Video Summary
Here's a summary of the YouTube video:- Volkswagen workers in Germany held a 4-hour strike at nine plants, protesting planned job and wage cuts.
- The IG Metall union warned VW that if a deal isn’t reached by year-end, it will face strikes in 2025.
- VW says cuts are needed to remain competitive.
- VW is considering moving all or part of ID Buzz production out of Germany and to its plant in Poland.
- A spokesperson confirmed different scenarios were being discussed, but that no final decision had been made.
- Volkswagen set a sales target of 130,000 ID Buzzes a year, but only delivered 15,000 in the first half of the year.
- Bloomberg New Energy Finance reports that in two years, lithium dropped in price by 86%, cobalt 46%, and nickel 43%.
- Those raw material price drops were attributed to slowing EV demand in the US and EU.
- Experts expect that battery prices will not pick back up again for a couple of years.
- BYD CEO made fun of Musk, claiming he does not know how to make batteries and cylindrical 4680 cells will never be successful.
- BYD says their LFP blade batteries will cut costs by 15% when the next generation launches, in the first half of next year.
- The energy density of blade batteries will increase to 210-watt hours/kg and have a 3C charge rate.
- LFP blade batteries will offer similar performance to Lithium batteries but at LFP prices.
- Global battery prices are now around $111/kWh and expected to drop to $80 by 2026.
- Half of all foreign direct investment for reshoring manufacturing in the United States since 2021 was for EV battery production.
- Nikola has some teething issues with hydrogen-powered semi-trucks, as Coyote Container filed complaints to NHTSA over unexpected power cut-outs.
- Operating costs for Nikola trucks are more, and there's no way to know how much the fuel actually costs.
- Nikola trucks have weight limitations and reliability issues, due to power cutouts, with multiple occurrences and miles on the trucks.
- Toyota is pushing back its next-gen EVs for most of the world; however, it is pushing ahead with new EVs in China with a starting price under $14,000.
- Stellantis is going to rejoin the ACEA after a two-year departure. Former CEO Carlos Tavares left the group because he wanted to set up his own lobbying forum.
- The Trump administration wants to get rid of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, wants to scale back fuel efficiency standards, and wants to stop the USPS transition to electric vehicles.
- Mercedes AMG is kicking off its limited-edition Mythos series and the PureSpeed, a two-door, two-seat sportscar with no top or windshield.
- The PureSpeed has an F1-style Halo Bar but with a 4L twin turbo V8 engine.
- The PureSpeed sends 580 horsepower to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic, and only 250 cars are being built.
