Heat Hinders EV Batteries, Consumers Ditch In-Car Infotainment, Actors Ain’t Playin’

With much of the U.S., and many other parts of the world experiencing a significant heat wave, a new study released by Recurrent revealed that extreme heat can significantly reduce the driving range EVs, with some experiencing as much as a 31% drop

• Temps over 100 degrees fahrenheit seems to be a major strike point while the decline is less severe at cooler temperatures, with an average range reduction of 5% at 90 degrees and 2.8% at 80 degrees.
• The analysis was based on data from 17,000 vehicles, including 65 models of EVs and plug-in hybrids, with Tesla's models showing the least range degradation.
• Greg Less, the technical director of the University of Michigan Battery Lab, explained that the degradation in range under extreme heat conditions is fundamentally linked to the chemistry of the battery.
• "Once you're above [104 degrees Fahrenheit] you start to have a breakdown of the passive emission layer on the anode,  causing consumption of the liquid electrolyte," said Less.

Growing dissatisfaction with complex car infotainment systems has resulted in the first ever consecutive yearly decline in owner satisfaction, according to JD Power’s APEAL Study as even more drivers are opting for smartphone-mirroring systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto over built-in controls.

• Only 56% of owners now prefer to use their car’s built-in system to play audio, down from 70% in 2020. Less than half prefer to use in-built navigation, voice recognition, or call-making controls.
• Consumers appear to be more accepting of native car operating systems if they're developed by Google, as vehicles with Android Automotive's operating system, AAOS, scored higher in infotainment satisfaction than those without.
• However, if there are no Google bundled apps, the AAOS are the lowest
• JD Power found the largest year-on-year satisfaction decline was with vehicle exteriors, decreasing to 888 from 894, particularly with 2023's new models.

In Hollywood's largest strike in 60 years, both actors and writers have halted work, revealing the divide between traditional entertainment companies and streaming giants like Netflix.

• The conflict stems from the industry's major shift from lucrative cable-TV and rerun sales to the less profitable streaming industry, with unions pushing for practices from the older model to be continued.
• New wave streaming companies like Netflix, Disney +, and Amazon Prime could leverage their advantage of having much more content in the hopper to wait out negotiations while traditional networks are already planning to show reruns and international programming.

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