“Obi, an app that aggregates real-time pricing and pick-up times across multiple ride-hailing services, has just published what it’s calling the “first in-depth examination of Waymo’s pricing strategy.” The company found Waymo’s self-driving car rides to be consistently more expensive than comparative offerings from Uber and Lyft — and it doesn’t seem to matter.” Tech Crunch
Trucking moves to trains at Texas border
“J.B. Hunt Transport Services, BNSF Railway and Mexico-based rail provider GMXT launched a service called Quantum de México.” The goal is to capitalize on inter modal rail for goods that are service-sensitive such as automotive, manufacturing, agricultural and electronics.
Supply Chain Dive | JB Hunt, BNSF, GMXT launch cross-border intermodal service
Autonomous vehicles and the federal spending bill
The American Prospect says that the proposed federal spending bill, with its AI preemption provisions, would also preempt state regulation of autonomous vehicles. This would leave states without the ability to govern the use of autonomous vehicles on their roads.
Red state gas tax increase
Freedom to move act
Any thoughts on what the Freedom to Move Act is? Is it the freedom to exercise anywhere? To drive anywhere>? If you guessed a bill to limit the number of miles that should be driven annually, then you are today’s lucky winner.
The Massachusetts Legislature is considering the Freedom To Move Act that “creates an interagency coordinating council would be tasked with crafting a “whole-of-government plan” to reduce reliance on personal vehicles and increase access to public transportation in the Bay State.”
Governing | Massachusetts Considers Bill to Limit Vehicle Miles Driven Statewide
Last step delivery- robotic door delivery
Closing the loop from the delivery van to your door is Rivr. Rivr robots look like robotic dogs, but instead of canine programming, these robot dogs deliver packages to your doorstep.
Rivr has partnered with Veho. Veho delivery vans deliver for Sephora, Hello Fresh and others. The Rivr robot “dogs” reduce heat fatigue on drivers and are being tested in a residential area of Northwest Austin before expanding to denser areas of Austin.
EV charging with mobile storage
Meet Volteras, a British company, that wants to deliver mobile EV charging. The CEO says, “In the future, the electric vehicle will be the center of the entire energy grid.”
According to TechCrunch, “Volteras is building virtual connective tissue that will allow plugged-in EVs to offer their batteries to support the grid. When massed together, they can serve as virtual power plants, giving utilities quickly dispatchable power that’s distributed across the grid.”
The future: Hydrogen fueled waste trucks
After a successful pilot program with Hyzon, Hydrogen fueled waste trucks look promising. New Way is now leading the charge for Hydrogen fuel refuse trucks.
More Hydrogen trucks are on the horizon from Kenworth which is partnering with Paccar and Toyota. Also in the mix is Hyundai which has been manufacturing a heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell vehicle for several years.
Trucking Dive | Hydrogen-fueled refuse trucks are ‘just a matter of when,’ manufacturers say
Construction future
A scientist at the University of Maryland has figured out how to make wood stronger than steel. Sounds like sci-fi, yes? Meet Inventwood, the company that is about to bring this sci-fi product to mass production. @techcrunch
1st in nation vehicle speed limiters
Washington’s governor has signed House Bill 1596 , which would require speed limiters if the driver has a restricted driver’s license for reckless driving or excessive speeding.
Route Fifty | Washington to rein in fast drivers with speed limiters