Serendipity in the auto industry

Issue #113, Oct 7th, 2021

Necessity continues to be the mother of invention. Sometimes, it is serendipity. Serendipity, according to the Oxford dictionary, is something interesting or pleasant, happening by chance. The auto industry continues to be a leader across industries in innovation. But it also comes across instances of serendipity, or converting challenges into opportunities. The chip shortage is forcing auto makers to adapt for the microprocessors used and solid state batteries. The concrete utility poles used for power transmission in Japan are due for refurbishment or replacement. They are armed with sensors for safe driving at junctions to become a revenue source. Stellantis accelerates its EV push to manage the chip shortage. Others may follow. On the innovation side, Tesla has started building Model Y bodies with two giant single casting pieces instead of joining 70 or more parts to simplify manufacturing. Here are some recent updates in the auto industry innovating.

How the Chip Shortage Is Forcing Auto Makers to Adapt

The number of semiconductors in a modern car can exceed a thousand. As the global chip shortage drags on, car makers find themselves forced to adjust production and rethink the entire supply chain. The industry is investing billions of dollars in chips made of silicon carbide, a more robust cousin of Silicon Valley’s namesake element that companies believe can help them build high-performance electric vehicles. Silicon carbide, or SiC, is silicon married to carbon, the material in a diamond. Using it in chips that control power means less energy gets lost, which in turn leads to a more powerful motor that can drive farther on a single charge. - WSJ

Utility poles for safe driving

Japan's second-largest power company envisions turning its 2.7 million utility poles into a network ready to alert self-driving vehicles to other cars or pedestrians on the road. The arrangement comes in the form of ubiquitous utility poles equipped with sensors along countless streets across Japan, courtesy of Kansai Electric Power. The poles now become a source of revenue. - Nikkei Asia

Hydrogen hubs for fuel cell trucks

Nikola's goal of building and fueling pollution-free fuel cell electric trucks is getting a boost from a new partnership with oil and gas giant TC Energy. Nikola and TC Energy plan to jointly design, build and operate high-volume hydrogen production facilities over the next five years that will have significantly more capacity than Nikola’s first stations. Initially, the Phoenix-based company will operate stations that make up to eight tons of the clean fuel daily. The project with TC Energy will result in hubs generating 150 tons or more per day both for trucks and the Canadian company’s energy customers. - Forbes

EVs first to manage chip shortage

With only so many semiconductors to work with, Stellantis is putting electric cars before combustion-engine vehicles as consumers respond to sweeteners including significant subsidies. Demand for EVs has accelerated particularly in Europe, where generous government incentives have made the models attractive relative to traditional cars. - Automotive News Europe

Solid state batteries to avoid the risk of fire

Today, most electric vehicles use lithium-ion batteries, which have become more powerful and affordable over the years but have limitations, including the risks of catching fire. In the race to build a cheaper and longer-range electric car, auto companies are pouring more money into a technology long considered a moonshot: solid-state batteries.?- WSJ

Tesla's use of castings for simplification

In an auto manufacturing first, Tesla has started building Model Y bodies with two giant single casting pieces for the front and back of the electric SUV. CEO Elon Musk has been hyping the new Model Y to be built at those factories as “a revolution in auto body engineering.” He was referring to Tesla using mega-casting parts to have single body pieces for the rear and front of the electric SUV. Tesla has already been producing the Model Y with a single rear body piece that replaced 70 different parts in the vehicle. - Electrek