Pickups – TurboSaga.com – For The Boundary Pushing Automotive Enthusiast

Ford Recalls Nearly 185K F-150s

Ford announced it’s recalling almost 185,000 F-150 full-size pickups. The 2021 and 2022 model-year trucks are experiencing driveshaft problems that could cause it to fracture.

All-new F-150 — Ford is recalling nearly 185,000 F-150 pickups from the 2021 and 2022 model years.

The issue only affects certain F-150 Crew Cab 4×4 pickups, according to the filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The company’s began examining the issue since July.

The truck’s underbody thermal/acoustic insulators can loosen over time. If they come in contact with the truck’s aluminum driveshaft, they can cause scoring or marks. If this goes on long enough, the heat generated each time can eventually crack the driveshaft.

Potential results if the issue is not repaired

“A fractured driveshaft may result in loss of motive power,” the report states, “unintended vehicle movement while the vehicle is in park if the parking brake is not applied, and may result in secondary damage to surrounding components.”

Additionally, once fractured, the driveshaft could break loose and touch the ground, causing the driver to lose control of the pickup, potentially resulting in a crash. The company is unaware of any accidents or injuries caused by the problem.

2021 Ford F-150 - at work site — Some Ford F-150 pickups are facing issues with the aluminum driveshaft on the truck.

Owners are advised to look for a “loose underbody insulator.” They should also listen for a rattling, clicking or clunking noise due to the loose insulator coming in contact with the driveshaft. The scoring or marking on the driveshaft described earlier may also be visible.

Next steps

Ford’s taken steps to resolve the problem during production by swapping the underbody thermal acoustic insulator for an under-carpet thermal patch at the two plants — Dearborn (MI) Truck and Kansas City (KS) Assembly — already.

Dealers received the notice Tuesday, and owners will begin receiving notices in the mail shortly. They will be instructed to make an appointment with their dealer to have “positive attachment features adde to the underbody insulators.”

They’ll also inspect the driveshaft for scoring or marks that may have already occurred. This will be done at no expense to the truck owner.

As of Dec. 7, Ford received 27 reports of fractured aluminum driveshafts possibly related to sagging underbody insulators on the F-150s, the automaker said in an Automotive News report.

Automakers Suspend Operations, Change Equipment Due to Chip Shortage

Ford is temporarily suspending production at its Kansas City assembly plant to deal with the shortage.

Automakers continue to search for ways to deal with the semiconductor chip shortage impacting the industry on a global scale.

Most companies cut back production and shift available chip inventory to high-profit vehicles like pickup trucks. Seemingly no automaker is immune to the problem, including pricey luxury and sports car makers. Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and others all recently announced moves to deal with the shortage.

This week is not different with Daimler, Stellantis and Subaru reporting today they are taking new measures to account for current run of chip shortages, both in the U.S. and in other facilities around the world.

New announcements

Ford plans to extend the shutdowns at plants that build its F-150, Ford Transit, Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, Ford Edge/Lincoln Nautilus and Ford Mustang. The Kansas City Assembly Plant that builds its top-selling F-150 and Transit commercial van suspend operations for the weeks of May 3 and 10. It’s currently closed down.

GM is slowing production of its van at its Wentzville plant to deal with the chip shortage.

The Flat Rock, Michigan plant, which builds the Mustang, and Chicago plant that builds the Explorer and Aviator will also be down the first two weeks of next month. They’ve been down since the week of April 12, according to Automotive News.

The company plans to continue the reduced production of its Super Duty and medium-duty trucks at the Ohio Assembly Plant near Cleveland.

General Motors plans to move its Wentzville (Missouri) Assembly plant from three shifts to just two on a temporary basis starting the week of April 26. It’s cutting van production at the site. Production of its midsize pickups, the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, are unaffected. The company just restarted operations at the facility last week after a two-week shutdown.

Other moves

In what may be the most novel approach to dealing with the issue thus far, Stellantis is using analog speedometers in some its Peugeot models instead of the digital ones they would normally come equipped with.

Daimler is cutting hours for 18,500 workers at two plants in Germany as it waits for more chips.

The move affects only the Peugeot 308, Reuters reported, which are built in France. The brand sold about 98,000 of the 308 model last year. The 308 is being phased out this fall in favor of a new vehicle. The company may reduce the price as a result of the less advanced speedo.

Daimler plans to reduce hours for 18,500 employees and idle production at its Bremen and Rastatt plants in Germany. Bremen builds the C-Class as well as the GLC, GLC Coupe and the all-electric EQC. The Rastatt plant produces the A-Class hybrid as well as the A-Class sedan, B-Class and GLA compact SUV.

Japanese automaker Subaru Corp. revealed plans to temporarily suspend production at its plant in Lafayette, Indiana. The closure will be in place until the end of April, according to officials. It will affect about 15,000 vehicles for North America, officials noted. The company builds the Ascent, Outback, Legacy and Impreza at the site.

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Stellantis Employee Absenteeism Slowing Truck Production

Stellantis is facing higher than normal absentee rates at its Sterling Heights (MI) Assembly Plant due to COVID. The plant produces Ram pickups.

The surge in COVID-19 cases in Michigan has driven up the rate of absenteeism at a key Stellantis truck plant while the impact from the catastrophic winter weather in Texas also is creating problems for the auto company.

Facebook posts over the weekend indicated that as many as 700 employees at Stellantis’ Sterling Heights Assembly plant, where the Ram 1500 is built, have called in sick because of exposure to COVID-19 slowing production inside the plant. Stellantis acknowledged the company is seeing an increase in cases among employees.

“We continue to be aggressive in following recommended guidelines for contact tracing,” the company said in a statement. “We also continue to strongly encourage our employees to follow the same health and safety measures whenever they are out and about.”

Employees in auto plants are eligible for vaccination under Centers for Disease Control guidelines, which deemed their jobs as essential. However, while urging all employees to get vaccinated, UAW President Rory Gamble said he does not favor making vaccinations mandatory.

Weld curtains hang across the door line at the Sterling Heights plant to protect employees from the spread and transmission of COVID-19.

Stellantis production hit

Like General Motors and Ford, Stellantis has been forced to curb temporarily production at several North American plants including the Warrant Truck plant, just north of Detroit, which is scheduled to remain shut through May.

In addition, the Belvidere Assembly plant in Illinois where the Jeep Cherokee is made and in Ontario both Brampton Assembly, where the company builds its muscle cars, and the Windsor Assembly plant where the Stellantis builds the Chrysler Pacifica are down temporarily until the end of April. The company’s assembly plant in Toluca, Mexico that builds the Jeep Compass is also temporarily idled.

In court papers filed as part of a lawsuit in federal court in Detroit, Stellantis also could be forced to shutter production at the Jefferson North plant in Detroit where it builds the highly profitable Jeep Grand Cherokee also could threatened by the shortage of semiconductors.

Court fight about semiconductors

Stellantis is shutting down its Windsor plant due to the semiconductor shortage.

However, a federal judge declined to grant an injunction that would have compelled a Dutch company to furnish semiconductors to a supplier that builds HVAC controls for Stellantis.

The supplier, JVIS-USA, asked for an injunction that would have forced NXP to provide more chips to its operations. Without the chips the Jefferson North plant is in danger of an “imminent shutdown.”

However, NXP showed it does not have any semiconductors because its partner plant in Texas was shut following a severe winter storm in Texas that battered the state’s electric grid.

Until now most of the coverage on the semiconductor’s shortage revolved around the shortage of chips made in Taiwan but the lawsuit makes clear that the problems in Texas have exacerbated the problem.

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GM Launches New In-Car Navigation Technology Maps+

General Motors announced the launch of Maps+, an in-vehicle, app-based navigation solution.

General Motors is taking another run at selling consumers on in-vehicle navigation with Maps+, an app-based system that will be available by the end of the month.

The new technology is available to owners of roughly 900,000 model year 2018 GM vehicles and newer as part of the company’s connected services plans.

“We know customers want an easy and convenient in-vehicle experience that improves over time,” said Santiago Chamorro, GM vice president of Global Connected Services.

“We listened to customer feedback and developed a product that works seamlessly with our current infotainment systems and provides a highly personalized experience that will iterate throughout the lifetime of the vehicle,” Chamorro added.

That personalization allows for favorite locations or points of interest, a choice of day or night mode for the map and shortcuts when searching various categories, such as coffee, food, fuel and recent spots or favorites.

New system easily integrated

GM’s tried in the past to implement a viable in-car navigation system, like Chevrolet’s GogoLink. It was a new smartphone app-based nav system.

Automakers have been trying to cash in on navigation devices for more than two decades with only limited success. In-car systems started out as luxury options with hefty price tags.

The systems also required pricey updates. Those checks became tougher for owners to write as new technology came on the market, including the new ubiquitous smart phone, thus in-car navigation lost its edge.

Chamrro, however, noted GM has been offering connected vehicles for more than 25 years. The new digital solutions in the GM system safely and seamlessly integrate into the busy lives of vehicle owners, he said.

The Maps+ rollout leverages the over-the-air update capabilities of GM’s growing fleet of connected vehicles and underscores the company’s commitment to deliver best-in-class customer experiences throughout a vehicle’s lifetime while enabling a safer drive, he said.

Meanwhile, GM and Mapbox will continue to enhance the system by developing new features and improvements based on feedback and metrics. Maps+ was developed to meet driver needs and preferences while keeping hardware capabilities of different vehicles in mind, they said.

GM planned to use smartphone-like over-the-air updates to add its GM Marketplace to many 2017 models.

New system uses voice commands

Owners of GM vehicles can start Maps+ navigation with Alexa Built-In voice control and listen to music or podcasts using the system’s integrated audio apps. The system brings up points of interest, shops, restaurants, parking and more. With features including embedded speed limit alerts and low fuel recognition to route drivers to a nearby station.

“The map is the canvas for providing the driver with a delightful, easy-to-use experience,” said Peter Sirota, Mapbox CEO.

“From discovering new places to avoiding traffic on your commute to paying at the pump or the plug, Maps+ lays the foundation for an excellent navigation experience. We are excited to build upon this with GM to continue to drive adoption.”

South Korean EV Battery Makers Settle U.S. Squabble

SK Innovation paid $1.8 billion to LG Energy as part of a settlement so it can produce EV batteries at this soon-to-be-complete plant in Georgia.

South Korean battery makers LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation finally settled a two-year old dispute about intellectual property that had the potential to undermine efforts by Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG to put electric vehicles on the road.

The agreement came as the Sunday deadline for President Joe Biden to become involved loomed over the process. In a joint statement released this past weekend, the sides said they agreed to settle all legal disputes relating to EV batteries in the United States and South Korea.

As part of the settlement, SK agreed to pay the equivalent of $1.8 billion in a lump sum and royalties. In return, SK can move forward with the operations of a new plant in Georgia that is expected to supply batteries for EVs built by Ford and Volkswagen.

Production at the Georgia plant was threatened by the litigation, which had grown to include the U.S. International Trade Commission and the White House as well as regulators in South Korea.

Ford relieved by settlement

Ford was counting on SK Innovation to produce EV batteries for its electrified F-150.

“We are pleased that SK Innovation and LG Energy Solution have settled their differences. This allows us to focus on delivering a range of Ford world-class battery electric vehicles for our retail and fleet customers, while also supporting American workers, the economy and our shared goal of protecting the planet,” Ford said in a statement released after the settlement was announced in South Korea.

Back in February, U.S. ITC sided LG Energy in a trade secrets case but permitted SK Innovation to import components for domestic production of lithium-ion batteries for Ford Motor Co’s EV F-150 program for up to four years, and for Volkswagen of America’s electric vehicle line for two years.

As a result of the settlement announced over the weekend, both sides have agreed to withdraw all pending legal disputes in United States and Korea and agreed to a “10-year non-assertion,” essentially agreeing not to sue each other for a decade.

Jong Hyun Kim, CEO and president of LG Energy Solution and Jun Kim, CEO and resident of SK Innovation released a joint statement announcing the settlement and agreed to focus on the larger goals set forth by the Biden administration.

The Volkswagen ID.4, which is the brand’s first EV in the U.S., will reportedly use SK Innovation batteries.

“This settlement demonstrates LG Energy Solution’s willingness to protect and maintain a fair and competitive climate within the EV industry. This agreement also reinforces the significance of our intellectual property acquired over the past 30 years,” said LG Energy’s Jong Hyun Kim.

Help from Biden sought in dispute

The settlement in South Korea also eliminates the need for even more direct intervention by the Biden administration. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp pleaded with the administration to overrule the ITC’s initial ruling.

Kemp said the ITC ruling threated 2,600 jobs at the SK plant and would be a major blow to Georgia’s economy, which already reeling from a dispute over new law that places new restrictions on voting by Georgia residents and gives the legislature the right to set aside election results after votes are counted.

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Honda Looking to Get a Little More Rugged with Trailsport Moniker?

The new Honda Ridgeline gets a more rugged exterior update for the 2021 model year. Could a Trailsport edition be coming soon?

Is Honda trying to make its trucks and SUVs appear to be tougher? Maybe.

The Japanese automaker’s secured a new name: Trailsport. When compared to RAV4, Passport and Pilot, Trailsport seems almost vicious by comparison. The automaker registered the name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and website Carbuzz tracked it down.

The application reads as follows: “The mark consists of a miscellaneous design set above the term TRAILSPORT with the letters ‘R’ and ‘S’ connected together all in a stylized font. This trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of land vehicles, namely, sport utility vehicles, automobiles, trucks, and structural parts for the foregoing.”

Getting a little tougher

There’s no clear indication if Honda intends to use it for new vehicle or, more likely, a special edition or trim package, such as the Honda Ridgeline Trailsport.

Subaru is offering up a beefed up version of the Outback called the Wilderness edition.

Regardless, the company’s been looking to add more capability to its trucks and utes, toughening up the look of aforementioned Ridgeline for the 2021 model year after the previous iteration was roundly criticized for its “soft” or non-traditional appearance.

In addition to the new look, it also got additional tweaks to keep the functionality the Ridgeline has touted both in terms of utility and performance, including the top standard payload capacity for a V6 all-wheel-drive truck.

The biggest change for 2021 is the truck’s overall exterior shape, which is altered by getting an entirely new front-end design. The new look is a bit more aggressive with a “power bulge” on the hood accented with a more squared-off front end and bigger, more upright grille. Most of its competitors have been upsizing the grilles on their trucks and looking for “tougher” monikers for their vehicles too.

Following a trend

Subaru just launched a new family of more rugged off-roaders with its new Wilderness edition offerings, starting

The new Pathfinder’s sporting a more rugged look for the 2022 model year.

with the new 2022 Outback Wilderness. The automaker described the ’22 Subaru Outback Wilderness as “the most rugged and capable” version of the crossover in its history.

Once little more than a gussied-up station wagon, the new Wilderness model adds features designed to give it serious off-road credibility, starting with an increase in its ride height, upgrades to the suspension, revisions to its all-wheel-drive system and a standard front skid plate. The automaker will expand the line-up to include Forester and Crosstrek in the near future.

With competition like the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Gladiator Mojave and the Ford Bronco harkening back to a rougher, tougher time and the increasing desire of owners to take these vehicles that look like SUVs out to do SUV-like things, it’s no surprise that other automakers are hustling to bolster their crossovers and urban-friendly utes.

Don’t forget Nissan

For the 2022 model year, Nissan’s finally given the Frontier midsize pickup a major makeover.

Nissan did the same with its 2022 Pathfinder and Frontier entries with one executive proclaiming the Pathfinder has “returned to its rugged roots,” for the new model year. While the Pathfinder got a more muscular look and a few small upgrades to improve its off-cement capability, it was the Frontier that got a big boost.

The new Frontier adopts a more solid and upright appearance with a bolder, less derivative front end. All versions of the truck get enhanced ground clearance and enhanced approach and departure angles, with a prominent front skid plate.

For those who are serious about off-roading, there’s a new Pro-4X version featuring an electronic locking differential, Bilstein off-road shock absorbers and underbody skid plates. That could enhance Frontier’s appeal to those who might otherwise consider the Toyota Tacoma, for many the off-road benchmark of the segment. The Pro-4X is all-wheel drive but for those who want a 2WD model, the new Pro-X adds LED head, DRL and fog lights for a more rugged appearance.

Chevrolet Electric Silverado A ZERO Production

Chevrolet’s Silverado electric pickup will be built at the Factory Zero assembly plant in Detroit-Hamtramck, Michigan, along with GMC’s Hummer EV SUV which will also be produced there, General Motors president Mark Reuss said today.

A new-from-the-ground-up EV pickup, and not adapted from the gas-powered Silverado, it will use the Ultium Platform. Ultium is General Motors’ virtual development tools and technology, said to have reduced development nearly 50 percent to 26 months.

Chevrolet estimates the new Silverado EV will have a 400-mile range on a full charge. Like its gas-powered sibling, there will be retail and fleet versions of the EV, both expected to be in demand. “Chevrolet will take everything Chevy’s loyal truck buyers love about Silverado — and more — and put it into an electric pickup that will delight retail and commercial customers alike,” said Reuss.

Factory ZERO, General Motors’ renamed Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, signifies the company’s zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion outlook for the future. ZERO is the largest renovation and retooling ever for a General Motors manufacturing plant. Its paint and body shop, along with the general assembly area, are getting upgrades including new machinery, conveyors, controls, and tooling. The plant’s footprint is now over 4.5 million square feet.

General Motors previously hawked its modular propulsion system and Ultium battery-powered global EV platforms. The company is definitely looking to compete head-to-head for customers wherever they may exist. Ultium is a joint venture with LG in Lordstown, Ohio to produce battery cells for future battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Construction of that facility is underway.

General Motors world domination plan calls for a million EVs by 2025, and North American EV leadership. How will this work out with the power grid, President Biden’s future vision, and infrastructure improvements?

[Images: General Motors]

Plant Shutdowns Extend into April for Detroit Automakers

Ford canceled overtime shifts at its Kansas City Assembly plant’s truck line for April, May and part of June.

The shortage of semiconductors is forcing Detroit’s automakers to trim production, including production of pickup trucks that are increasingly short supply, in the mid-April.

Ford Motor Co. has already gone through a series of forced shutdowns due to the ongoing shortage. The company said this week it is closing the Dearborn Truck Plant, one of the company’s flagship facilities. It will be down the weeks of April 5 and April 12. In addition, the company cancelled super shifts — the company’s term for overtime shifts — the weeks of April 26, May 10, May 31 and June 21.

At the Kansas City Assembly Plant, the company is shutting down the truck side only the week of April 5. It cancelled super shifts at KCAP Truck side the weeks of April 12, April 19, April 26, May 3, May 10, May 17, June 7 and June 14. The Transit side is canceling super shifts for the weeks of April 5, April 12 and April 19.

Ford hit hard by shortage

The Louisville Assembly Plant, which builds utility vehicles, will be down the weeks of April 12 and 19.

Stellantis is temporarily shutting down its Windsor plant due to the semiconductor shortage.

Ford also said two other plants, Chicago Assembly, where the company builds the Ford Explorer, is canceling a super shift for the week of April 5, while the Ohio Assembly Plant, near Cleveland, where the company builds heavy-duty pickup truck is canceling super shifts for the weeks of April 12 and April 26.

In Canada, Ford’s Oakville Assembly Complex in Oakville, Ontario, where the Ford Edge is built, will be down the weeks of April 12, April 19 and April 26 due to the shortage of semiconductors.

Stellantis forced to shutdown

Stellantis said its North American operations continue to work closely with its suppliers to mitigate the manufacturing impacts caused by the various supply chain issues facing our industry as It announced another round of temporary plant.

The Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois, the Warren Truck plant in suburban Detroit, Toluca Assembly Plant in Mexico, and Canadian plants in Brampton and Windsor, Ontario, will be shut through the middle of middle of April, Stellantis said in a statement.

General Motors truck plants carry on

The company says it’s doing all it can to continue building full-size pickup trucks. However, the GM said the Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas, where the Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac XT4 and the CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, where GM Builds the Chevrolet Equinox will be shut through mid-April.

GM’s CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, builds the Chevy Equinox and will be shutdown through mid-April.

“We continue to work closely with our supply base to find solutions for our suppliers’ semiconductor requirements and to mitigate impact on GM,” the company said in a statement e-mailed to TheDetroitBureau.com. “Our intent is to make up as much production lost at these plants as possible.”

Automakers are either facing or about to face some tough times when it comes to sales, which were very strong in March, according to at least one analyst.

“On a SAAR level, March auto sales are shaping up to meet or exceed Pre-Covid levels. The big rebound from the prior month was assisted by stimulus and pent-up demand from weather impacts in February. However, the stronger sales results are bumping against ongoing production issues, creating what could be a volatile demand environment over the next few months,” Chris Hopson, manager, North American light vehicle forecast, IHS Markit.

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Think Americans Love Pickups? Check Out Kenya, Thailand and Argentina

By any measure, the Ford F-Series is the world’s best-selling pickup, though primary demand is in the U.S.

Americans are in love with their pickups, no question about it. If anything, automakers are struggling to keep up with demand for products like the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 in the wake of last year’s pandemic shutdowns and this year’s chip shortages.

You might think of the pickup as a distinctly American product, however, that’s far from reality. In fact, if you’re looking at the countries where these trucks hold the highest market share, the U.S. doesn’t even land in the Top 10.

Kenya is the unquestioned king here, pickups accounting for an astounding 53% of its total new vehicle sales in 2020, according to industry data, with Thailand slightly behind with a pickup share of 47%. Our northern neighbor, Canada, also showed more truck love than Americans did last year, at 23%, with Argentina, at 22%, still two share points ahead of the U.S.

Now, all that said, the U.S. remains the overwhelming sales leader when you are talking raw volume. The Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram pickup were far and away the three best-selling vehicles of any form in the U.S. last year, with combined volume of 1.945 million units. The GMC Sierra, ninth among all U.S. vehicles in 2020, adds 253,016 to that total. And we’ve so far only looked at full-size trucks.

The U.S. is an also-ran in the pickup market

Measured another way, the U.S. and Canada account for roughly nine out of every 10 pickups sold worldwide when you count everything from compact to heavy-duty models. But with a combined market share of around 20%, those trucks hold barely half the share of utility vehicles and even lag the declining sedan market.

The Toyota Hilux has earned a reputation as “king of the desert” in many parts of the world.

What’s unique about the U.S. is the focus on full-size and, especially, heavy-duty pickups. These products barely exist in many other markets and regions, with a handful of exceptions like the Middle East. That said, Detroit automakers are hoping to expand the appeal of these big rigs worldwide.

Ford launched the F-150 in Argentina last year, where the Ram 1500 already is on sale. The Chevy Silverado is expected to follow, according to LMC Automotive.

“As is the case in the U.S., pickups are prized in Argentina by a subset of the population who view them not only as practical, but also as a reflection of their lifestyle — a status symbol, if you will,” explains John Zekany, an LMC analyst focusing on the Americas.

“The bodystyle,” he adds, “also fits in well with the needs of Argentina’s agricultural sector, which accounts for a substantial share of the country’s GDP. Many of those who drive pickups would never dream of switching to a different vehicle type.”

What pickup buyers want varies by market

The ability to use pickups as combination work and lifestyle truck clearly appeals to buyers in many emerging markets, as is reflected by the pickup sales chart shown here.

The countries with the highest share of pickup sales. The U.S. doesn’t even fall into the Top 10. Source: Focus2Move.

What type of trucks they buy varies widely, however, from country to country. In many pickup-friendly markets, there are hefty tariffs and taxes that influence demand.

As a result, notes Zekany, the Ram 1500 is the only one of 11 imported models that generated sales of more than 1,000 vehicles last year. In Argentina, the locally assembled Toyota Hilux has captured a 27% share of the pickup market and 6% of the country’s overall new vehicle sales.

Midsize models like the Hilux are, for many buyers, not just more affordable but also more practical, especially when dealing with narrow roads and cramped local villages and cities. They’re also more fuel efficient, something owners in many parts of the world are acutely aware of.

The “king of the desert”

The Hilux has earned a reputation as the “king of the desert,” and it is especially popular in Africa, South America and the Middle East, according to research site Focus2Move. The Toyota now is the world’s fourth best-selling pickup, buyers in 140 different markets snapping up 457,876 of them last year.

New entrants will give pickup buyers even more options in the years ahead. Many of them are all electric, like this Rivian R1T.

Globally, it’s followed by the Ford Ranger – primarily the version sold outside the United States, the GMC Sierra, the Toyota Tacoma and the Isuzu D-Max.

One of the notable developments has been the rise of China’s Great Wall Wingle 5. It was number 9 last year, moving up from 12^th position globally in 2019. Significantly, Toyota landed its third pickup, the Toyota Tundra, on the charts in 2020, that full-size model rounding out the top 10.

New entries

The strong global demand for trucks has encouraged more players to get into the pickup market in recent years. Mercedes-Benz launched the X-Class a few years back and Hyundai is readying for launch the compact Santa Cruz. Meanwhile, a host of new start-ups are jumping in with all-electric models, including Rivian, Bollinger, Lordstown and Atlas.

If anything, global demand for pickups could grow even bigger in the years ahead.

Weather, Increased Demand Drive Gas Prices Higher

American motorists are paying more at the pump these days as demand rises and supply drops.

When it comes to gas prices at the pump, what goes down will eventually come up.

Motorists are paying some of the highest gas prices seen in over a year, according to AAA and GasBuddy.com. With the forced shutdown of Gulf Coast and some Midwest refineries due to recent winter weather, gasoline stocks have tightened and gas prices have skyrocketed.

On the week, 66% of state averages spiked by double digits (10-22 cents), driving the national average up by 13 cents to $2.63. That is the most expensive national average since October 2019.

Prices are jumping by double-digit amounts

Gasbuddy.com reported the national average price rose for the seventh consecutive week and at its fastest pace since Hurricane Harvey, rising 10.4 cents per gallon compared with the previous week to $2.63 as of Feb. 22.

Gas was priced the highest in California, Hawaii and Washington with the price as high as $3.54 a gallon.

The website compiled the data from more than 11 million individual price reports covering more than 150,000 gas stations across the country. Additionally, GasBuddy determined that the national average price of diesel jumped 8.7 cents in the week prior to Feb. 22 and stood at $2.84 per gallon.

Federal statistics released on Feb. 22 show how gas prices stood around the country. The average price per gallon (ppg) in the U.S. as of Feb. 22 was $2.63, a 13-cent ppg increase from the previous week. Gas in the East Coast region was $2.60 a gallon, up from the prior week price of $2.47.

In New England, gas prices reached a ppg of $2.56, up from $2.47 in just a week, while West Coast ppg hit $3.15, up from $3.04. Rocky Mountain ppg jumped to $2.43, from $2.39. Gulf Coast prices were the lowest as of Feb. 22, with ppg of $2.34, up from $2.21 the week before.

Cold Hits Production Hard

“With last week’s (Feb. 15 – 21) extreme cold shutting down millions of barrels per day in refinery capacity, gas prices have seen their largest weekly climb in quite some time,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

Gas prices are expected to drop in the next week or so, according to GasBuddy.com.

“The jump in price was the result of a dozen or so refineries, primarily in Texas, that were forced to shut down as the frigid temperatures threatened to wreak havoc on their exposed equipment. With the cold weather behind us, price increases should begin to slow later this week or next week, and so long as these refineries get back online in short order, we may see gas prices start to move back down in the next couple of weeks.

De Haan quickly tempered any joy about drop reminding that spring is coming, which means prices will rise again as “refineries start to transition to summer gasoline, so motorists shouldn’t jump for joy just yet.”

Weather playing a role

“When close to 40% of U.S. crude production is offline because refineries are closed, there is going to be pain at the pump until operations resume,” said Jeanette Casselano McGee, AAA spokesperson.

“The good news is the nearly two dozen impacted refiners are expected to restart operations this week, if they haven’t already. That means regular gasoline deliveries will resume and impacted stations will be re-fueled.”

In the week prior Feb. 22 there were reported refinery outages in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kansas. AAA reported that gas prices are likely to be volatile until crude production is back to normal levels. Motorists can expect these more expensive prices to stick around, but large spikes are likely to subside.

Midwest sees big increases

According to AAA, the nation’s top 10 largest weekly increases were as follow: Ohio, up 22 cents; Arizona, up 21 cents; Iowa, up 19 cents; Minnesota, up 18 cents; Georgia, up 18 cents; Michigan, up 17 cents; Wisconsin, up 16 cents; Nebraska, up 16 cents; Indiana, up 16 cents; and Maryland, up 15 cents.

The nation’s top 10 least expensive markets as of Feb. 22 were: Mississippi, $2.27; Louisiana, $2.31; Texas, $2.32; Arkansas, $2.35; Alabama, $2.35; Oklahoma, $2.36; Utah, $2.38; Missouri, $2.38 ppg; Tennessee, $2.40; and South Carolina, $2.42.

The most expensive were California at $3.54 a gallon followed by Hawaii ($3.35) and Washington ($2.98).

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Tag: Pickups