New York Times reporter Brad Plumer spotlights a new study by Prof. Jessika Trancik that finds “new chargers on residential streets, as well as high-speed charging stations along highways, would go a long way to supporting an electric-vehicle boom.”
Mashable reporter Sasha Lekach spotlights a new study by MIT researchers that finds installing more charging stations close to residences and in locations that match where people naturally stop, would help increase usage of electric vehicles. The researchers found that “this helps to make charging more accessible while drivers are going about everyday activities.”
MIT researchers have developed an online interactive tool aimed at helping consumers quantify the costs of buying an electric or gas-powered vehicle. The tool demonstrates how electric vehicles may initially be more expensive, but are often cheaper in the long-run, reports Veronica Penny for The New York Times. Prof. Jessika Trancik notes that she hopes the tool will “help people learn about how those upfront costs are spread over the lifetime of the car.”
Writing for Forbes, research engineer Bryan Reimer explores the Massachusetts ballot question that would augment the state’s right to repair law. Reimer writes that the question is “a referendum on how traditional independent automotive repair shops and aftermarket part suppliers are going to function as part of tomorrow’s automotive ecosystem.”
The Economist highlights how MIT startup Indigo is developing an engine system that could be incorporated within an electric vehicle’s wheels. The Economist notes that Indigo believes their system, “a module that incorporates brakes, steering and an active suspension, as well as a motor, overcomes both the electrical problem and the unsprung-weight problem, thus paving the way for in-wheel drives to become mainstream.”
Writing for The Conversation, Profs. David Keith and Christopher Knittel examine why the transition to electric vehicles is proving difficult. Keith and Knittel write that drivers should be encouraged to “buy plug-in hybrid vehicles. These vehicles can go up to 50 miles or more without burning any gasoline…yet they still have a gasoline engine to overcome any range anxiety that drivers may experience.”
A new paper by MIT researchers examines the economic feasibility of autonomous taxis, reports Jamie Powell for the Financial Times. The study, writes Powell, finds that at current prices, “an automated hive of driverless taxis will actually be more expensive for a consumer to use than the old-world way of owning four wheels.”
MIT startup ClearMotion Labs has developed technology that helps cars adjust to potholes in the road, making for a smoother ride, reports Robert Goulston for Boston 25 News. “As the wheels are going over bumps, those sensors are detecting those bumps and instantaneously looking to push and pull the wheels,” explains MIT alumnus and ClearMotion CEO Shakeel Avadhany.
A new working paper co-authored by Prof. Chris Knittel shows that millennials are still interested in owning cars rather than renting or sharing. “Not only are millennials as inclined to own cars as previous generations were, but also they drive their cars more than baby boomers did at the same stage of life,” writes Leonid Bershidsky for Bloomberg.
Axios reporter Joann Muller writes about MIT startup WaveSense, which has developed a ground-penetrating radar that creates maps to help vehicles through snow, fog and ice. WaveSense “essentially creates a fingerprint of the roadways by mapping and tracking unique geologic patterns underground,” Muller explains.
New Yorker contributor Caroline Lester writes about the Moral Machine, an online platform developed by MIT researchers to crowdsource public opinion on the ethical issues posed by autonomous vehicles.
Fast Company reporter Jeremy Deaton highlights Prof. Jessika Trancik’s research showing that electric vehicles are often cheaper than comparable gas-powered vehicles. “The reason is that the lower fuel costs of EVs relative to gasoline-fueled cars compensate for the higher vehicle costs of EVs,” Trancik explains.
Writing for The Washington Post, research scientist Ashley Nunes examines GM’s announcement that it will eliminate thousands of jobs and halt production at several plants in North America. Nunes writes that, “Given the hurdles, political and otherwise, facing electric and autonomous vehicles, some may question the wisdom of GM’s recent announcement.”
Prof. John Sterman speaks with Marco Werman of PRI’s The World about the future of the American car market. According to Sterman, “the U.S. still has the opportunity, if the federal policies were aligned with our long-term interests, to have a major role in the new car and transportation and mobility industry that’s taking shape.”
Katharine Schwab of Fast Company writes about the Media Lab’s Moral Machine project, which surveyed people about their feelings on the ethical dilemmas posed by driverless vehicles. Because the results vary based on region and economic inequality, the researchers believe “self-driving car makers and politicians will need to take all of these variations into account when formulating decision-making systems and building regulations,” Schwab notes.