#Electric car battery manufacturer

[metalmanauto]

Top 5 Automotive Companies and How Metalman Auto Ltd. Supports Them

The automotive industry is dominated by several key players that lead the market in terms of innovation, production, and market share. The top five automotive companies globally are typically considered to be Toyota, Volkswagen Group, Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz), Ford Motor Company, and General Motors (GM).

How Metalman Auto Ltd. Supports These Automotive Giants

As a leading supplier of high-quality automotive components, Metalman Auto Ltd. is well-positioned to support these top automotive companies. Our expertise in metal fabrication and assembly allows us to provide critical components that meet the specific needs of these manufacturers.

Our Value Proposition:

High-Precision Components: We provide parts that are essential for the safety and performance of vehicles, adhering to the exact specifications required by these top manufacturers.

Collaborative Approach: We work closely with OEMs to understand their needs and provide innovative solutions that enhance vehicle performance and safety.

Sustainable Manufacturing: Our commitment to sustainable practices ensures we contribute positively to the automotive industry’s environmental goals.

By partnering with Metalman Auto, these top automotive companies can enhance their supply chain efficiency and maintain their competitive edge in the global market.

[techdriveplay]

What Percentage of Cars Sold in 2023 Were Electric?

The automotive industry has been rapidly shifting towards electric vehicles (EVs), driven by increasing environmental concerns, technological advancements, and government incentives. The year 2023 marked a significant milestone in this transition. This transition has raised the question: What Percentage of Cars Sold in 2023 Were Electric? Let’s dive into the data to understand the impact and…

[bosaenergy]

Every product must be taken seriously.🥳🥳

From production to packaging to transportation, although all these are invisible, we take it seriously at every step.✊✊✊

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

Lower prices for Europe?

The Hungary plant will be capable of producing up to twelve models simultaneously, giving BYD the flexibility to respond to European market demands. By manufacturing in Europe, BYD aims to reduce production costs, avoid potential tariffs, and accelerate deliveries to European customers.

“Once production ramps up, BYD plans to switch to European-built vehicles and fully end imports from China,” said Stella Li. The company will follow a strategy similar to that of its Asian rivals, Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota, which operate a mix of local production and imports.

Given BYD’s plan to produce the Dolphin locally in Hungary, the current price in Belgium, starting at 29,000 euros, could decrease. By eliminating shipping costs and reducing import taxes, more competitive prices could undercut rivals like Volkswagen’s ID.2 or the Renault 5 E-Tech, aiming at 25,000 euros(..)

P.S. Wow! Interesting: Trump's "friend" Orban opens European car market for affordable Chinese EVs...It looks like Trump's tariffs are failing even before introduction. He promises to launch trade war against Europe an China, but China finds a way how to defeat American car industry globally...

It is enough for Chinese electric car manufacturers to capture a local Chinese car market and dominant share in the Southeast Asian and European car markets to completely destroy the global influence of American car manufacturing companies and turn them into insignificant manufacturers of the domestic North American market...

[nuadox]

Top 10 EV battery manufacturers in 2023 (infographic)

- By Nuadox Crew -

This infographic lists the top 10 electric vehicle battery manufacturers ranked by their total battery deployment in megawatt-hours for the year 2023.

The utilized data comes from EV Volumes. Chinese firms clearly dominate the industry.

Source: Bruno Venditti, Sam Parker, Visual Capitalist

Read Also

The cost of EV batteries relative to total cost of vehicle (infographic)

[jcmarchi]

Forecast: By 2027, Battery Electric Vehicles Will Be Less Expensive Than Combustion-Powered Cars - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/forecast-by-2027-battery-electric-vehicles-will-be-less-expensive-than-combustion-powered-cars-technology-org/

Forecast: By 2027, Battery Electric Vehicles Will Be Less Expensive Than Combustion-Powered Cars - Technology Org

According to Gartner, new manufacturing techniques are anticipated to drive down the average production costs of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) below those of comparable internal combustion engine vehicles by 2027.

Woman charges her electric car – illustrative photo. Image credit: Jenny Ueberberg via Unsplash, free license

The research firm highlighted the significant reduction in production costs, outpacing the decline in battery costs, which constitute around 40% of an EV’s overall price.

Gartner attributes this trend to innovations that simplify production, such as centralized vehicle architecture and the adoption of casting processes, similar to Tesla’s use of gigapresses. These massive casting machines contribute to making large, single pieces of vehicle underbodies, streamlining production processes and decreasing reliance on robotic labor.

According to Pedro Pacheco, Vice President of Research at Gartner, this new technology will accelerate the achievement of cost parity between Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles more rapidly than initially anticipated. The tradeoff is, however, that it will also lead to significantly higher repair costs for some BEVs.

The research firm predicts a 30% increase in the average cost of repairing an EV body and battery following a serious accident by 2027. This increase may elevate the risk of total write-offs for damaged vehicles, as repair costs could surpass the residual value.

The heightened expenses associated with EV repairs are already a cause for concern among potential buyers, potentially resulting in consumer backlash if lower production costs translate into higher repair expenses.

Gartner also anticipates that approximately 15% of EV companies established since the last decade will face acquisitions or bankruptcy by 2027. Pacheco clarified that this does not signify the decline of the EV sector but indicates a new phase where companies with superior products and services will thrive.

Written by Vytautas Valinskas

[internationalelectriccar]

Electric Car Manufacturer

Electric cars are vehicles that use electric motors instead of internal combustion engines. They are powered by batteries, fuel cells, or other sources of electricity. Electric cars offer many benefits, such as lower emissions, reduced noise, and lower operating costs. However, they also face some challenges, such as limited range, high initial cost, and lack of charging infrastructure.

Electric vehicle (EV): A vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion.

Battery electric vehicle (BEV): An EV that uses only batteries as the source of electricity.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV): An EV that uses both batteries and an internal combustion engine. The batteries can be recharged by plugging into an external power source or by the engine.

Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV): An EV that uses both batteries and an internal combustion engine. The batteries are recharged by the engine or by regenerative braking.

Fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV): An EV that uses a fuel cell to convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity.

Electric vehicle charging station: A device that provides electricity to charge the batteries of an EV.

Electric vehicle range: The distance that an EV can travel on a single charge of its batteries.

Electric vehicle efficiency: The ratio of the energy output of an EV to the energy input from the power source.

Electric vehicle emissions: The amount of greenhouse gases and air pollutants that are released by an EV or by the power source that charges it.

Electric vehicle incentives: The policies and programs that encourage the adoption of EVs, such as tax credits, rebates, subsidies, or exemptions.

Unveiling the Power Players: A Look at Major Electric Car Manufacturers

The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is buzzing, and at its heart lie the innovative minds and tireless efforts of dedicated manufacturers. From established giants to rising stars, each player brings unique strengths and visions to the table, propelling the world towards a cleaner, greener future.

Let's delve into the world of major electric car manufacturers through the lens of https://internationalelectriccar.com/electric-cars/manufacturer/:

Tesla: The Elon Musk-led juggernaut reigns supreme, pioneering EV technology and design with its iconic Model 3, Model S, and Cybertruck. Tesla's Gigafactories across the globe churn out these futuristic vehicles, pushing the boundaries of performance and range.

BYD: China's BYD is a formidable contender, offering a diverse range of electric cars, buses, and even trucks under its own brand and through partnerships. Their focus on affordability and innovation makes them a force to be reckoned with in the global market.

Volkswagen Group: The German automotive giant is embracing the electric future with brands like Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and Skoda. Their ID. series and the Porsche Taycan showcase their commitment to luxury and performance in the EV space.

General Motors: The American automaker is making a strong comeback with dedicated EV production facilities in the US and focusing on brands like Chevrolet and GMC. Their Bolt EV and Hummer EV models cater to different segments and highlight GM's diverse EV strategy.

Hyundai-Kia: The Korean duo is quickly establishing itself in the EV market with innovative models like the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia EV6. Their focus on design, technology, and affordability makes them attractive options for a wider audience.

Beyond the Big Names:

The EV landscape extends far beyond these established players. Startups like Lucid Motors, Rivian, and Fisker are shaking things up with their high-performance EVs and cutting-edge technology. Additionally, regional players like Nissan (Leaf), Renault (Zoe), and Volvo (XC40 Recharge) are significant contributors to the global EV market.

Exploring the Future:

The electric car revolution is still in its early stages, and the manufacturers are constantly pushing the boundaries. Future developments to watch include:Battery breakthroughs: Longer range, faster charging, and more sustainable battery production are key areas of focus. Autonomous driving: Integrating advanced driver-assistance features and even fully autonomous driving capabilities are on the horizon. Greater affordability: Making EVs accessible to a wider audience through cost reductions and innovative financing options is crucial for widespread adoption.

By understanding the major electric car manufacturers and their unique offerings, we can better grasp the dynamics of this rapidly evolving industry. As technology advances and competition intensifies, the future of electric cars looks bright, promising cleaner, more sustainable transportation for all.

[battrixx]

Enroute an Electric Future with Lithium-ion Batteries

Battrixx is a Lithium-Ion battery manufacturer owned by Kabra Extrusiontechnik LTD. It is based out of Mumbai, Maharashtra. Founded to facilitate the development and production of sustainable green energy technology, Battrixx has established itself as one of the leaders in the field of sustainable development in India. Today, it provides green pollution-free energy in the form of Lithium-Ion battery packs for a wide range of products including Electric cars, bikes, buses, golf carts, and other electricity-powered commercial vehicles. Furthermore, it also supplies battery packs for inverters and marine batteries which have a substantial life span.

What does Battrixx strive to achieve?

The main objective of Battrixx is to reduce pollution and help planet Earth become a cleaner, greener and safer place for generations to come. It aims at promoting sustainable development and alternative sources of energy which do not only prove to be economical in the long run but also ensure preservation and protection of the environment.

Going Beyond Vehicles

Battrixx provides effective energy storage solutions with their highly efficient and self-reliant technology. The energy storage units are customised and variable depending on the product. The Lithium-Ion energy storage units are certified safe for use and ensure that the excess energy produced from photovoltaic cells in a home environment is safely stored in the storage module units, which can be harnessed later when required. The system is not only economical as compared to regular electricity but is also eco-friendly.

Is Battrixx Economical?

Amidst the high fuel prices in our country, Battrixx helps provide an economical and healthy alternative by supplying Lithium-Ion battery packs for electric cars, bikes, and other vehicles. The price of the battery packs is moderate and they have a long-lasting life span, to ensure that owners get the maximum out of their vehicles without having to spend too much on them and at the same time, ensure a greener environment by reducing vehicular pollution. It is the same case for the battery packs provided for home environments.

Amidst the high fuel prices in our country, Battrixx helps provide an economical and healthy alternative by supplying Lithium-Ion battery packs for electric cars, bikes, and other vehicles. The price of the battery packs is moderate and they have a long-lasting life span, to ensure that owners get the maximum out of their vehicles without having to spend too much on them and at the same time, ensure a greener environment by reducing vehicular pollution. It is the same case for the battery packs provided for home environments.

In continuation to the price, the expense that one has to incur on Battrixx Lithium-Ion battery packs is economical in the long run. The running cost of an electric vehicle today in India is about Rs.1 per km. A 40KW battery installed in an EV can cover distances of 300-400 km before it requires charging. The charging process takes about 5-6 hours. In the case of home electricity, the excess power harnessed is stored in the storage units and used when needed. Hence, keeping expense costs minimal.

Exclusivity of Battrixx products

Modular Design:-Battrixx provides its products in the form of electrical modules which are safe, efficient, and robust. A group of modules is combined to form a Lithium-Ion Battery pack ensuring complete efficiency in whatever device it powers.

Thermal Management:- Thermal Management helps ensure effective management of temperatures and maintains the optimum performance of the batteries in any condition

[preetiken]

Last Mile LEVs in KSA to hold an attractive Future Potential with lucrative government initiatives.

Domestic express courier dominates the market and is expected to register revenue growth at a CAGR of 4.4%. Most e-commerce retailers in KSA struggle with last-mile delivery as delays, reduced success rate & difficulty cash on delivery (COD) handling. Inconsistent demand, with spikes during festive seasons such as Ramadan, put additional pressure on the supply-side ecosystem for e-commerce logistics and hyperlocal logistic service providers. E-com Retailers need to come up with solutions such as Tech-Enabled E-com Logistics Platforms/Automated Shipping Software, B2B SAAS Platforms, and Digital Freight Brokers/ Load Discovery Aggregator Platform to solve the LMD problem in an efficient way to meet the growing customer demands.  

Other Challenges in Future Potential Market Of LEVs in Last Mile Delivery Industry in KSA.

Cities such as NEOM and SPARK are incorporating smart mobility into their urban planning.  

Some cities in the GCC are already incorporating smart mobility into their urban planning. Saudi Arabia and the UAE will invest nearly $50 bn in smart city projects through 2025 and most of the smart city projects in the GCC have a distinct focus on mobility for residents.  SPARK will be a fully integrated city with master plans to seamlessly intertwine industrial areas, such as factories, workshops, yards, and the Logistics Zone, with vibrant residential, educational, and commercial areas. Moreover, NEOM City consists of a city of a million residents with a length of 170 kilometers (105 miles) that preserves 95% of nature with zero car emission, zero streets and zero carbon emissions. Moreover, ABB, a global automation giant and a leader in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure sector has supplied its market-leading EV chargers to a premier residential compound ‘Safa 28’ located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All these government initiatives, makes a greater space of the EV sector to flourish which will help the Last mile LEVs sector to grow.

New types of vehicles and new logistic structures are emerging to address the new paradigm in E-Commerce Industry.  

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The rising competition to deliver faster has led to ecommerce and hyperlocal delivery players to partner with mobility players to expand their fleet while still staying lean on resources. E-commerce players like Noon and Amazon witnessing a large volume of orders and requiring larger delivery fleets will slowly move towards LEVs by partnering with e-mobility startups and suppliers to convert their fleet into an e-fleet. The lower total cost of ownership and operating costs have made EVs more attractive for the intra-city cargo segment which comprise ~40% of total E-commerce shipments in KSA. However, LEVs need to be as efficient as an ICE vehicles carrying a similar payload and covering more trips and at lesser costs. This has led to the growth of new types of vehicles and new logistic structures that are emerging to address the new paradigm in E-Commerce Industry. 

Government policies play a huge role in Adoption of Electric Vehicles in a country.   

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In November 2019, the Kingdom announced that 5% of its parking spaces are to be designated solely for the use of EVs. Also, and even more importantly, the Saudi government has mandated that there will be EV charging stations at all municipal car parks. National Industrial Development & Logistics Program (NIDLP) considered by CEDA to be one of the highly critical VRPs, will most likely develop initiatives geared towards EVs in the coming years. Furthermore, it focuses on developing ICE along with EV as it allows KSA to optimize short term gains while making calculated bets on EV over the medium term. Developing this sector will create jobs while contributing to the GDP. 

High penetration acceptance of the use EVs could radically reduce the high rate for demand of oil. 

Fossil CO2 emissions in Saudi Arabia are 526.8 million tones of CO2 in 2019. An EV has zero exhaust emissions. They are 100% eco-friendly as they run on electrically powered engines. The desire to reduce their carbon footprint is a motivator for environmentally conscious consumers to buy EVs. The cost of purchasing an EV is more than ICE. However, the operational costs requiring fuel and maintenance in ICE vehicle is more than that of an EV. The mass production of batteries and available tax incentives will further bring down the cost, thus, making it much more cost-effective. 

Key Segments Covered in KSA LEV Market

Business Side Potential for LEVs in KSA CEP Industry

CEP Market Size

Total Number of Courier Shipments

KSA E-Commerce Landscape

E-Commerce Market Major Categories

Total Number of E-Commerce Orders

Total Number of Vehicles Deployed

Competition Scenario in KSA CEP Market

Future Projections Towards Penetration of LEVs in Courier Segment

Business Side Potential for LEVs in KSA Grocery Delivery Market

KSA Online Grocery Ecosystem

KSA Online Grocery Market Size

KSA Online Grocery Market Concentration

KSA Online Grocery Market Segmentations

Total Number of Orders

Total Number of Vehicles Deployed

Competition Scenario in KSA Grocery Delivery Market

Future Projections Towards Penetration of LEVs in Grocery Delivery Segment

Business Side Potential for LEVs in KSA Food Delivery Market

Landscape of Food Delivery Companies in Saudi Arabia

KSA Online Food Delivery Market Size

Total Number of Orders

Total Number of Vehicles Deployed

Competition Scenario in KSA Food Delivery Market

Future Projections Towards Penetration of LEVs in Food Delivery Segment

Key Target Audience

LEV Manufacturers

LEV Dealers/Distributors

Courier and Parcel Companies

E-Commerce Companies

Grocery Delivery Companies

Food Delivery Companies

Time Period Captured in the Report:

Historical Period: 2015-2020

Forecast Period: 2020–2030

Key Topics Covered in the Report

Overview of Global EV Market

Genesis and Overview of KSA LEV Market

Ecosystem of Major Entities in Saudi Arabia LEV market

Charging Infrastructure for LEV Market in Saudi Arabia

Overview of KSA Last-Mile Delivery Market

Number of Orders/Shipments in KSA Last-Mile Delivery Market

Number of Fleets Deployed for Last Mile Delivery

Business Side Potential for LEVs in KSA CEP Industry including E-commerce Landscape in KSA

Business Side Potential for LEVs in KSA Grocery Delivery Market

Business Side Potential for LEVs in KSA Food Delivery Market

Regulatory Scenario and Framework in Saudi Arabia LEV Market

Opinions of Industry Experts regarding adoption of LEVs

Difference in EV costs compared to ICE vehicles- Cost Benefit Analysis

Viable Supply Chain Model for Adoption and Supplying LEVs in KSA

Current Landscape of LEV Offering in KSA

Major Deals/Transactions for LEVs in KSA

Impact of COVID 19 on EV sales

Future Analysis and Projections for LEVs in Saudi Arabia

Opportunity Analysis of an LEV in Last Mile Delivery

Case Studies for LEV Last-Mile Delivery

Recommendations / Success Factors

Research Methodology

Appendix

Companies Covered:

EV Manufacturers

Tesla

BMW

Chevrolet

Renault

Hyundai

Nissan

CEP Industry

Saudi Post

Naquel Express

SMSA Express

DHL

Aramex

UPS

FedEx/TNT

Grocery Delivery Companies

Nana Direct

Zadfresh

Danube

Carrefour

Qareeb

Food Delivery Companies

Hungerstation

Careem

Jahez

Talabat

Mrsool

Contact us:

Ankur Gupta, Head of Marketing and Communications

support@kenresearch.com

+91-9015378249

[orifeenergy]

ORIFE Kids Drive Operated Jumper 6-QW-36 36B20 Electric 12V 36AH EV Car Batteries

[techdriveplay]

Is the Number of Petrol Cars Declining?

The automotive landscape is shifting rapidly, with electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid technologies gaining prominence. This transition raises a crucial question: is the number of petrol cars declining? Statistics and Trends: Global petrol car sales dropped by 8% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Electric vehicle sales surged by 40% in the same period, reaching a total of 10 million units…

[caladeenergy]

ORIFE Electric Wheelchairs Lithium Ion Battery Manufacturing Unit 36v E-bike 12v 7ah Lithium Cells LED Display 2 Years LFP 260

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Cleantech has an enshittification problem

On July 14, I'm giving the closing keynote for the fifteenth HACKERS ON PLANET EARTH, in QUEENS, NY. Happy Bastille Day! On July 20, I'm appearing in CHICAGO at Exile in Bookville.

EVs won't save the planet. Ultimately, the material bill for billions of individual vehicles and the unavoidable geometry of more cars-more traffic-more roads-greater distances-more cars dictate that the future of our cities and planet requires public transit – lots of it.

But no matter how much public transit we install, there's always going to be some personal vehicles on the road, and not just bikes, ebikes and scooters. Between deliveries, accessibility, and stubbornly low-density regions, there's going to be a lot of cars, vans and trucks on the road for the foreseeable future, and these should be electric.

Beyond that irreducible minimum of personal vehicles, there's the fact that individuals can't install their own public transit system; in places that lack the political will or means to create working transit, EVs are a way for people to significantly reduce their personal emissions.

In policy circles, EV adoption is treated as a logistical and financial issue, so governments have focused on making EVs affordable and increasing the density of charging stations. As an EV owner, I can affirm that affordability and logistics were important concerns when we were shopping for a car.

But there's a third EV problem that is almost entirely off policy radar: enshittification.

An EV is a rolling computer in a fancy case with a squishy person inside of it. While this can sound scary, there are lots of cool implications for this. For example, your EV could download your local power company's tariff schedule and preferentially charge itself when the rates are lowest; they could also coordinate with the utility to reduce charging when loads are peaking. You can start them with your phone. Your repair technician can run extensive remote diagnostics on them and help you solve many problems from the road. New features can be delivered over the air.

That's just for starters, but there's so much more in the future. After all, the signal virtue of a digital computer is its flexibility. The only computer we know how to make is the Turing complete, universal, Von Neumann machine, which can run every valid program. If a feature is computationally tractable – from automated parallel parking to advanced collision prevention – it can run on a car.

The problem is that this digital flexibility presents a moral hazard to EV manufacturers. EVs are designed to make any kind of unauthorized, owner-selected modification into an IP rights violation ("IP" in this case is "any law that lets me control the conduct of my customers or competitors"):

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

EVs are also designed so that the manufacturer can unilaterally exert control over them or alter their operation. EVs – even more than conventional vehicles – are designed to be remotely killswitched in order to help manufacturers and dealers pressure people into paying their car notes on time:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/24/rent-to-pwn/#kitt-is-a-demon

Manufacturers can reach into your car and change how much of your battery you can access:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/edison-not-tesla/#demon-haunted-world

They can lock your car and have it send its location to a repo man, then greet him by blinking its lights, honking its horn, and pulling out of its parking space:

https://tiremeetsroad.com/2021/03/18/tesla-allegedly-remotely-unlocks-model-3-owners-car-uses-smart-summon-to-help-repo-agent/

And of course, they can detect when you've asked independent mechanic to service your car and then punish you by degrading its functionality:

https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2024/06/26/two-of-eight-claims-in-tesla-anti-trust-lawsuit-will-move-forward/

This is "twiddling" – unilaterally and irreversibly altering the functionality of a product or service, secure in the knowledge that IP law will prevent anyone from twiddling back by restoring the gadget to a preferred configuration:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

The thing is, for an EV, twiddling is the best case scenario. As bad as it is for the company that made your EV to change how it works whenever they feel like picking your pocket, that's infinitely preferable to the manufacturer going bankrupt and bricking your car.

That's what just happened to owners of Fisker EVs, cars that cost $40-70k. Cars are long-term purchases. An EV should last 12-20 years, or even longer if you pay to swap the battery pack. Fisker was founded in 2016 and shipped its first Ocean SUV in 2023. The company is now bankrupt:

https://insideevs.com/news/723669/fisker-inc-bankruptcy-chapter-11-official/

Fisker called its vehicles "software-based cars" and they weren't kidding. Without continuous software updates and server access, those Fisker Ocean SUVs are turning into bricks. What's more, the company designed the car from the ground up to make any kind of independent service and support into a felony, by wrapping the whole thing in overlapping layers of IP. That means that no one can step in with a module that jailbreaks the Fisker and drops in an alternative firmware that will keep the fleet rolling.

This is the third EV risk – not just finance, not just charger infrastructure, but the possibility that any whizzy, cool new EV company will go bust and brick your $70k cleantech investment, irreversibly transforming your car into 5,500 lb worth of e-waste.

This confers a huge advantage onto the big automakers like VW, Kia, Ford, etc. Tesla gets a pass, too, because it achieved critical mass before people started to wise up to the risk of twiddling and bricking. If you're making a serious investment in a product you expect to use for 20 years, are you really gonna buy it from a two-year old startup with six months' capital in the bank?

The incumbency advantage here means that the big automakers won't have any reason to sink a lot of money into R&D, because they won't have to worry about hungry startups with cool new ideas eating their lunches. They can maintain the cozy cartel that has seen cars stagnate for decades, with the majority of "innovation" taking the form of shitty, extractive and ill-starred ideas like touchscreen controls and an accelerator pedal that you have to rent by the month:

https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/23/23474969/mercedes-car-subscription-faster-acceleration-feature-price

Put that way, it's clear that this isn't an EV problem, it's a cleantech problem. Cleantech has all the problems of EVs: it requires a large capital expenditure, it will be "smart," and it is expected to last for decades. That's rooftop solar, heat-pumps, smart thermostat sensor arrays, and home storage batteries.

And just as with EVs, policymakers have focused on infrastructure and affordability without paying any attention to the enshittification risks. Your rooftop solar will likely be controlled via a Solaredge box – a terrible technology that stops working if it can't reach the internet for a protracted period (that's right, your home solar stops working if the grid fails!).

I found this out the hard way during the covid lockdowns, when Solaredge terminated its 3G cellular contract and notified me that I would have to replace the modem in my system or it would stop working. This was at the height of the supply-chain crisis and there was a long waiting list for any replacement modems, with wifi cards (that used your home internet rather than a cellular connection) completely sold out for most of a year.

There are good reasons to connect rooftop solar arrays to the internet – it's not just so that Solaredge can enshittify my service. Solar arrays that coordinate with the grid can make it much easier and safer to manage a grid that was designed for centralized power production and is being retrofitted for distributed generation, one roof at a time.

But when the imperatives of extraction and efficiency go to war, extraction always wins. After all, the Solaredge system is already in place and solar installers are largely ignorant of, and indifferent to, the reasons that a homeowner might want to directly control and monitor their system via local controls that don't roundtrip through the cloud.

Somewhere in the hindbrain of any prospective solar purchaser is the experience with bricked and enshittified "smart" gadgets, and the knowledge that anything they buy from a cool startup with lots of great ideas for improving production, monitoring, and/or costs poses the risk of having your 20 year investment bricked after just a few years – and, thanks to the extractive imperative, no one will be able to step in and restore your ex-solar array to good working order.

I make the majority of my living from books, which means that my pay is very "lumpy" – I get large sums when I publish a book and very little in between. For many years, I've used these payments to make big purchases, rather than financing them over long periods where I can't predict my income. We've used my book payments to put in solar, then an induction stove, then a battery. We used one to buy out the lease on our EV. And just a month ago, we used the money from my upcoming Enshittification book to put in a heat pump (with enough left over to pay for a pair of long-overdue cataract surgeries, scheduled for the fall).

When we started shopping for heat pumps, it was clear that this was a very exciting sector. First of all, heat pumps are kind of magic, so efficient and effective it's almost surreal. But beyond the basic tech – which has been around since the late 1940s – there is a vast ferment of cool digital features coming from exciting and innovative startups.

By nature, I'm the kid of person who likes these digital features. I started out as a computer programmer, and while I haven't written production code since the previous millennium, I've been in and around the tech industry for my whole adult life. But when it came time to buy a heat-pump – an investment that I expected to last for 20 years or more – there was no way I was going to buy one of these cool new digitally enhanced pumps, no matter how much the reviewers loved them. Sure, they'd work well, but it's precisely because I'm so knowledgeable about high tech that I could see that they would fail very, very badly.

You may think EVs are bullshit, and they are – though there will always be room for some personal vehicles, and it's better for people in transit deserts to drive EVs than gas-guzzlers. You may think rooftop solar is a dead-end and be all-in on utility scale solar (I think we need both, especially given the grid-disrupting extreme climate events on our horizon). But there's still a wide range of cleantech – induction tops, heat pumps, smart thermostats – that are capital intensive, have a long duty cycle, and have good reasons to be digitized and networked.

Take home storage batteries: your utility can push its rate card to your battery every time they change their prices, and your battery can use that information to decide when to let your house tap into the grid, and when to switch over to powering your home with the solar you've stored up during the day. This is a very old and proven pattern in tech: the old Fidonet BBS network used a version of this, with each BBS timing its calls to other nodes to coincide with the cheapest long-distance rates, so that messages for distant systems could be passed on:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FidoNet

Cleantech is a very dynamic sector, even if its triumphs are largely unheralded. There's a quiet revolution underway in generation, storage and transmission of renewable power, and a complimentary revolution in power-consumption in vehicles and homes:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/12/s-curve/#anything-that-cant-go-on-forever-eventually-stops

But cleantech is too important to leave to the incumbents, who are addicted to enshittification and planned obsolescence. These giant, financialized firms lack the discipline and culture to make products that have the features – and cost savings – to make them appealing to the very wide range of buyers who must transition as soon as possible, for the sake of the very planet.

It's not enough for our policymakers to focus on financing and infrastructure barriers to cleantech adoption. We also need a policy-level response to enshittification.

Ideally, every cleantech device would be designed so that it was impossible to enshittify – which would also make it impossible to brick:

Based on free software (best), or with source code escrowed with a trustee who must release the code if the company enters administration (distant second-best);

All patents in a royalty-free patent-pool (best); or in a trust that will release them into a royalty-free pool if the company enters administration (distant second-best);

No parts-pairing or other DRM permitted (best); or with parts-pairing utilities available to all parties on a reasonable and non-discriminatory basis (distant second-best);

All diagnostic and error codes in the public domain, with all codes in the clear within the device (best); or with decoding utilities available on demand to all comers on a reasonable and non-discriminatory basis (distant second-best).

There's an obvious business objection to this: it will reduce investment in innovative cleantech because investors will perceive these restrictions as limits on the expected profits of their portfolio companies. It's true: these measures are designed to prevent rent-extraction and other enshittificatory practices by cleantech companies, and to the extent that investors are counting on enshittification rents, this might prevent them from investing.

But that has to be balanced against the way that a general prohibition on enshittificatory practices will inspire consumer confidence in innovative and novel cleantech products, because buyers will know that their investments will be protected over the whole expected lifespan of the product, even if the startup goes bust (nearly every startup goes bust). These measures mean that a company with a cool product will have a much larger customer-base to sell to. Those additional sales more than offset the loss of expected revenue from cheating and screwing your customers by twiddling them to death.

There's also an obvious legal objection to this: creating these policies will require a huge amount of action from Congress and the executive branch, a whole whack of new rules and laws to make them happen, and each will attract court-challenges.

That's also true, though it shouldn't stop us from trying to get legal reforms. As a matter of public policy, it's terrible and fucked up that companies can enshittify the things we buy and leave us with no remedy.

However, we don't have to wait for legal reform to make this work. We can take a shortcut with procurement – the things governments buy with public money. The feds, the states and localities buy a lot of cleantech: for public facilities, for public housing, for public use. Prudent public policy dictates that governments should refuse to buy any tech unless it is designed to be enshittification-resistant.

This is an old and honorable tradition in policymaking. Lincoln insisted that the rifles he bought for the Union Army come with interoperable tooling and ammo, for obvious reasons. No one wants to be the Commander in Chief who shows up on the battlefield and says, "Sorry, boys, war's postponed, our sole supplier decided to stop making ammunition."

By creating a market for enshittification-proof cleantech, governments can ensure that the public always has the option of buying an EV that can't be bricked even if the maker goes bust, a heat-pump whose digital features can be replaced or maintained by a third party of your choosing, a solar controller that coordinates with the grid in ways that serve their owners – not the manufacturers' shareholders.

We're going to have to change a lot to survive the coming years. Sure, there's a lot of scary ways that things can go wrong, but there's plenty about our world that should change, and plenty of ways those changes could be for the better. It's not enough for policymakers to focus on ensuring that we can afford to buy whatever badly thought-through, extractive tech the biggest companies want to foist on us – we also need a focus on making cleantech fit for purpose, truly smart, reliable and resilient.

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/26/unplanned-obsolescence/#better-micetraps

Image: 臺灣古寫真上色 (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Raid_on_Kagi_City_1945.jpg

Grendelkhan (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ground_mounted_solar_panels.gk.jpg

CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

[stupittmoran]

This is a Tesla model Y battery. It takes up all of the space under the passenger compartment of the car. To manufacture it you need:

--12 tons of rock for Lithium (can also be extracted from sea water) -- 5 tons of cobalt minerals (Most cobalt is made as a byproduct of processing copper and nickel ores. It is the most difficult and expensive material to obtain for a battery.) -- 3 tons nickel ore -- 12 tons of copper ore You must move 250 tons of soil to obtain: -- 26.5 pounds of Lithium -- 30 pounds of nickel -- 48.5 pounds of manganese -- 15 pounds of cobalt

To manufacture the battery also requires: -- 441 pounds of aluminum, steel and/or plastic -- 112 pounds of graphite

The Caterpillar 994A is used to move the earth to obtain the minerals needed for this battery. The Caterpillar consumes 264 gallons of diesel in 12 hours.

The bulk of necessary minerals for manufacturing the batteries come from China or Africa. Much of the labor in Africa is done by children. When you buy an electric car, China profits most.

The 2021 Tesla Model Y OEM battery (the cheapest Tesla battery) is currently for sale on the Internet for $4,999 not including shipping or installation. The battery weighs 1,000 pounds (you can imagine the shipping cost). The cost of Tesla batteries are: Model 3 -- $14,000+ (Car MSRP $38,990) Model Y -- $5,000–$5,500 (Car MSRP $47,740) Model S -- $13,000–$20,000 (Car MSRP $74,990) Model X -- $13,000+ (Car MSRP $79,990)

It takes 7 years for an electric car to reach net-zero CO2. The life expectancy of the battery is 10 years (average). Only in the last 3 years do you start to reduce your carbon footprint, but then the batteries must be replaced and you lose all gains made.

And finally, my new friend, Michael, made some excellent points: I forgot to mention the amount of energy required to process the raw materials and the amount of energy used to haul these batteries to the U.S. sometimes back and forth a couple of times.

But by all means, get an electric car. Just don't sell me on how awesome you are for the environment. Or for human rights.

Credit: @Hanna Roth

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

The EU is also expected to introduce new tariffs aimed at Chinese EVs shortly. Europe launched an investigation into China-made EVs as the global markets are “now flooded with cheaper electric cars,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in September(..)The new BYD Seagull, its cheapest EV, starts at just $9,700 (69,800 yuan) in China. Even in overseas markets, the “mini Lamborghini” (as former Lamborghini designer Wolfgang Egger led its design) is still one of the cheapest electric options(..)

BYD is quickly expanding overseas. It’s already an EV leader in key markets like Thailand, Brazil, Israel, Columbia, and others.

Despite its low price tag, BYD’s Seagull has earned praise from industry leaders. Ford’s CEO Jim Farley called it a “pretty damn good” car, warning rivals of BYD’s superior tech(..)

P.S. BYD does not have to worry too much about the customs tariff barriers introduced by the US and the EU, because American and European legacy automakers don't have a competitive products to offer in the Chinese car market and emerging countries, as well as in Eastern Europe. BYD has enough opportunities to push out outdated ICE vehicle manufacturers from China and the car markets of a few other countries, so that the profit margins of the old companies start to collapse rapidly and they will no longer be able to introduce new cheap ICE (outdated) vehicle models into production...! The old companies will still be forced to introduce electric cars or go bankrupt...