Nextspark #3:

Welcome to your biweekly update! Every other Wednesday, get a quick, curated view of the latest innovations, trends, and key moves in automotive technology—all in one place.

Antonio Espinosa de los Monteros, CEO of Liux 🌱

In this edition, I met with Antonio to discuss his perspective on sustainability in this new era of electrification and the challenges of technological innovation it brings.

Here is his vision, offering valuable insights that highlight the challenges, advances, and complexities of this transformative moment:

​

"In a highly competitive sector like the automotive industry, technology is more than just a tool—it is the driving force that enables the future. Electrification, while crucial, cannot be the sole answer in the pursuit of more sustainable mobility. We must look beyond it, toward technological innovation that transforms and improves every link in the value chain.

We need to rethink how we manufacture cars, how we use them, how we repair them, how many uses they can have, and how we recycle them.

Modularity is one of the fundamental pillars of this progress. What has never been fully achieved in consumer electronics—projects like Motorola’s Project Ara or campaigns like Phonebloks, which perhaps only Fairphone has partially materialized with some success—might make more sense in a product like a car. The premise is clear: in a world where technology evolves faster than production cycles, products must be designed to adapt, be repaired, and evolve, ensuring they do not become obsolete. This flexibility not only extends a product’s lifespan but also reduces waste and optimizes resource usage.

In cars, the component that most urgently needs modularity is the battery. As the newest and fastest-evolving technology, it faces the highest risk of obsolescence. Modular battery design allows for upgrades instead of rendering an entire vehicle obsolete, promoting a more sustainable and cost-effective approach. It also enables second-life applications for batteries—while they may become outdated for vehicle use, they can still serve in other contexts, particularly in stationary energy storage.

However, the challenge does not end there. Technology pushes us to explore new frontiers, such as solid-state batteries, sodium-based batteries, or other chemistries that promise more accessible alternatives with reduced reliance on critical materials.

As in nearly every industry, circularity is essential—but it must be approached seriously. It’s not just about creating cars with recyclABLE materials, avoiding unrecyclable multilayer components, but also taking it a step further by incorporating recycLED materials—those that have already completed the cycle. These materials demonstrate their theoretical recyclability in practice and generate demand that supports the recycling industry. Laboratory recyclability is insufficient; it must be industrially viable.

Furthermore, achieving true technological sustainability involves using natural materials with a negative carbon footprint, such as plant-based fibers or biopolymers. These materials not only significantly reduce environmental impact during manufacturing but also act as carbon sinks, capturing CO₂ during cultivation. Integrating them into vehicle design and production opens the door to a new era of sustainability, where each vehicle actively contributes to reducing its environmental impact. The challenge lies in ensuring these materials meet the performance standards of traditional ones, which have benefited from centuries of development.

Design cannot remain on the sidelines of this technological revolution. Beyond aesthetics, design has the power to convey values, challenge conventions, and emotionally connect with users. It serves as the bridge between functionality and meaning, an essential component for creating products that remain relevant today and tomorrow. Moreover, design must incorporate sustainability principles, emphasizing circularity and modularity. For instance, designing a car to be easy to disassemble leads to one approach, while designing it to ensure users depend on official after-sales services takes another.

Sustainability is not a fixed goal but a process of continuous reinvention and improvement. On the path to a more efficient future, technology plays a critical role. The challenge of tomorrow’s mobility is not just to electrify but to rethink the entire system to make it truly sustainable."

Sustainability Is More Than Electrification​
By Antonio Espinosa, CEO of LIUX

​

Now, we move on to this week's updates, as always:

Tech Innovations 🧑‍💻

• NIO embraces Apple Car Key: NIO integrates Apple’s digital key, allowing iPhone and Apple Watch users to control vehicle access seamlessly.
• Synopsys & SiMa.ai Partnership: These Silicon Valley giants team up to develop cutting-edge AI chips for smarter, more energy-efficient vehicles.
• Waymo tests in Tokyo: Waymo begins robotaxi trials in one of the world’s densest urban centers.
• Waymo’s AI breakthroughs: Google’s Gemini-powered AI processes multimodal data for safer, more intelligent autonomous driving.
• Chargelab’s Spark tool: An AI-powered feature to predict and resolve EV charging network issues, enhancing driver reliability.

​

Market Moves 🏦

• EU funding conditions: Chinese manufacturers must share technological know-how to access EU funding.
• Shifts in China: Mitsubishi exits, Honda and Nissan downsize, while Toyota doubles down, as foreign brands lose market share to Chinese competitors.
• Lamborghini vs. Ferrari EV launches: Lamborghini delays its first EV to 2029, while Ferrari gears up for its debut next year.
• Aion & Pony.ai collaboration: GAC MOTOR’s Aion partners with Pony.ai to create commercially viable robotaxis.
• Stellantis & CATL in Spain: €4.1 billion will fund a new battery plant in Zaragoza, boosting Europe’s EV infrastructure.

​

Leadership Voices 🧙‍♂️

Stellantis’ CEO dismissal highlights a key industry dilemma: adapting to seismic shifts in software, electrification, and autonomy. Relying on outdated strategies risks decline, even with short-term gains. Reinvention, not just optimization, is the way forward.

Key Quote: "In times of disruption, optimizing the past won’t save you—it’s time to reimagine the future."

• Zoox hires Tesla veteran: Zheng Gao joins Zoox to lead hardware engineering, leveraging experience from Tesla and Apple.
• BYD’s European expansion: Six new models are set to arrive by 2025, solidifying BYD’s position in Europe.
• Google praises Tesla: Sundar Pichai calls Tesla a leader in autonomous vehicles, alongside Waymo.