Auto Industry News: Hill Climbs, Moon Buggies, Battery Business, & Toyota’s Retro Electric Off-Roader

The auto industry made it clear last week: We’re living in the future. Not only is GM officially charging for driverless Cruise rides in San Francisco, but the automaker also began fleshing out plans for a new rental service… on the moon. Meanwhile, Toyota dropped more renderings of its Compact Cruiser EV. The retro-inspired, next-gen FJ already picked up a design award, despite the fact that it still only exists on paper. And, speaking of EVs… The Engine Block deep dives battery technology this week. From range to fire safety, we unpack some of the common concerns and update you on how enterprising manufacturers are working to address them.

But first… Our friends across the pond just finished celebrating the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The massive event drew big crowds, buzzy debuts, and a record-breaking hill climb.

New Record Set at Goodwood Hill Climb

As one of the U.K.’s premier automotive gatherings, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is so much more than a car show. Amassing 200,000 attendees over four days, the event showcases a traditional hill-climb, full rally stage and drifting arena, ride-and-drives, concerts, exhibitions, new model debuts, and more.

This year’s event just wrapped up on Sunday. Here are a few highlights you may have missed:

… Ex-Formula 1 and IndyCar driver Max Chilton set a new record for fastest hill climb. Piloting a McMurtry Automotive Speirling fan car – an all-electric single-seater resembling a tiny Batmobile – Chilton conquered the famous 1.1-mile route in 39.08s. That’s almost two full seconds faster than the official title holder: a McLaren F1 car driven by Nick Heidfeld in 1999. Chilton also surpassed the fastest “unofficial” time by one second, which was set in 2019 by Romain Dumas in a Volkswagen ID.R.

… As part of its upcoming 100th anniversary, Le Mans displayed a huge selection of past, present, and future race cars. Included was the brand-new Porsche 963 which will compete in both the Daytona 24 Hours and Le Mans 24 Hours in 2023.

… Many other vehicles enjoyed their big debut at the festival, too. Some of the heavy-hitters included: Aston Martin V12 Vantage, BMW M3 Touring, Ferrari Daytona SP3, Ford Pro Electric SuperVan, Land Rover Defender 130, Maserati MC20 Cielo, and Mercedes-AMG One.

… The Goodwood Festival of Speed is known for its incredible central displays – giant sculptures that pay homage to a car marque. To celebrate BMW M’s 50th Anniversary, this year’s installation featured one M car for each decade, arranged so that they appear to actually be bursting out of the ground and up into the air. It was a sight to behold, not to mention an impressive feat of engineering.

To Infinity and Beyond

Speaking of impressive engineering, GM and Lockheed Martin announced plans to launch a rental service… on the moon.

You may remember that last year the automaker and aerospace company revealed their joint plans to create an autonomous lunar buggy for NASA’s upcoming Artemis mission – which aims to return astronauts to the moon’s surface by 2024.

Interestingly, this isn’t GM’s first tango with the space organization, as the automaker produced the lunar rover for the 1971 Apollo 15 mission. GM is also not alone in its lofty ambitions. Hyundai, Toyota, and Audi all have buggies in the works, too. However, GM does seem to be the only player eying up a potential rental fleet.

Essentially, there’s no guarantee GM and Lockheed Martin will get the NASA contract. That isn’t stopping the two companies, though, who say they are producing these vehicles regardless of government funds. With billionaire adventurers like Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson putting major money into launching a suborbital space tourist market, perhaps crafting an on-demand rental fleet of moon buggies isn’t such a bad idea.

Back here on Earth…

Proving the world can produce things stranger than a lunar rent-a-rover, GM also took major steps this past week in the commercialization of its self-driving taxi fleet. The automaker’s autonomous driving unit Cruise is officially charging for driverless rides around San Francisco. The camera and radar-equipped Chevy Bolt EVs have been a common site around the Bay Area – both with and without a human safety driver behind the wheel. However, as Automotive News points out, “turning them into a fledgling business in a major U.S. city marks a milestone in the long, delayed journey toward driverless taxi service.”

For now, driverless rides are only available in the northwest third of the city, but that will steadily expand.

Toyota Compact Cruiser EV

Toyota pulled the covers off its new Compact Cruiser EV last week, and what lies beneath is an interesting mix of futuristic design and retro fun.

While the vehicle is technically still a clay model with digital renderings, the rugged little explorer already picked up a 2022 Car Design Award in the Concept Cars section. Toyota describes the Compact Cruiser EV’s target audience as “young, professional urban dwellers who enjoy active outdoor leisure interests,” and says the vehicle will provide a “uniquely engaging, go-anywhere, all-wheel drive EV experience.”

According to the automaker, designers took several styling cues from the first-gen Land Cruiser. However, we see a much more direct nod to the mid-aughts FJ Cruiser. We also agree with other reports that if this new rig enters production, it will serve as a replacement for that much-loved but now discontinued model.

Battery Business

Much of what is holding back the warm consumer embrace of EVs has to do with the vehicles’ batteries. From range to price to safety to recycling, shoppers have capital-C concerns preventing them from opening their wallets. Below are some interesting developments happening on this side of the industry to allay those fears.

600-Mile Range on the Horizon

Battery range is an oft-noted sticking point for many would-be EV owners. It’s true that despite automakers’ advancements, there are still very few available EVs that offer extended travel comparable to most ICE vehicles. Additionally, the charging infrastructure is sorely lacking – and according to a recent study, poorly maintained.

Michigan battery startup Our Next Energy (ONE) is hoping to alleviate those concerns with its long-range battery technology. Not only does the battery use less of the precious (and expensive) metals like lithium, nickel and cobalt, but it also aims to double the range of a standard EV.

With several high-profile investors in its back pocket, ONE believes it can transform its technology into a commercially-viable product. The company already achieved 752 miles of range in a retrofitted Tesla Model S, and hopes to prove its mettle once again with a new BMW iX electric SUV prototype.

ONE’s battery setup uses a sort of hybrid lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) design. Generally, LFP batteries are more affordable than traditional nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries. They also rely less on the global supply chain and they run cooler – which means they don’t burst into flames. However, LFP batteries usually compromise range in order to achieve these other benefits.

ONE aims to avoid the drawbacks by running two different battery chemistries – one focused on power delivery and the other on energy storage.

Cleverly called “Gemini,” this battery design does still have a few trade-offs. As online science website New Atlas explains, it won’t be great for “sustained high-power use cases” (like track days) and it might be slower to charge than other batteries. “But under real-world driving conditions,” says the publication, “it can deliver a monster range and capacity boost that’ll make charge time a non-issue for most drivers.”

Preventing Battery Fires

Data suggests the risk of fire in an EV may actually be lower than that of a conventional ICE vehicle, however EV-related fires are significantly harder for firefighters to extinguish. They not only burn hotter and faster, but also require much more water to put out. (A Tesla Model S parked in a California scrapyard recently burst into flames. According to the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, the fire burned hotter than 3,000°, and took crews an hour and 4,500 gallons of water to extinguish.)

As noted above, the cooler running temperature of LFP batteries makes them a safer choice when it comes to preventing EV battery fires. However, another solution is in the works that promises to eliminate the problem altogether: Solid-state batteries.

Offering longer range, longer battery life, and faster charging, solid-state lithium batteries also promise to be non-flammable and more energy-dense. Sound too good to be true? Some say it is. Mass-producing solid-state batteries for electric vehicles is both expensive and complicated. Additionally, new research throws a little shade on solid-state safety and indicates the battery can, in fact, ignite if conditions are right.

Regardless, the race is on. Stellantis, Nissan, BMW, Tesla, Ford, General Motors and Toyota are all investing heavily in the technology.

Reducing Carbon (and Lithium) Footprints

EV opponents are often quick to point out that a technology so hell-bent on reducing humankind’s carbon footprint stands a good chance of creating an entirely new and dangerous source of pollution: battery packs. Indeed, the recycling of lithium-ion batteries poses unique challenges – and it lags (alarmingly) behind the rate of manufacturing.

In addition to the aforementioned ability to create actual hellfire on earth, lithium battery metals can contaminate soil and groundwater. The good news is that most of these components can be extracted and recycled into new batteries. Better yet, a lot of private companies are working to make the process cheaper, more efficient, and more widespread.

Redwood Materials is a major player in this space, and just announced a promising new partnership with Toyota. Founded by Tesla’s former chief technology officer, Redwood Materials collects, refurbishes, and recycles batteries and battery materials. Its new partnership with Toyota will specifically target Prius hybrid vehicles that are retiring from the roads, since the model was first released over 20 years ago. (Whereeee did that time go?!)

Redwood has similar partnerships with other OEMs, such as Ford and Volvo. By doing so, the company aims to create a “circular supply chain for EV batteries in the U.S.,” explains Tech Crunch. This should help bring down battery costs and reduce the need for invasive mining.

Legislative Flash Update

While all this talk about tomorrow’s tech can be interesting, it doesn’t exactly solve today’s problems, eh? And boy, do there seem to be a fair amount of problems for the average consumer to contend with right now.

With gas prices staying stubbornly high, plenty of folks may be eyeing up battery-powered vehicles. However, with supply chains in a knot, they’re facing very long wait times. The current administration is proposing action on both fronts – though one avenue is receiving much more positive traction than the other.

Ocean Shipping Reform Act Gets Green Light

Last week, President Biden signed into law SEMA-supported legislation aimed at improving ongoing supply-chain issues and backlogs at ports. Receiving unanimous support in the Senate and majority support in the House, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act strengthens the authority of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), which oversees international ocean shipping, to enforce against exploitative business practices and investigate fees charged by shipping companies.

“This bill helps aftermarket businesses around the country that rely on a worldwide supply chain to produce and assemble products in America that improve the style and performance of motor vehicles,” said Daniel Ingber, SEMA’s vice president of government and legal affairs. “At a time when our members struggle to keep their shelves stocked and rising costs are adversely impacting automotive enthusiasts, passage of this legislation will help on both fronts by addressing port disruption issues and unreasonable demurrage charges.”

Proposed Gas Tax Holiday Draws Scrutiny

Last week, the President also asked Congress to temporarily suspend the federal gas tax through the end of September. Federal taxes add about 18 cents to each gallon of gasoline and about 24 cents on diesel. The suspension, Biden argued, would help alleviate some financial stress on Americans and he urged states to follow suit with their own gas taxes.

Economists criticize the idea, noting the sacrifice of tax revenue will only further complicate an already-strained budget and jeopardize new infrastructure projects. Many of them argue that the only path forward is to increase domestic energy supply, which would require some regulatory relief and subsidized production for oil companies. (Something this administration is unlikely to entertain for political reasons.)

Even Democratic legislators are unenthusiastic about a federal tax suspension, with Massachusetts and Rhode Island openly rejecting the idea. Supporting their argument is the fact that recent tax holidays in New York and Connecticut have resulted in very minimal savings for motorists.

Whether or not Biden’s proposal could provide relief, it is unlikely to receive the necessary support among lawmakers. Until a viable multi-pronged solution is put into effect, consider applying some of these helpful tips to save money at the pump.

The Engine Block is your one-stop source for any and all auto industry news. Keep an eye on our weekly round-up of enthusiast coverage, product reviews, vehicle spotlights, auto show/expo features, and more. Check back Wednesday for some handy packing tips for that next camping trip, and tune in Friday to learn which 2022 vehicles have the best resale value.