This week, we have news on the $309k aiHypercar, New Partners (Tesla and Ford), A New King (Tesla Model Y), and a Baby Rivian: Our Top EV News for the week of Jun 2, 2023.
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Bio: John is the COO at EPG, a company focused on helping electric and autonomous vehicle companies hire the best talent. In addition to these services, EPG puts out an informative weekly newsletter dubbed Mobility EVo. You can sign up for the newsletter here.
$309,000 aiHypercar
Faraday Future unveils the FF 91 2.0 Futurist Alliance, a $309,000 AI tech luxury car that aims to outshine Ferrari, Maybach, and Rolls-Royce with its advanced safety, driving, and space features. The vehicle is powered by the “6x4 aiHyper Technology 2.0 Architecture,” which has passed some of the most demanding crash tests. The company also offers a mobile ecosystem product, the FF aiHypercar+, and plans to deliver the first cars on May 31st, followed by co-creation events and festivals.
My Take: This vehicle's “Magic All-In-One” system and other tech features are impressive. However, the price tag is beyond my budget.
Ford, Meet Tesla
Starting in spring 2024, Ford will allow its EV customers to access Tesla Superchargers, doubling their fast-charging options, with the requirement of a Tesla-developed adapter and software integration through 2025. After that, Ford's next-generation EVs will have the NACS connector built-in.
My Take: More access to chargers, especially from one of the most reliable networks, is a great benefit for Ford. This could also encourage other manufacturers to collaborate on charging networks. I like it.
King Model Y
Tesla Model Y achieves a historic milestone by becoming the best-selling car in the world in the first quarter of 2023, with 267,200 units sold and a 10,800-unit lead over Toyota Corolla. The electric SUV benefits from price reductions, global expansion, and EV market growth, while the Corolla faces challenges in China and the US.
My Take: My brother-in-law was astonished when I told him this yesterday. According to my research, the Corolla has been the world’s top-selling car for many years in a row. Can the Model Y unseat the Corolla for all of 2023?
Rivian Baby
Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe revealed a clay model of a new electric SUV based on the R2 platform, which will be smaller and cheaper than the current R1 models. The R2 platform will also spawn other vehicles with an estimated price of $40,000 and a range of 300-400 miles.
My Take: I’m curious about the size difference. The R1S seems ideal to me, but it’s out of my budget. Am I being too frugal? Perhaps.
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