Automotive Industry Hot Topics with CAR President and CEO, Alan Amici – (02/02/2024)
On a bi-weekly basis, the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) welcomes our audience to decompress with our President and CEO, Alan Amici, as he covers and shares his thoughts on the latest Hot Topics happening in the automotive industry. If you would like to receive this bi-weekly insight into critical industry issues you and your organization are facing, sign up for our mailing list to get Hot Topics sent directly to your inbox.
Tesla Vs Cheaper EVs:
Alan’s thoughts:
The $25,000 EV may become a reality! Tesla announced a next–generation EV under development that will likely spur sales of EVs based upon a favorable price point. With each new generation, EVs incorporate lessons learned from previous iterations, enabling cost reductions, improved manufacturing productivity, and the incorporation of innovative features. For the transition from ICE to EV to be effective from a CO2 reduction view, we need to see the democratization of EVs for the masses. Reducing the high price point of EVs today would go a long way to increase market acceptance.
Rocky Road to Autonomous Vehicles:
Alan’s thoughts:
Aptiv has decided to follow the same path of Ford and VW in the autonomous vehicle development space and will no longer contribute capital to Motional, a joint venture with automaker Hyundai. This further underscores the challenges associated with mastering level 4 autonomy. Waymo and Cruise remain in the game as the most mature passenger car AV developers in the US. This doesn’t bode well for the vision of AVs filling our streets anytime soon. Anticipate further industry contraction in this space as other firms decide to redirect their capital towards more attractive projects with higher potential ROI.
EV Charging:
Alan’s thoughts:
The USPS is implementing a clever initiative by installing EV charging stations at postal sorting and delivery centers, ensuring their fleet is efficiently serviced while reloading. The first charging stations are in south Atlanta, and there are plans for the deployment of hundreds more. This effort is a component of a substantial $40 billion investment in electrification.
Cold weather does indeed affect EV performance and charging. EV batteries are sensitive to extreme temperatures, both hot and cold. During cold weather, an EV will “pre-condition” the battery by heating it to a more optimal temperature to maximize charging efficiency. When a vehicle anticipates an upcoming charge, such as a charger reservation or map routing, the vehicle can precondition the battery during the drive. By the time the charging station is reached, the battery is at the correct temperature to accept the charge in the shortest amount of time. Without pre-conditioning, charging times may be prolonged, causing customer dissatisfaction. This requires some planning on the owner’s part and will be part of the lifestyle change when switching to an EV.
