AD #3353 – UAW Targets Transplants, EV Startups; Tesla & Biden Quietly Working Together; Polestar 5 Gets Whopping 884 HP
June 24th, 2022 at 11:52am
Listen to “AD #3353 – UAW Targets Transplants, EV Startups; Tesla and Biden Quietly Working Together; Polestar 5 Gets Whopping 884 HP” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 10:10
0:07 UAW Going After Non-Union OEMs Again
1:04 Tesla & Biden Quietly Collaborating
1:55 Tesla Brings Back Enhanced Autopilot
3:31 GM Makes Charging Its EVs Easier
4:32 Nissan to Supply McLaren for Formula E
4:53 Uber & Lyft Drivers Put Ads on Their Vehicles
5:25 Aptera Confirms Hub Motor Supplier
6:36 Mercedes EQXX Ekes Out More Range
7:31 Polestar 5 Gets Whopping 884 HP
8:21 Apricale is the 1st FCEV Hypercar
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UAW TARGETS TRANSPLANTS, EV STARTUPS
With so many more workers interested in joining a union, the UAW is ramping up its efforts to go after all the foreign automakers who have non-union factories in the United States. The Detroit News reports the UAW held a meeting last month in Birmingham, Alabama with representatives from Tesla, Honda, Volkswagen, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Rivian, Lucid and others. The topic on the table: how to organize the line workers at those automakers. Though the UAW has been spectacularly unsuccessful at organizing the transplants in the past, recent organizing victories at companies like Starbucks and Amazon, has got the UAW thinking the time is ripe for another go at it. That’s why it held the meeting with the reps from all those transplants and startups–to develop what it thinks is a winning strategy.
TESLA & BIDEN QUIETLY COLLABORATING
Elon Musk has publicly ripped into President Biden and his administration a number of times. But Reuters reports the two sides have been working together since the first day the administration took office. The White House is getting Tesla’s input on reforming renewable fuel policy to allow EVs to receive renewable fuel subsidies. Tesla wants to receive credits based on kilowatt hours driven or a similar metric. The plan could also give subsidies to charging companies and landfills that supply renewable bio-gas to power plants. Currently, the U.S. requires a minimum amount of renewable fuel mixed with gasoline, which is primarily corn ethanol. The EPA wants to update the rules to benefit EVs to help speed up adoption.
TESLA BRINGS BACK ENHANCED AUTOPILOT
Is Tesla’s Full Self Driving too expensive? The price to unlock it currently sits at $12,000 and that may be too much for some owners. That could be why the EV maker is bringing back Enhanced Autopilot for half that price. The package includes Navigate on Autopilot, Auto Lane Change, Autopark, Summon and Smart Summon. So, the big difference between Enhanced Autopilot and FSD is the ability to handle intersections, traffic lights and stop signs. And remember, while it may cost the owner $6,000, it costs Tesla nothing. All the hardware and software is already built into its vehicles, so it only has to be unlocked.
GM MAKES EV CHARGING EASIER
The easier an automaker can make the charging process for an EV, the easier it will be to get consumers behind the wheel. GM is the latest to offer a Plug and Charge option on its current and future EVs. It’s partnering up with EVgo. Users are required to have an EVgo account, active OnStar connected services and the brand app for their particular GM vehicle. After a one-time activation within the app, all an owner has to do is plug in the charging cable and that’s it. They’ll automatically be billed for their charging session. As we all know there needs to be more chargers, so GM is also working with EVgo to install an additional 3,250 fast chargers in the U.S. by 2025 as well as with its dealers to add more than 40,000 Level 2 chargers in the U.S. and Canada. In the future the Plug and Charge option will be expanded to work with other charging providers, not just EVgo.
NISSAN TO SUPPLY MCLAREN FOR FORMULA E
For the first time since it joined the all-electric racing series in 2018, Nissan is becoming a powertrain supplier in Formula E. It’s going to provide powertrains to McLaren for the Gen3 cars, which were revealed in late April. This will be the first season for McLaren after it bought out the team from Mercedes-Benz.
UBER & LYFT DRIVERS PUT ADVERTISING ON THEIR CARS
To help offset rising gas prices, Uber and Lyft drivers are putting wraps on their vehicles advertising other businesses. Drivers can make $100 to $600 a month, depending on the ad and campaign. Carvertise, a company that offers the ad decals, says it’s seen up to a 13% increase in sign-ups over the past three months. While Uber and Lyft did implement a fuel surcharge for rides, it hasn’t been enough to offset the soaring price of gas.
APTERA CONFIRMS HUB MOTORS SUPPLIER
Aptera, the 3-wheel electric commuter that’s seemingly been in development forever, found a supplier for its hub motors. It just signed a deal with Elaphe, which is based in Slovenia and is currently tooling up to make 100,000 hub motors a year. Hub motors are wheels with electric motors built right into them. That will allow Aptera to provide more room inside its wild-looking vehicle, and eliminate the shafts that normally provide torque to the wheels. Elaphe is the same company that makes hub motors for the Lordstown pickup truck, the Endurance.
MERCEDES EQXX EKES OUT MORE RANGE
Mercedes is once again boasting about the efficiency of its Vision EQXX concept. Back in April, the automaker drove it 1,008 kilometers or about 626 miles on a single charge on public roads in Europe. And now the company has topped that mark. It just took the concept on a 1,200 kilometer or nearly 750-mile road trip from Stuttgart, Germany to Silverstone, England, once again on public roads. And Mercedes improved its energy consumption. On the previous drive, the Vision EQXX achieved an efficiency of 8.7 kWh per 100 kilometers. This time it achieved 8.3 kWh per 100/km or 7.5 miles per kWh, which is double of what most EVs get today.
POLESTAR 5 GETS WHOPPING 884 HP
Polestar is sharing more details about the upcoming Polestar 5, which is an evolution of its Precept Concept from 2020. It features a new, exclusive powertrain that includes a dual motor setup that combines for 884 horsepower or 650 kW and 663 lb-ft of torque along with an 800-volt architecture. The 4-door GT is being developed in both the UK and Sweden. The Polestar 5 doesn’t come out until 2024 but a slightly camouflaged version is currently on display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. If you want to learn more about the car’s development, Polestar has a series on YouTube showing its transformation from a concept into a production vehicle.
APRICALE IS FIRST FCEV HYPERCAR
And speaking of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, check out this hydrogen powered hypercar that debuted at the show from UK based startup Viritech. Called the Apricale, it was styled by Italian design house Pininfarina. It only weighs 1,000 kilograms or a little more than 2,200 pounds. Part of the weight savings comes from engineers making the hydrogen storage tanks a part of the structural element of the car’s carbon fiber monocoque. Along with the fuel cell, the powertrain features two electric motors that combine for 800 kW or 1,072 HP and a 6 kWh battery pack. The car has a top speed of 200 plus MPH and an estimated 350 miles of range or 560 kilometers. Viritech is aiming to start delivering the Apricale in early 2024.
But, hey, that’s a wrap for this week. Hope you enjoyed the show and hope to see you again next week.
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Comments (28)
June 24th, 2022 at 12:43 pm
Plz do not send anything to this email. I have another where I get your episodes.
June 24th, 2022 at 1:17 pm
The auto industry sure has changed in 10 years. So many promises, boasts and predictions, so little actual product. Can’t find an EV to buy? Try to buy an ICE.
It would be refreshing to get some real auto news about changes coming up in the next year from a manufacturer that currently makes vehicles in volume, that you could visit your local dealer and test drive. Ah, nostalgia.
June 24th, 2022 at 1:36 pm
Its amazing to me that the Aptera team continues to find investors. There has never been a commercially successful three wheel car, and for many good reasons. I predict the same fate for Aptera as I have for Elio. Lots of hype, a few prototypes, lots of targets and predictions but no volume production. Maybe Foxconn will buy them, come out with a four wheel version and build it on the line with the Endurance, since both will use the Elaphe in-wheel motors.
Have a great weekend everyone!
June 24th, 2022 at 1:47 pm
I looked at an electric drag race on you tube 1/4 mile was fast, but this was so boring, then i looked at a dodge charger hemi run and loved all the noise from that car flat out. I have a mobility scooter that i carry in my van because of walking problems, the electric car is just a big mobility car to get from point a to b to me just boring
June 24th, 2022 at 1:57 pm
#3 – I’m betting on Aptera actually, pretty excited about it. Have been following them and they seem to be tracking well this time around. The idea is great – 40 miles of solar range daily. By this year’s end you or I may be proven wrong, that’s when they plan on starting production. 25,000 reservation holders, so I think this trike has a good chance. BTW there are successful trike companies out there, but Elio was a sham.
June 24th, 2022 at 1:57 pm
@4 try a performance version by TESLA, try a Mustang Mach-e GT, try a Porsche Taycan. Pretty thrilling rides if you ask me.
June 24th, 2022 at 2:22 pm
Perhaps the difference lies in the definition we attach to the word success. With only 25,000 reservation holders, and the typical dropoff rate as they convert to actual buyers, the volume looks pretty low. Three wheel Morgan cycle cars also don’t make the bar for my definition of success. While Elio was a dubious concept, at least they were shooting for real commercial success, anticipating sales between 60,000 and 120,000 per year, depending on which press release you read.
If the Aptera is ever produced, it will fall into a category I call Curiosity Cars. They draw many stares at Cars & Coffee events but hardly anyone can imagine owning one. So many better choices for the money.
June 24th, 2022 at 2:23 pm
3. Don’t forget ElectraMeccanica and their 100 mile, three-wheeled Solo EV. There is a place for such vehicles, but can they be sold in enough quantity to stay in business is the challenge.
June 24th, 2022 at 2:54 pm
Actually a comment thinking back to yesterday about the ‘captain obvious’ statement made by Elon about his factories loosing money: Tesla built the Giga Austin plant with huge floor space/capacity but if you watch the fly-over videos, only a fraction of that floor space has production line in it. I presume there are plans for future cyber truck and perhaps semi lines (or others?) but until that floor space is used, that investment sits as idle floor space – millions of sq ft of it. In a world where industrial capacity can run 300-1000/sq ft, that’s a lot of capital not working for you. At least they presumable paid cash from working capital.
June 24th, 2022 at 4:15 pm
another great week of Autoline,thanks
June 24th, 2022 at 4:25 pm
The solar range for the Aptera is “up to” 40 miles/day, meaning the right latitude on earth, the right time of year, a day with full sun, and the vehicle pointed the right way when parked. Even with a more realistic claim, though, like 15-20 miles a day, it would do a lot of commutes. I’d consider one for Florida, if it ever actually exists and works as claimed.
June 24th, 2022 at 4:43 pm
Elon’s timescale is larger than three month quarters. His goal in new factories is raw materials in and finished product out … including batteries.
June 24th, 2022 at 5:24 pm
Regarding the EQXX, I think it’s good that they were about to get more arrange, presumably without having to have retrofitted anything. It’s nice to also see that with having only having about 200 hp, those large range numbers kind of balanced themselves out. Not everyone is looking for an EV that will do zero this to 100 in less than two or three seconds. I would even be willing to loose a little arrange if that would mean getting 300 hp in return! I know for that size of vehicle, range and horsepowers are delicate balancing act. Not having the floor plan and space that bigger vehicles have to store batteries, it would take a delicate balancing act of battery power and horsepower, for things to work out for vehicle of that size.
June 25th, 2022 at 4:37 am
7 GM Vet – Curiosity Cars is a nice moniker, and three-wheelers have never gained much traction in mature markets.
I’m partial to the Aptera, though. It’s niche, but the idea of actually being able to use a vehicle that’s fueled directly by sunlight and looks really futuristic is remarkable.
June 25th, 2022 at 3:03 pm
#6 they are all fast but no noise, i cannot afford any of these but i like to watch racing online and tv but the electrics are boring to watch. If i was looking for an electric, i like the machE
June 25th, 2022 at 5:36 pm
13 A guy who replaced a Model S Plaid with an M5.
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/model-s-plaid-owner-ditches-his-tesla-for-a-bmw-m5-he-explains-why-191586.html
June 25th, 2022 at 5:43 pm
#3
 johno, I guess you like the gas weedeater and gas chainsaws noise as well, very exciting to wakeup to those sounds on a Sunday morning?
June 25th, 2022 at 5:43 pm
#3
 johno, I guess you like the gas weedeater and gas chainsaws noise as well, very exciting to wakeup to those sounds on a Sunday morning?
June 25th, 2022 at 8:17 pm
15, There’s a big difference between sound and noise. Motorsports usually has good/great sound.
June 25th, 2022 at 9:40 pm
15,16,17 I think gas weedeaters sound great. No, I’m not serious. They should be battery electric, or not exist at all. I still do “weed eating” around things the old fashioned way, with manual shears.
June 26th, 2022 at 7:11 am
18, I’ve transitioned my weed eater and blower to electric; pretty much satisfied (gas blowers generally move more air but my electric is adequate). I’ve still got a gas mower, hedge trimmer, chainsaw (hasn’t been used in years) and
an edger. I will evaluate when they ‘crap-out’ as to how to replace or remove from my inventory.
Getting back to auto-sports; I want to hear those engines roar.
June 26th, 2022 at 8:45 am
I have a gas lawn tractor and push mower, and a battery electric blower. Those are my only power lawn tools. I use the push mower only for trimming, and it’s nearly always hard to start. If it craps out completely, I’d replace it with an electric one. When I bought my current big mower, electric riders for mowing an acre or more didn’t seem to be ready for prime time, and were still using lead-acid batteries. If I were buying a new riding mower now, it might be electric, but I should never need a new one during my lifetime.
June 26th, 2022 at 8:54 am
19 With racing, except for drag racing, electric just doesn’t work that well, even if you don’t like to hear engine sound, because of the limited run time.
June 27th, 2022 at 10:13 am
Elon wanting good policies and practice put in place for the future of EVs, doesn’t mean he respects the puppet of a president we have who needs cue cards to know where to sit and what to say. Seems like a necessary collaboration.
Tesla seems to be trying to put themselves in a position for lawsuits. Why offer a lesser version of auto-pilot when you already have issues with consumers expecting too much from the system at its full version. Just seems like a chance to improve the take rate generate some funds but at what risk?
I think a three wheeled car is a perfect place for an EV. Falling into the motorcycle category they can remove a lot of weight and thus improve range. Plus the tapered designs provide very aerodynamic shapes. For most commuting and go to work cars you typically only need room for a single person. This could also get the price down to where people could afford to buy them as a second vehicle and only use their ICE for trips or where they need to take 3+ people.
June 27th, 2022 at 10:55 am
Done properly, 3 wheeled vehicles handle well and have good stability. I took a training course for Can Am Spyder, and it worked very will, and would be impossible to roll in cornering, except by sliding into a curb, etc. I suspect Aptera will also be that way, with its widely spaced front wheels and, presumably, with a forward weight bias.
June 27th, 2022 at 11:21 am
Between the Spyder and the Slingshot, about 25,000 total 3 wheeled motorcycles have moved per year and that was at their peak. These are not volume sellers. Of course, the spyder and Slingshot are geared more towards fair weather toy than commuting tool like the Aptera. I think the problem for 3 wheelers is that they all require a motorcycle endorsement to operate. Good for getting around safety legislation, bad for sales volume.
Of the vast majority of licenses, a smaller percentage bother to get a MC endorsement. Of that small percentage, who wants to drive an expensive 3 wheeled non toy commuter vehicle versus just buying a cheap 2 wheeled motorcycle that they got the endorsement for in the first place? I guess you could drive the Aptera in the rain but those days are infrequent and you could easily just drive your other car that you would have to have anyhow. It is a limited volume market in my view unless the Aptera is going to be really cheap…..Which it will most certainly not be.
June 27th, 2022 at 11:55 am
26 Having a motorcycle and riding as much as I can is often difficult in the Midwest. I could have a beautiful morning and plan to ride to work but by afternoon be riding home in a storm or even snow in fall or spring. Plus a 3 wheel car provides no only protection from the rain but many women hate motorcycles and what the wind does to their hair. Not to mention having limited storage space on most bikes. Taking a laptop or change of clothes in a trike would be easier. Just overall climate control and out of the wind with some storage is a huge change from cycles to 3 wheel car. IMO
June 27th, 2022 at 8:14 pm
26 I agree that Spyder and Slingshot are mainly for fun. Some states do, and some don’t require motorcycle endorsements for them. Aptera, with weather protection and free “gas” puts it in a different market. Time will tell if it makes it to production and succeeds.