Electrek

This week on the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy, including Tesla's secret Roadrunner project, Model Y delivery confirmations, the Chevy Menlo EV, and more.

The Electrek Podcast is me, Fred Lambert, editor-in-chief of Electrek, and Seth Weintraub, founder and publisher of Electrek and the 9to5 network, discussing all our top stories of the week while taking questions from our readers and highlighting the most insightful comments on the site.

The show is back live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel. As a reminder we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps through our RSS feed: https://electrek.co/podcastRSS. Grab the quick link to Apple Podcasts here.

We now have a Patreon if you want to help us to avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons, and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast today:

• Tesla’s secret Roadrunner project: new battery production at $100 per kWh on a massive scale
• Tesla starts confirming Model Y deliveries to customers
  • Tesla asks Model Y buyers to change configuration to get sooner delivery, hinting at high volume
  • Tesla tells Model Y RWD buyers to ‘prepare for delivery’
• Tesla and Panasonic end solar deal at Gigafactory New York ahead of battery event
• Tesla’s massive 1GWh Megapack battery project with PG&E is approved
• Drako GTE $1.2 million electric supercar: first ride and walkaround
• GM launches Menlo electric car with 250 miles of range for just ~$23,000, but you probably can’t buy it
• Coronavirus forces shutdown of Geneva Motor Show, but BMW i4 and other EVs will be unveiled online

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00pm ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):

https://youtu.be/zmyHvbfdSKM

This week on the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy, including Tesla's new car wrap service, Model Y Long Range RWD, Cadillac Lyriq, and more.

The Electrek Podcast is me, Fred Lambert, editor-in-chief of Electrek, and Seth Weintraub, founder and publisher of Electrek and the 9to5 network, discussing all our top stories of the week while taking questions from our readers and highlighting the most insightful comments on the site.

The show is back live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel. As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps through our RSS feed: https://electrek.co/podcastRSS. Grab the quick link to Apple Podcasts here.

We now have a Patreon if you want to help us to avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast today:

• Tesla Model Y diary: Day 4 range test family trip with bikes
• Tesla launches its own car wrap service
• Tesla starts trial production of Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel-Drive
• Tesla is working on massive sales presence expansion with new markets
• Tesla prepares production increase at Fremont factory, builds new parallel line under tent
• Tesla makes tiny change to Model Y that will save owners some headaches
• Tesla is ‘highly likely’ to make smaller Cybertruck for Europe, says Elon Musk
• Tesla’s wiper controls are ruled illegal in Germany after someone crashed while using them
• Tesla’s made-in-China cars lead market in quality while US-made Tesla cars score lowest
• Tesla urges owners to push for allowing charging payment by kWh
• Tesla launches Model 3/Model Y leases in Canada, expands in the market
• Electric pickup truck maker Lordstown Motors announces deal to go public at $1.6 billion
• Audi e-tron 2021 electric SUV gets $9,000 price cut and 18 more miles of range
• Cadillac reveals Lyriq electric crossover with 19-kW home charging option, due late 2022

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):

This week on the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy, including a Tesla battery breakthrough, TSLA stock split, Hyundai's new IONIQ EV brand, and more.

The Electrek Podcast is me, Fred Lambert, editor-in-chief of Electrek, and Seth Weintraub, founder and publisher of Electrek and the 9to5 network, discussing all our top stories of the week while taking questions from our readers and highlighting the most insightful comments on the site.

The show is back live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel. As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps through our RSS feed: https://electrek.co/podcastRSS. Grab the quick link to Apple Podcasts here.

We now have a Patreon if you want to help us to avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast today:

• Tesla researchers show path to next-gen battery cell with breakthrough energy density
• Tesla battery researchers mention enabling electric aircraft with new batteries
• Tesla announces 5 for 1 stock split, TSLA jumps 8%
• Tesla slashes price of CCS retrofit for Model S and Model X
• Tesla pushes to upgrade Destination Chargers with Gen 3 Wall Connectors, enables paid charging
• Cadillac Lyriq electric car to surprisingly start at less than $60,000
• Electric Corvette? GM files for ‘E-Ray’ trademark
• Hyundai launches IONIQ as new EV brand, confirms 3 new electric cars
• Lucid Air electric car is going to have insane EPA range of over 500 miles

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):

This week on the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy, including news about Tesla Model Y production and demand, the Solar Roof rollout, Model 3 hacking, and more.

The Electrek Podcast is me, Fred Lambert, editor-in-chief of Electrek, and Seth Weintraub, founder and publisher of Electrek and the 9to5 network, discussing all our top stories of the week while taking questions from our readers and highlighting the most insightful comments on the site.

The show is back live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel. As a reminder we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps through our RSS feed: https://electrek.co/podcastRSS. Grab the quick link to Apple Podcasts here.

We now have a Patreon if you want to help us to avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons, and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast today:

• Elon Musk reveals Tesla Model Y production ramp-up problem in leaked email
• Tesla adds Model Y to referral program, surprising move indicating weak demand
• Tesla starts Model Y deliveries in Canada
• Tesla hacker unlocks Performance upgrade and acceleration boost at a discount
• Tesla Semi: Elon Musk says time to bring electric trucks to volume production
• A look at Tesla battery degradation and replacement after 400,000 miles
• Tesla data shows battery degradation is limited but not all packs are created equal
• Tesla starts canceling Solar Roof orders after years of taking deposits
• Elon Musk’s Boring Company Loop is expanding again in Las Vegas with another customer

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):

https://youtu.be/mfHtSr3Qepc

Electrek sat down with Darren Palmer, head of battery-electric vehicles at Ford, to discuss the automaker's launch of the F-150 Lightning and the company's broader electric ambitions.

After Ford unveiled the F-150 Lightning this week, the EV community was for the most part impressed by the specs and the price point that the automaker announced.

The performance are comparable or better than Ford's best gas-powered pickup trucks.

On the electric side, with a starting price under $40,000 for a base version with 230 miles (370 km) of range and an extended range option with 300 miles (480 km) of range, it is hard to complain.

Some will of course, but for the most part, the EV community seems to agree that Ford could sell as many F-150 Lightning pickup trucks as they can produce.

That's why when we sat down with Darren Palmer, head of battery-electric vehicles at Ford, our first question was about bringing the electric pickup to volume production.

Palmer said that Ford is not sharing planned production capacity, but he made it clear that they are aiming for volume production of the electric truck:

"I think you can see we are not in this to build a couple of trucks and the facility that you saw President Biden visit this week, where the truck is going to be built, is significant. We also need to get the batteries to do this. We are doing that and you are going to see more about that at the capital market day next Wednesday, but again, we are not in this for a couple of trucks."

Ford hasn't confirmed the battery pack capacity of the truck yet, but both options are definitely over 100 kWh.

The company is well aware that if they plan to produce the F-150 Lightning in volume, it is going to need a lot of battery cells.

A supply partnership with SK Innovation was secured early on to supply the cells for the electric F-150 and Ford took it a step further this week with a joint-venture with SK to deploy another 60 GWh of battery cell production capacity in the US.

In our interview, Palmer hinted at more announcements on the battery front during an event coming on Wednesday.

You can watch our full interview with Darren Palmer on Youtube or the audio version on the Electrek Podcast (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, and RSS):

Palmer also made a point that Ford relies heavily on customer feedback in the development of its vehicles and the F-150 Lightning is no exception.

It starts with commercial customers who require reliable vehicles at the right price point and retail consumers benefit from that while Ford also listens to them for all the features and niceties that you'd expect in a consumer vehicle.

Therefore, with the F-150 Lightning, Ford made sure that truck buyers would get all the capacity and features they are used to plus all the advantages of electric vehicles.

One of those features that Ford is betting on is Vehicle-to-Load, which enables F-150 Lightning owners to power their home, a job site, or virtually anything using the truck's battery pack.

Palmer also explained that Ford is trying not to overwhelm buyers with electrification and it is trying to simplify the process of going electric.

For example, with the extended range version, Ford is providing an 80-amp charger that enables charging the large battery of the truck overnight.

The company is also not releasing all the nitty-gritty details of the truck's electric powertrain, like the kWh capacity of the battery pack, which Palmer believes most people don't really understand, but he did say that Ford will release all the details, including usable and full battery pack capacity, ahead of production next year.

We expect Ford to share more details and highlight more features of the F-150 Lightning over the next year - leading up to the start of production in mid-2022.