Toronto, Ontario — A relatively normal weather phenomenon locks down autonomous vehicles (AVs) across San Francisco, the Canadian Black Book Residual Value Awards praises electric vehicles (EVs) for holding their value and experts raise the alarm on EVs threatening others on the road like SUVs currently do. This is the latest in electric and autonomous vehicles.
AVs in the Mist
A foggy San Francisco morning brought the city’s AVs to a grinding halt, impacting robotaxis and other driverless vehicles powered by Cruise and Waymo.
According to Wired, an eastbound bus driver reported a confused, driverless car which stopped in the middle of the road. This incident is far from the first, with public surveillance records indicating that such incidents have been happening since September.
Municipal Transportation Agency records indicate that there have been 12 reports of “near-misses, collisions or other incidents resulting in transit delay” from driverless vehicles, causing at least 83-minute delays for public transport users.
Financial Figures
EVs may hold their resale value better than their gas-only alternatives with the exception of SUVs, according to new automotive data from the Canadian Black Book.
Specifically, Toyota and Lexus held the best residual value, while Volkswagen held the top spot for ZEVs. Top EVs held an average residual value of 58.5 percent, while their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts averaged at 56.1 percent.
Finally, ICE SUVs held a forecasted residual value of 74.3 percent, while their EV alternatives held a value of 66.5 percent.
Battery Ballast
Safety experts are raising the alarm on electric vehicles, warning that their large battery packs and infrastructure add nearly 33 percent in weight compared to their ICE counterparts.
According to Jennifer Homendy, chair of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), this increased weight may increase the severity of injury and deaths for other road users due to the heavier curb weights.
Data from more than 60 crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) data indicates that the EVs generally do a good job at protecting their occupants, at the expense of pedestrians and cyclists or other drivers during a collision.
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