DEGRADATION DEMANDS
There is no statistically significant difference in battery degradation regardless of whether an EV battery is charged with a fast charger more than 70 percent of the time or less than 30 percent of the time. In a recent study of 13,000 Teslas, Recurrent, an organization that aims to make EV information more transparent, found that the frequency of DC fast charging—i.e., using DC fast chargers more than 70 percent of the time vs. less than 30 percent of the time) does not significantly impact the rate of battery degradation. Recurrent analyzed 13,000 Teslas from 2012 to 2023 model years and collected 160,000 data points for the research. Scientists did find, however, that all Tesla batteries studied—fast charged or not—showed some degree of degradation.
GIGACASTING GLITCHES
Tesla has reportedly stepped away from one-piece gigacasting technology. Instead of aiming to create the entire underbody of a vehicle in a single piece, Tesla will reportedly continue casting vehicle underbodies in three pieces: two gigacasted front and rear sections and a midsection made of aluminum and steel frames to store batteries. This three-piece method is largely the same as the one used for Tesla’s previous two models—the Model Y crossover SUV and the Cybertruck pickup. While Tesla has stated in the past that gigacasting helps the automaker reduce costs over the long term, the process requires large initial investments and is time consuming to perfect from a manufacturing perspective.
AN ELECTRIC DIET
The 2025 Cadillac Lyriq will feature 24 percent fewer parts than 2024 models, according to an announcement from General Motors CEO Mary Barra. The automaker further reported that the new Ultium-based Chevrolet and Cadillac models will also feature fewer components in order to reduce costs and improve production efficiency. According to Barra, the list of parts that will no longer be manufactured in the 2025 models includes: seat assemblies, consoles and door trims, among others. On the earnings call, GM further stated that it was able to eliminate more than 2,400 unique parts on ten vehicles it plans to launch through the first quarter of 2025. Models that will be included in the parts reduction process are the Chevy Equinox EV, Blazer EV, Silverado EV and Cadillac Optiq, among others.
BATTERY BOOGIE
Ford has released a patent for a swappable battery system in electric and hybrid vehicles that relies on a drive-up docking station and a vehicle’s own power to function. According to a patent application published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in May, and originally filed by Ford in 2018, Ford specifically describes a battery swapping system in which electric and hybrid vehicles would be configured with batteries that could be individually disconnected and swapped. The patent, filed under patent number US11981226B2, shows vehicles driving up to a docking station as if it was going to park at a charger with the vehicle’s battery configured at the end of the chassis for easier removal. The patent also notes that the advantage of this battery system is the elimination of the need to detach and handle entire battery packs from underneath the vehicle.
