AD #4311 - Uber Places Big Robotaxi Bets; Legacy Auto Getting AI Boost; Nissan Likely to Make Chery Cars in the UK
About this episode
Robotaxi ambitions and AI-driven infrastructure take center stage, with Uber and We Ride expanding into Europe and targeting Madrid commercial operations within a year. Legacy suppliers are also tied to the data-center boom, highlighted by BorgWarner’s surge from turbine backup generators. The show then pivots to China’s growing footprint in Europe and beyond, including BYD’s social-media naming campaign for a new flagship EV. Nissan’s potential UK manufacturing deal with Chery adds another layer to shifting production strategies.
turbine backup generators
"and borg Warner is up an astonishing seventy percent for making turbine backup generators for data centers. When borg Warner's CEO Joe Fidul was on Autoline after Hours recently, he said they were able to tap into their ip on turbochargers to start making turbine engines."
These are backup power machines that generate electricity using a turbine. Data centers need them because if power goes out, they can’t just shut down.
Turbine backup generators are power systems that use a turbine engine to generate electricity during outages or to provide emergency/standby power. The segment connects this to data centers, where uptime is critical and backup power must kick in reliably.
turbochargers
"borg Warner's CEO Joe Fidul was on Autoline after Hours recently, he said they were able to tap into their ip on turbochargers to start making turbine engines."
A turbocharger is a device that helps an engine make more power by forcing extra air into it. In this story, the company is saying its turbo knowledge could also be used for power equipment for data centers.
Turbochargers are forced-induction components that use exhaust gas to spin a turbine, which compresses incoming air. That lets an engine make more power from the same displacement, and in this segment the CEO says the company can apply its turbocharger IP to turbine engines for data centers.
UAW
"The UAW is going after the former American Axle because workers at one plant in Michigan cut their wages in half a decade ago to help the company through bankruptcy, and those workers are still earning a lot less than they did a decade ago, but American Axle now called DUC is not doing well financially."
UAW is a union that represents many auto factory workers in the United States. Here, it’s arguing that workers should be paid more and questioning the company’s profit claims.
The UAW (United Auto Workers) is a major labor union in the U.S. that represents workers in auto manufacturing. In this segment, it’s pushing for higher wages and disputing how profitable American Axle/DuC has been.
robotaxi
"The two companies announced they'll launch their robotaxi service in Madrid and are aiming to begin commercial operations within a year. The service will initially have safety operators on board, but will eventually deploy hundreds of driverless cars when certain milestones are met."
A robotaxi is a self-driving car that you can summon like a rideshare. At first there may be a safety person in the car, but the goal is to run it with no human driver behind the wheel.
A robotaxi is a ride-hailing service where passengers are transported by an autonomous (self-driving) vehicle instead of a human driver. The key idea is that the vehicle handles driving tasks end-to-end, typically with remote or on-site safety support at first.
Madrid
"The two companies announced they'll launch their robotaxi service in Madrid and are aiming to begin commercial operations within a year. The service will initially have safety operators on board, but will eventually deploy hundreds of driverless cars when certain milestones are met."
Madrid is a major city in Spain. In this story, it’s where Uber and We Ride plan to start offering robotaxi rides in Europe.
Madrid is the capital city of Spain, and it’s being named here as the first European launch location for Uber and We Ride’s robotaxi service. The mention matters because it signals where autonomous ride-hailing is moving from pilots into commercial operations.
Lucid
"The two companies partnered with Lucid to roll out thirty five thousand robotaxis, and they plan to begin tests this year then ramp up the service next year."
Lucid is an electric car brand. In this story, Uber and We Ride are using Lucid vehicles as the cars for their robotaxi program.
Lucid is an electric-vehicle brand, and the segment says Uber and We Ride partnered with Lucid to roll out robotaxis. That implies Lucid’s EV platform is being used as the vehicle base for autonomous ride-hailing deployments.
Rivian
"Uber also invested over one point two billion dollars into Rivian two robotaxis, and it has dozens of partnerships globally with other automakers and autonomous vehicle companies for robotaxi services, including way Mo, Wave Nissan."
Rivian makes electric vehicles. Uber is investing in Rivian as part of its robotaxi plans, meaning Rivian cars could be used in autonomous ride-hailing fleets.
Rivian is an electric-vehicle brand, and the segment says Uber invested over $1.2 billion into Rivian for robotaxis. The point is that Uber is backing EV makers whose vehicles can be adapted for autonomous fleets.
EV
"On display at the Philippines Auto Show are the new Navara Pro plug and hybrid pickup truck and the Premira EV sedan..."
EV means electric vehicle. It’s a car that runs on electricity from a battery instead of using gasoline as its main power source.
EV stands for “electric vehicle,” meaning the car is powered primarily by an electric motor and a battery. In this segment, “Premira EV” refers to an all-electric sedan intended for select international markets.
Premira EV
"On display at the Philippines Auto Show are the new Navara Pro plug and hybrid pickup truck and the Premira EV sedan, which will be sold in select global markets like the Middle East. The Premira is sold in China as the N seven..."
The Premira EV is an electric sedan. They say it’s sold under a different name in China and is meant for more premium buyers, with China-built production planned for export.
The Nissan Premira EV is an all-electric sedan aimed at select global markets. The segment notes it’s sold in China under a different name (the “N seven”) and is positioned as a more premium alternative, with production in China and export shipments potentially starting before year-end.
Navara Pro
"On display at the Philippines Auto Show are the new Navara Pro plug and hybrid pickup truck and the Premira EV sedan, which will be sold in select global markets like the Middle East."
The Navara Pro is a Nissan pickup truck. Here they’re talking about a plug-in hybrid version that’s aimed at both personal buyers and businesses, and it’s being built in China for export.
The Nissan Navara Pro is a pickup truck positioned for both retail and commercial buyers. In this segment, it’s described as a plug-in hybrid pickup truck being shown at the Philippines Auto Show, with production in China and international shipments planned.
plug and hybrid
"On display at the Philippines Auto Show are the new Navara Pro plug and hybrid pickup truck..."
A plug-in hybrid is a car that has both an electric motor and a gas engine. You can charge it by plugging it in, so you can drive some distance on electricity alone.
A “plug-in hybrid” (PHEV) combines a battery-electric system with a conventional engine. It can be charged from an external power source, which typically allows more electric driving before the engine takes over.
BYD Han
"BYD is asking social media users on Webo to choose the name for its new flagship car... The names all have the word Han in them and range from Great Han to Han Ultra... it's generated a lot of publicity for the car, which is a four door electric with one thousand kilometers of range."
BYD Han is BYD’s flagship electric car name. Here, BYD is using social media to crowdsource the name for a new Han-branded model, and they’re advertising a very long driving range.
The BYD Han is a flagship four-door electric vehicle line from BYD, and this segment focuses on a new model within that naming family. BYD is letting social media users on Weibo choose the final name, with options like “Great Han” and “Han Ultra,” and the host describes it as having about a 1,000 km range.
BYD social media naming campaign for its new flagship
"BYD is asking social media users on Webo to choose the name for its new flagship car... it's generated a lot of publicity for the car..."
They talk about BYD using social media to let people vote on the name of a new flagship electric car. The goal is to create buzz and get attention before the car launches.
The hosts describe BYD using Weibo to crowdsource the name for a new flagship electric car in the Han family. It’s framed as a marketing tactic that generates publicity and engagement before launch.
humanoid robot
"it's jumping into the humanoid robot business and is even considering selling them at its car dealerships."
A humanoid robot is a robot that looks and moves more like a person, with arms and legs. The host is saying BYD might sell these robots through its car showrooms to attract more visitors.
A humanoid robot is a robot designed with a human-like body shape—typically including a head, arms, and legs—to interact with people and environments built for humans. The segment says BYD is considering entering this business and even selling robots through its car dealerships.
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