Elon Musk worries at Tesla, the solid battery for electric cars is coming and a bankruptcy in sight for a European bicycle manufacturer

The week of April 29, 2024 was marked by several strong news stories in the field of electric bicycles and electric cars. Elon Musk is making more incomprehensible announcements at Tesla, the revolutionary solid-state battery seems to be arriving sooner than expected in our electric cars and yet another European bicycle manufacturer is approaching bankruptcy. Here is the Supercharged recap of the week.

But what is Elon Musk doing with Tesla?

After disappointing results for the first quarter of 2024, Elon Musk is multiplying announcements whose common sense is difficult to grasp. After the pause (at best) of the $25,000 Tesla in favor of an autonomous “Robotaxi”, Musk is cutting staff numbers, and has just fired the entire team in charge of superchargers, the charging network rapid – and probably the greatest success – of the brand. With up to 20,000 layoffs in the long term, he undoubtedly has a vision, but it is difficult to follow.

The solid-state battery for electric cars is coming soon (or almost)

The solid-state battery is a bit like the holy grail of the electric car, promising never-before-seen ranges, charging times and costs. If 2030 seemed to be the date on which the first batteries of this new type would be released, CATL, the world leader in batteries, took everyone by surprise by announcing industrialization from 2027. Be careful though, this will initially be time of very reduced quantities; many obstacles remain to be overcome before massive industrialization.

Another bankruptcy in sight for a European bicycle manufacturer

2023 saw a large number of bankruptcies in the bicycle sector, whether mechanical or electrical. 2024 continues this momentum, and the Austrian manufacturer WSF Bicycle Technology is paying the price, since it is officially insolvent. The sharp drop in demand observed post-Covid-19 is the main reason given. A restructuring procedure has been launched, but bankruptcy could be filed if the results do not follow.