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
How Vocational EVs Make Economic Sense; 2025 Hyundai Tucson review; Is AI Replacing Us All; Electric Vehicles and Highway Safety
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The mobility landscape is transforming before our eyes, with technological advancements creating both opportunities and challenges that demand our attention.
Commercial trucking is undergoing a significant shift as PACCAR brands Kenworth and Peterbilt introduce fully electric vocational trucks after five years of development. These aren't mere experiments—they're purpose-built workhorses delivering up to 605 peak horsepower and 1850 foot-pounds of torque, capable of handling an impressive 82,000 pounds. What makes these viable? Their predictable use patterns and nightly returns to the same depot eliminate range anxiety while still making economic sense for fleet operators looking beyond the environmental benefits.
Meanwhile, the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Limited demonstrates why the nameplate has sold over 7 million units globally since 2004. This refreshed compact SUV delivers impressive style, technology, and versatility at a competitive price point. With multiple powertrain options, a roomy interior that includes truly flat-folding rear seats, and an array of tech features typically found in more expensive vehicles, the Tucson stands as a compelling option for anyone seeking an affordable yet premium-feeling SUV experience.
Perhaps most concerning is the mounting evidence that artificial intelligence may fundamentally disrupt employment patterns unlike any previous technological revolution. With projections suggesting 30-60% of jobs could be at risk, we face a potential economic paradox: excessive automation creating an economy that produces more goods and services than consumers can afford to purchase. This paired with the discovery that electric vehicles are exposing inadequacies in our highway safety infrastructure paints a picture of a mobility future requiring thoughtful navigation and redesign of systems many take for granted.
Call or text The TechMobility Hotline at 872-222-9793 to join the conversation about these transformative technologies and their impact on our future.
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Welcome to the Tech Mobility Podcast.
Speaker 2:I'm Ken Chester On the docket my review of the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Limited. The economic case for saving human jobs and revolution requires evolution. To join the conversation by asking a question, sharing an opinion or even suggesting a topic for future discussion, call or text the Tech Mobility hotline, that number, 872-222-9793. Or, if you prefer, email the show directly. Email the show directly, talk at techmobilityshow and, as always, be sure to subscribe, like and follow us on social media, our YouTube channel. You can also find me on Substack and that would be at Ken, the letter C and Iowa. That's spelled out. So Ken C, Iowa, you can find me there From the Tech Mobility News Desk.
Speaker 2:I need to come full circle for a minute and kind of revisit how things are going in the trucking industry relative to decarbonization, and I'm centering on. I'm having this conversation out of the commercial trucking journal and it's talking about the couple of trucking nameplates from PACCAR, Kenworth and Peterbilt, and the reason why this is interesting is they both both nameplates are introducing zero emission trucks for vocational purposes. Now, in case you're wondering what we mean by vocational, it's dump trucks, it's cement trucks, it's trash trucks, anything like that. That requires a trade where heavy trucks are required, a trade where heavy trucks are required. Why, you might ask, would trucking companies, in the midst of everything going on right now, bother to introduce not a hybrid? These are not hybrids, these are electric, heavy-duty, Class 8, vocational trucks. Packard says that they have spent five years in development, meaning they were thinking about these in the middle of the pandemic and they're just not coming to market. In case you were wondering and I should explain this, and it's kind of common sense when you think it through If you think that the average fleet operator, be they construction company, a cement company, a land and gravel outfit, a trash refuge company yes, decarbonization is something that they're looking at, but at the end of the day, because you're laying out hundreds of thousands of dollars, whether it be a diesel truck, a gas truck or an EV truck, you're going to lay out a lot of money. They have to. When they put pencil to paper, it's got to make economic sense or they will not do it. Whether you be a tree hugger or not doesn't matter. So these trucks have been developed, have been tested, in fact, are being evaluated. They are pushing these trucks, these EV trucks. They're pushing them to break them. They want to know where the edge is. So they're going to extreme heat, extreme cold. They're using them in what they call edge applications, Applications that are at the edge of what they're designed to do, and that's the ragged edge, that's the abuse edge. The company is actually abusing these trucks to find out just how far they'll go, because if they can break it, they'll know what they need to do to make it better.
Speaker 2:In the case of Kenworth, the trucks in question are the T680E and the T880E, both built for faster charging and longer range, and I considered one of the industry's first vocational Class 8 battery electric trucks, and I said battery electric. Well, class eight battery electric trucks, and I said battery electric. So why did these trucks seem to have a life for battery electrics when the tractor trailers don't? Let me explain. These are trucks that probably won't travel more than 200 miles a day. They come back to the same depot every night, so while they're out doing what they're doing, you know you don't have to build a fancy infrastructure. You don't have to worry about finding a public charger, because they're coming back to the depot where they're rolled out and they'll charge overnight and roll out the next day and do this over and over and over and over, so they're local trucks. These are not long distance class A trucks.
Speaker 2:Here's what the company said is what Kenworth said about these new trucks we not only want to have a vehicle that exceeds our customers' expectations, but we're adding to that. We really want to make an advanced portfolio of powertrains so that we have an application for every job, and that's Kenworth Chief Engineer, Joe Adams, who said this back in April. The T680E and the T880E feature the new PACCAR integrated e-powertrain with a centrally mounted drive motor delivering up to 605 peak horsepower and 1850 foot-pounds of torque. It is no whim. The updated design allows for greater flexibility in wheel-based options and enhances vehicle drive ability.
Speaker 2:Again, you've got these companies that have application-specific requirements and these trucking companies, these big class A companies that build these trucks, really are custom manufacturers. They start with a platform, but the fleet operators actually trick them out the way they want them, with different powertrains, lengths, specifications, equipment. I mean really, really, really, every truck is unique. So for them to say this they want, as truckers try to figure out what works best for them, Because even Caterpillar they have what they I'm sorry, not Caterpillar, but Cummings has a motor for trucks that is what they call fuel agnostic. It doesn't run on just diesel. Things to know.
Speaker 2:What the manufacturers are trying to do is give the operators the greatest range of choice to buy their trucks depending on where they are on the spectrum of decarbonization, whether they're not at all or all the way in or somewhere in what we call the messy middle. They have a solution for you. Whether you are an over-the-road Class 8 or you're a vocational Class 8, which is local dump trucks, smack mix, or you're a vocational class eight, which is local dump trucks, Mack Mixer, the like, and with the tightening requirements around the country, the truckers, like the fleet operators, got to take the long view. They don't care and it is immaterial actually, who's in office today, Because these trucks are going to be in service long after that individual, regardless of who they are, is in office. So they got to look at the long game. Truckers and truck companies are five, ten years in development and they're betting billions of dollars on the process they're going. So no, this is not something that they can do on a whim. They have to plan this stuff Inside the cab. Just to give you an example of just how far they're going, Both trucks feature an upgraded digital interface that offers battery-specific insights into range regenerative braking and vehicle performance.
Speaker 2:In addition to enhanced driver experience, the new Driver Connect system integrates a 15-inch digital touchscreen streamlining the operation of critical battery electric functions, and drivers can also use Kenworth's latest advanced driver assistance system packages, which includes digital vision mirrors, Bendix Fusion and lane keeping assist for added safety and convenience. But check this out Even though they are battery electrics, they are capable of handling gross vehicle weight ratings up to 82,000 pounds that's 41 tons, in case you were wondering. And pounds, that's 41 tons, in case you were wondering. All this means is these trucks will continue to evolve and continue to get better and better, because their customers demand it and the times demand it, and it still has to make economic sense. That's the bottom line, Because if they don't, they won't sell.
Speaker 2:If they won't sell, it's money wasted. And they don't gamble like that. Uh-uh, they don't gamble like that. It's just easier that way. So, and to mention that Peterbilt also has a version of these trucks coming out, so they're going whole hog with it Hyundai's been setting sales records lately. One drive in the Tucson will explain why my review is. Next. You are listening to 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. Social media is the place to be these days. We're no exception. I'm ken chester, 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.
Speaker 4:A quick download on the new Hyundai Tucson. Loaded with features inside and out, like standard side impact and side curtain airbags and standard electronic stability control with traction control. Tucson is the winner of Strategic Vision's 2005 Total Quality Award, and that award-winning quality lets us offer America's best warranty 10 years, 100,000 miles. The uniquely flexible, feature-packed Hyundai Tucson, nicely equipped, at $16,594. And Hyundai Lease a new Tucson for just $199 a month at your Hyundai dealer today.
Speaker 2:Wouldn't you like to lease one for $199 a month and pay less than $17,000 new? Well, if you were going back to 2004, you probably could do that. Can't do that today, I'm afraid. I'm sorry, but the Hyundai Tucson named after an Arizona city and, like I said, launched in 2004. And before I go any further, tucson, been there, loved it. My best friend of over 50 years lives in Tucson fun fact, yeah. And yeah, there's an excellent restaurant there breakfast restaurant called the Hungry Fox. It's a shout out, try the corned beef hash Hyundai Tucson. Anyway, believe it or not, the Tucson is the automaker's best selling model globally, having sold over 7 million units since its introduction in 2004, of which only about 1.4 million were sold in Europe. Positioned as a smaller alternative to Santa Fe, also named after a city yo, santa Fe, I'm talking to you the Tucson rides on a platform sourced from the Elantra sedan and is the mechanical sibling to the Kia Sportage.
Speaker 2:Currently in its fourth generation, tucson has been thoroughly refreshed for the 2025 model year. The updated Tucson continues to build upon its successful, sensuous sportiness design identity, with a more commanding front and rear appearance, updated lighting signatures, new alloy wheel designs and a significantly redesigned interior A plethora of new and enhanced driver comfort, convenience and safety technologies have also been added, to which I say amen, because I don't even have time to talk about all of this plethora. I'll mention some of it, but they're not lying. There's a lot Manufactured at the Automaker Sprawling Complex in Montgomery, alabama. The Tucson has one of the most varied menus when it comes to powertrains at its price point in the industry.
Speaker 2:Gasoline, hybrid or plug-in hybrid, there seems to be something for everybody, available in five trim levels. Base power is produced by a SmartStream 2.5 liter gasoline four-cylinder engine that makes 187 horsepower and 178 foot-pounds of torque. Energy is communicated to the front drive wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Eight-track active on-demand all-wheel drive is optional. Active on-demand all-wheel drive is optional. Epa fuel economy numbers are 25 city 33 highway for front-wheel drive, 24 city 30 highway for all-wheel drive. Cargo capacity is 80.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat. Toy capacity is 2,000 pounds with trailer brakes, 1,650 pounds without.
Speaker 2:So here's what I liked about the SUV. First of all, the refreshed Tucson is dressed to impress, bristling with all kinds of creature comfort, convenience and safety features that you would expect to find on a vehicle costing thousands more. While it's been my experience generally that technology often gets in the way of the driving experience. In the Tucson, technology actually makes the driving experience better. Displays and controls and switchgear are very user-friendly and easy to operate.
Speaker 2:The small Hyundai SUV boasts modern styling which is unique and memorable inside and out. This one is designed for both functionality and versatility. From the elevated view of the road to comfortable seating throughout the cabin, to a split rear seat that features a center armrest and dual cup holders, there's something for everybody to love. The primary cargo area is large, square and useful, and I should mention right here that the rear seating area is roomy enough for two adults with a split rear seat that folds flat with the cargo floor. I'll say it again flat with the cargo floor, and that's an important attribute in my book when you need to maximize the available cargo area. I didn't appreciate it until I bought my Equinox and it folds flat, and it is amazing because I never realized how much I was going to use this vehicle haul kinds of stuff. You will find that to be true in the Tucson. Passenger compartment also boasts plenty of the nooks and crannies you need when underway to store the various items that accompany a hectic, demanding lifestyle in the daily dispatch. Particularly if you've got kids, you need stuff to put here, there and everywhere. Tucson got you covered. As you might expect, the Tucson offers drivers a number of drive modes on demand Normal Sport, something called MyDrive and Snow. What you might not expect is features like Hill Descent Control, auto Hold and, on all-wheel drive models, a Locking Center. Differential. All-ette Tucson models add a traffic sign indicator and an active speed warning camera. I'm sorry, an active speed camera warning, both visual and audible, and I thought that was a nice touch for those of us that may have, you know, a lead foot. And finally and you know this matters to me if you've been listening to my reviews the spare tire is accessible from inside the vehicle, from under the cargo area floor. It's a big deal, I'm sorry, it just is.
Speaker 2:Here's what I don't like about this SUV. In the middle of all this goodness and there's a lot four words Rockwood Green Exterior, exterior paint not a fan. I found the lane centering driver monitoring system to be overbearing, and when I say overbearing I mean nanny state overbearing to the point where this suv actually had the nerve to try to lecture me through its displays about road safety, like I just got my license or something. Not okay. Hyundai Was not feeling that. The radio replay display obscures the time display. It's small, but you know it's important. I like to know what time it is. The rear windows don't go all the way down.
Speaker 2:And here's something I thought that was strange, considering everything else this thing has there's no retained accessory power. Again, it's not a big deal till it is, and I kind of miss it because I have it and I, oh, I wish this did. And then finally and this is a matter of preference and get used to it, while it does have a steering wheel mounted gear selection lever, it's not the one you've grown up with. It's going to take a little bit to get used to using it. Good news is you'll be able to, but it's going to take a minute.
Speaker 2:Let me throw right in here a couple of like to haves, at least on the top end vehicle. I would love to have a head-up display for this thing. I would love to have fog lights Two things I think would add to an already awesome car. So here's my bottom line on Hyundai Tucson. Like I said earlier at the beginning of the review, there is so much to discuss about the 2025 hyundai tucson that the best I could do right now is just share the highlights and trust me, these are just the highlights, but I will tell you this with vehicles like the tucson, it's no no wonder why Hyundai continues to set sales records.
Speaker 2:If you're looking for a well-equipped, stylish, affordable, compact SUV, then the Hyundai Tucson needs to be on your list. Base manufacturers suggest the retail price of the 2025 Hyundai Tucson gasoline models start from $28,705 for the SE and up to $38,695 for the Limited. The all-wheel drive models add $1,705 for the SE and up to $38,695 for the Limited. The all-wheel drive models add $1,500. Destination charges add $1,450. Get it in anything else but rockwood green, unless you happen to like green. I don't particularly don't think it works for this, but I have seen it in a killer silver. Oh, my goodness, looks so sharp. As AI expands, businesses face a critical choice about the future of work and society.
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'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're no exception. 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.
Speaker 2:Artificial intelligence it's hard to imagine how we got here in just three short years from the introduction of chat GPT. As businesses and organizations around the globe rush to infuse their very existence with AI, its ability to digest and summarize unimaginable amounts of data have already brought us to the brink of excluding human workers from the demands of daily commerce. Few periods in modern history have been as unsettled and uncertain as the ones we're living through right now. Can a case be made for saving human jobs? Wow, this is topic B. Let me ask that last question.
Speaker 2:This was in Fast Money and the article is the economic case for saving human jobs. Can a case be made for saving human jobs? Let me just give you some projections, or let me actually give you some context. Then I'll read you some numbers. Historically, technological advances have led to long-term economic growth and new employment opportunities, even when automation has caused short-term economic growth and new employment opportunities, even when automation has caused short-term job losses. It would be easy to assume that this pattern would be repeated with artificial intelligence. But the article says, and I quote but this would be a grave mistake. A grave mistake.
Speaker 2:While algorithms can learn, create and act independently, assumptions that have evolved around the automation mechanical processes can no longer be treated as reliable guides. Studies and I remember a study that we quoted here on the program maybe a year, year and a half ago, where the survey asked CEOs about AI and being able to replace and they even admitted fully 50% of them admitted that AI could replace even them. And that was a year and 18 months ago, before AI even got as sophisticated as it is right now and continuing to evolve, see, in automation. In the past we still had control In this automation. It doesn't need us Put a pin in that for a minute, us Put a pin in that for a minute.
Speaker 2:One of the reasons things will be different this time is the sheer speed and scale of the transformation that is rushing toward us. Researchers have calculated that 60% of the current job roles did not exist 80 years ago. That's as 80 years ago. That's as 80 years ago is 1945, the end of the Second World War. 60% of the jobs that we have now did not exist at the end of that war, which is already an astounding fact. Yet AI promises even faster and more profound changes to our market. You don't believe me. At the end of that war, which is already an astounding fact. Yet AI promises even faster and more profound changes to our market. You don't believe me.
Speaker 2:We talked here a few weeks ago about a company that says don't hire anybody unless you can prove to me that AI can't do the job. Since then, another company said the same thing. Now we talked about Radio GPT. In a major radio company launched this Radio GPT on one of their stations in Oregon with one of their on-air talent. Sounded like her, acted like her, had her cadence, but it wasn't her. Could AI put her out of work? Yes, the writer's strike the Hollywood writer's strike big deal was AI and how it was used, and they're trying to keep from being replaced.
Speaker 2:Here's some recent projections McKinsey they're a consulting firm. They project that 30% of all hours worked in the United States could be automated by 2030. 30% three out of 10, currently worked. Now. Goldman Sachs Financial House argues that up to 300 million jobs around the world are, quote unquote, exposed to automation. The International Monetary Fund suggests that 40% of jobs are at risk globally rising to 60% in advanced economies. And yeah, last time I checked, the United States still is an advanced economy. And these are just the short-term predictions.
Speaker 2:In the longer term, many tech leaders agree with Bill Gates that humans will no longer be needed for most things. Business is normal prediction, you know. In other words, if things go the way they normally go with automation, the way that we're used to things going, the World Economic Forum says under that scenario, 92 million jobs will be displaced but 170 million will be created. However, the arguments for increases are far from persuasive. The largest area of growth, the report argues, will come in the very traditional roles like farm workers, delivery drivers and food processing workers. Yet these are precisely the jobs that existing technology already automate.
Speaker 2:I just want to let that sink in. Let me read you this, and then I want to go to the crux of the problem Major disruptions are coming. Major disruptions are coming. If millions of low-skilled jobs are soon to be replaced by high-skilled tech jobs, we will need an unprecedented global reskilling program to ensure that displaced workers can find new roles. The problem with that is, if you are over 45 years old and you've been working someplace for 20, 25, 30 years, even as a white-collar employee or middle management, if there's still such a thing, are you really of the mind and of the intestinal fortitude for retraining for something very skilled, very niche, very specific? And what happens if you're not? What happens if you just don't get it? You can't absorb it? Then what Are you out in the cold? Here's the problem with excessive automation. This is the crux of the problem. Excessive automation risks create a dangerous demand efficiency, a situation in which our economy can effectively produce more goods and services than an ever-shrinking base of employed consumers can afford to purchase. This creates the paradox for businesses rushing to automate the very efficiency gains they seek may ultimately undermine their markets.
Speaker 2:Machines don't purchase smartphones, subscribe to streaming services or buy homes? Humans do, but what happens when the humans aren't needed? What do you do with these people? They're not making any money. They don't have any income, Yet the system keeps making all kinds of stuff. The stuff is being made, but there's nobody to buy them because nobody's getting a paycheck. What do you do then?
Speaker 2:Obviously, our legislation is way behind the eight ball and is way behind the curve. What are we going to do? Way behind the eight ball on this way behind the curve, what are we going to do? Management is to optimize and make money. That's what they do, and to do that it means wringing the very last drop out of AI. But at what price? To society, to the economy and, in the end, to their own businesses.
Speaker 2:You're going to need to employ some people, even at an entry level, to guarantee you still have customers. Otherwise, you've got an AI system that makes stuff and nobody to buy it. Not to mention what the heck's going to happen with all these people with no income and no roof overhead and nothing to do. What are you going to do then? If that sounds dystopian, yeah it is, but it's the kind of conversation we need to be having, and we need to have it right now. The rise in engineering of EVs is forcing a rethink with regards to highway safety tech. We are the Tech Mobility Show. The Tech Mobility Show by visiting techmobilityshow, that's techmobilityshow.
Speaker 2:You can also drop us a line at talk at techmobilityshow. Did you know that TechMobility has a YouTube channel? Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the TechMobility 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 TechMobility 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:According to a recent article in Roads and Bridges magazine, testing shows the need for new roadside safety hardware standards for EVs. Road safety hardware like guardrails, median barriers, bridge rails, crash cushions, end treatments and breakaway support structures are designed to protect life and minimize injuries in the event of a crash. This is Topic C. When a vehicle crosses the edge line or center line and collides with an object, another vehicle, or overturns, the industry calls that a roadway departure crash. These type of crashes represent roughly 50% of roadway fatalities in the United States. We talked about roadway safety hardware and I'll say it again it's a family of devices designed to reduce the severity of such crashes, and we kind of talked about some of them. I'll say them again Guard rails, medium barriers, bridge rails, crash cushions, end treatments and breakaway support structures. What the researchers who design this stuff and test this stuff and evaluate this stuff are saying is, because of the nature and the construction of how EVs are made, how their center of gravity is, how they're shaped, how things work and where the weight in the vehicle is relative to the safety structure, it's going to need to redesign. Now, the current testing standard for these devices is in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware. The abbreviation is called MASH and today it's 276 pages. In 1962, when they first issued it, it was a single page. It was a single page of recommendations titled Highway Research Circular 482. A barrier system that meets MASH standards is expected to contain and redirect a vehicle impacting within design parameters to keep the vehicle from going through, over or under the barrier, to prevent a motorist from suffering a fatal or serious injury during a crash. When vehicle specifications change, the mass standards for testing roadside devices used to contain those vehicles must sometimes change too. Recent testing of EVs using mass criteria established for internal combustion engine vehicles shows that some existing roadside barriers are inadequate when EVs impact them.
Speaker 2:Now, this is something you wouldn't think about Stuff that you take for granted, that you see and you don't see All the safety hardware engineered into a road to protect you if things go bad, particularly interstates and limited access highways. Typically you'll see some of these protection maneuvers at your exits and median strips, all kinds of stuff, and it's designed in such a way we don't realize that, although it looks pretty and may look orderly, it's designed for a purpose and that purpose is to protect you from getting killed If, for some reason, you run off the road or you have an accident. It is designed to minimize or mitigate any injuries you may cause secondary as the vehicle goes off the road. Here's what they learned. And they used a couple of different vehicles. They used a Rivian R1T pickup and he used a Tesla Model 3, which is not a big Tesla. They didn't use Model Y, they didn't use Model S, they did not use the Cybertruck, they used the Tesla Model 3, which, by the way, next to the Model Y on which it's based, is one of Tesla's best-selling vehicles. Here's what they learned Two years ago, they performed two crash tests with EVs on what they call a standard W-beam guardrail system, and this is the most commonly used guardrail system in the United States when you see guardrails, it is of what they call the W design W beam.
Speaker 2:It's proven to be MASH compliant, meaning they've tested it and it's going to contain or deflect a vehicle to minimize injuries if it's an internal combustion vehicle. When they tested this vehicle, when they tested this guardrail with a Rivian R1T pickup and a Tesla Model 3 passenger car, both at a nominal speed of 62 miles an hour and an angle of 23 degrees, which is the MASH impact conditions for test level 3, which is the basic test level for passenger vehicles and high-speed roadways, the Rivian pickup ruptured and broke through the W beam, and they weren't terribly surprised because the Rivian's definitely heavier. The ease in which it penetrated the guardrail was nevertheless startling. What really freaked them out, if you will, was what the Tesla Model 3 did the Tesla under-rode, the W-beam, which means it pushed under the guardrail, lifting it over the vehicle as the car's momentum carried it past the system. The car barely weighs two tons it's 3,900 pounds, and the weight of the Tesla is bracketed by the current MASH design test vehicles, which includes a 2,400-pound passenger car and a 5,000-pound pickup truck. At first, the failure of the guardrail with the Tesla was surprising, because mass testing philosophy suggests the vehicles falling within the weight range of the designed vehicles should have acceptable impact performance, meaning it should have contained the Model 3. It did not.
Speaker 2:Here's a couple of reasons why. It's something called center of gravity, and center of gravity has to do with the weight of the vehicle, where most of the weight is concentrated. The lower the weight is in a vehicle, the more stable the vehicle is and typically, typically most of the weight is the powertrain. The engine and transmission as a thing weighs the most and, depending on where it is in the vehicle, will determine how that vehicle performs. They adjust the suspension, engineering, crash performance, all of that. But also know this in an internal combustion engine vehicle there's an engine in front. In an electric vehicle there isn't. So you've got that going on, which means the vehicle hitting an object is going to deform, differently than an internal combustion vehicle which has a radiator, the mount, the engine, transmission and all of that that's going to absorb the forces along with the sheet metal around it. In a case of an electric car, there is no engine, the weight is down below, which means that weight's going to carry it and it's going to tend to underride and it's not going to slow because, again, center of gravity is lower. The weight where it would have been in a car or a truck isn't there where they would expect it, so that changes the dynamic, something that you would have never thought about. So they did another test and they did it with a different type of guardrail, which was supposed to be stronger and deeper and more sophisticated, and it met the ICE criteria, the internal combustion engine criteria. But guess what? Both EVs ran it over like it was nothing. Even the more stringent beam, three beam failed. Bottom line roadway safety tech has not kept up with the evolution of EVs. The industry knows this and they're testing this stuff now to figure out what they need to change in order to make EVs on the roadways as safe as internal combustion engine vehicles in an off-road accident.
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.
Speaker 2:Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place to be. We're no exception. 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.
Speaker 2: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 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 techmobilityshow. That's techmobilityshow. You can also drop us a line at talk at techmobility dot 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 Mobility Podcast in the search bar wherever you listen to podcasts.
