
Eric Walz
Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.
Articles
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Drivers of 2010-2018 Lexus Vehicles Lose Vehicle Connectivity Services Due to The Recent Shutdown of 3G Cellular Networks
Nov 02, 2022 9:45 AM WSTDrivers of 2010 to 2018 Lexus vehicle models equipped with hardware to connect to older 3G cellular networks can no longer use the automaker’s “Lexus Enform” subscription-based connectivity services. As of Nov 1, Lexus models, including the GS, LS, IC and IS using 3G networks will no longer have the ability to connect to newer 4G, 5G and LTE networks and the hardware that’s pre-installed in the vehicles cannot be upgraded, according to Lexus.
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Volvo Offers a Sneak Peak of its New Flagship EX90 Electric SUV Ahead of its Upcoming Reveal on Nov 9
Nov 01, 2022 1:00 PM WSTAutomaker Volvo is set to officially unveil its new flagship EX90 electric SUV on November 9 in Stockholm, which is poised to compete with other luxury electric SUVs hitting the market from BMW, General Motors, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Ahead of its upcoming debut next week, Volvo shared the first exterior photos of the battery-powered SUV.
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The World’s Biggest Battery Producer CATL Signs MoU with EV Startup VinFast to Develop a ‘Skateboard’ Electric Vehicle Platform
Oct 31, 2022 12:30 PM WSTChina’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), which is the biggest supplier of electric vehicle batteries to the global auto industry, announced the signing of an MoU with Vietnam-based EV startup VinFast for the co-development of a dedicated skateboard platform for battery-powered vehicles that can significantly lower production costs.
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Construction of Panasonic’s New EV Battery Factory in Kansas to Start in November
Oct 31, 2022 9:15 AM WSTTesla’s long-time battery partner Panasonic will begin construction of its new electric vehicle battery factory in Kansas in November, as the company aims to ramp up production to meet growing demand from automakers. The factory initially will produce 30 GWh of cylindrical lithium ion (Li-ion) 2170 batteries. Mass production of battery cells at the plant in De Soto, Kansas is targeted to begin by the end of March 2025.
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BMW to Test a New Battery in the iX Electric SUV Developed By Michigan Startup Our Next Energy Inc. That Can Deliver 600 Miles of Range
Oct 30, 2022 10:18 AM WSTAutomaker BMW will test out a new battery designed by Novi, Michigan-based EV battery startup Our Next Energy Inc. (“ONE”) that could deliver up to 600 miles of range on a full charge. ONE's advanced battery is dubbed the “Gemini”. It reduces lithium content by 20%, graphite by 60% and minimizes the use of nickel and cobalt. The Gemini battery also includes a proprietary energy management system.
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China’s New Intelligent EV company JIDU Launches its Limited-Edition Robocar Called the ‘ROBO-01 Lunar Edition’
Oct 28, 2022 11:15 AM WSTBaidu-backed Chinese electric vehicle company Jidu officially launched its first vehicle, the limited-edition “ROBO-01 Lunar Edition”. It’s a futuristic EV that comes packed with advanced technology and “point-to-point Autopilot” (PPA) autonomous driving capabilities. Jidu's mission is to create and design a “human-centric, smart robotic vehicles with AI-powered human-machine interaction technology.”
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Ford to Use Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries for the First Time as it Aims to Produce 600,000 EVs a Year in 2023, Sets Up Global Supply Chain
Oct 28, 2022 9:41 AM WSTAs the world’s automakers make plans to produce millions of electric vehicles, sourcing the raw materials for the batteries needed to power all of these vehicles remains a high priority. Ford Motor Co says its will use new EV battery chemistries and secured contracts for 60 gigawatt hours (GWh) of annual battery capacity to deliver 600,000 EV globally by late 2023. It would make Ford the second-largest U.S.-based producer of electric vehicles behind Tesla.
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Qualcomm and its Industry Partners Demonstrate C-V2X Technology in Georgia That Ensures School Buses and Fire Trucks Never Get Stuck at Red Lights
Oct 24, 2022 12:40 PM WSTNew wireless communications technologies are being developed and tested by leading companies, including chipmaker Qualcomm Technologies, Applied Information, Audi of America and Commsignia in the city of Peachtree Corners, Georgia. The pilot in Georgia includes connecting vehicles with infrastructure such as traffic lights. As more connected vehicles are being sold by automakers, the technology has the potential to make roads much safer.
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Hyundai Motor Group is Investing $10 Billion in Advanced Mobility Technologies in the U.S. by 2025
Oct 21, 2022 2:25 PM WSTSouth Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) is committing billions of dollars to become one of the world’s biggest suppliers of electric vehicles. Now the automaker announced a new plan to invest $10 billion in the U.S. by 2025 to accelerate what it calls “innovation and mobility electrification”.
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Lucid Motors to Use NVIDIA’s DRIVE Hyperion Platform to Power its ‘DreamDrive Pro’ Advanced Driver Assist System
Oct 18, 2022 10:00 AM WSTNvidia Corp is now at the center of a growing market for advanced AI-powered processors in the auto industry, which are powerful enough to support such features as autonomous driving along with a host of other vehicle safety systems. Luxury electric vehicle startup Lucid Motors is the latest automaker to turn to Nvidia for the compute platform to power its DreamDrive Pro advanced driver assist system.