AD #3200 – Chip Shortage Worse Than Thought; Silverado EV Coming in 2023; Geely Group Reveals Electric Semi
November 9th, 2021 at 11:47am
Listen to “AD #3200 – Chip Shortage Worse Than Thought; Silverado EV Coming in 2023; Geely Group Reveals Electric Semi” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 9:54
0:07 Chip Shortage Worse Than Thought
1:14 Silverado EV Coming in 2023
1:57 U.S. Could Mandate Drunk Driver Monitor
3:20 Pepsi Claiming Tesla Semi Deliveries in Q4
4:07 Geely Group Reveals an Electric Semi
5:02 Bridgestone Seeing More Interest in Retreaded Tires
7:06 Dodge Shares Details of New Business Plan
8:07 Porsche Gives Entry Panameras More Flair
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CHIP SHORTAGE WORSE THAN THOUGHT
At the OESA conference yesterday, onsemi, one of the largest U.S. semiconductor companies, warned that the chip shortage is not going to get better. The OESA is the Original Equipment Supplier Association. Electric and autonomous and connected cars use a lot more chips and those are exactly the kinds of vehicles the auto industry is coming out with. And that booming demand is going to eat up all the extra capacity that’s going into place now. Even worse, automakers want chips that are made from silicon carbide because they’re more efficient. But they take much longer to make. Chip makers can grow regular silicon to 6-foot lengths in 2 days. But silicon carbide only grows one inch in 11 days. Simon Keeton from onsemi warned automakers and suppliers that they need to lock in 5-year contracts if they want to get the chips they need. Because unlike what others have been saying, this chip shortage is not going to get better in another year or two.
SILVERADO EV GOING INTO PRODUCTION IN 2023
Over the last several months, Chevy has been teasing the all-electric version of the Silverado which it will unveil at CES in January. But it’s going to be a bit of a wait before customers can get their hands on one. According to AutoForecast Solutions, the Silverado EV won’t go into production until March of 2023 at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Factory Zero plant. And production of the electric GMC Sierra kicks off at the same facility in October of 2023. AutoForecast also reveals that General Motors will start building the Honda Prologue BEV at its Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico starting in January of 2024.
U.S. COULD MANDATE DRUNK DRIVER MONITORING
We’re getting more details about the infrastructure spending bill Congress recently passed. And one of the mandates includes an in-car monitoring system to detect drunk drivers. The legislation doesn’t specify the type of technology that has to be installed in cars, but it must “passively monitor the performance of a driver of a motor vehicle to accurately identify whether that driver may be impaired.” The Transportation Department will have the final say on the monitoring technology and the mandate could go into effect as early as 2026. According to NHTSA, about 10,000 people die every year in drunk driving accidents, accounting for a third of all traffic fatalities.
Tesla recently pushed back customer deliveries of its Semi truck until next year due to a limited supply of batteries, but according to the CEO of Pepsi, which placed an order for 100 Tesla Semis in 2017, it’ll start taking deliveries sometime before the end of the year. So, does the CEO know something we don’t or is he just plain wrong? I’m sure we’ll know soon enough. But we also think it’s possible, like Mercedes, which is letting customers test pre-production versions of its big, hydrogen-powered commercial trucks, Pepsi, too, will take delivery in Q4 of pre-production models to test. Those trucks will come out of a low-volume facility that’s next to Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada.
Speaking of the Tesla Semi, it’s getting some competition. Geely’s commercial brand, Farizon Auto, just introduced its own big commercial semi, called the Homtruck. It will be built on a new connected platform and while it didn’t reveal range, Farizon says the package can accommodate a range extender, methanol hybrid or a pure electric setup with battery swapping. If the interior looks quite comfortable, that’s on purpose. It claims a well-rested driver is better, so it tried to make the cockpit as much like a living area as possible. Another trick to keeping drivers rested is a Level 4 hands-free, autonomous driving system as well as a platooning feature for long trips. But if Tesla can hit its production targets, it’ll have a leg up on Farizon. The Homtruck is not scheduled to come out until early in 2024.
Did you know it can take up to 7 gallons of oil to make one tire? So if you reuse a tire instead of throwing it away when the tread wears out, it saves oil and helps save the environment. A tire can be reused by retreading it, and Bridgestone says it’s seeing a lot more interest in retreaded tires. Truck fleets have used retreaded tires for years on semi trucks. But now Bridgestone sees demand coming from fleets that make last mile deliveries. Those fleets want to cut costs and retreaded tires can cost half of what a new tire costs. A tire can be retreaded several times, so the savings can be significant. Retreads have a bad reputation for delaminating, but Bridgstone’s subsidiary called Bandag, which specializes in retreads, says that’s a misconception. Look closely when you see those rubber gators on the shoulder of the highway, Bandag says. If they have wire in them, that’s not a retread. Right now there isn’t much interest in retreaded tires for passenger vehicles. But that could change because they’re so much cheaper and better for the environment.
Dodge revealed its new business plan, called Never Lift. It says it will have a minimum of one product or enthusiast announcement every 3 months for the next two years. That will include what Dodge calls Operation 25/8. It’s a 25-car giveaway in partnership with Amazon that will give enthusiasts a chance to drive off in a Dodge of their choosing. Next up, it’s looking to hire a new brand ambassador who will get a Hellcat to drive, a $150,000 a year salary and have the title of Chief Donut Maker. Select dealers can now be certified as Power Brokers as well. These dealers have trained staff to offer everything an enthusiast needs to reach the next level of performance. And lastly is Direct Connection. This is the performance parts brand that will sell the brand’s factory-back performance parts and handle technical information. More details on 25/8 are coming this friday.
Porsche is taking the entry-level Panameras, giving them a little more style and calling the new trim the Platinum Edition. Available on the Panamera, Panamera 4 and Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, customers will get 21-inch wheels with a satin finish that’s picked up in air vent grilles as well as the badges and lettering, LED headlights and taillights with a new design, sport tailpipes, adaptive air suspension, unique interior accents, soft-close doors and 14-way comfort seats. The Platinum Edition models start out a little over $103,000 and while that is a lot of money, it would cost thousands more if you spec-ed out each option individually. Look for the models to start hitting U.S. showrooms in the spring of next year.
But that’s it for today, thanks for tuning in.
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Comments (29)
November 9th, 2021 at 12:06 pm
Oil prices are high because the commies downtown want to do all they can for their insane agenda. We take Jets around the world you commoners can walk or pay for electric buses with the others
November 9th, 2021 at 12:15 pm
1 Oil prices are up, because more people are driving and flying again. Also, there is more demand for oil for electricity generation.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-prices-rise-tight-supply-set-weekly-gain-more-than-2-2021-10-15/
November 9th, 2021 at 12:36 pm
Having drunk monitor equipment in cars can’t come soon enough for habitual offenders,we had a rich zion wipe out 3 kids and their grandpa, he hired the best lawyer money can buy, got 10 years and is now free & fully pardoned after less than 5 years in jail, roughly about a year per life he took, his name is Marco Muzzo.
November 9th, 2021 at 12:42 pm
The Left wants us to use less oil for their green future. All well and good but they’re focusing on the supply side rather than the demand side. EVs are one way but there must be another thousand reasonable ways to reduce consumption without hurting those on the bottom. The tire retreading article is a step in the right direction
November 9th, 2021 at 12:42 pm
Geely owns Volvo cars and probably has investments in Volvo trucks, Teslas Semi are probably test pilots for Pepsi, might be used for delivering Hostess Chips,picking up them ‘taters too, and great way to get data in real time.
November 9th, 2021 at 12:44 pm
@1: no, the oil prices are not high because of “the commies downtown”, whoever that may be. The oil prices are constantly changing and determined by supply and demand on a global basis.
If you are too stupid to understand the basics and want to make political statements, go to Facebook and stay away from this forum for people with knowledge and brains.
November 9th, 2021 at 12:45 pm
We need retreads that dont seperate in the highway, see his things all the time in the 400 series highway in Ontario Canada
November 9th, 2021 at 12:47 pm
Retreads can work, but care must be taken that the carcasses are not too old and in good shape. Trucks seem to be the most adapt to using them; high mileage in a short time (leaving carcasses fresh).
1,2 It’s not as simple to categorize higher oil prices with a one or two reasons; it is a bevy of cause and effects. When the economy was at full ‘monty’ gas prices were low despite high usage. I will defer as to some of the causes (but it’s a complicated equation).
November 9th, 2021 at 12:49 pm
4 One good way to reduce consumption would be for restaurants to quit freezing you out with A/C set at 65F when it’s 95F outside.
November 9th, 2021 at 12:53 pm
Don’t big trucks routinely use retreads on the rear axles of the tractor, and on the trailer? I’d think that after 100 years, the technology would have improved to where they could do retreads that wouldn’t separate, but I saw tire debris multiple times during my recent trip from IN to FL.
November 9th, 2021 at 12:53 pm
#1 Jim, The USA has the lowest price of Oil and gasoline apart from the Saudi kingdom, Canadian oil and gas prices are right now about $1.40-$1.50/ liter=$5.00 + / gallon, Maybe go to Russia for cheaper gas, Putin will welcome you, he is the real “commies”.
November 9th, 2021 at 1:26 pm
11 The reason your gas is more expensive than ours in the US is almost exclusively due to taxes. The Canadian government tax is ten cents per litre, or about 40 cents per gallon for us Mercans. Then Ontario adds another 14.7 cents per litre, or roughly 60 cents per gallon. So $1 per gallon of your gas expense just levied tax.
In the US, its only 18.3 cents per gallon. In Michigan, we add another 26.3 cents per gallon. In California, they add 67 cents per gallon, the highest of any state.
PS: there are other countries with much lower gas prices than the US, but most of them are in the Middle East.
November 9th, 2021 at 1:39 pm
@12, and then there is Venezuela, with a government-subsidized price of 0.02 USD per gallon (not a typo) for the first 30 gallons in a given month.
November 9th, 2021 at 1:42 pm
“Rite Angle solution can reduce fuel use by at least 50% and significantly decrease carbon emissions, producing only water as a byproduct”.
If your are “producing only water as a byproduct”, then you have NO emissions, but they say “significantly decrease carbon emissions”. You can’t have it both ways. Also, their web site lacks all the details which is NOT a good sign.
Its a “hydrogen based fuel”: How exactly are they making hydrogen? How many kWh of renewable electricity does it take to make 1 kg of hydrogen? Today, how many kg of hydrogen are they making in a 24 hour period?
November 9th, 2021 at 2:09 pm
#2,6, and others: Thank you.
November 9th, 2021 at 2:21 pm
@9 Amen to that Kit!! 78 degrees F is usually fine because the A/C takes the moisture out of the air and makes it feel cooler. I often wonder if the owners of these businesses even notice that their patrons are wearing sweaters in the middle of summer just to stand the low temps in their establishments.
November 9th, 2021 at 2:25 pm
14 From what I find, it takes about 39 kWh of power to electrolyze one kg of hydrogen.
November 9th, 2021 at 2:49 pm
If the government is really serious about wanting to save lives, in addition to reducing drunk driving they could strengthen the requirements to get, and keep, a driver’s license. Stricter enforcement of basic traffic rules would help too and reduce road rage levels at the same time. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen wild and erratic maneuvers from drivers trying to get around someone who is blocking the left lane while checking their emails or texting.
November 9th, 2021 at 2:51 pm
I guess Comcast decided you all needed to read my comment a second time!
November 9th, 2021 at 3:00 pm
@6 – As you say, commodity prices fluctuate biased on supply and demand. But as 12 notes, government partially influences prices via taxes. Government also influences supply via 1. buying oil for reserves or 2. selling oil from reserves or 3. enabling/disabling development/distribution. And while I agree with Kit that demand has increased significantly from last years depressed “lock down” levels, only the most ardently blind leftists will argue that this administration significantly restricted new oil development/distribution (my third point)… Keystone and Line 5 to name a couple of examples. The Keystone and Line 5 actions were so unilateral and haphazard that the normally left leaning Canadian government is taking legal action against the US and a Michigan.
November 9th, 2021 at 3:13 pm
17. A 100% efficient electrolyser requires 39 kWh of electricity to produce 1 kg of hydrogen. There is nothing that is 100% efficient. The devices today require as much as 48 kWh/kg – 52 kWh/kg.
November 9th, 2021 at 3:34 pm
18 for sure, a lot of people have multiple DUI’s and they still drive.
November 9th, 2021 at 3:44 pm
Back in the 1960s when my 53 Packard was my main mode of transportation, I used to use retreads. I would buy a new set of tires, which would last about 20K miles, then recap them which would get me another 10K. These were, of course, bias ply tires. I don’t remember why I didn’t recap them more than once. Saved me a fair amount of money.
November 9th, 2021 at 4:15 pm
21 Exactly. The charge-discharge cycle of batteries is probably as good. I don’t “get” the idea of using hydrogen for fuel cells, or worse, for running ICEs that are only about 30% efficient.
November 9th, 2021 at 4:43 pm
18 Amen to that, but it’s never gonna happen. Once driving in the US went from being a privilege to a right (largely because so many need to drive to work), there has never been the political will to require anything beyond the minimal skills currently needed to get a license. Which politician wants to be the first to tell voters they don’t know how to drive? Much easier to dump it on the manufacturers and mandate more technology to save drivers from themselves. Same as it ever was…
November 9th, 2021 at 5:36 pm
@25 – Double amen. The overwhelming majority of the 10,000 deaths per year are from repeat drunk driving offenders. A “smart” driver license system can easily solve the problem. Upon a DUI conviction, a judge simply orders “restrictions” to be programmed onto the driver license. The vehicle remotely reads the restrictions (just like it remotely/ near field reads the key in your pocket or purse). This easy solution required the assorted state DMVs to update their technology and to coordinate with the courts. But as @25 wrote, government lacks the will power, yet they have the legislative power to dump the issue on OEMs. BTW, a smart driver license system can also direct driving restrictions to inexperienced teen drivers.
I shared this idea with MADD about 15 years ago. Crickets.
November 9th, 2021 at 5:50 pm
1) I agree. So as more people are driving now, is the demand any higher than a few years ago when the US was exporting oil and not having to import, and gas was sub $2.00 (the term I believe was energy independence for the first time since 1957). Now we are back to relying on OPEC like 30 years ago. (Backward progress in 10 months, I guess we can indeed thank the Commies in DC).
“…you have no idea how to defend a nation. All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee.”
November 9th, 2021 at 6:25 pm
18,25 Yeah, in most places in the US, there is bad public transport, or none at all, so they have to make it easy to get a driver’s license.
Also, texting while driving remains a problem. A few years ago, near me, a pickup driven by a 19 year old drifted into into a tank truck full of gas or diesel, causing a fiery crash that killed two people and closed one side of a major divided highway for a month. It was determined that the 19 year was texting at, or very near the time of the crash.
November 9th, 2021 at 7:11 pm
27 US crude production decreased by 8% in 2020 because of well curtailment and a decline in drilling activity. While demand has increased, domestic production has not recovered to pre-covid levels, so imports have increased. Anyway, as EVs make up more of the fleet, oil demand will permanently decrease.
https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/29194-united-states-exported-more-petroleum-than-it-imported-in-2020-according-to-eia/