Good morning! It’s Tuesday, February 13, 2024, and that is The Morning Shift, your every day roundup of the highest automotive headlines from world wide, in a single place. Here are the vital tales you could know.
1st Gear: Stellantis Adding Tesla Charger In 2026, Now Everyone Has Them
Stellantis is adopting Tesla’s electrical car charging plug for its upcoming EVs, turning into the final main automaker to take action. Now, all Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram EVs will include Tesla’s NACS charging port. From The Verge:
Stellantis mentioned its first EVs to function the SAE J3400 plug, also referred to as Tesla’s North American Charging Standard, will likely be out in 2025. During the transition interval, the corporate mentioned it should present adapters to prospects who personal EVs with Combined Charging Standard, or CCS, plugs.
The firm sells a variety of plug-in hybrid automobiles, in addition to battery-electric fashions, most of which can be found in Europe. A slate of upcoming EVs, together with absolutely electrical Jeep, Ram, and Chrysler fashions, are deliberate for the subsequent a number of years.
The resolution is predicted to present Stellantis’ EV prospects entry to Tesla’s superior charging community, in addition to present some peace of thoughts about the way forward for EV charging in North America and past. Interestingly sufficient, Stellantis’ press launch on the announcement makes zero point out of “Tesla,” as a substitute referring to the corporate’s charging plug beneath its official customary title, SAE J3400.
This motion began in November 2022, when Tesla introduced it was renaming its charging tech to the North American Charging Standard (NACS) and could be opening it as much as different automakers.
Ford got here first, then GM, after which, properly, everybody else. Most just lately, Volkswagen Group — one of many world’s largest automakers, with manufacturers like Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche, and Lamborghini beneath its umbrella — introduced it could be adopting NACS, leaving Stellantis because the final remaining holdout.
Until only a few years in the past, Tesla Superchargers have been unique to Tesla house owners. In truth, it was one among Tesla’s important promoting factors: constant, unique, and plentiful EV charging. But that started to alter when the corporate began providing entry to non-Tesla EVs — first in Europe after which within the US after the Biden administration mentioned it could be a prerequisite to faucet into a few of the $7.5 billion for EV charging within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Tesla’s Supercharger community is well known as superior to lots of the third-party EV charging stations, most of which function CCS plugs and the much less utilized CHAdeMO charging customary. The firm says it has 45,000 Superchargers worldwide, 12,000 of that are positioned within the US.
Stellantis, together with BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Mercedes-Benz, is concerned in a three way partnership to put in fast-charging EV stations alongside main highways and in cities within the US. Today, the corporate mentioned these future charging stalls would additionally function Tesla’s charging plus alongside CCS shops.
Imagine if Tesla may construct automobiles pretty much as good as its chargers? It’d actually be on to one thing at that time.
2nd Gear: Uber, Lyft, Doordash Drivers Going On Strike
Thousands of Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers are anticipated to go on strike on February 14 for truthful pay, so good luck getting a trip or meals on Valentine’s Day. The demonstrations are happening nearly every week after Lyft mentioned it could assure weekly earnings for drivers. It’s a primary for the U.S. ride-hail trade. However, it’s clearly not sufficient. From Reuters:
The drivers, thought-about unbiased contractors, have accused the platforms of taking disproportionately excessive quantities as commissions.
“This is the biggest strike I’ve ever seen, thousands and thousands of drivers … it’s going to be nationwide,” Jonathan Cruz, a driver in Miami and a part of the Justice For App Workers coalition, which represents greater than 100,000 drivers.
Uber mentioned solely a minority of its drivers take part in such strikes, which hardly ever have an effect on enterprise.
[…]
While many drivers join with these companies to complement their revenue from different jobs, some drive full time for the platforms.
“A year into algorithmic pricing, drivers have seen incredible decrease of our pay… whatever calculations and algorithms they’re using, it’s absolutely useless,” Nicole Moore, president of the California-based Rideshare Drivers United union, instructed Reuters on Sunday.
[…]
“By not paying drivers a livable wage, drivers are barely able to afford the bare necessities,” mentioned Shantwan Humphrey, a driver in Dallas, Texas.
In 2023, Uber drivers’ month-to-month common gross earnings fell 17.1 %. in line with Reuters. At the identical time, Lyft drivers declare a 2.5 % enhance. No matter the way you slide it, these of us aren’t getting paid practically sufficient for the companies they supply. Good luck, brothers and sisters.
third Gear: It’s Hard To Value Used EV Batteries
Much like the value of used electrical automobiles, nobody appears to understand how a lot their batteries ought to price both. Depending on the pack, dimension and producer, battery substitutes can vary wherever from $5,000 to $20,000. Those prices can scare off patrons, too.
Valuing an EV’s battery is seemingly not so simple as determining “how much” juice it has left. We’ve received to suppose by way of the distinction between a battery’s well being and its life. Who knew? From Automotive News:
It’s an vital distinction to consider, [Scott Case, Recurrent CEO], mentioned. A used EV battery’s state of well being is a measure of the flexibility of the various lithium ion cells inside to retailer power in contrast with these in a brand new battery. When a battery is new, its capability to retailer power is larger. Depending on elements comparable to age, temperature and charging habits, these cells can degrade.Case mentioned California and the European Union have made pushes to reveal EV battery states of well being, which would come with testing batteries in used EVs to estimate:
Capacity throughout charging
Capacity throughout discharging (i.e. driving)
Resistance, or how arduous it’s for electrons to maneuver out and in of every battery cell, which might have an effect on car efficiency.
Battery life is a complete totally different story.
Battery life, however, may be regarded as how lengthy a battery could also be utilized in a car for transportation functions. Generally, the oldest EV batteries date again to 2010, Case mentioned.
Though some particular person EV batteries from that early period have definitely failed, the trade has not but seen the tip of lifetime of older-generation batteries, Case mentioned.
Here are some extra questions that go into the valuation of an EV’s battery
Can the mile vary of a used EV battery be decided?
It is feasible to look at a person used EV and give you a decent mileage vary for it, Case mentioned. Estimating an actual vary just isn’t possible, he mentioned, as a result of how far an EV can go on a single cost varies wildly in line with exterior temperatures, how the heating and cooling system is getting used, how briskly it’s being pushed and different elements.
What about predicting how lengthy a used EV battery will final?
How lengthy an EV battery will final may be projected primarily based on the way it’s aged thus far, Case mentioned. However, he’s not conscious of anybody who is in a position to try this with precision; there are too many variables that go into it and the long run can’t be identified, he mentioned.
Have EV batteries advanced?
Technology used for EV battery chemistry has progressed since 2010, Case mentioned. It shouldn’t be assumed the battery cells of an EV such because the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E will carry out equally over time to battery cells of a 2012 Nissan Leaf, he mentioned.
Within cause, right now’s EV batteries are going to final a minimum of so long as ones from the early days of EVs, if not longer, Case mentioned.
It simply goes to indicate that no person actually is aware of a lot of something today.
4th Gear: Toyota Cleans House At Daihatsu
Toyota mentioned each the president and chairman of Daihatsu Motor will likely be stepping down virtually a 12 months after the automaker mentioned it had rigged crash security checks, one thing you shouldn’t do should you’re a automobile firm. From Reuters:
The departures are among the many most drastic adjustments Daihatsu has made thus far, as Toyota seeks to return the model to its roots as one among Japan’s most iconic compact automobile makers.
Toyota faces a possible hit to its repute from the security certification lapses at Daihatsu, in addition to separate governance points at truck maker Hino Motors and affiliate Toyota Industries.
The scandals on the three firms triggered a uncommon apology of Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda final month.
In a press release, the world’s top-selling automaker mentioned its chief govt officer for the Latin America and Caribbean area, Masahiro Inoue, will exchange Soichiro Okudaira as Daihatsu’s president efficient March 1.
Daihatsu’s chairman, Sunao Matsubayashi, may even step down and won’t get replaced, Toyota added.
The outgoing Okudaira had labored at Toyota for practically 4 a long time earlier than turning into president of Daihatsu in 2017, a 12 months after it grew to become a completely owned Toyota subsidiary.
Toyota Chief Executive Koji Sato instructed reporters, nonetheless, that the organisational change at Daihatsu was not carried out as a punishment for the outgoing executives.
In phrases of quantity, Daihatsu accounted for less than a small-ish piece of Toyota’s pie: simply 7 % of the automaker’s 11.2 million car gross sales in 2023.
Because of the scandal, Daihatsu is being faraway from a industrial car partnership referred to as the Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies.
Reverse: Pick A Side, Loser
Neutral: I Made Myself Car Sick In A Porsche Cayenne S
On The Radio: Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ‘Em”
Source: jalopnik.com