Every Two Weeks, Everything Changes: Rescueability, Information, and the Cost of Silence

In the world of EV and lithium-ion safety, the ground never stops shifting. William S. Lerner — CEO of WSL Consulting, holder of more than 20 patents, and one of the industry's most closely watched independent voices on rescue and response — returned to AEM two weeks after his last interview with a set of stories that look, on the surface, unrelated: a Dodge Charger with no confirmed rear emergency door release, a Jeep Wrangler 4xe recall, a sodium-ion battery sales pitch, an NHTSA petition on propulsion-type labeling, a new BMW X5 door design, and a Kia dealership that declined to lend him two cars for a demonstration. Read separately, they are six unrelated stories. Read together, they share one root: information that exists somewhere in the system but does not reach the person who needs it in time. That same thread runs through Part I, where Lerner explains how he would deploy his own vehicle-identification patent inside a Korean OEM pilot, why battery degradation resists a simple warranty timeline, and where responsibility for telling an owner ultimately falls. The following is presented in full.

By Sang Min Han _ han@autoelectronics.co.kr
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William S. Lerner, FRSA — WSL Consulting CEO
William S. Lerner is the CEO of WSL Consulting and an independent inventor holding more than 20 patents. He focuses on risk assessment and response strategy development for the EV, lithium-ion, and e-mobility era, and has collaborated with the FBI, DHS, fire investigation units, ARFF teams, and major transportation infrastructure agencies. He has conducted risk assessments for some of the world's largest tunnels, ports, bridges, and parking infrastructure — covering more than 120,000 parking spaces — and has been instrumental in alerting stakeholders to emerging hazards including toxic battery residue and secondary contamination. He is also co-founder of Intermodal Renewables.


 



Part I — Rescueability, Batteries, and the First 90 Days

Your system — the shark-fin LED, the B-pillar QR code, the wearable signal — is designed to activate within seconds of an accident. In a pilot program with a Korean OEM, which component would you prioritize deploying first, and why?
Lerner        I would prioritize the most basic and most cost effective implementation first. New features must not alter an automaker's vision, beauty of the vehicle being sold, or be too complex. It must integrate seamlessly into every vehicle, and only be visible when needed. My goal is to make sure automakers don't see my work as an issue. Concerning implementation I would use the space not being used by them. The B-pillar for example is usually black and we will see more and more cameras and sensors located there. In a Tesla for example, the camera sits behind a clear opening. My visual indicator would be hidden in that clear area. For the Shark Fin, it would be the same implementation. Unseen, and simply a call to their suppliers in either case.
So, how does it work? It is a small LED, roughly 5 millimeters. It is the same LED found in Drone Anti-Collision lights. These tiny, ultra-high power LEDs, can be seen at a distance of three statute miles, which is five kilometers. The FAA requires these distances in the USA, and they are readily available from multiple manufacturers. They consume little power and can have a backup battery, if the vehicle's battery systems fail. They can have a clear appearance, which allows them to blend into clear glass for example. They would light up and flash the propulsion type of the vehicle upon impact, propulsion issues, and simply repeat the warning lights that are displayed on the instrument panel. Any out of bounds event illuminates them.
Vehicles in accidents can automatically put on their emergency flashers, call for assistance, have air bag deployments or other features activated. The visual indicator simply illuminates when it receives a signal indicating an accident or malfunction. This immediately tells those in the area, and the first responders what the vehicle is. A person in the area, or a police officer or attendant in a garage, simply says: “We have an issue with a vehicle, and I see flashing green and orange lights” to the call center. They then tell the first responders exactly what event they will be attending.
The next implementation would provide more vehicle information, meaning: Battery size, charging port location, electrically retractable door handles, electric interior handles with no manual releases, laminated glass, state of charge, number of occupants, high voltage disconnect location, low voltage disconnect location, etc. This could be followed by having the same information sent to the user's smartwatch and phone. In garages, it can be sent to the infrastructure itself.
Incheon's EV fire happened in a garage, with roughly six hundred vehicles. The vehicle that had the event could flash the propulsion and immediately transmit that signal to the garage's office, property manager or first responder dispatch center. Every second counts in events, and we need to ensure that first responders have every tool possible to perform the safest and most efficient rescue. What I have created is a platform which allows every automaker to implement what they want, for every vehicle they sell. The vehicles are unique, but the information is delivered in a uniform format and can be understood immediately.


If OEMs were to run a pilot on a single model, what would the first 90 days look like — and who needs to be in the room: the OEM, the fire service, or the government?
Lerner        The first ninety days would be demonstrations to the public, police, first responders, property managers, etc. We would illuminate the visual indicator at varied distances, at night, in bright sunlight, hidden behind other vehicles, in tunnels and in garages. The Anti-Collision Drone LED can even be seen in the brightest sunlight and can be seen hidden behind a truck. It lights up the entire area in semi-enclosed spaces.
In a tunnel or on a bridge, you may not see the car, but you will see the light bouncing off the walls of the tunnel for example. That information is vital because EVs can burn between 3,000-5,000 F, and those temperatures melt steel, destroy sensors, lighting, communication transmitters, and cameras. The only way to identify a vehicle in a dark tunnel that has no cameras or sensors is if the vehicle independently provides the information. All we have now is a vehicle's emergency flashers which have become relatively meaningless. We use them if we run into a store to buy a drink, so the driver doesn't get a ticket, or Grab drivers use them to tell their passengers who called for them where the vehicle is. This information is specific to vehicle events and can not be used by owners of vehicles for any purpose. It is reserved for events only.
For the first ninety days, we have discussions with the police, first responders, government officials, vehicle designers and component manufacturers. They must understand why this is being presented and how it can change safety for all. Imagine calling in a vehicle event with no information and having the first responders arrive. They have to approach the vehicle if possible to identify it, and that is a challenge after a severe collision, at night or if the vehicle is hidden behind a truck or in a tunnel. We measure the time from the initial call until the rescue and suppression operations are completed.
We then do the same demonstration with the visual indicator. Everyone will see the advantages. Meaning the initial call from a bystander or police officer says: “There was an event, and the vehicle is flashing orange and blue bursts of light.” Well, that tells the dispatcher immediately what the vehicle is, and they tell the first responders who know before arriving it is an EV.
EV suppression is completely different from a petrol vehicle. In the most basic terms, EVs are mattress size batteries underneath a vehicle, and petrol vehicles have the propulsion system under the front hood. Water is not needed in the engine area; it is typically needed under the vehicle. Some vehicles like Lucids, must be cooled from inside the cabin, because that is where the batteries are. Imagine wasting time and water, suppressing an area that is not the source of the fire? Information leads to the best and most effective and efficient practices.


Battery degradation increases risk over time. At what point in a vehicle's lifecycle does that risk become unacceptable — and who is responsible for telling the owner?
Lerner        Battery degradation does increase the risk over time and there are so many independent factors that lead to this. Let's use a smartphone as an example: We all know they have a limited lifespan, before you need a new battery or a new phone. They may have 600-2,000 charge cycles as stated by Apple and Samsung. However, if you leave your phone on a wireless charging pad, in the direct sunlight, drop it, get it wet, crack the screen, etc., you will shorten the battery's lifespan and its charge cycles and capacity. Batteries do not like to be dropped, abused, subject to water or extreme heat for example. Realistically every phone experiences one or all of those situations over its lifetime.
We may be planning a day out, and top off the battery from 80% to 100% before leaving. Topping off a battery is another form of abuse. We now have super fast charging. That is another form of abuse to the battery. We used to use a low power wall charger for a phone. Now, phones can be designed to be fast charged, and can do so using the same high power wall charger as our laptops. My phone has three charging displays: Charging, Fast Charging and Super Fast Charging. Same battery with different current strength charging the battery.
These batteries can show stress to the owners, meaning they may notice they are hot to the touch. EV batteries are constantly physically abused. No we are not taking a hammer to them or banging them against a wall, but the battery is in a moving object. The vehicle shakes when riding over rough roads, is subjected to extreme heat, rain, snow, cold, minor accidents, etc. The battery will experience proper charging, and topping off if the owner is planning a long trip or wants to make sure there is enough range to accomplish all of the errands for the day. It may be home charged which is steady and slow, or charged by a third party fast charger at a parking garage. The charger may harm the battery, and we see increased battery events when vehicles are charging.
High quality batteries that are properly maintained, charged and discharged in ideal temperatures, kept in climate controlled environments, do not move or get wet produce very different results than use in the real world, or are located in vehicles. Accidentally scraping the bottom of your car on a speed bump can damage the battery and send it into failure mode, sometimes in seconds. They are not designed to fail, but the environment they live in is not kind. Any battery that is not performing as designed, is on the road to failure.
EVs can go from just sitting there, to being fully engulfed in flames in as little as four seconds, as we have seen at the Incheon event. No vehicle should be driven, parked inside, or near a structure if it is not functioning as designed. They must be moved to a location away from the public. The toxic emissions that occur before the fire can have serious, harmful health effects. We saw this at Incheon, when residents returned to their homes after the evacuation of the buildings. Young children had eye irritations and the elderly had skin irritations. We have little data and knowledge about what battery emissions can do to one's health. There is no diagnosis, treatment or cure for lithium-ion exposure that is often life changing. We simply treat the symptoms. Now is the time for extreme caution.
Every day is a learning experience for me. Just when you think you may have experienced every variable, a new one comes along, and changes everything. The Cadillac Escalade IQ Electric SUV. A visit to the Cadillac dealer altered the landscape. This 9,100 pound (4,127 kilograms) EV has a double stacked battery in a solid casing. The battery is 205 kilowatt-hours (205 kWh), and produces over 700 horsepower. It is an enormous vehicle, with enormous power. It has the same 0-60 mile per hour time as the Porsche 718 Boxster. The double stacked battery presents potentially double the challenges. How? Increased failure risk, and one cell from one stack, can fail and it can now involve both stacks.
When we first experienced EVs, like the 2010 Nissan Leaf, they were low power vehicles designed to be greener. Fast forward to today, and they are designed to be faster than Porsches. The bigger the battery and the more you expect it to do, the greater the chance of issues, failures, or thermal events.
What truly changed everything for me was looking at the front of the vehicle and asking the salesman why it had multiple air intakes at the lower part of the front bumper. He said: “The car has a fan that cools the battery pack when it is hot outside.” That was shocking. My immediate thoughts were: What if the battery fails and the fan has no power? What about reflected heat temperatures from the pavement? What if the fan fails to kick on? We have all had a vehicle at some point with a dead battery. So, Cadillac has produced a vehicle that has to be constantly cooled, and temperature monitored to stay as designed. You simply can't let the battery degrade, and if you do, the vehicle is not as designed to be in its optimal condition. This is a very impractical implementation. What if you go away for a few weeks? What if the fan fails? The battery is depleted after a long trip with unexpected traffic?
In my view, this design may create additional failure scenarios, because the battery cannot sit in the baking sun without active cooling.
Your question: “Who is responsible for telling the owner?” has now become a very complicated situation. Previously, the owner may notice their range decreasing or the service center running tests and alerting you that your battery may need replacement. Warranties are for specific time periods for a reason. Most EVs have eight year warranties. Why? After year eight, the issues may start. So, prior to the Escalade EV, it was more linear. Meaning, the battery could just sit there without worry about external temperatures unless they were out of the ordinary like a heatwave for a few days, in the summer.
The Escalade IQ has upended battery degradation as we formerly knew it. Degradation can occur in the first week of ownership. You have outdoor parking, it is summertime and you have to go on a business trip for two weeks. The car sits baking in the sun, and the battery may become depleted or the cooling system may fail. This causes the battery to fall outside the manufacturer's specifications. So, who is to blame? You, for not keeping it inside in a climate controlled garage? or Cadillac, for selling you a battery that must always be cooled? And in the real world a fan component failure and decreased state of charge may happen? We are in uncharted territory. And, how do we know the extent of the damage to the battery or batteries in the sealed pack?
We can leave a petrol vehicle parked outside for weeks, or inside for weeks. Worst case, is that the battery may die, and you need to be jump started. With the Cadillac? It must constantly have its battery kept in an optimal temperature state. That is a complication that no one needs. Unfortunately, when one vehicle introduces something new and novel the others follow. Will the Ferrari Luce EV introduce the battery fan system as they introduce larger, or more powerful batteries? Who knows? Will all future high performance EVs require this system? Will Formula E cars all have the fan system? It does make my work, and role more complicated and interesting. Let's set up another interview, once the data emerges for the Escalade IQ.

 

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Part II — Two Weeks Later: Six Lessons from the Front Line

Two weeks after our conversation, William S. Lerner contacted AEM again. He said that several incidents and observations over just fourteen days had once again changed his thinking on EV safety and rescueability. The following six reflections are presented in his own words.



Lerner
I will explain exactly what changed in the past two weeks. So many things. Let's start with some basic information. Sony developed the 18650 battery in 1991, which is the most widely used cell for any type of device needing more power than the traditional smaller batteries. These batteries are found in vehicles, and e-mobility devices. That was the start of where we are today. Nissan introduced the first “mass market EV” as we know it today in 2010, in the US market. So, now we have our baseline data. Moving to 2012, Tesla introduces the Model S, and that is the start of the EV revolution. Using 2012 as the start, that explains why we are still in the early phase of understanding everything. It is only fourteen years from the true relevant starting point, in my opinion.
The Tesla was fast, sleek, revolutionary, and an object of desire. The first vehicle to promise a battery utopia, concerning speed, safety, and the ability to drive itself, with a massive modern tablet instead of traditional gauges. It wasn't a car, it was a battery on wheels, that was fast, luxurious, and a market changing vision. You weren't buying a car, you were buying a vision and becoming part of an elite network. They also introduced branded chargers, and a convenient public network.
So, back to the past two very enlightening weeks:


The 2026 Dodge Charger, which carries no emblems on the front or side of this EV version. A cartoon-like image referencing the original 1966 model appears on both gasoline and EV versions — the emblems are identical across variants.

Rear view of the Dodge Charger. Embossed in the bumper is "Daytona," Stellantis's name for the fully electric version. Below that, embossed and angled toward the ground, is "Fratzonic" — indicating the vehicle has a fake exhaust sound, which Dodge believed customers wanted. This adds further confusion, since the public and first responders assume EVs are silent. Neither "Fratzonic" nor "Daytona" relates to any known battery terminology.



1. The Dodge Charger
I went to the Dodge dealer to see the all new Dodge Charger which is being sold as an EV, and a gasoline vehicle. I focused on the four door version. Well, this was a game changer and a truly invaluable learning experience. The vehicle has electric exterior door handles and electric push button door openers on all four doors. I got into the vehicle, and it said “12V Battery Low.” That means that the exterior, and interior electric door handles and buttons would cease to function. I knew it had manual releases for the doors, so I needed to understand their location and ability for drivers and occupants to access them during a low battery period, electrical malfunction or in an accident. I located the front releases in a semi-hidden location, and exited the vehicle. Well done Dodge!, I thought.
I then got into the rear seat and repeated the find handle, and exit exercise. During this dealership visit, neither I nor the dealership staff were able to locate a rear emergency release for the rear doors. If such a release exists elsewhere in the vehicle, it was not identified during our inspection. I went back into the dealership and said to all the sales professionals: “Can you please assist me? I can't find the rear door emergency release on the Charger, does it have one?” Immediately one lead team member said “Of course, it does, let me show you where it is.” We went outside and he repeated the search I just performed three times. He looked very confused, and said: “I thought it had them, but they don't in the rear.”
I said: “How does a rear seat passenger get out during an event?” The response: “The front passenger has to open the rear doors to assist them.” Wow. Where do I begin? This was the first time I experienced a vehicle currently on sale, where manual releases could not be located in the rear doors during a dealership visit. The sales team did not know it did not have them, so how could the customers know? How do the rear passengers get out in an emergency? Why would Dodge do this? This breakdown and analysis, can be another article.
Editor's Note: AEM contacted Stellantis for clarification regarding the rear-door emergency release design but had not received a response at the time of publication.




The interior of the Dodge Daytona, identical for the EV and gasoline versions. The front doors have exterior electric door openers, and all four doors open via electric push buttons. The front seats have manual release levers hidden below a panel; the rear has no manual release handles or levers at all. If the battery is depleted, none of this will operate, leaving rear passengers with no way to exit.

When I visited the dealer, I got into a 2026 Dodge Charger with 14 miles on the odometer. The instrument panel immediately showed a low 12V battery warning. That can cause the electric door mechanisms — both exterior and interior — to fail, trapping people outside from getting in and rear passengers from getting out, since the rear has no manual release handles like the front does.



2. The Jeep Wrangler 4xe
A friend's son has a Jeep Wrangler 4xe, which is the perpetually recalled, plug-in hybrid, that has no current remedy for the recalled battery as of today. I had to study this vehicle and the class action lawsuits for a former consultant role, so I have been following this vehicle very closely. His son was dismissive of his father's repeated requests for him to sell the vehicle or trade it in. He saw no issues with EVs or plug-in hybrids and thought his dad was being silly pointing out “potential” issues.
The friend called me and said that his son got yet another recall notice stating: ‘Do not drive, charge, or park the vehicle inside of a garage or structure.’ letter. He took it to the dealer again, and the mechanic said to him: “If you get a check battery light or see smoke from the rear seat area, you have thirty seconds to get out of the vehicle before it blows up, or you die.” That was shocking to his son, and they are now working on getting rid of the vehicle.
Was that a true statement? Lerner said the mechanic's statement may have overstated the timeline, and that one to two minutes could be more realistic depending on the circumstances. The battery in the Wrangler 4xe is in the cabin, directly underneath the rear seat cushion, and off-gassing in a hard top version can cause a CVCE (Confined Vapor Cloud Explosion) which can blow the roof off of the vehicle and asphyxiate the occupants. This has happened multiple times, even blowing the doors off of the garage and into the street.
Moral of the story? It was a victory for my friend, and proof that we can't expect people to listen to safety speeches, parents, or integrate peer-reviewed documentation into their vehicle choices. The son accepted the facts when he was ready, and from a source he trusted. It was a victory, and the lesson to be learned is that it will hopefully be understood by everyone on their own timeline, and from a knowledgeable, and trusted source that they believe. We can never give up, or lose hope.

 
As discussed in the interview, ERG Guide 147 states that lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries present the same risks. Lithium-ion may be seen as dangerous, and many companies claim sodium-ion is safer — that it won't catch fire or produce heat or toxins. That isn't true.



3. Sodium-Ion Claims
I am about to start a new role which involves temporary energy storage for very power hungry, large infrastructure projects. Energy farms, is a more accurate description. I was asked if the team which I am a part of should meet with a company that made claims that Sodium-Ion batteries don't catch fire and produce little heat.
My opinions, and words matter, but science and data rules. I emailed Guide 147, pages 224/225 of The Emergency Response Guidebook from The US Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. One sentence answered the issues I was asked about: “Lithium ion and sodium ion batteries contain flammable liquid electrolyte that may vent, ignite and produce sparks when subjected to high temperatures.”
In my ten years at ISO, I did contribute to the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods-Model Regulations. That is a United Nations globally recognized, non-binding guide published by the United Nations to standardize hazardous material transport rules across road, rail, and sea. It is known as: “The UN's Orange Book.” Grandstanding, speeches, lectures, and combative arguments were not needed. One sentence did it.
I adapt to suit my audience. The team came to me and called me “The World's Expert.” I was flattered. However, no one is an “expert” because the story is still being written. I would never call myself one or anyone else a new energy or safety “expert” in the field. We are all desperately searching for answers, and the safest and best path forward, as this evolves dynamically, in real time. The question was asked, answered, and accepted, and on to the next issues that could affect the organization.



4. The NHTSA Petition
A Petition for identification of a vehicle, or vehicles concerning whether they are EVs, gasoline, hybrid, or plug-in hybrids was sent to NHTSA. NHTSA is the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, which is part of the DOT (Department of Transportation). First responders and the public need to know what propulsion the vehicle is, because they produce different challenges, suppression methods, fireloads, toxins, health, and infrastructure issues.
So, what changed in two weeks? Well, if NHTSA accepted the Petition for a new standard, it showed the automakers they needed to do better, and proved to the public, and first responders they were taking these grave dangers seriously, and doing their job. If they rejected the Petition, that meant it was business as usual. I was told early on in my career that they generally let the industry self-regulate. Of course, my response was: “Self-regulation rarely works, especially for safety issues.” The senior NHTSA leader had no comment. He is now an attorney in private practice.
The acceptance or rejection will show the world, first responders, and the public where they stand. Protection and change, or business as usual with the automakers doing as they please.



5. The BMW X5
A continuation of number 4! BMW just released the images of the 2027 X5. That is one of their most popular and best selling SUVs. Production starts in August in North Carolina. It is all new for 2027, and radically different. Just as China's new regulations move to effectively prohibit fully concealed electronic exterior and interior door-handle designs that lack mechanical emergency release mechanisms, starting in 2027, BMW releases a model with no door handles located in the side door panels. They introduce a small wing that is electrically operated in the B-pillar. That wing is so small and narrow, and requires a touch of a button to have the door open.
As discussed in the previous interview, the automakers need to engage the first responders when designing new vehicles. In my view, this would never have been approved had first responders been involved earlier in the design process. Based on the information available to me, I could not identify a manual mechanical override, and there appears to be nothing to pull on, because first responders wear gloves that won't fit in the tiny fin, and to make rescues even more difficult, the vehicle has laminated glass, which can't be broken like regular automotive glass. The rescue that should take seconds to get a patient out of a vehicle after a crash or a fire could take considerably longer. In some scenarios, I fear that rescue operations could become significantly more difficult if the vehicle is an EV that is on fire.
What I found absolutely astounding is that not one BMW designer thought to put on a pair of heavy winter gloves (it is an all wheel drive SUV after all) and try, and I mean try to open the door from the outside. And, the second discussion to be had, is about their customers' needs. These SUVs in the USA often have running boards which push the ease of entry out a few inches to a foot or so. Why? They protrude out from under the side doors. So, from a geometrical standpoint, how does this work for entry to the vehicle for children, young adults, those with mobility issues, arthritis, or adults that are not outside of the “average adult height” metrics? It does not, and it will only get more complicated when the taller X7 is released with the same fin openers.
The century-old known definition of the area that was known as the “door handle” has lost its global meaning. BMW has now replaced that with “The tiny electric fin that is not located on the door, but between the space of the front, and rear windows, known as the B-pillar.” Every day is an adventure for me, as you can see.



6. A Very Twisted Tale of the Classic Robin Hood Adventures
Readers: Stretch, get coffee, take a break, and come back for this complicated series of events. So. I was in a very exclusive establishment, in an affluent community in the northeastern United States. You can't drive for two minutes without seeing a multi-million dollar home, or an equally expensive car. I was near a very social woman who for some unknown reason started talking to me. She seemed very nice and was discussing the terrible traffic and accident she saw. Clearly this would lead to a very long discussion, which was unknown to her at the time.
We discussed EVs, and what I do. She could not believe she did not know the issues, risks, dangers and differences. She seemed captivated. She then told me that every year she and her husband buy a table at a charity event that donates to first responder families in need. She told me how much she pays for the entire table (ten thousand dollars), and how this charity gives fifty thousand dollars to two families who have lost a firefighter parent, who desperately need the funds before the life insurance or compensation starts. Amazing, right?
She then told me her family owns a Kia dealership in a nearby city. I asked her if I could borrow two Kia Kona vehicles, one gasoline, and one EV, since they are virtually identical from the front, sides and rear with no badging in the frontal area or sides after the recent update. She said she would ask her husband. The first e-mail stated that she would love to, but showroom space was limited. I replied that I just need two vehicles for an hour, and could park them anywhere for a video I was asked to do for a cable TV interview as “B-Roll.” She replied: “I would love to help, but parking and space is limited in that city, and she can not.”
I do not know why my request was ultimately declined. However, the experience reminded me that discussions around propulsion differences and EV safety can sometimes be sensitive topics within parts of the industry. She read all of my interviews and watched my interviews, and expressed her gratitude for that vital information. Ideally, the world would reach a point where fewer first responder families need such charities in the first place. In my view, greater investment in education and awareness could help prevent tragedies before charitable support becomes necessary.



The new Mercedes CLA EV. There's no rear badging indicating it's an electric vehicle. The fuel filler door is the same size as it would be on a gasoline model. The grille is pronounced, with air vents above it, and the front has open vents on both sides. This is a new benchmark for making an EV look like a gasoline vehicle — LaPenta sent me this, and I was shocked when I saw it.



Closing Thoughts
Stepping back from any single conversation, many in the industry still appear reluctant to highlight propulsion differences publicly, even though first responders and consumers increasingly need that information. That is, in my view, one of the quieter challenges of this transition — not any single company or individual, but an industry-wide hesitation to make these differences visible before an emergency forces the issue.
Looked at together, the six stories above are not really about six different vehicles. They are about one recurring shortfall: information that exists somewhere in the system — with a dealer, a mechanic, a regulator, a manufacturer — but does not reach the person who needs it, whether that person is a driver, a first responder, or a customer standing on a dealership floor, in time for it to matter.
My final thoughts which are very important for readers, and those I work with, and for: I am not a “science geek” or a safety-focused professional who is on an unwavering path of showing everyone in the world lithium-ion batteries, EVs and e-mobility devices are dangerous, a potential public hazard, inciting arguments, and engaging in combative ways. My approach is: “This is where we are at this point in time, and my goal is safety and making sure everyone gets the information they need and want, and understands the risks and differences for the items they purchase or are around.”
“Knowledge is Power” is one of my favorite quotes. Education, discussions, and awareness can be fun, and enlightening. They have to be as I see it. No one wants to be clobbered with fact, after fact, and lessons. This is a wonderful time to learn, explore, and make the world a safer place for all. Fun times and laughter must balance out what we, at the front lines do.
Immediately after we wrap up, I must practice my “Gangnam Style” dance, and honor PSY's global phenomenon which introduced K-Pop as we know it now, in 2012. Ironically it was the same year that the Tesla Model S was introduced. I could have done a better job with my dance moves after watching the video at the base of the magnificent statue in Seoul. Maybe I could work in an arm motion imitating the Tesla Gullwing Doors opening?
I do have a funny feeling that my inbox will blow up with requests for the video of my dance moves. I am currently thinking about dance moves to the classic disco song: “Relight My Fire” by Dan Hartman. Stay safe, informed, ask questions, and never lose the excitement about our evolving world.

 

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Editor's Note: Part II consists of follow-up observations and commentary provided by William S. Lerner two weeks after the original interview. Certain claims and experiences described below reflect his personal observations and have not been independently verified by AEM.

AEM(오토모티브일렉트로닉스매거진)

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