Bradley writes about electric cars, autonomous vehicles, smart homes, and other tech that’s transforming society. He contributes to The New York Times, SAE International, Via Magazine, Popular Mechanics, MIT Technology Review, and others. https://twitter.com/bradberman
Tim Grewe, GM’s director of battery cell engineering and electrification strategy, held a virtual media conference today about the company’s EV battery strategy. It was a wide-ranging info session explaining the General Motors approach to chemistry, cell, and module design, and how EV batteries will be manufactured in high volume. “Categorically, we think that the pouch cell is the winner,” said Grewe.
In the latest update to Bloomberg’s “Electric Vehicle Outlook,” forecasters say the world will never buy as many traditional gas-powered cars and trucks as we did in 2017. While gas cars will continue to make up more than half of global auto sales for years ahead, gas cars have already peaked – and EVs will now take over.
Polestar will begin by selling its electric performance cars this year in New York, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. In the first half of 2021, its retail footprint will grow to include Boston, Denver, Texas, Washington DC, and Florida regions.
Mercedes-Benz announced on Friday that its comprehensive insurance will include coverage of home-charging equipment, cables, and batteries. The policy includes risk coverage up to € 10,000 ($10,900) related to theft, vandalism, “overvoltage damage,” short circuits, and even bites from animals and rodents.
In February, we started getting more hints that Volkswagen plans to build and sell a lineup “ID.R” electric performance cars. Now, Volkswagen executives have confirmed that it’s in the works.
Enrico Galliera, Ferrari’s chief commercial officer, this week said that EV battery technology is “not developed enough” for a supercar. He said it will take at least until 2025 before Ferrari could produce an EV worthy of its brand. Mi scusi, Signore Galliera. Have you not seen these 10 EVs that, today and right now, put Ferrari’s internal combustion cars to shame?
Enrico Galliera, Ferrari’s chief commercial officer, repeated the Italian automaker’s stance that it won’t make an EV until after 2025. He believes battery technology needs at least a few years to improve before it can deliver on Ferrari’s “brand heritage.”
The dream of a solar-self-charging electric vehicle lives on. A Ford patent application was published this week for a roof-mounted device that, with a flip of a switch, cocoons the entire parked vehicle in a shield of solar panels. The patent application was filed on November 8, 2019, and published on May 14, 2020.
Cruise Automation, the General Motors company developing shared, autonomous EVs, laid off about 150 people on Thursday. It’s the latest sign that self-driving car companies face challenging economic circumstances due to the pandemic.
Oatly, the Swedish premier oat-based food producer, announced today that it will become one of the world’s first companies to electrify its fleet of heavy trucks. Its first electric trucks will roll out in October, covering about 125 zero-emission miles per day. Plans are under way for those deliveries to use remote-operated, self-driving EVs such as the Einride Pod.
Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson said that the coronavirus will accelerate the pace of change in the auto industry. He said the shift to EVs will be among the major changes that occur due to the pandemic.
The boxy, American postal truck now in service across the US is built on specs from 1994, with a design dating back to 1984. While Amazon is moving forward with electrifying its fleet of delivery vehicles, plans for the US Postal Service to modernize its trucks have stagnated for more than a decade. Now, under Trump’s new postal chief, plans for a fuel-efficient delivery vehicle are once again postponed.
The nation’s top transit systems have experienced 70% to 90% declines in ridership during the pandemic. Analysts believe that some of these losses could be sustained for years. As lockdowns get lifted, workers will need new socially distanced strategies to get to work.
Kia’s first dedicated EV model, to be launched in 2021, will be a high-riding, crossover-like sedan. That’s old news from January. But now there are reports that it will use an ultra-fast 800-volt battery system that could bring 15-minute EV pit stops to the masses.
General Motors is following an orderly people-first process to reopening its factories. The company is working with its union and local health officials. Earlier this week, GM told employees “significant planning is under way to safely restart production” of vehicles.
Ken Morris, GM’s vice-president for electric and autonomous vehicles, today provided an update on the company’s progress with electric vehicles throughout the lockdown period. “We’re absolutely on time,” said Morris. “We haven’t lost a beat.”
Huawei’s 5G-based HiCar technology is not just another auto infotainment system. It’s more like an interface to the car’s core operating system and a vehicle-to-X channel to the road. HiCar will first appear on the BYD Han EV in June, before arriving in models from about 30 different auto brands.
Many new EV owners (and solar customers) need to upgrade their electrical panel. That panel, which is so critical to your home’s energy, uses antiquated technology. It’s mostly a big dumb circuit breaker. Well, that was until Arch Rao came along to turn that panel into an intelligent, app-controlled energy gateway.
The electric Volvo XC40 Recharge crossover goes on sale in the US later this year. Now we’re learning that the all-electric Volvo XC100, a full-size SUV, will follow – although perhaps not until late 2023.
Reports from German media and Automotive News say the Mercedes-Benz EQS all-electric sedan is on track this year for Europe. So we reached out to Daimler to see if the EQS was planned for an introduction in the US in 2021. But the company is not yet ready to share details.
Catherine Wood, chief executive of ARK Investment Management, yesterday addressed concerns about how electric vehicle adoption will be affected by low oil prices. She underscored that the biggest factor for total-cost-of-ownership is auto residual values. While the value of used cars is tumbling, the trade-in values of Tesla EVs are holding firm.
Last month, teardown specialist Sandy Munro published a series of videos about his look at the Model Y. Munro is now making the rounds of YouTube by speaking on other channels. When Munro appeared on tech-channel HyperChange, he explained why Tesla has such a decisive lead on electric vehicles — and which companies are truly serious about catching up.
The Shanghai Municipal Government yesterday announced its smart-city action plan. Activities include adding 100,000 charging ports, so-called Internet-of-Vehicle roadways, and 34,500 5G base stations. Those charging ports double as interactive devices that collect a lot of data, including “user portraits.”
