Lithium supply shortages threaten the EV industry's growth due to mining delays and production bottlenecks, potentially forcing automakers to use lower-grade materials or alternative chemistries. Stellantis is preparing for a potential UAW strike by invoking critical plant status, increasing shifts and overtime at key Detroit factories. VW Group CEO Oliver Blom highlights Audi's struggles with software delays and competitiveness, while Porsche operates semi-independently with innovative tech initiatives. Ford plans further white-collar layoffs amid cost-cutting efforts. Despite economic concerns, U.S. car sales are surprisingly strong, and traffic fatalities are declining. Volkswagen launches a powerful plug-in hybrid Touareg, and Ford introduces a clever backup camera solution for its Super Duty trucks.
Topics:lithium shortageelectric vehicle batteriesstellantis labor strikeaudi software challengesvw group strategyporsche innovationford layoffsus car salestraffic fatalitiesvehicle technology
- Uh-Oh, There’s Not Enough Lithium - Stellantis Builds Inventory for A Strike - Audi Is Falling Short - Porsche Creates Its Own Software Division - Ford to Lay Off More Employees - U.S. Car Sales Surprisingly Strong - U.S. Traffic Deaths Drop For 4th Straight Quarter - VW Touareg PHEV Costs €94,000 - Ford Super Duty’s Trick Tailgate
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Oh, there might not be enough lithium to make all the electric cars that the auto industry wants to make. Yesterday we reported that a significant shortage
in graphite is expected by twenty thirty, and today we're reporting that lithium producers are warning they won't be able to meet demand in the coming years. They
say mining permit delays, labor shortages in inflation is impacting production. The president
of mining company Lake Resources says he expects lithium demand to exceed supply by five hundred thousand metric tons by twenty thirty. But even if more minds are built,
there aren't enough facilities to produce specialized lithium needed for EV batteries. That
means automakers may have to use lower grade lithium, which will impact vehicle range, or which to lithium free chemistries. It sure looks like Stilantis is building
up inventory to prepare for a strike by the UAW. It just warned employees
at two of its most important factories that it's going to invoke what is called critical Plants status. That's a part of the labor contract that allows the company
to run its plants for seven days a week with mandatory overtime of nine hours a day or more. The two plants were aware of where this is being
invoked are the Warren Truck plant, which makes the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, and the Jefferson North plant, which makes the Grand Cherokee and Durango. Both
plants are in the Detroit area. The critical plants status starts on July fifth
and runs to October second. The current UAW contract expires on September fourteenth,
which is when many industry experts believe there will be a strike. Sean Faine,
the new president of the UAW and who calls the Detroit Automakers the enemy, spent most of his career at what is now Stillantis, and we think Stilantis could be the most likely strike target. Audie isn't living up to its
potential, and that's according to VW Group CEO Oliver Blooma. He said it
failed at defending Audie's lead in key areas against key competitors, as well as failing to provide a competitive EV lineup, especially for China. Blooma also said
quote, severe software problems have delayed the launch of exciting electric products. Even
so, he says the luxury brand still has huge potential. Part of the
VW groups strategy of putting a new steering wheel on the company that we talked about yesterday includes a restructuring of its software division, Carriad. It's now working
much more closely with the VW and Audie brands to speed up development and implementation.
The all new Audi Q six Etron will launch next year on the group's PPE platform, which supports up to nearly one thousand horsepower, and Audi is also helping develop VW software defining Vehicles, which will be built on an all new platform called SSP. Both of those platforms will also be used by Porsche,
including for the all new, all electric Macan. However, Porsche's name
was rarely mentioned in VW's new steering wheel plan. Since doing an IPO and
technically becoming independent from the group, Porsche has acted much more like a Skunks Works program than we would have guessed. Now. Don't get me wrong,
It's still very much tied in with VW, but it keeps operating a number of little programs that are completely separate. It's doing some really interesting stuff with
three D printing. It's closely involved with developing e fuels, and now it's
establishing its own software division. It'll work on developing autonomous driving tech, vehicle
to everything, communication and connectivity solutions. The new division will be located near
Porsche's tech center in Italy, so it will be able to quickly test solutions in the real world. And it's moves like these that could help keep Porsche
from failing to live up to its potential. Like Audi, we want to
know what drives you're testing. Ota, Connected car diagnostics, remote testing.
Intrepid Control Systems is here to help you work from anywhere. Intrepid Control Systems
driven by your data. Ford is going to get rid of more people to
cut costs. Last year, it laid off three thousand salaried and contract workers
in the US, and a few months back it announced it's cutting thirty eight hundred jobs in Europe. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that Ford is
doing another round of cuts of its white collar workers in the US. We
don't know how many, but it's expected to include workers from both its ICE and EV divisions. Ford wants to cut costs by three billion dollars annually by
the middle of the decade. And automakers are also worried about an economic downturn
and possible recession next year. And maybe there will be a recession in the
US, but someone forgot to tell that to car buyers. Wards Intelligence says
second quarter car sales will come in eighteen percent over last year. It expects
sales to total four point one million units. Car buyers defied the experts in
the first quarter when sales came in eight percent over last year. Put it
all together, and Ward says sales for the first half of twenty twenty three total almost seven point seven million units, up thirteen percent from twenty twenty two.
Traffic deaths spiked during the pandemic in the US, but now they're on their way back down. According to NITZA, an estimated nine thousand, three
hundred and thirty people were killed in traffic accidents in the first quarter of twenty twenty three, which is a drop of three point three percent compared to last year. And it's also the four straight quarter that deaths had declined, and
that's even with a two point six percent increase in vehicle miles driven over the same period. And usually death increase the more that people drive. Volkswagen is
launching the plug in hybrid version of the new Turreg and it must want people to view this as more of a performance model, because I've read two different releases on the new Turareg and neither of them mentioned anything about efficiency or range.
Instead, they highlight the turbocharged three liters six cylinder engine and the electric motor that come buying for about four hundred and sixty horsepower, and that the model will do zero to one hundred kilometers an hour in five point one seconds.
But the top tour Regg model is still not cheap. It starts at
just under ninety four thousand euros. All this week we've been showing you the
cool features on Ford's all new super duty trucks. Well here's another one.
Sometimes you've got to drop the tailgate on the bed to make more room for the cargo that you're hauling, but the backup camera is usually mounted on the back of the tailgate, so when you drop it, all you see is the pavement. That's why Ford engineers came up with the idea of mounting another
backup camera as well as a sonar sensor on the top lid of the tailgate, so when you drop the tailgate, you still see what's behind the truck, and you can get sonar warnings if you're backing up. But that brings
us to the end of today show and this week I hope that you have a great again. Autoline Daily is brought to you by Bridgetone Solutions for your
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