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American and European automakers are falling behind in the world’s largest auto market: China. Wealthy Chinese buyers are increasingly trading in their Mercedes and BMWs for luxury EVs made by domestic brands BYD, Nio, Xpeng and Li.
The UK steps gingerly into the autonomous future, approving its first ever permit for hands-free driving. In other AV news, Waymo suffers another embarrassing incident in San Francisco, this time due to the city’s notorious morning fog. Meanwhile, researchers in England are trying to teach cars how to recognize road rage.
It’s hardly news for Texas to build unnecessary new highways, but it is news that some politicians are starting to push back. In New Orleans, however, even some who recognize the harm of previous highway projects are reluctant to undo them.
Last but not least, somebody has finally reinvented the wheel. And made it square.
The battle for Chinese consumers: The allure of foreign automobiles appears to be fading in China, where wealthy consumers are increasingly opting for domestic brands, particularly when it comes to EVs. Domestic manufacturers such as Nio, Li, Xpeng and BYD accounted for 52% of all cars sold in the last quarter of 2022 and for over 80% of EVs sold. Meanwhile, foreign automakers such as Ford and Hyundai have watched their sales plummet in China. Tesla has seen its growth in China slow down, another indication that it may not achieve a level of global dominance to support its current valuation. In an effort to keep up with its Chinese rivals, Tesla is slashing prices, prompting Xpeng to follow suit. Tesla also recently announced plans to build a major battery plant in Shanghai.
UK approves hands-free driving for Ford: British owners of the 2023 Ford Mach-E SUV will be allowed to take their hands off the steering wheel as long as they keep their eyes on the road. The approval from the Department of Transport is a first for the UK and Europe, which have generally been far more cautious in their approach to AVs than the U.S.
How many highways does Texas need? Five members of the Dallas City Council are pushing the city to consider removing I-345, a 1.7 mile highway that connects two other highways running through Texas’s second largest city. They are opposed by the highway-hungry Texas Department of Transportation which wants to rebuild the freeway, as well as by colleagues who represent suburban commuters. Similar conflicts are playing out in other Texas cities, including in Austin, where the state not only is pushing to expand I-35, which for generations has served as a racial dividing line in the city, but is contemplating building an entirely new highway that would lay waste to a scenic pedestrian and bicycle trail. Y’all stay tuned.
Sick leave for Uber drivers: Washington is poised to become the first U.S. state to require ride-hail companies provide paid family medical leave to drivers. The law will require the companies to pay premiums on behalf of employees to fund 12 weeks of paid medical leave in the event of a serious injury or illness to the employee or their family member.
Too foggy for Waymo: San Francisco’s notorious fog proves to be too much for five Waymo robo-taxis, which simply stopped driving and pulled over to the side of the road. That might have been OK, except that all five ended up clustering together, blocking the road for human drivers who were able to see through the fog. Oh boy.
Ford announces big EV investment in Canada: The automaker plans to invest $1.4 billion to transform a 70-year-old plant in Ontario into a major EV manufacturing hub.
Reinventing the wheel: It’s not clear why, but the makers of the Anker EverFrost Powered Cooler, a Kickstarter-funded cooler, have also made a bicycle with square wheels. You have to see it to believe it.
Harvard cracks down on scooters: The elite university is upping enforcement of its ban on bicycles, scooters or other mobility devices “in Harvard Yard, in Harvard-owned or operated buildings, or on sidewalks or other walkways.” Some students argue the policy is an overreaction to certain scooter-related problems and is limiting their mobility options.
Can AVs be taught to recognize road rage? Researchers at the UK’s University of Warwick are trying to identify common behaviors that correlate with angry drivers in hopes of teaching AVs how to spot them and adjust accordingly.
Uber creates e-bike trade-in program to combat battery fires: The ride-hail company is offering delivery workers in New York City a chance to get a deal on a new e-bike if they trade in a non-certified lithium ion battery. Batteries have already caused 59 fires, according to the New York Fire Department, and experts say that the problem is largely linked to cheap batteries available from online marketplaces.
How ‘electrify everything’ became America’s climate focus: The New York Times looks at what it will take to electrify “everything”: vehicles, homes, businesses, industry. Right now less than 1% of energy consumed for transportation is electric. For homes, it’s 16%, and for industry it’s 7%. We’ve got a lot of work to do.
The climate change debate at the World Bank: Politico looks at the ongoing debate within the World Bank about how to address climate change. Some leaders within the institution, which aims to combat poverty in the developing world, say the bank’s stated commitment to fighting climate change and its effects is not backed up by enough money from the U.S. and E.U. The U.S., however, simply isn’t in the mood to spend more money right now.
Maritime solutions will be the next step for urban mobility: Zag Daily interviews John Rossant, Founder & CEO of CoMotion. Rossant shares his insights on new technologies within urban mobility and how maritime transportation, an often overlooked form, desperately needs to be decarbonised. Are smart hydrofoils the answer?
A highway divides New Orleans: CityLab examines the literal and figurative divisions caused by the Claiborne Expressway in New Orleans, a “poster child for highway removal.” While it displaced hundreds of Black-owned businesses and homes when it was built in the 60’s, its underpasses have since become community gathering places and the sites of cherished murals. Some community members don’t want to see that go away.
Is Portland’s climate-conscious planning backfiring? Some of the rules Portland put in place to foster walkability and climate resilience, such as requiring developers to build sidewalks and build green water infrastructure, might be preventing the development of much-needed housing in the city’s central neighborhoods. That not only exacerbates the housing crisis but leads to more sprawl and auto-dependence.
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