Robert N. Charette
IEEE Spectrum
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Past articles by Robert:
The EV Transition Is Harder Than Anyone Thinks
Clueless policymakers, skeptical consumers, greedy automakers—and the tech isn’t ready either → Read More
The Aftershocks of the EV Transition Could Be Ugly
The introduction of EVs at scale causes perturbations within the current operating environment, which in turn, create behavioral responses, some predictable, many not. “People find ways to use systems for their own benefit not anticipated by designers and developers," says John Leslie King... → Read More
Why EVs Aren't a Climate Change Panacea
“Electric cars will not save the climate. It is completely wrong,” Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), has stated. If Birol were from Maine, he might have simply observed, “You can’t get there from here.” → Read More
The EV Transition Explained: Reshaping Labor Markets
Knowing how many net jobs the transition to EVs and related renewable energy will create, change or eliminate—and over what time period—is critical to determining the impacts of governmental policies and whether they need revision. However, accurate job figures are exceedingly hard to determine. → Read More
Level 1, 2, and 3 Chargers Explained
Level 1 (L1) chargers plug directly into a standard residential 120V AC outlet and supply an average of 1.3 to 2.4 kW. This provides somewhere between 3-5 miles of EV range per hour. An empty battery electric vehicle (BEV) battery may take up to 40-50 hours to charge the US Department of Transportat... → Read More
The EV Transition Explained: Can the Grid Cope?
There have been vigorous debates pro and con in the US and elsewhere over whether the electric grids can support EVs at scale. The answer is a nuanced “perhaps.” It depends on several factors, including the speed of grid component modernization, the volume of EV sales, where they occur and when... → Read More
EV Car Makers Compete for Engineering Talent
One critical area of resource competition is over the limited supply of software and systems engineers with mechatronics and robotics expertise needed for EVs. <a href="- → Read More
The EV Transition Explained
The challenges posed by the transition from ICE vehicles to EVs at scale are significantly larger in scope and more complex than the policy makers appreciate. The systems engineering task alone is enormous, with countless interdependencies that are outside policy makers' control. → Read More
Coders Cash In on Electric Cars
As car makers spend billions to convert their fleets to electric, they need thousands of coders to write the software to make these vehicles move. → Read More
The Fragile State of UK Banking Sector IT Systems Continues Unabated
Customers warned to expect regular system outages well into the future → Read More
Five Enduring Government IT Failures
Photo: John Keeble/Getty Images Large, costly government IT project failures often create an immediate sensation in the media, but they quickly fall out of public notice as soon another failure grabs attention. However, in many cases, the failure’s after-effects linger for years afterward; but these are little reported. Below are five such IT project failures that have happened in the past… → Read More
Errors Found in Forensic Software Meant to Assess Age of Death of Skeletal Remains
Problem highlights increasing concerns about validity of digital forensic apps → Read More
Zimbabwe Government Blocks Internet to Suppress Protests, Cuts Power as a Result
This latest example of a government restricting Internet access to control its citizenry had unintended consequences → Read More
The Biggest IT Failures of 2018
Technical mishaps occurred in trains, planes, automobiles, and many more places → Read More
Indonesia Releases Preliminary Report on Lion Air Crash
Pilots on flight JT610 struggled to control the Boeing aircraft and fought against automated systems → Read More
Personal Cheques Still Alive and Well in the United Kingdom in 2018
Paper cheques didn’t finally disappear last month, as hoped in 2009 → Read More
New Auto Safety Technologies Push Repair Bills Up
Repairs for cars with advanced technologies could cost thousands more than for other cars → Read More
Slipshod Cybersecurity for U.S. Defense Dept. Weapons Systems
After decades of DoD recalcitrance, the Government Accountability Office has given up making recommendations in favor of public shaming → Read More
Toyota Recalls 2.4 Million Hybrids for Stalling Issue
Meanwhile, malfunctioning radars plague the Nissan Sentra, while Fiat Chrysler stops Jeep Wrangler sales over faulty welds → Read More
The Long Journey to FEMA’s Presidential Alert Test
First such test since the emergency alert system went live in 2012 → Read More