SAE Tomorrow Today

Demand for lithium-ion batteries is estimated to grow 500% in the next 10 years. With such an intense surge on the horizon, there is a need to ramp up the supply chain quickly and sustainably to support this growth.

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Enter Redwood Materials. Founded by JB Straubel, co-founder and former CTO of Tesla, Redwood is transforming the EV battery supply chain by producing anode copper foil and cathode active materials in the US at scale for the first time—and using an increasing amount of recycled content to build those components.

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Currently, EV battery materials move 50,000+ miles before they reach a battery cell factory. By offering large-scale sources of domestic anode and cathode materials produced from an increasing number of recycled batteries that directly go back to U.S. cell manufacturers, Redwood is creating a closed-loop, domestic supply chain for lithium-ion batteries.

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We sat down with Alexis Georgeson, VP Government Relations & Communications, to discuss Redwood Materials circular supply chain and how the company is recycling, refining, and remanufacturing battery materials for a clean energy future.

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We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to [email protected]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.

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With more and more consumers plugging in their cars instead of filling up their tanks, the gas tax is slowly eroding—just like many of our roads and bridges across the country. Less fuel tax means less money for repairing our decaying infrastructure, but Road Usage Charges (RUC) can change that.

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RUC — also referred to as a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fee, a distance-based user fee (DBF), or a mileage-based user fee (MBUF) — charges motorists based on the number of miles they drive instead of the number of gallons of fuel they put into their vehicles. This evolution to a more usage-based model provides sustainability and fairness in paying for our roads and bridges as more and more consumers move to EVs.

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As a leading global engineering and professional services firm, WSP USA has led some of the largest and most successful RUC pilots in the country. These efforts have led to wider state consideration and enhanced regional interest in RUC as a viable future transportation funding source.

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For expert insight, we sat down with David S. Kim, SVP and Principal, National Transportation Policy and Multimodal Strategy for WSP USA, to discuss RUC and how more states are considering RUC funding as an option given the rise in EV ownership and impacts of inflation. He also share insight on transit agencies’ complicated and expensive efforts to transition bus fleets to zero emission.

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We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to [email protected]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.

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Taking Delivery to New Heights With Drones

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It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a drone! From doorstep delivery to aerial data collection, drones are quickly becoming a powerful force for good across businesses and communities.

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DroneUp is leading this charge, accelerating from a small start-up to a global leader after receiving a significant investment from the #1 retailer in the world, Walmart, to deliver COVID tests during the pandemic. This partnership continued and became the impetus for the company to move beyond aerial data collection and into delivery services.

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Today, DroneUp provides a last-mile delivery system for swift local deliveries, as well as critical infrastructure inspections and airspace management solutions. With a culture that prioritizes safety over revenue, DroneUp partners closely with the FAA and collaborates on the overall development and adoption of drone-related standards.

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For insight, we sat down with Founder & CEO and former U.S. Naval Officer, Tom Walker, to discuss how DroneUp is scaling drone innovation to benefit both businesses and communities.

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We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to [email protected]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.

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Imagine flying into Milan, Italy, and being greeted by an autonomous vehicle that secures tickets to see Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper and provides a visual history of the artwork on your drive to the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. This type of priceless experience is the future of autonomy.

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With leisure and travel spending up in recent months, Grayson Brulte, Host of SAE Tomorrow Today, discusses the growing importance of the consumer experience and the role that AI and autonomous vehicles will play in this new landscape.

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Have your own thoughts on this topic? We’d love to hear from you! Share your comments, questions or ideas for future topics with Grayson on Twitter or send them to [email protected]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.

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As the automotive industry moves toward SAE Level 2 and Level 3 autonomy, monitoring driver distraction and encouraging safer driving behaviors is crucial. Driver monitoring systems (DMS) can be lifesaving—and they are increasingly being required by law in many countries around the world.

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Cipia is leading this charge with DMS solutions that employ advanced computer vision and AI to monitor the driver’s state in real time. Driver Sense detects signs of drowsiness, distraction, seatbelt, holding a phone while driving and more, enabling carmakers to provide lifesaving alerts to the driver.

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To learn more about this life-saving technology, we sat down with Tal Krzypow, Vice President of Product, to discuss Cipia’s advanced computer vision and AI capabilities, in-cabin monitoring and video telematics, and the overall state of DMS technology in markets around the world.

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We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to [email protected]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.

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Born out of call to “accessibility for all”, the goMARTI initiative in Grand Rapids, MN, provides safe, wheelchair accessible mobility for residents, while also collecting valuable data to inform AV operation in rural, winter conditions. Covering nearly 17 square miles and including approximately 70 pickup and drop off points, goMARTI also offers features such as audio cues for passengers who are visually impaired.

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As the first ADA-compliant autonomous shuttle service, goMARTI is a testament to the ability of community members, businesses, government, and technology working together to develop an accessible transportation solution for those in need.

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To learn how this inspiring initiative became reality, we sat down with Myrna Peterson, Founder & Co-Chair of MobilityMania, and Tammy Meehan Russell, President & Chief Catalyst, The PLUM Catalyst. It’s a powerful story that underscores the importance of community and technology coming together to improve quality of life. 

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We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to [email protected]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.

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When the public and private sector unite, society benefits. And there’s no better example than a pilot program taking place in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

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The first rural transit program with accessible AVs, goMARTI enables residents and visitors to take advantage of free, on-demand rides thanks to a unique partnership between May Mobility and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). The program provides safe, accessible mobility for residents, especially those with transportation challenges, while also taking in valuable data used to inform AV operations in rural, winter conditions.

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With a fleet of five AVs, including three with ADA-compliant wheelchair accessibility, goMARTI marks the first commercial launch of the Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS (S-AM) developed by May Mobility. Covering nearly 17 square miles and including approximately 70 pickup and drop off points, goMARTI also offers accessible features such as audio cues for passengers who are visually impaired.

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To learn more about the goMARTI program, we sat down with Kathy Winter, Chief Operations Officer, May Mobility, and Thomas Johnson-Kaiser, CAV-X Engagement and Project Manager, MnDOT, to discuss how their successful public-private partnership is prioritizing accessibility and equity to better serve the Grand Rapids community and beyond. 

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We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to [email protected]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.

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As Bob Dylan said, “the times, they are a-changin’.”

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With the recent fall of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and the potential bank consolidation that could follow, one is left wondering: could market consolidation come for the autonomous vehicle space like so many industries before?

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Using recent headlines and market knowledge as his guide, Grayson Brulte, Host of SAE Tomorrow Today, seeks to answer this question while discussing the driving forces of market consolidation on the future of mobility.  

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Have your own thoughts on this topic? We’d love to hear from you! Share your comments, questions or ideas for future topics with Grayson on Twitter or send them to [email protected]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.

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Big ideas need proper funding. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) is helping companies with clean energy innovations get to the next stage of commercialization. 

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By providing access to debt capital and custom financing, the LPO finances first-of-a-kind projects and other high-impact energy-related ventures. Since 2009, the LPO has issued more than $35 billion of loans and loan guarantees for more 30 energy infrastructure projects in the United States.

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Under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVM), the LPO provides loans to support the manufacture of eligible vehicles and qualifying components. To date, the program has loaned $8 billion for projects that have supported the production of more than 4 million advanced technology vehicles. Participants include Tesla, Ford, and Nissan, among others. The LPO is also helping onshore and reshore EV supply chains and manufacturing, as well as supporting energy storage.

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To learn more about this program, we sat down with Jigar Shah, Director, Loan Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy, to discuss how the LPO is transforming existing energy infrastructure, reviving nuclear construction, accelerating growth of utility-scale solar and wind, and of course, expanding domestic adoption of EVs.

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We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to [email protected]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.

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Have you ever wondered if AVs and EVs are covered differently than traditional vehicles? What about rideshare services like Uber? Can the data from an intelligent vehicle be used in court? As mobility advances, so too must our understanding of coverage and protection in a shifting landscape.

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To understand the risk factors associated with new mobility, we sat down with Edward Walker, Vice President & Shared Economy Practice Leader at HUB International Insurance Services. Edward shares his insight on multi-state exposure in rideshare services, the risk perspectives of AVs and EVs, privacy concerns around telematics in vehicles, and much more.

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Since 2017, Edward has built a book of business that serves gig economy and on-demand service-based clients throughout the United States and abroad. Whether it’s the state of the gig economy or the AV and EV market, this conversation touches on a wide variety of factors impacting insurance coverage in a changing world.

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We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to [email protected]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.

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Follow SAE on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Follow host Grayson Brulte on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.