5 unintended consequences of the EV revolution

[weijian]

There are probably ~1-2k Teslas on the streets of Singapore now. Coupled with the other EVs, the total amount is still miniscule. But I think as investors, our training is always on handling tail risks...

Been a pedestrian more than a driver, hence I take particular note of the risks of noiseless or accelerating EVs which has a higher tendency to result in pedestrian accidents.

5 unintended consequences of the EV revolution

When you’re walking or biking in a city, you often rely on these engine sounds to sense when it’s safe to cross. For this reason, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires that hybrid and electric cars make “warning” sounds when driving at low speeds.

When we drive, we implicitly factor in how long it takes for our car to speed up, and being faster off the line, EVs will take some getting used to. Pedestrians and cyclists make similar calculations when they estimate how long they have to cross a street — or make a turn — based on how far away the nearest vehicle seems to be. That super-fast acceleration means we may need to become a lot more cautious when navigating the road. Accidentally hitting the wrong pedal will also get significantly more dangerous.

https://www.vox.com/recode/2023/1/12/235...transition

[LionFlyer]

The disruption to the ecosystem of the automotive industry is far higher.

Practically, EV/BEVs have significantly lesser parts, half according to some estimates, that traditional drivetrains. While this brings clear environmental benefits, the suppliers that are producing these parts would be in trouble. The other thing around EVs is they tend to be fairly vertically integrated, starting obviously with Telsa. While the Europeans/Japanese/Koreans might not go so far, it will put further squeeze on OEMs.

That also means third party workshops are likely to face sunset, given cars have been essentially a digital product.