The TechMobility Podcast
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The TechMobility Podcast
Infiniti's Luxury Revamp, U.S. Space Force's Satellite Defense, and EPA's Lead Pipe Replacement Strategy
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Discover the challenges facing luxury car brand Infiniti and uncover the strategies they must employ to stay in the race against fierce competition. As Infiniti aims to reinvent its brand with new offerings, such as a Lexus RX competitor and an electrified crossover, we unpack the implications of discontinuing models like the QX50 and QX55. While the brand grapples with declining market share and limited recognition, we emphasize the necessity for aspirational branding and leveraging Nissan’s resources to capture the luxury consumer’s eye.
Shift gears as we delve into the pressing national security concerns in space, where the U.S. Space Force plays a crucial role in safeguarding American interests. In the face of significant threats from China and Russia, the episode highlights the strategic measures needed to protect U.S. satellites. Finally, the episode turns to pressing environmental issues, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ambitious plan to replace lead pipes, prioritizing disadvantaged communities. Through a revisit of the Flint, Michigan crisis, we underscore the critical need for clean water access and the substantial public health benefits of eradicating lead exposure.
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Speaker 2:I'm Ken Chester. On the docket. America's Space Force prepares for risk of war a Lucid Motors update and the EPA issues a lead pipe replacement rule, and this one is near and dear to my heart and I will explain later in this episode. To add your voice to the conversation, be it to ask a question, share an opinion or even suggest an idea for a future discussion, call or text the tech mobility hotline that number, 872-222-9793, or you can email the show directly. Talk at techmobilityshow. Be sure to find us on social media, subscribe to our YouTube channel or enjoy one of our two podcasts the Tech Mobility Podcast or Tech Mobility Topics From the Tech Mobility News Desk.
Speaker 2:I want to talk about a luxury manufacturer that these days may not necessarily be on the list of luxury buyers when they're out looking for luxury vehicles. That company is Infiniti. You may not remember Infiniti no-transcript as far as fortunes two couldn't go in any more opposite of directions. It seems that infinity has spent a lot of time trying to find itself with respect to how it fits in the marketplace, capturing hearts and minds of the american motorist. They've had some interesting products down through the years. One of their most their flagship model is actually has been for some time is their QX80, which is their large SUV model, based on the Nissan Armada and built in Canton, mississippi. With all of the competition raging in the American marketplace, infiniti is trying to reinvent itself again. Seems like they've done this several times. Right now their big push is to develop a lexus rx fighter, add an electrified crossover in our lineup and basically overhaul their lineup. Infinity is not planning new generations of the QX50 and QX55 compact crossovers after production of both models end in 2026.
Speaker 2:And you might be saying I have no awareness of the QX50 and QX55. Point, exactly. That is exactly my point. That is exactly my point. How do you stay relevant in an industry that is capital intensive, with long lead times and fickle consumer tastes? As I've always said about the auto industry I've shared with you, this is not a business for the fainthearted. You end up spending billions plural of dollars over a number of of years. That is to even have a chance of competing if your pockets aren't deep, if your designs are not compelling, if your performance is not legendary where somebody would rise to want to own it, if you don't have a model in your lineup that is your go-to, is your signature that, when they say your nameplate, your model, your brand, that model comes to light, then you're going to have trouble breaking through the marketplace.
Speaker 2:In recent years, automakers have gone upscale the board regardless of make, have gotten much, much better and more aggressive in terms of styling, in terms of performance, in terms of technology. The funny thing that is Nissan's first full electric, the Aryia. I drove it last year was blown away with how wonderful it was, but yet most people don't know about it and that particular vehicle had been plagued with supply chain issues which kept delaying it, so it hadn't gotten out to the public in big numbers. Obviously, anything that Infiniti does will require going through the Nissan parts bin and starting with existing products because, to be blunt, infinity doesn't build hundreds of thousands of vehicles. It's more of a boutique brand than it is a mass market or volume brand, meaning that you are at the mercy of the goodness of the core of the products that your parent company has available, that you can use as building blocks to build out and build into personality for your brand, build out the performance attributes. You're limited by the basics of what's available to you. So it is a challenge how much of a challenge, you ask?
Speaker 2:Infiniti's share of the luxury market fell by two-thirds, from 7.4% in 2017, which is not much it's less than 10% to 2.4% in 2023. Last year, the brand only sold 64,699 vehicles across all their dealers in the United States and while that's up a little bit, it ended a five-year streak of declines. It was also one of the worst years for dealer profitability. If you are asking an upscale dealer to build a standalone store to stock your product, do the training, allocate resources. You need to allocate enough brands for them to make money and you need to commit to the advertising, the marketing, to get people through the doors so they can sell product.
Speaker 2:Infiniti clearly has not been doing that. I think the Ford Motor Company builds more F-150s in like three or four days than what Infiniti sold all year. That's not okay. That is definitely not okay. The powers that be in America at Infiniti hopes to reverse the market momentum with fresh metal and starting with their brand's first new model since 2021. And I know you're still struggling like, wait a minute. Infiniti had something new in 2021. What was it? Again, my point they have a lot of work to do to get back into the minds. Here's something else to consider Just because an automaker has new product doesn't necessarily mean that the product is in step with what the public wants, looking for or wants to aspire to. Part of luxury in the automobile business is being aspirational If you go back to your grandparents, your great grandparents,
Speaker 2:Back in that day the aspirational vehicle was a Cadillac. To others at that time was a Lincoln and to a few of us hardcore folks, they were the big, luxurious Chryslers of 40 and 50 years ago. That was aspirational back then. In the late 1980s, companies like Toyota with Lexus and Nissan with Infiniti and Honda with Acura sought to turn that model on its ear. They wanted to compete against the German makes Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and basically rub it in the face of the established American luxury brands Cadillac, Lincoln and Chrysler. And to some degree Lexus has carved out that position. To a lesser degree, Acura and to a still lesser degree, Infiniti. Acura took the direction of being performance-minded and, oh my goodness, are they ever performance minded? But still managed to be relevant. Infiniti has always struggled to break into that luxury realm consistently. They've had more ups and downs throughout their 35 year history and hopefully, hopefully, what they're looking to bring to market will put them back on the map.
Speaker 2:The two-row QX65 midsize crossover, which is new it's going to show up in 2026, will offer a sportier alternative to Infiniti's bestseller, the three-row QX60, which I don't even remember the last time I saw one of those. Infinity also seeks to plug a hole in its product strategy with its first electrified model. The brand is exploring a hybrid variant of the Nissan Rogue that would slot below the compact QX50 crossover. The Nissan Rogue as it is now has been doing all sorts of duty for Nissan and soon Infiniti. Nissan rebadges that for Mitsubishi as an Outlander. It was amazing. It is a wonderful platform and hopefully Infiniti will be able to take it upscale enough to be compelling to why somebody would want to buy that as opposed to a fancy Rogue.
Speaker 2:That's a big question. Will they be able to do it? The QX65 is what they say is the answer to Lexus RX and will carry the same upgraded 4-cylinder power plant that the QX60 now carries. They hope that this one model will be a sales engine. Just in RXs. Talk about differences in things. Lexus sold 114,000 of them last year. O nce considered a butt of jokes. The Space Force is doing real work, protecting American lives. You are listening to the TechMobility Show.
Speaker 4:Here's the best part you can enjoy a 30-day free trial. It's time to simplify your life and boost your productivity. Aonmeetings. com, where innovation meets connection. Get started today and revolutionize the way you communicate.
Speaker 2:Social media is the main place to be these days, and we are no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Facebook videos, From my latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary of a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight. You. Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Facebook. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to our Facebook page.
Speaker 2:Social media is the place to be these days, and we're no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Instagram videos, From the latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary on a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight. You Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Instagram. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar.
Speaker 2:For those of you that listen to podcasts, we have just the one for you. Hi, I'm Ken Chester. Tech Mobility Topics is a podcast where I upload topic-specific videos each week. Shorter than a full show. These bite-sized programs are just the thing, particularly if you're interested in a particular topic covered on the weekly radio show, From Apple Podcasts to iHeartRadio and many podcast platforms in between, we got you covered. Just enter Tech Mobility Topics in the search bar, wherever you listen to podcasts topics in the search bar, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Speaker 1:How do you lose playoff tickets? It happens, no, no, losing your keys happens.
Speaker 2:Losing 15th row playoff tickets does not happen. Get it.
Speaker 4:The Isuzu Trooper was designed around a very simple premise, where are we going Somewhere?
Speaker 1:they won't find your body. Life's an adventure. Be prepared, take a minute. Binoculars, binoculars. They're on the hall table next to the ticket isuzu, practically amazing back in the day, the isuzu trooper was amazing.
Speaker 2:It was was a can-do SUV that they built in the mid-1990s when the Isuzu was actually selling vehicles in the United States, something they haven't done in quite a while now, but it was an amazing vehicle. It seems since the days of the space race of the 1960s has faded from the collective American mind. That references to the military and outer space quickly becomes the 1960s has faded from the collective American mind. The references to the military and outer space quickly becomes the butt of jokes. Fact is, although the current United States Space Force was established on December 20th 2019, as one of the eight uniformed services in the United States, it can actually trace its origins to the Air Force, army and Navy's military space programs created during the beginning of the Cold War. It's currently home to over 9,400 military personnel. This is Topic A, the United Space Force. They've been considering some sort of space military unit since the Reagan administration, so we're looking at over 40 years and they wanted to include that as part of the Strategic Defense Initiative. So why are we taking this so serious? Well, it turns out that in our American lives, as each of us seek to live our best lives every day that we rely on what is in outer space that impacts our lives. For example, that cell phone in your hand right now that relies on GPS satellites currently orbiting the Earth. Guess where in space? A lot of your communications satellites, whether it be television or other video or communications, as we just noticed, or GPS, all satellites in outer space, satellites in outer space.
Speaker 2:And while space is not the domain of any particular country, there seems to be a move afoot by a number of state actors to impede the United States by messing with our satellites. Hence a need to protect this stuff as China and Russia build arsenals of weapons that could target american military and civilian satellites. Those threats are actually growing and the space force is part of a relatively new the. They're part of the military that is quietly preparing for a new era of warfare. The space force actually has a budget of 3030 billion that's what it'd be and even at $30 billion, it is far smaller and less well-known than any other branch of the military Emerging from the shadows. Now they're looking at a lot of different ways of protecting the American way of life in space Because, honestly, the most harm that can happen to Americans now may never actually physically be on our shores, but actually in space. American combat in space, however, would not necessarily involve satellite killing explosions. The US would likely use less brute force tactics such as blinding a spacecraft's sensors, scrambling its electronics or interfering with its communication with ground stations.
Speaker 2:The US military officials' new willingness to openly discuss conflict in outer space reflects what they are saying are startling advances by China and Russia. Beijing, for example, is developing a fleet of surveillance satellites and multiple-type satellite killers aimed at eroding US space superiority, they said, while Moscow has tested components for a nuclear-armed anti-satellite device. This is real. This is happening, folks in real time. This is real. This is happening folks in real time. And it shouldn't surprise anybody, with the explosion of our technology over the last 50 years, that even how countries interact with each other to impede or otherwise interrupt their way of life would also involve very technological advances and attacks. Most of us know about the breaches and the corruption of data and things like that. We know about that currently, but this is a whole nother level of attack, why we need some sort of security that has a focus on space and nothing else but space. Here's what you may not realize. Us automakers have pushed I'm sorry, automakers, lawmakers, us lawmakers have pushed for a space force for years, arguing that threats in and from space were growing and that the US Air Force, with its emphasis on manned jet fighters and bombers, would never give the space the urgent focus it needed. The previous administration became a vocal supporter of those efforts and they signed into law in 2019, bringing the Space Force into existence.
Speaker 2:The Pentagon relies on space systems for almost everything it does Collecting and disseminating intelligence to assist with troop and ship movements, communicating and fighting adversary battle formations and targeting them. Being blinded in space, if only just partially or momentarily, could have catastrophic consequences for the US military and intelligence operations. Us adversaries, especially China, have seized on these vulnerabilities. According to the Space Force officials, china has now nearly 500 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites operating in space. Let me stop right there. I said 500. That is now, right now. Not what they're building, not what they're planning to put out there. What's out there right now. These 500 intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance satellites can detect aircraft carriers, air air wings and ground forces, and nearly half of those intelligence satellites were deployed last year. With these aircraft, china is able to now detect, track, target and kill US forces, said Jay Raymond, a retired general who served as Space Force First Chief.
Speaker 2:China is also looking for ways to disable US satellites. It's planning to field ground-based weapons that can destroy satellites up to 22,000 miles above the Earth's surface. Space Force officials say China has also demonstrated the ability to use a spacecraft to move another satellite from its position. If it moves it's out of its orbit, then it doesn't function as engineered and it causes an interruption just as easy as moving them. And despite russia's reliance on outdated technology? U US officials call Moscow a real, if lesser, threat to US assets in space. Moscow, like Beijing, demonstrated its ability to strike satellites using ground-based missiles and since at least last year, russian satellites have been parking on orbit near US and Western commercial satellite communication satellites, perhaps in an effort to disturb their function. Yeah, outer space it's serious, but the most concerning development by far, us officials say, is Russia's 2022 launch of satellite to test components for an anti-satellite weapon that would carry a nuclear device. Think about that. EV manufacturer Lucid Motors wants to shake its reputation as a niche luxury automaker. We review their plans.
Speaker 2:This is the Tech Mobility Show. Do you listen to podcasts? Seems that most people do. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. If you missed any of our weekly episodes on the radio, our podcast is a great way to listen. You can find the Tech Mobility Podcast just about anywhere you can enjoy podcasts. Be sure to follow us from Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio and many platforms in between. We are there. Just enter the Tech tech mobility podcast in the search bar. Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place to be. Who are no exception? Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host TechMobility Show. Several times a week, I post to Tiktok several of the topics that I cover on my weekly radio show. It's another way to keep up on mobility, technology news and information. I've built quite a library of short videos for your viewing pleasure, so be sure to watch, like and subscribe. That's the Tech Mobility Show on TikTok. Check it out.
Speaker 2:Lucid Motors is a young American automotive and technology company that manufactures electric vehicles while supplies advanced electric vehicle powertrain systems. Since 2021, the company has been producing its signature Lucid Air sedan at its Casa Grande, Arizona manufacturing plant. With its future product plans, lucid hopes to break out of its high-priced image. This is Topic B. I saw my first Lucid Air seven years ago at the New York Auto Show and I was blown away. I had never seen such a beautiful vehicle inside and out.
Speaker 2:Ironically enough, the company first chose to build a car, which seems counterintuitive in this world of pickup trucks, crossovers and SUVs. But they decided to build a car, and they weren't in a hurry. They made a point of we are going to test, test and then retest, and then test some more, and the lucid air started winning accolades as it was brutally punished as it was driven for miles. They were more concerned with quality and performance from job, one that was over and above anything available in the marketplace, full stop. And I needed to mention that this is an electric vehicle. Lucid never intended to build anything else. As a result, the lucid air, when it was evaluated by the EPA for distance, was the mileage champ, in that their approach to EV motors, ev batteries, how that power was delivered, allowed the Lucid Air to go 520 miles, certified by the Environmental Protection Agency the agency that evaluates and gives its stamp between charges and being a high-voltage system allowing it to charge extremely quickly, putting it in the front of the line when it came to EV performance. It even has a performance mode that, when you select it, the car actually asks you are you sure? And how do I know this? I drove one last year for the first time and I'm here to tell you the Lucid Air is every bit as amazing as they say it is. However, their first car that they were building goes for $170,000, which means it's not for everybody. They were okay with that.
Speaker 2:What Lucid is doing, which follows more the pattern of Tesla than anybody else, they've developed proprietary systems. They have developed their approach to EV manufacturing and they knew that they were going to have to bring out lower cost models. They brought out first, with a lower cost version of the Lucid Air. They're looking to bring out now the Gravity, which, while it's cheaper, it's still a little bit more pricey than mass market, and they're expecting to bring out a midsize model in 2026 that should be closer to mass market and should be probably within the $40,000 to $60,000 range. The beautiful part about Lucid and, by the way, and I needed to back up a little bit Lucid and, by the way, and I needed to back up a little bit if it sounds a lot like Tesla, it's because one of their leaders used to work for Tesla in fact, was chief engineer for the Model S, so they were able to bring a lot of that approach into their company and they said straight up we are not planning to build volume to start, we would rather build quality and grow the business.
Speaker 2:Of course, the pandemic and the resulting supply chain challenges that every automaker had threw Lucid a curveball. But Lucid is extremely well funded Middle Eastern funded, in fact, by the Saudi Arabia Sovereign Fund. So they're sitting in quite a bit of money so they're able to deal with the cash burn of the startup, which, in the auto industry, is immense. You've got engineering, you've got testing, you've got manufacturing, you've got prototyping, you've got evaluation, you've got manufacturing, you've got prototyping, you've got evaluation. You've got certifications. All these things have to happen to get a vehicle to market and then ramp up and make sure your suppliers are all on board and to make sure the quality is at the level that you are demanding, that your consumers are expecting from you at that price point, whatever it is. I wanted to share Lucid with you. We hadn't talked about Lucid in a while. I am hoping to experience a gravity crossover in the next year or so and when I do I will gladly share it with you because I'm looking forward to what Lucid defines as a crossover SUV experience as opposed to their vehicle.
Speaker 2:It's also important to note that Lucid doubled down on the air by coming out with a performance version it called Sapphire. Now, please understand that. The basic Lucid Air basic if you can call it that, is a performance car, pure, foremost a performance car. It moves whatever realm you take and even in its lower realms it still has a range of over 400 miles. Nobody, save for a few new EV pickup trucks, come close. EV pickup trucks come close. There's no. Elon Musk is probably. Their Model S is probably the only other EV that comes close to that kind of mileage between charges Right now. The rest of the market is not there. They're between 200 and 300 miles of range.
Speaker 2:I have always said that if they're going to, if an EV manufacturer is going to capture the market and do well, really honestly, living in the Midwest, I need 450 miles range. Now, in fairness, that's roughly 120 more miles than my gasoline Equinox gets right now. I come in at about 362 to 375. However, I don't experience the typical losses in extreme weather, either in extreme heat or extreme cold. So I want that added little extra. Lucid is delivering on that added little extra and is phenomenal, but I am looking forward to the Gravity.
Speaker 2:Let me tell you about their new crossover. They started rolling these off the assembly line actually this summer. It will have sports car performance and 440 miles of electric range. It will introduce an optional air suspension on the Gravity and offer a standard 34-inch display that sits above the steering wheel. That is way more real estate than I need to be looking at. Lucid has provided detailed price and trim information, but they're expecting this to come in at around $80,000. And they're also thinking about a Sapphire performance version of this too. Oh, my goodness, I can't even begin to imagine.
Speaker 2:What I want to talk about, though, is this mid-sized platform that's going to come out in a little less than two years. Lucid is mostly following the playbook Tesla used a decade ago by launching a high-end sedan, followed by a high-end crossover, and later rolling out of more affordable vehicles, like with the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover. However, Lucid's first vehicle on his new mid-size platform will be a crossover because, bluntly, sedans aren't selling and they wanted to compete with the model y, the future Rivian, R2 and other EV crossovers in the compact and mid-size segments. They expect it to start at less than 50 grand. I will tell you, if Lucid is able to hit their targets and can scale up and build this thing, they will sell every single one of them that they make. Particularly if they're able to take the engineering they put into the air and the gravity and bring it into this vehicle, then it's not even close. They will have a waiting list. People want to own this. Their plant will be sold out for a long time.
Speaker 2:The EPA has issued new rules to eliminate all lead pipes within 10 years. With the money to back it up, we are the Tech Mobility Show. To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings of the Tech Mobility Show by visiting techmobilityshow. That's techmobilityshow. You can also drop us a line at talk at techmobilityshow. Did you know that Tech Mobility has a YouTube channel? Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. Each week, I upload a few short videos of some of the hot topics that I cover during my weekly radio program. I've designed these videos to be informative and entertaining. It's another way to keep up on current mobility and technology news and information. Be sure to watch, like and subscribe to my channel. That's the Tech Mobility Show on YouTube. Check it out.
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Speaker 2:Social media is the place to be these days, and we're no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Instagram videos, from the latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary on a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight you. Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Instagram. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar.
Speaker 2:The US Environmental Protection agency has recently announced the final rule for requiring replacement of lead pipes within 10 years and announced financing to make that happen. The epa has even targeted disadvantaged communities which are more likely to be impacted by lead pipes, and I say it's about time. This is topic C. Let me read. The science is clear. Lead is a potent neurotoxin and I quote there is no safe level of lead exposure Full stop, especially for children, children. In children, lead can severely harm mental and physical development, slow down learning and irreversibly damage the brain. In adults, lead can cause increased blood pressure, heart disease, decreased kidney function and cancer. And if you're impacted by lead exposure, there is no known antidote. And all of that, in case you were wondering and thought I made that up is according to the centers for disease control and prevention.
Speaker 2:When I first started in radio, when I had my live show locally, here is about the time that we heard about what happened in Flint, michigan, and that nightmare started on April 25th 2014, when the city switched its drinking water supply from Detroit system to the Flint river and a cost saving move the Flint river saving move the Flint River a dirty, polluted river with all sorts of garbage in it. Inadequate treatment and testing of the water resulted in a series of major water quality and health issues for Flint residents, issues that were chronic, chronically ignored, overlooked and discounted by government officials, even as complaints mounted that the foul smelling, discolored and off tasting water piped into Flint homes for a year and a half was causing skin rashes, hair loss and itchy skin. I covered Flint and I did stories here In case you didn't know Flint, and I did stories here In case you didn't know. Right now, the EPA regulates 85 different contaminants in water. They typically defer to the states to enforce that, and if you are receiving water from a public water treatment and distribution system, did you know that you could go online and get information about any problems that they have had relative to the water supply and, more importantly, what they did to correct it. And it's anywhere in the country. You can go online and get that information. So let me talk a little bit more about why this is important, and it's very emotional for me, because everybody should have access to clean water. You don't have to live in Flint, or you don't have to be in Jackson, mississippi or Birmingham, alabama. You should be able to have clean water wherever. It should not be an issue.
Speaker 2:The lead and copper rule improvements also require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold requiring communities to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water. In addition, the final rule improves communication within communities so families are better informed about the risk of lead in drinking water, the location of lead pipes and plans for replacing them. Did you know? The reason that lead pipes were such a problem in flint is that there's a chemical added to the water to keep the lead from leaching into the water that it's carrying. When flint made the decision to change, they did not put that chemical in the water that it's carrying. When Flint made the decision to change, they did not put that chemical in the water and the lead started leaching into the supply. Lead pipes have been around for over 100 years. Current installations no, they don't use lead pipes, but typically lead piping for drinking water is found in the older parts of town, the poorer parts of town, the under invested parts of a community, which typically end up low income and people of color, typically in larger cities and even in smaller towns. If your water system is 100 years old or older and they have not updated it, chances are very good that the service pipes bringing your drinking water every single day are lead, and the only reason why you may not have any exposure to it is the chemicals they put in the water to keep the lead from leaching into the water. That didn't happen in flint, when they made that switch to save a few pennies and put all those people at risk.
Speaker 2:The beautiful part here is that the government this time didn't just say here's a rule, deal with it. They're backing it up with $2.6 billion of newly available drinking water infrastructure funding. The funding will flow through something that I didn't know about called the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and it's available to support lead pipe replacement and inventory projects. And in case you wonder where I'm getting this information from. I'm getting it from a drinking water trade magazine called Waterworld. So this is what's going on in the trades, because I want you to have the information literally straight from the horse's mouth what the industry is hearing, what the industry is doing about it. Additionally, 49% of the funding must be provided to disadvantaged communities as grant funding or principal forgiveness that does not have to be repaid. Grant funding or principal forgiveness that does not have to be repaid, because typically poor communities, rural communities, larger cities that have financing issues so that the poorer parts of those communities don't get serviced, they don't have the money to do it. This particular legislation and this rule puts money with it in such a way where they eliminate the barriers to getting the job done, which is usually almost always money.
Speaker 2:The EPA estimates that up to nine million homes are served through what they call legacy lead pipes across the United States. Nine million homes.
Speaker 2:Eliminating lead exposure from the air people breathe, the water people drink and the homes people live is a critical component of the current administration's commitment to advancing environmental justice. The lead and copper rule improvements establish achievable common sense practices which have already been implemented by several states and cities. Listen to this the public health and economic benefits of the final rule are estimated to be up to 13 times greater than the costs 13 times greater. For every dollar they spend to remedy this situation, they get back roughly $13 in benefits reduced health issues, reduced neighborhood issues, better outcomes for everybody, lower cost of health care, because these people are not now clogging the health care system because of health situations aggravated by lead. 9 million homes and remember there's no, absolutely no safe level of lead exposure for anybody. Any lead exposure is deadly, no matter what level. So the fact that the EPA is stepping up and putting money with it, that's the part I like. We've come to the end of this visit. Be sure to join me again next time, right here. This has been the Tech Mobility Show.
Speaker 1:The Tech Mobility Show is a copywritten production of Tech Mobility Productions Inc. Any rebroadcast, retransmission or any other use is prohibited without the written consent of Tech Mobility Productions Incorporated. .
Speaker 2:Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
Speaker 2:Tech Mobility Topics is a podcast where I upload topic-specific videos each week Shorter than a full show. These bite-sized programs are just the thing, particularly if you're interested in a particular topic covered on the weekly radio show. From Apple Podcasts to iHeartRadio and many podcast platforms in between, we got you covered. Just enter TechMobility topics in the search bar. Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place to be where, no exception.
Speaker 2:Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. Several times a week, I post to TikTok several of the topics that I cover on my weekly radio show. It's another way to keep up on mobility technology news and information. I've built quite a library of short videos for your viewing pleasure, so be sure to watch, like and subscribe. That's the Tech Mobility Show on TikTok. Check it out. To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings at the Tech Mobility Show by visiting techmobility. show. That's techmobility. show.
Speaker 3:You can also drop us a line at talk at techmobility. show.
Speaker 2:Do you listen to podcasts? Seems that most people do. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. If you missed any of our weekly episodes on the radio, our podcast is a great way to listen. You can find the Tech Mobility Podcast just about anywhere you can enjoy podcasts. Be sure to follow us from Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio and many platforms in between. We are there. Just enter the Tech Mobility Podcast in the search bar, wherever you listen to podcasts.
