Electric vehicles are our future. In December 2021, about 17,000 EVs were registered in Nevada. In December 2022, EV registration was almost 33,000 — about twice as many as just a year earlier.
The number of EVs per capita is still about half as many as California, but we all know how that goes: What happens in California usually comes to Nevada.
But here’s something you might not know. Las Vegas has attracted quite a few companies that are testing EVs here, crafting software and coming up with innovations to push EV technology forward.
Good and reliable electric car charging infrastructure is essential for EV adoption, and many people are growing frustrated at the lack of it in Nevada.
The Nevada Department of Transportation is set to receive $38 million from the federal government through the next five years to build more electric charging infrastructure. But, while that's in the works, there are local companies like TERBINE that are looking to improve EV Charging software.
David Knight is the founder and CEO of TERBINE, an IBM-backed data software company, and they're working on a charging network platform that aims to solve the many grievances electric vehicle owners can have.
"We had somebody go down the strip with an iPad and go into the garage of every hotel on the Strip," said Knight. "It took two days, because they did it on foot, and they tried to find out how many parking spots they have and how many EV chargers they have. And, it was staggering how many of the chargers weren't working, so we're actually trying to help some of those hotel chains now with that problem."
Tesla currently has the world's largest and most reliable electric charging infrastructure, which is great if you own a Tesla, but for those who drive other types of electric cars, it can sometimes be quite a challenge to find reliable charging. And it's not just a matter of a charge port not working for an external reason; the problem can be much deeper and lie in the internal engineering of the port and the "dialogue" it has with the car.
"The number one idea is to give everybody who's not in a Tesla, the Tesla charging experience, said Knight. "If you own a Tesla, you never have a problem with this stuff, because the car itself has its own cellular transceiver in it."
Additionally, car companies like Ford and GM have recently struck a partnership with Tesla to open up Tesla's charging network to non-Tesla vehicles.
Terbine's charging network management platform is still in the works, but it would manifest in an app that connects with the software in charge ports.
Many of us have ridden in an Uber or a Lyft, but the car is driven by an actual person. But what if there was an electric taxi vehicle that was human-driverless? San Francisco based company, Zoox, is currently testing their new AI driven purpose-built robotaxi on Las Vegas roads.
Senior Public Policy Manager at Zoox, Phil Pierce, said that the carriage style, minibus-esque vehicle, is being tested only within a mile radius from Zoox's operations building in Las Vegas. It's also only being tested with Zoox employees, but not for long.
"Later this year is when actual members of the public will be able to start hailing them with our app and really experiencing it," said Pierce. "We have all the permissions for doing so in Nevada and at the federal level and we're so excited about that. We like to say the vehicle is designed for riders, not drivers. It's got a slick design, a celestial skyline, you can change the music, change the temperature, we think it's perfect for Vegas."
The vehicle will be solely operated by artificial intelligence, so what about safety? Especially when driverless vehicles in other states have been met with controversy.
"Safety is super foundational for us," said Pierce. "Over 40,000 people die in car crashes each year just in the US. We know that that our vehicle will never be drunk, distracted or drowsy, which are some of the leading causes to those crashes. We also have over 100 different safety features in the vehicle, from a number of sensors, cameras, radars, and a novel airbag system. Additionally, we do a lot of engagement with first responders. Specifically in Las Vegas, we've worked with Clark County Commissioner Naft, too."
Pierce continued, "We're also not in a rush. This is about the long game. If we're talking about taking safety seriously, there's no reason to rush it. We want to serve the community. We know there's a lot of transportation needs in Las Vegas, and there's a lot of ways that we can help augment the things that are going on there. It's a perfect place to showcase technology that helps solve transportation problems."
Guests: David Knight, CEO, Founder, Terbine; Phil Pierce, senior public policy manager, Zoox
