G. David Felt

AWESOME AWESOME EV News today: 6K Energy develops small-particle NMC 811 with UniMelt Plasma Production Platform. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/6k-energy-develops-small-particle-nmc-811-with-unimelt-plasma-production-platform/ What this means is higher energy density for batteries, reduced rare earth elements but increased nickel content and smaller battery size. Win Win Win for all things from EV's to smartphones. Ford & Google conducted survey's in the US, UK and Germany. 60% of the people said they would rather wait longer for delivery via a clean EV powered van than an ICE auto especially diesel powered. This is up 12% from when the last survey was done at the start of this year. Ford has indicated that ahead of the reveal of the Transit family of electric Van options, purchasing interest has exploded with companies putting in reservations for EV vans. USPS had 2 of the 4 finalist auto's to replace the extremely old current fleet that are EV and has indicated EV with a lower maintenance cost is leading this change. UPS, FedEx and many other delivery services are all moving to EV fleets. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1130237_ford-e-transit-vans-growing-demand-for-electric-delivery-services Texas Instrument Announces a new generation of gallium nitride field-effect transistors and controllers for EV charging. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1130236_texas-instruments-boost-electric-car-range-downsize-onboard-chargers Why is this important? These new products allow the onboard charging system of all auto EVs to be reduced in size by 50% while doubling the power density and increasing efficiency. This means that the new 800V onboard chargers in a Porsche or Hummer 1st Edition truck could go to 1,600V charging reducing charge times by half while helping to double the energy density of existing power storage. A visual example is that in the 2nd generation Prius onboard chargers / inverters it was the size of a standard large suit case and now with Toyota's 3rd generation of onboard chargers / inverters they have it down to an over head small suit case. This reduces weight, increases efficiency. Delphi is supplying 800V charging for a number of Luxury auto EV builders as well as others, they have indicated that faster versions was coming but have not committed to what it would be. TI seems to imply that the 800V days will be only a few years before we flip to much faster charging standards. As of today, Audi, Porsche, VW, GM, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai/Kia/Genesis have all committed to 800V (350kWH) charging which is faster than current Tesla (250 kWH) charging or anyone else.

I love Ramblers and the year of hell living in Texas, the only bright spots was the BBQ and my brick home on Grapevine lake. Loved the home, have the blue prints as I hope to build it here in Washington some day. Visited my sister who with her partner moved into their Custom Rambler they had built on a horse acre. Some rock work, but mostly various kinds of wood which is common here in the great PNW. As one can see, a totally GM family! Totally 100% German from the north eastern side of the country. Course and I married Korean. Boy did that piss off my grandparents at first, but then they came to love my wife once they met her. Everyone can change and learn to love our Multi-Cultural country and world we live in.

Road Trips

Canada auto unions are done negotiating with the Detroit auto companies till 3 years from now. 85% voted for and ratified the new contract with GM that sees Oshawa saved with a $1.3 billion investment as it will built transmissions and V8 motors for the GM product line as the US locations transition to EV production. Unifor Union President says this secures the jobs at all 3 Canadian production sites and the Woodstock distribution center plus adds 1,700 new jobs. With contracts completed with GM, Ford and FCA, almost $5 billion will be invested in the Canadian auto industry production locations. To Quote the press statement: The new three year agreement also includes 5 percent increases to hourly rates, a $7,250 productivity and quality bonus, $4,000 in inflation protection bonuses, new shift premiums, improved benefits, and a reintroduction of the 20 percent wage differential for skilled trades. Unifor also convinced GM to establish an anti-racism action plan, which includes hiring what it referenced as Racial Justice Advocates, and providing employees with up to 10 paid days of domestic violence leave. https://www.unifor.org/en/whats-new/press-room/unifor-members-general-motors-ratify-new-collective-agreement https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/11/unifor-ratifies-gm-labor-agreement-oshawa-saved/

Nikola released their Q3 results and as expected nothing but losses in the money category. Yet they also released their first photo of their first actual working EV Semi with a Hydrogen generator. This truck is called the Tre and has the following spec's. 300 mile battery range 750 kWH battery pack, modular design 350 kWH charging power 640 continuous HP, unparalleled torque and acceleration Nikola says they are still in talks with GM for Manufacturing, Hydrogen and EV support. https://nikolamotor.com/press_releases/nikola-corporation-reports-third-quarter-2020-results-104

Auto Announcements: Ford has announced it's $100 million investment in the Kansas City Factory where it will build it's electric version of the Transit van. This is part of Fords big transition to EV's replacing ice versions of their products. Ford will increase hiring by adding 150 full time jobs at the plant to support the manufacturing of the Transit e van. Ford is saying to stay tuned as they release more details of their new van series over the coming weeks. https://electrek.co/2020/11/10/ford-invests-100-million-kansas-city-factory-build-electric-transit-van/#more-154450 VW Electrify America has reached an important milestone with the opening of their 500th Fast DC charging station in the US this November 10th 2020. This station offers both 150kW and 350kW charging for all EVs. Electrify America is on pace to have both large scale and small scale fast charging stations that can offer charging to all EV's. EA is also making the stations roofs solar so that during the day, it can help charge the stations battery system as well as pull from the local grid. To quote them in this 500th station press release: Electrify America plans to continue innovating and expanding its network, which is the largest open DC fast charging network in the U.S. The company completed its first cross-country routes earlier this year, spanning 11 states and over 2,700 miles to take drivers from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. By the end of 2021, Electrify America plans to install or have under development approximately 800 total charging stations with about 3,500 DC fast chargers. https://media.electrifyamerica.com/en-us/releases/120

Seems FCA during their 3rd quarter earnings call stated to stay tune as RAM will have an Electric RAM Pickup in the near future, but no other details. Guess RAM is not wanting to get left behind by Ford or GM, though as we expect electric trucks from Ford and GM in 2022 as 2023 models, I would not expect RAM to have anything till 2023 at the earliest if not 2024 or 25. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/fiat-chrysler-ceo-talks-about-electric-pickup/

Chevrolet is starting to tease us with their upcoming release of the 2022 Chevrolet BOLT EUV Power Flow Screen. Chevrolet BOLT EUV will be the first Chevrolet to use the GM Super Cruise, industry's first true hands-free driver assistance system for compatible highways. Bolt EV and Bolt EUV go into production Summer of 2021 and will go on sale that year as a 2022 model. Check out the video released from Chevrolet this week. Expect over the next 6 months additional released info as we get closer to production. Chevrolet-Gives-2022-Bolt-EUV-Drivers-More-EV-Insight-on-Power-Flow-Screen.mp4 https://media.chevrolet.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/home.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2020/nov/1109-bolteuv.html

WHAT? ? Toyota's are supposed to be built like a rock! Oh wait, that is Chevrolet.

Rivian

@Robert Hall Seattle usually is mid 50's as we start are normal cool down to winter, but we are now in high 30's during the day, below freezing at night and rain returns tonight for the week with highs only in the low 40's and mid 30's at night. Expecting heavy snow fall in the mountains. No fall here, leaves changed last week and dropped over the weekend and now bare. Seems fall was only a few weeks and now winter. Crazy Climate Change.

Time to clear that browser history then.

Many have heard of AI and they think Terminator. Yet AI in the computer industry has allowed us to build computers and accessories faster due to the ability of AI to sift through data faster than humans can. This brings us to how AI is helping the Auto industry transition to EV's and how battery tech will change much faster than in the last two decades. IBM has announced their recent battery project is developing prototypes of new faster charging batteries that are free of Nickel and Cobalt thanks to AI. It has allowed them to quickly evaluate a set of 20,000 potential compounds for use in the Battery electrolytes. This would normally take 5 years via traditional human research and yet was accomplished in nine days using AI. GM Ultium batteries and Panasonic batteries have reduced testing from three years to about six months. This is going from a large number of time consuming charging and discharging cycles to using AI to cover what would be done manually in three years to six months. Gbatteries has used AI to build faster and more reliable DC fast chargers. InoBat from Slovakian has stated that AI is helping them to boost battery density by 20% with the batteries being sold in 2023. VW has stated AI is helping them lay out a new roadmap of lite weight materials for auto's including their own batteries that are in development. Dyson has claimed that AI is how they have brought Solid State batteries to market now. AI is going to help usher in the next generation of not only Auto's but phones, computers, etc. AI will touch just about every aspect of life for people. https://www.wsj.com/articles/electric-car-batteries-get-a-boost-from-artificial-intelligence-11604422792 https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1130221_report-ai-will-dramatically-speed-up-battery-development-and-thus-ev-adoption https://na.panasonic.com/us/press-releases

BBC

If you have seen Rebel Wilson when she started in the Pitch Perfect series of Movies as Fat Amy, she does have sculpted abs. The following picture was her at the Pitch Perfect 3 release just a little over a year ago. She has made amazing progress this year focusing on her health during this pandemic. Having a stomach sticking out past ones breasts is never good. I do agree with you that the bottom woman has rocked going from full figure to sculpted. For Rebel Wilson that has never done physical fitness, she has sculpted her abs finally but still has room to continue to improve.

Totally agree, retrofit old auto's with EV powertrain and electronics that goes crazy stupid in price is not sustainable to the masses and is a failure. Looking at the pricing of the Connect and Cruise ICE packages, if the Connect and Cruise EV packages are in the same price range, then I see value in having the options of ICE or EV. GM can surpass all these small shops doing custom conversions if they can line up the pricing to be a decent deal for those of us that like auto projects and want to modernize at the same time. Even I COULD NOT recommend anyone to go the route of the Mini above. Just crazy.

Yes it is except there is no hanging exhaust pipe and other stuff. Seems to be cleaner underneath the auto. To me that makes the design look cleaner and sleeker. I still think the tail lights should have been incorporated into the body lines to be clean and sleek. They were an after thought to me.

DUNE "Father the Sleeper will Awaken!"

I like the cleaned up look of the E-Type Zero, the electric converted version and that is what @balthazar tends to point out about all the junk hanging out like the exhaust pipe and other stuff. I do agree that the Tail lights could have been better incorporated into the sleekness of this car. They are like an after thought to me.

Right! I was shaking my head when I read A/C, Power Steering and Nav were optional. That must push this EV mini to $100K which is just stupid to me.

This next one is weird, Cell Phone Maker Kyocera has built this concept auto as a tribute to the auto industry history and to encourage new unique devices and systems for the mobility segment of the automotive market. This Japanese cell phone maker believes there is a market for a see-through dashboard on autonomous cars, even regular driven cars where people want to see everything right in front of their auto. Thoughts? https://www.autoblog.com/2020/11/06/kyocera-moeye-autonomous-concept-car/

Tequila anyone? How about a Tesla Tequila? Too bad, sold out in Hours as Tesla CEO Musk made good on his April Fools joke in 2018 and offered for $250 a bottle a Tesla Tequila. https://www.autoblog.com/2020/11/06/tesla-tequila-sold-out/

Seems that Formula E has continued to gain watching fans and they have decided to invest in Extreme E racing. Looks pretty cool to me. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/formula-e-makes-strategic-investment-in-extreme-e-off-road-racing-series/ Now this ICE custom build project is just ugly to me. But there seems to be people willing to order it up. Ram Trucks has a new customer in the form of Aznom Palladium SUV. A custom built auto. They took the V8, slapped two turbos on it and tuned it for 710 hp / 700 lb-ft of torque. The SUV weights 6,000 lbs. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/pictures/ram-pickup-aznom-palladium/ https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ugliest-car-a-ram-pickup/

There are those that Love their original Mini Coopers that made the original movie Italian Job so popular as well as the modern remake of the movie. Now comes a company that is offering one of two ways to take your old Mini and modernize it. You can buy a fully refurbished Mini Cooper from the British Company Swindon Powertrian for $88,000. This gets you a 110hp, 24kWh battery pack, usb ports, heated front seats. Optional features available are AC, Power Steering and Navigation. or you can go the project route and buy the components from them and refurbish the auto your self. Current Kit of component list and Price: Motor & drivetrain - $11,535 US Battery pack - $21,033 US Motor Controller - $5,074 Onboard Charger - $2,563 Total cost of kit - $40,205 US https://swindonpowertrain.com/documents/Classic_Mini_Kit.pdf https://swindonpowertrain.com/uk/index.aspx I honestly could not see spending this kind of money on an old Mini for the size, but some will I believe. If ya like adrenalin rushes, then this BMW powered Fly Suite is for you! According to this news story, it seems the first Yellow Tesla S taxi has hit the streets of New York. https://electrek.co/2020/11/06/first-tesla-model-3-official-nyc-yellow-cab/#more-154118