The Car of the Future?

At August's Steel Market Update Steel Summit, SMU chief Michael Cowden assembled a team of automotive experts to discuss the future of electric vehicles. But what about the present? The last of Cowden's questions narrowed the issue from the broad expectation of where the overall market is going to the very personal: Do you own an EV now? Dan Bowerson, vice president of energy and environment for the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, said while he enjoys driving an EV, the charging infrastructure isn't where it needs to be to get him to take the plunge. Dean Kanelos, market development of production applications for Nucor, said his heavy commuting distance is keeping him out of the market. Michael Davenport, executive director and president of the auto/steel partnership said his hesitance thus far is on the question of what happens to the battery when it reaches its end of life, an issue that came up several times over the course of the summit.