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.
Baron Davis and Kate Hudson want you to bring cannabis home for the holidays. The cannabis-infused seltzer brand Cann released a new spot featuring the actress and former NBA player. The campaign comes hand in hand with Cann's launch of a new holiday bundle, which includes its product with Hudson's King Street Vodka. Davis and Hudson are also Cann investors. Cheddar cannabis reporter Chloe Aiello spoke to Davis about his involvement with the company and its new campaign.
Healthcare workforce management platform ShiftMed
recently announced a $45 million funding round.
The company's platform connects nurses and healthcare professionals to hospitals and other healthcare providers.
ShiftMed's new funding comes amid widespread labor shortages in the healthcare sector. The company's CEO Todd Walrath joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
With only two days left until Christmas, last-minute shoppers are facing major issues caused by supply chain shortages and the rising omicron variant. Kristen Gall, president of Rakuten Rewards, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Supply chain issues have become one of the biggest roadblocks for the U.S. EV market, with production woes likely to stunt the industry's growth in 2022. Rich Steinberg, electric vehicle expert and industry advisor, told Cheddar that the Biden administration investing in domestic mining for essential minerals used in battery manufacturing — such as lithium — could help alleviate the bottlenecks. "Some of those same materials are available domestically, they just haven't been prioritized," he said, noting the paradox between green tech and "dirty" mining. "The good news is that there are ways to extract those materials cleanly."
California-based startup Indi EV is gearing up to release its first crossover vehicle incorporating a supercomputer that will allow, among other things, gaming. Andre Hudson, head of design at Indi EV, joined Cheddar to talk about the launch of the Indi One and how the company is distinguishing itself from leaders in the EV space like Tesla. He also talked about the tech behind the Indi One and noted that the car's computer system will enable people to run applications and even create their own. "As a company, we fundamentally saw a major disconnect between how people transition into their cars using the digital devices in their life," Hudson said
Cheddar is looking back at the 12 biggest buzzwords of the year leading up to Christmas. The term for Day 12 is Web3. Definition: (noun) Also known as Web 3.0, a version of the internet where data is decentralized and based on peer-to-peer technologies.
Hyperfine, the pioneer of the very first FDA-approved portable MRI device, made its public debut on the Nasdaq via a SPAC merger. CEO Dave Scott joined Cheddar's "Opening Bell" to discuss the IPO launch, the company's valuation at $580 million, and the impact of its machine called Swoop. "We can roll an MRI system, our MRI Swoop system, right into the room where you are, right up to your patient bedside, and scan you right there and get an image in less than an hour," he explained.
Social media platform TikTok was the most visited website in 2021, topping Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple, according to IT security company Cloudflare.
