Why we need fewer driverless cars and more carless drivers
In recent years there has been a growing interest in autonomous vehicles. Big tech and car companies are pouring tons of cash into making the dream of self-driving cars a reality. It may sound like we’re finally close to achieving the future we’ve been sold on from countless sci-fi movies, but perhaps we’re missing the mark here. Maybe what we really need is not another fancier car on the road, but more folks on two wheels instead – I’m talking of course about bicycles and electric bikes.
It’s not that driverless cars aren’t without benefits. The idea sounds good in theory, taking human error out of the equation and replacing it with a presumably infallible computer. The problem is that even ignoring the major safety risks of testing out this unproven technology on public streets around unconsenting individuals, you’re still left with an increase in the numbers of cars on the road leading to the same problems cars cause today.
Saying hello to bikes and goodbye to traffic jams
One of the most immediate benefits of increasing the number of cyclists on the road is the significant reduction in traffic congestion.
Bikes take up far less space than cars, and even a modest shift from car commuting to biking can result in a noticeable decrease in traffic jams, leading to smoother and faster travel for everyone.
In contrast, driverless cars, while likely one day capable of optimizing routes and reducing human error, still occupy the same amount of physical space on the road, doing little to alleviate congestion. Their goal is to solve some problems, which they may eventually be able to do successfully. But in doing so, flooding the streets with driverless Ubers will simply create more problems. Just in the way Uber itself was meant to solve many of the problems in the transportation industry, nearly a decade later is has left us with merely more traffic than ever before by incentivizing the filling of roads with an ever increasing number of vehicles.
Your heart (and waistline) will thank you
Promoting cycling not only contributes to cleaner air by reducing vehicle emissions but also encourages an active lifestyle.
Regular cycling has been proven to improve cardiovascular health, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being. Electric bikes, with their pedal-assist functionality, make cycling more accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels, ensuring that the health benefits of biking can be enjoyed by a broader demographic. On the other hand, the convenience of driverless cars leads to an even more sedentary lifestyle, exacerbating current public health issues related to physical inactivity.
Not everyone can ride an e-bike and not every trip is e-bikable. Far be it for me to call electric bikes a global solution for every transportation need. But the types of trips being performed by driverless cars now are often short city hops and thus are the prime example of an e-bikeable trip.
Stronger, friendlier and more socially-connected communities
When you’re behind glass in a private car, you’re disconnected from the world. But cycling promotes social interaction and a sense of community.
Unlike the isolating nature of cars, cyclists are more likely to engage with their surroundings and with other people. Creating bike-friendly cities encourages a vibrant street life and fosters a sense of belonging and connection among residents.
Not every trip is a chance to stop and chat, but riders tend to be happier, more engaged people because of it. A friendly wave or a chance to say hello on the way to work can be a small mood-booster that does wonders for mental health. As social creatures, isolation is rarely helpful for our minds and bodies.
Supporting sustainable urban development
As urban areas continue to grow, sustainable development becomes increasingly crucial. Prioritizing cycling infrastructure, such as protected bike lanes and secure bike parking, promotes a more efficient use of space and resources.
It encourages compact, mixed-use development that is accessible by bike, reducing the need for extensive road networks and sprawling parking lots. This not only preserves green spaces but also creates more livable, human-centered urban environments. No one has ever said “You know what this neighborhood needs? More asphalt!” A reduction in car dependency means more prioritization on designing cities for people. Two and three lane streets can become single lane streets with a bike lane and wider sidewalks or parklets that add more green space into urban areas.
It’s even economically better for businesses, as many areas that renovated streets to be more walkable and bikable have found that increased foot traffic means local businesses thrive.
Addressing economic disparities
Bicycles and electric bikes are more economically accessible than cars, driverless or otherwise. And the growing list of e-bike purchase incentives, especially for low income folks, is making them more affordable than ever.
Investing in bike infrastructure and subsidies for e-bikes can help bridge transportation gaps in low-income communities, providing affordable and reliable mobility options. It’s even better for local city governments and municipalities, reducing the economic costs associated with road maintenance and congestion-related productivity losses.
Summing it up
While driverless cars hold the promise of a high-tech, automated future, they are not a panacea for the many challenges facing our transportation systems. Driverless cars are cool, don’t get me wrong. The technology is impressive and undoubtedly holds promise in certain situations that can’t be handled by a bike. But they are primarily being used in areas where bikes could perform the same job in a cheaper, more efficient and arguably safer way.
Driverless cars are not the magic fix for our traffic woes and our health problems. Bikes and e-bikes offer a down-to-earth, connect-with-your-neighbors, get-your-endorphins-flowing kind of solution that driverless cars just can’t match. So how about we give our cities, our health, and our wallets a break and give biking the spotlight it deserves?
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According to a Tesla Semi customer, the electric truck program is suffering more delays and a price increase that is described as “dramatic.”
Tesla Semi has seen many delays, more than any other vehicle program at Tesla.
It was initially unveiled in 2017, and CEO Elon Musk claimed that it would go into production in 2019.
In late 2022, Tesla held an event where it unveiled the “production version” of the Tesla Semi and delivered the first few units to a “customer-partner”: PepsiCo.
More than 3 years later, the vehicle never went into volume production. Instead, Tesla only ran a very low volume pilot production at a factory in Nevada and only delivered a few dozen trucks to customers as part of test programs.
But Tesla promised that things would finally happen for the Tesla Semi this year.
Tesla has been building a new high-volume production factory specifically for the Tesla Semi program in a new building next to Gigafactory Nevada.
The goal was to start production in 2025, start customer deliveries, and ramp up to 50,000 trucks yearly.
Now, Ryder, a large transportation company and early customer-partner in Tesla’s semi truck program, is talking about further delays. The company also refers to a significant price increase.
California’s Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) awarded Ryder funding for a project to deploy Tesla Semi trucks and Megachargers at two of its facilities in the state.
Ryder had previously asked for extensions amid the delays in the Tesla Semi program.
In a new letter sent to MSRC last week and obtained by Electrek, Ryder asked the agency for another 28-month delay. The letter references delays in “Tesla product design, vehicle production” and it mentions “dramatic changes to the Tesla product economics”:
This extension is needed due to delays in Tesla product design, vehicle production and dramatic changes to the Tesla product economics. These delays have caused us to reevaluate the current Ryder fleet in the area.
The logistics company now says it plans to “deploy 18 Tesla Semi vehicles by June 2026.”
The reference to “dramatic changes to the Tesla product economics” points to a significant price increase for the Tesla Semi, which further communication with MSRC confirms.
In the agenda of a meeting to discuss the extension and changes to the project yesterday, MSRC confirms that the project went from 42 to 18 Tesla Semi trucks while the project commitment is not changing:
Ryder has indicated that their electric tractor manufacturer partner, Tesla, has experienced continued delays in product design and production. There have also been dramatic changes to the product economics. Ryder requests to reduce the number of vehicles from 42 to 18, stating that this would maintain their $7.5 million private match commitment.
In addition to the electric trucks, the project originally involved installing two integrated power centers and four Tesla Megachargers, split between two locations. Ryder is also looking to now install 3 Megachargers per location for a total of 6 instead of 4.
The project changes also mention that “Ryder states that Tesla now requires 600kW chargers rather than the 750kW units originally engineered.”
Tesla Semi Price
When originally unveiling the Tesla Semi in 2017, the automaker mentioned prices of $150,000 for a 300-mile range truck and $180,000 for the 500-mile version. Tesla also took orders for a “Founder’s Series Semi” at $200,000.
However, Tesla didn’t update the prices when launching the “production version” of the truck in late 2023. Price increases have been speculated, but the company has never confirmed them.
New diesel-powered Class 8 semi trucks in the US today often range between $150,000 and $220,000.
The combination of a reasonable purchase price and low operation costs, thanks to cheaper electric rates than diesel, made the Tesla Semi a potentially revolutionary product to reduce the overall costs of operation in trucking while reducing emissions.
However, Ryder now points to a “dramatic” price increase for the Tesla Semi.
What is the cost of a Tesla Semi electric truck now?
Electrek’s Take
As I have often stated, Tesla Semi is the vehicle program I am most excited about at Tesla right now.
If Tesla can produce class 8 trucks capable of moving cargo of similar weight as diesel trucks over 500 miles on a single charge in high volume at a reasonable price point, they have a revolutionary product on their hands.
But the reasonable price part is now being questioned.
After reading the communications between Ryder and MSRC, while not clear, it looks like the program could be interpreted as MSRC covering the costs of installing the charging stations while Ryder committed $7.5 million to buying the trucks.
The math makes sense for the original funding request since $7.5 million divided by 42 trucks results in around $180,000 per truck — what Tesla first quoted for the 500-mile Tesla Semi truck.
Now, with just 18 trucks, it would point to a price of $415,000 per Tesla Semi truck. It’s possible that some of Ryder’s commitment could also go to an increase in Megacharger prices – either per charger or due to the two additional chargers. MSRC said that they don’t give more money when prices go up after an extension.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the 500-mile Tesla Semi ends up costing $350,000 to $400,000.
If that’s the case, Tesla Semi is impressive, but it won’t be the revolutionary product that will change the trucking industry.
It will need to be closer to $250,000-$300,000 to have a significant impact, which is not impossible with higher-volume production but would be difficult.
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