What’s hot in Autos (w/e 25th May)?

My favourite stories were…

Pack The Pipe -- Media company Liberty Global is launching a charging network in the UK based around supplying electricity from its broadband telecoms infrastructure. Way back (!) in 2017, Deutsche Telekom tested the water with something similar. Across the world, companies with pipes or cables in the ground are realising that they might be just as well-placed as traditional utilities to supply charging points. When will utilities start taking this threat seriously?

A Million Dreams -- GM says it is on the cusp of a battery that lasts a million miles, following similar claims by Tesla. Everyone got very excited, but I’m still trying to figure out what this really means. If it means that the battery stays at automotive standard for one million miles (i.e. it can hold an extremely high state of charge compared to original capacity over that time), doesn’t that make it over-engineered when cars typically last well below 500,000 miles?

Girls On Film -- Porsche has put up some cameras in its factory to take pictures of the cars as they pass along on the conveyor (a bit like the log flume at a theme park) in various stages of build. The shots are then forwarded on to the expectant owners-to-be, making them feel embedded in the process. Total set-up cost? Probably about ￡500. Seems like a cheap way to build brand loyalty. Why isn’t everyone doing this?  

But what do you think? Here’s a detailed review of this week’s #automotiveindustry news (details on how to sign-up for the full mailout found here). It would be great to hear what’s catching your attention, and why.