Car of the Future Blog Recent Post Updates

The NMA Foundation presents The Car of the Future weekly feature:

I have been writing the Car of the Future blog for nearly a year now and have been fascinated with the pace of activity in this disruptive sphere.

In the past month, I have written three posts that are already in need of an update.

The first was a post from November 26 on California says Automakers should not be liable for Autonomous Vehicles. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has already reversed that idea.  You know why—power of the people.

The DMV ditched the idea after reading comments objecting to the potential rule. Interestingly, the comment period actually ends on December 15th with the completed regulations taking effect sometime in early 2018.  Click HERE to learn how you can comment until December 15th.

In mid-November, I posted a two part installment called Metals Crucial to Electric Car Production might be a Problem. Click HERE to read Part 1 and click HERE to read Part 2

There have been a number of fascinating development announcements that have come out since then.

Jalopnik posted The Human Rights Issue that could taint Electric Cars. In late November, a group of 10 automakers vowed to source materials ethically in which they plan to “identify and address ethical, environmental, human and labor rights issues. The partnership will be called Drive Sustainability which is coordinated through CSR Europe, a business network. The group already has two initiatives started: The Raw Metals Observatory which will assess the ethical risks posed by finding and procuring raw materials.

The second is called the Responsible Mica Initiative that will help create an ethical supply chain over the next five years. Mica was not mentioned in my original posts but is a name given to a group of silicate minerals that are used in electronics and make-up. Mica is fairly common and is mined in Africa, Canada, India, Russia, and South America.

Bloomberg Technology ran this article from comments made by billionaire investor Robert Friedland who believes a “Miner’s Revenge” is Coming with Electric Cars.

Bloomberg also ran another article on how to Mine Cobalt without Going to the Congo.  A Vancouver company has developed a technique to recycle cobalt from faulty batteries.

Wards Auto came out with The Big Story report this week called For EV Batteries, the Future is Now. This is a long read but gives some great insight into battery development and outlook.

Send me comments and links to articles that are of interest in the Car of the Future sphere to nma@motorists.org.

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The NMA Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting your interests as a motorist and citizen through the multi-faceted approach of research, education, and litigation.  The Foundation is able to offer this assistance through tax-deductible contributions. 

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If you are interested in learning more about the Car of the Future check out the following NMA resources:

NMA Driving News Feed—Over 50 Car of the Future stories are placed each month in the NMA Driving News—the go-to source for all your driving news information from around the country.

NMA’s Flipboard Magazine called Car of the Future—Over 50 stories are placed each month in this magazine devoted to the Car of the Future.  Stories featured include future car politics, industry news and thought pieces.

Pinterest Boards

Follow the National Motorists Association on Pinterest Here OR

Follow individual Boards that have a specialized focus on the Car of the Future:

Car of the Future

Car sharing/Ride sharing Watch

Concept Cars

Connected Cars, Connected Cities

Driverless Cars

Electric Cars (EVs)

Flying Cars

Future of the Motorcycle

Hybrid Cars

Hydrogen Cars

Solar-Powered Cars

If you have an interesting story about the Car of the Future, please feel free to send us a link to the NMA Email address nma@motorists.org.

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