AD #3306 – GM Ultium Batteries Can Be Upgraded; Stellantis Pulls the Plug on Russia; Penske Places Big E-Transit Order

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

STELLANTIS PULLS THE PLUG ON RUSSIA
Yesterday we reported how sanctions have crippled Russia’s auto industry, causing sales to plummet 62% in March. Today, Stellantis pulled the plug on its Russian operations. It’s suspending production indefinitely. It makes vans at a plant, which it co-owns with Mitsubishi, outside of Moscow. Mitsubishi stopped producing vehicles there earlier this month. That plant was the last of Stellantis’ operations still running in Russia. It suspended all exports and imports and halted all its investment plans in the country, all because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. SECURES DOMESTIC GRAPHITE PRODUCTION
Meanwhile, in the United States, the Biden Administration wants to create a domestic supply chain for EV battery production. So the U.S. Department of Energy awarded the Australian graphite producer, Syrah Resources, a $107 million loan to expand a plant in Louisiana. The company has a contract with Tesla to supply graphite, which is a crucial material for lithium-ion batteries. Syrah will eventually produce enough graphite anode material for 2.5 million EVs by 2040. And it will be the first U.S. based graphite anode source because currently 100% of graphite is imported from China.

GM ULTIUM BATTERIES CAN BE UPGRADED
Did you know that GM’s Ultium battery pack was designed so it can be retrofitted with newer chemistry batteries when they become available? So if you buy a GM EV, over the years you keep it up to date with the latest battery technology. Mark Reuss, the president of GM was just on Autoline After Hours and he explained how it works.

“I would say our pack and architecture for cells allows us to continually improve our chemistries. And you can actually, backwardly, put modules of new chemistry packs within the old pack of an Ultium platform.”

One of the biggest reasons not to buy an EV today is that the battery technology is changing so fast. That’s why we here at Autoline always say it’s smarter to lease an EV rather than buy one. But GM gets around that problem with batteries that can be updated. Mark Reuss had a lot more to say about GM’s EV strategy and you can find the link to that program in today’s transcript or description box.

 

THE NEWEST EV IN MERCEDES’ LINE-UP
Mercedes keeps adding EVs to its lineup. The latest is the EQS SUV. It shares the same platform, or architecture, as the EQS sedan, so there’s a lot of common components, but, obviously, with some different dimensions. There will be three versions at launch; the 450+, the 450 4MATIC and the 580 4MATIC. Each has a battery pack with nearly 108 kWh of usable space. The 450+ has a single motor that drives the rear wheels, while the others have two; one in front and one in back. The 450 4MATIC has 265 kW of power, same as the single motor 450+, while the 580 has 400 kW. Depending on the setup and based on the WLTP test, range swings from 507- up to 660-kilometers or 315- to 410-miles. The suspension consists of a 4-link setup out front, a multi-link suspension in the rear and standard air dampers. Mercedes said it also increased its OTA capabilities, which now includes the ability to unlock the trailer assist function or Augmented Reality Navigation. The EQS SUV will be built in the U.S. at Mercedes’ Alabama plant and goes on sale in the fall.

DAIMLER TRUCK TURNS EV BATTERIES INTO STORAGE UNITS
Daimler Truck, which used to be part of Mercedes-Benz, is part of a project that will turn used batteries from the eCitaro bus into second-life stationary storage units. They have about 500 kWh of capacity and will be used as a buffer to power trams and electric buses during peak times or when power goes out. Daimler says they’ll last for several years and could help offset the cost of an electric bus, because fleets could just turn used batteries into stationary applications at the depot or yards where their vehicles are parked.

PENSKE PLACES BIG ORDER OF FORD E-TRANSITS
Ford just landed another big order for its electric Transit van. Penske Truck Leasing is going to buy 750 E-Transits and expects the first ones to be delivered in the next several weeks. Penske will first add them to its rental and leasing fleet in Southern California before expanding across the U.S. later this year. And it plans to add more in the future. Ford has received more than 10,000 orders for the E-Transit in the U.S. and has another 5,000 more in Europe.

AUDI DREAMS OF FUTURE MOBILITY
Audi revealed the final chapter in its series of sphere concepts, which are its visions for future premium mobility. This is the urbansphere, an autonomous almost van-like vehicle that is meant to be a lounge on wheels. A mobile office, if you will. It was designed for traffic-dense megacities in China, but would be good for any busy environment. While much of what you see here is just a concept, there are a few things we expect to make it to production. We would expect things like grille design and lighting signatures to show up on future EVs. The other less noticeable would be the Level 4 AV technology. Audi says it will introduce this in the second half of the decade.

BP CHARGES AHEAD WITH CHARGING STATIONS
BP is expanding charging in the UK. It recently announced it will invest a billion pounds to triple the amount of charging points it has in the region over the next 10 years. BP currently has about 8,000 locations in the UK. And it just signed a contract with Tritium, a company that makes DC fast chargers. While it did not give the full scope of the multi-year deal, an initial order of just under a thousand units will be sent to not only the UK but also Australia and New Zealand. BP isn’t the only company you associate with gas stations that’s helping to build the EV infrastructure. You may remember we recently reported Shell will build tens of thousands of charging points in China with Chinese automaker BYD.

 

WANT A MACH-E? GET READY TO WAIT
Bad news if you wanted to get your hands on a Mustang Mach-E in the U.S. Ford says, “Due to high demand, the current model year is no longer available for retail order.” Well, we say high demand and not enough chips. So, good luck trying to find one on a dealer’s lot. You’re probably going to have to wait for a 2023 model.

WHO MAKES THE MOST EFFICIENT EVS?
Do you know who makes the most efficient electric cars? One way to measure that is to look at how the Environmental Protection Agency rates them. It measures how much electricity they use in tests that mimic city and highway driving. Then it rates them by how much electricity they use per 100 miles, or in other words, kilowatt-hours per 100 miles. But most people are now using how many miles you can drive per kilowatt-hour, because miles per kilowatt hour is more like miles per gallon, which is more like what we’re used to. In any case, it’s an easy conversion. And based on the EPA numbers, the rear drive Tesla Model 3 is the most efficient EV in the US market. It delivers 4 miles per kilowatt hour. The Lucid Air is also very good at 3.8 miles. The GMC Hummer EV is at the bottom of the list at 1.6 miles. And if you’d like to see the list of where all the other EVs are rated, we’ve got a great video that goes through them all. And we’ve included the link to that video in the transcript and description box.

But that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for making Autoline a part of your day.