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Hello,
I’m one of those tech journalists who can’t get behind the whole electric vehicle craze. The idea of waiting for hours while the car charges up in the middle of a road trip? Not my idea of fun.
And then there’s the price tag. Paying a premium for a vehicle that’s not exactly practical? It’s a tough sell for me.
The only thing that caught my attention about EVs was the swappable battery concept in two-wheelers. You roll up to a battery station, swap it out, and you’re on your way!
But as they say, the devil’s in the details. Turns out, setting up a network of swapping stations and keeping enough batteries on hand is no cheap feat. Singapore’s EV ecosystem is learning that the hard way.
In our first Big Story this week, my colleague Melissa takes a deep dive into why battery swapping is facing some headwinds in Singapore’s EV market. She looks at the recent exit of battery-swapping firm Mo Batteries and analyzes the hurdles that the technology faces in the country.
Meanwhile, in our second Big Story, my colleague Peter delves into Southeast Asia’s edtech scene. Despite being one of the most well-funded sectors during the pandemic, it’s now seeing a decline.
Tech in Asia’s data shows that funding in the sector has plummeted by over 8x in the last two years. The number of edtech funding deals in Southeast Asia has also dropped significantly.
Finally, in AI Odyssey, I discuss why OpenAI’s consideration to allow adult content generation in its products might be a recipe for disaster.
— Lokesh
THE BIG STORIES
1️⃣Battery swapping faces uphill climb in Singapore’s EV market
Image credit: Made by Tech in Asia using Midjourney
Singapore’s rules for electric vehicles are “high on safety” and “robust,” but they “didn’t fit together” with Mo Batteries’ model, its co-founder says.
AI ODYSSEY
FYI
NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW
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