GM is advancing battery tech by investing in Forge Nano to enhance energy density and safety, while Aspen Aerogels seeks DOE loans to build thermal barrier plants. The Corvette ZR1 set a new American speed record, driven by GM's president. Stellantis faces production halts in Italy due to declining sales, notably impacting the Fiat Panda and 500E. Nissan unveils a redesigned Murano with a turbo four-cylinder replacing the V6, aiming to regain US market share. Ferrari reveals the hybrid F8 with 1200 hp, and autonomous vehicle developments continue with WeRide's robotaxi and Pony.ai's upcoming IPO. Toyota partners with Boston Dynamics on humanoid robotics.
Topics:battery technologygm investmentscorvette zr1 speed recordstellantis production suspensionfiat panda sales declinenissan murano redesignferrari f8 hybrid supercarautonomous vehiclesrobotics partnershipipo plans
- GM Invests in Battery Nano-Coating - Corvette ZR1 Officially Fastest American Car Ever - Big U.S. Investment in Battery Thermal Barriers - Stellantis Suspends More Vehicle Production - UK Drivers Don't Want EVs - Toyota Testing Humanoid Robots - Murano Gets Bold New Looks - Ferrari's Reveals Most Powerful Production Car Ever - WeRide Launches New Robotaxi Van - Pony.AI Planning U.S. IPO
"... chips for its cars as well. Of GM, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR one is now the fastest car ever built by an Am..."
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Speaker 1: This is utderlined daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry. GM is killing off the Ultum
brand name and its modular approach to batteries. Now it's
making moves to improve battery performance and reduce costs. The
automaker is investing ten million dollars in a material science company called Forge Nano that specializes in a process called atomic layer deposition. Basically, it's a super thin coating that
can be applied to the anode, the cathode, or both and will improve energy density, increase charging rates, decrease the chance a thermal runaway, and extend battery lifetimes. Forge Nano
will build prototype cells for GM at its headquarters in Colorado, and will also use its investment to expand manufacturing and into new areas like semiconductors, so GM may get a new source of chips for its cars as well. Of GM,
the Chevrolet Corvette ZR one is now the fastest car ever built by an American automaker. The one thousand and
sixty four horsepower ZR one hit two hundred and thirty three miles an hour on a test track in Germany and somewhat surprisingly, it was driven by GM president Mark Royce, although if you didn't know, Royce is actually a very accomplished racer. But maybe even more surprising is that we
learned from a source that Royce and the Corvette team made the record breaking runs on September thirteenth and fourteenth, which means it was able to keep the new secret for a month. Now, going back to battery materials for
a moment, US based Aspen Aerogels could get over six hundred and seventy million dollars in loans from the Department of Energy to help build a nearly billion dollar plant in Georgia. The company specializes in thermal barriers that can
prevent battery fires, and it already has con tracks with GM and Toyota. As we reported yesterday, Stalantis's global sales
plunged twenty percent in the third quarter. Over in Europe.
It already suspended production of the Fiat five hundred E at its Mere Fiori plant in Italy until the end of the month due to poor sales, and now the automaker is going to halt production of another model. Stillantis
announced that it will suspend production at several assembly and engine plants in Italy next month, which will impact the Fiat Panda. The company says it's making the move due
to tough market conditions. According to Data Force, Fiat sold
nearly thirty nine hundred pandas in Europe in August, down from sixty five hundred units a year ago, and because of moves like this, Stalantis's shipments around the world were also down by twenty percent in the third quarter. The
UK is planning to ban sales of new IC vehicles in twenty thirty, but a majority of drivers have no interest in an EV. According to a survey by Sustain,
a synthetic fuel specialist, fifty nine percent of drivers who own a gas or diesel powered vehicle plan on keeping their car indefinitely, and fifty two percent said they don't believe the mandate can be met without including new IC sales.
Forty percent don't believe beevs can meet their driving needs, and more than a quarter say they'll buy an ice vehicle close to the deadline.
Speaker 2: There's nothing wrong with heavy metal, hey light enough, but with world class composite material taging automotive technologies makes vehicles lighter, safer, and more eco friendly.
Speaker 1: More and more automakers are getting into humanoid robots, and now Toyota is the latest. It's partnering with Boston Dynamics
to integrate Toyota Research Institute's AI Tech and Boston Dynamics humanoid robot called Atlas. The two plan to perform a
range of tasks and use that data to improve the robot's dexterity. And this is in Toyota's first foray into robotics.
It's been developing robots for many years, but mainly for in home applications to aid the elderly. And we also
find this partnership interesting since Boston Dynamics is now owned by Hyundai. Nissan is coming out with a new Morano.
Despite riding on the same platform, with a body that's a little more than two and a half inches wider, the styling is significantly different. It looks like just about
every panel was touched on the suv, and the same can be said of the interior. It's a fairly uncluttered
design with dual twelve point three inch digital screens that come standard. Nissan is ditching the miranos old three and
a half liter V six in favor of a four cylinder engine. It's a two leader turbocharged unit that makes
two hundred and forty one horse power and two hundred and sixty pound feet of torque. The old V six
made the opposite two hundred and sixty horse power and two hundred and forty pound feet of torque. The new
Morano will be sold exclusively in the US and Canada, and it'll start reaching dealer lots early next year. Nissan
has steadily been losing market share in the US over the last five years. In the first half of the year,
it was just under six percent, but fresh products like the new Morano and Kicks could provide a boost. Ferrari
unveiled an all new supercar, the F eighty, which is the most powerful production vehicle in its history. Surprisingly, there's
no V twelve under the hood, or even a V eight for that matter. The two seat hybrid is powered
by a three leader turbocharge V six made it to an eight speed DCT along with an electric front axle and rear electric motor. The system produces twelve hundred horsepower,
has a maximum speed of three hundred and fifty kilometers an hour or two hundred and seventeen miles an hour, and can move from zero to one hundred kilometers an hour and just two point one five seconds. Ferrari is
only planning to build seven hundred and ninety nine F eighties with a starting price of three point six million euros or nearly four million bucks. Chinese autonomous company we
Ride is teaming up with a Gli brand to introduce a new robotaxi. The we Ride GXR is based on
the Forizon supervan, but then decked out and alight our based av system. There's no pillar between the passenger and
side sliding doors and no front passenger seat, so you get a massive opening to enter the van. We Ride
operates in several markets outside of China as well, including the US and the United Era Emirates, where it recently signed a deal to operate an av fleet with Uber.
So maybe we'll see Uber gxrs in the UAE and In other autonomous news, self driving startup pony Ai is planning to file an initial public offering in the US this week. Bloomberg reports the company is looking to raise
three hundred million dollars. The Silicon Valley startup was founded
in twenty sixteen, and its investors include Toyota and China's GAC, which is also reportedly interested in investing in the IPO.
Pony Ai operates autonomous fleets in the US and China, and last December it received a permit to charge riders for fully driverless robotaxi services in the city of Guangzhou.
But that brings us to the end of today's show.
Don't forget to check out Autuline after hours This afternoon.
We'll be talking about getting students interested in the automotive industry, and I'm sure we'll also into Tesla's we Robot event and maybe some of the stuff that's going on in Mexico.
I hope to see you there at three pm Eastern time. Today.
Speaker 3: Auto Line Daily is brought to you by Bridgetone Solutions for your journey, Intrepid Control Systems over the Air Engineering boost your game, Tajent Automotive Technologies the Formula for Better Mobility, and by ZF.
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