A concise round-up of (mostly automotive) news that’s worth having an opinion about, delivered weekly.
Screen Time
Taking a page (or pixel) from the Mercedes Hyperscreen, Ford showed off an impressive 48-inch interior display that it plans to drop into the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus. LINK, LINK
If size matters, Ford’s display still doesn’t beat the 55-inch monster screen Cadillac is expected to put into the (Lenny Kravitz-inspired?) Celestiq EV. But maybe that’s not even enough screen for the over $340,000 price tag. LINK, LINK, LINK
ICYMI: Nothing beats the prototype vehicle LG displayed at CES if screens are your thing. There are more screens than you can shake an iPhone at. LINK
Battle Of The Vans
Demand for the Volkswagen ID Buzz may exceed initial supply (it is one sexy camper van). LINK
GM’s BrightDrop vans are catching fire in a not-so-good way. LINK
EV startup CANOO signed a (small) deal to supply vans to the United States Postal Service. The USPS showed off their newly installed electric chargers and plans to build out the largest fleet of EVs in the US. LINK, LINK, LINK
UK delivery van company Arrival (backed by Hyundai Motor Group and UPS) is running out of cash. LINK
Autonomous Vehicles
Waymo plans to expand its robotaxi service into LA. They think the Waymo driver is ready for highways. LINK, LINK
And Cruise… well, maybe they needed faster internet speeds (don’t we all). LINK
Ford Pulls Back F-150 Lightening Production, A Gift For Rivian, Tesla and Stellantis
Ford is scaling back F-150 Lightening production even more than previously stated. LINK
Stellantis gets excited about their new STLA Large EV platform that is expected to be dropped into future Dodge and Jeep nameplates. But also keeps its options open depending on who gets elected in the US and in other countries later this year. LINK, LINK, LINK
Rivian CEO, RJ Scaringe points out that any slowness in US electric vehicle adoption is likely due to limited choices and a lack of better-priced options. “In the long term, to me, there’s zero debate that all of our vehicles will convert to electric,” Scaringe said. “So it’s not a question of if, it’s just a question of when.” LINK
Other considerations aside, the Cybertruck has a damned impressive turning radius. LINK
China’s Automotive Expansion
CATL’s CEO asks Davos attendees not to let geopolitics get in the way of the progress of battery-electric vehicles. CATL makes over a third of the batteries in modern EVs, so these comments are arguably more self-interested than altruistic. LINK, LINK
BYD plans to triple the number of dealerships it has in Thailand over the next 2 years. LINK
BYD also explores prismatic battery design. LINK
JAC looks to target Toyota Tacoma with their new Hunter EV truck. LINK
Xpeng shuffles its executive team. LINK
China exported more than 5 million vehicles in 2023, beating Japan to become the country with the most car exports in the world. LINK
Must Know Musk News
Elon continues his rehabilitation tour by visiting Auschwitz. LINK
He also wants to license his Full Self Driving (FSD) tech to other OEMs. LINK
Meanwhile, Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD)version 12.12 is rolling out to customers. LINK
Tesla says it will start manufacturing and selling a new, cheaper (say $25,000 USD) compact EV by mid-2025 to compete with cheaper options emerging from China. LINK
Motortrend reviewed the 2023 long-range Tesla Model Y, the world’s best-selling vehicle. “Conclusion: Damn, it's good.” LINK
People in glass houses shouldn’t use company funds to build them. LINK
Energy
US oil production has surged to a new record high. LINK
The largest solar storage facility in the US goes online in California. LINK
How about wireless charging for cars and trucks? (500kW charger demonstrated its rapid charging capability by fully charging a class 8 electric truck in less than 15 minutes.) LINK
Lamborghini looks to use fancy new MIT organic battery. LINK
Harvard researchers may have unearthed an even better solid-state battery option. LINK
Political scientist and avid YouTube hiker Peter Zeihan talks up massive wind project in New Mexico. LINK
It turns out that Canada produced the most uranium globally. Uranium production by country. LINK
But Wait, There’s More
No one wants to see their Corvette treated like this. LINK
A Subaru loses a fight with a snowplow. LINK
Electric vehicles with the best range. LINK
But if EVs aren’t your jam, here are the most fuel-efficient ICE cars. LINK
Toyota thinks the world needs another expensive SUV (estimated MSRP at $220,000). LINK
Hyundai Group patents a new way to make EVs more efficient with airflow. LINK
Super cool ultra-short take-off plane company raises billions in pre-orders. LINK
NASA finds a can opener and plays with its space rocks. LINK
Canadian music company adding Karaoke to vehicle infotainment systems. LINK