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Everything posted by G. David Felt
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This is so true: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella puts his finger on the problem with WFH | Fortune We have way too many business leaders using worthless data to either justify forced office work or stupid reasons that they have to monitor you to have a hybrid works system. Microsoft has nailed this as has Dell and the profits prove it. Work from home or Hybrid work from home can allow a business to excel if the leaders can inspire the workers to deliver.
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The Green energy change over to solar, wind, geothermal, etc. alternative ways to power away from Oil, coal, natural gas. Yet as long as we pump oil out of the ground, we will have natural gas and they will continue to power things. Also, a renaissance of sorts is happening as nuclear power plants are instead of being shut down, getting refurbished, opened back up and new one planned. The Nuclear Energy Renaissance Has Arrived | Opinion (newsweek.com) Why nuclear energy is on the verge of a renaissance (cnbc.com) Westinghouse sale another sign of new nuclear age • The Register These are all interesting and I feel we will see this help power a change over to electric motivation for autos, freight movement, trains, etc. With Solid State Batteries having huge increase in density, power plants will need to supply the increase and as such, while green energy will be pushed big to help fill in the gap, nuclear is another source that can help.
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@oldshurst442 @surreal1272 @Robert Hall @ccap41 @smk4565 @Drew Dowdell Thought you guys would find this interesting as OIL reserves tend to gauge how things are going and of course we all know that more than Autos use OIL in so many products. As such, thought you all would find this info interesting. Saudi Arabia Reveals Oil Output Is Near Its Ceiling - Bloomberg Saudi Arabia's oil reserves: how big are they really? Kemp | Reuters How Much Oil Does Saudi Arabia Really Have? (forbes.com) So based on the info above, Saudi Arabia who supposedly has the largest oil reserves in the world has only 60 to 70 years left of supply based on today's consumption and of course consumption keeps going up. Based on this interesting web site of tracking oil reserves and consumption, we have about 47 years left. I do find this site info interesting and upon looking at Venezuela as they are listed as #1 oil reserves, it appears half of their oil in the ground is what is called heavy oil and requires extensive processing to be of use. As such, this still puts Saudi Arabia in first place since their reserves is what is called lite sweet crude. World Oil Statistics - Worldometer (worldometers.info)
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I see the ability to manage electricity as the next big thing as Bloomberg says Saudia Arabia that made 70% of their GNP in the 70's from oil is now only making 40% of GNP from OIL and has about 60 years left at current consumption before they are dry. The U.S. is now the worlds largest producer of OIL. So moving off it for auto's is even more important and I think those that can afford to have storage systems at their homes with Solar panels and be able to go V2H or V2G or H2G will benefit big time as I think we will see micro markets of people buying and selling their surplus electricity.
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GMC News: GMC Set to Reveal Sierra Denali EV 10/20/2022 5PM EST
G. David Felt replied to G. David Felt's topic in GMC Trucks
I have to say I am very excited for this truck to come out. Wonder how different it will be from the Chevrolet truck. ? -
According to the CDC infections have broken down as follows here in the U.S. based on type of blood. Type A - 41.8% of the overall infected had this blood type. Type B - 29.93% of the overall infected had this blood type. Type AB - 21.19% of the overall infected had this blood type. Type O - 7.08% of the overall infected had this blood type. Clearly Type O is the most resilient to being infected. AB is second and Type A is the most common that gets infected. @oldshurst442 Do you know what type your Wife, Kids and you are? Maybe your wife is type O so she is very resistant to it naturally. I am glad to hear you and your family are mending.
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GMC Sierra Denali EV Truck is set to be revealed on October 20th, 2022, @ 5pm EST here in the U.S. and to wet our appetites, they gave us the following: They also have it on their Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjtCpdgDPKb/ GMC - GMC (@gmc) • Instagram photos and videos Meet The First-Ever GMC Sierra EV: Electric Truck Will be interesting to see the truck and hopefully some actual details on everything from the Powertrain to mileage, options, etc.
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GMC Sierra Denali EV Truck is set to be revealed on October 20th, 2022, @ 5pm EST here in the U.S. and to wet our appetites, they gave us the following: They also have it on their Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjtCpdgDPKb/ GMC - GMC (@gmc) • Instagram photos and videos Meet The First-Ever GMC Sierra EV: Electric Truck Will be interesting to see the truck and hopefully some actual details on everything from the Powertrain to mileage, options, etc. View full article
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The future is charging and with-it Chevron and Texaco, a subsidiary of Chevron are moving forward with EV Ultra-Fast Charging using FreeWire battery backed chargers. Both company owned and franchised retailer/marketer stations will have FreeWire Charging available. FreeWire's approach is an integrated one that couples battery integration and energy management software with analytics to optimize the ultra-fast charging of ones EV. FreeWire calls these Boost Chargers that will allow a customer to charge 200 miles of range in 15 minutes. Boost Chargers are able to use existing low-voltage utility service and deliver high-power charging that normally requires upgraded electrical connections and in some areas grid upgrades. Per Jesse Love, Chevron's retail brand experience manager: “Chevron believes the future of energy is lower carbon, and our program with FreeWire is another step on our journey to deliver all forms of energy to our customers,” “We are committed to investing billions in lower-carbon projects over the next 10 years and are excited to join with companies like FreeWire that develop technologies that enhance our retail offerings and can grow our Chevron and Texaco brands.” This agreement will allow the Chevron/Texaco stations to unlock new relationships with EV drivers as it expands the options for fueling and shopping especially when on the road. The Chevron and Texaco mobile apps will be upgraded starting this fall 2022 to show what stations have EV Ultra-Fast Chargers and current availability. This is what Chevron/Texaco say is delivering a great customer experience. FreeWire is continuing to disrupt the EV charging market as they offer unique solutions to traditional fueler, including additional brands such as bp and Phillips66 who have already started rolling out their own branded EV chargers built by FreeWire. Home - FreeWire Technologies FreeWire is actively involved at many levels in the NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) program. Expect to see these kinds of chargers become very common across the U.S. View full article
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Chevron and Texaco Announce FreeWire Chargers for Stations
G. David Felt posted an article in Electric Vehicles
The future is charging and with-it Chevron and Texaco, a subsidiary of Chevron are moving forward with EV Ultra-Fast Charging using FreeWire battery backed chargers. Both company owned and franchised retailer/marketer stations will have FreeWire Charging available. FreeWire's approach is an integrated one that couples battery integration and energy management software with analytics to optimize the ultra-fast charging of ones EV. FreeWire calls these Boost Chargers that will allow a customer to charge 200 miles of range in 15 minutes. Boost Chargers are able to use existing low-voltage utility service and deliver high-power charging that normally requires upgraded electrical connections and in some areas grid upgrades. Per Jesse Love, Chevron's retail brand experience manager: “Chevron believes the future of energy is lower carbon, and our program with FreeWire is another step on our journey to deliver all forms of energy to our customers,” “We are committed to investing billions in lower-carbon projects over the next 10 years and are excited to join with companies like FreeWire that develop technologies that enhance our retail offerings and can grow our Chevron and Texaco brands.” This agreement will allow the Chevron/Texaco stations to unlock new relationships with EV drivers as it expands the options for fueling and shopping especially when on the road. The Chevron and Texaco mobile apps will be upgraded starting this fall 2022 to show what stations have EV Ultra-Fast Chargers and current availability. This is what Chevron/Texaco say is delivering a great customer experience. FreeWire is continuing to disrupt the EV charging market as they offer unique solutions to traditional fueler, including additional brands such as bp and Phillips66 who have already started rolling out their own branded EV chargers built by FreeWire. Home - FreeWire Technologies FreeWire is actively involved at many levels in the NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) program. Expect to see these kinds of chargers become very common across the U.S. -
@regfootball Thank you for posting, I just do not have enough time to cover everything that gets press released. Here is the official press release: 2024 Chevrolet Trax Delivers Beyond Expectations Starting MSRP of $21,495 with the following: Five distinct personalities — LS, 1RS, LT, 2RS and ACTIV — offer design and content choices, while all trims add enhanced features and technologies, including: Chevy Safety Assist2 with six advanced safety and driver awareness technologies Larger infotainment3 screens — a standard 8-inch-diagonal system and an 11-inch-diagonal screen on LT, 2RS and ACTIV trims Wireless Apple CarPlay4 and Android Auto5 capability LED headlamps 17-inch, 18-inch or 19-inch wheels Four-wheel disc brakes Active Noise Cancellation Additional new features on most trims include push-button start, automatic climate control, wireless phone charging6 and more. Cruise control is also standard equipment on all models and Adaptive Cruise Control2 is available on some trims, a first for Trax. The new Trax is powered by a 1.2L turbocharged inline-three engine rated at a GM-estimated 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. It is matched with a proven six-speed automatic transmission. The turbo contributes to excellent on-demand power, particularly for passing maneuvers and on-ramp acceleration. Each trim has specific design cues, including specific grille designs and wheels, as well as unique décor, depending on the model: LS and LT feature clean, straightforward designs, with additional bright trim on LT. 17-inch steel wheels are standard on LS and 17-inch machined aluminum wheels are standard on LT. RS trims offer the Trax’s sportiest design with additional exterior trim accents, as well as a unique grille with an embedded RS badge. The 1RS trim includes unique 18-inch machine-faced aluminum wheels and the 2RS features 19-inch machine-faced aluminum wheels. The new ACTIV has a monochromatic look including titanium chrome accents and an aggressive-looking rear skid plate motif. It also features unique black 18-inch wheels.. The different trims also receive their own décor and accents, including: LT features black seats with Sky Cool Gray accents 2RS features red accents on the seats and a racing-inspired flat-bottom steering wheel ACTIV features Evotex seats with yellow accents RS and ACTIV trims feature black bowtie emblems Additional standard and available content include: Center console with ergonomically optimized shifter location An electronic parking brake opens up more storage space in the console Four bottle holders and two cupholders Heated front seats, steering wheel and outside mirrors are standard on 1RS, 2RS and ACTIV and available on LT. Heated front seats and outside mirrors are available on LS Remote start standard on 1RS, LT, 2RS and ACTIV and available on LS Automatic climate control, push-button start and added rear-seat USB ports on LT, 2RS and ACTIV Power-adjustable driver’s seat on ACTIV Available sunroof For the first time on Trax, customers can wirelessly connect Apple CarPlay4 or Android Auto5 to the infotainment system, while wireless phone charging6 is a new available feature on LT, 2RS and ACTIV. Trax also continues to offer Wi-Fi Hotspot capability7. 2024 Chevy Trax Trim Starting at Pricing1 LS 1RS LT 2RS ACTIV $21,495 $23,195 $23,395 $24,995 $24,995 Full Specs can be seen on this Press Release: 2024 Chevrolet Trax Delivers Beyond Expectations
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You still do not get it, any auto selling in the car space with a starting MSRP $44,600 is a competitor to the C-Class. Any SUV/CUV that starts at $44,900 is a competitor to the GLC. STOP, JUST STOP trying to move everything to fit your narrative and open your eyes to the fact that auto companies are no longer playing the game of: "This Size is SubCompact, This Size is Compact, This Size is Mid-Size and This Size is Full Size." Every auto company is trying to offer what they believe is the right size for each category of auto and the sizes are all over now. Mercedes plays in the mass market space and in the luxury space as well as the commercial space all under one name unlike other auto companies. END OF LINE!
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Very cool Tech. Very cool read. NASA EV cable tech could charge electric vehicles in 5 mins - or less (usatoday.com)
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@smk4565 Per your own Chart that you posted, the bulk of Sales comes from two models, C-Class and GLC. MSRP starts for C-Class at $44,600 for the GLC $44,900. Regardless of other higher-level trims, the starting point shows these are prices to compete with Chevrolet, Toyota, VW, etc. and as such are not a luxury product but a mass market product. This is the Grey area that Mercedes loves to sell in and take ones money but still also be a snob to look at high end models and think it covers the whole product line.
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Era of Mobility to be Transformed by the Hyundai Motor Group
G. David Felt posted an article in Hyundai
Hyundai Motor Group has stated the auto industry is moving to a Software Age, what is Hyundai's software age? Transforming the customer experience and delivering an unprecedented era of mobility via constantly evolving software technology is what Hyundai Motor Group has labeled their SDV global platform. It started with the following: Over-The-Air (OTA) software updates for all models by 2025 will offer enhanced performance and functionality anytime, anywhere across all global markets, to keep all models up to date 20 million vehicles expected to be registered to the Group’s Connected Car Services (CCS) worldwide by 2025 Industry-leading, internally developed Connected Car Operating System (ccOS) will offer customers personalized services and process data at blazing speeds Data-based platform partnerships with industry sectors such as logistics, accommodation, leisure, and entertainment will create an open ecosystem and deliver a paradigm shift in mobility Constantly upgradeable software will provide diverse, stable revenue streams while offering fresh functionality and features to keep customers’ vehicles up to date Platform standardization will cut costs and development time to enhance profitability Combining hardware and software technologies will significantly strengthen the Group’s capabilities and consolidate its lead in defining the future of global mobility New Global Software Center to develop software-defined mobility devices and solutions, surpassing the vehicle market to enter the mobility and logistics market 18 trillion won ($12.6 Billion Dollars) investment by 2030 in Global Software Center and R&D HQ to bolster software capabilities for SDV development The above stated information is what Hyundai Motor Group believes will deliver the following: The goal here is to deliver an unprecedented era of mobility, giving customers the freedom to remotely upgrade the performance and functionality of their vehicle anywhere at any time. The next-generation EV platform with integrated controller and internally developed connected car operating system will allow all of the Hyundai Motor Groups (Hyundai, KIA, Genesis) to be equipped to receive OTA software updates by 2025. Hyundai Motor Groups stated that connected car data will network with future group mobility solutions, including Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs), Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), robotaxis and robots. By establishing a new data platform, innovative services will be provided through connecting and processing the various data generated throughout the car life cycle, as well as promoting the creation of an open ecosystem in partnership with diverse industries such as logistics and accommodation. This brings us to what Hyundai Motor Group calls their Software house. Chung Kook Park, President and Head of R&D division, Hyundai Motor Group had the following to say: “By transforming all vehicles to Software Defined Vehicles by 2025, Hyundai Motor Group will completely redefine the concept of the automobile and take the lead in ushering in a never-before-experienced era of mobility,” “Creating visionary vehicles empowered with the ability to evolve through software will enable customers to keep their vehicles up to date with the latest features and technology long after they have left the factory.” Hyundai Motor Group made the following very clear, this transformation will not only apply to EVs, but ICE vehicles globally. All current models and future models will be moved by 2025 to OTA using software defined operating system. Initially a select group of autos were given CCS or Connected Car Services where the owners could purchase select upgrades and receive them OTA. This allowed where possible customers to purchase performance and functionality upgrades to their autos. Beginning in 2023 FoD (Feature on Demand) will be an active service. This will give customers the ability to select and purchase functions and features that meet their needs and tastes, and the freedom to create vehicles that best match their lifestyles. CCS will continue to monitor and adjust customized services and functions that can enhance individual customer requirements. Hyundai has chosen to accelerate SDV transformation by moving to next-generation platforms early. The following was stated about this transformation: The Group plans to significantly reduce the time required for all mass-production processes, including planning, design, and manufacturing, by developing a shared hardware and software platform for vehicles. This will enable vehicle components to be shared across different vehicle segments, leading to more efficient vehicle development and greater cost reductions. Reducing vehicle complexity will further enhance the effectiveness of SDV technology. Constantly upgradeable vehicle software will bolster Hyundai Motor Group’s ability to secure diverse and stable revenue streams by providing fresh vehicle features and functionality and leveraging selected data to offer personalized services for each customer. The Group’s profitability will also be improved by shortening vehicle development time and reducing costs through platform standardization. The end result is that Hyundai Motor Group is moving all vehicles to their Integrated Modular Architecture system. This will have two new EV platforms, eM and eS. What is the difference in these two platforms is stated as follows: eM platform is being developed specifically for EVs across all segments and will provide a 50 percent improvement in driving range on a single charge compared to current EVs. The eM platform is also being developed to support Level 3 or higher autonomous driving technology and OTA software update features. eS platform will be developed as an EV ‘skateboard’ exclusively for Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs), with a fully flexible structure to meet B2B demands, and provide tailor-made solutions for companies operating in the delivery, logistics, and car-hailing sectors. As has been seen in the auto industry, today's autos tend to have separately developed controller systems that require an update to be applied for each area that has needed changes such as Transmission, Engine, onboard electronics in the interior, etc. This requires multiple groups all working in their own isolation to improve and push out updates. Hyundai Motor Group has their ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) and infotainment that is building one massive software system tied to an integrated controller system that allows both the powertrain, infotainment and comfort and driving controls to be fully integrated, allowing for a single update that can be applied where needed. Hyung Ki Ahn, VP of Electronics Development Group had the following to say: “The electrical and electronic architecture can be thought of as an organically connected structure that improves the function of a vehicle’s electrical device components,” “To develop the growing number of electrical components with systematic efficiency, Hyundai Motor Group chose to implement ‘Domain centralized architecture,’ which structures groups and integrates controllers throughout the vehicle into four areas, Comfort, Driving, Infotainment, and ADAS. As this architecture significantly reduces development complexity and enables software updates to be carried out effortlessly without any requirement to manually modify the controller, it is ideal for presenting a variety of vehicle segments, and region-specific models tailored for different countries. It also enables us to respond flexibly to what consumers want in this fast-changing market.” The Connected Car Operating Systems (ccOS) is being currently tested on the NVIDIA DRIVE platform that will be used in the new platforms for eM and eS. This ultra-highspeed system will allow a far higher performing and reliable ICE and EV autos. The system was designed with NVIDIA working with the auto industry taking into account the vast amounts of data that is collected and needs to analyze and responded to by technology that is incorporated into the system such as sensors within the cameras, radars, LiDARs mounted on the vehicles, etc. The Genesis G90 will get Hyundai Motor Groups First Level 3 Advanced Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) autonomous driving system and updates will allow it to have Remote Parking Pilot (RPP). The software group is continuing to develop in hopes of having a Level 4 and Level 5 system in the near future. Hyundai Motor Group has 250,000 employees worldwide and is hiring additional engineers in all fields from software development to hardware development to build out the rapidly developing technology in the revolution of the auto industry. One could say where ICE or Internal Combustion Engine autos took 125 plus years to develop to what we have today in 2022, EVs or electric vehicles will see it in just a few decades. -
@surreal1272 This whole thread has clearly shown the fear of those that want to believe lies rather than facts and truth. A major problem we have in America. It is going to be interesting to see how people respond to the expanded GM business model of auto sales, Ultium Home, Ultium Commercial and Ultium Charge 360. If anything, GM has a better marketing story as they give a complete solution than to anything Europe or Asia currently has. The only other company to offer complete solutions is Tesla and yet they have not done one thing that is an interesting observation is the V2G and V2H which only Kia and Hyundai have included in their EVs. None of that tech is found in Mercedes, BMW or Audi products let alone the rest of the European autos. GM is truly leading the move to the future of Technology, Autos and power management.
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My own observation is how does an auto company generate additional revenue when the repair side shrinks due to the nearly maintenance free part of an EV? The energy business seems a smart solution for GM to expand into ensuring long term revenue growth that is far more consistent than the auto business selling could provide.
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General Motors Ultium Eco system of products and services will be run under the new GM Energy business unit. This covers the following: Ultium Home Ultium Commercial Ultium Charge 360 This is a holistic ecosystem of energy management products and services that will help drive growth beyond the core auto business portfolio. The GM solutions are designed to provide customers with a more seamless and integrated energy management while helping to improve grid resiliency. GM has a growing number of large-scale companies across the U.S. that have signed on to receive energy solutions through the GM Energy portfolio of products and services and collaborate with GM to pilot and develop expanded offerings through the energy ecosystem. GM Energy connected product and service offerings are a cohesive energy management for home, commercial and EV customers. The bi-directional charging with vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-gride (V2G) applications, to stationary storage, solar products, software applications, cloud management tools, microgrid solutions, and more. GM Energy's services will also enable the sale of energy from EV and stationary storage batteries back to utilities during peak, high energy consumption periods, unlocking even more potential value for customers and increasing resiliency for the electrical grid. GM has realized that the Ultium Home solutions might not apply to all and each auto division that includes the home charger is also allowing alternative solutions such as a value amount for using Ultium Charge 360 power for charging versus an installed home 220V charger. "Everybody In" is the moto at GM and this is expanding beyond the traditional auto buyer to include both home and commercial owners of buildings as the way one looks at charging has become a fluid motion of charging and returning power to the home or more importantly grid via access to charging. Be it home, workplace, public or fleet charging, the way one looks at how they use and support the electrical grid is changing. Ultium Charge 360 is so much more than just GM's own charging network as GM has signed agreements with the following seven major charging providers: Blink Charging ChargePoint EV Connect EVgo FLO Greenlots SemaConnect Through the GM vehicle mobil apps, EV customers will be able to see real-time information from nearly 60,000 charging plugs throughout North America allowing for one to find stations along a route, initiate and pay for charging or use the credits on your account to charge your EV. The first GM Ultium Charge 360 sites are live in Washington, California and Florida covering 2,700 fast chargers in cities and suburbs at the end of 2021. Each charge point delivering up to 350 kW of power with an average of four fast chargers per site. New sites as they come online will show up in your vehicle mobile app. GM has already signed several large-scale companies covering the U.S. from coast to coast to provide energy solutions for customers through GM Energy. One of the largest agreements is with Sun Power, one of the nations largest solar technology and energy services providers. Together, Sun Power and GM Energy will continue to develop and offer customers home energy systems which will consist of integrated EV and battery solutions, solar panels and home energy storage. A primary feature of the home energy system is expected to enable drivers to deliver power to their homes with the battery in their compatible EV, designed to give them the ability to power their homes necessities in a blackout or draw from stored energy during peak rate times reducing electric costs. Sunpower will be a preferred installer for the home energy system and offer customers the opportunity to add solar to their homes. The Ultium Home energy solutions will be available for purchase along with the launch of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV in the fall of 2023. GM Energy Ultium Commercial is another area that will roll out services as they come online with various energy providers. Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California has signed an agreement with GM Energy enabling residential customers to have V2H along with bi-directional charger as a backup power for their essential home needs during short-term power outages. A testing subset of customers is now underway and an expanded California offering is to begin at the start of 2023. Another GM Energy agreement is with Con Edison, Graniterock and New Hampshire Electric cooperative (NHEC) that will deliver energy solutions to customers, while also working with GM Energy on advanced future electric offerings. To quote the GM Energy press release: “GM Energy’s mission is to offer customers access to a full suite of energy products and services, including solutions beyond the vehicle, accelerating the seamless transition to an all-electric future,” “With the expansion of our enterprise business through GM Energy and one of the most comprehensive portfolios of energy management products and services available, we will help to reduce the barriers of entry for sustainable power and further accelerate the mass adoption of EVs.” Mark Bole, VP and head of V2X Battery Solutions at GM made the following statement: “The massive scale of GM Energy’s solutions will allow us to better address current challenges with grid infrastructure, energy storage and energy management head on,” “By leveraging GM’s flexible technology platforms and the power of Ultium, we’re able to provide resilient and accessible energy solutions for all customers and the grid, helping to further advance the all-electric future.” More information about GM Energy and the available offerings through Ultium Home, Ultium Commercial and Ultium Charge 360 are available at GM Energy: An Electric Ecosystem, Reimagined
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General Motors Ultium Eco system of products and services will be run under the new GM Energy business unit. This covers the following: Ultium Home Ultium Commercial Ultium Charge 360 This is a holistic ecosystem of energy management products and services that will help drive growth beyond the core auto business portfolio. The GM solutions are designed to provide customers with a more seamless and integrated energy management while helping to improve grid resiliency. GM has a growing number of large-scale companies across the U.S. that have signed on to receive energy solutions through the GM Energy portfolio of products and services and collaborate with GM to pilot and develop expanded offerings through the energy ecosystem. GM Energy connected product and service offerings are a cohesive energy management for home, commercial and EV customers. The bi-directional charging with vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-gride (V2G) applications, to stationary storage, solar products, software applications, cloud management tools, microgrid solutions, and more. GM Energy's services will also enable the sale of energy from EV and stationary storage batteries back to utilities during peak, high energy consumption periods, unlocking even more potential value for customers and increasing resiliency for the electrical grid. GM has realized that the Ultium Home solutions might not apply to all and each auto division that includes the home charger is also allowing alternative solutions such as a value amount for using Ultium Charge 360 power for charging versus an installed home 220V charger. "Everybody In" is the moto at GM and this is expanding beyond the traditional auto buyer to include both home and commercial owners of buildings as the way one looks at charging has become a fluid motion of charging and returning power to the home or more importantly grid via access to charging. Be it home, workplace, public or fleet charging, the way one looks at how they use and support the electrical grid is changing. Ultium Charge 360 is so much more than just GM's own charging network as GM has signed agreements with the following seven major charging providers: Blink Charging ChargePoint EV Connect EVgo FLO Greenlots SemaConnect Through the GM vehicle mobil apps, EV customers will be able to see real-time information from nearly 60,000 charging plugs throughout North America allowing for one to find stations along a route, initiate and pay for charging or use the credits on your account to charge your EV. The first GM Ultium Charge 360 sites are live in Washington, California and Florida covering 2,700 fast chargers in cities and suburbs at the end of 2021. Each charge point delivering up to 350 kW of power with an average of four fast chargers per site. New sites as they come online will show up in your vehicle mobile app. GM has already signed several large-scale companies covering the U.S. from coast to coast to provide energy solutions for customers through GM Energy. One of the largest agreements is with Sun Power, one of the nations largest solar technology and energy services providers. Together, Sun Power and GM Energy will continue to develop and offer customers home energy systems which will consist of integrated EV and battery solutions, solar panels and home energy storage. A primary feature of the home energy system is expected to enable drivers to deliver power to their homes with the battery in their compatible EV, designed to give them the ability to power their homes necessities in a blackout or draw from stored energy during peak rate times reducing electric costs. Sunpower will be a preferred installer for the home energy system and offer customers the opportunity to add solar to their homes. The Ultium Home energy solutions will be available for purchase along with the launch of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV in the fall of 2023. GM Energy Ultium Commercial is another area that will roll out services as they come online with various energy providers. Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California has signed an agreement with GM Energy enabling residential customers to have V2H along with bi-directional charger as a backup power for their essential home needs during short-term power outages. A testing subset of customers is now underway and an expanded California offering is to begin at the start of 2023. Another GM Energy agreement is with Con Edison, Graniterock and New Hampshire Electric cooperative (NHEC) that will deliver energy solutions to customers, while also working with GM Energy on advanced future electric offerings. To quote the GM Energy press release: “GM Energy’s mission is to offer customers access to a full suite of energy products and services, including solutions beyond the vehicle, accelerating the seamless transition to an all-electric future,” “With the expansion of our enterprise business through GM Energy and one of the most comprehensive portfolios of energy management products and services available, we will help to reduce the barriers of entry for sustainable power and further accelerate the mass adoption of EVs.” Mark Bole, VP and head of V2X Battery Solutions at GM made the following statement: “The massive scale of GM Energy’s solutions will allow us to better address current challenges with grid infrastructure, energy storage and energy management head on,” “By leveraging GM’s flexible technology platforms and the power of Ultium, we’re able to provide resilient and accessible energy solutions for all customers and the grid, helping to further advance the all-electric future.” More information about GM Energy and the available offerings through Ultium Home, Ultium Commercial and Ultium Charge 360 are available at GM Energy: An Electric Ecosystem, Reimagined View full article
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Yes, the are a full auto company, not a luxury only auto company. They compete in all Segments. With the Avereage transaction price of $72,100 for all of 2021 for SUVs/Crossovers. Mercedes is not just a luxury auto company, but a mass market company with their two best products right in the middle competing with everyone else. U.S.: Average new vehicle price by vehicle type | Statista Full Chart shows that Mercedes is a mass market auto company. Welcome to the New Generation.
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@smk4565 You already know as you can as well as I can if I wanted to waste any more time post the sales volume of Mercedes-Benz auto's by model from their own reporting page and it shows that MB makes the bulk of their sales and money from the low to middle class of auto sales and as has been posted way too many times, the E-Class Taxis sales across Europe and Asia. As such, Mercedes is a mass auto company that makes some money off selling a luxury product in small quantities and bulk off of mass low to mid level products. They are not a dedicated Luxury only Auto maker. END OF LINE!
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Thank you for sharing this information, it gives more credibility if you also input the actual link to the facts, you have pulled together. Let me remind you that you have compared Mercedes to many brands here and in comparing them to Kia/Hyundai, or any other brand that makes them fair game for comparing to all brands. As such, Mercedes is trying to compete not as only a luxury brand but as a mass auto company with their A, B and Especially the poor C-Class of cars. This is reinforced by the fact that they have their truck division with selling commercial Vans and family Vans right alongside the A to S-Class of autos. Then they continue to try to compete against everyone in the mass auto market as they have A to S class SUV/CUVs on the market globally. Luxury is a brand that only is in a narrow niche and exclusive. Mass market is where you cover all levels of playing. There is actually 3 tiers in the Luxury market according to the industry. Accessible Luxury - Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Cadillac, Lincoln, Genesis, etc. Intermediary Luxury - Some of the same auto companies play here due to the luxury product is very exclusive and limited availability. In fact even Chevrolet and Toyota has played in this market with special limited releases of products. Inaccessible Luxury INACCESSIBLE LUXURY - This level is the most exclusive form of luxury. It is highly rare, very expensive, and accessible only by a handful of people. These products, mostly, are hand-crafted or tailored products. They make use of some of the most expensive and premium materials. These Inaccessible Luxury products are distributed through a few carefully selected channels. An Inaccessible Luxury product is all about exclusivity, heritage, craftsmanship, creativity and prestige. A few of the most popular Inaccessible Luxury products are Dior, Ferrari and Hermes as just a few examples. What Type Of Luxury Products Are You Offering - Agence Luxury Based on this, the S-Class is basic Accessible Luxury and Mercedes then plays in the Intermediary Luxury and plays allot in the markets below Luxury. An example of this is how the S-Class and EQS both have their expensive top of the line dash now also available in the E-Class and EQE lines and Mercedes has stated as costs come down they will push it down stream into additional models. As such, Mercedes Plays in the Mass Auto Market.
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OK, since you cannot actually site any true sources of saying Mercedes sells the #1 or #2 best luxury sedan, I have done a quick search and the information is very ILLUMINATING! A walk back in time, 2018 The best selling Luxury auto in the U.S. was Tesla, The GLC was the 5th best selling for Mercedes. 10 Best-Selling Luxury Cars and SUVs in America in 2018 (caranddriver.com) Now we will jump to current and here is what TrueCar has to say about the Best Selling Luxury auto, Audi A3 is tagged in #1 place and the best Mercedes could do was 20th place with the CLS. 20 Best Luxury Cars for 2022 - TrueCar Now maybe @smk4565 will point to this one, but unlike the links above based on actual Sales numbers, Forbes does rate the Mercedes S-Class as #1, but #2 is Genesis GV80. Forbes states it is just a notch below the S-Class and far better value. #3 is Volvo S90 and #4 is Mercedes E-Class. In fact Genesis has two autos in the top 10. Best Luxury Cars For 2022 - Forbes Wheels Now if we go by this web site, the Top Luxury autos is even more interesting. The 10 Best Luxury Cars for 2022 (goodcarbadcar.net) They even give a chart which I love. Great info as to why these autos are ranked this way taking both sales, quality, customization, etc. into account. The Might S-Class is ranked 3rd, surprise Genesis in 9th and Cadillac in 10th. So how does Kia/Hyundai and especially Genesis not build a quality product or luxury? @surreal1272 This should be interesting to see what he has to say on this!