If the shuttering of Argo AI marked the end of the beginning, the beginning of the end is the realization that technological development in the automotive industry is always an iterative process.
What’s at Stake:
Early in the previous century, about 38 percent of vehicles on American roads were powered by electricity. Last year, just 3 percent of new U.S. cars sold were electric. Those statistics underscore the decidedly uneven development and market impact of the leading electric vehicle battery chemistry. As author Charles Murray notes, lithium-ion technology has nonetheless helped reignite the EV market after many fits and starts.
Veteran technology journalist Charles Murray chronicles the history of the lithium-ion battery and its central role in propelling EVs in Long Hard Road: The Lithium-Ion Battery and the Electric Car (Purdue University Press, September 2022).
Read More »The Lithium-Ion Battery Was a Long Time Coming
OEMs will likely double down on their Level 2 → 2+ → 3 strategies. But there is a very real risk of a race to the bottom since each option comes with challenges.
What’s at stake?
What went wrong with Argo AI is the wrong question. Rather: What’s up with Argo’s investors? What outcome did investors Ford and Volkswagen expect? Were they prepared to play the long game? Most important, do they understand what it takes to build a highly automated vehicle that’s both sexy and safe?
As the enthusiasm of its largest investors–Ford and Volkswagen–for autonomous vehicles waned, Argo AI’s fate was sealed.
Read More »Argo AI’s Demise Reveals Automakers’ AV Miscues
Argo’s IP will be dispersed by financial backers Ford and VW, but Qualcomm appears to be the biggest winner.
Beijing’s attempts to create a complete technology ecosystem, including extended supply chains for semiconductor design, production and packaging, are being boxed in on a number of fronts.
By George Leopold and Junko Yoshida
What’s at stake:
All eyes are on China as the nation mulls its response to the latest U.S. technology export controls. China will no doubt retaliate – but how? Its options appear limited, but so do the options for de-escalation. At stake is whether the tech industry may find itself in a world split in two: China and the rest of the world.
As it seeks a mix of new fab customers, Intel Foundry Services (IFS) is launching an alliance with leading chip designers to offer U.S.-based manufacturing at advanced process technology nodes.
Read More »Intel Alliance Offers U.S. ‘Trusted’ Design, Foundry Services
The U.S. Energy Department has released $2.8 billion in infrastructure funding to jumpstart a U.S. battery supply chain.
Read More »U.S. Awards First Battery Supply Chain Grants
What’s at stake?
China is primed to dominate the global EV market. Hence, news of the VW-Horizon Robotics agreement doesn’t necessarily represent a design win for the Chinese AI chip startup. At stake is the survival of Volkswagen, among the world’s largest legacy OEMs. Has VW considered the consequences of this deal ten years down the road?
When the news of Volkswagen’s 2.4-billion euro investment in China’s AI startup broke last week, Tu Le was one of our first calls.
Read More »VW-Horizon Deal: Winners, Risks, and Legacy OEMs’ Future
