The TechMobility Podcast
Welcome to The TechMobility Podcast, your ultimate source for authentic insights, news, and perspectives at the nexus of mobility and technology. We're all about REAL FACTS, REAL OPINIONS, and REAL TALK! From personal privacy to space hotels, if it moves or moves you, we're discussing it! Our weekly episodes venture beyond the conventional, offering a unique, unfiltered take on the topics that matter. We're not afraid to color outside the lines, and we believe you'll appreciate our bold approach!
The TechMobility Podcast
Lexus's Hybrid Luxury Redefined, America's Renewable Grid Challenge, and China's Aviation Breakthrough
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Discover the future of transportation as we promise an enlightening look into the latest breakthroughs in aviation, automotive, and renewable energy sectors. Ever wondered how a crossover hybrid SUV can redefine luxury and performance? Join us as we unpack the exciting features of the 2025 Lexus UX300h, tracing Lexus's journey from the iconic LX450 to today's cutting-edge models. Explore how these vehicles not only offer superior fuel efficiency but also highlight the brand's legacy in shaping the luxury SUV market.
Shift gears as we navigate the complexities of the United States’ power grid challenges and the untapped potential of renewable energy. From illuminating the strain AI data centers place on our electrical capacity to showcasing sustainable solutions via federal land projects, we provide a comprehensive analysis of America's energy landscape. Dive into the world of autonomous vehicle innovation, where giants like John Deere and Volvo are making strides in agriculture and construction, leveraging real-time data to increase operational efficiency and sustainability.
Embark on a hypersonic journey as we unravel China's remarkable progress in aviation technology, achieving speeds that redefine the limits of commercial travel. Compare these advancements to the hurdles faced by traditional aerospace titans, gaining insights into the global race for aviation dominance. This episode promises to satiate your curiosity, whether you're a tech enthusiast, car lover, or aviation aficionado, offering a vivid exploration of the technologies shaping tomorrow's world today.
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Speaker 2:I'm Ken Chester On the docket my impression to the 2025 Lexus UX300H crossover hybrid SUV, federal land, renewable energy, more power and autonomous vehicles for niche applications. To join the conversation, be it to ask a question, share an opinion or even suggest a topic for future discussion, call or text the TechMobility hotline, that number, 872-222-9793, or, as always, you can email the show directly. Talk at techmobilityshow. Also, be sure to check us out on social media, our YouTube channel and our two podcasts, the Tech Mobility Podcast and Tech Mobility Topics. One more thing before we head to the news desk I have recently entered into a competition called the 2025 Entrepreneur of Impact.
Speaker 2:This competition is an opportunity for me to receive one-on-one mentorship from the one and only Damon John of the popular CIBC show Shark Tank one of the sharks on the show, commonly called the People Shark and to get interviewed for a piece in Forbes Magazine, which is a major financial magazine, and then finally get a chance to win $25,000. And for that I need your help. Now. I can read the link here and I'm going to, but you can also go out to social media. I've got it posted everywhere. Wherever you find me on social media, there is a video where you have a clickable link. The only exception is Instagram. You'll have to copy the link, but you can still get there. Here's the link HTTPS colon. Backslash, backslash, backslash. This is all one word entrepreneurofimpact. That's one word. Org. Backslash 2025, backslash Ken-Chester-Jr. I'm going to read it one more time. The bottom line is the person with the most votes wins, and I'm going to thank in advance for your support those of you that have already voted. Thank you so very much. It means a lot to me and, by the way, just so you know, I'm currently ranked eighth out of 75. And I need to really be in the top three because the first cut happens next week. Now, one way that you can even that up they give you a chance to actually buy votes and they don't keep the money. They're actually collecting that money and forwarding to a nonprofit called Gen Youth, which works with youth in schools to help them get decent meals, get gym time because you know to be active, which helps them and other just generally making a safe place for youth to thrive in our schools. That's where the money's going and certainly, if you consider a small donation to them, that would help me get more votes and that would be awesome. In any case, whether you vote free or you choose to do it that way, I'm grateful. Thank you so very, very much From the TechMobility News Desk we are getting.
Speaker 2:I am talking about a jet that is a hypersonic jet that flies at six point times the speed of sound in the tests they've done so far. There's a couple of unusual things about this plane. Number one it was not built in the United States. Number two this test was conducted four years ago. Number three China. China developed this jet. It was a 20-minute test flight, but it addressed a big problem for aircraft designers. And my little scribble here that I want to remind myself while Boeing is having problems, china is doing this. They've announced that a jumbo jet prototype built by them has managed to reach hypersonic speeds, which is Mach 5 and above, during a flight test.
Speaker 2:Let me explain the difference between hypersonic and supersonic. Supersonic, you might remember you probably have heard the term, but don't remember exactly where they built. Europe built a supersonic plane called the Concorde. The Concorde didn't exist long because it had reliability problems. It was extremely thirsty for aviation fuel, but it literally cut the time to get from New York to London better than a half. You're looking at maybe two, three hours tops, when it usually takes seven. It was phenomenal, but it had a ton of problems and they stopped flying them because it just wasn't profitable.
Speaker 2:The difference between supersonic. Supersonic is anything over Mach 1, which is the speed of sound. Hypersonic starts at Mach 5, to give you an idea of speed and you're literally talking about. Well, their one that reached Mach .656 was over 5,033 miles per hour. 5,000 miles per hour. I can't even fathom that, and this is a test flight back in 2021. Mach 1, by comparison, is 768 miles an hour, and that's Mach 1, and higher is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of
Speaker 2:sound. It's important to mention that aircraft like the Concorde I just mentioned has showed the world that supersonic speed commercial flights are possible, but hypersonic planes require pushing the technology to the brink, and I should also add that this had been in development since 2013. So by the time they got a prototype together to test, it had been eight years, and no, it is not. They had not flown a commercial version of it yet, because there are some challenges. Still, one of the major problems the usable interior space of the aircraft has to be decreased as the flight speed of the vehicle decreased. Several hypersonic vessels in use today have restricted internal space, meaning they can be mostly used for missiles, unmanned reconnaissance missions and other military uses. They've got to get around getting enough room to make a payload or carrying passengers practical. They're not there yet. They're not there yet. They mentioned in their report that the team still faces multiple challenges that need to be addressed directly, including issues relating to power, materials and structure. But the point is, no matter how long it takes, if the team succeeds at building and flying an actual aircraft of a jumbo jet sized at hypersonic speeds, it would be a big leap forward towards unlocking ultra-short travel through the
Speaker 2:air. Can you imagine getting from New York to London in minutes, minutes? What would that do? Again, context Used to be in the United States, if you went from, say, chicago to California, say, in the 1850s, before the advent of railroads, it could take you months. When the railroads made it to California, it shortened months to five days. Now, with just normal aircraft, you can get to California in about five or six hours. With something like this, it's literally minutes. It would be literally minutes if they could perfect
Speaker 2:it. But imagine all the technology that would have to go into making this practical, not to mention a change of everything you know about aviation, and particularly commercial aviation. But if they do it and they can make it work and it can carry a payload that makes sense and it can make it reliable and safe, I don't think you're going to see it in the next five years, next 20?. Yeah, it's a way that technology is going. I mean, we're building more data centers for AI to crunch more data. The better AI gets, the more stuff like this is possible. And we haven't even talked about quantum computing. That's a whole nother conversation that we can talk
Speaker 2:about. But all of these technologies are coming together to improve travel, just as it has been for the last two to 300 years, where people may have taken days to get from town to town, takes minutes, where people may have taken days to get from town to town, takes minutes and get across the country takes hours, used to take months, and now, literally, maybe in the next 40 or 50 years, you're looking at covering the United States of America, which is 3,000 miles wide. If you get in a hypersonic plane, takes what, not what half an hour from New York to LA. Can you imagine? Can you even imagine what that would do, particularly if it was somewhat affordable. Only a matter of
Speaker 2:time. And this is the thing about technology it keeps evolving faster and faster, and that's where we're at, but the sad part is it was China. I wonder if we've got anything like this. Maybe our military does, and we just don't know about it yet. But we'll see, because NASA and everybody is looking at different things. When it comes to aspirational luxury, lexus takes no prisoners in its pursuit of perfection. You are listening to the Tech Mobility Show listening to the Tech Mobility Show.
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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 by typing the Tech.
Speaker 2:Mobility Show in the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to our Facebook page. 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. 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.
Speaker 1:Tech Mobility Topics in the search bar, wherever you listen to podcasts Introducing the new full-time four-wheel drive Lexus LX450. It's everything a Lexus is and everything a Lexus isn't.
Speaker 2:Isn't that interesting. That was from 1996. Please bear in mind that back then suvs weren't really a thing yet and lexus introduced this as a luxury suv. And saying that, yeah, it's everything alexis is and everything alexis isn't meaning they were foreshadowing the rise of SUVs by introducing the LX, which does a lot of things that the Lexus passenger cars couldn't or wouldn't do. And this television ad actually goes to the extreme. It shows the Lexus driving up the side of this office building to the very top, high up and parking. So their point was this is something that a regular Lexus can't do, but our new vehicle can work miracles. So I thought it was pretty cool and wanted to share it. And bear in mind that was 1996.
Speaker 2:The Chevy Tahoe, as you know it had just been introduced the year before. Ford did not have an answer, neither did Chrysler at that time, and the industry evolved from there. Actually, funny enough, the company that had the answer had been absorbed into Chrysler. So the only thing they could offer was AMC's version of the older Grand Wagoneer back then. That was it. So it took a while. And no, I stand corrected because the Grand Cherokee came out in 93. But again, Grand Cherokee was smaller than the Lexus LX, so they didn't really have a large luxury SUV to compete Not yet. But as you know, the industry evolved and just wanted to share that commercial.
Speaker 2:The Lexus UX is a subcompact luxury crossover developed by the automaker and originally introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2018. The UX is considered to be the smallest crossover model in the Lexus lineup, smaller than the NX, which was first introduced by the nameplate in 2014, and the NX was the smallest until the LX was introduced. The UX is the first Lexus model to be based on the same GAC platform as the 12th generation Toyota Corolla, also introduced during that same year. The production model, destined for North America, was introduced for the 2019 model year. In 2023, the UX became available with only a hybrid powertrain. Toyota did that, too, to the Sienna, only made it a hybrid. For the 2025 model year, a new powertrain and badge have arrived for the Lexus UX. Badge have arrived for the Lexus UX, Now known as the UX300H.
Speaker 2:The new hybrid transaxle and lightweight lithium-ion battery contribute to higher output, providing a more responsive performance Infused with dynamic attitude. The Lexus UXH is engineered to deliver quick and engaging driving with a Lexus smooth demeanor Offered in four trim levels. Power for the small Lexus hybrid is generated by a 2-liter 4-cylinder Atkinson Cycle gasoline engine, a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor mounted on the front axle and a lithium-ion battery pack. The combined system delivers 196 horsepower. Torque is delivered to the drive wheels via continuously variable automatic transmission. The UX300H can be equipped with E4, which is Lexus's innovative all-wheel drive system, which places a permanent synchronous motor at the rear axle for near instantaneous drive force application in low grip or acceleration scenarios.
Speaker 2:Manufacturer estimated fuel economy features are 45 city 41 highway for front wheel drive and 44 city 40 highway for all wheel drive. Estimated maximum range is 477 miles. Cargo capacity is 17.2 cubic feet, and let me stop right here. That 477 mile range is one of the major reasons that hybrids are popular right now. No range anxiety, None. And you don't have to charge this thing, you don't have to plug it in, so you're getting a cleaner vehicle with a longer range, with more power for about the same money. That's what's going on. The Lexus UX300h also features a minimum of three drive modes Eco, Normal and Sport, while the upscale models add Sport S Plus and Custom Drive mode, which allow the driver to dial in specific attributes of the UX per their driving preference.
Speaker 2:Here's what I liked about the vehicle. Despite being the smallest SUV in the company's product line, I found the UX hybrid to be solid, fast and responsive. In other words, real fun to drive. The optional head-up display helped keep my attention on the road, while the heated and cooled front seating, as well as a heated steering wheel because you know I like my heated steering wheel kept things comfortable regardless of weather. The rear split seat features a center armrest with dual cup holders that fold true flat with the cargo floor for easy loading. Driver-inspired handling and control is complemented by manual paddle shifters in the top-of-the-line model and a gear hold function. The driver has options when underway. As a result, as you might expect, this Lexus bristles with technology, but what I've always liked about the brand is that the technology that Lexus puts into their vehicles enhances the vehicle experience, not getting in the way of it like some vehicles I've evaluated and no, I'm not going to call BMW and Mercedes by name, really and I should add this Standard on all UXH models are 18-inch run-flat tires.
Speaker 2:There's no spare, but you're not going to get jammed up because a run-flat is designed to do just that. If it's punctured, you can run maybe 50 miles on it until you can get a place where you can get it replaced or whatever, but you're not going to get stranded, and that's what I love. Here's what I didn't like about the vehicle. Because of its small footprint, Lexus obviously had to make some decisions about packaging. That obviously impacts driver and passengers. One of those decisions was the high load floor in the cargo area, which also impacted the volume of available cargo space.
Speaker 2:This high lift over height is necessary because, honestly, that's where the battery pack is, and I noticed here's some little things. I noticed there wasn't a sync button for the dual zone climate control, which I thought was an interesting omission. Also, there was no replay function for the radio, and let me break this down. If you love music, this is a must, especially when your favorite song is playing and you want to hear it again and again, like I do. I really, really like that and a number of automakers have introduced it over the years where you could do it. I'm very surprised that this years where you could do it, I'm very surprised that this new UX doesn't have it Broke my heart. Actually, While the rear door is open wide, the actual opening to the rear seat was narrow, which means it's going to be a snug fit regardless. You can get four adults in this thing, but it's going to be a little snug in the rear.
Speaker 2:Here's the bottom line on this vehicle. The Lexus UX is the urban vehicle for stylish folks that don't need to carry much. Strong hybrid powertrain means plenty of range and power when needed, but without the downside of having to find an electric charger. It rides on a tried and true platform that supports the Toyota Corolla, which means years of trouble-free driving. Finally, it's stylish and fairly affordable, which means many a motorist can own a Lexus without breaking the bank. What's not to love? The manufacturer suggested retail price for the 2025 Lexus UX300H Hybrid Crossover SUV starts from $36,540 for the standard front-wheel drive up to $46,575 for the F-Sport handling all-wheel drive model. Destination charges add $1,175. And all I'm going to tell you about the options that came with it was almost $4,000. A recent study shows that renewable energy productions on federal lands could be a major benefit. This is the.
Speaker 2: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've 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, social media it's the place to be. We no exception. Hi, I'm ken chester, host 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.
Speaker 2:This segment comes from the US Department of Energy, where they report on a new interagency study that finds further expansion of renewable energy production on federal lands could power millions more American homes by 2035, some 10 years from now. While the study may actually be moot in the current climate, we're still going to discuss it. This is topic B. First of all, I want to read the date. The date of this release is January 14th of this year, so within the past week or so, within the past two weeks, the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in coordination with the US Departments of the Interior, agriculture and Defense, today released a study this is on January 14th showing that there is significant potential for further expanding renewable energy production on federal land. This most comprehensive study of its kind finds that onshore federal lands in the contiguous United States could technically support over 7,700 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity. I said 7,700 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, no-transcript, requiring only about one half of 1% of total federal land area in the contiguous United States. I said one half of 1% of total federal land area in the contiguous United States.
Speaker 2:Let me stop here. Part of the challenge, and again, some of you have reached out to me and shared your opinions on this. Again, some of you have reached out to me and shared your opinions on this. But right now, the number one challenge to the power grid, to the electrical power grid in the United States of America, is not EVs, not the number one one. No, evs, yes, are a contributing factor, but not number one. What's number one right now is the building of data centers to process all that AI, which are huge power sinks, so much so that some places in the country right now have suspended bringing service to them because they can't meet the demand. Certain utilities in certain parts of the country, namely Lawton County, virginia, for example because we talked about this a while back has so many data centers coming online. They couldn't meet the demand and actually had to put a moratorium on connecting them.
Speaker 2:I know, probably in the news you heard announcements of $500 billion being spent to bring new data centers to the United States, and that's awesome. Problem is grid's not up for it. Problem is we don't have the capacity, the electrical capacity of anything, to meet it. Even if you had everything online and they refurbished all the coal plants and kept everything online, we're still short. Still short. That's the problem.
Speaker 2:This is a way out that is less expensive, more productive and has been proven. Here's something that you may not know the Department of the Interior has already permitted more than 30 gigawatts of clean energy projects on federal lands, surpassing its progressionally authorized 25 gigawatt goal, well ahead of the 2025 target date. Even they said enough energy. These 30 gigawatts, enough energy to power more than 15 million homes across the country. This is already going into effect. They've already permitted to build this. This is going to come online in the next few years, with domestic energy demand expected to rise, including the support, new homes and growing American industries such as advanced manufacturing and data centers. And I am reading from the Energy Department release this new analysis shows major opportunities to build on recent progress in deploying renewable energy resources on federal land to provide a significant source of additional energy capacity in the years ahead.
Speaker 2:Okay, let me talk to y'all that are still wedded to oil and gas. Here's some truth for you. The United States of America right now, this minute, right now, has more oil and more gas than anywhere else in the world. Our problem is not resources. Our problem is delivery and refining. The problem the United States has right now is getting this stuff to a refinery, either via a pipeline or some kind of way. We haven't built a new refinery in years. That's a bottleneck. We haven't built new pipelines in a while, but not pipelines across the country to check Canadian crude to the Texas coast, but actual pipelines to take crude oil from the Permian Basin to a refinery, to a new refinery, to process the added capability. This is the problem, and it takes years to build them Years.
Speaker 2:Right now, four government departments which includes the Defense Department, I might add says that we can do this on federal land, on a smidgen, on a sliver of federal land right now, and bring enough power online to mitigate these problems. No pipelines needed, no refineries needed. All the permitting that goes on with all of that, which takes years. Ask any oil man. He'll tell you Takes forever to get them done and all the fights that. If you've been in the upper Midwest, you have seen the challenges with getting a pipeline built and the problems that go with it. Getting a pipeline built and the problems that go with it and the permitting and the problems, particularly if it leaks, breaks or otherwise is compromised. You don't get that with renewable energy. Now for those of you saying, yeah, but what happens when the wind don't blow and the sun don't shine? I'll tell you what happens.
Speaker 2:The missing piece and we've talked about this too is energy storage. Energy storage, and right now Tesla's doing it in Texas. Other companies are doing it too. They are building big energy storage facilities to capture this energy and keep it for when the system needs it. For exactly that it's been the missing piece in the renewable energy picture. Here's something else, an added bonus for you. What they're using are repurposed EV batteries, because even when an EV battery is no longer good for a car, it still retains 80% of its usable life which could be repurposed for something like oh I don't know stationary grid energy storage, which is what's happening right now.
Speaker 2:This report goes into the weeds about the where and when, so I'm going to give you the cliff notes. To understand renewable energy deployment on federal lands, researchers created seven scenarios with a wide range of possibilities. For each scenario, they used a power sector model to determine the most cost-effective way to deploy new generation storage and transmission across the country to meet future demand energy demand. Those results were then used to produce renewable energy deployment estimates on federal lands. This can still happen, and at a rate faster, in less time than traditionally building new pipelines, building new refineries, which we haven't done in 30, 40 years. These are things that are going to happen if we stay wedded to fossil fuels, and this is not a pipe dream, folks. These are the facts. This study came out this month and I didn't get into all of it. I don't have time to get into all of it, but it's pretty amazing and you can go to energygov and look it up yourself to find out more.
Speaker 2:Commercial trucking is not the only industry warming up to autonomous vehicles. 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. 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:Until recently, much of the news about autonomous vehicles had been around companies like Waymo, cruise Automation and, in the early days a la 2017, even Uber. If not about the fits and starts about what was to become a national fleet of robo-taxis. Do you remember GM's Maven project? They were supposed to have autonomous taxis on the road in 2018. That, seven years ago, never happened. Then, more recently, it was about the real progress being made in the commercial trucking industry when it becomes adopting self-driving technology, and this is a real thing. We've reported on it at length. This is happening in real time right now, predominantly in Texas and Arizona, but has implications for the rest of the country.
Speaker 2:Well, this segment, this final segment, is not about either one of those, but we are taking a look at some other applications of autonomous vehicles that you may not even be aware of. This is Topic C. The scene was set at this year's CES in Las Vegas. Traditional automakers like Ford, gm, hyundai weren't there, but guess who was? Companies that don't come to mind when you're thinking about autonomous vehicles John Deere, oshkosh Corporation, komatsu and Caterpillar were there showing off autonomous wares called Interstellar had Matthew McConaughey in it and in that movie in this future, they were running fully autonomous combines in fields in the future.
Speaker 2:Except for one thing Right now, if you talk to a farmer running a combine, things darn near autonomous now. They're sitting there monitoring it, but it will run the row. They just got to turn it at the end of the row and it gives them so much data about what's going on in real time as they harvest the moisture content of the crop they're harvesting, the quality of the land, everything that's going on, how high the thing's off the ground, all sorts of information about how the combine's doing, how the crop they're harvesting is doing. All kinds of information about how the combine's doing, how the crop they're harvesting is doing all kinds of information that's happening in real time. We reported when we first started out about eight years ago, another farm implement manufacturer, case New Holland, had developed, actually a cab and cabless autonomous tractors. They introduced those and I believe it was the 2016 Farm Progress Show in Boone, iowa, and they brought them and they showed at that time, almost 10 years ago, two vehicles fully autonomous, nobody in them, being monitored, from the farmer in his home as they are out in the fields doing work day and night with nobody, no human being nearby. One had a cab, one didn't, and they were actually shown working a real farm in Kentucky as a prototype. That was then.
Speaker 2:Now, what these manufacturers are finding that special purpose autonomous vehicles work because, number one, they can control the environment a lot better. It's a lot easier to work in a field you don't have roads, you don't have pedestrians, you don't have obstacles. You can control the variables, and that's what's going on here. You can control the variables, and that's what's going on here. Let me give an example, because John Deere and Oshkosh also are in construction. The autonomous construction equipment market, which is a thing right now they are selling equipment right now Was valued at get ready for it, $4.4 billion. That was last year and I expect it to double by the end of this decade. Let me say that again, autonomous construction equipment market was valued at $4.4 billion last year. A product sold, product sold.
Speaker 2:Experts said that both assisted and fully autonomous driving technology is more mature now and poised to flourish in the agriculture, construction, marine and mining sectors, where lower speed operations and more structured environments offer faster paths towards commercialization. Volvo developed about five years ago a fully autonomous mining truck that followed a private mining road from the mine head to the port where it was dumped. They've been doing that for years. They even developed this is a Volvo truck a fully autonomous garbage truck. This is stuff happening in real time. These vehicles are working now, right now. One expert quoted when you're off public roads, you resolve regulatory uncertainty and you've got more control over what's happening around you and how many objects you're expected to navigate, and that was Jeremy Carlson, leader of S&P Global Mobility's autonomous driving research said that it's entirely different from cars and trucks, for that matter, although ironically, they also report that executives with experience from traditional automakers are leading forays into these autonomy offshoots, because once you get past the software, you still got to build something around it. So you do need people with that kind of ability to scale. But hey, mining and construction ain't the only place autonomous stuff is happening.
Speaker 2:Brunswick, which is a boat manufacturer. They're infusing the company's boats with autonomous maneuvering capabilities, safety monitoring tech and assisted navigation. The big thing in marine right now, for recreational marine, is something called an autonomous docking feature, which they launched and will be launching this year for their boats. Here's what they say about it Autonomous technology can really help customers, help with consumer pain points. It helps make the experience easier, more intuitive and, in the recreational space, their word fun. And Brunswick is not the only company in the marine space offering that. Volvo Group, which I mentioned earlier, which focused most of its efforts on developing autonomous trucks, is also exploring marine applications.
Speaker 2:During a CES keynote, their chief technology offer, lars Stengvist, describes how the company's Penta division has developed a hybrid electric boat with an automatic docking feature, a hybrid electric boat with an autonomous docking feature. See, you don't have to wait to go autonomous. There are a lot of niche markets now that are getting this because they don't have the obstacles that trucking and passenger cars have with autonomous technology, and trucks are actually making more progress than the cars are. You simply point with the joystick where you want to go and the system docks the boat. It simplifies the demanding task of docking a boat in a harbor by counteracting the effects of wind and current. A hybrid electric boat with an autonomous docking feature the boat docks itself. Imagine. And then they've got other little things. Ah, scotch is looking at a variety of little applications that are not necessarily on road that make daily life easier. This is where they're going. We've come to the end of our program. Be sure to join me next time, right here. This has been the Tech Mobility Show.
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