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German official rallies automakers to produce EV batteries in Europe

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Recognizing how integral rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles will be for the future of the European car industry, the German Minister of Economic Affairs has called for a joint effort by Europe and its car manufacturers to produce batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).

Gabriel told publication Spiegel, “We should launch a major initiative to build independent battery cell production and research for all European car makers.” He called upon all eligible automotive manufacturers to participate, with the goal to maintain leading edge automotive production in Germany and Europe.

He went so far as to suggest that the state might assist in the project. “The funding of the European investment funds, which President Jean-Claude Juncker has set up, could help finance the company.”

EVs are considered the most promising alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles towards a cleaner transportation sector. However, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, EVs must contain adequate electricity generation needed to charge its batteries. Gabriel has repeatedly implored European auto manufacturers not to leave this field to competitors. Not every European car manufacturer is convinced.

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Individual European automakers have struggled with the decision on whether to invest in costly battery R&D or source from an outside supplier. BMW CEO Harald Krüger explained only a few days ago that his company has not yet finalized the decision to he would enter lithium-ion battery production. “We still have to look at that.” Only a month earlier, Krüger had announced a new electric car strategy, with a range of models of existing series also with an electric drive, including a revised version of its BMW i3 capable of 114 miles per single charge. In contrast, Daimler announced earlier in the year that it would be investing 500 million euros to build another factory in the Kamenz district of Saxony for the production of lithium-ion batteries, which are intended to support electric and hybrid vehicles from the Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands. On November 25, Daimler announced it is is planning to invest up to 10 billion euros ($11 billion) in developing electric vehicles.

Volkswagen (VW) CEO Matthias Müller included in an interview with the Bild that, by 2020, VW will offer 30 all-electric models. Müller had already predicted that, in 2025, approximately 20 to 25 percent of total sales will be achieved with electric cars. His comments arise amid strong signs of EV market expansion – followed by the worldwide response to climate change environmental concerns, deactivation of petroleum reliance, and reinforcement of exhaust gas regulation. And as part of the VW diesel emissions scandal, VW will spend $2 billion in the U.S. over the next 10 years on the Combined Charging System (CCS) and other charging infrastructure.

Porsche also expects a large demand for its first all-electric 600hp Mission E sports car scheduled to be released in 2019. “We have calculated the Mission E with a piece of the order of about 20,000,” said Porsche CEO Oliver Blume. The sports car built in Stuttgart should have a range of 310 miles (500 kilometers).

It will be up to European auto manufacturers to decide whether they will produce their own EV batteries, join in a mutual collaboration such as Gabriel has suggested, or look to an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for their necessary battery components. Of course, the European auto manufacturers are fully aware that Tesla quietly joined the CCS consortium and, with five years of experience manufacturing and delivering EVS, is currently building its own Gigafactory.

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Carolyn Fortuna is a writer and researcher with a Ph.D. in education from the University of Rhode Island. She brings a social justice perspective to environmental issues. Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook and Google+

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Ford is charging for a basic EV feature on the Mustang Mach-E

When ordering a new Ford Mustang Mach-E, you’ll now be hit with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.

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Credit: Ford Motor Company

Ford is charging an additional fee for a basic EV feature on its Mustang Mach-E, its most popular electric vehicle offering.

Ford has shuttered its initial Model e program, but is venturing into a more controlled and refined effort, and it is abandoning the F-150 Lightning in favor of a new pickup that is currently under design, but appears to have some favorable features.

However, ordering a new Mustang Mach-E now comes with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.

The frunk is the front trunk, and due to the lack of a large engine in the front of an electric vehicle, OEMs are able to offer additional storage space under the hood. There’s one problem, though, and that is that companies appear to be recognizing that they can remove it for free while offering the function for a fee.

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Ford is charging $495 for the frunk.

Interestingly, the frunk size varies by vehicle, but the Mustang Mach-E features a 4.7 to 4.8 cubic-foot-sized frunk, which measures approximately 9 inches deep, 26 inches wide, and 14 inches high.

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When the vehicle was first released, Ford marketed the frunk as the ultimate tailgating feature, showing it off as a perfect place to store and serve cold shrimp cocktail.

Ford Mach-E frunk is perfect for chowders and chicken wings, and we’re not even joking

It appears the decision to charge for what is a simple advantage of an EV is not going over well, as even Ford loyal customers say the frunk is a “basic expectation” of an EV. Without it, it seems as if fans feel the company is nickel-and-diming its customers.

It will be pretty interesting to see the Mach-E without a frunk, and while it should not be enough to turn people away from potentially buying the vehicle, it seems the decision to add an additional charge to include one will definitely annoy some customers.

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Tesla to improve one of its best features, coding shows

According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.

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Credit: @jojje167 on X

Tesla is looking to upgrade its Matrix Headlights, a unique and high-tech feature that is available on several of its vehicles. The headlights aim to maximize visibility for Tesla drivers while being considerate of oncoming traffic.

The Matrix Headlights Tesla offers utilize dimming of individual light pixels to ensure that visibility stays high for those behind the wheel, while also being considerate of other cars by decreasing the brightness in areas where other cars are traveling.

Here’s what they look like in action:

As you can see, the Matrix headlight system intentionally dims the area where oncoming cars would be impacted by high beams. This keeps visibility at a maximum for everyone on the road, including those who could be hit with bright lights in their eyes.

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There are still a handful of complaints from owners, however, but Tesla appears to be looking to resolve these with the coming updates in a Software Version that is currently labeled 2026.2.xxx. The coding was spotted by X user BERKANT:

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According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.

Finally, the new system will prevent the high beams from glaring back at the driver. The system is made to dim when it recognizes oncoming cars, but not necessarily objects that could produce glaring issues back at the driver.

Tesla’s revolutionary Matrix headlights are coming to the U.S.

This upgrade is software-focused, so there will not need to be any physical changes or upgrades made to Tesla vehicles that utilize the Matrix headlights currently.

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xAI’s Grok approved for Pentagon classified systems: report

Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations. 

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Credit: xAI

Elon Musk’s xAI has signed an agreement with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to allow Grok to be used in classified military systems.

Previously, Anthropic’s Claude had been the only AI system approved for the most sensitive military work, but a dispute over usage safeguards has reportedly prompted the Pentagon to broaden its options, as noted in a report from Axios.

Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations. 

The publication reported that xAI agreed to the Pentagon’s requirement that its technology be usable for “all lawful purposes,” a standard Anthropic has reportedly resisted due to alleged ethical restrictions tied to mass surveillance and autonomous weapons use.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in what sources expect to be a tense meeting, with the publication hinting that the Pentagon could designate Anthropic a “supply chain risk” if the company does not lift its safeguards. 

Axios stated that replacing Claude fully might be technically challenging even if xAI or other alternative AI systems take its place. That being said, other AI systems are already in use by the DoD. 

Grok already operates in the Pentagon’s unclassified systems alongside Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Google is reportedly close to an agreement that will result in Gemini being used for classified use, while OpenAI’s progress toward classified deployment is described as slower but still feasible. 

The publication noted that the Pentagon continues talks with several AI companies as it prepares for potential changes in classified AI sourcing.

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