TechMobility Topics

Who should legally have the right of way on city streets?  When I started this program about eight years ago, my board operator at the time and I got into a conversation about city streets and bike trails.  On that subject, he got very angry and insisted that cars and trucks should ALWAYS have the right of way, regardless.  Well, fast forward to now and an East Coast city is in the midst of that very conversation amongst its residents.  

On again, off again.  Its tariff musical chairs.  As of this writing, the big three domestic automakers have gained a one-month reprieve from the tariffs being levied on Canada and Mexico.  But speaking for an industry that moves in years, not weeks or months, it’s a hollow victory.  There will be no winners here. 

The Audi Q7 was the first SUV sold by the automaker, being originally introduced to the public in September 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.  This mid-size luxury crossover SUV has been manufactured at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant in Bratislava Slovakia since its debut.  The Q7 was introduced into the US market in 2006 as a 2007 model.  The second generation Q7 was unveiled at the 2015 North American Auto Show in Detroit. The Audi Q7 rides on the Volkswagen Group MLB Evo platform which it shares with the Audi Q8, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, and Porsche Cayenne.  The Q7 has been freshened in 2020 and 2025. 

Chinese automakers are going all-in on the latest tech.  Can that spell trouble for American auto manufacturers?  Listen to learn about BYD's self-driving technology on nearly all its cars, while XPENG has introduced the P7+, the world's first AI-defined vehicle. 

While technology has a significant role to play when it comes to tackling climate change, its not enough.  We will also need to utilize the natural systems that are already in place.  A McKinsey & Company white paper explains what they are and the importance of their impact. 

Spring training.  The time of year where hope springs eternal and Americans prepare to enjoy that favorite pastime known as Major League Baseball.  But there are changes a foot – a change that will see robot umps calling balls and strikes during major league spring training games.  Is NOTHING sacred?  

With the evolution of all the new technology that is around us on a daily basis, it would come as no surprise that the US electricity system is changing rapidly.  An important driver of this change is the growing deployment of distributed energy resources.  Referred to in the industry as DERs, they include a diverse set of technologies, such as distributed rooftop solar systems, community solar systems, distributed wind systems, electric vehicle charging equipment and battery energy storage.  Now, add AI directed microgrids to that mix. 

In Massachusetts, new state requirements on the sale of new electric medium and heavy duty trucks has the industry in an uproar.  There is a lack of EV truck charging infrastructure in the state and truck sellers have to sell a certain amount of EV trucks before they can even think about selling a diesel.  The result?  Buyer who want to buy and sellers that want to sell, but regulations are currently preventing that from happening. 

Agricultural field work, processing plants, construction, hospitality services – most of this work has been done by immigrants, often because employers are unable to attract Americans to the jobs.  What happens when they are gone?  

Recent actions by the administration to freeze funds may impact the ability of the Colorado River to deliver water to over 40 million people in seven states.  As we have reported over the years, the River is a lifeline to ranches, farms and population centers alike.  Climate change has been drying up the flow and several years ago, a level one water emergency was declared – forcing the many stakeholders to the table in order to renegotiate water rights for less water than they were currently entitled.  That hasn’t gone so well.