Automotive industry: EVs v driverless cars
- This topic has 0 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 3 years, 2 months ago by
.
-
Automotive industry: EVs v driverless cars
This week has revealed interesting predictions and developments in the automotive industry. The week started with the Competition and Markets Authority raising fears that the UK will not be ready ahead of a ban on petrol and diesel cars because of its poor charging network infrastructure. Volkswagen raised a similar concern, pointing out that UK EVs charging network is lagging behind.
In addition, the UK’s Law Commission suggested that manufacturers and/or software developers should bear the liability when it comes to autonomous cars accidents. The commission recommends that automakers set funds to cover recalls of self-driving cars and pay fines! According to the Law Commission, this regulation (in the form of the Automated Vehicles Act) aims to incentivise automakers to ensure their products promote safety and are trustworthy. But just imagine how onerous this would be on automakers!
I would be interested to know what automakers should focus on. Should their focus be on the development of EVs and improvement of the charging network infrastructure? Or should they focus on the future of autonomous vehicles?
I personally think EVs and the charging network are the priority right now. The utility of EVs serves an important purpose, sustainability. Additionally, the net-zero targets imposed by governments around the world are approaching. There is a lot to be done to improve EVs batteries, from greener mining methods to the development of alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (lithium is not very eco-friendly) and the planning of mass production of these batteries.
But on the other side, I read a fascinating article about Ocado’s collaboration with Oxbotica to develop autonomous integrated mobility solutions. Sometimes when we think about autonomous cars, we think about luxury, but this article (I’ll leave it below) points out that autonomous vehicles can serve many different purposes. We know how fast the world of groceries is changing, and Ocado and Oxbotica are working on a project that enables vehicles to do more! They predict that autonomous cars can change the food delivery system. At the moment, Ocado expects its low-speed self-driving vehicles to operate in urban areas or restricted access areas very soon, whereas deliveries to consumers’ homes can take some time, but the idea is there. I also think the Automated Vehicles Act would make so much sense in this context, and the moral dilemmas would be less. It’s clear that if a car driving a bunch of groceries bags crashes or harms someone, the automaker should be liable.
I must say I find this project very innovative, and I think autonomous cars could be of great use in this sector. They could also be an excellent aid for people that for some reason, can’t drive (disabled people, the elderly, etc.), but I am still very sceptical of high-speed fully-autonomous cars, especially at this point in time. I would concentrate my resources on making EVs work.
I would be interested to hear your opinions!
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.