andy
andy
Jul 22, 2017 · 2 min read

You are concerned with autonomous vehicles being gas powered and not electric and seem to put the blame of the lack of zero-emission vehicles at the feet of the automobile industry (with a supporting cast).

I read a while back, one of the biggest investors/shareholders in the automotive industry is the oil industry, not to make profits as such (but a nice side line) but to ensure the biggest customer of oil products doesn’t desert to another energy source. Maybe this is one factor in that Tesla (and Elon Musk) are pushing ahead with electric while other companies are tepid at best (most likely directors trying to keep their jobs until their Golden parachutes kick in!). You mention the oil reps on the California Chamber of Commerce, but not the direct (likely controlling when viewed collectively) investments.

As you state, all vehicles are slowly increasing the amount of automation from parking assist and active cruise control, which is visible to the user and more fly-by-X system behind the scenes. I would suggest the slow take-up of autonomy in vehicles is more to do with lawyers*, particularly in the large vehicle market in the world, the USA, than current technological limitations.

You indicate “Instead, every autonomous vehicle sold in California would come with batteries included. 100% zero emissions autonomous vehicles.” Simple, legal, way to bypass that is to have a vehicle that’s level 3 but not sell it as such, but knowing the majority of users will in effect operate in that mode. Much like we misuse many products against the specific instructions of the manufacturer (e.g. a simple one, cotton buds are sometimes call ‘ear-buds’ and used to clean ear canals which is one use specifically advised against).

IMHO, and I assume you are aware but don’t mention it too much, the biggest drag for fully-electric-fully-automous vehicles are legal departments’ fear of joe/jane pubic and oil industry investment control. Everything else is noise and window dressing.

*when you can successfully sue a vehicle manufacture because you engage ‘cruise control’ in your RV and then crash because you took your hands of the wheel, and reportedly make a coffee in the kitchen. Not sure if this is true, but it makes a lot of vehicle legal departments very nervous.

    andy

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    andy