Rivian's Safety Problems; Musk's 'Silly' EVs; Lilium Out of Money | Today in Manufacturing Ep. 194

Also on the podcast, con artist steals tons of cheese, bottled water company hit with billion-dollar verdict, Stellantis invests millions into wind tunnel, railroad projects get huge boost and Boeing might sell its entire space business.

Editor's note: Download and listen to the audio version below and click here to subscribe to the Today in Manufacturing podcast.

The Today in Manufacturing Podcast is brought to you by the editors of Manufacturing.net and Industrial Equipment News (IEN).

This week's episode is sponsored by Oracle NetSuite. Going live with KPIs and turning those metrics into real results can be complex, confusing and challenging. Fortunately, many of the issues have been encountered by others before, and practical solutions already exist. This new field guide outlines field-tested advice on selecting and tackling common performance measurement problems you will encounter in a simple, structured way. Download "Maximizing Your KPI Results" now.

Every week, we cover the five biggest stories in manufacturing, and the implications they have on the industry moving forward. This week:

Jury Hands $5.2 Billion Verdict in Bottled Water Liver Damage Lawsuit - @4:25

Finally, an update on a story we first covered more than three years ago.

Con Artist Steals 22 Metric Tons of Award-Winning Cheddar - @13:51

A con artist who posed as a wholesale distributor for a major French retailer recently ripped off artisanal cheese dealer, Neal's Yard Dairy, in London and made off with 22 metric tons of award-winning cheddar worth nearly $400,000.

eVTOL Aircraft Maker Runs Out of Money, Stopping Operations - @23:14

Lilium, a German maker of eVTOLs is ceasing operations for its two subsidiaries.

Elon Musk Says Making a $25,000 EV Is ‘Silly’ and ‘Pointless' - @34:37

About four years ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk teased a potential $25,000 electric vehicle.

Report Details Cracked Skulls, Amputations at Rivian's Illinois Plant - @46:56

Last week, a Bloomberg report said Rivian received more serious safety violations since early 2023 than any other automaker. Let's remember that Rivian has just one single plant.

In Case You Missed It

Stellantis Invests $29.5 Million in Wind Tunnel Technology to Enhance EV Aerodynamics - @59:39

The tunnel can measure and reduce airflow resistance from wheels and tires, which create a lot of drag.

Boeing Could Sell Space Business to Blue Origin - @1:04:11

According to the Wall Street Journal, Boeing's entire space division might be on the block.

Federal Government Hands Out $24B For Railroad Projects - @1:09:40

More than half of the money is going to smaller railroads.

Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out a lot by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast, you can reach any of us at David, Jeff or Anna [at] ien.com, with “Email the Podcast” in the subject line.

More in Video