Tesla Confirms Poor Cybertruck Sales, Lucid Launches AI Voice Assistant | Overseas Daily
"Top 3 News"
Amazon Fully Deploys Forklifts and AI Electric Logistics Vehicles in 2024
Key Points:
2024 is a highly symbolic year for Amazon, achieving significant breakthroughs in multiple fields. In the logistics and distribution sector, it has reached a crucial milestone. The 20,000th electric delivery vehicle equipped with artificial intelligence has officially hit the road. This is the result of Amazon's heavy investment and cooperation with Rivian. In less than three years, the vehicles are on the road, and nearly one billion packages have been delivered to US customers. Amazon also ambitiously plans to deploy more than 100,000 delivery fleets by 2030. In terms of warehousing, the autonomous forklift market is booming, and it is expected that the market value will soar to 12.5 billion US dollars by 2034. The 2 - 4 ton sub-segment accounts for the majority of the total revenue, with a compound annual growth rate of 11.4%.
As early as 2019, Amazon invested approximately 346 million US dollars to sign a seven-year agreement with the French company Balyo to acquire a 29% stake. The autonomous forklifts used in its warehouses are similar to Walmart's Fox Robotics forklifts, relying on advanced sensors to navigate in complex environments and accurately perform tasks. Although the initial investment in autonomous forklifts is not small, in the long term, it has achieved remarkable results in Amazon's fulfillment centers. It effectively optimizes the goods process, reduces reliance on manual labor, avoids human errors, improves the accuracy of material handling, accelerates order processing, and can operate continuously without rest, significantly improving productivity and ensuring that customer orders are completed quickly and well.
Amazon EDV Logistics Delivery Vehicle (Source: Electrek)
Opinions:
Amazon's these automation deployments in 2024 are extremely challenging. On the one hand, the large-scale deployment of electric delivery vehicles is a major breakthrough in the logistics and distribution field. It not only conforms to the environmental protection trend, reduces carbon emissions, but also improves customer satisfaction through efficient delivery and consolidates its leading position in the e-commerce industry. The cooperation model with Rivian also provides an example for the integration of the new energy vehicle industry and logistics.
On the other hand, the widespread application of autonomous forklifts shows Amazon's ultimate pursuit of warehouse operation efficiency. Facing the dilemma of labor shortage, automation has become the key to breaking the deadlock, reducing labor costs while improving accuracy and speed, and promoting the warehousing industry to move towards intelligence. However, although this series of automation measures bring benefits, it also triggers thoughts, such as the adjustment of the employment structure and the loss of labor-intensive positions. It is necessary to find a new fit point between technological progress and social balance. Amazon's practice provides a vivid sample for the entire industry to explore the path of automation transformation, leading the future logistics and warehousing reform trend.
Lucid Launches AI Voice Assistant
Key Points:
Lucid has recently launched a new AI assistant specifically for its electric vehicle owners. This assistant is driven by SoundHound Chat AI and can be easily awakened by saying "Hey Lucid" while driving, enabling a convenient interaction similar to Amazon Alexa or Apple Siri. Its functions are rich and powerful. After being awakened, the owner can not only ask real-time questions in multiple fields such as sports, stocks, and weather to get accurate responses, expanding the channels for obtaining driving information, but also deeply control the built-in functions such as vehicle navigation to achieve intelligent driving. It can also answer questions at any time with the permission of the built-in complete vehicle manual. Moreover, it is different from smart devices that rely on the network. Many functions can still be used normally without a cellular network, allowing the owner to enjoy smart services even when the signal is poor or they want to save traffic.
In addition, Dr. Jean-Philippe Gauthier, the head of software engineering at Lucid, said that the company and SoundHound created this assistant not only focusing on the current voice control, but also continuously expanding the functional boundaries through frequent OTA updates. It is expected to bring more surprising interactions and practical capabilities in the future, meeting the growing intelligent needs of vehicle owners.
LucidAir Interior (Source: Electrek)
Key Points:
On the one hand, the AI assistant launched by Lucid this time breaks the traditional barrier of human-vehicle communication with an innovative interaction mode. Without the need to remove their hands from the steering wheel or shift their gaze, vehicle owners can comprehensively control driving information and vehicle functions through simple voice commands, significantly improving driving safety and convenience, and making the travel experience more relaxed.
On the other hand, its powerful offline function and continuous evolution characteristics show Lucid's profound insight into the pain points of users in real scenarios and its forward-looking layout. It not only meets the current needs but also depicts unlimited possibilities for the future intelligent vehicle service ecosystem. It is expected to set a new benchmark for intelligent interaction in the highly competitive electric vehicle market, lead the intelligent transformation trend of the industry, and prompt other car companies to accelerate their follow-up, jointly promoting intelligent travel to a new height.
DHL Partners with Oxa to Deploy Autonomous Vehicles at Airports
Key Points:
The international shipping giant DHL and the autonomous driving software company Oxa have joined forces and achieved remarkable results at London Heathrow Airport. Within 14 days, the autonomous vehicles have safely completed more than 1000 kilometers in the airport traffic environment. DHL is already a leader in the fields of decarbonization and new technologies. Since 2020, it has established a strategic partnership with Heathrow Airport to provide support such as luggage logistics. This cooperation aims to optimize the operation within the airport and improve the efficiency of luggage transfer between terminals by leveraging autonomous driving technology.
Currently, the concept verification uses the autonomous driving Ford Mondeo sedan, and the long-term plan is to adopt vehicle platforms such as the Ford E-Transit electric van and electrified ground handling equipment that are more suitable for luggage transfer. Gavin Jackson, the CEO of Oxa, pointed out that intelligent autonomous vehicles have created a huge opportunity for the modernization of the airport supply chain and the improvement of the customer experience. He is pleased to work with DHL to promote the application of autonomous driving at Heathrow and even global airports, moving towards large-scale fully automatic airport logistics; Nigel Milton, the Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer of London Heathrow Airport, also said that the future operation of the airport needs to rely on technological progress to improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and increase transportation capacity. This project is a powerful proof that is exciting and will help make travelers' trips at Heathrow better.
DHL and Oxa Company Cooperation (Source: Electrek)
Opinions:
This autonomous driving project of DHL and Oxa at Heathrow Airport is of great breakthrough significance. On the one hand, from the perspective of industry practice, the successful realization of more than 800 miles of autonomous driving in a busy and complex airport traffic scene fully validates the feasibility and stability of the technology. It provides a reference example for the global airport logistics automation transformation, and is expected to accelerate the introduction of autonomous driving technology in more airports, innovate processes such as luggage transfer and cargo delivery, and improve operational efficiency.
On the other hand, from the perspective of sustainable development, the development towards the use of electric vehicle platforms is in line with the current global green and low-carbon trend. It not only helps the airport reduce carbon emissions but also promotes the entire shipping and logistics industry to transition to clean energy, having a profound impact on ecological and environmental protection. Furthermore, the positive cooperative attitude of multiple parties and the clear planning for the future demonstrate the determination of enterprises to jointly address industry challenges and explore innovations. It will inspire more cross-domain collaborations to jointly shape a new intelligent, efficient, and green airport operation model, bringing benefits to passengers and the industry development.
"Big Events"
Tesla Releases Latest Quarterly Results, Confirming Poor Cybertruck Sales
In Tesla's quarterly earnings release, it shows that the sales of the Cybertruck are not good. The sales of this controversial electric pickup truck have been stagnant since its mass production a year ago. Although Tesla only started production more than a year ago, it may be too early to judge its success or failure, but there are still reasons to worry about its sales prospects. Tesla once claimed that the vehicle had more than 1 million reservations, but due to the reservation deposit being reduced to 100 US dollars, the purchase intention is questionable.
Tesla Cybertruck (Source: Electrek)
In addition, the mass-produced version has a higher price and lower range. These problems have led Tesla to deliver only about 40,000 vehicles before opening orders to customers outside the reservation. Due to the opacity of Tesla's vehicle sales data, it is difficult to track the sales of the Cybertruck. It is estimated that 9,000 - 12,000 vehicles were delivered in the fourth quarter, and although a low-cost non-basic version was launched and orders outside the reservation were opened, it may still be less than the third quarter. This is not a production problem. This quarter, Tesla increased discounts and incentives, but at the end of the fourth quarter, the inventory of other models was exhausted, while the Cybertruck still had in-stock vehicles. Currently, the vehicle receives a 7,500 US dollar US tax credit, which may stimulate demand. However, under the support of Musk, the upcoming Trump administration wants to cancel the credit as soon as possible. The credit may only last for a few months, and it is expected to temporarily boost sales until Tesla launches a single-motor low-cost version.
The US Electric Vehicle Market Continues to Heat Up, with November Sales Increasing by 11.5% Year-on-Year
In November 2024, the US electric vehicle market once again welcomed a growth climax. According to the latest monthly report from the Office of Energy and Transportation, a total of 141,442 plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) were sold in November, including 117,929 pure electric vehicles (BEVs) and 23,513 plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), an increase of 11.5% compared to November 2023. As of the end of November, more than 1.4 million PEVs have been sold in the US, an increase of 9% compared to the same period last year. The proportion of PEVs in the sales of light-duty vehicles (LDVs) in the US has increased from 9.4% in 2023 to 10.4%, while in 2022 this proportion was 6.8%. Newly launched models such as the Honda Prologue and the Chevrolet Equinox EV are changing the market landscape. Their sales increased by 65% and 69% respectively from October to November. Ford also performed outstandingly, with the Mustang Mach-E sales increasing by 79% and the F-150 Lightning sales increasing by 96%, ranking among the top ten in sales.
Honda Electric Vehicle (Source: Electrek)
In terms of charging facilities, 2,490 new public electric vehicle charging ports were added across the US in November, increasing the US charging network by 1.2%. Among them, 14 new NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) sites were launched, adding 56 fast-charging ports in Ohio, Hawaii, New York, and Texas. Currently, the US has 205,000 charging ports distributed in 74,500 locations, including 289 federally funded ports covering NEVI, CFI, and RAA project chargers. In addition, more than 24,000 federally funded chargers are being deployed.
Hyundai Releases New Creta Electric SUV with a Range of Over 480 Kilometers
Hyundai has recently released its latest electric SUV - the Creta Electric Version. This electric SUV borrows features from Hyundai's IONIQ series in design and has a range of over 480 kilometers. The release of the Hyundai Creta Electric Version marks an important step in Hyundai's electrification process in the Indian market. The Hyundai Creta Electric Version is Hyundai's first localized electric SUV in the Indian market, which is an important milestone for Tarun Garg, the CEO of Hyundai India Operations. Although Hyundai has sold more than 1.1 million Creta SUVs globally, the electric version "promises to redefine the market".
Hyundai New Creta Electric SUV (Source: Electrek)
Compared with the fuel version, Hyundai's new electric SUV has significantly improved in performance. The new car adopts design elements similar to IONIQ, including a new pixelated front grille, lower bumper, and LED taillights. It also includes new active air flaps (AAF), aerodynamic alloy wheels, and low rolling resistance tires to improve efficiency and performance. The Hyundai Creta EV offers two battery pack options, 42 kWh and 51.4 kWh. The former provides an ARAI driving range of 242 miles (390 kilometers), while the latter can reach a range of 293 miles (473 kilometers). It supports DC fast charging, and the electric SUV can be charged from 10% to 80% in just 58 minutes. Using an 11 kW smart wall-mounted charger, it takes 4 hours to charge from 10% to 100%.
The Hyundai Creta EV has also been upgraded in configuration, including a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function that can provide portable power for electronic devices. It is also equipped with an ergonomic wire-controlled shift system and a digital key, increasing convenience. The Hyundai Creta EV offers four models: Executive, Smart, Premium, and Excellence. Buyers can choose from eight single colors, two two-tone colors, and three matte colors, including the exclusive Ocean Blue with a black roof.
Tesla Confirms that the Delivery Volume of Electric Vehicles is 495,570, Far Lower than Its Own Expectations
Tesla today announced its production and delivery results for the fourth quarter of 2024 and the full year. It delivered