Existing testing approaches are time consuming taking several months to run 1000s of tests on 100s of samples. The tests are destructive meaning the batteries tested are not usable when testing is complete. Data collected from testing is only valid for the batch of batteries testes (i.e., they are tied to battery chemistry). As battery consumption increases, the length of time to test batteries becomes critical. If supplies are depleted before testing is completed, the testing results are worthless.

Many of us that follow EV trends know that the US is substantially behind both the EU and China in terms of both the number of EVs on the road and the infrastructure that is in place to support growth of the EV footprint in the US. For months we’ve been hearing about ambitious goals from the current administration that Congress has been working towards legislating with new bills that would improve all types of infrastructure, including the push to expand sales of zero-emissions vehicles. Nothing has been signed into law yet, but with the Senate passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill (also called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), we know what that bill currently looks like.  Then there is the separate bill referred to by several names: the American Families Plan, the Build Back Better bill, the human infrastructure bill, and the $3.5T social spending bill (although it probably won’t be $3.5T when negotiations run their course). Even the latter bill will likely have some EV-centric content based on what we’ve heard from lawmakers, especially those from Michigan. So, with everything subject to change—where are we?

There’s a rumble in the Automotive Industry. A survey of automotive industries stakeholders, conducted by Jabil, showed that automotive companies are shortening product development timelines to meet new market requirements. The automotive industry has undergone a number of industry-shifting developments over the past several years. The introduction of electric vehicles and the continued development of ADAS technologies are leading these transformations. We’ve seen new challengers in the automotive industry popping up, and rapid innovation within leading automotive companies.

Car & Driver's March 2019 issue includes an article on sound Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Electronic Sound Synthesis (ESS). With the September 2019 deadline looming for auto manufacturers to meet PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2010 (PSEA), which governs EV & HEV sound emissions, there is opportunity for new automotive products that detect and emit sound at low speeds in these vehicles (< 18.6 mph). There is also the opportunity for the reverse, removing annoying sounds. Innovative sound creation and sound reduction systems are relying on sensor data to determine what sounds to synthesize and what sound to deaden.

I was reminded yesterday of how cars play a role in our identity, and separately how new auto safety regulations for electric and hybrid vehicles create an opportunity for auto manufacturers to be creative. I was picking up my 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid from a car stereo retailer in Austin, and while I waited, I glanced at the stacks of sub woofers waiting for owners. They ranged in price from $149 to over $1000. Admittedly, my family has installed high-end stereos with sub-woofers in cars ranging from a 1992 5.0 Mustang GT to a Toyota Sienna mini-van, however a low-rider in the showroom brought to mind low-decibel vibrations at intersections when, by chance, I was sitting at a red light alongside a low-rider. The car and the sub-woofer are an expression of the driver and their identity.