and 100,000 in Chongqing, China. Car2go claims 43 percent year-over-year growth, with a trip taken by a member every 1.5 seconds. "The rise of car sharing can be attributed to a changing paradigm of demographics, social preference shifts towards usage of vehicles instead of ownership, and technology that enables the seamless short term rental of vehicles," says Frost & Sullivan Principal Mobility Analyst Martyn Briggs. Read more from Car2go. Related Gallery Volkswagen Golf SportWagen and Passat HyMotion News Source: Teslarati, YouTube: Rumble Viral, Fusion, Yahoo Finance via Electrek Government/Legal Green Audi Tesla Volkswagen Alternative Fuels Transportation Alternatives Electric Hydrogen Cars Videos recharge wrapup