AD #4297 - Honda Plans 15 New Hybrids; Hyundai Talks Breaking Down Silos; AI Could Extend EV Battery Life
About this episode
Honda’s latest financials and EV writeoffs set the stage for its hybrid push, with plans to roll out fifteen next-gen hybrid models by the end of the decade. The discussion then pivots to robotaxi momentum, where we Ride reports strong daily order volumes per vehicle. Hyundai and Ford are also reshaping how they build EV tech—breaking down silos and moving toward cross-functional teams. Finally, researchers say AI-based fast-charging could help extend EV battery life.
EV writeoffs
"A poor performance in its most recent fiscal year, fueled by massive EV writeoffs, is going to cost Honda CEO Tosha hero Mebe some of his influence over the company..."
A writeoff is when a company admits that some past spending isn’t going to pay off. Here, it’s tied to electric-vehicle plans, so Honda took a big financial loss.
An EV writeoff is an accounting action where a company reduces the value of investments tied to electric vehicles. In practice, it often reflects that expected returns from those EV programs won’t materialize as planned, so the company takes a financial hit in that period.
Honda
"Honda posted an operating loss a two point six billion dollar deficit for the fiscal year which ended in March... nearly ten billion dollars in EV related investments. ... Honda laid out a new three year plan that it thinks will return its automobile business to profitability."
Honda is the car company in this story. They said they lost money recently, and they’re planning to spend a lot over the next few years on different kinds of powertrains—especially hybrids.
Honda is the automaker behind the episode’s main corporate update: it reported an operating loss and blamed it largely on EV-related writeoffs. The company also outlined a multi-year plan to invest heavily across gas, hybrid, and electric vehicles, plus software.
next gen hybrid models
"By the end of the decade, Honda plans to launch fifteen next gen hybrid models, mostly in North America..."
Next gen hybrids are the next generation of cars that use both a gas engine and an electric motor. The idea is to make them more efficient and easier to drive than older hybrid designs.
“Next gen hybrid” refers to the next generation of hybrid powertrains—systems that combine an internal-combustion engine with an electric motor and battery. The goal is typically better efficiency and drivability than earlier hybrids, often with more advanced control software and improved battery integration.
robotaxi
"Robotaxi services continue to gain steam around the globe... In each robotaxi vehicle in its domestic fleet handled more than seventeen orders per day on average..."
A robotaxi is a taxi that drives itself. Instead of a human driver, the car uses automation to take passengers around.
A robotaxi is a self-driving taxi service where an autonomous vehicle operates without a human driver taking over. The episode discusses how robotaxi fleets are scaling—tracking users, trips per vehicle per day, and plans to deploy large numbers of autonomous vehicles.
we Ride
"Chinese autonomous vehicle company we Ride released its first quarter earnings... and its gross margin reached thirty five percent. In the same period, we Ride's number of registered robotaxi users in China nearly double..."
we Ride is a company working on self-driving taxi services in China. They’re growing both financially and by adding more robotaxi vehicles and riders.
we Ride is presented as a Chinese autonomous-vehicle company scaling its robotaxi operations. The segment highlights financial growth and fleet activity metrics like registered users and rides per vehicle per day.
Weimo
"Speaking of robotaxis, Weimo announced it will expand its services in Miami, Austin, Atlanta, Houston, and the San Francisco Bay Area..."
Weimo is a company running self-driving ride services. They’re expanding to more cities and tracking how many paid trips their fleet completes.
Weimo is described as expanding its autonomous driving services across multiple U.S. cities and increasing its geographic coverage. The segment also gives fleet size and paid-trip volume, which are key operational indicators for robotaxi-style services.
Shaomi
"Chinese automaker Shaomi introduced an open source autonomous driving AI system that combines multiple models and reasoning within one framework..."
Shaomi is a company that’s sharing an AI system for self-driving cars. They say it’s open source, so other developers can study and improve it.
Shaomi is mentioned as a Chinese automaker introducing an open-source autonomous-driving AI system. The episode emphasizes that it combines multiple models and reasoning in one framework and plans to open-source both the model and its underlying codebase.
AI based charging method
"Researchers Technology University in Sweden developed a new AI based charging method that optimizes the electrical current going into a battery during fast charging sessions. They claim a battery can"
This is a smart charging strategy that uses AI to manage how the battery gets charged. The idea is to charge quickly but in a way that’s gentler on the battery so it lasts longer.
An AI-based charging method uses algorithms to control how charging power is delivered to an EV battery. Here, the claim is that it optimizes the electrical current during fast charging to reduce battery stress, which could help extend battery lifespan.
fast charging
"Researchers Technology University in Sweden developed a new AI based charging method that optimizes the electrical current going into a battery during fast charging sessions. They claim a battery can"
Fast charging means charging an EV quickly using higher power. It can be harder on the battery, so the goal is to charge in a smarter way to help it last longer.
Fast charging is a high-power way to recharge an EV battery in a shorter time. It can stress the battery more than slower charging, so optimizing the electrical current during fast charging is a way to reduce wear and extend battery life.
battery management system
"We know the Hondai Group has said it's working on an AI based battery management system for its next gen ev architecture."
A battery management system is the car’s “battery brain.” It watches the battery and helps keep charging and driving safe so the battery lasts longer.
A battery management system (BMS) is the electronics that monitor and control a vehicle’s high-voltage battery. It balances cells, manages charging/discharging, and helps protect the pack from unsafe temperatures or voltages.
next gen ev architecture
"We know the Hondai Group has said it's working on an AI based battery management system for its next gen ev architecture."
“EV architecture” means how the electric car is built from the ground up. “Next gen” suggests a newer design intended to work better and cost less.
“EV architecture” is the overall design foundation for an electric vehicle—how the battery, power electronics, motors, wiring, cooling, and packaging are planned as a system. A “next gen” architecture usually implies a redesign aimed at efficiency, cost, and performance improvements.
Hyundai Group
"We know the Hondai Group has said it's working on an AI based battery management system for its next gen ev architecture... So Ford and the Hundai Group are reorganizing to break down the silos..."
Hyundai Group is the company in this segment, and they’re working on smarter battery control for future electric cars.
The Hyundai Group is mentioned as working on an AI-based battery management system for a next-generation EV platform. It’s also described as reorganizing to break down internal silos via cross-functional product teams.
Buick Century
"...y don't interact enough with each other, and that century old business structure just isn't competitive in ..."
The Buick Century is a car model that Buick made as a mid-size sedan. It was designed to be a comfortable, everyday family-style car. It may be mentioned when people talk about older car lines and whether they still fit what buyers want.
The Buick Century is a mid-size sedan that was produced by Buick as part of its long-running Century model line. It’s often discussed in the context of how older, established vehicle lineups and business approaches can struggle to stay competitive as customer preferences and technology change. In a podcast, it may come up when talking about legacy nameplates and how automakers adapt—or fail to adapt—over time.
break down the silos
"Almost all legacy automakers are organized into silos. Design, engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, sales, marketing, and finance are organized into departments that typically don't interact enough with each other... So Ford and the Hundai Group are reorganizing to break down the silos and move to cross functional product teams."
“Breaking down silos” means getting different teams to work together instead of passing work off slowly from one department to the next.
“Breaking down silos” refers to reorganizing a company so teams that used to work separately (design, engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, etc.) collaborate more directly. In automotive product development, it’s meant to speed decisions and reduce handoff delays between departments.
Ford
"So Ford and the Hundai Group are reorganizing to break down the silos... Meanwhile, have you seen the interview we posted with Ford's chief operating officer."
Ford is the car company in this story, and they’re changing how they organize teams to make new cars faster.
Ford is the automaker discussed in the segment as reorganizing its internal structure to speed up vehicle development. The hosts link the changes to competing more effectively with Tesla and Chinese OEMs.
cross functional product teams
"So Ford and the Hundai Group are reorganizing to break down the silos and move to cross functional product teams."
This means mixing different kinds of experts into one team so they can build the car together and fix issues sooner.
Cross-functional product teams combine people from multiple departments into one group responsible for developing a vehicle. The goal is faster feedback loops and fewer delays caused by sequential “hand-offs” between departments.
product creation and Industrialization
"We interviewed them to get a better understanding of Ford's reorganization called product creation and Industrialization, and it's about getting rid of the silos too..."
This is Ford’s plan for how it designs a car and then gears it up to be built at scale. The idea is to make the process faster by having one team own the work end-to-end.
“Product creation and Industrialization” is Ford’s internal approach to developing a vehicle and preparing it for mass production. The transcript frames it as a reorganization that reduces slow, department-by-department handoffs so the whole team owns the vehicle from early concept to assembly.
EBIT
"...could generate twenty five percent gross margins and three hundred and forty six million dollars in EBIT earnings."
EBIT is a profit number that looks at how the business is doing from its main operations, before interest and taxes.
EBIT stands for “earnings before interest and taxes.” It’s an operating-profit measure that focuses on results from the company’s core business before financing costs and tax effects.
gross margins
"...a report saying Ford Energy could generate twenty five percent gross margins and three hundred and forty six million dollars in EBIT earnings."
Gross margin is a way to measure how profitable a business is after paying the direct costs to make what it sells.
Gross margin is a profitability metric that measures how much money a business keeps after covering the direct costs of producing goods or services. Higher gross margins generally indicate more room to cover operating expenses and profit.
Morgan Stanley
"...after Morgan Stanley put out a report saying Ford Energy could generate twenty five percent gross margins and three hundred and forty six million dollars in EBIT earnings."
Morgan Stanley is the financial firm whose report is cited in the segment. It’s used as the basis for the earnings and margin numbers mentioned.
Morgan Stanley is referenced as the firm that published a report estimating Ford Energy’s potential profitability. The segment uses that report to discuss how investors reacted to Ford’s idea of building an energy-storage business.
BorgWarner
"Joe Faduel, the CEO of Borg Warner, is our gap and we'll get into everything from competing in China to the potential impact of humanoid robots."
BorgWarner is the company of the CEO guest. They’re expected to talk about business challenges and tech trends.
BorgWarner (spelled as “Borg Warner” in the transcript) is the supplier company mentioned as having a CEO guest. The segment says the discussion will cover topics like competing in China and the potential impact of humanoid robots.
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