Goodbye 2021

Happy Almost New Year.  It’s been a news-filled year for EVs and AVs and we can’t wait to see what 2022 brings.  As for this newsletter, we are doing a little rebranding for 2022.  Expect things to look a little different starting next week and we’ll start the new year off with a giveaway.  The new logo is a sneak peak.  

Enjoy the last newsletter for the year.  As the old cliche goes, ‘see you next year’. 

Electric Vehicles 

As we look to a new year, I’m not going to reflect on the past year.  Let’s just focus on the future.  2022 is going to be a great year for new EVs.  Living in Colorado, which, if you know anything about Colorado, we love spending time outdoors.  That’s why I’m looking forward to seeing some electric trucks on the road such as the Hummer EV, the F-150 Lightning, and the Rivian R1T.  I have to admit that I’m most excited about the RIT and all of the outdoor features. Bring your kitchen with you!  Which vehicle(s) are you most excited about (below is a quick list)?  Leave a comment below.   

• BMW iX XDrive50
• Cadillac Lyriq
• Canoo Lifestyle vehicle
• Fisker Ocean
• Ford F-150 Lightning 
• Mazda MX-30
• Genesis GV60
• GMC Hummer EV Pickup
• Hyundai IONIQ5
• Kia EV6
• Lucid Air Pure
• Lotus “Type 132’ SUV

In other EV News

• The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI) released a set of guidelines to improve charging stations, including:

1. Displaying Pricing - charging stations don’t normally display prices as clearly as gas stations
2. Accepting Credit Cards - charging stations don’t accept credit cards; users have to have cards and fobs for specific stations
3. Open 24/7 - gas stations are open 24/7, but charging stations aren’t normally open at night and are often correlated with business that aren't open all night
4. Improving Parking - normally, charging sites don’t have enough parking sites

• Goodyear Tires has just released its “ElectricDrive GT” tire specifically designed for EVs.  The tire is an all-season tire with a focus on less noise, enhanced tread wear, and performance.  The first available tires will come in 255/45R19 104W XL, which is the tire size for the Model Y and the Model 3. 
• So, which battery option is the best?  When I say best, I mean related to the safest, fastest charging time, most sustainable, and cheapest.  You’ll have to click the link to find out, but I will let you know that sodium-ion is the cheapest due to the abundance of materials and the relatively low cost to extract.  Solid-state has the fastest charging time and can hold up to 50% more energy compared to lithium-ion and reach an 80% charge in 12 minutes. Will lithium-ion still reign king in the near future?
• Northvolt has announced the production of their first lithium-ion battery cell, meeting their production deadline before the end of 2021. Eventually, the factory in Skelleftea, Sweden will have a yearly output of 60 GWh.
• In recent months, the state of Georgia has obtained a new Rivian factory and an SK battery factory, along with $300 million in incentives. Toyota, Hyundai and Honda have begun moving into Alabama, and Volvo and BMW have stepped foot into South Carolina. With more car manufacturers moving into the Sun Belt, officials and experts believe more EV manufacturers will make their way into the southern states, driven by the younger, diverse population, and the lack of unions in the region.
• BMW is currently focused on making EVs more prominent in the near future with an emphasis on convenience related to charging.  BMW believes in an open network of charging stations and will not have its own network, but has partnered with Ionity.  Ionity anticipates around 7,000 charging points in Europe by 2025.

Autonomous Snapshots

TuSimple has completed an 80-mile route in Arizona with their fully autonomous Level 4 semi-truck, without a human present or human intervention. The company is calling it the first fully autonomous semi-truck drive in history.

• The Polestar Röna (definitely an interesting name choice in pandemic times) is a wild AV concept that has two innovative modes: Urban Mode and Adventure Mode. Urban Mode turns the vehicle in a vertical stance to swerve through traffic. Adventure Mode has the car on 4 wheels and behaves similarly to a modern sports car.
• China’s BYD and AV startup Momenta have partnered in a $15.7 million deal called DiPi Intelligent Mobility Co. to incorporate autonomous technology in specific BYD car model lines.
• Waymo has been testing their AV trucking technology in San Francisco for over a month. Although the company has faced some challenges, Waymo has adapted their technology, like enabling range sensors to detect objects at greater distances. Waymo is also partnering with Chinese company Geely to create an all-electric, self-driving robotaxi with the design adopted from Geely’s all-electric five-door Zeekr. The vehicles will be designed in Sweden with an unknown production date.