(Bloomberg) -- From Tesla chargers in the ancient alleys that surround the Forbidden City in Beijing to lonely highway rest stops with charging posts in the western deserts, signs of the electrification of China’s transport fleet — and the demise of gasoline — are everywhere.Most Read from BloombergIn Traffic-Weary Toronto, a Battle Breaks Out Over Bike LanesIn Italy’s Motor City, Car-Free Options Are GrowingNew York City’s ‘Living Breakwaters’ Brace for Stormier SeasNow, according to official s
EVs are heavier, put more wear on the roads (for the same class of vehicle) and more microplastics into the environment from the tires. They don’t fix noise pollution, road safety or congestion.
We need better public transit, not robotaxis.
They may not fix noise pollution, but they seem to reduce it. At least at urban speeds where I can be near them when they’re driving, them sure seem to be significantly quieter than gas cars.
Wait, why are EV tires more polluting than gasoline tires?
Because the car is heavier overall, which means they put more wear on the tires per mile driven.
Fuck good, let’s have perfect.
Also electric vs gas has nothing to do with robotaxis.
robotaxis need a lot of electronics/computing and so a large battery. A hybrid can charge that battery, but it is close to 50c/kwh electricity cost. V2G is a more obvious near term game changer. Can pay for cost of car over lifetime, or at least provide negative fuel costs. At any rate, an EV robotaxi will outcompete an ICE one. It also has the advantage of driving to a charging station during any downtime.
That’s a fair point, the integrated battery does make managing the equipment easier.