Happy Friday Eve

We live in somebody else’s uncertain future and clumsy past.

Henry Ford may never have imagined we’d be making L-shaped batteries and teaching our cars to parallel park themselves.

At the same distance in the future, people are looking back and wondering why we haven’t discovered that donuts are the ideal battery shape and that horses will always be the best self-driving tech.

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The Shape of Batteries to Come

General Motors is experimenting with unique-shaped battery cells in an attempt to make them cooler. Not cool like a unique haircut; cool like "not catching on fire."

The Tetris-shaped design could solve battery degradation by allowing for more effective cooling. While the production and implementation of the design are still in the dream phases, it shows that GM is willing to try anything to establish itself as an authority in the battery sector.

Volkswagen Software Goals

VW is joining the slew of automakers who want people to love their cars so much that they don't actually drive them. A partnership with Mobileye will put some automated driving features in VW's brands, including Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Porsche.

It isn't full self-driving tech, but it promises features like automated overtaking, automatic stopping at red lights, and intersection support. This initiative marks a significant step in VW's ambition to develop a comprehensive in-house software system for future vehicles.

Tired Tires

The EV "sales boom" isn't quite what the automakers planned. It's tires that are selling like hotcakes (which is a funny cliche since, in our lifetime, we've never seen hotcakes "sell like hotcakes" 🤔)

• EVs are heavier and accelerate faster
• They wear out tires 20% faster
• And require tires that are about 50% more expensive.
• Tires account for 10-15% of an EVs range.
• Reducing tire noise is a big factor in designing EV tires since the vehicle runs so quietly.

Some say we may soon experience a "gold rush" of tire innovation as the EV market share grows.

Hybrids, EVs, and Hydrogen

Jokes Aside...US EV & hybrid sales did experience a surge in February.

BEV and PHEV sales increase 11.4% year-over-year in February, accounting for nearly 9% of total light-duty vehicle sales. About 4.9M plug-in electric vehicles, including both plug-in hybrids and battery EVs, have been sold in the US in total.

Currently, BEVs are ahead of PHEVs, but hybrids gain popularity every day as EVs are showing growth but slowing.

So far, Hydrogen fuel cell EVs are finding their groove, with only 135 units sold so far this year.  

Cars-n-Bots

The worlds of Automotive and Technology are inching closer to one another each day. Only time will tell if a collision or a handshake will come of it. Here are a few pieces of automaker news regarding robots. Some are making robots, some are hiring robots, and some are befriending robots.

1. Mercedes-Benz adopts Apptronik's humanoid robot Apollo for assembly lines, aiming to automate tasks like logistics and inspections, enhancing industrial robotics use.
2. BMW partners with robotics startup Figure to introduce humanoid robots in its Spartanburg plant, focusing on body shop and warehouse tasks, indicating a shift towards adaptable automation.
3. Toyota Research Institute's Punyo, a soft robot for home assistance, focuses on handling objects with precision and flexibility, illustrating advancements in safe, user-friendly robotics.

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EVs are so heavy they are changing the way roads, tires, and highway safety are thought about. Just wait until an EV owner decides to take his three personal assistant robots to Vegas for the weekend.

It’ll be like a double-bladed-plow drove down the road.