AD #3916 – U.S.-Based Battery Production Growing; Stellantis Suspends More Vehicle Production; Murano Gets Bold New Looks

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

GM INVESTS IN BATTERY NANO-COATING
GM is killing off the Ultium brand name and its modular approach to batteries. Now it’s making moves to improve battery performance and reduce costs. The automaker is investing $10 million in a materials science company, called Forge Nano, that specializes in a process called atomic layer deposition. Basically it’s a super thin coating that can be applied to the anode, the cathode or both and will improve energy density, increase charging rates, decrease the chance of thermal runaway and extend battery lifetimes. Forge Nano will build prototype cells for GM at its headquarters in Colorado and also use its investment to expand manufacturing and into new areas, like semiconductors. So, GM may get a new source of chips for its cars as well.

CORVETTE ZR1 OFFICIALLY FASTEST AMERICAN CAR EVER
Speaking of GM, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is now the fastest car ever built by an American automaker. The 1,064 horsepower ZR1 hit 233 MPH on a test track in Germany. And somewhat surprisingly it was driven by GM President Mark Reuss. Although, if you didn’t know, Reuss is actually a very accomplished racer. But maybe more surprising is that we learned from a source that Reuss and the Corvette team made the record-breaking runs on September 13 & 14, which means it was able to keep the news secret for a month.

BIG U.S. INVESTMENT IN BATTERY THERMAL BARRIERS
Now going back to battery materials for a moment, U.S.-based Aspen Aerogels could get over $670 million in loans from the Department of Energy to help build a nearly $1 billion plant in Georgia. The company specializes in thermal barriers that can prevent battery fires and already has contracts with Toyota and GM.

STELLANTIS SUSPENDS MORE VEHICLE PRODUCTION
As we reported yesterday, Stellantis’ global sales plunged 20% in the third quarter. Over in Europe, it already suspended production of the Fiat 500e at its Mirafiori plant in Italy until the end of the month due to poor sales. And now the automaker is going to halt production of another model. Stellantis announced that it will suspend production at several assembly and engine plants in Italy next month, which will impact the Fiat Panda. The company says it’s making the move due to tough market conditions. According to Dataforce, Fiat sold nearly 3,900 Panda’s in Europe in August, down from 6,500 units a year ago. And because of moves like this, Stellantis’ shipments around the world were also down by 20% in the third quarter.

UK DRIVERS DON’T WANT EVs
The UK is planning to ban sales of new ICE vehicles in 2030 but a majority of drivers have no interest in an EV. According to a survey by Sustain, a synthetic fuel specialist, 59% of drivers who own a gas- or diesel-powered vehicle plan on keeping their car indefinitely and 52% said they don’t believe the mandate can be met without including new ICE sales. 40% don’t believe BEVs can meet their driving needs and more than a quarter say they’ll buy an ICE vehicle close to the deadline.

 

TOYOTA TESTING HUMANOID ROBOTS
More and more automakers are getting into humanoid robots. And now Toyota is the latest. It’s partnering with Boston Dynamics to integrate Toyota Research Institute’s AI tech into Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot, called Atlas. The two plan to perform a range of tasks and use that data to improve the robot’s dexterity. And this isn’t Toyota’s first foray into robotics. It’s been developing robots for many years but mainly for in-home applications to aid the elderly. And we also find this partnership interesting since Boston Dynamics is now owned by Hyundai.

MURANO GETS BOLD NEW LOOKS
Nissan is coming out with a new Murano. Despite riding on the same platform with a body that’s 2.5 inches wider, the styling is significantly different. It looks like just about every panel was touched on the SUV. The same can be said of the interior. It’s a fairly uncluttered design with dual 12.3 inch digital screens that come standard. Nissan is ditching the Murano’s old 3.5L V6 in favor of a 4-cylinder engine. It’s a 2.0L turbocharged unit that makes 241 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. The old V6 made the opposite; 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque. The new Murano will be exclusively sold in the U.S. and Canada and it’ll start reaching dealer lots early next year. Nissan has steadily been losing market share in the U.S. over the last five years. In the first half of the year it was just under 6%. But fresh products like the new Murano and Kicks could provide a boost.

FERRARI’S MOST POWERFUL PRODUCTION CAR
Ferrari unveiled an all-new supercar, the F80, which is the most powerful production vehicle in its history. Surprisingly, there’s no V12 under the hood. Or even a V8 for that matter. The two-seat hybrid is powered by a 3.0L turbocharged V6 mated to an 8-speed DCT, along with an electric front axle and rear electric motor. The system produces 1,200 horsepower, has a maximum speed of 350km/h or 217 MPH and can move from 0-100 km/h in just 2.15 seconds. Ferrari is only planning to build 799 F80’s with a starting price of €3.6 million or nearly $4 million.

WERIDE LAUNCHES NEW ROBOTAXI VAN
Chinese autonomous company WeRide is teaming up with a Geely brand to introduce a new robotaxi. The WeRide GXR is based on the Farizon SuperVAN, but then decked out in a lidar-based AV system. There’s no pillar between the passenger and side-sliding doors and no front passenger seat, so you get a massive opening to enter the van. WeRide operates in several markets outside of China, including the U.S. and United Arab Emerates, where it recently signed a deal to operate an AV fleet with Uber. So, maybe we’ll see Uber GXRs in the UAE.

PONY.AI PLANNING U.S. IPO
And in other autonomous news, self-driving startup Pony.ai is planning to file an initial public offering in the U.S. this week. Bloomberg reports the company is looking to raise $300 million. The Silicon Valley startup was founded in 2016 and its investors include Toyota and China’s GAC, which is also reportedly interested in investing in the IPO. Pony.ai operates autonomous fleets in the U.S. and China. And last December, it received a permit to charge riders for fully driverless robotaxi services in the city of Guangzhou.

But that brings us to the end of today’s show. Don’t forget to check out Autoline After Hours this afternoon. We’ll be talking about getting students interested in the automotive industry. I’m sure we’ll also get into the Tesla ‘We, Robot’ event and maybe some of the stuff that’s going on in Mexico. I hope to see you there at 3PM EST today.