More automakers are being forced to rethink their EV plans; Chinese competition threat to the West

[BigMoneyGrip]

Apple to Wind Down Electric Car Effort After Decadelong Odyssey

Apple Inc. is canceling a decadelong effort to build an electric car, according to people with knowledge of the matter, abandoning one of the most ambitious projects in the history of the company.

www.bloomberg.com

I keep saying they should just make a hostile bid for Tesla.. Get Elon completely up out the paint and bam they already had a ev brand in place just improve the quality

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

I keep saying they should just make a hostile bid for Tesla.. Get Elon completely up out the paint and bam they already had a ev brand in place just improve the quality

he’s too much of a wild card. like a feral animal when attacked. Apple could have all the right and he’d invent some bullshyt and make it not worth the effort

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Opinion | China’s Electric Vehicles Are Going to Hit Detroit Like a Wrecking Ball

Do we really want America to become a backwater of bloated, expensive, gas-guzzling cars?

www.nytimes.com

China’s Electric Vehicles Are Going to Hit Detroit Like a Wrecking Ball
Feb. 27, 2024
A parking lot full of cars outside Ford’s Michigan assembly plant. Many thick clouds are above.
Nic Antaya for The New York Times
By Robinson Meyer

Mr. Meyer is a contributing Opinion writer and the founding executive editor of Heatmap, a media company focused on climate change.

It happened very quickly, so fast that you might not have noticed it. Over the past few months, America’s Big Three automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, the oddly named company that owns Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep — landed in big trouble.

I realize this may sound silly. Ford, General Motors and Stellantis made billions in profit last year, even after a lengthy strike by autoworkers, and all three companies are forecasting a big 2024. But recently, the Big Three found themselves outmaneuvered and missing their goals for electric vehicle sales at the same time that a crop of new affordable, electrified foreign cars appeared, ready to flood the global market.

About a decade ago, America bailed out the Big Three and swore it wouldn’t do it again. But the federal government is going to have to help the Big Three — and the rest of the U.S. car market — again very soon. And it has to do it in the right way — now — to avoid the next auto bailout.

The biggest threat to the Big Three comes from a new crop of Chinese automakers, especially BYD, which specialize in producing plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles. BYD’s growth is astounding: It sold three million electrified vehicles last year, more than any other company, and it now has enough production capacity in China to manufacture four million cars a year. But that isn’t enough: It’s building new factories in Brazil, Thailand, Hungary and Uzbekistan, which will produce even more cars, and it may soon add Indonesia and Mexico to that list. A deluge of electric vehicles is coming.

BYD’s cars deliver great value at prices that beat anything coming out of the West. Earlier this month, BYD unveiled a plug-in hybrid that gets decent all-electric range and will retail for just over $11,000. How can it do that? Like other Chinese manufacturers, BYD benefits from its home country’s lower labor costs, but this explains only some of its success. The fact is that BYD — and Chinese automakers like Geely, which owns Volvo Cars and Polestar brands — are very good at making cars. They have leveraged China’s dominance of the battery industry and automated production lines to create a juggernaut.

A changing climate, a changing world


Climate change around the world: In “Postcards From a World on Fire,” 193 stories from individual countries show how climate change is reshaping reality everywhere, from dying coral reefs in Fiji to disappearing oases in Morocco and far, far beyond.

The worst climate risks, mapped: In this feature, select a country, and we'll break down the climate hazards it faces. In the case of America, our maps, developed with experts, show where extreme heat is causing the most deaths.

The Chinese automakers, especially BYD, represent something new in the world. They signal that China’s decades-long accretion of economic complexity is almost complete: Whereas the country once made toys and clothes and then made electronics and batteries, now it makes cars and airplanes. What’s more, BYD and other Chinese automakers are becoming virtually global car companies, capable of manufacturing electric cars that can compete directly with gas-burning cars on cost.

That is, on the surface, a good thing. Electric cars need to get cheaper and more abundant if we are to have any hope of meeting our global climate goals. But it poses some immediate and thorny problems for American policymakers. After BYD announced its $11,000 plug-in hybrid, it posted on the Chinese social media platform Weibo that “the price will make petrol car assemblers tremble.” The problem is many of those gasoline carmakers are American.

Ford and GM plotted an ambitious E.V. transition three years ago. But it didn’t take long for them to stumble. Last year, Ford lost more than $64,000 on every E.V. that it sold. Since October, it has delayed the opening of one of its new E.V. battery plants, and GM has fumbled the start of its new Ultium battery platform, which is meant to be the foundation for all of its future electric vehicles. Ford and GM have notched some wins here (the Mustang Mach-E and Chevrolet Bolt are modest hits), but they aren’t competing at the level of Tesla and Hyundai — companies that operate factories in less union-friendly states in the Sun Belt.

Jim Farley, Ford’s chief executive, recently disclosed that the company had a secret development team building a cheap, affordable electric car to compete with Tesla and BYD. But producing electric vehicles profitably is an organizational skill, and like any skill, it takes time, effort and money to develop. Even if Ford and GM now bust out innovative new designs, they will lag their competition at executing them well.

The other looming problem for Ford and General Motors is that their balance sheets, while superficially robust, conceal a structural vulnerability. While the two companies have done generally well in recent years, their billions in profits have overwhelmingly flowed from selling a relatively small number of vehicles to a small group of people. Specifically, Ford and GM’s earnings rest primarily on selling pickup trucks, S.U.V.s and crossovers to affluent North Americans.

In other words, if Americans’ appetite for trucks and S.U.V.s falters, then Ford and GM will be in real trouble. That creates a strategic quandary for them. In the coming years, these companies must cross a bridge from one business model to another: They must use their robust truck and S.U.V. earnings to subsidize their growing electric vehicle business and learn how to make E.V.s profitably. If they can make it across this bridge quickly, they will survive. But if their S.U.V. profits crumble before their E.V. business is ready, they will fall into the chasm and perish.

That’s why the flood of cheap Chinese electric vehicles poses such a big problem: It could wash away Ford and GM’s bridge before they have finished building it. Even a wave of competitive electric cars from the Sun Belt automakers — like Kia’s EV9, a three-row S.U.V. — could eat away at their S.U.V. profits before they’re ready.

Perhaps the Big Three deserve destruction; after all, they hooked us on S.U.V.s in the first place and then fell behind in the E.V. race. But letting them die is not a tenable political option for the Biden administration. One goal of Mr. Biden’s presidency is to show not only that decarbonization can work for the American economy but also that it can revive moribund fossil-fuel-dependent communities in the Rust Belt. Mr. Biden has also fought for and won the endorsement of the United Auto Workers, which just cemented a generous new contract with the Big Three and now needs them to thrive.

He has reason, in other words, to help the Big Three even before you get to the harsh electoral realities: The legacy auto industry employs more people in Michigan than any other state, and Mr. Biden’s path to re-election all but requires him to win Michigan in November. (Recall that Donald Trump won Michigan by just under 11,000 votes in 2016.) Mr. Biden cannot allow the possibility of another China shock to hit the Midwest’s auto economy. So what should he do?

The good news is that Congress has already done some of the work for him. You may have heard about the Inflation Reduction Act’s generous subsidies for domestic electric car production. Can it help here? It can, and it will, but the act alone is not nearly big enough to insulate these companies from the threat posed by Chinese E.V.s. The Chinese automaker Geely is preparing to sell the small, all-electric Volvo EX30 S.U.V. in the United States for $35,000. That price — which seemingly includes the cost of a 25 percent tariff, first imposed by the Trump administration — rivals what American automakers are capable of doing today, even with the Inflation Reduction Act’s subsidies.

Subsidies likely won’t be enough; Mr. Biden will need to impose new trade restrictions. But here’s where it gets messy. The case for protecting the American auto market from Chinese E.V.s is obvious and politically essential but also highly troublesome. In the short term, American automakers — even the homegrown electric-only carmakers like Tesla and Rivian — must be shielded from a wave of cheap cars. But in the long term, Mr. Biden must be careful not to cordon off the American car market from the rest of the world, turning the United States into an automotive backwater of bloated, expensive, gas-guzzling vehicles. The Chinese carmakers are the first real competition that the global car industry has faced in decades, and American companies must be exposed to some of that threat, for their own good. That means they must feel the chill of death on their necks and be forced to rise and face this challenge.

This could be done in a number of ways. One is by suggesting to American companies that any import restrictions imposed on Chinese cars in the next few years won’t necessarily be permanent. That might encourage American companies to learn everything they can from their new Chinese competition, getting over their hubris and recognizing that Chinese companies now understand aspects of E.V. manufacturing better than their American counterparts. That means that Republican lawmakers, in particular, must recognize that climate-friendly technologies are the future of global industry. Mr. Trump is threatening that, if elected, he would gut the Inflation Reduction Act, even though it’s full of policies meant to help America compete with Chinese E.V.s. There would be no faster way to destroy the U.S. car industry as a global force.

What the United States is trying to do is really hard. We want to preserve the economic geography and institutions of our old fossil-powered economy while retooling it to work in a new zero-carbon world. There’s no small amount of irony in the fact that all those involved here — Democrats, Republicans, major automakers — resent China for achieving what was once a goal of, well, hippies and environmentalists: making electric cars popular and cheap. But if they’ve done it, we can do it too. It will take grit and good-faith effort. We should assume that Ford and General Motors will be competing with BYD and Geely for decades to come, and we should relish that fight.

 

[Micky Mikey]

People need to pay attention to Tony Seba. The proliferation of cheap EV's will flood the market and cause major disruptions.

 

[BigMoneyGrip]

People need to pay attention to Tony Seba. The proliferation of cheap EV's will flood the market and cause major disruptions.

The U.S gov ain’t letting no Chinese EVs in the U.S market…

 

[Schadenfreude]

Will the Chinese EV's pass US crash standards?

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Will the Chinese EV's pass US crash standards?

 

[88m3]

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

they’re so heavy I’ve seen that car garages have to be resdesigned

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/climate-change/article284533695.html

New tires every 7,000 miles? Electric cars save gas but tire wear shocks some Florida drivers
By Ashley MiznaziUpdated January 30, 2024 11:57 AM
A Boca family loves its new electric vehicle but the rapid tire wear has been shocking. EV experts say weight and other facts make electrical vehicles chew through tires. By Ashley Miznazi
It was love at first sight when Neil Semel saw the electric Mercedes EQS 450+ at a Pompano Beach dealership. The sedan was the perfect sleek black color his wife wanted, had only 2,200 miles and they both liked the idea of getting away from gasoline.

“I’ve always driven combustion engines and I thought it was time to try to save the planet,” Semel said.

But after less than 5,000 miles of driving around his Boca Raton neighborhood, Semel was shocked to find some essential — and very expensive — parts were already wearing out. The tires.

“If somebody looked at me and said, Mr. Semel, you are going to love this car but in about 7,000 miles you will have to pay 1,400 or 1,500 dollars to replace the tires, I wouldn’t have bought the car,” Semel said.

For many drivers of EVs in Florida — the nation’s second largest market for electrical vehicles — premature tire wear has become an unexpected black mark on vehicles promoted as a green climate-friendly option to gas-gulping cars.

At EV Garage Miami, a Sweetwater repair shop that services 90 percent electric vehicles, lead technician Jonathan Sanchez said tires are the most frequent thing customers come in about — no matter what model or make of EV they’re driving. Tire mileage can vary widely of course, but he said he frequently changes EV tires at just 8,000 to 10,000 miles — a fourth or even fifth of typical tire wear on a gas-burning car.

There are a number of explanations for the fast wear — from the way EVs work to the composition of the rubber to individual driving habits and maintenance practices — but vehicle and tire makers and industry experts acknowledge the issue. The tire manufacturer Michelin said conventional tires on electric vehicles consume tires 20 percent faster than on a gas-powered car — a figure commonly cited by EV makers as well — but Goodyear also has said they could wear up to 50 percent faster. Automakers and the tire industry are working on improvements.

That would be good for consumers but also for the climate. To some extent, running through tires quickly may offset the reduction of damaging emissions that EVs offer. Some studies have shown that tires actually have more particle pollution than exhaust, 2,000 times as much.

“Tires are rapidly eclipsing the tailpipe as a major source of emissions from vehicles,” said Nick Molden, to the Guardian who conducted one study with Emissions Analytics.

Neil Semel is unhappy with how it’s already time to replace the tires of his wife’s electric vehicle after 7,000 miles.
Neil Semel is unhappy with how it’s already time to replace the tires of his wife’s electric vehicle after 7,000 miles. Ashley Miznazi amiznazi@miamiherald.com
Why the fast wear?

Tire manufacturers and car technicians like Sanchez point to a few reasons for the fast wear. Topping the list: Most EVs, thanks to the large battery system, weigh hundreds of pounds or more than equivalent gas vehicles. That can put more added stress on tires, said Sanchez, who worked six years at Tesla as a master technician before coming to EV Garage Miami.

The rubber also literally meets the road faster on an electric vehicle. Electrical motors can produce peak power, or torque, almost instantly, unlike mashing the gas pedal of a regular car, which requires gas to flow and burn in cylinders and a bunch of mechanical parts to start moving.

Some EV-specific tires are made differently as well — to both enhance mileage range from battery power and to offset one standout feature of electric vehicles. Without mechanical engines, they’re super quiet, which actually can make for an unpleasant driving experience. Tires can whine or hum rolling on pavement.

Don Wright, the vice president of engineering at Unico, an electric vehicle testing company, said sounds intruding from outside the car cabin are a big complaint for drivers. In gas cars, engine noise helps muffle the sound of tires.

“They didn’t hear it in their Ferrari,” Wright joked.

To address that lack of noise, some premium tires suggested for EVs use softer rubber and have foam injected inside that dampens the sound, akin to trading out hard dress shoes for tennis shoes. Those soft textured tires, while quieter, also can wear down faster.

Some car companies also have come up with other creative ways to address the lack of noise by pumping in artificial or ambient sound. Toyota announced a system that simulates a gas engine with pre-recorded “vroom vroom” sound pumped through speakers.

Electric car experts also say the habits and styles of individual drivers can contribute to the wear. Someone cruising around the neighborhood won’t have the same experience as someone who takes off at the green light like they’re in a Fast and Furious movie.

“If you drive like grandma the type of car shouldn’t make a difference,” Sanchez said.

Wright agrees, “Me and my wife both have EVs with 20,000 or so miles on them and they (the tires) look brand new. I’m sure there are some weight contributions but I just wonder how people drive their cars.”

Sanchez at EV Garage said many car owners also sometimes forget to do the routine check-ups with tires, like filling them with air, alignments and rotations.

Neil Semel’s Mercedes EQS 450+ in the driveway of his Boca home. Semel’s was told it was time to replace his Good Year tires on his vehicle at 7,000 miles, a third of the life he was expecting.
Neil Semel’s Mercedes EQS 450+ in the driveway of his Boca home. Semel’s was told it was time to replace his Good Year tires on his vehicle at 7,000 miles, a third of the life he was expecting. Ashley Miznazi amiznazi@miamiherald.com
Many tire manufacturers also have developed “low rolling resistance tires” engineered with the goal of going farther on a single charge or gallon of gas. Tires with low rolling resistance have thinner sidewalls and shallower tread blocks. For EVs, it can add to the price. Some EV premium tires can run $100 more expensive that typical car tires of similar size.

Tire companies respond

Of course, some EV owners get far more life out of tires than others and it’s important to note that complaints about tire wear aren’t confined to electrical vehicles. One J.D. Power survey found that fast wear was the top complaint for tire owners, no matter what was powering the vehicle — gasoline, diesel fuel or batteries. The survey found car owners expected about three times the amount of tire mileage they were actually getting.

Still, tire makers appear to be responding to the EV tire concerns, which have been aired in social media, EV publications and in mainstream media as well. At the American Trucking Association’s Technology & Maintenance Council’s 2023 Annual Meeting, for instance, Goodyear announced its “Electric Drive Ready” embossed tires that would be “equipped to handle the higher load capacities of EVs.”

Michelin suggests getting the Primacy tire for electric vehicles, which they say offers an up to 7% increase in range. Michelin also launched “Self seal” which would self-repair punctures and cut back on some weight by not needing to keep a spare wheel in the back.

Continental Tires said that all of its tires are EV compatible and as new tires are introduced to the market the tire will have a specific “EV marking.” But they suggest for EV noise reduction using a tire that has Conti-Silent, a foam band that is applied to the inner liner.

Despite the tire concerns, EV experts also say electric remains the clear climate-friendly choice. Auto markers point to the zero-emissions from electric motors and potential for recycling battery packs — a process that is complicated but promising because of the valuable components.

Electric vehicles have a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline cars, even when accounting for manufacturing. The EPA and Department of Energy’s “Beyond Tailpipe Emissions Calculator” can help estimate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with charging and driving an EV.

And repair wise, there is also a lot less to go wrong in an EV, experts say. A typical gasoline car’s engine comprises more than 10,000 components, Sanchez said. With an electric motor, there’s a few hundred. There are fewer moving parts and maintenance costs overall. Also, no oil changes, transmission fluid or belt replacements.

Even Semel, despite his frustrations over the tires, really likes his Mercedes EQS 450+, which boasts a manufactured suggested price of $104,000-plus when new. His wife, who hated going to the gas station, is also sold on the EV concept. Now, if only somebody could come up with a greener tire option or rubber that lasts longer.

“It honestly is a great car. It gets a lot of miles. And honestly, my wife pulls up she plugs it in and we’re done,” Semel said. “But now we’re looking at each other and the tires we will replace more often aren’t biodegradable.”

Ashley Miznazi is a climate change reporter for the Miami Herald funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.

 

[BigMoneyGrip]

^^^^

So these dikk heads didn’t think to rotate the tires every 3000-5000 miles? With heavy EVs like that you can get at least 20-25k miles out of them

 

[the cac mamba]

embarrassing

between the tires, the battery mining, and the coal that actually produces electricity, seems like these fukkin things are kind of a wash