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Welcome to our nightmare.
Welcome to another; They came for
TS
Southern Minnesota
A "mini" deal.
I haven't done a deep dive yet but I hope you will. Headlines go something like this; Automobile Lobbying Group Convinces Trump to Drop Tariffs. Big deal or too little too late???
JR
New Seoul. New Jersey
Editor-in-Chief's Note: A "mini" deal, but I'm afraid the damage has already been done. -PMD
They'll tell you where to go.
NBEM 2.0. Why would you be allowed to pick your vacation destination? AI would possess the analytics to prognosticate visitor population trends, road construction, lodging availability, yada yada. You would submit a request to the NBEM via their questionnaire. A: I want to go somewhere or, B: I want to stay home. MBEM would know how much vacation time you have, optimum time for you to be absent from work, kids' sports schedules, etc. and plan the most efficient jaunt including the destination, meals, lodging, energy refill, and suitable activities.
Chris Blanchard
Prescott, Wisconsin
Driving days numbered.
I recall some time ago driving my Lancia Zagato through the foothills of western Massachusetts with the top off and feeling the crisp fall air navigating through the curving roads and beautiful foliage. The Zagato wasn't particularly fast but handled well and was enjoyable to drive. I fondly remember those "road trips" because as the psychologist Maslow described a "peak experience".
Fast forward to my present situation, congested roads, bad drivers, unnecessary aggression and the "peak experience" is no more. Is AI the answer? No but it might have place when traffic and bad behavior fatigue has set in and we need a break from it all. Recently I read that a grocery store in the UK is requiring digital ID to enter... only the beginning of the intrusion I fear we will face. Once that control mechanism is coupled with AI then yes, our days of "peak experience" driving are numbered.
As always thanks for the interesting content.
TB
Gainesville, Florida
Future Mercedes moves.
Your comment about Mercedes going all in on electric vehicles with a 'we'll see' made me reflect on where the German manufacturers see growth. Basically, if they aim to stay within the Chinese market then electric vehicles have to be a primary investment as anything else is dead in the water.
If they continue to see growth in the US, then I would expect a revised focus on gasoline hybrids solely because the current government (if you could call it that) is so hostile to anything that could give the US a competitive advantage in green energy infrastructure. Assuming of course anyone can afford to buy their mass market vehicles like the CLA.
Talking of which, there's a new research study out on hybrids that suggests a lot of them aren't as 'clean' as people are led to believe. Hopefully this isn't another diesel scandal in the making.
Keep up the good work of pointing out the hypocrisy in the industry!
Paul G.
Silver Spring, Maryland
Eroding freedoms.
The generation that was raised on screens sees this as no big deal. Pretty much everyone on the road is using a screen, either in the dash or in their hand. So eliminating the tedious part of driving is a win. More time to zombie out while the car does its thing for you. Giving up your freedom of not being tracked by the government is worth all the free time you’ll now have to watch reels and tic toks on your way to work. The ability to disappear is one that’s uniquely human. We still have the freedom to roam around this country, for now It’s still free and it’s always there, it’s called The Drive. We have the power to stop this AI revolution. All we need to do is wake up from this slumber and realize it driving is removed from the human experience we cease to exist as humans. One freedom eliminated is one too many. And elections have consequences. Makes you wonder if the government can get your voting records then decide who gets transportation to the voting booth based on it. It makes me sick to think how this is going to end.
JRR
Plymouth, Michigan
Compliance.
AI-driven cars festooned with sensors, cameras and all manner of devices to keep us "safe". Pretty soon our choice of driving route will be determined for us before we leave the house. What nonsense. What's the point of all this crap if few of us can afford to buy them? I mean, I believe it was a Ford or Stellantis engineer who said that 25% of the cost of designing a vehicle was meeting compliance rules.
Jim Jones
Cole County, Missouri