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General Motors

Gm believes ‘production hell’ is behind it with plans to build 20x more ultium evs in 2024.

General Motors (GM) looks to get back on track this year as executives believe EV “production hell” is behind it. After missing EV sales targets for the past two years, will 2024 be the year of execution, as GM says it will?

Is GM putting production hell behind it?

After delivering 75,883 EVs last year, GM (again) missed its target of selling 100,000 alone in the second half of 2023.

The automaker encountered freight delays, software glitches, and other issues that delayed timelines. After almost three months, GM lifted the Blazer EV stop-sale earlier this month. GM issued the stop-sale in December, four months after opening orders.

GM confirmed it was pausing sales to fix a software glitch. Chevy said the measure was non-safety-related and impacted a limited number of Blazer EV owners.

To make matters worse, GM ended production of its best-selling Chevy Bolt EV at the end of 2023, which accounted for 62,045 or over 81% of EV sales last year.

GM aims to build 200,000 to 300,000 Ultium-based EVs, or about 20 times more than it did in 2023. The goal is still well short of its previous target of making 400,000 EVs through mid-2024.

CEO Mary Barra said 2024 is the “year of execution” as GM looks to get back on track. “Getting vehicles out there right and getting the software” straight is at the top of the to-do list.

Regarding ramping up Ultium battery production, CFO Paul Jacobson said at a recent speech, “We’ve had some challenges scaling it,” but he added, “I think most of those are behind us.”

GM sold fewer than 14,000 Ultium-based EVs in 2023 , including the Cadillac Lyriq (9,154) and GMC Hummer (3,244). The Blazer EV and Silverado EV WT began rolling out in late 2023, with 482 and 461 models sold in 2023, respectively.

Rivian sold more R1S models alone than GM did Ultium EVs last year. With 24,783 R1S models handed over, Rivian’s electric SUV was the seventh best-selling EV in the US. Chevy’s Bolt EV was third.

Overcoming hurdles at Factory Zero

GM says it has doubled battery production at its Factory Zero plant since Q4, according to a new Bloomberg report , but more still needs to be done.

The report says GM rushed its own best practices with Ultium production to get batteries out. GM skipped the typical assembly-line setup to test production before getting started.

Instead, the company installed fully automated battery assembly lines at the plant right away rather than testing elsewhere, according to Mike Anderson, vice president of global electrification and battery systems.

Battery cells must be pressed and packed precisely, so with a robot stacking six battery cell pouches at a time, mistakes can happen.

If the cells don’t line up exactly, the unit will bend, and the cell won’t link with the others. The Detroit Fire Department has been called nine times to Factory Zero since August.

GM aims to overcome the issues after hiring battery experts, consultants, and others, including former Tesla battery expert Kurt Kelty, to fix assembly.

Anderson said he thinks the company has “turned the corner” at its battery factory as it aims to hit GM’s production target this year.

GM isn’t the only automaker with software issues delaying EV targets. Porsche finally released its all-electric Macan EV earlier this year after a nearly two-year delay. Ford also issued a stop-ship order on the F-150 Lightning in February.

GM will introduce the new Ultium-based Chevy Bolt next year, which will save the company “billions” with LFP batteries.

What do you guys think? GM has broken several promises in the past. Will 2024 be any different? Let us know what you think in the comments.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

GM designs and manufactures a few electric vehic…

Peter Johnson is covering the auto industry’s step-by-step transformation to electric vehicles. He is an experienced investor, financial writer, and EV enthusiast. His enthusiasm for electric vehicles, primarily Tesla, is a significant reason he pursued a career in investments. If he isn’t telling you about his latest 10K findings, you can find him enjoying the outdoors or exercising

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US Army boats head out on a mission to build a floating pier off Gaza’s shore for food deliveries

Soldiers of LLV Monterrey from 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) prepare to deploy to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va. (AP Photo/John C. Clark)

A group of soldiers from 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) wave to the crew of LLV Monterey as it pulls out from port on a humanitarian mission to Gaza, on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va. (AP Photo/John C. Clark)

Soldiers from 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, make final preparations on LSV SP/4 James A. Loux before deploying to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va. The Loux will be supporting the construction of a floating pier off the coast of Gaza for delivery of humanitarian aid. (AP Photo/John C. Clark)

BG John “Brad” Hinson, commander of 3rd Expedition Sustainment Command and Assistant Commanding General (Supply) of XVIII Airborne Corps, speaks during a press conference pertaining to four army watercraft deploying to Gaza for delivery of humanitarian aid on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va. (AP Photo/John C. Clark)

CW3 Jason West, left, skipper for LSV SP/4 James A. Loux, 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), stands with his family before deploying on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va. (AP Photo/John C. Clark)

LSV SP/4 James A. Loux heads down the James River for a deployment to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va. The watercraft will build and operate a floating pier in support of a humanitarian mission to Gaza. (AP Photo/John C. Clark)

Soldiers from 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, enter the mess galley on Large Land Craft Monterey on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va. The Monterey was one of four army watercraft deploying to Gaza for a humanitarian aid mission. (AP Photo/John C. Clark)

Col. Sam Miller, commander of 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), speaks to media before units from his brigade deploy to Gaza in support of a humanitarian mission on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va. (AP Photo/John C. Clark)

Soldiers give the crew of the LLV Monterey a box of snack bars before the Monterey leaves for deployment to the Gaza Strip for a humanitarian mission on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va. (AP Photo/John C. Clark)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Four U.S. Army boats, loaded with tons of equipment and steel pier segments, left Virginia on Tuesday, heading to Gaza as part of the U.S. effort to expand the delivery of food and other supplies to starving Palestinians as Israel’s war against Hamas drags on.

The ships pulled out of docks at Joint Base Langley-Eustis and headed down the James River toward the Atlantic Ocean for what could be a month-long voyage to the Mediterranean Sea. There, at a yet-to-be-announced location along the Gaza shore, they will build and begin to operate a floating dock to receive the aid.

Since Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Israel’s military has battered the territory, killing more than 30,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and creating a humanitarian catastrophe . The U.N. says virtually all of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are struggling to find food. But getting humanitarian aid to the area has been difficult, due to the ongoing hostilities and struggles to coordinate with the Israeli military, which has blocked routes and slowed deliveries due to inspections.

The latest Pentagon plan calls for the U.S. military to build what is called a modular causeway system. Off shore, the Army will build a large floating platform where ships can unload large containers of aid. Then the aid will be transferred by the Army to a motorized string of steel causeway sections that have been pushed to the shore.

That pier is expected to be as much as 1,800 feet (550 meters) long, with two lanes, and the Pentagon has said it could accommodate the delivery of more than 2 million meals a day for Gaza residents. Officials have not said who will be unloading the containers and taking the aid ashore. President Joe Biden has said there will be no U.S. troops on the ground in Gaza.

On Tuesday, as family members and senior Army commanders watched, about 70 soldiers with the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) pulled away from the docks in four U.S. Army vessels: the USAV Wilson Wharf, USAV Matamoros and USAV Monterrey, all Army landing crafts, and the larger USAV SP4 James A. Loux, a logistics support watercraft.

The brigade’s commander, Army Col. Sam Miller, said about 500 of his soldiers will participate in the mission. All together, Pentagon officials have said about 1,000 U.S. troops will be involved.

Calling it a complicated mission, Miller said the transit will take about a month, but it will depend on weather and any possible high seas. The actual construction, he said, will take about a week, but that also could be hampered by weather. Then it will take additional time to get the delivery process coordinated with those providing the aid and the system up and running. Defense officials have said it will take about two months to get the deliveries started.

The Army’s vessels and maritime capabilities are unique and not as well known as the Navy’s. The last time the 7th Transportation Brigade did a similar mission to construct a large pier was in Haiti in 2010. But it has participated in a number of major military exercises.

“The soldiers here are energized, they’re motivated, they’re excited,” Miller said, adding that the new humanitarian mission “gives them purpose and meaning” and highlights the Army’s watercraft. He noted that just 36 hours after Biden ordered the operation, the first Army vessel — the USAV General Frank S. Besson logistics ship — left Joint Base Langley-Eustis on Saturday.

Miller said a larger Maritime Sealift Command ship will also be leaving Virginia in the coming days, and will be carrying some of the bigger equipment and more of the steel pier segments.

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We are pleased to have delivered hundreds of X-Yachts to proud owners. Obviously, in the Netherlands, but we are also well known in the Mediterranean.

Our own experiences both racing and cruising benefit the knowledge we provide to our X-Yachts customers. Each X-Yachts equipped in consultation with the customer for maximum enjoyment.

We are located in Marina Muiderzand in Almere, where we have all the service facilities at hand, such as: - Winterisation - Used Boat Sales - Technical assistance - Cleaning Work

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Nanno Schuttrups

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Keen racing sailor, both in dinghies as yachts, and has sailed on X-Yachts since he was born. Aerospace engineer by education but the decision to join X-Yachts Holland was inevitable. Main contact for sales and all aspects of the order and delivery process that will follow.

[email protected] +31 (0)36 536 9057

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Another lifelong X-Yachts sailor with an education in marketing and communication. Decided to join the family business in 2012 she focuses on service, winterstorage & administration and proves to be very customer-oriented in support and events.

[email protected] +31(0)36 536 9057

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Founder of X-Yachts Holland in 1983, has been a large part of the growth of X-Yachts. Established racing sailor but has shifted his focus more towards (blue water) cruising with 6 Atlantic crossings under his belt already. Very good in transferring his experience into advice to clients.

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March 20, 2024

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Neolithic boats excavated in the Mediterranean reveal advanced nautical technology

by Public Library of Science

More than 7,000 years ago, people navigated the Mediterranean Sea using technologically sophisticated boats, according to a study published March 20, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Juan F. Gibaja of the Spanish National Research Council, Barcelona and colleagues.

Many of the most important civilizations in Europe originated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. During the Neolithic, communities clearly traveled and traded across the water, as evidenced by watercraft in the archaeological record and the presence of settlements on coasts and islands. In this study, Gibaja and colleagues provide new insights into the history of seafaring technology through analysis of canoes at the Neolithic lakeshore village of La Marmotta, near Rome, Italy.

Excavation at this site has recovered five canoes built from hollowed-out trees (dugout canoes) dating between 5700 and 5100 BC. Analysis of these boats reveals that they are built from four different types of wood, unusual among similar sites, and that they include advanced construction techniques such as transverse reinforcements.

One canoe is also associated with three T-shaped wooden objects, each with a series of holes that were likely used to fasten ropes tied to sails or other nautical elements. These features, along with previous reconstruction experiments, indicate these were seaworthy vessels, a conclusion supported by the presence at the site of stone tools linked to nearby islands.

The authors describe these canoes as exceptional examples of prehistoric boats whose construction required a detailed understanding of structural design and wood properties in addition to well-organized specialized labor.

Similarities between these canoes and more recent nautical technologies support the idea that many major advances in sailing were made during the early Neolithic. The authors suggest there may be more boats preserved near La Marmotta, a potential avenue for future research.

The authors add, "Direct dating of Neolithic canoes from La Marmotta reveals them to be the oldest in the Mediterranean, offering invaluable insights into Neolithic navigation. This study reveals the amazing technological sophistication of early agricultural and pastoral communities, highlighting their woodworking skills and the construction of complex vessels."

Journal information: PLoS ONE

Provided by Public Library of Science

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