Electric Cars

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I'm told by reliable sources that electric vehicles with far longer range are in development and testing now.

As it stands, I share your range concerns. I can't get to Chicago to visit my daughters with a 300-mile range electric car, like the new Mustang. I bought another Jeep this past summer instead.

Next time I buy a car, who knows? I want to support moves toward a cleaner environment. One current problem with lithium batteries is that digging for the stuff is an environmentally dirty business. I'm hoping they can solve that problem as well.

A non-environmental benefit of the electric car is when the US' position as the world's largest oil producer ended after WWII, a group of tin-horn dictators and others who don't necessarily share our views of the world, got to dictate who got oil, and how much they'd pay for it. The tail wagged the dog, big time, and we paid a heavy price in the '70s during an oil embargo that spiraled prices way out of whack.

It will be nice to see our dependence on these suppliers be greatly reduced. This does not come without its own drawback, of course - these countries will have difficulties maintaining their economies. That could create even more instability in the world. I hope that doesn't happen, and I'm hoping that our foreign policy will take that into account.

However, I think the net benefit will outweigh the drawbacks.
Multiple excellent points!
 
I bought a Volvo XC40 last year, its a hybrid. Its T5 so the petrol side of the car gives enough power to have fun. Electric side of it on a full charge gives 27 miles of ride. For me its enough to go to work and back but I rarely charging daily and mostly using petrol engine to charge electric to when I stuck in traffic or something. At this stage I wouldn't go with full electric mainly due to lack of infrastructure and time of a charge. It takes 4-5 hours to fully charge my car, man... but I'm looking forward to see what the future bring. I'm getting new car every 3 years and I'm sure my next one will give me at least 3 times the range and half the time to charge.
 
I bought a Volvo XC40 last year, its a hybrid. Its T5 so the petrol side of the car gives enough power to have fun. Electric side of it on a full charge gives 27 miles of ride. For me its enough to go to work and back but I rarely charging daily and mostly using petrol engine to charge electric to when I stuck in traffic or something. At this stage I wouldn't go with full electric mainly due to lack of infrastructure and time of a charge. It takes 4-5 hours to fully charge my car, man... but I'm looking forward to see what the future bring. I'm getting new car every 3 years and I'm sure my next one will give me at least 3 times the range and half the time to charge.
Full charge, 27 miles?? Is that even a hybrid? And, 27 miles with 4-5 hours of charge...??? No offense, but that sounds more like a gimmick. Was the 27 miles a typo?
 
Full charge, 27 miles?? Is that even a hybrid? And, 27 miles with 4-5 hours of charge...??? No offense, but that sounds more like a gimmick. Was the 27 miles a typo?

It's not a typo :D AFAIK this is typical range for the hybrid SUV's

Same time I was bumped when I realise it. I bought it during first wave of Covid when there was no way in hell to to test one as all dealerships and whole world really shut doors. I went online on my usual lease company website, went in to promotions, looked at Volvo's and said "yeah, that one will do". I bought this car like normal people buy wrapping paper
 
Full charge, 27 miles?? Is that even a hybrid? And, 27 miles with 4-5 hours of charge...??? No offense, but that sounds more like a gimmick. Was the 27 miles a typo?

The BMW hybrids get about 30 miles per charge on full electric. Three years ago their hybrid 530e and their standard 530i had the same mileage estimates. The 530e was eligible for some rebates and as a hybrid is single passenger legal in CA carpool lanes, but otherwise not quite where things need to be.
 
Once again:

Correct me if I am mistaken about this.
Every time a volcano erupts it spits more crap into
the air than all the cars on the planet do in a year.
Not a day goes by without a volcano spewing someplace on the planet.
The planet is doing fine.


"Human activities emit 60 or more times the amount of carbon dioxide released by volcanoes each year. Large, violent eruptions may match the rate of human emissions for the few hours that they last, but they are too rare and fleeting to rival humanity’s annual emissions. In fact, several individual U.S. states emit more carbon dioxide in a year than all the volcanoes on the planet combined do." -NOAA


https://www.climate.gov/news-featur...-carbon-dioxide-volcanoes-or-human-activities




..... well that was easy.
 
Interesting concept, but how does my wife swap out 8 x 50lb batteries?

She won’t. Her boyfriend will do it for her.

Have you seen my wife? LOL. She’s not exactly built for power lifting. :)

Again, boyfriend.

8b2f98d3de039cf8f2ff1822dc5395ed.gif
 
Full charge, 27 miles?? Is that even a hybrid? And, 27 miles with 4-5 hours of charge...??? No offense, but that sounds more like a gimmick. Was the 27 miles a typo?

My van gets about 36 miles on battery. In nice weather, that covers my commute. Doesn’t sound like much, but the numbers show quite the difference. With my old van, I used 594 gallons of gas in a one year period. The new, in a similar period? 136. About a $1,200/yr difference. It costs me less than $1/day to charge it.

There wasn’t any meaningful price difference between the hybrid model of the van and the ICE-only model. For me, it was an easy choice.

The wife’s next car will likely be a Tesla. For her use patterns, it’s perfect. Eight or so years from now when I want a new van, I’ll see what’s out there.

Oh, and two years in, no noticeable change to the battery life. It’s got a ten-year warranty on the battery and hybrid system components, such as the electric motors.
 
"Human activities emit 60 or more times the amount of carbon dioxide released by volcanoes each year. Large, violent eruptions may match the rate of human emissions for the few hours that they last, but they are too rare and fleeting to rival humanity’s annual emissions. In fact, several individual U.S. states emit more carbon dioxide in a year than all the volcanoes on the planet combined do." -NOAA


https://www.climate.gov/news-featur...-carbon-dioxide-volcanoes-or-human-activities




..... well that was easy.

I said "cars", not all "human activities".

Either way, the planet is fine.
If you don't believe me, look down.
You're standing on it.
 
Rare Earth Minerals.

Mind you, this comes from Forbes but I'd read essentially the same information in Car and Driver some years ago. IIRC many of those foreign mines are in countries that aren't sympathetic to anyone's rights, especially those working in the mines.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnko...idens-electric-vehicle-goals/?sh=7973e8a33e41

I'm not knocking EV. Porsche has created some incredible performance EVs. But if you are planning to legislate fossil fuels out of existence you have to have your ducks in a row for all contingencies.
 
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Rare Earth Minerals.

Mind you, this comes from Forbes but I'd read essentially the same information in Car and Driver some years ago. IIRC many of those foreign mines are in countries that aren't sympathetic to anyone's rights, especially those working in the mines.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnko...idens-electric-vehicle-goals/?sh=7973e8a33e41

I'm not knocking EV. Porsche has created some incredible performance EVs. But if you are planning to legislate fossil fuels out of existence you have to have your ducks in a row for all contingencies.

One of my line managers has fully electric Porsche and she is really happy with it. I know the fully electric cars have impressive range but again, still silly infrastructure in the UK and long charge. I'm driving a lot, both work related and social and I just can't risk it. Knowing than UK is planning to go fully electric with new cars before the 2030 I can see the infrastructure growing fast. I will be getting new car in a year and a half - still gonna be hybrid but one after I'm hoping to go all green
 
While interesting enough, this topic is so very deep that we'll all be long dead and producing God knows what in our final resting places before the answers come to fruition. Personally, I don't for a minute believe that there is such a thing as a "green "economy" or a "green future". EV's are not in the slightest way really environmentally friendly if you break them down into their from the ground up build processes. Mining, smelting of metals, silicate product production, forging of metal gears, even seat belts and passive restraints require petroleum production to manufacture. Semi conductors (we all know what a mess that is right now) and circuit boards for the electronic brains of the vehicles, and the miles and miles of copper wire in the electrical harnesses. That is before you even consider the disposal of the worn "consumables" for operation of said EV (yeah, batteries, used oil/fluids, brake pads, drive belts). The list is endless.
Not saying it can't be done, but it's going to be a long time in the coming. So far the cart is still leading the horse, but I'm afraid the handler is smoking fairy dust and chasing the proverbial unicorn. Just my opinion, of course...
 
They tell us that, but I wonder...
When you close your eyes and you go to sleep
And it's down to the sound of a heartbeat
I can hear the things that you're dreaming about
When you open up your heart and the truth comes out

You tell me that you want me
You tell me that you need me
You tell me that you love me
And I know that I'm right
'Cause I hear it in the night

I hear the secrets that you keep
When you're talking in your sleep
I hear the secrets that you keep
When you're talking in your sleep
 
I think a bigger change than EVs will be self-driving. They may coincide and be seen as one in the same, but they're different. Self-drive leads to all sorts of possible changes. Some good, some bad, but full of possibilities. The idea of sending the car to pick the kid up from practice is neat--the idea of it bringing some other kid home isn't. I'm sure biometrics will take care of that. Fractional car ownership leading to homes without garages as we know them... that sort of stuff will be interesting.

I don't know that I'd ever want to just subscribe to a car service, but people in a younger generation? They might. Especially if they can exchange some degree of unplanned mobility for lower expenses.

It's gonna be a pretty awesome future, whatever it is. I do believe that I won't have to change much unless I want to, which is what takes the concern out of it all for me.
 
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