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Why Do People Resist New Technology Like Electric Vehicles?
David Shultz
David Shultz reports on clean technology and electric vehicles, among other industries, for dot.LA. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Outside, Nautilus and many other publications.
Last week California air regulators voted to ban all new internal combustion car sales starting in 2035. The news was met with a predictable mix of responses: Some lauded the decision as forward-thinking and environmentally responsible; others saw it as government overreach–an attack on consumer freedom and the free market.
Whether the arguments against EVs are in good faith or not (they’re often not), the fact remains that this burgeoning technology has been met with fierce resistance since Teslas started hitting the road back in 2008. It’s easy to find examples of people keying EVs, rolling coal to spite them or blocking chargers with gas-powered cars.
A part of human nature is naturally resistant to change and to the unknown. It has served us well evolutionarily over the past 200,000 years. Tradition keeps us safe when it comes to eating the right wild berries or choosing a route to the next town. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that there were people in the Roman Empire spreading myths about how using indoor plumbing makes your sword hand weak, or that riding in a chariot would make your uterus fall out. Even without political tribalism and pressure from the fossil fuel industry, new tech can be divisive.
Rosabeth M. Kanter, a professor of business at Harvard Business School, who studies these ideas, says the number one reason people resist change is that they fear a loss of control over their lives. This may explain why the ban on new gas cars in California has faced some backlash.
“For people who are feeling like life is slipping out of their control–that sinister forces are pushing them around–they're likely to not want to be forced into making a change,” says Kanter. Whether or not the state could have accomplished the same goal without a mandate is debatable, but due to the California Air Resources Board’s successful history of driving national policy with ambitious state-level laws, it’s not surprising they chose to take that risk.
However, Kanter also notes that plenty of new tech innovations have been welcomed with open arms. Take the smartphone, for instance. Steve Jobs announced the iPhone in 2007. By 2017, 77% of Americans owned a smartphone. Cars, of course, were always going to be slower transition—after all, the lifecycle of a car is at least three or four times as long as that of a smartphone. But why has there been so much cultural resistance to the growing EV market share?
The biggest and most obvious answer is cost. Smartphones aren’t cheap, but there’s a big difference between $700 and $70,000. The current batch of EVs on the road are simply too expensive for the average person to afford. Knowing that demand would outstrip initial manufacturing capacity, EV makers have chosen to offer luxury models first in order to make as much money as possible while ramping up production. And while legacy OEMs are beginning to enter the scene and change this dynamic, we’re still early in this story and costs are still extremely high.
Kanter says that to get consumers to adopt new tech, the transition has to be smooth. It has to be easy. Remember taking your flip phone to a Verizon or AT&T and trading it in for a smartphone? These companies made it simple and offered excellent financing plans–just a few extra dollars added to your bill every month. And while there are about a thousand different EV rebates and incentives on offer (see Wednesday’s newsletter) finding and understanding how to apply these deals is a whole lot harder than trading in a Motorola Razr for an iPhone.
Regarding smooth transitions: Charging infrastructure remains another huge impediment. While EV range anxiety is perceived to be much more of an issue than it actually is, the fact remains that America’s charging infrastructure is inadequate–especially rural areas in the middle of the country. If California wants to get everyone in an EV as quickly as possible, the state will need to make EV charging as seamless as gassing up.
Another thing Kanter says made the transition to smartphones different from EVs and other technology. New phones offered immediate and obvious benefits. Maps and internet access alone would’ve sold the devices. They also connected customers to networks that were pretty much inaccessible without the device. Nobody wants to miss out on the group chat drama. “The minute they see things that are benefits for themselves, you don't have to argue with them anymore,” says Kanter. “The benefits are right there in front of them.”
The benefits of electric vehicles, on the other hand, are more subtle or even existential. Calculating the cost of recharging the vehicle or the cost per mile of driving almost requires some familiarity with high-school physics. While the math isn’t necessarily complex or difficult, it’s new and foreign enough to present a barrier. Yes, it’s usually cheaper per mile to drive an EV than to fill up with gas, but to figure that out you have to know what a kilowatt hour is and how many your car consumes per mile of travel and how much electricity costs per kilowatt hour. Climate benefits only really apply at a society- and perhaps planetary level.
Of course you have this entire debate playing out against a climate in which batteries and gasoline have somehow become political footballs. If “opposing any policy from the other side” remains de rigueur in Washington, EV adoption will be slowed by politics…until the transition is truly seamless and the benefits are impossible to ignore.
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David Shultz
David Shultz reports on clean technology and electric vehicles, among other industries, for dot.LA. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Outside, Nautilus and many other publications.
AI Dominates the Headlines, but Defense Tech Is Gaining Speed
11:56 AM | January 31, 2025
🔦 Spotlight
Hello, Los Angeles!
This week, DeepSeekAI has been dominating the tech conversation. The Chinese AI startup’s chatbot app surged to the No. 1 spot on the App Store, drawing both excitement and scrutiny. Supporters see its open-weight model as a potential game-changer, offering developers more flexibility compared to closed AI systems like OpenAI’s. But the rapid rise has also raised questions about security, data governance, and global AI competition. Whether DeepSeek will be a long-term disruptor or just a momentary sensation remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—AI remains the tech industry’s driving force.
But while AI continues to dominate headlines, another sector is quietly making waves—defense technology. And one LA-based startup just secured a major endorsement from investors and the U.S. government.
Castelion’s Hypersonic Bet—Can It Outrun the Defense Industry’s Red Tape?
Image Source: Castelion
El Segundo-based Castelionjust raised$100 million to accelerate its mission to build hypersonic weapons faster, cheaper, and at scale. The financing—$70 million in equity (led by Lightspeed Venture Partners with participation from a16z, Lavrock Ventures, Cantos, First In, BlueYard Capital, and Interlagos) and $30 million in venture debt (from Silicon Valley Bank)—is the latest sign that venture capital sees national security startups as a high-growth opportunity.
Unlike traditional defense contractors, Castelion is operating like a fast-moving startup, not a slow-moving government supplier. Founded by former SpaceX engineers, the company is applying an iterative, test-heavy approach to building long-range hypersonic strike weapons—which travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (3,800+ mph) and are designed to evade modern missile defenses.
Not Just VC-Backed—The U.S. Military is Betting on Castelion Too
While the $100 million raise is a major milestone, Castelion already has funded contracts with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Army. These contracts are focused on hypersonic technology development and scaled manufacturing, areas where the military has struggled to move quickly due to bureaucratic delays and reliance on traditional defense giants.
To prove it can execute, Castelion recently successfully launched a low-cost ballistic missile from a self-built launcher in Mojave. Now, with both government contracts and venture capital behind it, the company is pushing forward on more flight tests and building out its scaled production capabilities.
Image Source: Castelion - Castelion launches a missile prototype in Mojave, CA
With rising geopolitical tensions and an increasing focus on faster, cost-effective deterrence, Castelion is positioning itself as a new kind of defense player—one that moves at startup speed. Whether it can sustain that pace while navigating the complexities of government procurement remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the future of defense tech isn’t just about who can build the best weapons—it’s about who can build them fast enough.
🤝 Venture Deals
LA Companies
- Omnitron Sensors, a Los Angeles-based pioneer in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication technology, has secured over $13M in a Series A funding round led by Corriente Advisors, LLC, with participation from L'ATTITUDE Ventures. The company plans to use the funds to expand its engineering and operations teams and accelerate the mass production of its first product, a reliable and affordable MEMS step-scanning mirror designed for various applications, including AI data centers, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), drones, extended reality (XR) headsets, and toxic gas-detection systems. - learn more
- Camouflet, a Los Angeles-based technology company specializing in AI-driven dynamic pricing solutions, has secured a $12M Series A funding round led by QVM. The company plans to utilize the proceeds to scale its platform across various industries, expand into international markets, and enhance its technology and team to better serve its clients. - learn more
LA Venture Funds
- Clocktower Ventures participated in a $6.2M Seed funding round for Foyer, a New York-based fintech startup that assists individuals in saving for home purchases. The funds will be used to enhance Foyer's platform and expand its user base. - learn more
- Smash Capital participated in ElevenLabs' $180M Series C funding round, bringing the company's valuation to $3.3 billion. Based in New York, ElevenLabs specializes in AI-powered text-to-speech and voice cloning technology. The newly secured funds will be used to enhance its AI audio platform and expand its global presence. - learn more
- March Capital participated in a $25M Series C funding round for SuperOps to support the company's efforts in advancing AI research and development, expanding offerings for mid-market and enterprise managed service providers (MSPs), and scaling its global presence. Additionally, SuperOps is launching an AI-powered Endpoint Management tool to enhance IT team productivity. - learn more
- Cedars-Sinai participated in a $2M funding round for Neu Health to support its AI-driven neurology care platform for conditions like Parkinson’s disease and dementia. Originating from the University of Oxford, Neu Health will use the funds to enter the U.S. market, beginning with a six-month pilot program at Cedars-Sinai focused on improving neurology patient care. - learn more
- Chapter One Ventures participated in a $2.8M seed funding round for Mevvy, a blockchain startup aiming to democratize Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) trading by simplifying access and reducing technical complexities. The funds will be used to further develop Mevvy's platform, expand its user base, and enhance its offerings. - learn more
LA Exits
- Kona, an AI-powered assistant and coach for remote managers, has been acquired by 15Five, a performance management platform. Founded in 2019, Kona integrates with virtual meeting platforms like Zoom and Google Meet to provide tailored coaching and enablement for remote managers. The acquisition aims to enhance 15Five's offerings by incorporating Kona's capabilities to improve manager effectiveness within existing workflows. - learn more
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Here's How To Get a Digital License Plate In California
03:49 PM | October 14, 2022
Photo by Clayton Cardinalli on Unsplash
Thanks to a new bill passed on October 5, California drivers now have the choice to chuck their traditional metal license plates and replace them with digital ones.
The plates are referred to as “Rplate” and were developed by Sacramento-based Reviver. A news release on Reviver’s website that accompanied the bill’s passage states that there are “two device options enabling vehicle owners to connect their vehicle with a suite of services including in-app registration renewal, visual personalization, vehicle location services and security features such as easily reporting a vehicle as stolen.”
Reviver Auto Current and Future CapabilitiesFrom Youtube
There are wired (connected to and powered by a vehicle’s electrical system) and battery-powered options, and drivers can choose to pay for their plates monthly or annually. Four-year agreements for battery-powered plates begin at $19.95 a month or $215.40 yearly. Commercial vehicles will pay $275.40 each year for wired plates. A two-year agreement for wired plates costs $24.95 per month. Drivers can choose to install their plates, but on its website, Reviver offers professional installation for $150.
A pilot digital plate program was launched in 2018, and according to the Los Angeles Times, there were 175,000 participants. The new bill ensures all 27 million California drivers can elect to get a digital plate of their own.
California is the third state after Arizona and Michigan to offer digital plates to all drivers, while Texas currently only provides the digital option for commercial vehicles. In July 2022, Deseret News reported that Colorado might also offer the option. They have several advantages over the classic metal plates as well—as the L.A. Times notes, digital plates will streamline registration renewals and reduce time spent at the DMV. They also have light and dark modes, according to Reviver’s website. Thanks to an accompanying app, they act as additional vehicle security, alerting drivers to unexpected vehicle movements and providing a method to report stolen vehicles.
As part of the new digital plate program, Reviver touts its products’ connectivity, stating that in addition to Bluetooth capabilities, digital plates have “national 5G network connectivity and stability.” But don’t worry—the same plates purportedly protect owner privacy with cloud support and encrypted software updates.
5 Reasons to avoid the digital license plate | Ride TechFrom Youtube
After the Rplate pilot program was announced four years ago, some raised questions about just how good an idea digital plates might be. Reviver and others who support switching to digital emphasize personalization, efficient DMV operations and connectivity. However, a 2018 post published by Sophos’s Naked Security blog pointed out that “the plates could be as susceptible to hacking as other wireless and IoT technologies,” noting that everyday “objects – things like kettles, TVs, and baby monitors – are getting connected to the internet with elementary security flaws still in place.”
To that end, a May 2018 syndicated New York Times news service article about digital plates quoted the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which warned that such a device could be a “‘honeypot of data,’ recording the drivers’ trips to the grocery store, or to a protest, or to an abortion clinic.”
For now, Rplates are another option in addition to old-fashioned metal, and many are likely to opt out due to cost alone. If you decide to go the digital route, however, it helps if you know what you could be getting yourself into.
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Steve Huff
Steve Huff is an Editor and Reporter at dot.LA. Steve was previously managing editor for The Metaverse Post and before that deputy digital editor for Maxim magazine. He has written for Inside Hook, Observer and New York Mag. Steve is the author of two official tie-ins books for AMC’s hit “Breaking Bad” prequel, “Better Call Saul.” He’s also a classically-trained tenor and has performed with opera companies and orchestras all over the Eastern U.S. He lives in the greater Boston metro area with his wife, educator Dr. Dana Huff.
steve@dot.la
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