EV/AV Report: Electric Vehicles Climbing the Mountains; while autonomous vehicles are subject to regulatory control

Toronto, Ontario – In this weekly report on electric and autonomous vehicles, Ford plans to enter the improved F-150 Lightning in the upcoming Pikes Peak International Mountain Race; and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to tighten regulations on autonomous vehicles.

Race to the clouds

Ford is sending an enhanced F-150 Lightning electric vehicle to this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which will take place on June 23 in Pikes Peak, Colorado.

The car race, also known as the Race to the Clouds, is an annual 19.87 km mountain climb to the summit of Pikes Peak.

According to reports, Ford will enter the F-150 Lightning “Super Truck” event this year.

While the automaker didn’t reveal exactly how the electric vehicle will be improved, according to Driving.ca, Ford said the vehicle will be driven by Romain Dumas, who also currently holds the 2018 event record of seven minutes and 57 seconds. using the Volkswagen ID.R.

Ford’s 1,400-horsepower electric Supervan 4.2, based on the custom E-Transit delivery van that set a class record, also crossed the route in 2023.

Regulatory demands

David Kidd, senior research scientist at IIHS, called on NHTSA to tighten regulations on semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles.

Autoblog further noted that Kidd’s concerns come just weeks after six U.S. senators sent a letter to NHTSA expressing concerns about the organization’s “passivity to regulate automatic driver-assist technology.”

Kidd echoed senators’ concerns that drivers are misusing the technology because “automation can introduce new, often predictable risks.”

Currently, NHTSA does not require automakers or other companies to provide data on crashes involving automation technology.

Kidd further noted that automated testing fleets, such as Cruise and Waymo’s, operate without the need to provide crash and safety data.