Subaru to team with Toyota on 3 new EV crossovers through 2026
Subaru says it will lean on Toyota for next three all-electric crossovers and shift production of the best-selling Forester, including a new hybrid version, to the U.S.
Small, well-built Chinese EV called the Seagull poses a big threat to the US auto industry
By TOM KRISHER and KEN MORITSUGU (Associated Press)
LIVONIA, Mich. (AP) — A tiny, low-priced electric car called the Seagull has American automakers and politicians trembling.
The car, launched last year by Chinese automaker BYD, sells for around $12,000 in China, but drives well and is put together with craftsmanship that rivals U.S.-made electric vehicles that cost three times as much. A shorter-range version costs under $10,000.
Tariffs on imported Chinese vehicles probably will keep the Seagull away from America’s shores for now, and it likely would sell for more than 12 grand if imported.
But the rapid emergence of low-priced EVs from China could shake up the global auto industry in ways not seen since Japanese makers exploded on the scene during the oil crises of the 1970s. BYD, which stands for “Build Your Dreams,” could be a nightmare for the U.S. auto industry.
“Any car company that’s not paying attention to them as a competitor is going to be lost when they hit their market,” said Sam Fiorani, a vice president at AutoForecast Solutions near Philadelphia. “BYD’s entry into the U.S. market isn’t an if. It’s a when.”
More stable new-vehicle production means higher Q1 sales for suppliers
More stable new-vehicle assembly meant higher sales numbers in the first quarter for many North American suppliers, another welcome sign for parts makers hoping for more consistent production schedules form automakers.
Disney confirms opening day of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
It’s finally OK to sing “Almost There” when it comes to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the new ride coming to Walt Disney World. The opening day for the log ride, an attraction taking the place of Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom, will be June 28.
Disney announced that during “American Idol” on Sunday night, although news had slipped out earlier in the day via an official Disney website’s online post that was removed.
The short reveal by “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest came after a performance of “Dig a Little Deeper” by Jenifer Lewis, who voiced Mama Odie in “The Princess and the Frog,” with Terence Blanchard on trumpet. Also on stage: a costumed Louis character from the film.
The announcement did not include information about previews for annual passholders or a soft opening schedule before that date. Previously Disney had said it would open sometime this summer. There’s another version of the Tiana ride scheduled to open in Disneyland sometime “later this year,” Disney says.
SpaceX knocks out Sunday night launch from the Cape
SpaceX sent up another Starlink mission from the Space Coast on Sunday night on a southerly trajectory that hugged the Florida coast.
A Falcon 9 rocket on the Starlink 6-58 mission carrying 23 of the internet satellites lifted off at 8:53 p.m. liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40.
The southerly trajectory took the rocket down the Florida coast so its flight and booster separation was more visible in South Florida about an hour after sunset.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/9N3E7FDYW7
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 13, 2024
The first-stage booster flew for the 15th time with another recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.
This was the 36th launch from the Space Coast this year and 25th from Cape Canaveral with the other 11 coming from Kennedy Space Center. All but two of the launches have been flown by SpaceX.
Boeing Starliner astronaut launch delayed until at least May 17
The other two were from United Launch Alliance, which is aiming for its third of the year no earlier than Friday when an Atlas V rocket carrying the CST-100 Starliner could launch on the Crew Flight Test mission carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station.