NIO Inc. (NIO)

Kinetic Automation is using AI, robotics to make EV repairs easier

Kinetic Automation founder and CEO Nikhil Naikal sits down with Josh Lipton on Asking for a Trend to talk about how the startup leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to provide repair services to electric vehicles (EVs). "Cars today have transitioned from being predominantly mechanical systems to being digital systems... And when things break, the types of repairs that are needed to bring them back to their originally engineered state of safety requires a lot more thought, precision, and efficiency" than the traditional auto industry is equipped to handle," Naikal says. Naikal explains where the company fits into the larger picture of EV adoption: "There has been a lot of emphasis on charging and charge stations and helping people get around their range anxiety, but there's the other element in a consumer's mind which is who's going to fix this car?" "That's the second piece of it that has been under-addressed and that's really what we're focusing on here at Kinetic. And our hope is this combined with the rest of the infrastructure in the automotive landscape, can help build consumer confidence and confidence in electric cars." To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Asking for a Trend here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.