Charging Into the Future: Affordable EVs, Smart Tire Revolution, America's Bee Problem and EV Battery Innovation

Ever dreamt of the day when electric vehicles won't burn a hole in your wallet? Get ready to have your curiosity piqued in our latest TechMobility Show episode, where we delve into the imminent shake-up of the auto industry. From the Smart Tire Company's groundbreaking non-pneumatic tire innovations to Tesla's highly anticipated Model 2, we're uncovering how these advancements could soon park an EV in every driveway. Witness the industry giants like Chevy roll up their sleeves with their budget-friendly electric contenders, all while I share personal anecdotes from my muscle car days to illustrate how far we've come.

Tune in for a nostalgic trip down memory lane as I reminisce about the rumble of my Pontiac Firebird, a sensation that connects us to the roaring spirit of innovation in today's tech mobility landscape. Feel the tarmac as we explore how Smart Tire Company's NASA-inspired technology is set to re-invent the wheel, proving that durability and adaptability on the road isn't just for space exploration. We'll also discuss the critical role of government support in tech advances, drawing parallels between the success of GPS and autonomous driving tech, and the potential that lies in smart tire evolution.

Finally, don't let your thirst for techmobility knowledge hit a dead end. If you've missed our live discussions, fear not, as the TechMobility Podcast is readily available on your preferred platforms like Apple Podcasts and iHeart Radio. As I, Ken Chester, guide you through the ins and outs of transportation technology, ensure you're equipped with the latest insights by following our series. So plug in, tune up, and join the journey toward the future of mobility.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

it's time for The TechM obility Show with Ken Chester. Ken is a veteran journalist who doesn't always color between the lines, so here he, the host with the electrified personality Ken Chester.

Speaker 2: 0:28

Real facts, real opinions, real talk. I'm Ken Chester, and welcome to the Tech Mobility Show, your program for news, information and perspective at the intersection of mobility and technology. You and I have plenty to talk about during this visit, so let's get started. Topics for this episode that I want to share with you include how one small tire company plans to disrupt an industry, america's bee problem and, believe it or not, it's not what you think and finally, an EV battery innovation update. Because it's time, because it's time To join the conversation. Text, or call the TechMobility hotline, that number, 872-222-9793. Or, if you prefer, you can email me directly at talk at techmobilityshow. And that's talk at techmobilityshow. One more thing as usual, we are all over social media. So if you like getting this show on social media, either through our podcast or picking up certain things that I produce and put out all over the place, then feel free. Facebook, instagram, x, twitter I'm sorry TikTok and even some others. We're on oh my, 15, 16 different podcast platforms. So, yeah, wherever you podcast, chances are you will either find the Tech Mobility podcast or Tech Mobility topics either one and just check it out. Be sure to like and subscribe to where you find us. That would really really help us out. Thank you so very much From the Tech Mobility News Desk.

Speaker 2: 2:13

There's a lot being made in the press right now about how EV sales are falling. And, oh, everybody made a mistake. And EVs aren't a thing, they're just a fad. Only the rich people are going to own them. And yada, everybody made a mistake. And EVs aren't a thing, they're just a fad. Only the rich people are going to own them. And yada, yada, yada. Let me just back up a minute.

Speaker 2: 2:33

Number one Tesla plans to produce something they call the Model 2. Non-fairness they told us that when the Model 3 came to market, it'd be more affordable. Fairness they told us that when the Model 3 came to market, it would be more affordable and while it is cheaper than a Model S, it's not exactly coming in where they said it would. I believe the average price for a Model 3 is between $40,000 and $50,000. It was supposed to start as little as about $35,000. Most out the door don't come in at that. Elon Musk has promised us a Model 2. That Elon Musk has promised us a Model 2.

Speaker 2: 3:12

The thing about the Model 2 is, in order to bring it to market, tesla is reimagining the whole automobile manufacturing process. Basically, automobile manufacturing, with little tweaks, hasn't changed much in a little over 110 years since it was first perfected by Henry Ford for the Model T back in 1913. Tesla believes that being able to cast a bunch of parts as one part and looking at how a vehicle comes together and looking at how a vehicle comes together, they can lop as much as 25% to 40% of the cost of the vehicle out of their cost structure, meaning they can bring the price down that much. If they're able to do that, it makes it possible then to produce a pure EV for sale that people want to buy in, and around $25,000. To the industry, they consider that what they call the low end or the budget end of the market. It's where a lot of first-time buyers looking to buy maybe their first new vehicle are looking, and certainly on the internal combustion side.

Speaker 2: 4:22

Chevy has that on lock with the Chevy Trax and the Chevy Trailblazer, both of which are less than $30,000, and the Trax is even less than $25,000. Sticker price, base sticker price for all trim levels, and the Chevy Trax starts less than $25,000. Now, granted, one of them are within $5 at $25,000, but technically below $25,000. And I believe their entry-level track starts a little over, I think, $21,495, plus shipping, I believe. So they've got that on lock. But right now if you want to own an EV, you're going to add $10,000 to $15,000 at minimum right now. Even when the Chevy Equinox EV comes to market, it's still going to be $10,000 to $15,000 more more affordable than what you can buy today, pretty much from anybody, but it's still going to be a $35,000 to $40,000 vehicle when they finally get it here.

Speaker 2: 5:18

The fact that Elon Musk has the ability and is perfecting right now a methodology to bring the Model 2 to market in that price range would be a game changer. Now, fun fact, we laughed including me. We laughed at Elon Musk when he said he was going to bring out the Model 3 and we're going to ramp this up. Model 3 and we're going to ramp this up Because, remember, he was forecasting volumes for the Model 3. By itself, that was more than everything Tesla had built in the last 15 years combined, and we didn't think he could pull it off, but he did. And the Model 3 and the Model Y crossover which is based on the Model 3, are the best selling vehicles in the world right now, with the Model Y outstripping everything. So so much for that.

Speaker 2: 6:13

I say all this because you would think, oh my goodness, tesla's, far and away Even Toyota's taking notes from Tesla. Right now They've got it on lock. Let me help you with something. Do you remember a few months back and I was talking about EV batteries at the time, when the traditional automakers Stellantis, ford, general Motors get into the EV space seriously, that you were going to see, at least from the battery side, lower cost, better, more durable, less use of rare earth materials? And that is happening. Here's something you might not know, and this was out of the Wall Street Journal and the title this was back in February and I quote Ford says that it will launch a Tesla Model 2 rival, calling for a strong year. Yeah, the Ford Motor Company. Just a few months ago everybody was going oh my God, lightning sales are off. Ford overestimated. There's no way it's going to be anything that is after that.

Speaker 2: 7:23

The industry is not dead, people. The EV part of the automotive industry is acting like the rest of the automotive industry has for over a hundred years. There are ebbs and flows for a variety of reasons Some of it's product, some it's availability and some of it's just the economy itself as automakers, and particularly the tsunami that automakers are bringing to market now of lower and lower priced EVs these are pure EVs and are hybrids is going to change the market. The same company that builds an $80,000 to $90,000 Ford Lightning Pure EV is saying we are going to match Tesla and raise them a little bit. So the question is how is Ford going to do it?

Speaker 2: 8:20

As I told you, listeners to this program know and I've said it over and over and over that traditional American automakers are relentless when it comes to cost control. If they don't do anything right, they do that these are companies that fight over a tenth of a cent per unit in production. That's real. For the Ford Motor Company to say that we are going to come up with a Model 2 competitor means that Ford may have some tricks up their sleeve on what they've learned from building EVs these last three years that they haven't yet shared with the public. And certainly they've got the muscle, because when it comes to building vehicles, the Ford Motor Company has been doing it for over 100 years. They know a little something about doing that. Let me quote what my good friend Jim Farley, the head of Ford Motor Company said, and I quote all of our EV teams are ruthlessly focused on cost because the ultimate competition is going to be the affordable Tesla and the Chinese original equipment manufacturers. That's from Jim Farley, the head of Ford Motor Company.

Speaker 2: 9:38

Same people that built the Lightning. Same people that are in the process of building the ginormous Blue Oval City in West Central Tennessee right now. The same company that's building battery plants around the United States right now. For those of you who think that the EV market is gone, it's not. For those of you seeing the rise of hybrids, I think it's a bridge right now, until more affordable products with better range and a better infrastructure charging network comes online, and that's happening in real time.

Speaker 2: 10:13

Over the next three to four years, it's going to be radically different the end of this decade than it is right now. Mark my words, words, and you will wonder 10 years from now how we were so blind to think that evs did not have the kind of traction that they had. This stuff takes time, people. If ford can do it and if they say they can do it, they can do it then you'll see a lot of other manufacturers following suit, because they're going where the money is. A small tire company looks to NASA for inspiration to disrupt an entire industry. You are listening to the Tech Mobility Show.

Speaker 3: 11:00

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Speaker 2: 11:32

Get started today and revolutionize the way you communicate. Social media is the main place to be these days, and we are no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Facebook videos, from my latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary of a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight you Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Facebook. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to our Facebook page. Social media is the place to be these days, and we're no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Instagram videos, from the latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary on a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight you Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Instagram. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar.

Speaker 2: 12:30

For those of you that listen to podcasts, we have just the one for you. Hi, I'm Ken Chester. Tech Mobility Topics is a podcast where I upload topic-specific videos each week Shorter than a full show. These bite-sized programs are just the thing, particularly if you're interested in a particular topic covered on the weekly radio show. From Apple Podcasts to iHeartRadio and many podcast platforms in between, we got you covered.

Speaker 4: 13:04

Just enter Tech Mobility Topics in the search bar, wherever you listen to podcasts. The Pontiac Firebird waits. 305 horsepower comes to life Somewhere. Someone wait for me. Ram air induction turns air into fuel in a rush. Yes, I'm satellite Firebird. You're ready to fly? I am Blackbird.

Speaker 2: 13:40

For those of you that may not have realized it, if you remember the Chevy Camaro, the Chevy Camaro used to have a twin Back when Pontiac existed, prior to 2009,. When it didn't, they provided a vehicle called the Pontiac Firebird and it was built through 2002. So it went out of production 22 years ago, but it was the performance twin to the Camaro, built in the same plant, built in the same chassis and powerful. The Ram Air WS6 package performance package was a beast, I can tell you. I've driven it. It's hard to make all that car on level ground, level dry ground go in a straight line when you stomp the gas pedal. It had so much power she wanted to go sideways.

Speaker 2: 14:24

Pontiac Firebird the tire technology is called NPT, which is short for non-pumatic tires and, as you may imagine, in the quest for more reliable tires, puncture-proof tires, tires that would cost less to make, the variety of tire makers have cast their various products into the wind. In 2019, it was the Michelin Uptis tire, working with General Motors to bring that to market. It did go into testing with the DHL fleet in Singapore. Last year, bridgestone was developing an NFT tire, an NPT tire. But even through 2022, they still said, even though we've been working on this thing for 10 years. We don't see anything commercially viable for another 10. And then you've got Hankook their iFlex tire that they were developing that did not carry air, was designed for the military and they were testing it. And then Goodyear had something called Next Trek. So the major tire manufacturers were looking at coming up something alternative to the typical tire today, for a variety of reasons.

Speaker 2: 15:50

However, there is a company. It's called the Smart Tire Company. They're based in Los Angeles, they're minority owned and smart is short for shape memory alloy, radical technology, and they got the technology from NASA, believe it or not. Here's why they may succeed where the big companies have not. Partially because it's a total different approach to an MPT tire. This space-age tire changes the way vehicles perform on and off-road and it uses a special advanced material called Ni-Tinol Plus, which is nickel, titanium and a shape memory alloy that's elastic like rubber yet strong like titanium.

Speaker 2: 16:41

It's the number one thing that attempts to overcome the primary problem with NPT tires. The problem with NPT tires typically is that without air, the heat created from road friction cannot be dissipated, meaning increased chances of overheating, damage or failure. Compared with normal tires, airless tires also have a larger contact patch with the road surface, which increases rolling resistance, which leads to more drag in the hole on the vehicle and higher fuel consumption. That is the traditional NPT tire. The Smart Tire Company looks at it a completely different way. The tire doesn't even look the same as the other tires that the majors are doing and, as a result, doesn't have a lot of the problems that their prototypes have. If you recognize the name Smart Tire Company, you may have also realized that they were on Shark Tank and, from what I understand, the reason why the Sharks didn't warm up to investing is because at the time, the Smart Tire Company chose to go crowdfunding to raise some money, and I think they've raised a little over a million dollars and they're trying to get this thing to market. Their big thing right now is to start small. They're looking at bicycles and scooters and motorcycles and that makes total sense where they can build experience, perfect their tires and ramp up to what may be passenger cars and things like that. But the design is completely different and they've got the backing of NASA.

Speaker 2: 18:21

And for those of you that may question government involvement, government has been involved in industry and various types of industries for years. This is not new. Where do you think GPS came from? Where do you think the original technology for autonomous cars came from? In those cases, it came from competitions held by a division of the Defense Department called DARPA, which actually sponsors that in order to encourage the development of that technology and sometimes bankrolls some basic research to get it to market. This has been happening and, honestly, all major countries do it. They nurture their companies, typically with basic research or critical research, or help them to commercialize research that may have been originally adopted either in a space program or military application or something like that, or even the government's own laboratories, going on for years.

Speaker 2: 19:20

What excites me about this and in case you didn't know, tires is a $300 billion a year industry. 42% of the tire industry is passenger car tires or automotive. 35% of that $300 billion is trucking, and then the rest of it is agriculture, two wheelers, heavy industry and what they call other. But if you look at it, you're looking at 77% of the industry is automotive or trucking. So there's a lot there and if they're able to get this tire, they could theoretically leapfrog what the traditional companies have been doing, because their approach is so radically different and has a lot of the traditional problems that they're trying to break through. Their tires are not elastic. Their tires generate a lot of heat. The smart tire doesn't do any of that. Remember what I said a shape memory alloy that's elastic like rubber yet strong like titanium. If they could pull that off and bring it to market, no telling what may happen, I will say this If you remember our reporting on the Michelin Uptis tire a number of years ago, and they introduced that in 2019, and they said they're working with GM and oh, we'll have it in cars by 2024.

Speaker 2: 20:53

Guess what? It's 2024. Those tires are not in the marketplace because they have not been able to overcome the fundamental shortcomings of their initial design. The smart tire doesn't even go that way and, as a result, doesn't have the same problems. So it's a matter of testing, scaling up and seeing how it does. I'm curious for all these tires, both the traditional ones from the manufacturers and the ones with smart tires, how that will do in an electric vehicle, which is typically heavier and has more demands on the tires than a traditional car. I think we'll see that as time goes by. And my money is on the smart tire. It really is, because they show it. I'm excited. I think it'll be really awesome, and Ford Mobility and Felt Bicycles also feels that it's got some potential. After years of scarcity, america may suddenly have a bee problem.

Speaker 2: 21:51

We discuss this is the Tech Mobility Show. Do you listen to podcasts? Seems that most people do. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. If you've missed any of our weekly episodes on the radio, our podcast is a great way to listen. You can find the Tech Mobility podcast just about anywhere. You can enjoy podcasts. Be sure to follow us from Apple Podcasts, iheart Radio and many platforms in between. We are there. Just enter the Tech Mobility podcast in the search bar. Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media it's the place to be. We no exception. Hi, I'm ken chester, host the tech mobility show. Several times a week, I post to tiktok several of the topics that I cover on my weekly radio show. It's another way to keep up on mobility, technology news and information. I've built quite a library of short videos for your viewing pleasure, so be sure to watch, like and subscribe. That's the tech mobility show on tiktok. Check it out.

Speaker 2: 23:05

After years of scarcity, it seems that here in America, bees are having a moment. That's right bees. You know the critters with stingers that are largely responsible for making honey and pollinating all kinds of plants. Yeah, them, we actually may have a record number of them, and this is topic B. Let me ask you a question actually may have a record number of them, and this is topic B. Let me ask you a question Of all the states in the United States of America, what state has experienced the highest growth rate in the number of Bs in the last few years? Don't worry, I'll give you a minute, I'll let you think about that While you're thinking about that, and I'll give you the answer.

Speaker 2: 23:51

Did you realize there was such a thing that our federal government does, called the Census of Agriculture, where they actually take inventory of a variety of livestock in the United States of America, and there are all kinds of livestock I didn't even know. Yeah, it's a thing, it's a total thing. They look at everything from bee colonies to groups of llama and everything in between. The numbers I've got here I want to just share and then we'll get into and then I'll give you your answer. They look at aggressively all sorts of herds across the country to get a count. The numbers I've got here is the change since 2007 to actual stock in 2022, the last time they did this report, actual stock in 2022, the last time they did this report Of everything, and I'm talking bee colonies, ducks, chickens, hogs, deer, bison cattle, turkeys, mules and donkeys. They even count quail and pheasants. Yeah, they do.

Speaker 2: 25:00

The number one growth rate was bee colonies 3.8 million. Now, that's not the most of anything, because if you went down to the inventory and it's up 31% from 2007. If you kind of chicken broilers, that would be 1.7 billion of them in the United States of America, 1.7 billion of them in the United States of America. And in case you were wondering, because you know we're in the upper Midwest, cattle came in at a little over 87 million, 87.9 million. Turkeys a little bit more, about 10 million more at 97.3 million, and those are down slightly. Both of those are down 9%. On the flip side and I just give you this for reference the inventories that have experienced the highest decrease since 2007, emus, ostriches and llamas. Llamas almost got wiped off the map. Llamas had the greatest decrease over 76%. Llamas had the greatest decrease over 76%. Ostriches 69%. Emus 56%. Ain't that many ostriches In the United States of America they counted 3,523 ostriches, 29,705 llamas and only 12,580 emus. To get back to the question because you thought I had forgotten about you, but I didn't Much of the explosion in small producers came from just one state.

Speaker 2: 26:33

That state is Texas, and the lowest started state has gone from having the sixth most bee operations in the country to so far being ahead of everyone else that it out bees. The bottom 21 states combined. The only state with more bees in it would be California. Here's why, in the northern part of Texas, they went to the state legislature and here's the hypothetical that they gave them, and this was back in 2011. You own 200 acres on the other side of the fence from me and you raise cotton for a living. You get your ag valuation and cheaper taxes on your property as a result. I have 10 acres on the other side of the fence to raise bees and I don't receive my ag valuation, but yet my bees are crossing the fence and pollinating your crops and making a living for you, and the man who proposed that didn't think that was very fair. So Texas incentivized people to raise bees and, as a result, bee colonies in Texas exploded.

Speaker 2: 27:42

Here's something else you might not know. Here's a question. Let's say you're all about the bees, but you don't think you want to be keeping a bee colony. What can you do as a person to promote bees? Plant a biodiverse garden of flowers, all kinds of flowers. That's the one thing you can do. Plant flowers. You want to up the bee population? Plant flowers and oh that. 3.8 million bees those are the bees that are actually being kept and raised and maintained by beekeepers. It does not count what they call and I didn't know this until I did the research for this feral bees. I didn't even know it was such a thing, and they say that the number of feral bees could be like two or three times that number Bees.

Speaker 2: 28:38

Bees are important If you experience anything to do with a plant that has a growth, a fruit, a vegetable, anything that plant, that tree was pollinated, most likely by a bee. That's why it's important. Our very lives depend on bees, and not just for honey. Let's talk about y'all. That said, you know what? I don't do dairy. I drink almond milk. Almond milk's my thing. Let's talk about almond milk For a minute, because almond milk Requires a lot of bees To pollinate a lot of trees, and if they don't do it, we've got a problem. We have a problem, and I want to find the number. I had a number that blew my mind that I need to share with you, relative to, I mean, all sorts of trees and all sorts of pollination, but almond almond here we go, I found it. Let me start with this. Almond here we go, I found it. Let me start with this though Pollination not honey prices has been the true rocket booster strapped to the back of the modern beekeeping industry, and almond pollination is responsible for $4 out of every $5 spent on bee fertility assistance in the United States, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Speaker 2: 30:06

I didn't know there was such a thing as bee fertility assistance. Let's deal with that. It's a whole other story. I won't take that any further, but yeah, I went there. America's almond acreage has more than doubled since 2007, as the world's food firms race to stuff the nut into every conceivable granola mix, nut butter and milk substitute. So it seems reasonable to assume the honeybee population doubled along with it, because for the most part, after all, they're not pollinating themselves.

Speaker 2: 30:42

If you were wondering how many almond trees there are on the planet, let me give you a number 170. Oh, I'm sorry, that's 170 million almond trees, and every February and March. And every February and March they get fertilized, made possible by the migration of the bees 170 million almond trees. So the next time you're enjoying that almond milk, thank a bee, because chances are, without the bees you wouldn't have the milk, because you wouldn't have the almond plant, because it wasn't pollinated, because it needed the bees to pollinate it. Just thought I'd put that out there for y'all. That are all natural and stuff. Again, if you're serious about helping bees, plant flowers that's what they're saying. That is exactly what is required in order to help it, in order to make this thing work, in order to be successful. But yeah, we've got bees.

Speaker 2: 31:47

One thing about EV battery tech it keeps changing. Time for an update. We are the Tech Mobility Show. To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings at the Tech Mobility Show by visiting techmobilityshow. That's techmobilityshow. You can also drop us a line at talk at techmobilityshow. I've designed these videos to be informative and entertaining. It's another way to keep up on current mobility and technology news and information. Be sure to watch, like and subscribe to my channel. That's the Tech Mobility Show on YouTube.

Speaker 3: 32:59

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Speaker 2: 33:28

Social media is the place to be these days, and we're no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Instagram videos, from the latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary on a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight you. Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Instagram. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar.

Speaker 2: 33:58

Okay, this one is for the haters out there, because everybody's got something to say about EV batteries. Oh, rare earth materials. Oh, they're caustic to the planet. Mining and all this nasty stuff's going on. Oh well, how dare they? Because they're not really as clean and as advanced as you say. Hold up a minute, stop right there. If you've been listening to this program for any length of time, you should know and you've heard me talk about it over and over how EV battery technology continues to change, revolutionize and evolve all at the same time. One year in this industry is like 10 years in most others, so I figured it was time to bring you up to speed. So here's my EV battery innovation update.

Speaker 2: 34:44

This is topic C. Is topic C? Graphite, graphene, boron, fluoride, iron, coal, now sulfur. These are all materials, common materials, that are being worked into, developed by or otherwise incorporated into battery chemistries for EVs. And no, I didn't stutter, I said coal. I did, I did A new way of using coal.

Speaker 2: 35:17

Let me start with the easy stuff, and I'm sure we've talked about this company. It's been a little while. It's called Lighten L-Y-T-E-N. They are bringing to market a lithium sulfur battery. Why is that important? I shared with you months ago. I said when the domestic automakers get into battery production, they were going to work to get the cost of the batteries down the range up, and to do that you had to get rid of the rare earth or minimize the rare earth materials that everybody was up in arms about, and that's cobalt, nickel and manganese primarily. Get rid of it. Get rid of it. This is what's going on. So you've heard the rise of the lithium iron battery. You've heard the rise of the lithium-iron battery, you've heard of the rise of, now, lithium-sulfur, and I mentioned a whole bunch of others that we've reported on over time. Here's what's been happening over the last 10 years the cost per kilowatt hour for battery development has been falling. You can equate a kilowatt hour on the electric side to a gallon of gasoline on the internal combustion side. That's been falling, falling, falling. Why they reimagine how a battery pack should lay out. They reimagine the materials that they use, they reimagine the packaging. They reimagine different chemistries.

Speaker 2: 36:50

Right now, the big thing is to mix traditional lithium-ion batteries with lithium-iron batteries. The reason why they combine the two is, right now, the lithium-ion battery has longer range, the lithium-iron battery shorter range but way cheaper to build upwards of 25% less. And if you use the two in combination you can build a vehicle that can go medium range and long range for a fraction of the cost. You don't have to replace and go either or Bring into this mix. Now sulfur, another easily available chemical and compound that is not a rare earth mineral. That's what I'm talking about. These are seen and I'm talking about the lithium sulfur battery technologies as pivotal and reducing offshore supply chain risks and significantly extending the driving range of evs.

Speaker 2: 37:48

If it's one thing the pandemic showed, the manufacturing base in the United States is you had to break that chain. It wasn't working and that one breakdown could hold the whole system hostage. And there's been a lot of money, billions of dollars in fact, tens of billions of dollars in fact spent to break that addiction, and not just in batteries. Sulfur, a readily available and cost-effective material. Lithium-sulfur batteries promise to offer more than double the energy density of traditional lithium-iron counterparts, without relying on critical minerals like nickel, cobalt or graphite. I told you that would happen. I told you that would happen. Not a surprise. This financial boost aligns with the broader US strategy to promote the alternative energy sources and secure supply chain, especially in light of the National Defense Authorization Act. This act, recently endorsed with bipartisan support, will restrict the US Defense Department from procuring batteries from China's major manufacturers by October 2027, underscoring the urgency for developing batteries with alternative chemistries such as lithium sulfur.

Speaker 2: 39:07

I wanted that to sink in a minute. We're breaking those chains. Here's something else, and I'm rolling right into this Even though China doesn't have all the rare earth minerals, they have control over a lot of them. But the big problem is, even if you mined it somewhere else and not China, you still had to send it to the far east. That is where the processing plants were to take these rare earth minerals and turn them into substrates and other transitionary materials that are used in EV battery manufacturing. That's getting broken too.

Speaker 2: 39:52

Let me bring up another company we've talked about before. I've talked about Stordot. Stordot is taking this to the next level. You may have remembered Stordot's proprietary 105 cell technology where their batteries currently will give you 100 miles of range in 5 minutes. Their batteries currently will give you 100 miles of range in five minutes. That means in 15 minutes. Typically, you would have all the range you need for a typical EV and considering that the average range of a normal either passenger car or small SUV for gasoline is anywhere between 275, and75 and $3.75, 15 minutes, you're good, you're back on the road. 15 minutes. If you remember my escapades back in January, it sure beats an hour. It gave me three-fourths of an hour back per stop and that is a game changer, not to mention combined with extra range.

Speaker 2: 40:50

What they're doing now, what StoreDot is doing now, is completely developing a battery pack. It's not enough to just develop the battery. They have a battery pack that they can use with any manufacturer. That is allowing them to optimize the use of the batteries that they have. Is it allowing them to optimize the use of the batteries that they have? And these same people want to be 100 miles in 3 minutes by 2028. Again, 400 miles in 12 minutes.

Speaker 2: 41:21

Imagine that, which means you're going to be in and out literally the time, and maybe in less time than it would take you to gas your vehicle up normally. And then there's advancements with lithium, iron, phosphate batteries 310 miles now. So it keeps getting better and better and better for less and less money. But regular listeners know that I told you all about this, so I just wanted to bring you up to date real quick on where things are at right now so that you would be aware and realize that it's going to continue to evolve. We've come to the end of our visit. Be sure to drop by at the same time for our next chat. You've been listening to Tech Mobility Show.

Speaker 1: 42:06

The Tech Mobility Show is a copywritten production of Tech Mobility Productions Incorporated. Any rebroadcast, retransmission or any other use is prohibited without the written consent of Tech Mobility Productions Incorporated.

Speaker 2: 42:28

For those of you that listen to podcasts, we have just the one for you. Hi, I'm Ken Chester. Tech Mobility Topics is a podcast where I upload topic-specific videos each week, shorter than a full show. These bite-sized programs are just the thing, particularly if you're interested in a particular topic covered on the weekly radio show. From Apple Podcasts to iHeartRadio and many podcast platforms in between, we got you covered. Just enter Tech Mobility Topics in the search bar. Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place to be. We're no exception. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show.

Speaker 2: 43:05

Several times a week, I post to TikTok several of the topics that I cover on my weekly radio show. It's another way to keep up on mobility technology news and information. I've built quite a library of short videos for your viewing pleasure, so be sure to watch, like and subscribe. That's the Tech Mobility Show on TikTok. Check it out. To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings of the Tech Mobility Show by visiting techmobilityshow. That's techmobilityshow.

Speaker 4: 43:52

You can also drop us a line at talk at techmobilityshow.

Speaker 2: 43:55

You can also drop us a line at talk at techmobilityshow. Do you listen to podcasts? Seems that most people do. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. If you've missed any of our weekly episodes on the radio, our podcast is a great way to listen. You can find the Tech Mobility Podcast just about anywhere you can enjoy podcasts. Be sure to follow us from Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio and many platforms in between. We are there. Just enter the Tech Mobility Podcast in the search bar, wherever you listen to podcasts.