Transmission

Graham Doorley worked for years at both Waymo and Tesla, so it's no surprise that the company he founded combines autonomous and electric drive technologies. What is a surprise is that his goal is to create a self-driving electric semi-tractor that can go 500 miles with a full, 80,000 pound load. Here's how Solo AVT plans to make this a reality, perhaps with some help from the ATVM loan program and the IRA.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

The first ATVM loans went out in 2009 and 2010. Then, in July, the program surprised everyone with a new announcement supporting Syrah Vidalia's graphite facility in Louisiana. We speak with Director Shah about the ATVM's overall mission, why there's renewed emphasis on getting more loans approved and how the Inflation Reduction Act is changing industrial policy in the U.S.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Nnaisense, which is focused on bringing AI into the industrial world, thinks it can make better batteries for electric vehicles using digital twins. Using DTs will allow automakers to conduct more granular tests before the first pack is built, and DTs can also make batteries more recyclable at the end of life.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

The electric vehicle industry in the U.S. desperately needs more local sources of lithium. Enter Snow Lake Lithium, which is establishing a massive, “sustainable” all-electric lithium mine in northern Manitoba. CEO Phil Gross explains how this will work, and how it will be better for future EVs.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

The auto industry's goals for zero-emission sales in the next decade are ambitious, and it will need more raw materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements than ever before. Evi Petavratzi, senior mineral commodity geologist for the British Geological Survey, explains why we should have started building more mines a decade ago, and, since we didn't, what we can do to hurry things along.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Ernst & Young provides extensive electric vehicle advice for its customers as the world shifts to EVs. Steve Patton, Ey's mobility sector leader, fills us in on what the Inflation Reduction Act means for EVs in the U.S., and how a more resilient supply chain will help reduce costs and sell more EVs.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

As Congress passes the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), we speak with someone with a long history of work in the minerals space, specifically tungsten. Almonty CEO Lewis Black talks about the IRA in relation to EVs and ways to solve America's EV supply chain woes.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

AEye's solid-state lidar system can provide better 3D imaging of the world around an autonomous vehicle, according to COO Rick Tewell. We discuss the sensor's benefits to an AV, as well as how it can simplify the supply chain because it can take advantage of OTA updates.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

When Mukesh Chatter helped start Alsym Energy, his mission was to make a battery that was safer and cost less than today's lithium-ion batteries. Seven years later, Alsym has deals with one of India's largest automakers and Synergy Marine to provide them with batteries once full production kicks off in 2025.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

There are 52 heavy-duty vehicle assembly plants in the U.S., and 42 of them are already producing electric trucks or have plans to do so by 2025. Third Way's Ellen Hughes-Cromwick and Alex Laska join us for a discussion on how to turn up the volume on HD electric vehicle production.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Connected vehicles mean lots of information flowing through the network. Wejo wants to collect and use all of this information to make driving easier and safer while adhering to their “Data For Good” mission. CEO Richard Barlow tells us about Wejo's partnerships with companies like Ford and Hyundai, as well as how you can get value out of tracking "approximately 13 million vehicles and 76.7 billion journeys."Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

The next big thing in electric vehicles could be solid state batteries. That's why Natrion is developing solid state pouch cells that could serve as “plug and play” components in future EVs, simplifying production for whenever automakers are ready to make the switch.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Exro builds various versions of its EV-enhancing Coil Driver, from 48 volts to 800 volts. That range allows the technology to be applied to everything electric, from a two-wheeled scooter to three-wheeled delivery trikes to passenger EVs to all-electric semi trucks.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Understanding a battery's health by measuring voltage, current and resistance is not the only way to check if there's a problem. Liminal has another idea: use ultrasound and machine learning analytics to look inside each cell in the factory, to catch any problems before they make it to the pack and then the vehicle.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

The three-wheeled, teardrop-shaped Aptera EV is like nothing else on the road, but you still need normal supply chains and component suppliers to turn the engineering ideas into reality. We ask CEO Chris Anthony what it will take to start production and when the 24,000 people who've placed their orders will be able to get their sleek new EVs.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

An autonomous vehicle requires two major data points to function: perception and positioning. To help make the latter more reliable, GPR uses ground positioning radar to build a database of what roads look like beneath the surface. Turns out, this data is like a thumbprint that tells the car exactly where it is, even in pitch darkness or when weather makes seeing other cars impossible.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Earlier this year, Bollinger Motors announced it would pause development of its B1 and B2 electric truck and SUV in favor of Class 3 commercial vehicles. That's not an easy shift to make, so we asked CEO Robert Bollinger how it's going to happen. The answer: with Roush's help.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

The White House recently invoked the Defense Production Act as a way to promote electric vehicle production in the U.S. We speak with Solid Power CEO Doug Campbell about how this decision is affecting his company and the EV industry as a whole.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Robotic Research has been working on off-road autonomous vehicles for military use for years. Now, the company's commercial division, RR.AI, is putting those AVs to work in ports and other areas where road-ready AVs might have problems, potentially easing supply chain woes.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

The White House recently invoked the Defense Production Act as a way to promote electric vehicle production in the U.S. We speak with Solid Power CEO Doug Campbell about how this decision is affecting his company and the EV industry as a whole.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

 A lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry for electric vehicle batteries can make them cheaper and avoid the need for materials like nickel or cobalt. So why isn't everyone using it? Plenty of reasons, but Yufit may have found a way to do it with its smart 3D electrodes.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

As we start to ‘electrify everything,' more batteries are spending more time in transit. KULR Technologies has been working on ways to safely ship batteries for years, including with NASA. CEO Michael Mo stops by to explain how it works, and how it can affects electric vehicles.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Altia CEO Mike Juran returns to Transmission to talk about ways to solve the auto industry's chip shortage crisis in a way that doesn't simply require more chips, pronto. Software bloat is hampering progress, and how rewriting code - especially from the beginning of a new automotive project - helps in the long run.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Automakers are working with tire manufacturers to find just the right balance between low rolling resistance, immediate grip and noise reduction for their new EVs. This week, Pirelli's Bryce Jones joins us to talk about these factors as well as how today's supply chain challenges affect the production of new tires.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

This week, we dig deep into the realities of tungsten and what it means for electric vehicles with Almonty CEO Lewis Black. Black returns to Transmission to talk about how the pandemic has affected the world's supply of tungsten, what the realities are of starting up new mines and how EV adoption can worsen our supply chain troubles.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Changes keep coming for the auto industry's supply chains, and GuardKnox thinks we need a new category of suppliers, the cybertech tier, which can help deal with the chip shortage through features like Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA).Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

UBQ returns to Transmission to discuss updates to their waste-to-thermoplastic technology, especially how the material can be found in the Mercedes Vision EQXX concept car that was unveiled at CES in January.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

For decades, semiconductor chips have relied on silicon. But gallium nitride (GaN)  is a new material for chips that could improve electric vehicle charging times while also reducing costs. Of course, these kinds of benefits are not free, and Navitas CEO Gene Sheridan explains the work that has to happen to get GaN into future EVs.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Amazon Web Services recently announced it is working with Stellantis to develop future vehicle platforms. The two main features of AWS' contribution here are a virtual engineering workbench and a vehicle data mesh, both of which can be used to get software defined vehicles ready for production faster.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

HERE Technologies describes itself as a “global mapping and location data platform company,” and what that long description really means is that it's a company that deals with precise mapping information, the kind that can make our supply chains and electric vehicles work better.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

REE Automotive doesn't make complete electric vehicles, but it does want to change the way people use EVs, so it's rethinking how to build them with a suite of partners around the world.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Getting a handle on just how clean or dirty the “long tailpipe” is has been the subject of many reports. A new study by researchers at Yale University shows that, almost no matter how you slice it, electric vehicles are cleaner than internal combustion engine vehicles, when you measure all of the materials and energy required to build and drive them.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Car sales were down this year, thanks to the pandemic and the related chip shortage. But 2021 wasn't the craziest year the automotive industry has seen recently - that was 2020. Now that we're about to enter 2022, we look back with analyst Stephanie Brinley at overall car sales, as well as focus on electric vehicles and the partnerships automakers are forming to get the raw materials and batteries they'll need for the next generation of EVs.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Earlier this year, Boston Consulting Group released a report called “Why Electric Cars Can't Come Fast Enough.” Now that COP26 is in the rearview mirror and the Build Back Better bill is potentially about to pass, we speak with BCG's Nathan Niese about what these two governmental projects might do the electric vehicle market across the world.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical America has been using a packaging technology called RP System to protects products such as auto parts and electronics in Japan for many years. Now, the company wants to introduce RP System to production facilities in the U.S., and there's no time like a pandemic to make sure limited supplies are protected from moisture and oxygen damage.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

BMW i Ventures invests in start-ups that will help the automaker build better, cleaner vehicles, sure, but it also wants to invest in companies that will help all automakers build better, cleaner vehicles. Managing partners and Kasper Sage and Marcus Behrendt tell us how it all works.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

On her last episode, Grace talks with BlueGrace Logistics' Vice President of Logistics Operations, Todd Trompeter, on the complexities of consulting auto suppliers and OEMs on logistics. Trompeter dives into the company's managed service offerings, how it differs from other logistics operations and how it has become table stakes for automotive operations. He also explains the importance of opening their new managed services' office in Detroit and the available career opportunities for ex-auto workers within the company.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

With the passage of President Biden's infrastructure bill, Ellen Hughes-Cromwick returns to Transmission to discuss the impact of the bill on electric vehicle production and adoption in the U.S., as well as changes Third Way has seen in the EV landscape in the last six months, before the bill was passed.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Valens, fresh off of a listing on the NYSE and hosting its inaugural Analyst Day, is ready to deliver better semiconductor chips to automakers in the coming years. These high-data chips will simplify the wiring harnesses required in tomorrow's vehicles, which in turn simplifies the amount of components the automakers need per car.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Polestar recently released Lifecycle Assessments for the CO2 emissions of the cars it builds, trying to understand how the production and use of its electric vehicles impacts the environment. Lisa Bolin, the automaker's Climate Lead - and who knew that was a position you could hold at an automaker - joins us to discuss how difficult this task is, to say nothing about working on a completely carbon neutral car by 2030.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Constellium makes aluminum components for everything from the beverage industry to the military and automakers. For the new Ford F-150 Lightning, Constellium's value-added aluminum can be found in the windshield header, rocker and other places. Craig Lewis runs us through the details, and why aluminum is better for EVs.Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts

E-commerce trends are beginning to merge into the automotive buying experience. We speak with Trent Broberg, CEO of ACERTUS, on how his company is digitizing the delivery experience for automotive manufacturers so you can not only purchase your vehicle at home... but have it delivered there as well!Follow Transmission on Apple PodcastsFollow Transmission on SpotifyMore FreightWaves Podcasts