Listen to “AD #3402 – Mercedes and Rivian Join Forces; Tesla To Refine Lithium In U.S.; BMW Launches Battery Building Spree” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 9:55
0:08 Mercedes & Rivian Join Forces
0:44 Mullen Buys Most of Bollinger
1:48 Tesla to Refine Lithium in U.S.
3:15 BMW Launches Battery Building Spree
4:28 Chevrolet Equinox EV Surprisingly Affordable
5:50 VW ID. XTREME Ready for Off-Roading
7:24 Ford Upgrades BlueCruise
7:51 Porsche Drops F1 Bid
8:35 Wind Turbines Generate Gobs of Electricity
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MERCEDES & RIVIAN JOIN FORCES
Rivian is struggling through production hell but it just got a major lifeline from Mercedes-Benz. The two of them are forming a partnership to build electric vans. They’ll operate a factory in central or eastern Europe to produce two large electric vans. One will be based on Mercedes’ new EV van platform and the other will be based on Rivian’s second-generation van. Production kicks off in a couple of years and they’re also going to explore other opportunities to collaborate. Rivian stock is up 14% this week on the news.
MULLEN BUYS MOST OF BOLLINGER
Bollinger Motors also landed a major lifeline. EV startup Mullen Automotive, which is based in California, is buying a 60% stake in Bollinger for $148 million. And those who were sad when Bollinger killed off its boxy off-roaders and instead pivoted to commercial trucks will be happy to learn that Mullen is going to bring those boxy trucks back. But the first priority is to launch Bollinger’s Class 3 through 6 electric trucks. When these vehicles will hit the market could be anyone’s guess. Bollinger obviously hasn’t been able to launch any of its vehicles and Mullen’s track record isn’t much better. Founded in 2014, its goal was to build affordable EVs in the U.S. but so far it failed to bring back the CODA EV, had a failed deal to assemble China’s Dragonfly K50 and now wants to come out with an electric SUV, called the FIVE, which isn’t expected to hit until 2024.
TESLA TO REFINE LITHIUM IN U.S.
If automakers want to qualify for the full EV incentives available in the US they have to make their batteries in the US, with materials that were sourced in the US. So Tesla is looking at opening a lithium refinery in Texas. If approved, Tesla could start construction by the end of the year and start refining lithium by the end of 2024. Other automakers, like General Motors, have pilot programs with partners for mining lithium in the US. But Tesla is the first one we’ve heard about that wants to refine lithium on its own.
BMW LAUNCHES BATTERY BUILDING SPREE
BMW is one of those automakers that has questioned whether there really is market demand for electric vehicles. But it’s also going on a battery building spree. It’s going to build 6 battery plants, two in China, two in Europe and two in North America. Each plant will have an annual capacity to produce up to 20 GWh. And it will see a new battery type running down those assembly lines. BMW is moving from prismatic to cylindrical cells, which are 20% more energy dense. They are 46 mm in diameter, which is the same as Tesla’s new cells, but they will come in two different heights. The cells also don’t have to be arranged in modules and can instead be built right into the pack, which frees up additional space for more cells. Tesla was a pioneer in doing that. BMW claims the new 800-volt battery packs will improve charging speed by 30% and boost range by the same amount. The new cells, which will be made by partners CATL and EVE Energy, will start to go in BMW’s next-gen EVs around 2025.
CHEVROLET EQUINOX EV SURPRISINGLY AFFORDABLE
Chevrolet gave us more info on the electric Equinox which starts at $30,000. And that doesn’t include any EV incentives. The Equinox should at least qualify for a $4,000 credit since it will be made in North America–Ramos Arizpe, Mexico to be exact. That would drop the price to $26,000. And if GM can get the battery to qualify for incentives, that would drop the price to only $22,500. The base front-wheel-drive version gets 210 horsepower and 242 lb-ft of torque and delivers 250 miles of range. An optional battery pack bumps that up to 300 miles. The all-wheel-drive version gets 290-horsepower and 346 lb-ft torque and delivers 280 miles of range. The standard 11.5 kW Level 2 charger adds up to 34 miles of range per hour of charging. An optional 19.2 kW Level 2 charger bumps that up 51 miles, and a 150 kilowatt DC fast-charger will add 70 miles in just 10 minutes. The first versions of the Equinox will go on sale a little over a year from now.
VW ID. XTREME READY FOR OFF-ROADING
Volkswagen is getting into electric off-roading. It showed off a more rugged concept version of the AWD ID.4 GTX, called the ID XTREME. Upgrades include a new rear electric motor that increases power by 65 kW or 87 horsepower, a raised suspension system, 18-inch off-road wheels and tires, wider fenders and a new bumper with brush bar. VW says it will use the concept to see how people react to it and based on feedback will decide on how to proceed with the project. In other words, if enough people like it, we could see something like this in production.
FORD UPGRADES BLUECRUISE
Ford is adding more features to BlueCruise for hands-free driving on highways. It will now do automatic lane changes and move your vehicle to the far side of the lane when driving alongside big semis, and slow down when going around tight corners. Lincoln owners also get the same updates for its system called ActiveGlide. The Mustang Mach-E is the first vehicle to get the updates starting this fall.
PORSCHE DROPS F1 BID
Formula One fans may be disappointed to learn that Porsche will not be going into F1. Porsche put out a statement this morning that talks between it and Red Bull Racing fell apart. Porsche wanted to be more than just an engine supplier and wanted equal say in how the team would be run. Red Bull Racing was looking for a good engine supplier, not someone who would be second guessing what the team should do. And so they called off the talks. But this may open the door for Honda to get back in Formula One with Red Bull Racing in 2026 when new rules require the cars to use more battery power and for their IC engine to run on synthetic fuels.
WIND TURBINES GENERATE GOBS OF ELECTRICITY
Wind turbines are not the only solution to society’s need for energy. But they’re getting better all the time. And Jeff Hemphill, the chief technology officer at the supplier Schaeffler, has a way of putting it that almost anyone can understand. He says one full revolution of those new 15 megawatt wind turbines generates enough electricity to power the average electric car for 100 kilometers or about 62 miles.
But that’s a wrap for this week, thanks for watching and we’ll see you back here again on Monday.
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Seamus and Sean McElroy cover the latest news in the automotive industry for Autoline Daily.