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Runtime: 9:06
0:07 Lambo & MIT Develop New Supercapacitor Tech
0:41 Volvo To Track Sources of Cobalt
1:12 CATL To Supply Batteries to Tesla
1:35 U.S. EV October Sales Drop
2:50 Former Zipcar CEO To Run Ford’s AV Operations
3:15 Aston Martin Teases New SUV Interior
3:46 No Camaro Replacement Scheduled
4:16 Ford Shows Off EV Mustang at SEMA
5:03 Ranger RTR Off-Road Package
5:46 BMW Reveals New Motorcycles
6:33 Honda Shows Off New Bikes
7:18 SEAT Jumps into Motorcycle Market
7:38 Aston Martin Builds First Motorcycle
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This is Autoline Daily reporting on all aspects of the global automotive industry.
LAMBO & MIT DEVELOP NEW SUPERCAPACITOR TECH
Lots of developments on the electric car front this morning. Lamborghini and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology patented a synthetic material for the cathodes in supercapacitors. Lamborghini is already using supercapacitors in its Sián hybrid sports car, but says the new electrodes could improve the energy density by 100%. Lambo is also working with MIT to develop a new battery to meet the performance targets it wants to reach with its Terzo Millennio electric concept car.
VOLVO TO TRACK SOURCES OF COBALT
Meanwhile, Volvo will use blockchain to track where the cobalt used in the cathodes of its EV batteries came from. Most of the world’s cobalt is mined in the Congo, a war-torn country in Africa, where unscrupulous miners use child labor and environmentally dangerous mining techniques. Cobalt also poses a lot of health risks, so Volvo wants to make sure the cobalt it uses comes from legitimate mining companies that mine it properly.
CATL TO SUPPLY BATTERIES TO TESLA
Bloomberg reports that Tesla signed a long-term contract with CATL, the Chinese battery company which is the largest in the world. Starting next year, CATL will supply lithium cells for the Model 3s that Tesla makes in China, but that could expand globally. For now, Tesla will use cells from Panasonic and LG Chem.
U.S. EV OCTOBER SALES DROP
Sales of electric cars slowed dramatically in the American market last month and it all has to do with Tesla. It’s diverting cars to Europe and China and that’s bringing down the whole EV segment in the U.S. Sales of EVs plunged nearly 19% last month, while Tesla alone was down 26%. Even though four new entrants came into the market over the last year, they failed to grow the segment. Those new entrants are the Audi eTron, Hyundai Kona, Kia Niro and Jaguar iPace. Meanwhile, the EV stalwarts, the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 and Chevrolet Bolt continue to lose sales. Maybe Ford’s electric Mustang inspired CUV will change that around when it comes out a year from now. But so far, traditional automakers have not cracked the code on how to get customers to buy EVs in big numbers.
| U.S. BEV SALES OCTOBER 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|
| EV Sales | 24,274 | -18.9% |
| Source: Wards Intelligence | ||
FORMER ZIPCAR CEO TO RUN FORD’S AV OPERATIONS
Ford hired the former CEO of ZipCar to run its autonomous vehicle operations. Scott Griffith will be in charge of developing Ford’s autonomous vehicle brand and strategy and building out the company’s fleet management and regional operations. Ford tried a ride-hailing service called Chariot using vans but that failed. So now it’s hiring someone who has experience in how to do car sharing.
ASTON MARTIN TEASES NEW SUV INTERIOR
Aston Martin’s first ever SUV, the DBX will make its debut in China on the 20th of the month and here’s what the interior looks like. Aston says it uses “class-leading materials” and that it focused on creating a comfortable seating position for all passengers, with a commanding view of the road for the driver as well as plenty of storage spaces. In the U.S., the DBX will have a starting price of just under $190,000.
CAMARO MAY NOT LIVE PAST 2024
We heard rumors earlier this year that Chevrolet will drop the Camaro, but we didn’t believe it. So when AutoForecast Solutions reported that there is no replacement scheduled for the Camaro after May of 2024 we sat up and paid attention. Now this doesn’t mean there will not be a replacement for the Camaro. But if there is no replacement scheduled, it would seem that General Motors is getting ready to drop it. If you ran GM, what would you do?
FORD SHOWS OFF EV MUSTANG AT SEMA
As we get closer to the debut of Ford’s Mustang-inspired EV crossover, the company instead decided to unveil an electric Mustang project at SEMA. The Mustang “Lithium” was built through a partnership with Webasto and Ford and has an 800-volt battery system. Ford claims the Lithium has over 900 horsepower and more than 1,000 lb-ft of torque. To aid its performance, the Mustang also has a Getrag 6-speed manual transmission, parts from the GT and GT350, and a hood with see-through windows pointing to where the engine used to be. The Lithium also includes different drive modes, so you could take your electric Mustang to the track if you really insisted.
RANGER RTR OFF-ROAD PACKAGE
The Ford Ranger Raptor is not sold in the U.S. but here’s an option for anyone who wants something like it. RTR Vehicles, which was founded by racer Vaughn Gittin Jr., is now offering the Ranger RTR, which includes a unique grille, wider fender flares, graphics package, Fox suspension, 17-inch wheels with Nitto tires, a Ford Performance cat-back exhaust as well as a host of interior upgrades. The dealer-installed package starts at $9,800.
BMW REVEALS NEW MOTORCYCLES
Besides all the news on electric cars we started out with at the top of the show, there’s also a lot of news coming out of the Milan Motorcycle Show. BMW is expanding its mid-range offerings with the F 900 R and XR. Both bikes share a platform and 105-horsepower 2-cylinder engine. The R has an active seating position that’s more useful around town, while the XR is meant for touring and travelling. BMW also showed off an even lighter and faster version of the S 1000 RR, called the XR. It’s 10 kg or roughly 22 pounds lighter, has a newly developed engine with 165-horsepower as well as a newly developed suspension setup.
HONDA SHOWS OFF NEW BIKES
Honda gave its popular SH125i scooter a new, more efficient engine as well as updated styling. The new Fireblade, which takes a lot of inspiration from Honda’s racing bikes, features a 214-horsepower in-line 4-cylinder engine, the most powerful one Honda has ever made. It only weighs a little over 200 kg or 440 pounds. The Fireblade will be sold in both Europe and the U.S. Honda also gave a look into the future with the CB4X. Developed under the theme “Fun Seven Days a Week,” it blends elements of Sport and Touring bikes with a healthy dash of Crossovers.
SEAT JUMPS INTO MOTORCYCLE MARKET
The Spanish automaker SEAT, which is owned by the VW Group, is also jumping into the motorcycle market. It will develop an electric bike with the equivalent performance of a 125-cc engine. It’s working with the electric motorcycle maker Silence, which is based in Barcelona. It will go on sale next year.
ASTON MARTIN BUILDS FIRST MOTORCYCLE
And lastly, Aston Martin teamed up with historic motorcycle maker Brough Superior to make the AMB 001. It’s powered by a turbocharged V-twin engine with 180-horsepower, while the bike itself only weighs 180 kg or roughly 400 pounds. One of the reasons it’s so light is that parts of the carbon fiber body are part of the bike’s structure. The AMB 001 goes on sale in the fourth quarter of next year, but it’s not street legal. Only 100 will be made and prices start at 108,000 euro or nearly $120,000.
We’ve got a great Autoline After Hours coming up this Thursday with Joe DeSimone, the CEO of a company called Carbon 3D. They’ve come up with a revolutionary way to do 3D printing that is completely different than anyone else does. And it could have a lot of automotive applications. In fact it already does. Learn more this Thursday when we go live at 3 pm eastern time.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and we’ll be right back here again tomorrow.
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John McElroy is an influential thought leader in the automotive industry. He is a journalist, lecturer, commentator and entrepreneur. He created “Autoline Daily,” the first industry webcast of industry news and analysis.
