Transmission: Recent Episodes
FreightWaves
Built to chronicle the seismic shift in auto supplier networks as the industry goes cross-border and electric.
Graham Doorley worked for years at both Waymo and Tesla, so it’s no surprise that the company he founded combines autonomous and electric drive technologies. What is a surprise is that his goal is to create a self-driving electric semi-tractor that can go 500 miles with a full, 80,000 pound load. Here’s how Solo AVT plans to make this a reality, perhaps with some help from the ATVM loan program and the IRA.
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The first ATVM loans went out in 2009 and 2010. Then, in July, the program surprised everyone with a new announcement supporting Syrah Vidalia’s graphite facility in Louisiana. We speak with Director Shah about the ATVM’s overall mission, why there’s renewed emphasis on getting more loans approved and how the Inflation Reduction Act is changing industrial policy in the U.S.
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Nnaisense, which is focused on bringing AI into the industrial world, thinks it can make better batteries for electric vehicles using digital twins. Using DTs will allow automakers to conduct more granular tests before the first pack is built, and DTs can also make batteries more recyclable at the end of life.
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The electric vehicle industry in the U.S. desperately needs more local sources of lithium. Enter Snow Lake Lithium, which is establishing a massive, “sustainable” all-electric lithium mine in northern Manitoba. CEO Phil Gross explains how this will work, and how it will be better for future EVs.
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The auto industry’s goals for zero-emission sales in the next decade are ambitious, and it will need more raw materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements than ever before. Evi Petavratzi, senior mineral commodity geologist for the British Geological Survey, explains why we should have started building more mines a decade ago, and, since we didn’t, what we can do to hurry things along.
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Ernst & Young provides extensive electric vehicle advice for its customers as the world shifts to EVs. Steve Patton, Ey’s mobility sector leader, fills us in on what the Inflation Reduction Act means for EVs in the U.S., and how a more resilient supply chain will help reduce costs and sell more EVs.
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As Congress passes the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), we speak with someone with a long history of work in the minerals space, specifically tungsten. Almonty CEO Lewis Black talks about the IRA in relation to EVs and ways to solve America’s EV supply chain woes.
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AEye’s solid-state lidar system can provide better 3D imaging of the world around an autonomous vehicle, according to COO Rick Tewell. We discuss the sensor’s benefits to an AV, as well as how it can simplify the supply chain because it can take advantage of OTA updates.
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When Mukesh Chatter helped start Alsym Energy, his mission was to make a battery that was safer and cost less than today’s lithium-ion batteries. Seven years later, Alsym has deals with one of India’s largest automakers and Synergy Marine to provide them with batteries once full production kicks off in 2025.
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There are 52 heavy-duty vehicle assembly plants in the U.S., and 42 of them are already producing electric trucks or have plans to do so by 2025. Third Way’s Ellen Hughes-Cromwick and Alex Laska join us for a discussion on how to turn up the volume on HD electric vehicle production.
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Connected vehicles mean lots of information flowing through the network. Wejo wants to collect and use all of this information to make driving easier and safer while adhering to their “Data For Good” mission. CEO Richard Barlow tells us about Wejo’s partnerships with companies like Ford and Hyundai, as well as how you can get value out of tracking "approximately 13 million vehicles and 76.7 billion journeys."
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The next big thing in electric vehicles could be solid state batteries. That’s why Natrion is developing solid state pouch cells that could serve as “plug and play” components in future EVs, simplifying production for whenever automakers are ready to make the switch.
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Exro builds various versions of its EV-enhancing Coil Driver, from 48 volts to 800 volts. That range allows the technology to be applied to everything electric, from a two-wheeled scooter to three-wheeled delivery trikes to passenger EVs to all-electric semi trucks.
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Understanding a battery’s health by measuring voltage, current and resistance is not the only way to check if there’s a problem. Liminal has another idea: use ultrasound and machine learning analytics to look inside each cell in the factory, to catch any problems before they make it to the pack and then the vehicle.
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The three-wheeled, teardrop-shaped Aptera EV is like nothing else on the road, but you still need normal supply chains and component suppliers to turn the engineering ideas into reality. We ask CEO Chris Anthony what it will take to start production and when the 24,000 people who’ve placed their orders will be able to get their sleek new EVs.
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An autonomous vehicle requires two major data points to function: perception and positioning. To help make the latter more reliable, GPR uses ground positioning radar to build a database of what roads look like beneath the surface. Turns out, this data is like a thumbprint that tells the car exactly where it is, even in pitch darkness or when weather makes seeing other cars impossible.
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Earlier this year, Bollinger Motors announced it would pause development of its B1 and B2 electric truck and SUV in favor of Class 3 commercial vehicles. That’s not an easy shift to make, so we asked CEO Robert Bollinger how it’s going to happen. The answer: with Roush’s help.
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The White House recently invoked the Defense Production Act as a way to promote electric vehicle production in the U.S. We speak with Solid Power CEO Doug Campbell about how this decision is affecting his company and the EV industry as a whole.
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Robotic Research has been working on off-road autonomous vehicles for military use for years. Now, the company’s commercial division, RR.AI, is putting those AVs to work in ports and other areas where road-ready AVs might have problems, potentially easing supply chain woes.
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The White House recently invoked the Defense Production Act as a way to promote electric vehicle production in the U.S. We speak with Solid Power CEO Doug Campbell about how this decision is affecting his company and the EV industry as a whole.
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A lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry for electric vehicle batteries can make them cheaper and avoid the need for materials like nickel or cobalt. So why isn’t everyone using it? Plenty of reasons, but Yufit may have found a way to do it with its smart 3D electrodes.
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As we start to ‘electrify everything,’ more batteries are spending more time in transit. KULR Technologies has been working on ways to safely ship batteries for years, including with NASA. CEO Michael Mo stops by to explain how it works, and how it can affects electric vehicles.
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Altia CEO Mike Juran returns to Transmission to talk about ways to solve the auto industry’s chip shortage crisis in a way that doesn't simply require more chips, pronto. Software bloat is hampering progress, and how rewriting code - especially from the beginning of a new automotive project - helps in the long run.
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Automakers are working with tire manufacturers to find just the right balance between low rolling resistance, immediate grip and noise reduction for their new EVs. This week, Pirelli’s Bryce Jones joins us to talk about these factors as well as how today’s supply chain challenges affect the production of new tires.
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This week, we dig deep into the realities of tungsten and what it means for electric vehicles with Almonty CEO Lewis Black. Black returns to Transmission to talk about how the pandemic has affected the world’s supply of tungsten, what the realities are of starting up new mines and how EV adoption can worsen our supply chain troubles.
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Changes keep coming for the auto industry’s supply chains, and GuardKnox thinks we need a new category of suppliers, the cybertech tier, which can help deal with the chip shortage through features like Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA).
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UBQ returns to Transmission to discuss updates to their waste-to-thermoplastic technology, especially how the material can be found in the Mercedes Vision EQXX concept car that was unveiled at CES in January.
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For decades, semiconductor chips have relied on silicon. But gallium nitride (GaN) is a new material for chips that could improve electric vehicle charging times while also reducing costs. Of course, these kinds of benefits are not free, and Navitas CEO Gene Sheridan explains the work that has to happen to get GaN into future EVs.
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Amazon Web Services recently announced it is working with Stellantis to develop future vehicle platforms. The two main features of AWS’ contribution here are a virtual engineering workbench and a vehicle data mesh, both of which can be used to get software defined vehicles ready for production faster.
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HERE Technologies describes itself as a “global mapping and location data platform company,” and what that long description really means is that it’s a company that deals with precise mapping information, the kind that can make our supply chains and electric vehicles work better.
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REE Automotive doesn’t make complete electric vehicles, but it does want to change the way people use EVs, so it’s rethinking how to build them with a suite of partners around the world.
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Getting a handle on just how clean or dirty the “long tailpipe” is has been the subject of many reports. A new study by researchers at Yale University shows that, almost no matter how you slice it, electric vehicles are cleaner than internal combustion engine vehicles, when you measure all of the materials and energy required to build and drive them.
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Car sales were down this year, thanks to the pandemic and the related chip shortage. But 2021 wasn’t the craziest year the automotive industry has seen recently - that was 2020. Now that we’re about to enter 2022, we look back with analyst Stephanie Brinley at overall car sales, as well as focus on electric vehicles and the partnerships automakers are forming to get the raw materials and batteries they’ll need for the next generation of EVs.
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Earlier this year, Boston Consulting Group released a report called “Why Electric Cars Can’t Come Fast Enough.” Now that COP26 is in the rearview mirror and the Build Back Better bill is potentially about to pass, we speak with BCG’s Nathan Niese about what these two governmental projects might do the electric vehicle market across the world.
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Mitsubishi Gas Chemical America has been using a packaging technology called RP System to protects products such as auto parts and electronics in Japan for many years. Now, the company wants to introduce RP System to production facilities in the U.S., and there’s no time like a pandemic to make sure limited supplies are protected from moisture and oxygen damage.
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BMW i Ventures invests in start-ups that will help the automaker build better, cleaner vehicles, sure, but it also wants to invest in companies that will help all automakers build better, cleaner vehicles. Managing partners and Kasper Sage and Marcus Behrendt tell us how it all works.
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On her last episode, Grace talks with BlueGrace Logistics’ Vice President of Logistics Operations, Todd Trompeter, on the complexities of consulting auto suppliers and OEMs on logistics. Trompeter dives into the company’s managed service offerings, how it differs from other logistics operations and how it has become table stakes for automotive operations. He also explains the importance of opening their new managed services’ office in Detroit and the available career opportunities for ex-auto workers within the company.
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With the passage of President Biden’s infrastructure bill, Ellen Hughes-Cromwick returns to Transmission to discuss the impact of the bill on electric vehicle production and adoption in the U.S., as well as changes Third Way has seen in the EV landscape in the last six months, before the bill was passed.
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Valens, fresh off of a listing on the NYSE and hosting its inaugural Analyst Day, is ready to deliver better semiconductor chips to automakers in the coming years. These high-data chips will simplify the wiring harnesses required in tomorrow’s vehicles, which in turn simplifies the amount of components the automakers need per car.
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Polestar recently released Lifecycle Assessments for the CO2 emissions of the cars it builds, trying to understand how the production and use of its electric vehicles impacts the environment. Lisa Bolin, the automaker’s Climate Lead - and who knew that was a position you could hold at an automaker - joins us to discuss how difficult this task is, to say nothing about working on a completely carbon neutral car by 2030.
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Constellium makes aluminum components for everything from the beverage industry to the military and automakers. For the new Ford F-150 Lightning, Constellium’s value-added aluminum can be found in the windshield header, rocker and other places. Craig Lewis runs us through the details, and why aluminum is better for EVs.
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E-commerce trends are beginning to merge into the automotive buying experience. We speak with Trent Broberg, CEO of ACERTUS, on how his company is digitizing the delivery experience for automotive manufacturers so you can not only purchase your vehicle at home... but have it delivered there as well!
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Volta Trucks recently announced it will work with Steyr in Austria to build its first all-electric delivery trucks. We speak with co-founder Kjell Walöen about why Volta is using contract manufacturing and how that method will work during a pandemic. In short: it was the right choice.
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Wallbox has already sold 200,000 electric vehicle charging units, but with EV sales expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, the company is expanding production to the U.S. We talk with CEO Enric Asunción about the new plant and how they’re designing products to avoid future supply chain shortages.
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Almonty has been mining for over 100 years, but the COVID pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges and,of course, opportunities. CEO Lewis Black explains.
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As technology in cars evolves, the way we interact with the vehicles will change, too. While holographic interfaces remain fantastical and mostly relegated to concept cars, Altia CEO Mike Juran expects tomorrow’s GUIs to go all in on augmented realty as well as behind-the-scenes adjustments to take advantage of flexible supply chains.
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RFID technology isn’t new, but the way it’s being used to track components throughout the automotive building process is constantly growing and changing. Impinj’s Carl Brasek runs us through the way RAIN RFID is being used by automakers today, and how it might be used in the future to simplify vehicle maintenance (think tires).
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As Hyundai’s plant in Alabama gets ready to produce the brand’s first open-bed vehicle - the Santa Cruz pick-up - there’s a lot of work to be done to both shift the production line to account for a new vehicle as well as keep tabs on coronavirus safety protocols on site and communicating with suppliers about delays.
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UBQ is trying to prove to Daimler, and the rest of the auto industry, that you can take ordinary household trash and turn it into automotive-grade plastic. Tests are being conducted now, and Bigio says the growth potential is huge.
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For our first return guest on Transmission, we speak again with AIT’s Alan Votaw about the logistics and shipping realities today and what’s around the corner for the fourth quarter. We also discuss supply chain metrics, and the value of getting the details exactly right.
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ECD Automotive Design is a small, bespoke conversion company focused on building customized Land Rovers. The company has always had an unusual method of sourcing the classic and new parts it needs to make its restorations, but COVID has created truly unusual challenges. One solution? Ask mom to help.
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With over 35 years of supply chain experience, AIT’s Rich Grant is well suited to explain some of the realities behind the shipping snafus happening around the world. As the station manager for AIT Detroit, he has a front-row seat to how the global challenges are affecting automakers locally, including how the chip shortage could affect the 2021-2022 model year changeover.
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Electric vehicle supply chain news never stops, and this week we discuss a few items in the news, including GM’s partnership with Controlled Thermal Resources to harvest lithium from ocean water, Panasonic selling its stake in Tesla for $3.6 billion and how the chip shortage is affecting the supplier landscape
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With the auto industry spreading its wings - sometimes literally - into things like making silicon chips and flying taxis, you might need to invest in a wide variety of technologies and industries. That’s the strategy taken by the Trucks venture capital fund, but it’s not the only progressive attitude they take. See also their ban on “manels,” or men-only discussion panels.
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The growing number of electric vehicle sales means the global park is going to get more electrified over the next decade. We discuss what this means for aftermarket suppliers, including the fact that EVs use around 40 percent fewer parts, with McKinsey’s Sebastian Kempf.
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Third Way recently released an interactive map of the automaker facilities in the U.S., with a focus on current and future electric vehicle production. There are 50 plants in the U.S. and 24 are either building EVs of EV components today or will be by 2025. We discuss why this matters for U.S. jobs and the economy in general.
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The annual Plante Moran index of automaker-supplier relationships came out recently, and Toyota was in the number on position for the 10th year in a row. We speak with Robert Young, executive vice president, purchasing supplier development, Toyota Motor North America about how the OEM manages its supplier relationships and what will change - or not change - as Toyota starts building more and more electric vehicles.
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Whether it’s building engines without a chip that improves gas mileage to shifting production from one trim level to another, consumer vehicles will be different thanks to the chip shortage. Analyst Stephanie Brinley from IHS Markit explains what’s happening to the cars people will be buying this year, including why electric vehicles may be hit a bit harder than your traditional gas-engine models.
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Alan Votaw, director of sales, industrial automotive, AIT Worldwide Logistics
Description: The auto industry is dealing with the double whammy of COVID and a chip shortage, but those aren’t the only problems affecting the supply chain. AIT’s Alan Votaw stops by to talk about what he’s hearing from OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers about the state of the industry, including the upcoming challenges facing companies building electric vehicles, as getting battery components might be difficult in the near future.
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Dan Hearsch, managing director at AlixPartners, gets into the details of how silicon chips are made for the auto industry, why gaming console and tablets aren’t totally to blame for the chip shortage, and what it means to be in a crisis vs a shortage.
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We discuss with Teshler his belief that there needs to be a fundamental rethink of the traditional supply chain, one that includes a new tier of cybertech suppliers.
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Rakesh Aneja, Head of eMobility for Daimler Trucks North America, discusses a number of recent advances in the electric delivery truck world, from the order books being opened for the eCascadia and eM2 trucks to a new heavy-duty vehicle charging station opening up in Portland, Oregon. Plus, a few reasons why drivers can benefit from electric semis and school buses.
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Conway Jeffress from AIT visits the show to discuss how automotive suppliers are adapting to the Zoom era. More meeting are happening virtually, but sometimes you still need to actually go to a facility to make sure things work the way they were promised. Also, how charging stations are really key to the coming EV boom.
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After a quick update on upcoming electric delivery vehicle offerings, hosts Sebastian Blanco and Grace Sharkey speak with Antonio Cotroneo, principal solutions engineer at OmniSci about Global Maritime Awareness in the shipping industry as well as how OmniSci’s various data analytic tools can help make fleets more efficient.
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The Biden administration is taking the semiconductor chip shortage seriously, calling together a virtual meeting with big players in automotive and tech to try and figure out how to increase domestic production. Also, Daimler’s new electric delivery trucks are not available just yet, but you can put your order in today for an all-electric delivery truck that can go over 200 miles per charge.
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In the debut episode of Transmission, Sebastian Blanco and Grace Sharkey introduce a few of the topics this show will cover as we investigate the automotive supply chain, including electrification and autonomous vehicles - as we shift into first gear.
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Transmission is covering the future of the auto industry every Thursday.
Visit our sponsor Amazon Freight
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