Reality is that EV vehicle costs are heavily dependent on battery material prices and any breakthrough process would either use cheaper minerals or reduce the price of existing minerals. ICE engines are made from widely available steel and aluminum and lots of labor and factories that build the complex mechanisms involved. EV’s require much less labor but the cost is mostly driven by the cost of minerals in the battery packs that is very expensive.
Maybe we should have expanding mining and made the underlying minerals much cheaper as opposed to subsidizing each individual vehicle.
That article could definitely use some history and or dates. GM AUTOnomy (2002) for example feels like the first time I really recall seeing this design suggested. https://www.adrianchernoff.com/project/autonomy/
qgin · 5h ago
Is this different than what GM has been doing with Ultium?
ARob109 · 3h ago
/s the breakthrough: A basic car with that happens to have EV power train.
The anti-secret: EV power train that accelerated 0-60 in 1s and all the software engineering going into a software defined, internet connected autonomous vehicle with subscription services and such that balloon the costs of a modern vehicle?
philipallstar · 5h ago
> The next-gen “universal” EV platform is the product of Ford’s Silicon Valley-based skunkworks team helmed by Alan Clarke, executive director of advanced EV production and a 12-year veteran of Tesla.
Whatever happens to Tesla the company, its impact on the world's vehicles is indelible.
snowparrot · 5h ago
Except VW and Stellantis do this since many years...
On the other hand, history is littered with car companies that left an indelible impact in the car industry and then went bankrupt.
philipallstar · 2h ago
It's extremely difficult to spend loads of money on R&D without letting your competitors get most of the value of it for nothing.
FirmwareBurner · 4h ago
Yep. Just because you a have a good idea, doesn't mean you can turn it into a profitable business. The graveyard is full of companies that had good ideas.
Cars are a low margin hardware business that's also a highly regulated one where mistakes are expensive. Tough to crack.
readthenotes1 · 4h ago
The silicon valley guy spent a ton of money on chairs and avocado toast and probably said hey let's just do what slate's doing
Maybe we should have expanding mining and made the underlying minerals much cheaper as opposed to subsidizing each individual vehicle.
That article could definitely use some history and or dates. GM AUTOnomy (2002) for example feels like the first time I really recall seeing this design suggested. https://www.adrianchernoff.com/project/autonomy/
The anti-secret: EV power train that accelerated 0-60 in 1s and all the software engineering going into a software defined, internet connected autonomous vehicle with subscription services and such that balloon the costs of a modern vehicle?
Whatever happens to Tesla the company, its impact on the world's vehicles is indelible.
Offer by Stellantis is 20k EUR (below 30k USD) and EU cars have higher security standards by regulation. https://www.motor1.com/news/691992/stellantis-low-cost-car-p...
Cars are a low margin hardware business that's also a highly regulated one where mistakes are expensive. Tough to crack.
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a64580484/slate-truck-ev-p...