General Motors Acquires Battery Software Startup ALGOLiON

PublishedJuly 7, 2023

General Motors Co. announced June 30 it acquired substantially all the assets of Israel-based battery software startup ALGOLiON Ltd. for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition was led by the newly formed Technology Acceleration and Commercialization (TAC) organization, a group within GM that works to identify emerging technology that can support GM’s leadership position in battery development through investments, acquisitions or partnerships.

ALGOLiON, which received early support from the Israeli Innovation Authority, was founded in 2014 by Niles Fleischer, Ph.D., and Alex Nimberger, Ph.D. The company has developed sophisticated software that uses data streams from EV battery management systems to help identify anomalies in cell performance to ensure proper vehicle health management and provide early detection of battery hazards including thermal runaway propagation events.

Fleischer has more than 40 years of experience in the battery industry and more than 80 patents in the field, while Nimberger has deep military and civilian experience in all aspects of lithium-ion battery operating modes and effects analysis.

ALGOLiON’s software, coupled with GM’s internal capabilities and vast experience in delivering best-in-class products at scale, can greatly accelerate time-to-market of a cost-effective early hazard detection system for the benefit of millions of GM’s customers worldwide.  

“ALGOLiON has developed cutting edge battery analytics and prediction software that will help General Motors deliver great performing EVs for our customers,” said Gil Golan, vice president, TAC. 

“The ALGOLiON team is excited to join GM on its track to an all-electric vehicle future,” said Fleischer. “We found the right home for our technology to play an integral role in maintaining healthy batteries for exciting products and reach customers globally.”

The software uses sophisticated algorithms to identify miniscule changes that could impact battery health weeks earlier than other methods in use today without additional hardware or sensors all while the battery is still operating properly. 
 
ALGOLiON employees, including the company’s founders, will remain based in Israel and join more than 850 employees at the GM Technical Center in Herzliya, Israel. The team will be led by Guy Daniely, senior engineering manager.

GM Israel is an integral part of GM’s Global Product Development Group, working on key vehicle programs toward GM’s vision for a future of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. 

The Israeli center specializes in advanced technologies including software and algorithms, machine learning, Software Defined Vehicles, cyber security and user-facing applications for autonomous, electric and connected vehicles that are shaping the future of mobility.

Source: GM
 

Georgia Increases Incentives for Hyundai Bryan County Project

Written by T.A. DeFeo, The Center Square
Published Sept. 12, 2023

Georgia governments and development authorities have increased their incentives to Hyundai Motor Group, but state officials were cagey in confirming the exact amount.

Last year, Hyundai announced it picked Georgia for its first fully dedicated electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facility. The company initially said it planned to invest more than $5.5 billion to build the facility, and LG Energy Solution subsequently announced it was a partner in the battery manufacturing facility.

In late August, Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution announced plans to invest an additional $2 billion in a battery cell manufacturing joint venture in Bryan County, prompting state officials to revise the incentives package.

Under the deal, Hyundai plans to spend roughly $7.6 billion on the facility in the 2,923-acre Bryan County Megasite along Interstate 16. Additionally, state officials said non-affiliated Hyundai suppliers plan to invest roughly $1 billion in the project.

State officials previously confirmed the deal included $1.8 billion in incentives. Under the revised deal, the company will likely receive millions of dollars in additional incentives.

"The only additional discretionary incentive offered by the state for this competitive project was a $2.75 million grant, which reflects the additional jobs being created and investment in the larger commitment by the company," the Georgia Department of Economic Development executive director of communications told The Center Square in an email. She did not respond to numerous requests from The Center Square to clarify incentive numbers.

The company could receive roughly $223.1 million in state income tax credits, up from about $212.6 million under the previous deal.

Hyundai received a 27-year property tax abatement and will begin making "leasehold ad valorem property tax payments" starting in 2026 after it completes the initial construction of its facility. State officials previously said Hyundai would pay more than $357 million during the period; now they say the total is more than $523 million.

Under the revised deal, officials increased the value of the Regional Economic Business Assistance grant---doled out in a pair of payments---from $50 million to $52.7 million. The money will help pay for site development, building or equipment purchases.

State officials said Georgia's Constitution does not allow direct cash grants to companies. So, state officials usually convey money into what they termed "project solutions to aid in speed-to-market for companies."

The new deal increased Georgia Department of Transportation funding for road improvements from $200 million to $210 million. The deal also calls for the state to pay $62.5 million for designing, building and furnishing a Quick Start Training Center and more than $24.8 million to operate it for five years.

We thank The Center Square for reprint permission.

GlobalFoundries, GM to Produce Semiconductor Chips in Upstate NY

PublishedFeb. 10, 2023

General Motors Co.and GlobalFoundrieson Feb. 9 announced a strategic, long-term agreement establishing a dedicated capacity corridor exclusively for GM’s chip supply.

Through this first-of-its-kind agreement, GF will manufacture for GM’s key chip suppliers at GF’s advanced semiconductor facility in Upstate New York, bringing a critical process to the U.S.

This agreement supports GM’s strategy to reduce the number of unique chips needed to power increasingly complex and tech-laden vehicles. With this strategy, chips can be produced in higher volumes and are expected to offer better quality and predictability, maximizing high value content creation for the end customer.

Semiconductors are the foundation of the technologies powering the electrification, autonomous driving and connectivity of the auto industry, and they have been center stage in the global chip shortage that has impacted automakers the last couple of years.

“We see our semiconductor requirements more than doubling over the next several years as vehicles become technology platforms,” said Doug Parks, GM executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain. “The supply agreement with GlobalFoundries will help establish a strong, resilient supply of critical technology in the U.S. that will help GM meet this demand, while delivering new technology and features to our customers.”

“At GF we are committed to working with our customers in new and innovative ways to best address the challenges of today’s global supply chains,” said Dr. Thomas Caulfield, president and CEO of GF. “GF will expand its production capabilities exclusively for GM’s supply chain, enabling us to strengthen our partnership with the automotive industry and New York State, while further accelerating automotive innovation with U.S.-based manufacturing for a more resilient supply chain.”

“This first of its kind agreement between GlobalFoundries and General Motors is going to drive the Capital Region economy forward and ensure Upstate New York remains in the driver’s seat as one of the nation’s leading hubs for semiconductor manufacturing that is so critical to the supply chain of the auto industry. I have long said that Upstate New York’s semiconductor corridor will be a major engine powering America’s technological future, and now ‘Made in New York' chips will help jumpstart the next generation of vehicles for GM across the country,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer.

“Thanks to my CHIPS and Science Act, we are bringing manufacturing back to our country and America’s supply chains are being secured, creating good-paying jobs here in Upstate New York, not overseas," Schumer continued. "This partnership is yet another example that our nation’s future will be built in Upstate New York, with the Capital Region as a global center for the future of the microchip industry.”

“We’re making New York State not only the semiconductor capital of the country---but of the globe,” said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. “This agreement will help to further establish New York State as a major hub for semiconductor manufacturing. With our nation-leading Green CHIPS legislation and the new Governor’s Office of Semiconductor Expansion, Management and Integration, we are helping businesses like GM and GlobalFoundries expand the chips manufacturing ecosystem in our state, creating jobs and opportunities for generations to come.”

GF is responding to the global demand for semiconductors through a series of strategic long-term agreements with existing and new customers and simultaneously expanding global capacity to meet customer demand in partnership with federal and local governments. Supportive policies like the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act are encouraging the onshoring of semiconductor production and reestablishing the U.S. as a global leader of this critical technology.

Source: GM

GM Absorbs BrightDrop Commercial EV Unit, CEO to Leave

The subsidiary has been wholly owned by GM since it was formed in 2021, but will now be integrated "even tighter" into the parent company.

Written by Dan Mihalascu, InsideEVs
Published Nov. 22, 2023

General Motors announced it absorbed BrightDrop, its electric commercial vehicle subsidiary it has wholly owned since January 2021.

Born from GM's Innovation Lab, BrightDrop has acted as a tech startup within General Motors and had operational freedom over the past three years, but starting Nov. 16 it was integrated "even tighter" into the parent company.

"Starting today, BrightDrop will become part of GM. We believe that this move will benefit our fleet customers by providing them with an efficient single point of contact through GM Envolve," the automaker said in a press release announcing the move.

GM Envolve is a business unit created in May that includes products, technologies and services for fleet customers.

General Motors said the reorganization of its electric commercial vehicle unit will help reduce costs, according to Reuters. The company also said BrightDrop CEO Travis Katz would leave at an unspecified date, but did not provide details about his departure.

"As BrightDrop has matured, we are now bringing that ethos back to GM so our work is more efficient and so BrightDrop's startup spirit can help fuel further success with GM's commercial customers," the company said.

GM added not much will change from a manufacturing standpoint, as the company "remains committed to scaling BrightDrop Zevo production."

BrightDrop Zevo 400 and Zevo 600 production is currently paused, but GM expects it to resume in spring 2024, when CAMI's new battery-module plant in Canada will go online to support production of the EVs.

"This new battery-module line will have capacity to fully support Zevo production at CAMI and supplement EV production at other GM plants," GM said.

EV production at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, was halted in October because of delays in the delivery of needed Ultiumbattery modules that power the EVs.

Going forward, the BrightDrop Zevo 400 and Zevo 600 electric delivery vans will remain part of GM Envolve's commercial fleet offerings, the carmaker said. In addition, GM is combining all commercial digital solutions, including BrightDrop Core, into its software and services organization.

General Motors told The Detroit News that BrightDrop's absorption could affect a small number of the electric commercial vehicle unit's employees, though most are expected to integrate into GM.

We thank InsideEVs for reprint permission.

GM and LG Call Off Partnership for 4th Battery Plant; GM Seeks New Partner

Written by Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free Press
Published Jan. 23, 2023

General Motors and LG Energy Solution have tentatively called off plans to build a fourth battery cell plant in the U.S. together as part of their joint venture Ultium Cells LLC, after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on details for that fourth plant, a person familiar with the plans confirmed to the Detroit Free Press on Jan. 20.

GM is expected to seek a new battery cells partner for the fourth plant, the person said. The person asked to not be named because negotiations are private.

GM spokesman Dan Flores told the Free Press that evening, "We are absolutely committed to the fourth battery cell plant in the U.S., but we’re not going to comment on the speculation (about the faltering partnership with LG) that is out there now.”

To read more, see the Detroit Free Press.

The dealerships opted to not invest in being able to sell and service EVs.

GM Delays Electric Pickup Production as EV Demand Levels Off

The automaker plans to make engineering changes to increase the profitability of the electric Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra.

Written by Autobody News Staff
Published Oct. 17, 2023

General Motorsis pumping the brakes on production of electric versions of its full-size pickups, to make engineering changes to increase profitability in light of decreasing demand for electric vehicles in general.

The electric versions of the ChevroletSilverado and GMCSierra were originally intended to go into production at GM’s Orion Township, MI, factory in 2024, but that date has been pushed back to 2025, the Associated Press reported.

The plant will continue to produce the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV through the end of this year, and will then be offered jobs at other Michigan plants until the Orion Township factory reopens.

Motorintelligence.com reported demand for EVs is leveling off after a few years of explosive growth. In August, car buyers bought 111,000 EVs representing 8.3% of total sales. In September, that fell to 106,000, or 7.9% of sales.

GM Delays Opening of Ultium Cells Plant in Tennessee

The plant, which will produce cells for longer-lasting, more affordable EVs, was originally set to open by the end of this year.

Written by Joey Klender, Teslarati
Published Oct. 27, 2023

General Motors has delayed the opening of its Ultium Cells production plant in Spring Hill, TN, originally scheduled before the end of 2023, due to construction delays, the automaker said in its Q3 earnings call in late October.

GM’s Ultium project will enable a new platform of EVs for the legacy automaker, bringing a software-based offensive to one of the U.S.’s best-selling car companies and a major player in the EV sector. The company has been producing Ultium cells at another plant in Warren, OH.

GM Authority noted the automaker is also planning to bump up starting wages for production operators and quality inspectors at the Spring Hill plant.

GM is one of three automakers that has been in tense negotiations with the UAW, attempting to come to terms over a new contract that would increase pay and benefits for unionized workers. Forddid so late Oct. 25, ending weeks of work stoppages, but Stellantis and GM are still negotiating.

GM’s Spring Hill plant is expected to come online in early 2024, ramping up the availability of Ultium cells that will be available for EVs that will operate under the platform.

The Ultium cells will increase affordability, enable faster charging times and increase vehicle longevity. Seven current GM models are using Ultium cells: GMCHummer EV, BrightDropZevo 600 van, ChevroletSilverado EV, Chevrolet Blazer EV, CadillacLYRIQ, BuickElectra E5 and Buick Electra E4.

Additionally, future vehicles, including the Equinox EV, HondaPrologue, Escalade IQ, the next Chevrolet Bolt and the ultra-luxurious Cadillac Celestiq, will operate on the Ultium platform.

We thank Teslarati for reprint permission.

GM Eyes $200M Plant for Sierra, Silverado EV Parts Production

Written by Maria Merano, Teslarati
Published May 1, 2023

General Motors is considering the former site of The Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan for a $200 million electric vehicle parts plant. The new factory would be close to GM’s Orion assembly plant and would likely supply parts for the ChevySilverado EV and GMCSierra EV.

“General Motors has identified the former Palace of Auburn Hills site as a potential location for a supplier park to support its Orion Assembly Plant, which will be expanded to produce electric pickup trucks. The company is still determining the scope of work and which supplier will have operations in support of the plant,” GM said.

GM’s proposal for a $200 million parts plant in Michigan is on the May 3 agenda of the City of Auburn Hills’ Planning Commission meeting. PAH Real Estate LLC is requesting the commission’s approval on a planned unit development option to construct a 1.1 million-square-foot light industrial building on an 87.3-acre site. According to the proposal, GM plans to use 81% of the property The Palace of Auburn Hills area formerly occupied.

GM plans to start construction by July. The legacy automaker aims to complete the industrial space by November 2024, when it plans to begin production on the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV at the Orion Assembly Plant. PAH Real Estate LLC’s proposal said GM wants to develop a separate facility because there is limited space in the Orion Assembly Plant “to perform pre-assemblies.”

GM plans to lease the Palace of Auburn Hills site from Schostak, which is also tapped to develop the site. GM expects to generate approximately 1,000 new jobs in the area with the new facility, which will operate 24 hours a day in three shifts.

We thank Teslarati for reprint permission.

The electric SUV's first owners have reported issues with in-vehicle screens and difficulties using DC fast charging.

GM Has Designed a Small Electric Pickup Truck to Gauge Interest

Written by Adrian Padeanu, Motor1.com
Published Jan. 20, 2023

The ChevroletS10 is a small truck General Motors refuses to sell in the U.S. to compete with the FordMaverick and HyundaiSanta Cruz. Instead, GM is toying with the idea of a purely electric pickup that would have two doors, a low roofline and a 4- to 4.5-foot-long bed.

Automotive News saw marketing images of the zero-emission workhorse while visiting GM's design studio in Warren, MI. It's apparently "futuristic and sporty," while being slightly smaller than the compact gas trucks from Ford and Hyundai.

It's unclear which badge it would wear should it be approved for production, nor is it known what it would be called. If green-lighted, the production model would cost less than $30,000.

Chevrolet's director of affordable EV and crossover design, Michael Pevovar, said GM is "creating these [designs] to get a reaction and then to try to modify it or move on. What does work? What doesn't work? What's expected? Affordability is the key portion of this, and there's lots of different ways to approach it."

Pevovar said it might end up being too small for the architecture the engineers have in mind, so it could ride on a different platform.

Whatever the case may be, Pevovar emphasized it needs to be affordable. It's too early to say if it would ride on a dedicated electric platform or an adaptation of an existing truck.

Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, believes it would be the latter scenario, by giving the S10 an electric drivetrain. This is just speculation at this point.

Chevrolet also has the third-generation Montana, unveiled at the end of 2022, a front-wheel-drive smaller truck with a turbocharged 1.2-liter gasoline engine making 133 horsepower. AutoForecast Solutions' representative suggested GM's cheap electric pickup might be related to the Montana.

We thank Motor1.com for reprint permission.

GM Increases Price on Both Chevrolet Bolt EV Models, Citing Higher Costs

Written by Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free Press
Published Jan. 3, 2023

General Motors is boosting the price for the ChevroletBolt and Bolt EUV by hundreds of dollars due to increased pressures on prices across the industry.

The move, effective Jan. 2, came about six months after the automaker dramatically slashed entry prices for both all-electric vehicles by about $6,000.

"Due to ongoing industry-related pricing pressures, the Chevy Bolt EV and EUV will see modest price increases starting in 2023, but we expect it to remain America’s most affordable EV," said Cody Williams, Chevrolet spokesman, in a statement to the Free Press. "Chevrolet remains committed in its long-standing role to provide true value. We expect to continue building the record sales momentum we saw in 2022."

To read more, see the Detroit Free Press.

GM Investing $650M to Develop Major U.S. Lithium Mine

PublishedJan. 31, 2023

General Motors Co.and Lithium Americas Corp. announced Jan. 31 they will jointly invest to develop the Thacker Pass mine in Nevada, the largest known source of lithium in the U.S. and the third largest in the world.

Under the agreement, GM will make a $650 million equity investment in Lithium Americas, which represents the largest-ever investment by an automaker to produce battery raw materials.

Lithium Americas estimates the lithium extracted and processed from the project can support production of up to 1 million EVs per year.

Lithium carbonate from Thacker Pass will be used in GM’s proprietary Ultiumbattery cells. Lithium is a key material in lithium-ion batteries and stands up well to repeated charging and discharging---including enabling fast charging---delivers higher energy density and offers more usable capacity than other battery types.

GM is launching a broad portfolio of trucks, SUVs, luxury vehicles and light commercial vehicles using the Ultium Platform, including the GMCHUMMER EV Pickup and SUV, GMC Sierra EV, CadillacLYRIQ, Cadillac CELESTIQ, Chevrolet Silverado EV, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV, BrightDropZevo 400 and BrightDrop Zevo 600.

“GM has secured all the battery material we need to build more than 1 million EVs annually in North America in 2025 and our future production will increasingly draw from domestic resources like the site in Nevada we’re developing with Lithium Americas,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. “Direct sourcing critical EV raw materials and components from suppliers in North America and free-trade-agreement countries helps make our supply chain more secure, helps us manage cell costs and creates jobs.”

“The agreement with GM is a major milestone in moving Thacker Pass toward production, while setting a foundation for the separation of our U.S. and Argentine businesses,” said Lithium Americas President and CEO Jonathan Evans. “This relationship underscores our commitment to develop a sustainable domestic lithium supply chain for electric vehicles. We are pleased to have GM as our largest investor, and we look forward to working together to accelerate the energy transition while spurring job creation and economic growth in America.”

GM’s investment will be split between two tranches. The funds for the first tranche will be held in escrow until certain conditions are met, including the outcome of the Record of Decision ruling currently pending in U.S. District Court. If those conditions are met, the funds will be released and GM will become a shareholder in Lithium Americas. The escrow release is expected to occur no later than the end of 2023.

The second tranche investment is expected to be made into Lithium Americas’ U.S.-focused lithium business following the separation of its U.S. and Argentina businesses and is contingent on similar conditions, including Lithium Americas securing sufficient capital to fund the development expenditures to support Thacker Pass.

Production at Thacker Pass is projected to begin in the second half of 2026. In connection with the closing of the first tranche investment, GM will receive exclusive access to Phase 1 production through a binding supply agreement and has the right of first offer on Phase 2 production.

Lithium Americas expects Thacker Pass to create 1,000 jobs in construction and 500 in operations.

GM has announced four U.S. cell plants with annual capacity of 160 gigawatt hours, including the Ultium Cells joint venture plant with LG Energy Solution in Warren, OH, which is in production, and additional sites in Spring Hill, TN, and Lansing, MI, that are scheduled to open in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The first three Ultium Cells plants are expected to create 6,000 jobs in construction and 5,000 in operations.

GM is currently building EVs in two Michigan plants, one Tennessee plant and one Ontario plant, and its suppliers are investing to create a robust North America-focused supply chain for EV raw materials, processed material and components, with major projects under way in California, Texas, Ohio and Quebec.

Source: General Motors Co.

GM Investing $918 Million in 4 U.S. Facilities for V-8 Engine Production, EV Components

PublishedJan. 20, 2023

General Motors Co. announced Jan. 20 plans to invest $918 million in four U.S. manufacturing sites, including $854 million to prepare these facilities to produce the company’s sixth generation Small Block V-8 engine and an additional $64 million in Rochester, NY, and Defiance, OH, for castings and components to support EV production.

These investments will enable the company to strengthen its industry-leading full-size truck and SUV business and continue to support the company’s growing EV product portfolio. Product details, timing, performance and features related to GM’s next gen V-8 engine are not being released at this time.

The announcement brings GM’s U.S. manufacturing facility investment commitments to more than $37 billion since 2013, including the Ultium Cells LLC joint venture plants.

"Today we are announcing significant investments to strengthen our industry-leading lineup of full-size pickups and SUVs by preparing four U.S. facilities to build GM’s sixth generation Small Block V-8 engine,” said Gerald Johnson, GM executive vice president of global manufacturing and sustainability. “These investments, coupled with the hard work and dedication of our team members in Flint, Bay City, Rochester and Defiance, enable us to build world-class products for our customers and provide job security at these plants for years to come.”

These investments bolster GM’s U.S. manufacturing operations, which includes more than 50 assembly, stamping, propulsion and component plants and parts distribution centers nationwide. It also highlights the company’s commitment to continue providing customers a strong portfolio of ICE vehicles well into the future while continuing to accelerate its transformation to an all-electric future.

Details of the announcement include:

Flint Engine Operations& in Michigan

GM will invest $579 million to prepare the plant to assemble GM’s sixth generation family of Small Block V-8 gas engines along with the related block, crank and head machining. Work at the facility will begin immediately. Flint will continue building the 3.0L turbo-diesel during the facility renovations. GM’s 3.0L diesel is used in a variety of light-duty truck applications.

Bay City GPS in Michigan

GM will invest $216 million to prepare the facility to build camshafts, connecting rods and block/head machining supporting future V-8 production at Flint Engine Operations.

Defiance Operations in Ohio

GM will invest $55 million in the Defiance facility. $47 million will be invested to prepare the facility to build a variety of block castings to support future V-8 engine programs. In addition, the investment includes $8 million to build a casting development cell for castings to support future EV strategies.

Rochester Operations in New York

GM will invest a total of $68 million in the Rochester facility. $12 million will be invested to prepare the facility to build intake manifolds and fuel rails for the future V-8 production at Flint Engine Operations. In addition, the investment includes $56 million for the production of battery pack cooling lines for EV production.

“Our union celebrates the announcement of these new investments into our GM facilities, which will benefit our members at Locals 659 (Flint), 362 (Bay City), 211 (Defiance) and 1097 (Rochester),” said UAWPresident Ray Curry. “The skill and dedication of UAW members are a key part of GM’s success, and this investment recognizes that our members will remain a vital part of GM’s future.”

“The teams in Rochester and Defiance are also leading our transformation to an all-electric future,” Johnson added. “Their flexibility to build components for both internal combustion and electric vehicles highlights why our manufacturing team is second to none.”

Source: GM

GM Joins Ford in Adopting Tesla Supercharger Network and Connector

Written by Joey Klender, Telsarati
Published June 9, 2023

General Motors announced June 8 it will collaborate with Tesla to integrate the company’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector into GM's electric vehicles starting in 2025, while also expanding access to charge its EVs at Tesla Supercharger locations across 12,000 points in North America.

GM becomes the second company to adopt the NACS connector and come to terms with Tesla on some of its Supercharger Network, following Ford.

“This agreement complements GM’s ongoing investments in charging, reinforcing the company’s focus on expanding charging access across home, workplace and public spaces and builds on the more than 134,000 chargers available to GM EV drivers today through the company’s Ultium Charge 360 initiative and mobile apps,” GM said in a statement.

Tesla came to terms with Ford earlier in June to open 12,000 North American charging locations to the Detroit-based automaker, in an unprecedented move that seems to be the beginning of a constructive alliance among U.S. automakers to make charging options more available.

“Our vision of the all-electric future means producing millions of world-class EVs across categories and price points, while creating an ecosystem that will accelerate mass EV adoption,” GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra said. “This collaboration is a key part of our strategy and an important next step in quickly expanding access to fast chargers for our customers. Not only will it help make the transition to electric vehicles more seamless for our customers, but it could help move the industry toward a single North American charging standard.”

The Supercharger Network will open to GM vehicles starting in 2024 and drivers will initially need to use an adapter for charging. However, GM will start making its EVs with the NACS inlet for direct access to Tesla Superchargers.

Tesla Superchargers will also be integrated into GM’s vehicle and mobile apps, helping drivers locate, pay for and initiate charging at the automaker’s class-leading EV chargers.

“Our mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy,” said Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s senior director of charging infrastructure. “Giving every EV owner access to ubiquitous and reliable charging is a cornerstone of that mission. We’re excited to work with other industry leaders like General Motors to provide access to the Tesla Supercharger Network via the North American Charging Standard.”

Tesla announced earlier this year it will open its superchargers in the U.S. to all EVs in an effort to gain a slice of the $7.5 billion government-funded Bipartisan Infrastructure Law introduced by President Joe Biden.

We thank Teslarati for reprint permission.

GM Leads $50 Million Funding in U.S.-Based Lithium Supply Company

PublishedApril 12, 2023

Energy Exploration Technologies Inc. (EnergyX) and General Motors Co. on April 11 announced GM Ventures is leading a $50 million financing round in the lithium supply company, and has entered into a strategic agreement to develop its extraction and refinery technology.

The collaboration is focused on unlocking the North American supply of lithium, a critical material for EV batteries, by using EnergyX’s innovative process to maximize efficiency while improving sustainability for GM’s rapidly scaling EV production.

EnergyX’s direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology portfolio can make lithium metal directly from brine and potentially in anode-ready form for EV batteries, which enables more cost-effective and sustainable lithium recovery to unlock a vast lithium supply chain in North America that may otherwise be unviable.

GM is investing in every stage of the battery supply chain in North America, from raw materials, to processing, to cell components and full battery cell production.

The extensive collaboration between these two American companies includes three key components:

• A technology development program to support commercialization of EnergyX’s advanced DLE and refinery processes, which could complement or replace traditional methods of evaporation ponds
• An agreement enabling GM to access competitive lithium offtakes for GM’s exclusive use in EV production, including material sourced from North and South American mining companies contracted by EnergyX
• Additional strategic financing for lithium production projects in North and South America, using EnergyX’s technology to drive potential supply chain opportunities for GM

“The EnergyX team of scientists and engineers have worked relentlessly for five years developing cutting-edge DLE technology to solve the immense bottlenecks that have limited global lithium production and supply chain,” said Teague Egan, CEO, EnergyX. “This single bottleneck---a massive lithium shortage---is the biggest challenge to scaling EV production. We will unlock lithium supply in the U.S., a pivotal move in expanding the EV industry.

“There are many ways of gauging success, but few are more rewarding than the support of leaders like GM,” Egan continued. “We’re energized by GM’s investment and will keep a ‘Day 1’ attitude as we pursue our goal of making EnergyX the biggest lithium company in the world.”

“We are committed to securing EV critical minerals that are sustainable and cost competitive to maintain our leadership position among automakers,” said Jeff Morrison, GM vice president of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain.

In 2022, EnergyX became the first firm to design, build and commission an in-field pilot plant in the Lithium Triangle, which encompasses more than 65% of the known global lithium reserves. The company’s LiTAS™ technology increases lithium recovery rates to more than 90% from the current industry standard of 30-40% using ponds and hit 94% during field trials.

After a successful five-month pilot program proving the efficacy of the LiTAS™ lithium refinery process, EnergyX will scale those systems to more robust market demonstration plants located at five regional test beds in North and South America, followed by full-scale commercialization.

This new round of financing, funded by GM and other investors, helps solidify EnergyX as one of the world leaders in DLE technology and will also enable the company to broaden its research and development efforts for pure lithium metal anodes and its solid-state lithium metal battery program, SoLiS™.

Amid building a 40,000-square-foot innovation and manufacturing facility in Austin, TX, to house its growing operation, EnergyX currently counts more than 50 employees and will increase that number to 100 in the coming months.

Source: GM

GM Promises to Speed Up EV Production After Slow Rollout in First Half

Written by Iulian Dnistran, InsideEVs
Published July 19, 2023

General Motors has had a rough first half of the year when it comes to the number of all-electric vehicles delivered throughout the U.S. The big GMCHummer EV pickup that debuted in 2021 saw just 49 units delivered, while 2,316 of the more affordable CadillacLYRIQ reached customers.

However, the American automotive powerhouse is keen to make up for lost time and churn out many more new EVs in this second half of the year. The Detroit Free Press reported GM is coming up to speed on battery capacity and building momentum, quoting GM North American President Rory Harvey, who spoke during the unveiling of the 2024 ChevroletTraverse.

Per the source, Harvey admitted to a slow ramp-up for the LYRIQ and Hummer EV, pointing to a single supply part issue related to battery module availability. Both the Cadillac luxury SUV and GMC’s so-called supertruck are based on the firm’s Ultium platform and batteries are sourced from Ultium Cells LLC in Ohio, a joint venture with LG Energy Solution.

One other source, which wanted to remain anonymous, said the supply chain issues go deeper than just battery modules.

"We’ve had supply issues---anything in the supply chain---could be the drive units, anything... you get one part and suddenly it’s a different one that's needed,” the person told the Detroit Free Press, adding the production of the GMC Hummer SUV, which started this spring, is moving slow.

Logistics are another problem that needs to be sorted out by GM, CEO Mary Barra said in June. Chevrolet Vice President Scott Bellsaid it’s still the biggest challenge for the automaker.

"The supply chain is not quite the topic it was six months ago, but it's still out there," Bell told the media at the launch of the Traverse. "Logistics is where we've spent a lot of time recently with the rails. Getting them from the plant to the customers is the problem."

The Free Press reported in June a shortage of rail cars is plaguing the entire auto industry, as roughly 70,000 new vehicles are waiting at factory parking lots to be delivered to dealerships.

"So it was always going to be a low volume in the early months," Harvey said. "All of the debut edition vehicles there are all built. If you look at our sales volume last month and the month before---they continue to increase. This month they will continue to increase. So we’ve got good, positive momentum now.”

We thank InsideEVs for reprint permission.

GM Reports 11.1% Growth in Revenue Year-Over-Year in Q1

PublishedApril 25, 2023

GMon April 25 announced its financial results from the first three months of 2023, reporting $40 billion in revenue---an 11.1% growth compared to the first quarter of 2022---thanks in part to industry-leading fleet and commercial sales, and enough EV sales to make it the No. 2 electric automaker in the U.S.

In her letter to shareholders, GM CEO Mary Barra said the company was able to deliver “strong earnings thanks to healthy customer demand for our vehicles, our intense focus on operational excellence, and great teamwork between GM, our dealers, our suppliers and our unions.”

Barra said GM delivered more than 20,000 EVs thanks to rising CadillacLYRIQ sales and the third consecutive quarter of record ChevroletBolt EV and Bolt EUV deliveries---which Barra later said are being discontinued this year to make way for production of the new all-electric Chevrolet Silverado and GMCSierra pickups.

In addition to moving up to No. 2 in the U.S. EV market, GM increased its EV market share by 8 percentage points.

“This is also the breakout year for GM EVs and the UltiumPlatform,” Barra said, reiterating GM’s plans to produce 400,000 EVs through the first half of 2024, including 50,000 EVs in North America in the first half of this year, and double that in the second half.

“In the weeks and months ahead, we will be sharing exciting news about our growing portfolio of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac and BrightDropEVs,” Barra said. “This includes demonstrating that ‘work’ and ‘range’ are not mutually exclusive terms for the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV.”

Barra said GM and its suppliers will be announcing more investments as GM scales EV production and builds its domestic supply base, including the news, also announced April 25, that GM is partnering with Samsung SDI to open a fourth U.S. battery cell plant.

“All in all, it remains a truly exciting time for General Motors, and we thank you for your continued support and confidence,” Barra said.

Source: GM

GM Says Its Dealers Have Fixed Over 11,000 Tesla EVs Since 2021

Written by Stephen Rivers, CarScoops
Published Nov. 22, 2022

General Motors has a “new business”---servicing Teslaelectric vehicles at its dealerships.

Since 2021, GM claimed, its dealers have fixed more than 11,000 Tesla EVs across the nation. The business is a growing one, GM said, at a time when Tesla is still fine-tuning its own service model.

During the Detroit carmaker’s Investor Day on Nov. 17 in New York City, General Motors revealed a new source of income: fixing Teslas.

GM President Mark Reuss dropped that bombshell while talking to investors and analysts. “That’s a growing business for us,” he said before adding, “I gotta say it’s a new business.”

Servicing Tesla vehicles is unexpected but it’s easy to see the benefit for both sides. General Motors gets a stream of revenue it wasn’t planning on, while customers are not having to wait on what can be lengthy turnaround times for service through Tesla itself.

As Barronsrightly pointed out, Tesla doesn’t have a network of dealers. While it does have its own service centers, they aren’t as numerous as GM dealers across the nation. That, in part, may be one reason many Tesla customers have reported long wait times for service appointments.

It’s worth noting Reuss didn’t go into detail about exactly what services GM dealers are performing on Tesla vehicles. CarScoopsreached out to GM for more information.

It is also unknown how many vehicles are no longer under warranty with Tesla. In addition, many deeper functions are things only Tesla service centers can affect. But that doesn’t mean this revenue stream isn’t a big win for both sides.

Having the ability to get service completed in a single day impacts customer satisfaction in a large way. Surely, that’s why Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a large push towards improving the service experience for customers earlier this year.

Now, with his attention split even further by Twitter, it’ll be interesting to track how much Tesla’s service improves in 2023. Either way, the gap between the two automakers might be shrinking.

We thank CarScoops for reprint permission.

New federal rules took effect Jan. 1, leaving the Chevy Bolt the lone EV in GM's lineup currently eligible for the full tax credit.

GM, Australian Company Partner to Build EV Battery Component Factory in Louisiana

PublishedJune 27, 2023

General Motors Co. and Element 25 Limited announced June 26 an agreement for Element 25 to supply up to 32,500 metric tons of manganese sulfate annually to support the annual production of more than 1 million GM EVs in North America.

Under the agreement, GM will provide Element 25 with an $85 million loan to partially fund the construction of a new facility in the state of Louisiana for production of battery-grade manganese sulfate---a key component in lithium-ion battery cathodes---starting in 2025. Element 25 will produce manganese sulfate at the facility by processing manganese concentrate from its mining operations in Australia. It is expected to be the first facility of its kind in the U.S.

“GM is scaling EV production in North America well past 1 million units annually and our direct investments in battery raw materials, processing and components for EVs are providing certainty of supply, favorable commercial terms and thousands of new jobs, especially in the U.S., Canada and free trade agreement countries like Australia,” said Doug Parks, GM executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. “The facility E25 will build in Louisiana is significant because it's expected be the first plant in the United States to produce battery-grade manganese sulfate, a key component of cathode active material which helps improve EV battery cell cost.”

Element 25 Managing Director Justin Brown said: “E25 is working to be a leading source of high quality, vertically integrated, traceable and ESG-compliant battery material to the global electric vehicle industry and GM’s support does more than accelerate our expansion in the United States. Together, we are creating a resilient and sustainable North American supply chain that will help introduce millions of customers to the performance and environmental benefits of EVs.”

Element 25 expects to invest approximately $290 million to build a 230,000-square-foot facility. Site preparation is planned to begin in the third quarter of 2023 and the plant is scheduled to open in 2025. The facility is projected to create around 200 permanent jobs when it is fully operational.

GM continues to strengthen its domestic supply base for EV production. In addition to manganese sulfate, GM has announced direct investments in lithium, nickel and other commodities, as well as cathode active material (CAM) and CAM precursor. GM and its joint venture partners are installing 160GWh of battery cell manufacturing capacity in the U.S., and its suppliers are onshoring production of permanent magnets and other EV components to North America. To date, these initiatives are creating thousands of jobs in states and provinces including California, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, Ontario and Quebec.

Source: GM

GM, Honda Scrapping EV Partnership

The collaboration was meant to produce entry-level, affordable EVs, a strategy both companies no longer intend to pursue.

Written by Joey Klender, Teslarati
Published Oct. 25, 2023

General Motors and Hondaare scrapping a partnership intended to develop EVs to chase after U.S. market leader Tesla.

GM CEO Mary Barra said during the company’s Q3 earnings call Oct. 24 it is shifting its plan from entry-level, affordable EVs in an attempt to gain profitability and recover margins, as the automaker is one of several dealing with UAW strikes.

Barra also said in the call GM is eliminating a specific $5 billion commitment over the next several years. GM confirmed Barra was referring to its partnership with Honda.

“After extensive studies and analysis, we have come to a mutual decision to discontinue the program. Each company remains committed to affordability in the EV market,” GM and Honda said in a joint statement reported by Reuters.

In April 2022, the companies vowed to “share our best technology, design and manufacturing strategies to deliver affordable and desirable EVs on a global scale, including our key markets in North America, South America and China.” It was a step for both companies to achieve carbon neutrality in global products and operations by 2040, as well as eliminate tailpipe emissions from light-duty vehicles in the U.S. by 2035.

The partnership was to yield EVs in price points below $30,000, which GM has managed to do on its own with the ChevroletBolt EV. The companies expected to develop a lineup of these low-priced EVs by 2027.

However, it was also expected to result in potential partnerships that would develop other “EV battery technology collaboration opportunities, to further drive down the cost of electrification, improve performance and drive sustainability for future vehicles.”

It seems there was simply not enough in the cards for the partnership to flourish after both companies potentially took into account current macroeconomic conditions.

“After studying this for a year, we decided that this would be difficult as a business, so at the moment, we are ending development of an affordable EV,” Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe told Bloomberg.

The news came just one week after Honda and GM announced plans to develop driverless ride services in Japan with Cruise.

We thank Teslarati for reprint permission.

The partnership aims to create a thoughtful, practical and accessible charging experience, especially for long-distance EV travel.

GM, Samsung SDI to Build $3B EV Battery Manufacturing Plant

PublishedApril 25, 2023

General Motors Co. and Samsung SDI announced April 25 they plan to invest more than $3 billion to build a new battery cell manufacturing plant in the U.S. targeted to begin operations in 2026.

“GM’s supply chain strategy for EVs is focused on scalability, resiliency, sustainability and cost-competitiveness. Our new relationship with Samsung SDI will help us achieve all these objectives,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. “The cells we will build together will help us scale our EV capacity in North America well beyond 1 million units annually.”

“It is a great pleasure to take the very first step to create a long-term industry-leading partnership with GM in the U.S. EV market,” said Samsung SDI President and CEO Yoon-ho Choi. “We will do our best to provide the products featuring the highest levels of safety and quality produced with our unrivalled technologies to help GM strengthen its leadership in the EV market.”

The plant will have more than 30 GWh of capacity and will bring GM’s total U.S. battery cell capacity to about 160 GWh when it is at full production.

The companies plan to jointly operate the facility, and it is projected to have production lines to build nickel-rich prismatic and cylindrical cells.

According to Doug Parks, GM executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, the new joint venture with Samsung SDI will leverage the capital and technology of both companies to create new competitive advantages for GM.

“We will continue to scale production and optimize the chemistry of our pouch cells for performance, range and cost using new approaches pioneered at GM’s Wallace Battery Center and by our technology partners,” he said. “The introduction of new cell form factors will allow us to expand into even more segments more quickly and integrate cells directly into battery packs to reduce weight, complexity and costs. With multiple strong cell partners, we can scale our EV business faster than we could going it alone.”

The UltiumPlatform was strategically designed to accept multiple cell form factors and chemistries. For example, in China, the CadillacLYRIQ is powered by prismatic cells applied to the same battery packs used in the U.S.

GM and Samsung SDI are not announcing the location of the plant or employment projections at this time, however, the number of new jobs in construction and operations are expected to number in the thousands. As customer demand for EVs rises, GM will continue to scale its supply chain and operations, including cell production and vehicle assembly.

Source: GM

GM’s Cruise Bringing Self-Driving Robotaxis to Nashville

Written by Simon Alvarez, Teslarati
Published Aug. 1, 2023

CruiseCEO Kyle Vogt said the company will expand its robotaxi service to Nashville, TN. The launch of the driverless service in the city is part of the GM subsidiary’s efforts to accelerate its commercial operations.

Cruise’s self-driving cars are expected to arrive on Nashville streets soon, with the company’s robotaxi service launching later. Cruise does not seem to be focused on Nashville alone, as the company also disclosed plans to initiate testing in multiple new cities. Based on Cruise’s posts on its Careers page, Atlanta would appear to be one of the next cities.

A year ago, Cruise was limited to operating only in San Francisco. Since then, the company has expanded its services to Austin, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and, most recently, Miami, as noted in a TechCrunch report. But while Cruise has ventured into these markets, it has yet to commence full commercial operations in all of them.

Cruise has established a rollout strategy, which involves deploying test vehicles in a new market, gradually removing human safety operators to achieve fully autonomous driving, and offering ride-hailing services to employees and pre-registered customers. Once these are accomplished, the service and its hours of operation are expanded.

Vogt said Cruise’s capability to scale its operations is thanks in no small part to its city-first strategy, which begins with generalized tech that is then tweaked to fit specific scenarios. With such scenarios in place, each new city the service is deployed to will likely involve less work than the last.

“What we had to do was find the areas where our AV system didn’t generalize well and fix it. In some cases, it was as simple as retraining our ML models using data from the new city. In some cases, we found we had to redesign parts of a system,” Vogt said.

We thank Teslarati for reprint permission.

GM’s Cruise Self-Driving Unit Hit with NHTSA Probe

Written by Joey Klender, Teslarati
Published Dec. 16, 2022

General Motors’ self-driving unit Cruisehas been hit with a probe from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for issues with its autonomous driving system.

The agency opened the investigation Dec. 12, according to NHTSA documents, to look into its received complaints regarding “incidents in which Automated Driving System (ADS) equipped vehicles operated by Cruise LLC may engage in inappropriately hard braking or become immobilized while operating in the specified Operational Design Domain (ODD).”

The NHTSA said it has received three reports of ADS initiating hard braking maneuvers “in response to another road user that was quickly approaching from the rear.”

Documents shared by the agency show there have been three crashes and fires, two incidents that resulted in injuries and two injuries.

Along with reports of hard braking, the NHTSA also said it received complaints regarding Cruise vehicles becoming immobilized:

“With respect to the incidents of vehicle immobilization, NHTSA has been notified of multiple reports involving Cruise ADS equipped vehicles, operating without onboard human supervision, becoming immobilized…These immobilizations may increase the risk to exiting passengers," NHTSA said. "Further, immobilization may cause other road users to make abrupt or unsafe maneuvers to avoid colliding with the immobilized Cruise vehicle, by, for example, diverting into oncoming lanes of traffic or into bike lanes."

NHTSA also said immobilizations may present a secondary safety risk by obstructing the paths of emergency response vehicles, delaying response times.

The NHTSA is not aware how many immobilization incidents have occurred, but said it has learned about multiple instances of it happening through “discussions with Cruise, media reports and submissions from local authorities, such as the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA).”

According to CNBC, Cruise believes the crashes can be attributed to vehicles “predicting and responding to the behavior of aggressive or erratic road actors.” These actions were taken to minimize the severity of an accident and potentially decrease the risk of injury.

Cruise secured the first-ever permit to charge for self-driving car rides in San Francisco in June. By September, GM had already shipped the first software updates to Cruise vehicles, after a crash three months earlier left two injured.

We thank Teslarati for reprint permission.

In a letter to President Joe Biden, the governors said they want to preserve consumer choice in buying vehicles.

Governor: New EV Program will Help Vermont Reach Climate Goals

Written by Brent Addleman, The Center Square
Published July 6, 2023

A new electric vehicle charging program in Vermont is getting an infusion of cash.

The Vermont Community Electric Vehicle Chargers Incentive Program is getting $7 million in funding, Gov. Phil Scottsaid, that will be used to make electric transportation equitable and more accessible to state residents.

According to a release, the investment follows a $1 million appropriation from the General Assembly in the spring of 2022. That funding created a pilot program to incentivize Vermont residents to install charging stations at multi-unit affordable housing units.

“To meet our carbon emissions goals, we have to make it easier for Vermonters and visitors to convert to cleaner energy,” the Republican governor said in a release. “That’s why EV infrastructure has been an area of focus for my administration and partners throughout the state. In fact, Vermont leads the nation in the number of public charging stations per capita.

“This program will help us increase equity in our electrification efforts, particularly in locations where charging solutions are not as straightforward as in single-family, owner-occupied homes.”

Vermont population is estimated just under 650,000 in 2023. In January, there were 8,875 electric vehicles registered. The 2020 census said more than 600,000 vehicles---all energy forms---were registered.

According to a release, the program will be administered by Green Mountain Power through the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Marie McClure, president and CEO of Green Mountain Power, said the program would help the state increase the transition to electric vehicles.

“A robust and widespread charging network is essential infrastructure to help us reach our carbon emissions reduction goals,” McClure said in a statement. “By working together, we can continue to lead the nation in clean energy by continuing to reduce carbon emissions from transportation.”

According to a release, the new program will build on the pilot program’s success, which helped install 84 new Level 2 charging ports at 37 locations in eight counties. The program anticipates supporting the elimination of barriers for at-home charging and could support 6,230 multi-family homes.

According to a release, incentives will be doled out on a first-come, first-served basis for eligible applicants. Pre-approved electrical contractors and local electric utilities will also provide technical assistance for those with little to no experience with charging stations.

According to a release, caps are being placed on the incentives issued per applicant, site and county.

According to a release, the program is open to all Vermont residents, and women- or minority-owned stations will have a 0% match. Nonprofits, government agencies or multi-unit homes with 50% or greater affordable housing units will feature a 5% applicant match.

For-profit organizations or multi-unit homes with 51% or more market-rate units will have a 10% applicant match, and incentives for Level 3 charging stations at community attractions will be issued through a competitive process, which will be announced later this year.

We thank The Center Square for reprint permission.

Green Repairs Driving Next Chapter for Storied WA Collision Business

PublishedApril 21, 2023

When the Murray family patriarch Bj. Bjorneby founded Bjorneby’s Auto Rebuild in the Seattle area some 50 years ago, he never could have envisioned electric vehicles---never mind fixing them.

Today, Bjorneby’s grandson Kyle Murray is focused on just that, with one facility in Des Moines, WA, dedicated solely to Teslaand other EV repairs.

The family has numerous locations throughout Seattle where Kyle’s mother Wendy Murray, father Patrick and uncle Thomasare continuing the family tradition of innovation and high-quality collision repairs.

CARSTAR Murray’s and CARSTAR Port Orchard are all led by the Murray family. Wendy Murray’s brother Bob Bjorneby owns Bob Bjorneby’s CARSTAR Federal Way Collision and CARSTAR at 272nd. They also own Fix Auto Puyallup, Fix Auto Gig Harbor and Fix Auto Port Orchard.

The vision to dedicate a location to repairing electric vehicles began in early 2022 as Kyle Murray evaluated the mix of vehicles on their local roads and the growing presence of EVs. He also studied their current production mix and the challenges of trying to repair both EVs and gasoline-powered vehicles efficiently in the same facility.

“We have seen the demand for EV repairs continue to increase over the past few years, and experienced the strain it presented on our repair process and flow across all of our locations,” said Murray. “We began exploring what it would take to dedicate one facility to EV repairs and mapped out our plan to achieve that.”

Murray broke down their approach into three areas---team training, facility improvements and process changes. Each area required a number of adjustments, which Murray and his team tackled over the summer months. By Nov. 1, 2022, they stopped accepting assignments for anything but EVs, and today CARSTAR Murray’s Des Moines is one of the only facilities in the country dedicated solely to EV repairs.

Team Training Set the Stage for Excellent Repairs

Ensuring the team at CARSTAR Murray’s Des Moines was trained to the highest Tesla standards was the first order of business. Team members participated in OEM and I-CAR training to learn the intricacies of repairing electric vehicles and adhering to all safety standards.

Murray said this dedicated approach to repairing EVs has helped him attract top talent of repair professionals who want to work on the latest vehicles.

“This has made our shop attractive to potential employees and allows us to hire the best talent,” said Murray. “We have people coming to us now to join the team, which is certainly not common across our industry.”

Configuring the Facility for EV Repairs and Safety Is Critical

The next step was updating the facility, which opened in 2002, to meet the needs for EV repairs. Murray worked with an electrician to expand the power resources needed to charge vehicles. Then came the redesign of the layout and repair flow. Murray already had a fire suppression system in place, but added other safety improvements to protect customers’ vehicles in the facility and his team. He also created a warehousing system to carry a deeper assortment of vehicle parts.

Improving the Process for Efficiency

One of the challenges Murray found with EV repairs was the backorder lag for parts. He worked to pre-empt this issue by creating an inventory system of the most commonly replaced Tesla parts so they would be on hand when needed.

Then, he implemented a thorough disassembly for repair (DFR) process through which they could accurately specify what was needed for that repair. He also set up a part cart or parts crate system where parts removed from the vehicle could be stored in the warehouse safely until needed.

“By having more parts already on hand for repairs, preserving parts removed from the vehicle and planning the repair process, we can shorten the time we have EVs sitting on our lot,” said Murray. “This allows us to work more efficiently and manage the vehicles on our lot and in our facility.”

Already, Murray’s approach to green vehicles is delivering green to his bottom line.

“We are definitely seeing an increase in our profitability, thanks to the improved efficiency of just repairing one type of vehicle, the higher standard labor rates for EVs and motivation and productivity of our repair professionals. Our length of rental (LOR) is down two days below the market average, when it was two days above it. We see customers coming from four to five hours away for service, and we’re already booked out for the next four to five months on repairs.”

Bj. Bjorneby is amazed to see the modern repair facility built on his legacy by his grandson, and Murray is committed to keeping the family’s tradition alive and growing for generations to come.

Visit CARSTAR.com for more information.

Source: CARSTAR

Here's How Pepsi Runs Its 21 Tesla Semi Trucks at Sacramento Depot

Written by Dan Mihalascu, InsideEVs
Published Aug. 9, 2023

While PepsiCo---the first commercial owner of a TeslaSemi fleet---may be limited by its contract with Tesla when it comes to the amount and type of information it can disclose to the public, the company has provided interesting insight into the Tesla Semi ownership experience over the past few months.

Now, we get to learn more about Tesla's first commercial vehicle courtesy of a new video that offers a look into how the Semi is helping PepsiCo achieve its sustainability goals. Posted by The North American Council For Freight Efficiency(NACFE) on its Vimeo channel and picked up by Teslarati, the video takes a look at Pepsi's electric depot in Sacramento, CA, which is home to 21 Tesla Semis, among other commercial EVs.

Before delving into the video, it must be said that NACFE is the organizer of the Run on Less freight efficiency challenge, in which PepsiCo will enter at least one Tesla Semi. Running for three weeks starting Sept. 11, the event is expected to offer the first independent performance data on the Semi.

In the video, we learn Pepsi is running its Tesla Semi fleet in Sacramento for around 12 hours a day, mostly during daytime, delivering beverages predominantly under 100 miles on a daily basis. According to Amanda DeVoe, Pepsi's transformation and strategy director, the use of EVs is most advantageous for this type of short-range travel.

Dejan Antunovi, Pepsi's electrification program manager, noted three of the 21 Tesla Semi trucks used at the Sacramento facility are "dedicated to the long-haul" routes, which range from 250 miles to 450 miles. Obviously, Tesla's Megachargers have been a huge help with that, helping minimize downtime. The Semi is said to go from 5-10% to 95% state of charge in 20 to 30 minutes of charging. 

Antunovi said the Semi's technology, particularly regenerative braking, has also been a great help for Pepsi, especially on the challenging routes that include the Donner Pass.

"Going across Donner Pass and back from [Sacramento] to Nevada, we're able to, on the trip back, actually zero out, in terms of state of charge improving due to regenerative braking… It extends range for us in a way that is invaluable," Antunovi said.

Drivers describe the Semi's cabin and central driving position as being comfortable. Check out the video to learn more about how the Tesla Semi is transforming Pepsi's---and soon America's---short- and long-haul trucking.

We thank InsideEVs for reprint permission.