National security collides with future mobility
(3min read) Plus, how many more homes does America need?
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Tensions with China continue to shape the contours of future mobility in the U.S. The most recent example: a proposed bill to ban Chinese-made connected vehicles. Meanwhile, industry experts warn consumers to brace for e-bike price hikes and urge e-bike makers to find ways to reduce their reliance on China.
Also: Zoox draws scrutiny from regulators over mysterious instances of sudden braking, rail systems in the U.S. get big bucks to improve accessibility, America is short 1.5 million homes, and things get dire for EV maker Fisker.
What you need to know
Why is Zoox slamming on the brakes? Federal regulators are looking into two incidents involving Amazon self-driving unit, Zoox, in which autonomous vehicles suddenly braked, causing rear-end collisions with motorcycles.
Bill to ban Chinese connected vehicles: Following the Biden administration’s decision to quadruple tariffs on imported Chinese EVs, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, introduces legislation to prohibit Chinese-made connected vehicles. It’s unsurprising to see a Michigan lawmaker push to protect the Detroit auto industry, but Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, argues that prohibiting Chinese vehicles from collecting troves of data in the U.S. is necessary on national security grounds.
$1.3 billion for EV charging: The Biden administration opens applications for $1.3 billion of grants for EV infrastructure. The administration is prioritizing charging at multifamily housing and other places where cars are typically parked.
Accessibility is expensive: The Biden administration awards $343 million to eight transit agencies in the U.S. to make rail stations more accessible to people with disabilities. Nearly half of the money will be spent on providing just five subway stations in New York City with elevators, reduced gaps between the platform and train, improved audio and visual announcement systems.
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America is short 1.5 million homes: A new Freddie Mac analysis finds the U.S. needs 1.5 million new homes to relieve the housing shortage that is bedeviling many of the nation’s largest and most prosperous cities. That level of construction would bring the rental vacancy rate –– which now stands at 6.6% –– back to the historical average of 8.2%, which would exert pressure on landlords to lower rents.
More money for electric buses: London-based Zenobē secures another $522 million to expand electric buses in the UK.
What we’re reading
Bad timing for e-bike tariffs: The trade war with China couldn’t come at a worse time for Americans trying to reduce or eliminate their car dependence. E-bike prices are likely to significantly increase, writes the Verge’s Andrew Hawkins. Unless, of course, U.S. e-bike companies can find a way to become less reliant on Chinese manufacturing.
The forgotten history of the microcar: Ars Technica explores the “small, cheap and weird” history of the microcar, from the late 19th century to the recent emergence of tiny EVs aimed at urbanites.
Feds have a lot of work on automation regs: David Kidd, a researcher for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, says federal transportation regulators are asleep at the wheel when on autonomous driving systems. Right now, he says, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is responding to incidents, rather than thinking proactively about establishing guardrails.
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Editor, CoMotion NEWS
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