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
From Tesla Factory to Your Driveway; Computerized Wheels, Electricity as a Cure; and a Cheap Electric Motorcycle
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The autonomous vehicle revolution is happening faster than anyone predicted. Tesla recently made headlines by delivering a Model Y from its Austin factory directly to a customer's home—with no driver, no remote operator, and no human intervention whatsoever. This empty vehicle navigated 30 minutes of city traffic at speeds up to 72 mph, stopping for pedestrians and traffic lights while changing lanes like a seasoned driver. What once seemed like distant science fiction in films like "Minority Report" has arrived three decades ahead of schedule.
This breakthrough raises profound questions about our relationship with automobiles. For generations, driving represented freedom and independence. But as autonomous technology matures, how will our perspective shift? Would you trust a self-driving car to maintain your independence as you age? The conversation extends beyond personal preferences to the fundamental transformation of vehicles from hardware-defined to software-defined platforms, where features, performance, and capabilities can be continuously upgraded through over-the-air updates.
Beyond transportation, electricity is emerging as a revolutionary force in medicine. Companies are developing technologies that use low-intensity electrical fields to disrupt cancer cell division without the devastating side effects of traditional treatments. Other researchers are exploring electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve to regulate inflammation in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. These approaches could transform treatment by providing alternatives to expensive medications with severe side effects.
Meanwhile, a former Tesla employee has created an innovative "sport utility electric motorcycle" specifically designed for Africa and India. Priced between $1,000-$1,500, these vehicles feature swappable batteries that serve a dual purpose—powering transportation during the day and household appliances at night. Families are using these batteries to cook meals on energy-efficient stoves and charge devices, dramatically improving the quality of life in regions with limited electrical infrastructure.
Join us as we explore how technology is transforming mobility, medicine, and quality of life worldwide. Call our TechMobility Hotline at 872-222-9793 or email us - talk@techmobility.show to share your thoughts on these revolutionary developments.
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Welcome to the TechMobility Podcast.
Speaker 2:I'm Ken Chester On the docket making the software-defined vehicle a reality. Can electricity cure cancer and a cheap electric motorcycle? As always, you're welcome to join the conversation by calling or texting the TechMobility hotline, that number, 872-222-9793, or, if you prefer, you can email the show directly. Talk at techmobilityshow. For those of you who subscribe to Substack, you can find me there too, as a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative, where you can find pretty much any topic that your heart desires or have an interest. My handle there is Ken, the letter C, iowa. So that's K-E-N-C-I-O-W-A From the TechMobility News Desk.
Speaker 2:Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction and I don't watch a lot of movies, but I keep coming back to this one movie and you're going to groan, I know, but hear me out, because it's a movie I've quoted before and it scares me because this movie was made 23 years ago and a lot of this stuff relative to transportation which was not even direct part of the plot, by the way, wasn't even directly had nothing to do with the main plot, but some of the things they showed is now coming to life in real time. Now the movie I'm talking about is Minority Report. It was made in 2002, starred Tom Cruise and it was talking about the ability to predict crime before it happened and gave them the opportunity to stop crime before it happened. I won't get into all the details, but theoretically it was set in Washington DC in the year 2054. In that movie it showed autonomous cars. It showed vehicles that drove themselves. It showed vehicles, in fact. One particular was a GMC Sierra pickup. I remember they were riding along. The driver spoke to the vehicle and the steering wheel disappeared into the dashboard and went full autonomous.
Speaker 2:And the reason why I'm bringing this up now, the reason why I'm making this point, is this headline from IoT World Today. It's an Internet of Things online magazine that talks about all the kind of stuff going on. I'm going to read you the headline. Then I'm going to explain the headline. Tesla drives itself from factory to customer. Let that sink in A brand new Tesla Model Y, left the Tesla factory in Austin, texas, drove itself across Austin 30 minutes to its new owner's house and parked it by itself, without any human intervention, without any monitoring, you know, not a safety monitor. Nobody was in the car None of that Now. They did put cameras in the car. None of that Now. They did put cameras in the car and showed the vehicle negotiating all kinds of roads and pedestrians and traffic in real time without a driver.
Speaker 2:I want this to sink in In Minority Report. It was a Lexus assembly plant that had nobody in it and when the Lexus was built, it drove itself out the plant to where it was going by itself, without human intervention. We are here now. This is not the commercial trucking business which we talk a lot about here on this program. This is a passenger vehicle for private ownership using Tesla's full automated drive mode which, depending on who you talk to, they're concerned about it because it's not 100%, but in this case it was. They filmed it, left the end of the line at the assembly plant and, unlike most assembly plants where they park them to be shipped and they get shipped either by truck or by rail, whatever this vehicle, this Model Y drove across Austin, texas to delivery, not five minutes away, not 10 minutes away, not around the corner, not across the parking lot, across the city, and they even said that at times they were able to register. This vehicle traveled as fast, at times 72 miles an hour. When you watch the video you notice it was able to keep up with traffic. It wasn't going too slow or too fast. It would stop for pedestrians, it stopped for traffic lights, it changed lanes.
Speaker 2:What the article says and I believe this is accurate Tesla completed what it believed to be the first autonomous delivery of a car from factory to customer. Here's what the article didn't say, and I'm going to explain why. They didn't say it was the first autonomous vehicle on the road, because that would not be accurate Right now. For some time now, robo-taxis operated by Waymo, a subsidiary of Google, through Alphabet, has been giving rides in Austin, Phoenix and San Francisco for a number of years and they move hundreds of thousands of rides a week. So, no, not the first vehicle, not the first autonomous vehicle out there, but Not the first vehicle, not the first autonomous vehicle out there, but it is the first vehicle privately owned to be delivered with no human intervention.
Speaker 2:Again, I turned to Minority Report, because they thought it was Alexis and they thought 2054. It's 2025. 2054 is what? Not quite what? 29 years from now, yet, oh my goodness, by then, shoot driving yourself. That'd be old news. To quote Tesla, there were no people in the car at all and no remote operators in control at any point Fully autonomous. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fully autonomous drive with no people in the car or remotely operating the car on a public highway. Not exactly true. There Waymo could claim that yeah, that part, not true, delivery, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Now, they were unclear about whether or not they were going to do this as a matter of course to folks around the factory, which to me would be pretty cool. It would be a perk that if you live probably within an hour of the plant, it would be pretty cool to get your vehicle delivered by itself to your home. Of course, it kind of begs the question about trade-ins, but Tesla doesn't have dealers, so that's not an issue. But what do you think? I was on a podcast a few weeks ago and we were talking about autonomous trucking in Texas, and the host of that podcast, a very articulate, intelligent man by the name of Rodney Woods, said oh, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not ready for going down the road at 65 miles an hour, looking over at a truck and seeing nobody driving. He said no, no, no, no, not for that, not ready for that. Yet in Texas and Arizona for years they've been testing commercial trucks like that Been making a run. In fact, a number of trucks have made the run between Dallas-Fort Worth and Phoenix, which is hundreds of miles, autonomously. They did it for the Postal Service, ups and FedEx in testing. Right now. Major trucking companies are rolling out what they call autonomous lanes in Texas right now that within a year will not even have a remote operator to monitor and definitely won't have safety drivers.
Speaker 2:A lot of people say I would never own an autonomous car. Those people who hate driving says bring it on, I would love an autonomous car. My question is what say you? I grew up during a time where having a vehicle, having a car, was freedom. I lived in the country, rural Massachusetts. So getting a car man hanging with my friends, being able to get to work, going where I wanted to go, it was freedom. I lived in the country, rural Massachusetts, so getting a car man hanging with my friends, being able to get to work, going where I wanted to go, it was freedom. I live in not quite rural Iowa. Still the same thing, it's still freedom.
Speaker 2:What happens when I get too old to drive? Would I be more open to an autonomous vehicle who could still allow me a certain quality of life and a certain level of independence? Would I own one then, or would I still fight it? If the legs no longer work and the eyesight's not so good anymore, would I trust an autonomous vehicle then to get me around so I could keep my doctor's appointments and not relying on my kids, my grandkids or my great-grandkids? I think it's relative and I think it's a sign that's come that, no matter how you feel about technology, it's coming, folks. Whether you are ready for it or not, it's coming. This Tesla delivery is just one more way to let you know Computers on wheels, making software-defined car possible. You are 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. 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.
Speaker 1:Topics in the search bar, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Speaker 2:I'm no car expert, but I do know what I want.
Speaker 1:You know what I want. More bang More bang for my buck From a car and A car company. That's why I got a Forensic by Suzuki. Suzuki Protected by America's number one warranty.
Speaker 2:New middle. I am sure that if you're a person of a certain age.
Speaker 2:I need to explain that commercial. Yes, there was a time when Suzuki sold passenger cars and SUVs in the United States of America. They stopped doing that about 2012, roughly 13 years ago. But yes, forenza and a whole bunch of funky like Aereo and the XL7 and the Vitara and Grand Vitara and Verona were all vehicles that they sold in the United States. Just in case you didn't realize it, yes, they're known for more than motorcycles, if you're a person of certain age. Well, yeah, suzuki, they do motorcycles right. Well, yeah, but they used to do cars too. They used to be Suzuki dealers that sold new and used vehicles, but they ran out of time.
Speaker 2:And remember, like I always tell you, the auto industry is not for lightweights. Billions of dollars, plural tens, if not hundreds of billions and time, and, trust me, automakers a lot bigger than Suzuki have toppled over and tripped up. The only thing that saved them is they were so big at the time. Well, it hurt them, but they took it in stride. If you don't believe me, google Ford Edsel and know people I know Edsel was a separate brand. It was no such thing as a Ford Edsel. Google Edsel, because the purists would say yeah, there's no such thing. Ford wasn't an Edsel. Edsel was a separate division of the Ford Motor Company, google, it. Ford lost $250 million, and that was 60 years ago. Can't tell you how many billions of dollars that would have been today. So yeah, thought you'd like to know.
Speaker 2:As technology marches on, the next generation of vehicles will be defined by software, not hardware, with cloud software concepts, think over-the-air updates like containers, delivering an agile approach to swapping out and updating software services. Now, in case you didn't realize it, if you own a vehicle that's newer than 10 years old, your vehicle now is controlled by millions of lines of code, with more to come. The big question are you ready? This is topic A. Let me explain what I mean, and you may hear the abbreviation SDV. That's fancy talk for a software-defined vehicle. And let me make a differentiation here yes, software and the many different computers operating in your vehicle. Now, because there's more than one and more than two. You'd be amazed at how many sensors alone are in your vehicle. By one count, there could be as many as 70 different sensors measuring all sorts of stuff in your vehicle and feeding that data into any one of five, six or more computers in your vehicle. Your engine has a computer, your transmission has a computer, your entertainment system has a computer, your dashboard and stuff is controlled yet by another computer Suspension and handling a computer All of them different, connected by the same circuit.
Speaker 2:This is where we start. What they envision now, and what electric vehicles are bringing hastening to the party, is an ability to say, hey, you buy a brand new 2025, anything in 2029, or maybe even as early as next year. We have this fantabulous new attribute for your vehicle that is software-defined, that we can sell, you, rent, you, lease, you have you even just try out, see if you like it. Maybe it's free, maybe we charge you for it. Mercedes-benz is already doing that with performance and I really honestly believe that that's where you'll see it first.
Speaker 2:But there's so many different things going on behind the scenes. It's way more complicated than that. Let's start with the easy stuff making the car relatively hack-proof or not, subject to cyber crime and bad actors who would want to manipulate and otherwise damage or compromise your new vehicle. I won't take you into the weeds. I read a piece in Microwaves and RF, which is a magazine that goes all the way into all the systems involved and proofing and collaborations and everything. We're not going that far off into the weeds because I'm afraid even I'd get lost. So I'm going to summarize for you and it boils down to this there are many different protocols to handle many different types of situations in order to make that vehicle robust, dependable and resistant to hackers, with a protocol if the car does get hacked. So it only goes so far. Now, if you've been paying close attention down through the years, you will remember that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued guidelines back oh eight, nine years ago relative to developing framework and guidelines to protect vehicles from being hacked, from being compromised through cybercrime and cybercriminals, and there were a whole lot of best practices, but it didn't have the force of law. Best they could do is develop best practices and industry guidelines, which is what they did.
Speaker 2:It's much more complicated today. Why, number one? Your standard vehicle today has way more equipment than when I was growing up. If you go back to the 1960s, shoot the 1970s, okay, we'll even go to the 1980s Most vehicles didn't have power windows. Most vehicles still had a vacuum system for cruise control, still had mechanical devices for your dashboard, your speedometer and how your gauges work.
Speaker 2:All of that today is electronic, all of it. And it didn't just get there, it's been there for years. They've eliminated that. They're even now talking about something called break by wire, where they're going to eliminate all the mechanical parts of your braking system and make it all electric. You press the brake. You're not actually moving hydraulic fluid at some point someday. Today you are, but they're getting ready to change that.
Speaker 2:How do they develop all these systems and computers to work together, share the load? The first thing they're doing is a whole rethink of how all these computers work and they're making them task agnostic meaning they're there, but in the brave new world, as opposed to an engine computer or a transmission computer or an infotainment computer. It would be a computing source in the vehicle but would be designed to take on all their tasks. It may not be directly related to that specific item, unlike the past, and they do that because it gives them the ability to give you upgrades. Now we're doing some over-the-air updates, but mainly right now they're safety related. Their goal is to give you choices so that the car you trade in that's 10 years old will be as fresh and as current software wise as the brand new ones coming out of the factory same day.
Speaker 2:That's the beautiful part about it. The days of having upgrade hardware are almost over. You want to improve performance it's a software upgrade. You want longer range if it's an EV, it's a software upgrade. You want some new fancy whiz bank they just developed, you just got to have for your vehicle it's a software upgrade. They have to build a system robust enough to handle all that and more. And that's where we're at when we talk about a software-defined vehicle, no longer hardware-related. All software, all of it, from how it stops, handles, climbs a hill all of that Software-related. Imagine the possibilities. Electricity is gaining newfound traction as a potential treatment of diseases.
Speaker 1:But what about?
Speaker 2:cancer. 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 no exception. Hi, I'm ken chester, host the tech mobility show.
Speaker 2: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:Electricity it seems that it's not just AI models. Electric cars are large data centers that need to juice. Electricity is gaining newfound traction as potential treatment for diseases. New technologies and devices are widening the scope of how electric fields and pulses could be used as medicine. Now I know what you're thinking. You think about electricity. You're thinking about, you know, physical shock treatments, mental shock treatments. That's what you're thinking about. I know that's what's on your mind, but I'm here to tell you it's way more than that. This is topic B. This is from the Wall Street Journal, and the article says the next frontier to treat cancer electricity. Scientists are testing electric fields and pulses against a range of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and brain cancer. And let me explain how that's working, because some of this they're doing now with Food and Drug Administration approval, by the way. Biotech companies and researchers, including NovoCure, setpoint Medical and the University of Cincinnati, are deciphering how to shrink device sizes, deploy electric fields and hijack a person's own immune response. Now there's a quote here we're leveraging the electrical property of cancer cells, and that's Ashley Cordova, chief executive officer of oncology company Novacure, which developed technology that disrupts electrical forces at play in cell division to slow down tumor growth.
Speaker 2:You think biological, you think natural, you think mechanical. You never realize that even our bodies use electrical impulses to do things, to handle things, to operate, and she makes that point. We think about bodies as being biological beings or chemical beings, but we are also electrical beings. It's how a lot of stuff gets communicated around your body. You are a walking electrical being, whether you know it or not, and what they're doing now is they are finding out that they can take electricity, depending on the dosage, the length of time exposure and where it's applied, to do some changing. That is amazing. Let me give you a couple of examples. Novocure and they quote Novocure a lot its strategy is to use low-intensity electric fields to disrupt cell division. That's how they plan to beat cancer, to slow it down from multiplying and maybe even in the future, stop it completely using electrical current. Cancer cells also have unusual electrical properties enabling researchers to target them at specific frequencies and leave healthy ones unscathed. The company says Stop right here.
Speaker 2:I have a friend of mine, brilliant young lady worked in Minneapolis. She was brilliant About now 20 years ago. She contracted two different kinds of cancer and, being the sharp woman that she was, she was very directly involved with her own plan of cure. She'd ask questions, she'd do research. I remember her sharing with me there was one pill, one pill that she used to have to take for her cancer, and I mean it was not regular, but she had to take it every so often. That one chemical pill cost her $4,500, that one pill. And the problem is because her treatment at the time was both radiation and chemical. There were a lot of unfortunate side effects that she also had to deal with. A lot of the stuff that you know hair falling out, being very prone to illness, sickness dropping your white blood cell count all of that stuff had to be monitored. Sickness dropping your white blood cell count All of that stuff had to be monitored. Then it messed with their nerves in their fingers and feet All an issue.
Speaker 2:Imagine if they knew then what they know now and could say we could apply electrical current, low levels of it, targeted current to maybe arrest, slow down or otherwise stop the growth of cancer in your body. No chemicals, no pills, no radiation how would that change people's lives? How would that improve the quality of life for people? Electricity it's a phenomenal thing. Let me give you another example where they're looking at it, because really what it gets down to is using electricity in a more nuanced and sophisticated way, how they deliver that.
Speaker 2:Another way that they are looking to test is they've got a device. Let me back up a little bit. They've got a device. This implantable device is the size of multivitamin that can send electric pulses down a person's vagus nerve. The nerve carries electrical signals throughout the body and helps regulate digestion and heart rate. It also plays a role in the immune system, regulating the production of key proteins that cause inflammation. And in this case, too much inflammation can lead to autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. And the company is hoping electrical pulses can block the inflammation-causing process. And they say we're hijacking the system, we're going to make it do what it's supposed to do, but we're going to do it artificially. This device, not only are they submitting it for rheumatoid arthritis to the FDA, but they're testing the concept for Crohn's disease.
Speaker 2:And another thing near and dear to my heart multiple sclerosis. My youngest brother's wife is chronic sufferer of multiple sclerosis. One of my very good friends in high school, his very vivacious mom who was a dental technician back in the 70s multiple sclerosis and watched it basically take that vibrancy away from her over time. Imagine if there's a device that gets them away from the chemicals and the side effects of the radiation and all that other stuff they got to deal with Now. Granted, this is still evolving. They don't have these are not cures yet In the trials that they are testing this in various diseases, various cancers.
Speaker 2:They're learning and they're slowing stuff down. They're not totally eradicating it yet, but in some cases, in some cases already, in some cases, yes, the person could stop taking the pills. The change it would turn the pharmaceutical industry on its ear. It would change how doctors prescribe cures or not cures, remedies or resolutions to chronic disease. It could improve the quality of life, not just for the individual suffering, but the families and the loved ones, and the future. Some of these people will get to live decent lives, maybe not at 100%, but way more than they've got now, because of electricity being applied to the body in new ways designed to manipulate where possible, stop where necessary and maybe even reverse some stuff, some stuff. These are exciting times, but electrical fields and pulses maybe could be used to treat cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and who knows what else. Wow, wow, getting a treatment as opposed to having to take a pill or radiation or all the other stuff. Imagine A former Tesla employee has developed a low-cost motorcycle aimed at customers in Africa and South Asia. He has a long waiting list.
Speaker 2: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. 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:Zeno, an electric motor bicycle startup founded by a former Tesla employee, has developed a motorbike that is primarily aimed at markets in Africa and India. Its motorbike both outperforms gasoline powered motorcycle and, believe it or not, costs less to purchase. The waiting line is in spite of the absence of any sort of governmental incentive or rebate. This is topic C. Can you imagine a vehicle that is low cost, affordable and has the ability to change your life? That is what this vehicle does, and I'm going to explain that in a minute. But can you imagine? The challenge is that in those countries that I just mentioned Africa and India roads, once you get outside of major metropolitan cities, are a suggestion, an afterthought and maybe barely a cow path? The challenge was to develop a bike that could do a better job of carrying heavy loads or multiple passengers on rough roads. And remember I'm talking about a motorcycle. We're not just talking about, you know, two folks and whatever. No, no, no, you got whole families in the third world that ride these bikes at the same time. They're all together. I mean, hey, you're trying to get around, you're doing it the best way you can.
Speaker 2:This startup, xenon. They recently officially launched its first product, a sport utility electric motorcycle called the Amara. Let me read that again, because you have not heard those words put together before A sport utility electric motorcycle. Bet you didn't know there was such a thing. But there is Ranging from $1,000 to $1,500, depending on the market. It's designed to be cheaper than gas alternatives and do a better job of carrying heavy loads of multiple passengers on rough roads. How did they do it? They got creative, they got genius and they did this. The battery, which is sold separately, can be either charged or instantly switched out at swapping stations. Put a pin in that. We're going to come back to that. Figure this out. I can buy the motorcycle, I can lease. The battery Brings costs way down. It brings costs way down Because in any EV, the battery is the most expensive part of it, just like your motor vehicle gasoline, your engine and transmission the most expensive part of the car.
Speaker 2:They wanted to get this in the hands of the people who had the need most, but these bikes had to be robust. You couldn't take a bike designed for American streets, throw some fancy tires on it, think it's going to work in Africa. It'd be broke that day, broke and busted. Did I mention a sport utility electric motorcycle? And I'm saying this to the people who say, ah, electrics, they're not sturdy, they're not good. Ah, they never last. Ah, blah, no, you're thinking about them. Scooters about seven or eight years ago that had an average life of 18 months. That's what you're thinking about. No, no, no, no, nothing like that. I like the term sport utility Utility Electric Motorcycle. Wow, I just want you to turn with your mind on that for a minute. I want you to turn Now.
Speaker 2:They tested this in the eastern provinces of Kenya and Africa and they felt that in Africa there were a lot of markets where they started a lot of greenfield development opportunity for energy infrastructure. Meaning there ain't much of one. A large portion of the population isn't grid connected yet, but being grid connected quickly, gdp growth is increasing, the middle class is growing and energy consumption is increasing. One point of intervention motorcycles. When someone living in a country like Kenya earns enough money to buy a vehicle, it's typically a gas motorcycle about 150 cc's, which is not a big engine, by the way.
Speaker 2:The founder saw an opening for a better electric version and he contended that while Chinese manufacturers make electric scooters, they're not well suited for common use in Africa, which is three or four passengers with heavy loads on rugged, bumpy roads and I use roads in quotes. High-end electric motorcycle brands for other markets, like Damon, were unaffordable. Now these people who were going to buy these can't afford that. Other companies hadn't focused on redesigning the standard mass market 150cc motorcycle from the ground up. So what does that mean? That means that some of these folks would take motorcycles that they developed elsewhere and cobbled something together.
Speaker 2:Try to pawn it off in Africa. Didn't work, they weren't made for the terrain, they weren't made for the load, they weren't made to deal with and they broke down and they were awful. This guy said no, we can do better. We can do better. And they did. And I said motorcycle, not scooter. I did not stutter, just in case you were wondering, these are not scooters. Let me come full circle for a minute. I told you a few minutes ago to put a pin in the ability to swap out batteries. Let me tell you how that thing one it gets the cost of the motorcycle down, which is way cool, and that you can rent batteries at swapping stations Again way cool. It is cheaper than buying. But what does this do? Because I said and I did not, didn't stutter, I said would improve the quality of life.
Speaker 2:Let me read this to you these batteries swapped out batteries can play another role. When they're plugged into charge, they can support the grid by charging when demand is low. Customers can also take the batteries home. If they have access to electricity at home, they can charge the batteries there. But if they don't, the batteries can charge other devices when they're not in the bikes. We've got customers today who are driving all day on their motorbikes, swapping at swap stations and they're cooking on their batteries with energy-efficient stoves, induction cook stoves and then repeating the cycle the next day, if you can. Can you imagine you don't have electricity at home, but maybe you managed to get yourself a tablet or a laptop and imagine you can plug it into this battery and now you have internet access. You can use your computer because of a motorcycle.
Speaker 2:Recharging this electricity is pennies compared to a gasoline version which would run, in a course of a year, $3,000 to put gas in it, and that is typically 40 to 50% of the average income of the people who need to ride these bikes, who need to own these bikes, who need to buy them. Electricity pennies Plus the gasoline versions don't do what these batteries will do for folk in boosting their standard of living, helping them connect and get better. The possibilities, they say, are endless. And yes, they tested this thing out and they have a list. They can't build them fast enough. Investors paying attention too, because they said we like stuff that's cheaper, better, faster already for the consumer and the environment is a drag along benefit. So there isn't sales fiction. People end up buying these because they're green. They're buying them because they're better and affordable and at the end of the day, that's what matters. People end up buying these because they're green. They're buying them because they're better and affordable and at the end of the day, that's what matters.
