7/1/2023 0 Comments Act expo 2017I wonder if we’ll look back that fondly on the current crop of BEVs?Įven if some of these startups can maintain the funding levels required to stay in the game for another five years, what fleet would go in deep on what’s basically unproven technology? How can some of these EV entrants design and build trucks that hope to compete with the established OEMs? Pesky things like durability, dealer support, warranty, and residual value weigh heavily in the purchasing decision. Studebaker trucks, like this 1937 J30 model, were introduced with the slogan “Stamina for Profit, Style for Prestige.” The style certainly lived on long after the stamina evaporated. How many battery-electric skateboards or charging machines do we need? Truth be told, we need a lot of them, but they have to be up to the standards this industry expects, and we are notoriously difficult to please. The ensuing hype in the business and tech press usually drowns out the moans and groans from those in the trenches serious about finding a way forward. That’s not a problem, but it sure muddies the water. Investment dollars are arriving by the diesel-powered truckload, and almost daily there’s word of a new start-up in the electric or self-driving vehicle space. That begets an influx of entrepreneurs with twinkles in their eyes, hopeful of investor interest or maybe buyout offers from larger and more stable companies. And no shortage of venture capital either. There’s no shortage of opportunity in the sector now. But even while surrounded by all that glitz and glitter, I couldn’t help wondering how many of those companies would be exhibiting a few years from now. With more than 200 exhibitors in the hall and a few dozen more outside, it would be easy to believe the alt-energy industry is close to hitting critical mass. This year’s ACT Expo event in Long Beach, California, really opened my eyes to the future of fossil-fuel-free transportation. ACT Expo 2022 really opened my eyes to the potential and pitfalls of the future of fossil-fuel-free transportation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |