Power Drive

Tesla's provocative cars have insanely fast acceleration while electric cars overall have been slow out of the gate-stubborn high costs, range anxiety, and cheap gas are all factors. While Tesla is all-in on batteries, Toyota is bullish on hydrogen cars and California is spending millions of dollars to support them. Chevrolet is racing Tesla to the middle market with its Chevy Bolt, a new battery electric car that promises a range of 200 miles for about $30,000.

Are auto dealers also putting speed bumps in the way of EVs? Is their business model challenged by cars with fewer parts and fluids to fix and replace? Transit advocates say Californians need to go in a different direction and get out of their cars, using transit to avoid more gridlock and reduce emissions that are driving severe weather. That may be a challenge when autonomous cars promise the allure of legally surfing the web while cruising the highways. Join us for a conversation about the future of cars in California in the era of high technology and high carbon pollution.

Speaker: Diarmuid O'Connell, Tesla