Taylor Robinette

A COUP for Rivian?? This will be an interesting relationship with Volkswagen Group. Partnering with the global giant opens up SO many opportunities for the BEV startup. The company has substantially increased volumes (Lucid Motors not so much) and two new exciting models in the pipeline. The product is unique and has gained a distinct persona and solid following in the market. Rivian.....ditch the "no-dealer" thing, and tap into Volkswagen's dealer network, which includes quality Porsche AG, AUDI AG, and Volkswagen dealers, selecting the "best of the best." For VW....do similar with your revived Scout Motors Inc. brand. Don't over-dealer and start with major markets only. Agency-type agreements by application-only for both franchises and vet dealers CAREFULLY. Also note....Ford Motor Company sold it's stake in Rivian in 2023, while Amazon remains an investor. Great news for Rivian and their future. We love what they are doing and look forward to great progress :) PLEASE NOTE: We are currently soliciting for OEM, DEALER GROUP, SUPPLIER, SaaS contracts/other projects. Feel free to reach out to me directly. 416.993.9356 colin@omniautosolutions.com #automotive #automotiveindustry #sales #innovation #ecommerce #branding #ai #ev #electricvehicles #technology #business #leadership #disruptor

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The $5B investment Volkswagen made to Rivian is a significant step in boosting VW’s software architecture and delivery capabilities, leveraging on Rivian’s highly vaulted software architecture. At the same time, thru the infusion of new capital and accessibility to economy of scale, Rivian is able to leverage these to drive operating cost down as it scales up. As shared during my Customer engagements, with #Software being a critical theme for the future, the traditional vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) & Suppliers relationship will change dramatically. OEMs will no longer rely on Tier1s to deliver the solution. Where necessary, OEMs will collaborate with other traditional and new EV Start-up OEMs, non-traditional automotive software providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Google and #Semiconductor players to deliver the value differentiation. If you are in the #Automotive industry, you really need to have a Software centric strategy to meet the growing demand and complexity of Software Defined Vehicle (#SDV). #SiemensXceletator #MBSE #ALM #DevSecOps News courtesy from Reuters News Agency

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Not just an EV Fleet. Been there and done that for Tesla for Business. Because we have a set school schedule, this fleet will charge at non-peak hours partnering with PGE, make our runs in the AM and back at the charging station, V2G kicks in. These school buses are the “largest batteries on wheels”, during daytime peak hours, when not used for transportation, they will give kwh back to the grid. Then off to make the afternoon drop off runs safely. This ecosystem is just the start and a win-win all across the board. #V2G #VGI #V2X #electrification

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The EV slowdown in pass car is just a hiccup, the transition is inevitable, and commercial EVs are being adopted well ahead of projections. There is now no real technological or cost barrier to Scope 3 reductions.... https://lnkd.in/emM8twCU

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"Tesla is laying off even more employees... most notably the entire Supercharging team and the executive responsible for negotiating NACS adoption across the industry." Someone help me understand this. I'll admit I'm extremely biased against Elon, and I think there's plenty of evidence that build quality of Tesla vehicles has gone down in recent years, but I can admit that Tesla was VERY good at charging. Their process for identifying sites, winning partners, deploying, and their uptime and ease of use for chargers is (was) industry leading. I firmly believe the supercharger network remains the top value-prop for a Tesla vehicle. And you have multiple manufacturers switching over to NACS because access to that network is a game-changer for drivers. It's anecdotal, but two different Lyft rides in EVs last week, and both drivers complained that when they switched away from Tesla they lost access to the supercharger network. That other charging experiences just seem so terrible in comparison. So what's the deal here? What am I missing? Libby Bittman, what do you think? You've always been smarter than me, especially when it comes to EV charging. And what are my friends at Noodoe and ChargeLab doing to take advantage? Massive marketing and sales campaign opportunity with this news. #Tesla #Layoffs #EVCharging #EV

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VW's $1B investment in Rivian is more overdue recognition that software is king in EVs (it accounts for 70-80% of innovation in EV design and performance), growth in the U.S. is a top priority for OEMs and software is a harder to learn competence that is being built up from scratch (or rebuilt in VW's case) by legacy OEMs. The deal could get bigger- VW has a roadmap to another $4B in investments in Rivian over time. VW, having experienced several significant setbacks with their own internal software efforts, an experience shared by all OEMs but especially legacy ones like GM + Ford, is keen on creating EV architecture and software that it will use along with Rivian. Rivian could use the cash to get through leaner times of higher interest rates, less investor interest, and scaling up its ambitions as it looks to add momentum to its well-received EV truck and SUV product lines.

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Californian drivers appear to be losing some enthusiasm for Tesla. A California Auto Outlook report shows year-over-year Tesla registrations are down again in the state. The report, published on Monday by the California New Car Dealers Association, summarizes first-quarter vehicle registration figures statewide. The report said Tesla saw a 7.8% dip in sales in California in the first quarter, down from 54,265 in the last quarter of 2023 to 50,025 in Q1. The drop follows last quarter's 9.8% decline. Read more in Business Insider https://lnkd.in/exaHWtm5

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So what has gone wrong for Rivian, Lucid Motors, Nikola Corporation and other EV startups? How about product delays, questionable distribution strategy, bad timing, terrible risk assessment/risk management, irrational initial BEV uptake forecasts, to name just a few reasons. Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Tesla, others all committed similar, serious mistakes. Only Toyota Motor Corporation seems to have avoided the industry-wide overreaction and irrational exuberance. How did their "high-priced talent" miss ALL of this, while plenty of others saw it coming for years now :) :) Stellantis, Group Lotus, Nissan Motor Corporation, Volkswagen Group, BMW Group, Mercedes-Benz AG #automotive #automotiveindustry #sales #innovation #ecommerce #branding #ai #ev #electricvehicles #technology #business #leadership #disruptor

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It's happening. The traditional automakers are teaming up with the EV automakers. Makes sense. Traditional automakers have the scale to sell vehicles while the newer EV companies have the technology to license it out. Rivian popping in after hours. Up 35%. Tesla/Ford next? Ford (like many other automakers) has already partnered with Tesla for for supercharger integration. Full Self Driving licensing next?

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I've written about the evolution of the Acura ZDX EV as it has evolved from concept to production car, and I finally got a chance to drive it in Type S form. Here's my take at Popular Science: https://lnkd.in/gPBmCeCb

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Well... I didn't see that coming! Volkswagen Group is investing up to $5 billion in Rivian to form a joint venture that shares EV architecture and software. This strategic partnership aims to bolster Rivian’s development of new models like the R2 SUVs and R3 crossovers while helping VW overcome its software challenges. This will help Scout Motors Inc. The market's positive reaction was evident as Rivian's shares surged 50% following the announcement. This collaboration highlights the trend of traditional automakers partnering with innovative startups to navigate the evolving EV landscape. What are your thoughts on this move? #EV #Volkswagen #Rivian #AutomotiveIndustry #Innovation #Investment #Automotivenews #EVnews #futuremobility #futuremobilitynews #scoutmotors

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Wow. VW Group will invest up to $5 billion in Rivian to form a new, equally controlled joint venture sharing #EV architecture + software. JV's HOT TAKE: (a) Rivian gets the cash it needs before the R2 goes into production 2 yrs hence; (b) VW desperately needs software help on SDVs; (c) VW gets a US-based JV to build new products; so (d) Is THIS what underpins the new (and so far largely unknown) Scout Motors Inc. brand? More to come on this, for sure. #electriccars #electricvehicles #autoindustry #automotive #VWgroup #Rivian https://lnkd.in/eJsauZfs

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If General Motors, the remaining automakers, and non-auto industry fully autonomous development companies had done their jobs properly in pre-testing Fully Autonomous Vehicles (FAVs), there would have been no need for Human Safety Backups! The greatest mistake was not perfecting the technology on Closed-Loop Test Tracks before deploying it on the Street for Artificial Intelligence (AI) learning. The University of Michigan has the perfect real-world test track, Mcity, which accurately depicts an urban streetscape with vehicles, pedestrians, buses, tractor-trailer trucks, cyclists, etc. Doing so would have saved lives and injuries while giving these FAV technology companies the key learning, which could have drastically mitigated the negative press many consumers were exposed to before FAVs had even been released into the marketplace! #generalmotors #cruise #fullyautonomousvehicles #selfdrivingcars #sharedautonomousvehicles #development #testing #safety #negtive #consumeropinions #managementerrors

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Tesla lays off their entire #supercharger team, which is horrible for #EVcharging & anyone hoping to use their #NACS plug. 🤦‍♂️ Senior director Rebecca Tinucci and her entire #EVcharger team were laid off! She deserves a medal 🥇, not severance, after converting North America to the Tesla plug. She all but handed them energy dominance for EVs for the next decade. As an owner, I can say that many of their chargers sit idle and unused outside big cities, but that doesn’t mean you cut the whole team. What does this mean for their energy strategy? https://lnkd.in/g2DFyzcm

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Bankruptcy… The latest hurdle for a growing list of EV manufacturers. Fisker, Proterra, Polestar, and now Lucid. Even the household names like Tesla and Rivian are no stranger to financial challenges, especially as they struggle to get their heavy-duty vehicle models to sell. While the Inflation Reduction Act and other regulations have incentivized domestic EVs, the newer companies lack the consumer loyalty and other sales to subsidize ongoing EV investments. Add that to production delays and rising material costs, the lower sales volume is catching up quick. But is there still light at the end of the tunnel? What do you think about manufacturers being able to lower their costs while producing quality that will sell? #EVs #manufacturing #continuousimprovement

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This is a moving target topic since Musk re-hired some people. But the way those layoffs occurred is not a good way to operate a business even if changes in the Supercharger division did make business sense. My column for Electrify News. #Tesla #Superchargerlayoffs #electricvehicles #EVcharging

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Lucid Motors delivered 1967 cars in Q1 - RECORD DELIVERIES? Previous delivery record of 1,932 units in Q4 2022. YES 2022, over a year ago. So much for scaling your business, despite recent headwinds in the BEV segment. Rivian has done it. WOW....this doesn't sound like much progress. "The automaker said it remains on track to produce approximately 9,000 BEVs in 2024. For comparison, Lucid Motors built 8,428 EVs in 2023." Cash burn remains massive. We have seen ONE on the road in the Greater Toronto Area. We live in an area where are Tesla's everywhere. Three "studios" in Canada....Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal. Time to rethink the distribution network (dealers). Introducing the Gravity SUV by end of 2024 (bet ya not), Lucid claims it will be the BEST SUV in the industry. They made the same claim about the AIR sedan. FYI....they have cars AVAILABLE NOW on their website. The following quote from Peter Rawlinson...be VERY thankful for the deep pockets of the Saudi PIF. "I believe there are two factors that set Lucid apart – our superior, in-house technology and the partnership with the PIF. Our sales momentum is building, our focus upon cost remains relentless, and we believe Gravity is on track to become the best SUV in the world." Sales momentum building.....best SUV in the world?? Rivian, Mercedes-Benz AG, BMW Group, Lexus, Land Rover, Porsche AG #automotive #automotiveindustry #sales #innovation #ecommerce #branding #ai #ev #electricvehicles #technology #business #leadership #disruptor

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