Master Plan, Part Deux
My points of skepticism:<p>1. <i>Semis</i>. A typical long haul semi gets well under 10MPG. In some cases not much more than half that. They are heavy and need a lot of energy to move. A Tesla Model S weighs 4650 lbs and has a range of a couple of hundred miles. A semi truck can weigh up to 80,000 lbs. That is a lot of weight to get rolling and a lot to pull up a grade. Semis spend a large part of their time driving at highway speeds where air resistance is at a maximum. To achieve useful performance an electric semi will need a lot of batteries which will reduce its cargo capacity (Federal law regulates the maximum gross weight), which reduces its value to freight companies.<p>2. <i>Autonomy</i>. I think this will take a lot longer to achieve than planned, both technically and socially.<p>3. <i>Enable your car to make money for you</i>. I don&#x27;t want anyone using my car. Legal liability is one reason. As owner of the car, I am liable for damage it causes. So legal liability laws will have to change. If I need to go somewhere, and my car is not here, I don&#x27;t want to wait for another one. I don&#x27;t want to get my car back from another user and find food wrappers strewn about and used condoms under the seat. I feel that my car is an extension of my home. It&#x27;s personal space that I don&#x27;t want to share with random strangers.<p>YMMV.