Electric Vehicles Creating A Roadmap To Autonomous Vehicles Posted on : Oct 13 - 2020

With one stroke of the pen Governor Newsom of California has insured a robust outlook for the future of electric vehicles in California. Finally, electric vehicle manufacturers are in vogue. The executive order requires that starting in 2035 all vehicles sold in the state of California can no longer have an internal combustion engine.

There are many electric vehicle companies in the market. Tesla TSLA +0.6%, Nio and Rivian appear to be leading the way with large contracts and/or significant followings in the electric vehicle world. The EV world has already started to address issues in unique ways such as Nio’s battery swap. Instead of having to wait for a charge, drivers can stop at one of their battery swapping locations and just switch out batteries in a few minutes. This type of innovation allows the driver to keep going and avoid downtime waiting for the battery to charge. These are the kinds of real world solutions that can come from widespread use and commercialization.

Amazon AMZN +0.9% has just unveiled its electric delivery vehicle, manufactured by Rivian, though Amazon has not provided specific details on the battery or range. We do know that the van will have exterior cameras which will provide a 360 view outside the vehicle. In addition, it will include Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant for hands-free navigation and other assisted technologies. Rivian anticipates delivering 10,000 of the vans by early 2022 with a total of 100,000 by 2030.

Governor Newsom‘s executive order has only served to put a greater spotlight on electric vehicles and charging station infrastructure by legally mandating that internal combustion vehicles not be sold in the state after 2035. This state government action will require a drastic increase in the number of charging stations for electric vehicles between now and the 2035 mandate. It will also encourage additional electric vehicle manufacturers to increase output and some may possibly move their headquarters to the Electric Vehicle friendly state of California.

Currently Tesla is the global leader in electric vehicle sales, having sold more than one million electric cars worldwide and owning approximately 80% of the US electric car market. The cost of maintenance and charging over the life of an electric vehicle is cheaper than that of a gas-powered vehicle. It will be more and more attractive for drivers across the country to switch from internal combustion vehicles to electric ones. For those looking for a less costly electric vehicle there are other options on the roadway that will now undoubtedly become attractive to vehicle purchasers as they look to buy a car that fits within the government mandate.

Clearly, the executive order has essentially insured a robust future for electric vehicles in California. The actions by Governor Newsom in California could be a roadmap for those who are looking for widespread use and the commercialization of autonomous vehicles. A stroke of the pen by a governor anywhere in the United States but most especially in California, could encourage autonomous vehicle usage or in fact mandate that a percentage of the government’s fleet be autonomous. This would certainly produce a thriving autonomous vehicle market. View More