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Bosch opens $1.2 billion chip plant in Germany

By June 14, 2021

The 77,500-square-foot plant will run on what Bosch calls “AIoT,” a term that combines artificial intelligence and Internet of Things to denote a completely linked and data-driven system that’s distinct to the center. Bosch will not only have real-time information on the approximately 100 devices, but also on the power, water and other elements of the facility– up to 500 pages of data per 2nd, Fabrowsky said. Bosch has used to Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy under a microelectronics financial investment program to fund expenses for the plant of up to EUR200 million ($244 million).

The plant will manage front-of-the-line processing, or wafer fabrication, in the semiconductor manufacturing process. The 77,500-square-foot plant will run on what Bosch calls “AIoT,” a term that integrates synthetic intelligence and Internet of Things to denote a totally connected and data-driven system that’s unique to the center. Bosch will not just have real-time data on the roughly 100 machines, however likewise on the power, water and other elements of the center– up to 500 pages of data per 2nd, Fabrowsky stated. Bosch has actually applied to Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy under a microelectronics financial investment program to fund expenses for the plant of up to EUR200 million ($244 million).

Ford’s $30B investment in electric revs up in-house battery R&D

By June 14, 2021

This financial investment “underscores our belief that production-feasible strong state batteries are within reach in this years,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s primary product platform and operations officer, during the investor day. “Solid Power’s sulphide-based strong electrolyte and silicon-based anode chemistry provides outstanding battery improvements in efficiency, including increased range, lower cost, more lorry interior space and better value and greater security for our clients.”

The business said it anticipates 40% of its global vehicle volume to be completely electric by 2030. Ford offered 6,614 Mustang Mach-Es in the U.S. in Q1, and because it unveiled its F-150 Lightning recently, the company says it has actually already accumulated 70,000 consumer reservations.

“The cell chemistry, combined with Ford’s proprietary battery control algorithm featuring high accuracy sensing innovation, provides greater efficiency and variety for customers,” said Thai-Tang.

At Ford’s Ion Park facility, a battery R&D center Ford is integrating in Michigan, the automaker has combined a group of 150 specialists to research and produce a video game plan for the next generation of lithium ion chemistries and Ford’s brand-new energy-dense battery innovation, the Ion Boost +.

The Ford+ plan exposes the new course car manufacturers will have to take if they desire to keep up with an EV future. This financial investment “highlights our belief that production-feasible strong state batteries are within reach in this decade,” stated Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s primary product platform and operations officer, during the financier day.

If they desire to keep up with an EV future, the Ford+ strategy exposes the new course car manufacturers will have to take. Historically, China, Japan and Korea have owned much of the world’s battery production, however as significant OEMs start constructing electric cars and trucks, the need is far overtaking supply, forcing automobile manufacturers to invest their own resources into advancement. General Motors is constructing a battery factory with LG in Ohio, and BMW signed up with Ford to invest in strong state battery startup Solid Power.

“Our ultimate objective is to provide a holistic ecosystem consisting of services that should enable us to attain higher success gradually with BEVs than we do today with ICE vehicles,” said Thai-Tang.

Ford is increasing its investment in its electric vehicle future to $30 billion by 2025, up from a previous invest of $22 billion by 2023. The company announced the fresh cashflow into its EV and battery advancement strategy, dubbed Ford+, during a financier day on Tuesday.

The Ion Boost +’s unique cell pouch format is not just perfect for powering Ford’s bigger lorries, but it could also assist the business decrease battery expenses 40% by mid-decade, the business says.

For industrial vehicles, Ford is working on a battery cell made with lithium ion phosphate chemistry, which it’s calling the Ion Boost Pro, which it says is more affordable and much better for responsibility cycles that require less variety.

The strong state battery production process doesn’t differ too much from the existing lithium ion battery procedure, so Ford will be able to recycle about 70% of its manufacturing lines and capital investment, according to Thai-Tang.

Fisker and Foxconn sign deal to build electric vehicles

By June 14, 2021

“We have first-rate supply chains in location to support Project PEAR– in specific, securing the reliable shipment of chipsets and semiconductors,” stated Young-way Liu, chairman of Foxconn, in a statement.

“In order to provide on our guarantee of item advancements from Project PEAR, we needed to reassess every element of item development, sourcing and producing,” stated Fisker chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker in a statement. “Our collaboration with Foxconn enables us to provide those industry firsts at a price point that genuinely opens electrical mobility to the mass market.”

Liu kept in mind how Foxconn would be able to link Project PEAR with providers around the globe through its software and hardware open platform for EVs, MIH, which lines up with the company’s “3 +3” vision which represents the boundless technological and market advancements readily available through the platform.

Foxconn and Fisker are still shopping for prospective U.S. manufacturing sites, so they’ve set up an office in between the U.S. and Taiwan to collaborate design, engineering, purchasing and making operations.

Electric cars and truck startup Fisker signed an arrangement with Foxconn, the Taiwanese business that assembles iPhones, to co-develop and make a new electrical lorry. Production on the car, which will be sold under the Fisker brand in North America, Europe, China and India, will start in the U.S. by the end of 2023.

Fisker is calling the joint program Project PEAR, which stands for Personal Electric Automotive Revolution.”In order to provide on our guarantee of product developments from Project PEAR, we needed to reassess every element of product development, sourcing and making,” stated Fisker chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker in a declaration. The new lorry will be priced under $30,000, according to Fisker, who touted the originality and development of his cars and truck’s designs. Fisker will likewise start production on its very first design, Ocean, an electrical SUV, in Europe by the end of next year.

Many details, including the name of the cars and truck and the location of future factory, have actually not been disclosed by the 2 business. As for form factor, Fisker explains it as a “advancement new sector vehicle,” so neither an suv nor a sedan, that’s capable of bring five people, a Fisker spokesperson told TechCrunch.

The 2 business hadsigned a memorandum of understanding contract in February, setting the expectation that a formal arrangement would be reached by this time. Included in the agreement signed on Thursday is a goal to produce 250,000 units yearly throughout numerous sites. In January, Foxconn partnered with Chinese car manufacturer Zhejiang Geely Holding Group to form a joint endeavor that would provide vehicle producers with production and consulting services, so the handle Fisker is one of the business’s very first forays into the automobile market.

Fisker is calling the joint program Project PEAR, which stands for Personal Electric Automotive Revolution. Fisker chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker has boasted that the PEAR lorry will be the “next huge thing in automobile style,” a vehicle that’s both “emotionally preferable” and “eco-friendly,” implying an automobile that does not yell “Look at me, I’m electrical!” and rather interest the driver moving over from gasoline cars, according to a spokesperson from Fisker

This short article has been upgraded to reflect new info from Fisker.

The brand-new lorry will be priced under $30,000, according to Fisker, who promoted the uniqueness and innovation of his car’s styles. Fisker will also start production on its first model, Ocean, an electrical SUV, in Europe by the end of next year. The business also plans to launch a model of Ocean at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this year.

Formlabs raises $150M

By June 13, 2021

The large round will approach increasing the business’s global headcount and assisting Formlabs scale its innovation toward mass production– a longstanding sticking point for the majority of 3D printing tech.

The news comes during a type of renewal as the once-beleaguered industry is seeing a huge uptick in interest– and financing. Of note, Desktop Metal, Shapeways, Velo3D and Markforged have all announced strategies to go public by means of SPAC. The company keeps in mind a recent study that jobs that the market will hit more than $51 billion by 2026. The news gets here as innovation is enhancing, products are diversifying and business are searching for ways to introduce additive manufacturing into mass production.

“Today, most 3D printing innovation is still too expensive and difficult to utilize for widespread adoption,” CEO Max Lobovsky stated in a press release tied to the round. “Our laser concentrate on improving the user experience and quality of these makers while lowering the cost is central to our success and the development of the industry. With this investment, we plan to expand our present portfolio of SLA and SLS innovation and accelerate our product development to continue providing on the expectations of the 3D printing market.”

Founded in 2011 by MIT Media Lab students, Formlabs has been something of an abnormality in the world of 3D printing. The company adapted a previously industrial technique of additive production (stereolithography) to a desktop type factor. It was enough to keep the company going amidst a bubble burst for the industry.

There was a huge raise for the 3D printing industry this morning, as Massachusetts-based Formlabs announced a $150 million Series E. The round, led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2, efficiently doubles the worth of the unicorn to $2 billion dollars.

Industrial automation startup Bright Machines hauls in $435M by going public via SPAC

By June 13, 2021

Today we’re first taking a look at what Bright Machines does, and after that the financial details that it shared as part of its news.

Bright Machines is going public by means of a SPAC-led mix, it announced today. The transaction will see the 3-year-old company merge with SCVX, raising gross cash earnings of $435 million while doing so.

The Bright Machines news indicates that the fantastic SPAC chill was not a deep freeze. And the deal itself, in conjunction with the previously revealed Desktop Metal blank-check deal, suggests that there is area in the market for hardware startup liquidity by means of SPACs. Perhaps that will open more late-stage capital for hardware-focused upstarts.

After the transaction is consummated, the startup will sport an anticipated equity valuation of $1.6 billion.

What’s Bright Machines?

The Bright Machines news shows that the great SPAC chill was not a deep freeze. Bright Machines is attempting to resolve a tough problem related to industrial automation by creating microfactories., a substantial quantity of money for a young start-up, however the business has a vibrant vision and such a vision takes extensive funding. At the time of that financing, the company brought in former Autodesk co-CEO Amar Hanspal as CEO and former Autodesk creator and CEO Carl Bass to sit on the company board of directors.

Brilliant Machines is attempting to resolve a difficult issue associated to industrial automation by producing microfactories. This involves a complicated mix of hardware, software application and expert system. While robotics has been around in one form or another because the 1970s, for the a lot of part, it has lacked genuine intelligence. Bright Machines wishes to alter that.

At the time of that funding, the business brought in former Autodesk co-CEO Amar Hanspal as CEO and previous Autodesk founder and CEO Carl Bass to rest on the business board of directors. AutoDesk itself has actually been attempting to transform style and production in recent years, so it was logical to bring these 2 knowledgeable leaders into the fold.

The startup’s thesis is that rather of having what are essentially “unintelligent” robots, it wants to include computer vision and a heavy dosage of sensing units to bring a data-driven automation approach to the factory floor.

The business emerged in 2018 with a $179 million Series A, a large amount of money for a young startup, however the business has a bold vision and such a vision takes comprehensive financing. What it’s attempting to do is completely change manufacturing utilizing device knowing.

Heres Why Gadgets Are So Hard to Get Right Now

By June 12, 2021

It’s easy to put it out of your mind most days, however every gadget you own– including the one you’re utilizing to read this article– is made up of dozens of specially designed microprocessors that require even more specific factories to manufacture them. Given that the majority of chips require extremely specific producing processes, it can take weeks or even months to get a workflow in place to start filling the demand for particular parts. With a boost in need for specific gadgets, a sudden, extreme shift in which kind of gadgets consumers require, and increasing pressure to stay functional throughout a pandemic, scarcities were bound to occur.

It’s easy to put it out of your mind most days, but every device you own– including the one you’re utilizing to read this article– is made up of lots of specifically developed microprocessors that need even more specialized factories to manufacture them. Similar pressures to buy brand-new laptop computers, phones, tablets, earphones, and lots of other devices put a strain on microprocessor supply. Given that the majority of chips need highly particular manufacturing processes, it can take weeks or even months to get a workflow in place to begin filling the demand for particular parts. Put merely, it’s difficult to nimbly keep up with electronic devices require even in a typical year, and 2020 was the outermost thing from typical. With a boost in need for particular devices, an abrupt, intense shift in which kind of devices customers need, and increasing pressure to stay operational during a pandemic, shortages were bound to happen.

Lordstown Motors warns it doesnt have enough cash to produce electric trucks

By June 9, 2021

The Company’s ability to continue as a going issue is dependent on its ability to finish the development of its electrical cars, obtain regulatory approval, begin commercial scale production and introduce the sale of such cars. The Company thinks that its existing level of cash and cash equivalents are not enough to fund business scale production and the launch of sale of such lorries. The business went public in October via the maneuver known as a SPAC, unique acquisitions business, and just recently cautioned financiers it was at danger of being delisted for missing a filing deadline.

To relieve these conditions, management is presently examining various funding alternatives and may look for to raise additional funds through the issuance of debt, equity or mezzanine securities, through plans with tactical partners or through getting credit from federal government or banks. As we look for extra sources of funding, there can be no assurance that such financing would be readily available to us on beneficial terms or at all. Our capability to get additional financing in the financial obligation and equity capital markets undergoes numerous elements, consisting of market and economic conditions, our efficiency and investor belief with regard to us and our market.

Lordstown Motors has actually been amongst the start-ups (Rivian, Canoo) promising electrical pickups that can take on the current titans of the truck world, but an update today shows the company’s future remains in doubt. The New York Times reports on a filing with the SEC that reveals the company’s capability to move on as a going concern is at danger, merely since it doesn’t presently have sufficient cash to start making the Endurance electric truck.

The Company had cash and money equivalents of roughly $587.0 million and an accumulated deficit of $259.7 million at March 31, 2021 and a net loss of $125.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. Given that creation, the Company has actually been establishing its flagship lorry, the Endurance, an electric full-size pickup truck. The Company’s capability to continue as a going concern is reliant on its capability to finish the advancement of its electric lorries, get regulative approval, begin industrial scale production and release the sale of such vehicles. The Company thinks that its current level of cash and money equivalents are not adequate to fund commercial scale production and the launch of sale of such cars. These conditions raise significant doubt regarding our capability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least one year from the date of issuance of these unaudited condensed combined monetary declarations.

Lordstown Motors:

The business went public in October through the maneuver called a SPAC, unique acquisitions business, and recently alerted financiers it was at threat of being delisted for missing out on a filing deadline. The plan has been to offer its truck to organizations, however with electric pickups getting here from Ford and others, it’s just going to get more difficult to contend, presuming the Endurance concerns market in the first location.

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Hitting the Books: Future humans may mine rare earth metals from todays landfills

By June 5, 2021

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Month: June 2021

What’s Bright Machines?