AD #3879 – GAC Sets 30,000 RPM Benchmark for EV Motors; Ford Beefs Up Bronco Sport; LFP Batteries Degrade Faster at High Charges

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

GAC SETS 30,000 RPM BENCHMARK FOR EV MOTOR
The performance division of Chinese automaker GAC claims it has developed the fastest spinning electric motor for EVs. Hyptec recently started production of the Quark Electric Drive that can spin up to 30,000 RPM, which beats out other top EV makers. Lucid has a motor that can go up to 20,000 RPM and it looks like Tesla has a carbon-sleeved motor that’s capable of over 23,000 RPM. Hyptec is also using a material called amorphous soft magnet to improve the efficiency of the motor. It says it’s over 98% efficient and makes 13 kilowatts per kilogram. That means it could add 50 kilometers or 31 miles of range to an EV or 150 kilometers or 93 miles of range to an EREV. The motor will first be used in Hyptec’s own models. It currently has 3 cars on sale, but it didn’t say which would be the first to get it.

NETA 1ST TO USE CATL SKATEBOARD
Not only is CATL the largest producer of batteries for EVs, now it’s supplying the entire electric car chassis. Chinese automaker Neta is the first to use CATL’s Integrated Intelligent Chassis for its upcoming Neta S wagon. The 800-volt architecture features cell-to-chassis technology, the battery, drivetrain, suspension, brakes and steering. CATL claims it can provide up to 1,000 kilometers or over 620 miles of range and add 300 kilometers or 186 miles of range in 5 minutes of charging. The battery maker also has deals to use the same chassis with BAIC and VinFast.

LFP BATTERIES DEGRADE FASTER AT HIGH CHARGES
Many automakers are turning to LFP or lithium iron phosphate batteries, mainly because they’re cheaper. But they actually degrade faster than other batteries. According to a study in the Journal of Electrochemical Society, LFP cells are harmed by repeated charging cycles at a higher state of charge, we’re talking 75-100%. It says at those levels, the charging voltage is higher, which causes negative reactions to occur in the pack that deposit harmful compounds on the electrode and consume lithium. The conclusion is that it’s better not to repeatedly charge to a higher level and that if you leave your EV sitting for a long time, you should keep it at a lower state of charge to help extend the life of the battery.

OEMs IN U.S. ASK GOVERNMENT TO GO EASIER ON CHINESE TARIFFS
German automakers lobbied the EU to go easy on tariffs on Chinese EVs, and now automakers in the American market are asking the U.S. government to back off a bit, too. Ford, for example, wants lower tariffs on artificial graphite needed to make battery anodes. A lobbying group called Autos Drive America, whose members include every foreign automaker assembling vehicles in the U.S., wants to prevent tariffs from going up on battery modules, battery cells and critical materials that are imported from China. It’s all about controlling costs. Legacy automakers are losing money on every EV they make and they need to bring down the cost of making them. And right now China has the lowest costs available.

CANADA TO PUT 100% TARIFF ON CHINESE EVS
Even so, Canada is slapping higher tariffs on Chinese EVs, as well as Chinese aluminum and steel. Bloomberg reports it will put a 100% tariff on Chinese electrics and 25% tariffs on aluminum and steel. Canada’s Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, says Canada’s auto industry is, “facing unfair competition from China’s intentional, state-directed policy of overcapacity.”

CHINA THREATENS TO RETALIATE TO EU TARIFFS
China, of course, is not taking this sitting down. It’s threatening retaliation, starting with a 25% tariff on imported ICE cars with engines larger than 2.5 liters. That would directly threaten the premium German automakers who exported over a billion dollars worth of ICE vehicles to China last year. But China is not only threatening autos. It’s also talking about raising tariffs on European cheese, milk and cream, which would directly hit farmers. And farmers tend to have outsized political clout in almost every country in the world.

SOUTH KOREAN REGS TO COUNTER EV BATTERY FIRES
A fire broke out in a parking lot where Rivian stores vehicles outside of its assembly plant in Illinois. The fire damaged many of Rivian’s EVs, though it did not say how many. And it’s a reminder that problems with battery fires are far from being resolved. So South Korea is going to implement a battery certification program in October, which is sooner than automakers were expecting. Earlier this month, a fire in an electric Mercedes Benz in an underground parking lot in South Korea took 8 hours to put out, destroyed or damaged 140 other cars, and forced people in the apartment above the parking lot to evacuate the building. The new regs will force automakers to reveal who made the batteries in their EVs, as well as require sprinklers near charging stations and expand the use of chargers that prevent overcharging.

FORD BEEFS UP BRONCO SPORT SASQUATCH
Ford is cashing in on the off-road craze in the American market by expanding the model range of the Bronco Sport. It’s adding the Sasquatch off-road package to the Badlands and Outer Banks models. This includes a steel skid plate, a brush guard, 29 inch Goodyear All Terrain tires, a twin clutch rear drive unit and looking differential, Bilstein shocks, and different springs that provide more suspension travel. For hard-core off-roading, it has what Ford calls its GOAT or go over any terrain mode, that holds gears longer, provides sharper throttle response, more feedback through the steering and also offers one-pedal driving where the brakes engage as you back off the throttle. To help drivers see where they’re going there’s a 360 degree camera view on the center screen that shows the tire overlays, and you can choose a split screen view that uses cameras mounted on the mirrors to see exactly how the front tires are positioned. The center screen is now 13.2 inches, complemented by a 12.3 inch gauge cluster. The overhead console features toggle switches. There’s a list of accessories that will be available including bumper mounts for sand dune flags. The only thing we don’t know about the Bronco Sport Sasquatch is how much it’s going to cost. That info won’t be available until the first quarter of next year, when it goes on sale.

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