China's new restrictions on graphite exports threaten global EV battery production, prompting interest in synthetic alternatives. The UAW strike continues with over 40,000 workers affected; GM highlights competitive wages and retirement benefits amid negotiations. European car sales rise, driven by EVs and hybrids, while Renault plans a return to major auto shows. Buick launches a more affordable EV in China, Honda prepares a Civic hybrid for North America, and Tesla hints at a possible Model 3 Plaid. DS Automobiles pilots ChatGPT integration in cars, and a Detroit startup debuts a luxury EV RV based on GM's BrightDrop van.
Topics:china graphite export limitsev battery supplyuaw strike updatesgm wages and retirementeuropean ev sales growthrenault auto show returnbuick affordable ev chinahonda civic hybridtesla model 3 plaid rumorschatgpt in cars
- China Limits EV Graphite Exports - GM: UAW Workers Get $100,000/Year, $1 Million Retirement - EU Car Sales Up 14 Months in A Row - Renault Recommits to Auto Shows - Buick Launches Low-Cost EV In China - Honda Bringing Back Civic Hybrid - Holy Moly! A Plaid Model 3? - DS Puts ChatGPT In Cars - Electric RV On BrightDrop Van
"...d Grounded is now offering an ev RV based on GM's bright Drop van called the G two. It has two hundred and fift..."
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This is ut aligning daily. The show is dedicated to enthusiasts of the global
automotive industry. China stunned foreign battery makers this morning when it announced it's going
to limit exports of graphite, which is used in EV battery anodes. China
processes ninety percent of that graphite, and this could quickly affect battery production in the US, Europe, Japan, and South Korea. It's not a complete
ban, but China says that with EV battery demands soaring worldwide, it has to protect its supply chain and national security interests. Reuter's reports that China pretty
much stopped mining graphite for environmental reasons and is turning to synthetic graphight instead.
As a result, it says that by twenty twenty five, there's going to be a shortage of graphite. This limiting of exports is going to have a
near term impact on battery makers. But you might want to check out a
couple of interviews we did at the Battery Show in Michigan last month for a couple of longer term solutions. One is with an American company called Anovion that's
making synthetic graphite, and the other is a Canadian company called Nanotera Tech that's converting wood waste, yeah, like sawdust and bark into battery grade graph height.
Okay, now over to the UAW strike. It's day thirty six and
there are some important updates to cover. Gm Ford and Stilantis collectively laid off
another two hundred and seventy workers due to the ripple effect of the strike.
By our count, there are now over forty thousand UAW workers on strike or laid off. Gerald Johnson, the head of manufacturing for General Motors, put
out a video yesterday detailing the offer the company has on the table. Quote
here's an example. The majority of our workers will make thirty nine dollars in
twenty four an hour, or roughly eighty two thousand dollars a year by the end of this contract. We know that with built in bonuses, profit sharing,
and the opportunity for overtime, this means many will earn more than one hundred thousand dollars a year. This will put team members in the top twenty
five percent of full time American workers end quote. Johnson went on to point
out that gmpa's thirty to forty percent higher wages than the transplants or Tesla, and that its retirement plan means a worker with thirty years of service will have a million dollars in savings. So will that be enough to satisfy UAW President
Sean Fain. We'll no more later today. Fain says he has an announcement
to make late this afternoon. Meanwhile, UAW workers that were on strike at
the supplier ZF settled for a thirteen percent wage increase that brings Tier one workers to twenty three dollars an hour by the end of the contract, while Tier two workers get a twenty two percent increase. Looks like the autowindustry in Europe
is turning the corner. September new car sales were up for the fourteenth month
in a row. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. Sales were up
nine percent last month compared to a year ago, and most of that growth came from evs and hybrids. Pure EV sales were up fourteen percent and now
make up fifteen percent of the total market, while hybrids did even better, posting a thirty percent increase, and when you put both together, they account for over fifty percent of sales. In the EU, but diesels have really
fallen out of favor with consumers. Less than a decade ago, they accounted
for more than fifty percent of the market, but that tumbled to twelve and a half percent market share for diesels in September, and while the overall car market is improving, there's still down twenty percent below pre pandemic levels. Auto
shows around the world have been dying off, but could that be changing.
Following its successful launch of new models at the IAA Munich Show, Renault says it's now going to get back to exhibiting at major international auto shows. It
says auto shows are becoming showcases for big advances like EVS and aid ASS that can be seen by large groups of people. I'd argue that's always been the
case, but it's good to see that Renault feels that way again. The
group and its brands will go to the Geneva and Paris auto shows next year, plus all major shows and areas where it sells cars. We want to
know what drives you are testing. OTA Connected Car Diagnostics remote Testing Intrepid Control
Systems is here to help you work from anywhere. Intrepid CA Control Systems,
driven by your data Buick just launched a low cost version of its E five electric crossover in China called the Pioneer. It has a starting price of twenty
three two hundred dollars, which is fifty five hundred dollars cheaper than the previous lowest price version. The E five is based on GM's Altium platform, and
the Pioneer features a sixty eight point four kilowat hour lithium ion battery pack and a one hundred and eighty kilowat electric motor. It has a range of five
hundred and forty five kilometers or three hundred and thirty eight miles based on the Chinese test cycle. Yet despite the lower price, it still has some decent
features like an infotainment system powered by Qualcom, snap Dragon Chips, Apple car Play navigation, a voice assistant, and safety tech like forward collision warning, lane centering, and adapt cruise control. As the growth in evs slows,
hybrids are starting to get a lot more attention, and Honda is going to fill a gap left when it dropped the Insight by coming out with a hybrid version of the Civic next year. It will be offered as both a sedan
and hatchback and will feature Honda's two motor hybrid system, which is paired with a two liter four cylinder engine. The sedan will be made at Honda's plant
in Ontario, Canada, while the hatchback will be made shortly after at its plant in Greensburg, Indiana. It expects the model to do quite well,
eventually representing over forty percent of all Civic sales in North America. The most
efficient Civic right now is rated at thirty six mpg, but we expect the Civic Hybrid to be around fifty mpg. When Elon must was asked if Tesla
would ever do a plaid version of the Model three, he said no, but that could change. Tesla released the owner's manual and parts catalog for the
updated Model three Highland, and someone searching through it found an intriguing image that features the badge for Ludicrous mode, as well as references to a different suspension, sport brakes, and new wheels. And we may not have to wait
long to get confirmation if this version is on the way. The updated Model
three Highland is expected to launch in Europe and China before the end of the month. Well, here's another one for the automotive history books. DS Automobiles,
a division of Stalantis, announced its integrating chat GPT technology into its cars in Europe as part of a six month pilot program. It's available on all
DS models with the DS IRIS system at no extra cost, but it will be limited to twenty thousand owners for the trial period. The chat GPT tech
can be used to have more complex interactions with car, even asking it to make up a quiz or create a children's book to read. DS isn't the
only automaker experimenting with generative AI tech. As you may remember, Mercedes was
the first automaker to integrate chat GPT into its cars for North American customers back in June, and GM is working with Microsoft to explore different uses for the technology as well. A Detroit based startup company called Grounded is now offering an
ev RV based on GM's bright Drop van called the G two. It has
two hundred and fifty plus miles of range from a one hundred and sixty five kilowat hour battery pack, and the roof is equipped with a six hundred and forty watt solar panel which is used to power some of its features. Those
amenities include an inductive stove, hot water indoor shower, and more. But
it ain't cheap. The G two starts at one hundred and ninety five thousand
dollars and deliveries start this month. That brings us to the end of today's
show. Thanks for joining us, and I hope that you have a great
weekend. Attoline Daily is brought to you by Bridgetone Solutions for your journey Intrepid
Control Systems over the year Engineering boost your game End by Scheffler We Pioneer Motion At Scheffler We Pioneer Motion Electrifying mobility, manufacturing smarter, reducing CO two emissions, making energy production clean. Scheffler Pioneer's Motion to advance how the world moves.
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