Unique EV and driverless car issues

Issue #286

Electric vehicles (EVs) and driverless, autonomous cars face unique situations as their adoption increases. Driving an EV in a wildfire emergency has its own unique challenges and benefits. An EV fire is so intense, it can take thousands of gallons of water to put out. Some EVs can function as portable batteries for those who lose power. On the other hand, EV model batteries lose about 20% of their range in freezing temperatures. Toyota ranked third to last in the latest rating of automakers on their digitalization skills. Most robotaxi operators have tried it in specific cities in a pilot basis. Chinese WeRide claims to be the only company in the world that has obtained autonomous driving permits in four countries, including China, Singapore, the UAE and the US. 2025 is expected to be a crucial one for Amazon’s autonomous vehicle unit Zoox, as the company plans to grow its operations and commercialize its robotaxi business. Hydrogen as an alternate fuel needs to be manufactured, but there’s some evidence that there are vast deposits underground. Below are some unique situations faced by EVs and autonomous vehicles, as reported in media channels.

Driving EVs in a wildfire

The ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles have put EVs to a real-world test. The challenges include everything from power outages to traffic jams and fast-moving evacuation orders. Driving an electric car in a wildfire emergency has its own unique challenges and benefits. An EV fire is so intense, it can take thousands of gallons of water to put out. California is home to more than one-third of all EVs registered in the US. Some of the battery-powered cars have been destroyed in the blazes, creating unique obstacles for cleanup crews tasked with removing the debris. For those who lose power, some EVs can also function as portable batteries. - WSJ

EV battery range in winter

EV models lose about 20% of their range in freezing temperatures, according to Recurrent, an EV battery and range analytics company. The Tesla Model X had the best range in the study. It kept 89% of its normal range when in the cold. The Volkswagen ID4 fared the worst, maintaining 63% of its stated range. Recurrent based its findings on real-world data collected through the telematics and other on-board devices from more than 18,000 vehicles. The data was collected during winter 2024 and 2025. EVs with heat pumps retain 83% of range in freezing conditions compared to 75% for EVs without heat pumps. - Yahoo Finance

Auto ranking for digitalization skills

Toyota ranked third to last in the latest rating of automakers on their digitalization skills, demonstrating how far Japanese car companies have to go to catch industry leader Tesla. Gartner's 2024 Digital Automaker Index ranked Toyota 20th among 22 car manufacturers. Tesla topped the list, maintaining the crown from 2023. Toyota was faulted for lack of executives who understand software business. - Nikkei Asia

Robotaxi operation in 30 cities

Chinese autonomous-driving company WeRide is aiming to make more inroads overseas this year, its CEO says, betting that robotaxis and related services will be in high demand in coming years. WeRide, which already operates driverless vehicles in 30 cities across nine countries, has its sights set on Japan, Europe and the Middle East. It claims to be the only company in the world that has obtained autonomous driving permits in four countries, including China, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the US. In China, WeRide has enjoyed a wave of government support, but is also grappling with increasingly stiff competition. - WSJ

Amazon's Zoox unit robotaxi business

This year is expected to be a crucial one for Amazon’s autonomous vehicle unit Zoox, as the company plans to grow its operations and commercialize its robotaxi business. Zoox is aiming to begin offering rides to the public “quite soon,” expand its operating regions and “significantly” grow its self-driving vehicle fleet from the couple dozen it currently operates in 2025, according to co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Jesse Levinson. - CNBC

Underground Hydrogen sources

Hydrogen is a key ingredient in the chemical industry and could be used as a greener fuel in industries from aviation and transoceanic shipping to steelmaking. Today, the gas needs to be manufactured, but there’s some evidence that there are vast deposits underground. Hydrogen molecules are tiny, after all, so even if the gas was forming there, the assumption was that it would just leak out. However, there have been somewhat accidental discoveries of hydrogen over the decades, in abandoned mines or new well sites. As it turns out, hydrogen tends to build up in very different rocks from those that host oil and gas deposits. - MIT Tech Review

Source for banner image at the top of the newsletter:

SWinxy, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons