There’s a lot of buzz about a slowdown in the electric vehicle market. EV sales, while still growing, are not accelerating at the pace of just a few years ago. At the same time, EV makers from Tesla to General Motors and Ford are pushing back EV plans. So, what gives? On the show today, Robinson Meyer of Heatmap explains what’s really happening with the U.S. EV market, what it’s going to take to rev it back up, competition from China and whether moves by the Biden administration will be enough to help domestic EV producers pull ahead.
Then, can robots make the meatpacking industry safer? Plus, in celebration of Monday’s solar eclipse, a planetary scientist answers the Make Me Smart question.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.
Has the movie business reached peak superhero?
Polarization, partisanship and threats to democracy
Actors and studios strike a (tentative) deal
The national debt is turning economists’ heads
The promises and risks of carbon capture
Elon Musk’s Starlink business going gangbusters
Promises won’t pay for climate adaptation
AI safety takes center stage
Where the fractured GOP goes from here
Hydrogen’s potential as a climate solution
Who profits from war?
Why the definition of “employer” really matters
Spending cuts aren’t the only answer to the budget deficit
A new speaker of the House, finally
Economic lessons from the video game industry
The work Congress could be doing
Thoughts on Gaza
AI robocalls and ethical concerns for New Yorkers
The “for-profit” in our health care system is showing
Nuclear energy’s role in decarbonizing the economy
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