A concise round-up of (mostly automotive) news that’s worth having an opinion about, delivered weekly.
Honda Gets Electric
Honda announces the EV Saloon sedan and the futuristic (albeit hand vacuum like design) Honda 0 Space-Hub van. LINK
Afeela, the odd love child of Honda and Sony, presented another “closer to production” concept at CES. LINK
The Canadian government met with Honda executives to discuss dropping a $18.5 billion investment into a Canadian based EV plant. LINK
China’s Automotive Expansion Continues
If you’ve been sleeping under a rock, you might not have heard that Chinese automotive brand BYD outsold Tesla globally in 2023. And that BYD’s ability to make low cost EVs might be better than any other OEM on the planet. LINK
Equally staggering is the fact that China exceeded Japan’s vehicle exports in 2023. LINK
BYD’s plans for global expansion include it owning and maintaining a fleet of automobile carrier ships. The first of which, named BYD Explorer No.1, just rolled out of dry dock. LINK
Geely plans to double EV deliveries in 2024 and showcased its new Galaxy model to woo buyers away from BYD and Tesla. LINK, LINK
The beachhead for Chinese EVs in the Americas is probably Mexico (possibly by way of South American manufacturing). LINK, LINK
Stellantis Pulls Marketing To Fund EV Future
As auto shows return to most of the world and demonstrated their importance as showcase events, Stellantis pulls out of auto shows and confirms lack of participation in Super Bowl advertising. LINK, LINK
All the while, still trying to get consumers excited about the EV Dodge Charger by teasing it on social media. LINK
Must Know Musk News
Tesla surpasses well-established brands like VW, BMW, Subaru, and Mazda in the USA, representing 4.2% of market share. LINK
Upgraded Model 3 Highland now available in the US. LINK
Tesla decides to get real about their EPA ratings. LINK
Employees at Tesla plants in California get a pay bump. Presumably to help deter unionization and fend off the UAW. LINK
Thousands of used Teslas go on sale in the US as Hertz dumps their EVs for ICE vehicles. LINK
Pharrell struggled to parallel park his Cybertruck. LINK
Energy
Microsoft may have found a way to make batteries better by using AI. LINK
Renewable energy surge of 50% driven by China. LINK
Chinese government believes that EVs will help support their grid, not burden it. And to prove the point, they ran a “reverse charging” test. LINK
British Telecom considers converting old street cabinets into EV charging stations. LINK
“Typhoon resistant” wind turbines. LINK
But Wait, There’s More
If there was a Golden Globe for “most recalls” Ford won it. LINK
GM sales decline in China. LINK
Can electric vehicles handle northern B.C.'s -30 C temperatures. Spoiler alert, yes they can. LINK
BMW puts augmented reality into a car. LINK
EVs depreciate faster (for now). LINK