AV Charging Depots Spark NIMBY Battles

Placing high‑density AV charging and staging facilities near service areas minimizes deadhead miles but creates recurring neighborhood nuisances—reverse beepers, flashing lights, equipment hum, and night traffic—that prompt local councils to impose curfews or shutdowns. These conflicts will force companies to choose between higher operating costs for remote depots, technical fixes (quieter gear, different lighting), or persistent regulatory fights. — How and where AV fleets recharge is a practical scaling constraint with implications for urban planning, municipal permitting, noise ordinances, and the commercial viability of robotaxi networks.