Investments for EV growth

Issue #97, Jul 18th, 2021

Electric vehicle makers need to follow an ecosystem approach for its wide adoption. This is reiterated by some recent investments witnessed in EV space. Investments are not limited to the OEM's scope in factories or even charging stations. Toyota for example has invested in a provider of maps and autonomous driving information. Battery maker Panasonic has tied up with oil and gas leader Schlumberger for sustainable lithium extraction. Ford is looking at usage of recreational vehicles as mobile charging stations specifically in rural areas in the U.S. Below are some recent updates on investments happening in the EV industry, a sign of where EV makers are looking at.

Toyota's autonomous driving investments

Toyota Motor's research arm said it acquired U.S.-based Carmera, a provider of maps and data for driverless vehicles, marking the Japanese car maker's latest investment in autonomous technology. The purchase, through newly created subsidiary Woven Planet for an undisclosed sum, underscores Toyota's push to bulk up its self-driving arsenal as traditional automakers compete with the autonomous ambitions of tech giants including Apple and Amazon. Buying Carmera will give Toyota access to real-time, high-definition maps and crowdsourced inputs that are essential for autonomous vehicles to locate and navigate themselves, the companies said in a statement. - Nikkei Asia

Sustainable lithium extraction

Panasonic has joined a project led by oil services leader Schlumberger that seeks to extract lithium from underground salt water in a fraction of the time, reducing the process from over a year to a matter of weeks. This collaboration paves the way for improved lithium production that will help meet the expected surge in demand for lithium as the EV market takes off worldwide. The sustainable approach uses a differentiated direct lithium extraction (DLE) process to produce high-purity, battery-grade lithium material while reducing the production time from over a year to weeks. The unique process is in sharp contrast to conventional evaporative methods of extracting lithium. - Nikkei Asia and Schlumberger

Trucks as EV chargers

It is no secret that there is a lack of charging stations for EVs in the U.S. Charging infrastructure is seen as a vital hurdle to overcome in the quest for more widespread adoption of EVs. Ford recognizes that and has at least one other idea (besides more public chargers) on how to solve the issue. In a recently published patent, Ford described a system by which an EV can be towed and charged by a vehicle such as an RV or semi-truck. This would be especially handy in sparse rural areas where people might commute in or travel to with charging stations few and far between. - The Drive

Autonomous driving: moonshot or step-by-step approach

Autonomous driving groups such as Waymo, Microsoft-backed Cruise, Amazon-owned Zoox and Aurora are betting on a “moonshot” solution with no plan B. They plan to offer full autonomy — albeit ringfenced to certain locations — or nothing at all. In regulatory jargon, this is called Level 4, in which a robot driver requires no input from passengers. This “go big or go home” approach stands in direct opposition to the step-by-step path of the ADAS players led by suppliers Mobileye, Aptiv, Magna, and Bosch, which work with all the major carmakers. Their advances mean most new vehicles already have partial automation — Levels 1 and 2. - Financial Times

Partnership for EV charging stations

Electric utility firm Tata Power in India has joined hands with petroleum major HPCL to provide end-to-end EV charging stations at the latter's retail outlets at multiple cities and major highways across the country. Tata Power will provide its EV charging infrastructure at HPCL petrol pumps for users. The charging is enabled with the company's 'EZ Charge Mobile' platform, which makes it a seamless experience to vehicle owners, it said. - ET Auto

Managing the chip shortage

How can India manage the chip shortage? Rajeev Khushu, chairman of the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), believes that the country should take the first step towards manufacturing semiconductors by setting up ATMPs (assembly, testing, marking and packaging) and then get into specialty fabs. Instead of focusing on the most advanced technology, these fabs use more mature and older technology. Technology advancement in the semiconductor industry is defined by the nanometer number. - Rediff