G. David Felt

January 26th, 2022 Mercedes-Benz signed a partnership with ProLogium in developing next-generation batteries for electric vehicles. Mercedes has committed to a complete all electric auto portfolio starting in 2030. As such, having easily accessible supplies of battery packs would be needed on top of planning for next generation battery cells known at solid-state. Mercedes with a heavy financial commitment to R&D under ProLogium and a seat on ProLogium's board is looking for ways to increase energy density and reduce costs as they change into EVs globally with a 2030 commitment to no longer producing ICE auto's. Through the 2022 calendar year, ProLogium took a solid-state concept for next generation battery cells and took it into a physical form and tested to validate that said design. While current Lithium-ion battery cells such as the famous 2170 or newer 4680 design are very safe, there have been the occasional time where a battery pack has caught fire and burnt down. Still safer than gasoline auto's, the understanding is for mass adoption of EVs globally, that battery cells will need to move to Solid-State design removing all chance for fires while increasing energy density. June 14th to 16th in Munich Germany at the ees or electrical energy storage tradeshow, ProLogium revealed their break-through innovation in a next-generation solid-state battery cell design called Large-Footprint Lithium Ceramic Battery or LLCB. ProLogium has committed to having evaluation units into European auto companies by the end of 2023 as they have started to build their first mass-production LLCB plant in Dunkirk, France. This $5.2 Billion Euro investment for a planned battery capacity of 48 GWh with room to expand will serve as a manufacturing base to supply the European EV market. This will allow ProLogium to localize R&D and supply chain ahead of competitors for the european market. ProLogium has pointed out that to reduce the number of cells in a battery pack is an effective way to optimize the battery pack while reducing the cost of the pack. This is why the industry is moving away from 21x70mm cells (2170) to 46x80mm cells (4680). This same concept can be applied to the solid-state cells. Taking advantage of the solid-state unique structure and manufacturing process, ProLogium has surpassed the liquid type limits of the 2170 or 4680 cells and has developed a large-footprint, high-capacity battery pack cell. LLCB flat shape have superior thermal conductivity allowing for less complex cooling system, optimizing space utilization. The design of the LLCB flat pack allows for simplified pack structure giving ease of maintenance and reduction of ownership costs. ProLogium see's greater design flexibility for EV's. As Simon Wu, Assistant VP of ProLogium stated: “For the same space as the mainstream 2170 EV battery pack, the LLCB pack’s volumetric energy density can be nearly doubled, and for the same total energy, the LLCB pack’s weight can be cut by up to 115 kg. More importantly, the LLCB production processes will produce less waste in terms of substrate materials, and the reduced number of cells will require less raw materials, which means increased sustainability and affordability.” What this means is that as an example, the EQE 350+ that has a 90 kWh battery pack could go with a lighter battery pack and a weight savings of around 254lbs. Or Mercedes could stay with the over all current size of the battery pack and double the power to 180 kWh, increasing the driving range by 79% in the EQE 350+. Polun Cheng, Global Project Management AVP of ProLogium Technology stated the following: “ProLogium is currently cooperating with FEV, a globally leading engineering provider in the automotive industry and internationally recognized leader of innovation across different sectors and industries, to carry out verification tests of the LLCB and design applicable solutions. Samples are targeted to be delivered to European car OEMs for testing as early as the end of 2023.” Third party validation in testing the LLCB across a wide range of different sectors and industries will confirm and validate the benefits of LLCB cells. View full article

According to the news story from NIKKEI Asia The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has designated battery cells as a crucial part of Japan's economic security and has secured $330 Billion Yen in supplementary fiscal budget to support the Japanese sector. Beneficiary of this is that $120 Billion Yen or $853 million dollars will go to Toyota Motor Corporation to support their R&D in developing the 900-mile solid-state battery that Toyota talked about in their revolutionization of the auto. Toyota New Technology to Revolutionize the Future of Autos - Toyota - Cheers & Gears (cheersandgears.com) This financial aid comes as China, Korea, Europe and the U.S. governments have decided to invest in R&D to support home grown battery production. Japan currently holds less than 10% of the automotive battery industry with the bulk of this being Tesla supplier Panasonic, while Chinese suppliers' control over 50% and the remaining 30ish percent is from Korea, Europe and the U.S. Toyota has had to commit yen to yen to qualify for this state aid. Toyota has stated that this subsidy will go into expanding the Prime Planet Energy & Solutions, a joint battery venture with Panasonic, Japan's leading EV battery manufacturer. Toyota says that the battery R&D will allow them to increase their range on all Hybrids almost immediately as well as develop class leadership in EV battery packs for EV production in 2026 or 2027. The Ministry also stated that $160 billion yen will go to Honda Motor and GY Yuasa for their battery investment plans. These investments will cover about 1/3rd of the capital investments for building the new assembly lines and about half of the R&D costs. Japan once led the automotive battery industry with over 50% market share at the end of 2015 but have now been replaced by Chinese and Korean companies that have greater production and supply for the EV segment. Japan currently relies on raw materials from China and finished cells from Korea to build their battery cells for use in EVs. China leads the world in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. Toyota is working on Bipolar LFP technology, which is seen as a alternative to the Chinese cells. The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act signed into law last year includes incentives aimed at bolstering the EV supply chain in the U.S. which is seeing massive investment from South Korea with global Automakers as they ramp up to take advantage of the IRA benefits. This has Japan trailing Korean, European and U.S. auto companies that have or are currently moving EV production to the U.S. to take advantage of these financial benefits. View full article

Very interesting to see the responses to this by the public in the story posted on Yahoo!finance. Mercedes tries putting ChatGPT in your car (yahoo.com) Most are saying no that their current Mercedes is the last they will buy as they do not want an A.I. in control of their auto nor do they want a subscription service to get heated seats, etc. Have to say it is interesting reading of the comments by those on both sides of the political spectrum.

Mercedes-Benz has chosen to expand control over one's vehicle via chatGPT that was enabled in 900,000 U.S. autos that have the MBUX infotainment system. All vehicles with MBUX of model series A 238, C 118, C 167, C 238, C 253, C 254, C 257, H 247, N 293, R 232, S 213, V 167, V 177, V 295, V 297, W 206, W 213, WV 223, X 167, X 243, X 247, X 253, X 254, X 294, X 296, Z 223 and Z 296 had the A.I. software update pushed out to their auto over the air. Customers that wish to participate can do it via the Mercedes app or directly from their auto by using the voice command "Hey Mercedes, I want to join the beta program". Mercedes has stated that the MBUX Voice Assistant has already set the industry standard for the most intuitive operation of a auto's infotainment system and via the app can also allow you to control your smart homes. Mercedes has stated that the chatGPT complements the existing intuitive voice control infotainment system by using the Hey Mercedes command. Auto voice systems are limited in current implementation to predefined tasks and responses that Mercedes feels is limiting and frustrating for users of their product line. ChatGPT leverages a large language module of self-learning natural language understanding allowing it to expand the topics and ability to respond to user's needs. Mercedes A.I. enabled MBUX system will allow drivers to keep their hands and eyes on the road while having a conversation with the Voice Assistant covering everything from their destination to dinner recipe suggestions to weather, news and even complex questions / discussions. Mercedes has chosen to go with Microsoft's Azure OpenAI Service that incorporates enterprise-grade security, privacy and reliability. The voice command data is stored in Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud, where it is anonymized and analyzed allowing it to grow in responding to the driver or any passengers in the auto. Mercedes had the following statement: “The integration of ChatGPT with Microsoft in our controlled cloud environment is a milestone on our way to making our cars the centre of our customers’ digital lives. Our beta programme boosts the existing Hey Mercedes functions such as navigation queries, weather requests and others with the capabilities of ChatGPT. This way, we aim to support conversations with natural dialogues and follow-up questions. Our customers can always rely on us to ensure the best possible protection of their data privacy. Everything is under one big goal: Redefining the relationship with your Mercedes.” Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Procurement chatGPT stands for " Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer", an intelligent chatbot that learns as it communicates with end users helping to automate tasks. A family of lare language models have been trained to create or summarize texts, answer questions, translate languages and self-generate programming code to improve itself. Mercedes chatGPT is built on a sophisticated neural network developed by the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service. Mercedes had this statement for the end of their press release: "Mercedes-Benz is taking an approach to the integration of ChatGPT that aligns with the company's AI principles to make the benefits of innovative AI solutions accessible to customers. Mercedes-Benz keeps a close eye on potential risks and the system will be continuously improved for the benefit of all customers. A responsible approach to generative AI solutions is top priority at Mercedes-Benz." This brings up the question of; Does A.I. belong in an Auto and if your auto has it, will you use it? View full article

Seems Rivian under promised and over delivered in EPA of the R1S. EPA Filings Reveal 2023 Rivian R1S Dual-Motor Range | Edmunds Wheel size does make a difference. Rivian on their configuration had the following: 20" Wheel Range - 300 miles 21" Wheel Range - 320 miles 22" Wheel Range - 320 miles Rivian EPA Range on the Large Battery pack 135 kWh: 20" Wheel Range - 305.79 miles 21" Wheel Range - 348 miles 22" Wheel Range - 352 miles

We will ignore how many times I have told you that Hyundai, Kia and Genesis are all moving production here and expect numbers to go down as the current EVs on the dealer lots do not quality for the rebate except for the GV60 for Genesis. Are you sure about that Tesla number as every source I have checked says the same 44% yoy figure. Tesla Production And Deliveries Graphed Through Q1 2023: More Records (insideevs.com) On top of this they barely squeaked out a gain over Q4 2022 and when you take actual production, not shipped to stores they are Negative for Q1 2023 versus Q4 2022, but up 44% over Q1 2022. Numbers will be fluent based on global economic figures. I would double check that source where you say Tesla is not going after Mercedes. Musk has stated that the new S & X that are coming will beat all luxury makers. So I would say watch your bake Mercedes.

Was driving some errands yesterday and saw my first in the wild Toyota bZ4X and I have to say it is even uglier than in the pictures. This is truly a Toyota Aztek version. It was a white version just like this from their gallery online. But as the black plastic looks to be smooth with the white painted metal parts, it is not, actually sticks out very noticeably and already had for a new EV, a bit of grey showing in those black plastic pieces. Totally terrible.

Too funny considering it was one day after he received another indictment again.

Cool EV conversion project. Using 2 Tesla power units for a 900hp Ford Escape.

JD Powers shows more people considering EVs. 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration (EVC) Study | J.D. Power (jdpower.com)

Who's birthday was it? I am not one that stays on top of stuff like this, including my own birthday. lol

OUCH again as I find numerous news stories all stating the same thing. Toyota plans big electric vehicle push in China | Financial Times (ft.com) In recent months, Japanese carmakers have posted the sharpest sales decline in China among foreign brands owing to the slow rollout of battery-powered vehicles. Toyota’s own 2022 vehicle sales in China, where it has roughly a 9 per cent market share, fell for the first time in a decade. Japanese Automakers Face Major Sales Crisis In China As Local EVs Dominate Market | Carscoops Industry data has revealed that total sales of Japanese auto brands in China fell 32% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023. Japanese firms now account for 18% of China’s new vehicle sales, down from the 20% share of 2022, the 22% share of 2021, and the 24% share of the market that they had in 2020. Mitsubishi recently announced that it has suspended production of the Outlander in China for three months and is taking a one-time hit of $78 million for its slow sales in the country. Additionally, Nissan posted a 45.8% drop in Chinese sales in the first quarter of 2023 while those from Honda fell by 38.2% and those at Mazda plummeted by 66.5%. Toyota and Lexus posted a sales decline of 14.5%. Japanese auto companies ignoring the EV trend will pay with reduced market shares for sure.

@smk4565 Found this story today and it seems many big institutions that are heavily invested in Toyota Stock are ready to vote at the June 23rd investors meeting to oust many of the existing Boomer Board members and bring in a young board that will embrace the changes needed to move forward with EVs, stop wasted R&D on Hydrogen, etc. Toyota Shareholder Revolt - CleanTechnica Interesting excerpts from the information: “Toyota’s own shareholders share our concerns that the carmaker is blocking progress on electric vehicles through its fossil fuel lobbying, despite clear demand from consumers for cleaner, more affordable electric vehicle options both at home and abroad,” “Automakers without a robust EV strategy are automakers in trouble” and that “Until Toyota stops fighting the electric vehicle future and commits to a 100% zero-emission vehicle line-up, shareholders should remain skeptical and continue to push for accountability.” Due to the extensive lobbying by Toyota to stop or regress EV legislation, it has brought investors from around the world going to the investors meeting with plans to evict many if not all of the Board members including the shareholders are planning to vote to remove long-time leader Akio Toyoda from the board over the automaker’s EV stance. Toyoda, grandson of the company’s founder, has recently stepped down as CEO but still holds a place on the board of directors. The next annual shareholder meeting will take place on June 23. OUCH, this does not bode well for Toyota. China, the world’s largest car market (and the world’s largest producer of electric vehicles) is going BEV fast. Toyota cannot compete in a market which is offering quality electric cars at a reasonable price if the majority of its production is ICE vehicles. Recent stats from China show that no Toyota models make the top ten in the electric market. What will happen next year when stricter emission standards are introduced on fossil fueled cars? The Chinese government is demanding a reduction of between a third and a half of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, particulates, and other pollutants. Currently, Toyota sells about 2 million cars a year in China (25% of its global production and sales). Without a credible EV, built in sufficient quantities, these sales numbers are a severe risk. No wonder shareholders are revolting.

Welcome back @Olds Guy Great to see you posting here. Auburn seems to be to be the Garnett red they used to have. Like Drew, blues and especially greens are more my thing even though I have a Garnet Red 2006 Trailblazer SS in the Garnet Red. For me the Sage Green of Chevrolet, Frosted Pine of GMC and Dark Emerald Green of Cadillac are very much lacking in the Green Department.

I see Brightdrop just started deliveries in Canada. BrightDrop Expands Deliveries Outside U.S. with FedEx Express Canada (gm.com) FedEx Express Canada welcomed its first 50 BrightDrop Zevo 600 electric delivery vehicles at an event in Toronto.

EA in the report has increased construction to ramp up faster than the last few years. As such much of this is expected to come online over the next 18 months.

I would be lying if I did not say that I have thought it might just be a good idea to buy shares in the publicly traded EV charging station companies as the consolidation should help drive the prices of these companies as they get bought up. I do not expect any of the existing charging companies even Electrify America to stay as they are today. Good read on EA: Exploring the Publicly Traded Status of Electrify America - The Enlightened Mindset (lihpao.com) EA has had further investment from VW who is the major shareholder of EA with Siemens being the second largest. Yahoo Finance - Stock Market Live, Quotes, Business & Finance News Current 5 largest Charging Networks in North America are as follows: Electrify America Tesla Superchargers EVgo ChargePoint Blink Fully expect all but the first two to change hands in the future. Interesting is that EA has signed a long term deal with BMW to give first 2 years of BMW EV ownership access to charging stations at EA places that is free charging. EA has released their latest report and it is interesting to notice that they are installing EV charging stations at Truck stations and ports to support EV Class 8 truck use. Microsoft Word - Q1 2023 Electrify America Report to CARB (Public) final

True and many people are Lease now rather than Buy, so that increase in price makes it hard to justify in the short term unlike myself that buys and holds onto an auto for much longer. 2008 Trailblazer SS is now 16 years old 2006 Escalade ESV is now 18 years old 1994 GMC Suburban SLE is now 30 years old Keep in mind these autos all came out the year before their model year.

Some very cool news, those wanting a long life, deep cycle, high cranking amps 12V battery now have a rare earth element free Lithium battery solution. Liacon Unveils “Game Changing” 12V LFP Battery with Superior Performance - Liacon For project as well as new EV applications, an awesome lite weight EV motor solution is now available. EQUIPMAKE SHOWCASES HIGH-POWER-DENSE E-AXLE FOR MAKERS OF PERFORMANCE EVS AT BATTERY SHOW EUROPE - Equipmake You can do single or dual motor per axel applications. Each motor is 220 kW of power or 440 kW or power in a dual motor configuration per axel. That is equal to 295 HP / 590 HP per axel. This would be 1,180 HP in AWD configuration for a 4 motor configuration.

I am sadly not surprised by the amount of misinformation in regard to the cost of EV ownership. Cost misconceptions may be behind waning EV interest (greencarreports.com) Clearly more needs to be done by the auto companies that are selling EVs to debunk this FUD.

Will take pictures next time I am over there as it is by my son's house, but not only is there always a long line for use by Tesla folks due to the huge amount of apartments there, but they have out of order signs on some of the chargers. Tesla is not perfect, but it is amazing how folks think Tesla is to the auto world like Apple to tech. No company is perfect and as such, we are in such early stages of this EV transition that having chargers out of order by everyone is to be expected and I do not see here that the other companies are having any large issues with charging. Clearly this is a regional issue as I have stated due to the support of EVs compared to other areas.

Toyota failed to realize GM's Hydrogen auto test when they had Hydrogen SUVs in NY, DC and LA. People were not comfortable with the fueling and the cost of all the precious metals made a mediocre SUV in mid-size format a $100,000 auto. GM is on record saying that Hydrogen would never work for the entry level to average auto consumer. Toyota failed to understand this even when Honda did a second test in partnership with GM and it showed Hydrogen was not financially viable for consumer auto's. It was a Commercial niche product. Yet Toyota still went down the Hydrogen route and even today after racing a Hydrogen Corolla that just did OK, they have in this plan the belief that they can garner a majority share of the auto market with Hydrogen auto's. They even have a President of their upcoming Hydrogen plant. Toyota is in a bad place due to culture of never saying no and loosing face if something does not work out. I would agree with you that based on Toyota's plan on future stuff that is all Conceptual ideas that they could end up shrinking in size by 2030 if younger people do not ignore the board and old ways of thinking and change fast.