With a substantial number of new electric vehicles in the works, General Motor's first chief sustainability officer says automakers are hoping consumers embrace the new technology in the same way early drivers switched from horses and buggies to motorized vehicles.
Dane Parker noted that the first cars were more convenient, quieter, and "better in every other way" than the old way of getting around. He expects those benefits to also drive people today to eco-friendly vehicles.
"I think we're going to see the same with electric vehicles as we enter this 100-year period," Dane Parker, said.
Although, as GM just announced its new all-electric Hummer, the company may hope adoption comes sooner than that.
Parker's optimism rests, in part, on a conviction that electric vehicles outperform conventional ones.
"They will be desirable in all other types of ways," he said.
In order to convince drivers to try EVs, Parker said the vehicles will need to solve the three concerns most frequently cited by GM customers: cost, range, and charging locations.
"We're addressing all three of those and pretty aggressively, and we're optimistic in the near future none of those are going to be barriers," he said.
Parker's role as the chief sustainability officer includes engaging with employees as well as dealing with the nuts and bolts of the vehicles. "Ultimately we think every employee can make an impact in their own lives as well as what we do as a business."
"As we look to the next 10 years, I think we'll see aggressive adoption of electric vehicles as those barriers come down," he said.
New York City ride-hailing app drivers are about to get a pay raise. According to the city's Mayor Eric Adams, New York will increase its minimum driver pay rate for both Uber and Lyft drivers. This means both platforms would now be required to pay their drivers a minimum of $1.61 cents per mile and about 0.50 cents per minute. Ultimately, the move would give riders at least a 5.3% race. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A Senate bill unveiled on Wednesday looks to tackleonline safety for children by regulating Big Tech and social media platforms to deter users from content that can harm their mental health. Irene Ly, a policy counsel for the age-based ratings and review organization Common Sense Media, joined Cheddar News to break down the potential of the Kids Online Safety Act. "We can't be imposing such a big burden on parents to be doing it all on theirselves," Ly said. "I think you also have to keep in mind that parents often didn't grow up with social media, so they don't understand what it's like to be addicted to social media or really understand how they work."
While many still remain skeptical about the metaverse, big tech firms and even one big bank are ready to expand their virtual worlds. Facebook parent company has pivoted so hard it will now call its employees 'Metamates,' and even JPMorgan Chase has created its own digital lounge on one virtual platform. While the sector remains young, there seems to be significant investment opportunity, especially with companies like Nvidia. Adam Johnson, a portfolio strategist at Adviser Investments, joins Closing Bell to discuss which companies could win in this space, consumer appetite, and more.
Marc Blinder, Co-Founder and CEO of Aikon, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses how his company is helping businesses use blockchain applications without needing to learn the intricacies of the new technology.
Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced a new bill to afford greater protection to minors on social media. The genesis of the Kids Online Safety Act came from a Facebook whistleblower case exposing the harm apps can have on the mental health of young girls.
