TO THE EDITOR:
Regarding "VW, Ford deepen ties with deal on EV, AV tech," autonews.com, July 12: I see the auto industry's interest in electric vehicles as a way to make the car a more convenient mode of transportation. Battery-electric vehicles are the most convenient for users. Internal combustion-powered, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles are less convenient because they cannot be fueled at home or work or other common places that vehicles park.
There is much talk about winners and losers in the auto industry, and when is the right time for a manufacturer to jump into EV production. With government incentives going away, how will buyers be drawn to EVs? The best ways are convenience, sexy and pricing. Sexy has been met, and pricing is coming. Convenience is the only thing left. The focus on autonomy is all about convenience. The question is how to distinguish the BEV as more convenient than the others. The answer is how they plug in. Resonance induction charging is not the answer because of its shortcomings; plugging in is and always has been the answer.
ALAN KAUFFMANN, Owner, Kauffmann Innovations, Bothell, Wash. Kauffmann Innovations has designed waterproof enclosures for underground chargers to allow EVs to be charged autonomously when parked above.
