This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
There is probably an elevated risk of killing cats in any electric vehicle because there are fewer signs that the car is "on" and about to drive.
Idk, I find that at low speeds electric cars are louder than modern internal combustion. They have that SciFi drone sound.
Depending on the year model of the car, it might not make that sound. It wasn't required on some of the earlier EVs, which could be eerily quiet. I believe it's required by law on newer models. Pre-2016 Volts has a "pedestrian horn button"; 2016 and newer Volts play a noise continuously as lower speeds. (My Uncle says it sounds like the warp drive hum on the original Star Trek Enterprise.)
not all of them. there's a couple in my city that make no noise when driving slowly. they're so quiet, you can hear their tires popping as they run over small pebbles on the road.
Rest in peace kitkat
How many cars driven by humans run over cats each day? Do these outraged people think robotaxis are somehow worse than human drivers? If the humans in the car didn't see the cat, then it doesn't matter if it was a robot or a human driving at the time.
A friendly reminder that cars are still highly destructive, whether powered by petrol, battery, or hydrogen, and whether driven by a human or automation. The only real environmentally, economically, and socially responsible solution is to drastically reduce the amount of trips made by car, by introducing road diets and modal filters, by having mixed-use medium or higher density zoning, by building high quality safe separated bike paths, and good quality, frequent, affordable public transport.
Also, keep your pets on your property. If there's no way to keep them from leaving your yard, keep them inside. It's better for them (they live longer on average, even if you control for the increased likelihood of getting run over) and for the environment.
TLDR: cat gets hit by AI car and dies
Some days ago:
Waymo's co-CEO has made a bold assertion that society is prepared to accept a death caused by one of the company's autonomous vehicles.
Yeah, of a person, but this was a cat. We will not stand for this!
