Tesla pioneered megacasting, a technique that uses giant casting machines to make car bodies with just a few massive cast parts (a Matchbox car is said to have provided the inspiration), and other automakers quickly took notice. In 2021, the LK Group reported that it would supply giant casting presses to several Chinese companies. In… Read more »
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Toyota to invest $8 billion to expand North Carolina EV battery plant
Is Toyota a sleeping giant, poised to exploit the wimpy waffling of GM and Ford, and become the EV powerhouse it should be? Or will the company continue paying lip service to e-mobility while clinging to 20th-century technology? Who knows? We won’t presume to read the green tea leaves, but we are happy to report… Read more »
Stellantis to acquire 20% equity stake in China’s Leapmotor
Amsterdam-headquartered multinational automaker Stellantis plans to invest some €1.5 billion to acquire 20% of Chinese EV maker Leapmotor. Stellantis will take two seats on Leapmotor’s board of directors. The deal also outlines the formation of Leapmotor International, a Stellantis-led joint venture that will have exclusive rights to the export and sale of Leapmotor products as… Read more »
Battery makers seem to be okay with an EV production slowdown
The news that GM, Ford and other automakers plan to slow down production of EVs in response to slower sales growth (EV sales grew by only 50 percent last quarter) was like an early Christmas for the various varieties of EV-haters. For most of us in the EV industry, it was more like a visit… Read more »
Nel chooses Plymouth, Michigan for electrode gigafactory
Norwegian fuel cell company Nel has decided to build its next gigafactory in Plymouth Charter Township, a Detroit suburb. The electrode manufacturing plant will produce 4 GW of alkaline and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer technology annually. The Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) has awarded a $10-million Michigan Business Development grant to the project. The MSF… Read more »
No complaints at Volvo—EV sales soar in October
The legacy automakers had a truly scary October. Ford and GM, both of which had seemed to be manfully slogging forward with electrification, have scaled back their EV plans, moaning that they can’t make a profit on EVs. (It’s not just American companies—VW and Mercedes are wavering too.) Their can’t-do jeremiads are aimed at politicians,… Read more »
New Formula G all-electric racing series offers a development path for young drivers
Every professional sport has its farm system: baseball players progress from the Little League through the minor leagues to the bigs; high school football players compete for college scholarships and a shot at the NFL, etc. Dilbagh Gill, the former Mahindra Racing Formula E Team Principal, saw that this development path was lacking in the… Read more »
Winners and losers from GM’s rollback of its EV plans
When GM agreed to unionize its EV battery plants, we applauded the move, believing that the destructive UAW strike would end with the US Big Three legacy automakers and their unions beginning to come to terms with the EV future. We were wrong. As of this writing, the UAW has reached a tentative agreement with… Read more »
Qmerit outlines key issues affecting EV adoption and public charger reliability
US EV charger installer Qmerit has produced a report through its recently established Electrification Institute that assesses pivotal issues with respect to widespread EV adoption and progress toward home and building electrification. Questions addressed involve affordability, the shortage of qualified electricians, how nano- and micro-grids will help underpin electrification infrastructure, and why virtual power plants… Read more »
GM agrees to unionize EV battery plants. Will other US automakers follow suit?
The United Autoworkers’ strike doubtless has multiple causes, but the transition to EVs is certainly one bone of contention. EVs are simpler machines than legacy vehicles, and many expect this to translate into less demand for human labor. A wave of new battery plants will surely create new jobs, but some fear that automakers will… Read more »