What We’re Reading
Zeekr tackles EV range anxiety with 10-minute battery charge (Automotive News Europe, August 14, 2024)
Chinese carmaker Zeekr may have just solved range anxiety with its new lithium iron phosphate vehicle battery that is able to charge from 10% to 80% in under 11 minutes. Range anxiety, the fear that your vehicle’s battery will be depleted before reaching a charging station or your destination, has been a major concern for consumers who have been skeptical about the adoption of electric vehicles, which has resulted in the rise in popularity of hybrid vehicles. Zeekr’s new batteries will be available in the Zeekr 007 sedan, which will begin delivery in China as early as next week.
Zeekr, an EV-only carmaker, is a part of Geely Auto, the automobile manufacturer that also owns Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus. Zeekr currently has plans to begin sales of its vehicles in Europe, Latin America and other Asian markets in the near future.
You’ve heard of carjacking – but what about carhacking? (Yahoo! Tech, August 10, 2024)
In today’s digital age, smart devices permeate everyday life, including vehicles, which are now facing unique cybersecurity threats. Hackers exploit car systems using various techniques, often aided by AI. For example, AI can manipulate autonomous vehicle systems, as demonstrated by a hack that misread a speed limit, causing a Tesla Model S to dangerously accelerate.
Connected vehicles present hackers with new avenues of attack, especially through Vehicle to Grid (V2G) communication, where man-in-the-middle attacks can intercept communications. EV charging stations also pose risks, potentially distributing malware for unintended purposes like bitcoin mining. Moreover, hackers can steal login information, bypassing two-factor authentication. Bluetooth systems are another vulnerability, enabling attacks like BLE relay to intercept vehicle communications. Despite these threats, car manufacturers invest in enhanced security measures, working with government and agencies to fortify cybersecurity, ensuring safer connected cars.
DOD Needs Solutions for the Proliferation of Autonomous Vehicles, Defense Official Says (U.S. Department of Defense, August 9, 2024)
On August 9th, Heidi Shyu, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, was a panelist at the National Defense Industrial Association's 2024 Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. At the conference, she spoke about the Defense Departments need to combat the growing number of autonomous systems, including aircraft, ground vehicles, and watercraft. There are rules and limitations in the U.S. for how the military can engage with these systems if they should become a threat. “Shyu said while there are solutions being worked now, the Defense Department is interested in having industry proffer even more options for it and the military services to consider”. The Defense Department is looking for ideas in contested logistics, where adversaries attempt to disrupt, destroy, or defeat friendly force logistics operations.