May 5, 2025 • 43 mins
Drop me a text and let me know what you think of this episode!
Take a thrilling journey through cutting-edge mobility innovations that are transforming how we power, live in, and learn about our world. Ken Chester dives deep into BYD's revolutionary EV charging technology that delivers 249 miles of range in just 5-10 minutes—a game-changing advancement that effectively eliminates one of the biggest barriers to electric vehicle adoption.
The landscape of EV development has dramatically shifted, with manufacturers like BYD offering sophisticated electric vehicles starting around $13,000 while achieving charging speeds comparable to refueling a gas vehicle. This represents the culmination of decades of battery innovation and massive industry investment, proving that the early friction points of EV ownership—charging speed, battery longevity, and affordability—are rapidly disappearing.
Beyond electrification, we explore the hidden inequities in our urban environments through tree coverage data across American cities. The stark contrast between leafy Atlanta (51.4% coverage) and desert Phoenix (8.5%) reveals how tree distribution impacts public health, environmental justice, and climate resilience. Trees aren't just beautiful—they're nature's air conditioners, lowering temperatures by 8-11 degrees and providing crucial first-line defense against urban pollution.
The conversation pivots to Brooklyn-based Airco's innovative approach to sustainable fuels, converting captured carbon dioxide into drop-in replacements for traditional aviation fuel. Unlike other alternative energy solutions, these synthetic fuels work with existing aircraft without expensive retrofitting—a critical advantage for an industry struggling to decarbonize.
Finally, we discover how virtual reality is solving technician shortages in rural America through Vehicles for Change's training program. This inspiring initiative brings high-quality technical education to underserved communities and formerly incarcerated individuals, creating pathways to well-paying careers while addressing critical workforce gaps.
Join the conversation by calling our hotline at 872-222-9793 or emailing talk@techmobilityshow—we'd love to hear your questions and insights about these transformative technologies reshaping our mobility landscape.
Be sure to tell your friends to tune in to The TechMobility Podcast!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Tech Mobility Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Ken Chester On the docket which cities have the
most trees?
The gas station of the future.
And virtual reality facilitatesautomotive technician training.
To add your voice to theconversation, be it to ask a
question, share an opinion oreven suggest a topic for future
discussion, call or text theTechMobility hotline, that
(00:33):
number, 872-222-9793, or you canemail the show directly if you
prefer talk at techmobilityshow.
If you prefer talk attechmobilityshow, and while
you're at it, be sure tosubscribe, like and follow us on
social media, our YouTubechannel and, for those of you
that subscribe to Substack, youcan find me there as well.
(00:57):
Be sure to take a listen, takea look.
I think you'll like what I'vegot out there From the Tech
Mobility News Desk.
I ran out of time last week andtried to introduce this topic
and I promised you that I wouldbring it back and talk about it
in more detail.
If you didn't catch it.
Last week I was talking aboutJapanese EV maker BYD.
(01:22):
Ev maker BYD.
Byd, 30 years ago, was abattery manufacturer, not even
an EV battery manufacturer.
They made batteries.
That was their business.
They have evolved to eclipseTesla in a brutally
hyper-aggressive market theChinese market to be the largest
(01:45):
manufacturer of EVs globallyand they're doing it in a way
that people don't have to settlefor less, even though they're
vehicles.
You can buy A fairlysophisticated BYD EV sedan for
(02:05):
right around $13,000 American 10to 13 grand.
The standard equipment in thisvehicle would blow your mind.
I mean a couple of the slogansmore features for no more price
and smart driving for all.
More features for no more priceand smart driving for all.
(02:26):
What they're getting ready to donow is really a game changer.
And even though they don'ttechnically sell cars in the
United States, they do in Canada, they do in Mexico.
It is only a matter of time.
It is only a matter of timebecause, honestly, in case you
didn't know, byd does sell busesin the United States.
(02:46):
So it's not like they're nothere and it's not like they're
not watching.
They're introducing somethingthey call their Super E platform
.
What's so super about it?
They now claim that you canrecharge one of their vehicles
as fast as it takes to put ingas in a vehicle.
(03:09):
You're down to five or tenminutes.
How many miles you said in fiveto ten minutes, would you
believe?
Upwards of 249 miles to charge?
Not in a half an hour, not inan hour, not in two, not in six,
not in eight.
I said five to ten minute tops.
(03:33):
And no, this is not batteryswapping.
That's something that NIO isdoing and their times are like
that.
But they're swapping wholebatteries and they've built an
infrastructure to allow that tohappen, as well as vehicle
design.
This is not that.
What BYD is saying.
What BYD has done, what BYD hasgone into their labs to produce
, is the ability to rechargetheir own batteries, which they
(03:56):
make themselves from a standardhigh-speed charger in five to
ten minutes.
Technology is there?
The reason why I'm making a bigdeal about this, and I'm
talking specifically to thenaysayers, the EV naysayers.
(04:17):
I'll never own an EV.
Oh, my God, it catches fire.
Oh, the batteries wear out.
Oh, they're not guaranteed.
Oh, they've got problems.
People, people.
When vehicles, when the motorvehicle first made its
appearance over 120 years ago,you realize that the first
(04:41):
vehicles on the road wereelectric.
Because the gasoline vehiclesof that time were deemed too
dangerous that you had to handstart them.
And until Boss Ketteringinvented the electric start
standard on Cadillacs in 1911,you had a hand crank vehicle and
(05:03):
many person broke an arm whenthe engine kicked back.
They were dangerous, they weresmelly, they were flammable.
A self-respecting person, evenan early adopter, would not fool
with a gasoline-powered car ofthe early 1900s.
So what happened?
They made progress.
They got reliable Electricstart eliminated the risk of
(05:26):
getting hurt.
Gasoline as a fuel got morestable.
The whole infrastructure.
They built an entireinfrastructure.
Let's get our facts straighthere.
We have now come full circle in100 years.
Come full circle in 100 years.
(05:47):
The issue now that we've talkedabout at length on this program
takes too long to recharge an EV.
The EV range is lousy and whenyou find a public charger it
doesn't always work.
And the final one, evs areexpensive.
What did I tell you?
I explained that oncetraditional automobile
manufacturers come into themarketplace and begin to scale
(06:12):
for production meaning buildingfacilities and building
infrastructure to support themanufacture of hundreds of
thousands of units they would dolike they've always done they
would turn their engineers looseto squeeze price, eliminate
cost, go to cheaper materials,more stable materials, more
long-lasting materials.
(06:32):
The cost of EV batteries hasbeen falling like a rock for the
last 15 years and is at paritywith gasoline.
The average EV battery packlasts 10 to 12 years, some even
longer than that, and that isonly the first life, they could
be repurposed.
(06:53):
Can your internal combustionengine, when it reaches 150, 175
, 200,000 miles, be repurposed?
Ev batteries can, at 80%.
When they drop to 80%, whilethey're not suitable for motor
vehicles anymore, they can berepurposed as standalone
stationary energy storagesystems and more.
(07:17):
Byd is leading the charge, alongwith Lucid Air and others, to
eliminate those friction pointsin EV ownership.
Remember I told you we werewaiting on the introduction of
the Chevrolet Equinox Because Itold you that the price of that
(07:38):
vehicle would be comparable tomy 2018 Equinox when it was new.
In 2018, seven years ago.
You can buy pretty close tothat price.
Mine went for $30,000.
You could buy an Equinox backthen as high as $40,000.
(07:58):
You can buy a brand new EquinoxEV for that today, not $140,000
, not $70,000, not 70, not 80,less than 50.
, Configured right, even maybeless than 40.
And this is just the beginningof the floodgates.
The industry's pivoted towardshybrids for now because it makes
(08:21):
the most sense, but I believein time, because of all the
things swirling and all thebillions of dollars, hundreds of
billions of dollars ofinvestment, that EVs, as they
eliminate the friction points ofownership, will become even
more attractive than hybrids infive years or less.
Byd is leading that chargeyears or less.
(08:43):
Byd is leading that charge.
The sort of speed that BYD saysit can deliver dwarfs even
Tesla's superchargers, whichwill do 10 minutes and about 249
miles.
Other rivals, likeMercedes-Benz' new entry-level
CLA sedan EV can do a little bitbetter, maybe about 275 after
(09:06):
10 minutes.
All I'm saying is this I saidearly on that 300-mile range
will be the intermediatestandard, that the ideal
standard by the end of thedecade will be 500 miles of
range.
And with where we're going andwe talked about even Toyota with
(09:30):
a 1,000-mile battery that theyexpect to have by the end of the
decade that 600-mile EV batteryin the next couple of years,
that's Toyota.
They're not taking anyprisoners.
Byd is one of several, butthat's where we're going.
The days of having to wait anhour to recharge Are over.
But then again, if you're acertain age, you remember,
(09:53):
remember dial-up internet, howlong it took.
We wouldn't stand for that now,but that was then.
This is now.
When it comes to neighborhoods,do trees matter?
If so, which communities havethem?
We discuss next.
This is now.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Are you tired of juggling multiple apps and
platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
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browser-based platform that doesit all.
With AONMeetings, you caneffortlessly communicate with
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(10:37):
It's time to simplify your lifeand boost your productivity.
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Speaker 2 (10:47):
Social media is the main place to be these days, and
we are no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Facebook videos, from my latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary of a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Facebook.
(11:09):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
Be sure to subscribe to ourFacebook page.
Social media is the place to bethese days.
We're no exception.
I'm ken chester, the techmobility show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
(11:31):
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
For those of you that listen topodcasts, we have just the one
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
(11:52):
Tech Mobility Topics is apodcast where I upload
topic-specific videos each week,shorter than a full show.
(12:22):
These bite-sized programs arejust the thing, particularly if
We'll see you next time, so justhow are we going to have more
fun in the 90s Introducing thenew 4x4 X90 from Suzuki?
It's going to make the 90s alot more fun.
The X90 from Suzukiuki.
(12:42):
Ask anyone wants one.
See your local suzuki dealer.
I bet if you watch thiscommercial today you would not
recognize the little device thatthe driver was using to
basically give off or dispenseX90s.
(13:05):
It was called a Pez dispenser.
It was all the rage 30 yearsago.
It dispensed little candies anddispense dispensers were
decorative and they were funnyand silly and kind of 90s, very
90s.
But it's one of those iconsthat unless you grew up during
the time, you probably wouldn'trecognize or even know what the
(13:27):
benefit is.
And they were saying is theXC90 dispenses fun just like the
candy and you can have fun justlike that.
It was a quirky little vehicle.
It very was Kind of an SUVconvertible, sort of small, yeah
, kind of tracks meets sportsconvertible.
(13:47):
It was weird.
They sold a few Suzuki X90.
Let's talk about trees, shall we?
They are amazing tools ofnature, these biological wonders
.
They absorb carbon dioxide.
They give off oxygen that weneed to breathe.
(14:07):
Think about that for a minute.
They take the nasty stuff, theyabsorb it, they use it for
something called photosynthesisand they give off oxygen.
As a result, they shade ourneighborhoods during the spring
and summer, loweringtemperatures by as much as 8 to
11 degrees.
They absorb noise, reducingnoise pollution and, depending
(14:30):
on the season, they're pretty tolook at.
So what's not to love?
We discuss which cities havetrees in abundance.
This is topic A.
Let's talk about the lay of theland, shall we in the United
States of America?
And then we're going tofine-tune that a little bit.
(14:53):
Obviously, the writer in thispiece talked about an urban
forest.
We're talking about what's incities, not so much what's in
the countryside but what's incities.
And in preparing the articlethey leaned on researchers at
the Arbor Day Foundation, the USForest Service and a forestry
(15:17):
consultancy Plant, it Geo, andtogether they mapped tree cover
across all urban areas of thecountry using aerial imagery and
artificial intelligence.
Their computer model analyzespattern and color shape and
shadowing to detect tree crowns.
First of all, no surprise whenthey show a map of the United
(15:42):
States, they show significanttree coverage east of the
Mississippi River.
Okay, that makes sense.
By the time you cross theMississippi, you're in the Great
Plains.
Or if you go southwest, you'rein the desert.
Or if you cross the mountains,you're in the rocky shores of
the Pacific, bounding thePacific, whether it be
California shores of the Pacific, bounding the Pacific, whether
(16:03):
it be California, pacific,northwest, different, different,
different.
This is naturally occurring.
But let's talk about specificneighborhoods.
This is a fact and we've talkedabout this before.
Depending on the city that youlive, the more affluent
neighborhoods tend to be leafier, tend to have more trees, tend
(16:24):
to have more coverage.
The poor neighborhoods, whichabut industrial areas and
business areas, where land ismore value than the quality of
living in those neighborhoods,don't have as many trees.
So what's that mean?
Just to give an idea of whythis is a big deal Trees I
(16:46):
mentioned shelter and theyprovide oxygen, which means they
are the line of first defensein many urban areas in fighting
pollution, smog, all that uglystuff.
If you are in a poorneighborhood with a lack of
trees, then you have a higherincidence of the disease.
(17:07):
They prove that Respiratory,that in the summertime,
particularly now with climatechange, where there is more
extreme weather, that is moreextreme more often.
The climate's warming and ifyou're in one of those
neighborhoods, it means that itdoes not cool at night because
all that cement that was exposedand brick and everything
(17:29):
maintained the heat and gave itoff at night, keeping
temperatures artificially high,as opposed to a neighborhood
where you have grass and treeswhere that would fall and you
can get some relief.
Unfortunately, it is a sign ofredlining, but let me give an
(17:51):
idea, just to give an idea ofwhen we talked about east of the
country, where trees grownaturally wherever they find an
opening Average tree cover.
In Atlanta, georgia, which isone of the higher ones in the
country, 51.4% of the city hastree cover.
So what about, I don't know.
(18:14):
Middle of the country, sayKansas City.
And before I talk about KansasCity I want to back up because
it says, traveling west, thenatural landscape turns into the
grasslands and cities begin tohave fewer and fewer trees,
meaning that if there's trees inyour Midwestern town, the city
made a point and a commitment toplant them.
(18:36):
Again, priorities Look wherethe trees are being planted and
look where they're not beingplanted.
By comparison, in the upperMidwest Kansas City, still
pretty good at 34.1% tree cover.
Let's talk about the desert fora minute, because in a desert
(18:59):
it's a whole different thinggoing on.
Trees need moisture.
Deserts don't have it.
So the chance of growing a lushtree canopy and say Phoenix,
not likely In the Southwest,where annual rainfall averages
just 8 to 14 inches.
Trees need almost year-roundirrigation to survive, phoenix
(19:22):
being a good example 8.5% treecover.
They don't have theinfrastructure in any
neighborhood in Phoenix tosupport a tree canopy.
So what does that mean?
It means that when it gets thathot in summertime in Phoenix,
it stays that hot at night andis not easily dissipated.
(19:43):
They also don't have a line ofdefense towards smog or
pollution or dust or anything.
Again because of the lack oftree cover.
What trees could do for allneighborhoods in Phoenix?
Conservation organizations likeAmerican Forest recognize that
sustaining trees is much harderin some places than others.
(20:05):
So they recommend a tree covergoal of 40 to 60 percent for
communities in forested statesthat's like the East Coast and a
much smaller 15 percent targetfor desert cities, which would
be almost double where Phoenixis now Real quick.
Here's what's at stake.
Blistering summer heat hasbecome the new normal.
(20:28):
Trees save lives and thechallenge finding space for
trees is tricky.
In growing cities You've got tobalance the need for ground
versus the need to put in trees.
Unfortunately, usually the needfor real estate outstrips the
ability to plant trees.
Is it worth your health?
(20:50):
Is it worth quality of life?
For many cities, the answer isyes.
For more affluent neighborhoods.
The answer is yes.
Yes, the best thing you can doto improve quality of life in
your community plant a tree.
The gas station of the futurewon't be dispensing fossil fuels
as it does today, but will beoffering something else to power
(21:11):
a variety of things.
This is the Tech Mobility Show.
Do you listen to podcasts?
Seems that most people do.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
If you missed any of our weeklyepisodes on the radio, our
podcast is a great way to listen.
You can find the Tech MobilityPodcast just about anywhere.
(21:33):
You can enjoy podcasts.
Be sure to follow us from ApplePodcasts, iheart Radio and many
platforms in between.
We are there.
Just enter the Tech MobilityPodcast in the search bar.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media it's the place to
be.
We're no exception.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe TechMobility show.
(21:55):
Several times a week, I post toTikTok several of the topics
that I cover on my weekly radioshow.
It's another way to keep up onmobility, technology news and
information.
I've built quite a library ofshort videos for your viewing
pleasure, so be sure to watch,like and subscribe.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon TikTok.
Check it out.
(22:21):
A recent article in the businessmagazine Fast Company talked
about a gas station of thefuture in New York City and the
company behind it.
Nope, they haven't given up ondecarbonization, but what
they're using for a feedstock tocreate the new fuels might
surprise you.
(22:41):
This is topic B.
The name of the company iscalled Airco and, believe it or
not, it turns carbon dioxideinto fuels, and they just
launched a pop-up store, if youcan believe it, a concept store
in New York City that highlightsall the types of travel the
company aims to decarbonize.
Isn't this interesting?
Right now, you would assume thatthe only conversation that
(23:05):
people are having aboutdecarbonization is you got to go
hybrid, you got to use hydrogen, you got to go to an EV, you
got to use EV batteries.
It's the only way you got to doit this way.
What we're finding out and thisis the beautiful part about
technology is that, regardlessof what you are trying to do,
(23:28):
there's usually more than oneway to do it.
This company is looking attaking on a problem to resolve
an issue.
It's also an acknowledgementthat, at least for the near
future decarbonization, peopleare not immediately going to EV
everything.
We've talked about that atlength.
(23:49):
We've talked about the typicalbugaboos of EV adoption charging
issues, speed, availability,reliability of the chargers,
range for the batteries, howlong do the batteries last, how
convenient are they, what is thecost to get into it, all of
these things.
But this company here is sayinghey, we have another way and we
(24:10):
want to share with the publicand educate the public where
we're going, where we think wecan go with this, and I think
probably the most importantthing of all of this that blew
my mind is that their process,particularly for what we call
(24:33):
sustainable aircraft fuel andI've talked about SAF before and
this is part of where they'regoing about SAF before, and this
is part of where they're goingAirco's synthetic fuels are 100%
compatible with currentaircraft current aircraft,
(24:55):
unlike hydrogen, which requiresnew engine designs.
Let that sink in for a minute.
By using carbon dioxide, whichis what the other fossil
fuel-based engines emit, theycan lower carbonization by quite
a bit, and I'll find thatnumber.
I want to say it was 98%, Ithought it was the number I saw.
(25:17):
But can you imagine using oneman's emissions to power another
man's vehicle and lowering thefootprint in the process?
That's the thing, because afterall let's be brutally honest
here A big thing that's going tomake this succeed or fail.
(25:40):
It's always all about the money.
If you're an airline, if you'rea trucking company, if you're a
railroad or a person who justowns a car, your interest in
decarbonization boils down tothese things.
One, it's got to give you abenefit and, honestly, it needs
(26:03):
to be beyond the this is goodfor the planet benefit.
While there are people that canrelate to that and understand
the importance of that, that isnot always enough to influence a
person's pocketbook,particularly if they're going to
be paying a premium to do it.
That almost kills it.
Right there we say wait aminute, I'm all for helping the
(26:24):
planet, but you're telling meit's going to cost me 20% more
on top of this to do it.
Eh, I'll either wait or I'm notgoing to do it.
This company developed thisconcept store.
It's called the Fuel Store andit's an immersive concept store
by Air Company and they're aBrooklyn-based startup.
(26:45):
They turn captured CO2 andhydrogen into synthetic fuels.
They take carbon dioxide, mixit with hydrogen and they have a
burnable, usable fuel thatemits way less carbon than the
original fossil fuels.
Give an example of some of thethings they've turned into it.
(27:10):
If you can believe it.
They've turned captured CO2into all kinds of things,
including and this is a listfrom the magazine vodka, hand
sanitizer and perfume, sincethey started 2017.
Carbon dioxide infused vodkaLet me get back to you on that.
(27:30):
I have no idea what that wouldtaste like, but they've captured
the interest of venturecapitalists.
They've raised $69 million.
They have a $65 millioncontract with the Department of
Defense and it's raised over$100 million in total, with 120
(27:51):
employees and its lab and R&Doperations based right there in
good old Brooklyn.
Of all the things they couldturn into, they have focused on
fuel because that is an industrywhere it can have a substantial
impact.
They'll readily admit that it'sone of the hardest industries
traditionally to decarbonize.
(28:14):
However, transportation is thelargest contributor to the
United States greenhouse gasemissions, accounting for 28% of
all direct emissions Globally.
By comparison, aviationglobally alone, accounts for 2%
of the world's greenhouse gasemissions.
(28:35):
But instead of using anoil-based feedstock, they use
CO2.
And they create with hydrogenfuels through a process that
runs on.
Get this renewable energy.
So for all you naysayers outthere that say well, shoot,
they're only trading one powerinput for another.
(28:56):
It's still dirty.
No, not this one.
They're taking the captured CO2instead of releasing it to the
atmosphere.
Combining's still dirty.
No, not this one.
They're taking the captured CO2, instead of releasing it to the
atmosphere, combining it withoxygen I mean hydrogen and
creating a fuel.
But the process they use usesrenewable energy, excuse me
(29:22):
Meaning they don't need inputsof fossil fuels to make this
thing.
Without fossil fuels, whichmeans it is a net benefit to the
environment.
It's a win-win.
Here we talked about variouscompanies getting into the
sustainable aviation fuelbusiness.
(29:42):
We talked about how, even withthese companies in the business,
it's still a drop in the bucketwhen they're talking millions
of gallons of SAF, opposed tothe billions of gallons that
commercial aircraft burn everyyear.
Small but growing and anincreasing number of airlines
are signing up because they haveplans in place to decarbonize
(30:07):
and this is one of the cheapestways to do it Change your fuel
so it produces less greenhousegases, particularly if you could
do it without having tore-engineer everything and spend
millions of dollars to retrofitor replace your planes.
Because, like the auto industry, the airline, the commercial
aircraft industry is capitalintensive Hundreds of millions,
(30:30):
billions of dollars, millions ofdollars, hundreds of millions
per aircraft.
So anything that prevents themfrom having to spend that kind
of money and allows them to getcleaner on their way to a
carbon-free future.
They're all in, With companieslike Airco leading the charge.
(30:51):
You'll see more of this, notless, particularly with all the
renewable energy installationscoming online all over the
country.
The renewable energyinstallations coming online all
over the country.
The need is great, but thetraining is sparse.
What do you do?
This nonprofit has theunconventional answer.
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
(31:15):
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
country.
Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
visiting techmobilityshow.
(31:37):
That's techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobility dot show.
Did you know that TechMobilityhas a YouTube channel?
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe TechMobility show.
Each week, I upload a few shortvideos of some of the hot
(31:58):
topics that I cover during myweekly radio program.
I've designed these videos tobe informative and entertaining.
It's another way to keep up oncurrent mobility and technology
news and information.
Be sure to watch, like andsubscribe to my channel.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon YouTube.
Check it out.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Are you tired of juggling multiple apps and
platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
Look no further thanAONmeetingscom, the all-in-one
browser-based platform that doesit all.
With AONmeetings, you caneffortlessly communicate with
clients, host virtual meetingsand webinars and stay in touch
with family and friends all inone place and for one price.
Here's the best part you canenjoy a 30-day free trial.
(32:38):
It's time to simplify your lifeand boost your productivity.
Aonmeetingscom, whereinnovation meets connection.
Get started today andrevolutionize the way you
communicate.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Social media is the place to be these days, and
we're no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos From the latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
(33:11):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
Throughout the united states,many a local new car dealer has
a continuing need forexperienced service technicians,
so much the more now with theincreased sophistication of the
(33:32):
engineering and technical designof vehicles.
Working with the localcommunity, college and high
schools.
Shrinking budgets and changingpriorities means that very often
, the local resources are notavailable to the dealership for
recruitment.
As you might expect, it'stechnology to the rescue, but
not the way that you may assume.
This is Topic C.
(33:53):
This is a feel-good story forthe week.
A couple years back, we talkedabout an outfit that was created
in Maryland called Vehicles forChange.
In 2015, vehicles for Changewas a program to provide
(34:15):
low-cost used vehicles tounderprivileged Maryland
residents so they could get totheir job.
Used vehicles tounderprivileged Maryland
residents so they could get totheir job.
The nonprofit was receiving 40vehicles donated a month and
they would go to local dealerskind of fix them up, make them
roadworthy, to give them away tofolks who need them.
But they ran into a problemthey couldn't find enough
(34:38):
service technicians available atthe dealerships to work on
these cars.
So in its first iteration backin 2015, they evolved into
developing a program for servicetechnicians, but not just any
program.
Their program in the state ofMaryland was designed for one
(34:58):
group of people inmates.
Seems that the Maryland prisonsystem had some sort of minimal
training for auto technicians,but when the inmates got out
they couldn't get any practicalexperience and nobody would give
them a chance because of theirrecord.
Hence Vehicles for Change.
(35:19):
They stepped in to do thetraining for these technicians
so that they could be paired upwith dealerships and get real
jobs and get their lives turnedaround.
To give you an idea of whatthey were doing, this is back
now, almost 10 years ago.
90% of Vehicle for Changegraduates were previously
(35:41):
incarcerated and it's trainedmore than 220 technicians and at
that time planned to train 120more.
These technicians would go onto work at local dealerships For
somebody who's paid their duesneeds a second chance, needs a
break.
This was an excellent way to doit.
(36:03):
Let's fast forward to the otherside of the pandemic.
So here we are In the UnitedStates.
Pick an automobile dealership Idon't care what make and if you
talk to the dealer owner atlength, or the service manager
or the general manager, theywill lament the fact that they
(36:26):
need they're probably short ofservice technicians.
And, to be honest, servicetechnicians is a good paying job
.
It's a pretty comfortable job,but with all the training that
is required, you just can't grabsomebody off the street and
hand them a wrench.
Those days are over.
But what do you do if you arein a rural area or someplace
(36:51):
where maybe you're lucky to havea community college but they
don't have an automotive programand you don't have the means,
maybe, to go 30 miles, 40 miles,50 miles away to a school that
does?
This is the gap that Vehiclesfor Change has walked into.
In their next act they haveemployed and they've developed
(37:15):
what they call a virtual realitytraining program that allows
students in locations that don'thave it to actually get
training remotely, virtually,and then what they're doing is
they're teaming up with localdealerships for internships so
(37:37):
that they can get the hands-onpart of it that they need
dealerships, so that they canget the hands-on part of it,
that they need these headsets.
These virtual reality headsetscost about three.
Well, it costs a school aboutthree grand a year.
They've gotten some of thelocal dealerships to actually
underwrite the cost of theprogram for doing it at one high
(37:59):
school and one communitycollege.
A bank who's all about helpingpeople get back on their feet,
also has pitched in some moneyfor this program.
It's not college, it's notfancy books.
At its core, it is an abilityto help people in rural areas
(38:22):
who maybe don't have theopportunity to make that good
money to learn a skill, learn atrade, get an opportunity to
make family support money, moneyto support a family, money to
support themselves, bringingmoney into a community that
otherwise may not see it becausethey may have moved away to a
(38:42):
bigger city to live.
Now they don't have to.
Vehicles for Change this istheir next act.
They started offering thistechnician training using
virtual reality in January oflast year For the educational
institutions.
(39:03):
As I mentioned earlier, thecost per school is $3,000 a year
and that includes the VRheadset and software training
how to use the system and aroundthe clock technical support.
A trainee into this system goesthrough 120 hours of virtual
instruction over 10 weeks.
Besides working with schools inlow-income areas, the nonprofit
(39:27):
works with prisons, as I said,to help them get a skill they
can use a job when they'rereleased.
How can you go wrong here?
An opportunity to help peoplein need and help people who want
to work, work but not at somelow-paying job.
Actually, if they're willing toput in the time, learn a trade
(39:50):
and actually make good moneywhile at the same time, helping
fulfill a need and, superimposedon that, if you have a number
of these people making this kindof money in your small
community, that money ripplesthrough the economy so it can
help small towns, because nowyou've got people who are able
(40:11):
to buy homes, people who areable to spend money, buy
furniture and things like that.
Support a family.
Buy a house, pay taxes.
Support a family, buy a house,pay taxes.
People who were once an expenseto the state now get a solid
(40:38):
chance to be contributingupright citizens of the
community with a job, with afuture, with a chance.
It is an excellent idea and weneed to do more of this.
The local dealership body.
The local dealership which isin a number of states excuse me
is underwriting this particularpilot Local bank through what
(40:58):
they call Truist Foundation it'sTruist Bank.
They're underwriting a $625,000grant for vehicles to change
for this virtual program to beused where the bank has
operations through its states.
It's an excellent idea.
We need more of this and lessof the hand-wringing, because
(41:21):
this is real solutions, this hasreal answers and this has a
real benefit to everybody.
Everybody wins here and,honestly, that's the best kind
of program.
That is because it's not ahandout.
(41:52):
For those of you that listen topodcasts, we have just the one
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
Tech Mobility Topics is apodcast where I upload
topic-specific videos each weekShorter than a full show.
These bite-sized programs arejust the thing, particularly if
you're interested in aparticular topic covered on the
weekly radio show.
From Apple Podcasts toiHeartRadio and many podcast
(42:13):
platforms in between.
We got you covered.
Just enter Tech Mobility Topicsin the search bar.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place
to be, and we're no exception.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Several times a week, I post toTikTok several of the topics
that I cover on my weekly radioshow.
(42:34):
It's another way to keep up onmobility technology news and
information.
I've built quite a library ofshort videos for your viewing
pleasure, so be sure to watch,like and subscribe.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon TikTok.
Check it out.
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
(42:57):
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
country.
Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
visiting techmobilityshow.
That's techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobilityshow.
Do you listen to podcasts?
(43:22):
Seems that most people do.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe TechMobility show.
If you missed any of our weeklyepisodes on the radio, our
podcast is a great way to listen.
You can find the TechMobilitypodcast just about anywhere you
can enjoy podcasts.
Be sure to follow us from ApplePodcasts, iheartradio and many
platforms in between.
We are there.
(43:42):
Just enter the Tech MobilityPodcast in the search bar,
wherever you listen to podcasts.
Welcome to the Tech Mobility Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Ken Chester On the docket which cities have the
most trees?
The gas station of the future.
And virtual reality facilitatesautomotive technician training.
To add your voice to theconversation, be it to ask a
question, share an opinion oreven suggest a topic for future
discussion, call or text theTechMobility hotline, that
(00:33):
number, 872-222-9793, or you canemail the show directly if you
prefer talk at techmobilityshow.
If you prefer talk attechmobilityshow, and while
you're at it, be sure tosubscribe, like and follow us on
social media, our YouTubechannel and, for those of you
that subscribe to Substack, youcan find me there as well.
(00:57):
Be sure to take a listen, takea look.
I think you'll like what I'vegot out there From the Tech
Mobility News Desk.
I ran out of time last week andtried to introduce this topic
and I promised you that I wouldbring it back and talk about it
in more detail.
If you didn't catch it.
Last week I was talking aboutJapanese EV maker BYD.
(01:22):
Ev maker BYD.
Byd, 30 years ago, was abattery manufacturer, not even
an EV battery manufacturer.
They made batteries.
That was their business.
They have evolved to eclipseTesla in a brutally
hyper-aggressive market theChinese market to be the largest
(01:45):
manufacturer of EVs globallyand they're doing it in a way
that people don't have to settlefor less, even though they're
vehicles.
You can buy A fairlysophisticated BYD EV sedan for
(02:05):
right around $13,000 American 10to 13 grand.
The standard equipment in thisvehicle would blow your mind.
I mean a couple of the slogansmore features for no more price
and smart driving for all.
More features for no more priceand smart driving for all.
(02:26):
What they're getting ready to donow is really a game changer.
And even though they don'ttechnically sell cars in the
United States, they do in Canada, they do in Mexico.
It is only a matter of time.
It is only a matter of timebecause, honestly, in case you
didn't know, byd does sell busesin the United States.
(02:46):
So it's not like they're nothere and it's not like they're
not watching.
They're introducing somethingthey call their Super E platform
.
What's so super about it?
They now claim that you canrecharge one of their vehicles
as fast as it takes to put ingas in a vehicle.
(03:09):
You're down to five or tenminutes.
How many miles you said in fiveto ten minutes, would you
believe?
Upwards of 249 miles to charge?
Not in a half an hour, not inan hour, not in two, not in six,
not in eight.
I said five to ten minute tops.
(03:33):
And no, this is not batteryswapping.
That's something that NIO isdoing and their times are like
that.
But they're swapping wholebatteries and they've built an
infrastructure to allow that tohappen, as well as vehicle
design.
This is not that.
What BYD is saying.
What BYD has done, what BYD hasgone into their labs to produce
, is the ability to rechargetheir own batteries, which they
(03:56):
make themselves from a standardhigh-speed charger in five to
ten minutes.
Technology is there?
The reason why I'm making a bigdeal about this, and I'm
talking specifically to thenaysayers, the EV naysayers.
(04:17):
I'll never own an EV.
Oh, my God, it catches fire.
Oh, the batteries wear out.
Oh, they're not guaranteed.
Oh, they've got problems.
People, people.
When vehicles, when the motorvehicle first made its
appearance over 120 years ago,you realize that the first
(04:41):
vehicles on the road wereelectric.
Because the gasoline vehiclesof that time were deemed too
dangerous that you had to handstart them.
And until Boss Ketteringinvented the electric start
standard on Cadillacs in 1911,you had a hand crank vehicle and
(05:03):
many person broke an arm whenthe engine kicked back.
They were dangerous, they weresmelly, they were flammable.
A self-respecting person, evenan early adopter, would not fool
with a gasoline-powered car ofthe early 1900s.
So what happened?
They made progress.
They got reliable Electricstart eliminated the risk of
(05:26):
getting hurt.
Gasoline as a fuel got morestable.
The whole infrastructure.
They built an entireinfrastructure.
Let's get our facts straighthere.
We have now come full circle in100 years.
Come full circle in 100 years.
(05:47):
The issue now that we've talkedabout at length on this program
takes too long to recharge an EV.
The EV range is lousy and whenyou find a public charger it
doesn't always work.
And the final one, evs areexpensive.
What did I tell you?
I explained that oncetraditional automobile
manufacturers come into themarketplace and begin to scale
(06:12):
for production meaning buildingfacilities and building
infrastructure to support themanufacture of hundreds of
thousands of units they would dolike they've always done they
would turn their engineers looseto squeeze price, eliminate
cost, go to cheaper materials,more stable materials, more
long-lasting materials.
(06:32):
The cost of EV batteries hasbeen falling like a rock for the
last 15 years and is at paritywith gasoline.
The average EV battery packlasts 10 to 12 years, some even
longer than that, and that isonly the first life, they could
be repurposed.
(06:53):
Can your internal combustionengine, when it reaches 150, 175
, 200,000 miles, be repurposed?
Ev batteries can, at 80%.
When they drop to 80%, whilethey're not suitable for motor
vehicles anymore, they can berepurposed as standalone
stationary energy storagesystems and more.
(07:17):
Byd is leading the charge, alongwith Lucid Air and others, to
eliminate those friction pointsin EV ownership.
Remember I told you we werewaiting on the introduction of
the Chevrolet Equinox Because Itold you that the price of that
(07:38):
vehicle would be comparable tomy 2018 Equinox when it was new.
In 2018, seven years ago.
You can buy pretty close tothat price.
Mine went for $30,000.
You could buy an Equinox backthen as high as $40,000.
(07:58):
You can buy a brand new EquinoxEV for that today, not $140,000
, not $70,000, not 70, not 80,less than 50.
, Configured right, even maybeless than 40.
And this is just the beginningof the floodgates.
The industry's pivoted towardshybrids for now because it makes
(08:21):
the most sense, but I believein time, because of all the
things swirling and all thebillions of dollars, hundreds of
billions of dollars ofinvestment, that EVs, as they
eliminate the friction points ofownership, will become even
more attractive than hybrids infive years or less.
Byd is leading that chargeyears or less.
(08:43):
Byd is leading that charge.
The sort of speed that BYD saysit can deliver dwarfs even
Tesla's superchargers, whichwill do 10 minutes and about 249
miles.
Other rivals, likeMercedes-Benz' new entry-level
CLA sedan EV can do a little bitbetter, maybe about 275 after
(09:06):
10 minutes.
All I'm saying is this I saidearly on that 300-mile range
will be the intermediatestandard, that the ideal
standard by the end of thedecade will be 500 miles of
range.
And with where we're going andwe talked about even Toyota with
(09:30):
a 1,000-mile battery that theyexpect to have by the end of the
decade that 600-mile EV batteryin the next couple of years,
that's Toyota.
They're not taking anyprisoners.
Byd is one of several, butthat's where we're going.
The days of having to wait anhour to recharge Are over.
But then again, if you're acertain age, you remember,
(09:53):
remember dial-up internet, howlong it took.
We wouldn't stand for that now,but that was then.
This is now.
When it comes to neighborhoods,do trees matter?
If so, which communities havethem?
We discuss next.
This is now.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
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Speaker 2 (10:47):
Social media is the main place to be these days, and
we are no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Facebook videos, from my latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary of a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Facebook.
(11:09):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
Be sure to subscribe to ourFacebook page.
Social media is the place to bethese days.
We're no exception.
I'm ken chester, the techmobility show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
(11:31):
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
For those of you that listen topodcasts, we have just the one
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
(11:52):
Tech Mobility Topics is apodcast where I upload
topic-specific videos each week,shorter than a full show.
(12:22):
These bite-sized programs arejust the thing, particularly if
We'll see you next time, so justhow are we going to have more
fun in the 90s Introducing thenew 4x4 X90 from Suzuki?
It's going to make the 90s alot more fun.
The X90 from Suzukiuki.
(12:42):
Ask anyone wants one.
See your local suzuki dealer.
I bet if you watch thiscommercial today you would not
recognize the little device thatthe driver was using to
basically give off or dispenseX90s.
(13:05):
It was called a Pez dispenser.
It was all the rage 30 yearsago.
It dispensed little candies anddispense dispensers were
decorative and they were funnyand silly and kind of 90s, very
90s.
But it's one of those iconsthat unless you grew up during
the time, you probably wouldn'trecognize or even know what the
(13:27):
benefit is.
And they were saying is theXC90 dispenses fun just like the
candy and you can have fun justlike that.
It was a quirky little vehicle.
It very was Kind of an SUVconvertible, sort of small, yeah
, kind of tracks meets sportsconvertible.
(13:47):
It was weird.
They sold a few Suzuki X90.
Let's talk about trees, shall we?
They are amazing tools ofnature, these biological wonders
.
They absorb carbon dioxide.
They give off oxygen that weneed to breathe.
(14:07):
Think about that for a minute.
They take the nasty stuff, theyabsorb it, they use it for
something called photosynthesisand they give off oxygen.
As a result, they shade ourneighborhoods during the spring
and summer, loweringtemperatures by as much as 8 to
11 degrees.
They absorb noise, reducingnoise pollution and, depending
(14:30):
on the season, they're pretty tolook at.
So what's not to love?
We discuss which cities havetrees in abundance.
This is topic A.
Let's talk about the lay of theland, shall we in the United
States of America?
And then we're going tofine-tune that a little bit.
(14:53):
Obviously, the writer in thispiece talked about an urban
forest.
We're talking about what's incities, not so much what's in
the countryside but what's incities.
And in preparing the articlethey leaned on researchers at
the Arbor Day Foundation, the USForest Service and a forestry
(15:17):
consultancy Plant, it Geo, andtogether they mapped tree cover
across all urban areas of thecountry using aerial imagery and
artificial intelligence.
Their computer model analyzespattern and color shape and
shadowing to detect tree crowns.
First of all, no surprise whenthey show a map of the United
(15:42):
States, they show significanttree coverage east of the
Mississippi River.
Okay, that makes sense.
By the time you cross theMississippi, you're in the Great
Plains.
Or if you go southwest, you'rein the desert.
Or if you cross the mountains,you're in the rocky shores of
the Pacific, bounding thePacific, whether it be
California shores of the Pacific, bounding the Pacific, whether
(16:03):
it be California, pacific,northwest, different, different,
different.
This is naturally occurring.
But let's talk about specificneighborhoods.
This is a fact and we've talkedabout this before.
Depending on the city that youlive, the more affluent
neighborhoods tend to be leafier, tend to have more trees, tend
(16:24):
to have more coverage.
The poor neighborhoods, whichabut industrial areas and
business areas, where land ismore value than the quality of
living in those neighborhoods,don't have as many trees.
So what's that mean?
Just to give an idea of whythis is a big deal Trees I
(16:46):
mentioned shelter and theyprovide oxygen, which means they
are the line of first defensein many urban areas in fighting
pollution, smog, all that uglystuff.
If you are in a poorneighborhood with a lack of
trees, then you have a higherincidence of the disease.
(17:07):
They prove that Respiratory,that in the summertime,
particularly now with climatechange, where there is more
extreme weather, that is moreextreme more often.
The climate's warming and ifyou're in one of those
neighborhoods, it means that itdoes not cool at night because
all that cement that was exposedand brick and everything
(17:29):
maintained the heat and gave itoff at night, keeping
temperatures artificially high,as opposed to a neighborhood
where you have grass and treeswhere that would fall and you
can get some relief.
Unfortunately, it is a sign ofredlining, but let me give an
(17:51):
idea, just to give an idea ofwhen we talked about east of the
country, where trees grownaturally wherever they find an
opening Average tree cover.
In Atlanta, georgia, which isone of the higher ones in the
country, 51.4% of the city hastree cover.
So what about, I don't know.
(18:14):
Middle of the country, sayKansas City.
And before I talk about KansasCity I want to back up because
it says, traveling west, thenatural landscape turns into the
grasslands and cities begin tohave fewer and fewer trees,
meaning that if there's trees inyour Midwestern town, the city
made a point and a commitment toplant them.
(18:36):
Again, priorities Look wherethe trees are being planted and
look where they're not beingplanted.
By comparison, in the upperMidwest Kansas City, still
pretty good at 34.1% tree cover.
Let's talk about the desert fora minute, because in a desert
(18:59):
it's a whole different thinggoing on.
Trees need moisture.
Deserts don't have it.
So the chance of growing a lushtree canopy and say Phoenix,
not likely In the Southwest,where annual rainfall averages
just 8 to 14 inches.
Trees need almost year-roundirrigation to survive, phoenix
(19:22):
being a good example 8.5% treecover.
They don't have theinfrastructure in any
neighborhood in Phoenix tosupport a tree canopy.
So what does that mean?
It means that when it gets thathot in summertime in Phoenix,
it stays that hot at night andis not easily dissipated.
(19:43):
They also don't have a line ofdefense towards smog or
pollution or dust or anything.
Again because of the lack oftree cover.
What trees could do for allneighborhoods in Phoenix?
Conservation organizations likeAmerican Forest recognize that
sustaining trees is much harderin some places than others.
(20:05):
So they recommend a tree covergoal of 40 to 60 percent for
communities in forested statesthat's like the East Coast and a
much smaller 15 percent targetfor desert cities, which would
be almost double where Phoenixis now Real quick.
Here's what's at stake.
Blistering summer heat hasbecome the new normal.
(20:28):
Trees save lives and thechallenge finding space for
trees is tricky.
In growing cities You've got tobalance the need for ground
versus the need to put in trees.
Unfortunately, usually the needfor real estate outstrips the
ability to plant trees.
Is it worth your health?
(20:50):
Is it worth quality of life?
For many cities, the answer isyes.
For more affluent neighborhoods.
The answer is yes.
Yes, the best thing you can doto improve quality of life in
your community plant a tree.
The gas station of the futurewon't be dispensing fossil fuels
as it does today, but will beoffering something else to power
(21:11):
a variety of things.
This is the Tech Mobility Show.
Do you listen to podcasts?
Seems that most people do.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
If you missed any of our weeklyepisodes on the radio, our
podcast is a great way to listen.
You can find the Tech MobilityPodcast just about anywhere.
(21:33):
You can enjoy podcasts.
Be sure to follow us from ApplePodcasts, iheart Radio and many
platforms in between.
We are there.
Just enter the Tech MobilityPodcast in the search bar.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media it's the place to
be.
We're no exception.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe TechMobility show.
(21:55):
Several times a week, I post toTikTok several of the topics
that I cover on my weekly radioshow.
It's another way to keep up onmobility, technology news and
information.
I've built quite a library ofshort videos for your viewing
pleasure, so be sure to watch,like and subscribe.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon TikTok.
Check it out.
(22:21):
A recent article in the businessmagazine Fast Company talked
about a gas station of thefuture in New York City and the
company behind it.
Nope, they haven't given up ondecarbonization, but what
they're using for a feedstock tocreate the new fuels might
surprise you.
(22:41):
This is topic B.
The name of the company iscalled Airco and, believe it or
not, it turns carbon dioxideinto fuels, and they just
launched a pop-up store, if youcan believe it, a concept store
in New York City that highlightsall the types of travel the
company aims to decarbonize.
Isn't this interesting?
Right now, you would assume thatthe only conversation that
(23:05):
people are having aboutdecarbonization is you got to go
hybrid, you got to use hydrogen, you got to go to an EV, you
got to use EV batteries.
It's the only way you got to doit this way.
What we're finding out and thisis the beautiful part about
technology is that, regardlessof what you are trying to do,
(23:28):
there's usually more than oneway to do it.
This company is looking attaking on a problem to resolve
an issue.
It's also an acknowledgementthat, at least for the near
future decarbonization, peopleare not immediately going to EV
everything.
We've talked about that atlength.
(23:49):
We've talked about the typicalbugaboos of EV adoption charging
issues, speed, availability,reliability of the chargers,
range for the batteries, howlong do the batteries last, how
convenient are they, what is thecost to get into it, all of
these things.
But this company here is sayinghey, we have another way and we
(24:10):
want to share with the publicand educate the public where
we're going, where we think wecan go with this, and I think
probably the most importantthing of all of this that blew
my mind is that their process,particularly for what we call
(24:33):
sustainable aircraft fuel andI've talked about SAF before and
this is part of where they'regoing about SAF before, and this
is part of where they're goingAirco's synthetic fuels are 100%
compatible with currentaircraft current aircraft,
(24:55):
unlike hydrogen, which requiresnew engine designs.
Let that sink in for a minute.
By using carbon dioxide, whichis what the other fossil
fuel-based engines emit, theycan lower carbonization by quite
a bit, and I'll find thatnumber.
I want to say it was 98%, Ithought it was the number I saw.
(25:17):
But can you imagine using oneman's emissions to power another
man's vehicle and lowering thefootprint in the process?
That's the thing, because afterall let's be brutally honest
here A big thing that's going tomake this succeed or fail.
(25:40):
It's always all about the money.
If you're an airline, if you'rea trucking company, if you're a
railroad or a person who justowns a car, your interest in
decarbonization boils down tothese things.
One, it's got to give you abenefit and, honestly, it needs
(26:03):
to be beyond the this is goodfor the planet benefit.
While there are people that canrelate to that and understand
the importance of that, that isnot always enough to influence a
person's pocketbook,particularly if they're going to
be paying a premium to do it.
That almost kills it.
Right there we say wait aminute, I'm all for helping the
(26:24):
planet, but you're telling meit's going to cost me 20% more
on top of this to do it.
Eh, I'll either wait or I'm notgoing to do it.
This company developed thisconcept store.
It's called the Fuel Store andit's an immersive concept store
by Air Company and they're aBrooklyn-based startup.
(26:45):
They turn captured CO2 andhydrogen into synthetic fuels.
They take carbon dioxide, mixit with hydrogen and they have a
burnable, usable fuel thatemits way less carbon than the
original fossil fuels.
Give an example of some of thethings they've turned into it.
(27:10):
If you can believe it.
They've turned captured CO2into all kinds of things,
including and this is a listfrom the magazine vodka, hand
sanitizer and perfume, sincethey started 2017.
Carbon dioxide infused vodkaLet me get back to you on that.
(27:30):
I have no idea what that wouldtaste like, but they've captured
the interest of venturecapitalists.
They've raised $69 million.
They have a $65 millioncontract with the Department of
Defense and it's raised over$100 million in total, with 120
(27:51):
employees and its lab and R&Doperations based right there in
good old Brooklyn.
Of all the things they couldturn into, they have focused on
fuel because that is an industrywhere it can have a substantial
impact.
They'll readily admit that it'sone of the hardest industries
traditionally to decarbonize.
(28:14):
However, transportation is thelargest contributor to the
United States greenhouse gasemissions, accounting for 28% of
all direct emissions Globally.
By comparison, aviationglobally alone, accounts for 2%
of the world's greenhouse gasemissions.
(28:35):
But instead of using anoil-based feedstock, they use
CO2.
And they create with hydrogenfuels through a process that
runs on.
Get this renewable energy.
So for all you naysayers outthere that say well, shoot,
they're only trading one powerinput for another.
(28:56):
It's still dirty.
No, not this one.
They're taking the captured CO2instead of releasing it to the
atmosphere.
Combining's still dirty.
No, not this one.
They're taking the captured CO2, instead of releasing it to the
atmosphere, combining it withoxygen I mean hydrogen and
creating a fuel.
But the process they use usesrenewable energy, excuse me
(29:22):
Meaning they don't need inputsof fossil fuels to make this
thing.
Without fossil fuels, whichmeans it is a net benefit to the
environment.
It's a win-win.
Here we talked about variouscompanies getting into the
sustainable aviation fuelbusiness.
(29:42):
We talked about how, even withthese companies in the business,
it's still a drop in the bucketwhen they're talking millions
of gallons of SAF, opposed tothe billions of gallons that
commercial aircraft burn everyyear.
Small but growing and anincreasing number of airlines
are signing up because they haveplans in place to decarbonize
(30:07):
and this is one of the cheapestways to do it Change your fuel
so it produces less greenhousegases, particularly if you could
do it without having tore-engineer everything and spend
millions of dollars to retrofitor replace your planes.
Because, like the auto industry, the airline, the commercial
aircraft industry is capitalintensive Hundreds of millions,
(30:30):
billions of dollars, millions ofdollars, hundreds of millions
per aircraft.
So anything that prevents themfrom having to spend that kind
of money and allows them to getcleaner on their way to a
carbon-free future.
They're all in, With companieslike Airco leading the charge.
(30:51):
You'll see more of this, notless, particularly with all the
renewable energy installationscoming online all over the
country.
The renewable energyinstallations coming online all
over the country.
The need is great, but thetraining is sparse.
What do you do?
This nonprofit has theunconventional answer.
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
(31:15):
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
country.
Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
visiting techmobilityshow.
(31:37):
That's techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobility dot show.
Did you know that TechMobilityhas a YouTube channel?
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe TechMobility show.
Each week, I upload a few shortvideos of some of the hot
(31:58):
topics that I cover during myweekly radio program.
I've designed these videos tobe informative and entertaining.
It's another way to keep up oncurrent mobility and technology
news and information.
Be sure to watch, like andsubscribe to my channel.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon YouTube.
Check it out.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
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Speaker 2 (32:50):
Social media is the place to be these days, and
we're no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos From the latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
(33:11):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
Throughout the united states,many a local new car dealer has
a continuing need forexperienced service technicians,
so much the more now with theincreased sophistication of the
(33:32):
engineering and technical designof vehicles.
Working with the localcommunity, college and high
schools.
Shrinking budgets and changingpriorities means that very often
, the local resources are notavailable to the dealership for
recruitment.
As you might expect, it'stechnology to the rescue, but
not the way that you may assume.
This is Topic C.
(33:53):
This is a feel-good story forthe week.
A couple years back, we talkedabout an outfit that was created
in Maryland called Vehicles forChange.
In 2015, vehicles for Changewas a program to provide
(34:15):
low-cost used vehicles tounderprivileged Maryland
residents so they could get totheir job.
Used vehicles tounderprivileged Maryland
residents so they could get totheir job.
The nonprofit was receiving 40vehicles donated a month and
they would go to local dealerskind of fix them up, make them
roadworthy, to give them away tofolks who need them.
But they ran into a problemthey couldn't find enough
(34:38):
service technicians available atthe dealerships to work on
these cars.
So in its first iteration backin 2015, they evolved into
developing a program for servicetechnicians, but not just any
program.
Their program in the state ofMaryland was designed for one
(34:58):
group of people inmates.
Seems that the Maryland prisonsystem had some sort of minimal
training for auto technicians,but when the inmates got out
they couldn't get any practicalexperience and nobody would give
them a chance because of theirrecord.
Hence Vehicles for Change.
(35:19):
They stepped in to do thetraining for these technicians
so that they could be paired upwith dealerships and get real
jobs and get their lives turnedaround.
To give you an idea of whatthey were doing, this is back
now, almost 10 years ago.
90% of Vehicle for Changegraduates were previously
(35:41):
incarcerated and it's trainedmore than 220 technicians and at
that time planned to train 120more.
These technicians would go onto work at local dealerships For
somebody who's paid their duesneeds a second chance, needs a
break.
This was an excellent way to doit.
(36:03):
Let's fast forward to the otherside of the pandemic.
So here we are In the UnitedStates.
Pick an automobile dealership Idon't care what make and if you
talk to the dealer owner atlength, or the service manager
or the general manager, theywill lament the fact that they
(36:26):
need they're probably short ofservice technicians.
And, to be honest, servicetechnicians is a good paying job
.
It's a pretty comfortable job,but with all the training that
is required, you just can't grabsomebody off the street and
hand them a wrench.
Those days are over.
But what do you do if you arein a rural area or someplace
(36:51):
where maybe you're lucky to havea community college but they
don't have an automotive programand you don't have the means,
maybe, to go 30 miles, 40 miles,50 miles away to a school that
does?
This is the gap that Vehiclesfor Change has walked into.
In their next act they haveemployed and they've developed
(37:15):
what they call a virtual realitytraining program that allows
students in locations that don'thave it to actually get
training remotely, virtually,and then what they're doing is
they're teaming up with localdealerships for internships so
(37:37):
that they can get the hands-onpart of it that they need
dealerships, so that they canget the hands-on part of it,
that they need these headsets.
These virtual reality headsetscost about three.
Well, it costs a school aboutthree grand a year.
They've gotten some of thelocal dealerships to actually
underwrite the cost of theprogram for doing it at one high
(37:59):
school and one communitycollege.
A bank who's all about helpingpeople get back on their feet,
also has pitched in some moneyfor this program.
It's not college, it's notfancy books.
At its core, it is an abilityto help people in rural areas
(38:22):
who maybe don't have theopportunity to make that good
money to learn a skill, learn atrade, get an opportunity to
make family support money, moneyto support a family, money to
support themselves, bringingmoney into a community that
otherwise may not see it becausethey may have moved away to a
(38:42):
bigger city to live.
Now they don't have to.
Vehicles for Change this istheir next act.
They started offering thistechnician training using
virtual reality in January oflast year For the educational
institutions.
(39:03):
As I mentioned earlier, thecost per school is $3,000 a year
and that includes the VRheadset and software training
how to use the system and aroundthe clock technical support.
A trainee into this system goesthrough 120 hours of virtual
instruction over 10 weeks.
Besides working with schools inlow-income areas, the nonprofit
(39:27):
works with prisons, as I said,to help them get a skill they
can use a job when they'rereleased.
How can you go wrong here?
An opportunity to help peoplein need and help people who want
to work, work but not at somelow-paying job.
Actually, if they're willing toput in the time, learn a trade
(39:50):
and actually make good moneywhile at the same time, helping
fulfill a need and, superimposedon that, if you have a number
of these people making this kindof money in your small
community, that money ripplesthrough the economy so it can
help small towns, because nowyou've got people who are able
(40:11):
to buy homes, people who areable to spend money, buy
furniture and things like that.
Support a family.
Buy a house, pay taxes.
Support a family, buy a house,pay taxes.
People who were once an expenseto the state now get a solid
(40:38):
chance to be contributingupright citizens of the
community with a job, with afuture, with a chance.
It is an excellent idea and weneed to do more of this.
The local dealership body.
The local dealership which isin a number of states excuse me
is underwriting this particularpilot Local bank through what
(40:58):
they call Truist Foundation it'sTruist Bank.
They're underwriting a $625,000grant for vehicles to change
for this virtual program to beused where the bank has
operations through its states.
It's an excellent idea.
We need more of this and lessof the hand-wringing, because
(41:21):
this is real solutions, this hasreal answers and this has a
real benefit to everybody.
Everybody wins here and,honestly, that's the best kind
of program.
That is because it's not ahandout.
(41:52):
For those of you that listen topodcasts, we have just the one
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
Tech Mobility Topics is apodcast where I upload
topic-specific videos each weekShorter than a full show.
These bite-sized programs arejust the thing, particularly if
you're interested in aparticular topic covered on the
weekly radio show.
From Apple Podcasts toiHeartRadio and many podcast
(42:13):
platforms in between.
We got you covered.
Just enter Tech Mobility Topicsin the search bar.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place
to be, and we're no exception.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Several times a week, I post toTikTok several of the topics
that I cover on my weekly radioshow.
(42:34):
It's another way to keep up onmobility technology news and
information.
I've built quite a library ofshort videos for your viewing
pleasure, so be sure to watch,like and subscribe.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon TikTok.
Check it out.
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
(42:57):
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
country.
Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
visiting techmobilityshow.
That's techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobilityshow.
Do you listen to podcasts?
(43:22):
Seems that most people do.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe TechMobility show.
If you missed any of our weeklyepisodes on the radio, our
podcast is a great way to listen.
You can find the TechMobilitypodcast just about anywhere you
can enjoy podcasts.
Be sure to follow us from ApplePodcasts, iheartradio and many
platforms in between.
We are there.
(43:42):
Just enter the Tech MobilityPodcast in the search bar,
wherever you listen to podcasts.
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