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| So GM is going electric. (Page 1/3) |
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Hank is Here
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JAN 29, 12:22 PM
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Yesterday GM announced it will be migrating to stop producing internal combustion engines cars by 2035, and go carbon neutral by 2040. What do you think?
Personally I like the Japaneses approach where they are focusing more on hydrogen than electric. Granted there is little infrastructure for hydrogen at the currnet time in the US but that can change. I like it because it does not stress an already antiquated electric grid, which would drive electric rates up, and refueling times should be more similar to gasoline than electric.
Based on current numbers electric cars are the vast minority of vehicles sold. I am unclear as to why these auto manufacturers are doing wholesale shifts to electric and totally abandoning what comprises the majority of their current sales/market demand.
By no means am I against market innovation, my grip is that the innovation drives to similar vehicles. I would just love some auto maker to have an innovative announcement with significant differentiation.
What are your thoughts? Wadda ya think?
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rinselberg
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JAN 29, 12:55 PM
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I am not read up on the Japanese approach.
I've read about "green" hydrogen, which is hydrogen that is created in ways that are highly advantageous in terms of the net carbon balance, and "blue" hydrogen, which is not so advantageous.
I can't claim any solid grounding in the relevant issues, but I am inclined to think that these electrification press releases from GM (et al) are not already locking everything into place in a way that would exclude hydrogen from securing its "fair share" of the marketplace here in the U.S. and North America.
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RWDPLZ
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JAN 29, 01:02 PM
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The rebranding and this whole new approch, complete with new logo, seem to be designed to fail. I suspect they'll half-ass te whole attempt, price the cars too high for anyone to buy with inferior features and technology, all in attempt to make it look like the marketplace didn't want them, then axe the whole or majority of their EV programs along with Mary Bara and go back to the old logo and old ways, doubling down on internal combustion and telling congress they're going to make the cars people WANT (big V8 trucks), not the cars congress wants them to make.
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css9450
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JAN 29, 02:28 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by RWDPLZ:
The rebranding and this whole new approch, complete with new logo.... |
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And what is up with that? Was there a pressing need for a new logo?
The new logo reminds me of the logo for Goodwill.
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blackrams
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JAN 29, 02:53 PM
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Well, one thing for sure is gonna happen, roads and bridges will still need to be built/re-built and maintained. With electric (or even hydrogen powered) vehicles being the only thing sold and on the road, something is gonna have to be changed to help pay for that road and bridge infrastructure. The current fuel/road tax won't cut it.
Will we have to pay once a year for the miles we drive when we re-tag our vehicles and report the miles driven over the last year?
Will we let Big Brother track us and send us a monthly bill for miles driven. All (that I know of) new vehicles have the capacity to be tracked, hell, our cell phones do that.
Will the funds from this new road tax go to the feds and be redistributed or will cities, townships, counties and states be allowed to use these funds to keep their roads and bridges up. If so, how's the interstate system to be maintained.
I'm sure there are many other issues associated with this topic I haven't even thought of...... 
Lots of questions, no answers with the exception that electric vehicles aren't paying their fair share for roads yet and that's gonna change or, our roads and bridges will go to crap.
Rams[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 01-29-2021).]
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TheDigitalAlchemist
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JAN 29, 03:24 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by css9450:
And what is up with that? Was there a pressing need for a new logo?
The new logo reminds me of the logo for Goodwill.
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Modern Branding = Boring. Remove all traces of distinctiveness. any small animals or characters or objects. or even outline around it is "too bold" (might offend someone?)
Just make it a font.
Lost of discussions about it online. 2020 boring design. Windows got "flat" too, with their "modern" OSes.
*shrugs*
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GTGeff
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JAN 29, 04:40 PM
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Does it really matter? According to the Green New Deal people were all going to be dead by 2032!
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maryjane
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JAN 29, 04:56 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by blackrams:
Well, one thing for sure is gonna happen, roads and bridges will still need to be built/re-built and maintained. With electric (or even hydrogen powered) vehicles being the only thing sold and on the road, something is gonna have to be changed to help pay for that road and bridge infrastructure. The current fuel/road tax won't cut it.
Will we have to pay once a year for the miles we drive when we re-tag our vehicles and report the miles driven over the last year?
Will we let Big Brother track us and send us a monthly bill for miles driven. All (that I know of) new vehicles have the capacity to be tracked, hell, our cell phones do that.
Will the funds from this new road tax go to the feds and be redistributed or will cities, townships, counties and states be allowed to use these funds to keep their roads and bridges up. If so, how's the interstate system to be maintained.
I'm sure there are many other issues associated with this topic I haven't even thought of......
Lots of questions, no answers with the exception that electric vehicles aren't paying their fair share for roads yet and that's gonna change or, our roads and bridges will go to crap.
Rams
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It's not as if the roads and bridges in this country aren't already crap and have been for awhile.
It is not a money only issue tho. I'm convinced, the states and feds could throw $1 trillion at it and they would still be crap when they got done.
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Jake_Dragon
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JAN 29, 05:03 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by maryjane:
It's not as if the roads and bridges in this country aren't already crap and have been for awhile.
It is not a money only issue tho. I'm convinced, the states and feds could throw $1 trillion at it and they would still be crap when they got done. |
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I don't think CA uses 1/3 of the taxes for what they are intended. My girlfriend is an accountant and spent a couple of years working for the state.
It drove her crazy how money was managed. They let other departments borrow the money, do you think they ever get that money back from the special interest groups?
You know like SS 
Anyway I wouldn't mind getting an electric car but it would just be for short drives and I wont be getting one anytime soon unless we move out of the house we currently live in.
The power infrastructure just won't support it.
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theogre
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JAN 29, 05:29 PM
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Let's skip LiIon and other batteries just move Emissions, Pollution, and Conflict to other places and won't save the world... (Other "Green" projects have huge pollution problems when built and when they wear out.)
E-cars have many problems no matter how the Greenies spin the story.
1. Is can't full charge in minutes and drive many hours in a day.
2. Save Taxes. Only for so long. Many states will put a "Road Tax Meter" in all E-cars. Many are already testing them as can't get Road Tax on Fuel. And/or Tesla and others are already getting demands to have Road Tax collected/reported by the car makers. Tesla and OnStar already have connection to the cars from their end tells a lot of data.
Battery cars aren't safer then gas cars either. Many LiIon setups are Worse then gas in wreck and Car Makers and NHTSA and others in Gov know that but won't address the problems except to give fake rules and rulings.
You often can't even get to main Shutoffs to disconnect the battery in most cars to stop many battery problems after a wreck causing fires/explosions to tow or store a wreck car. If you know where the shutoff is, is often Not a simple pull a plug and buried under trim etc. Often need tools too.
You'll see more and more problems as more and more "main stream" E-cars hurting or killing more people. Yet NHTSA will still do very little like they did w/ Fiero Brake "Recall" that "only affect" Stick cars and allows GM to blame Owners for not using Parking Brake that violate NHTSA/DOT rules. NHTSA makes cars safe? Not really and have a very long history doing very little or nothing unless a problem causes huge Negative Press like Takata Air Bags or Ford/Bridgestone rollovers.
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Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)
The Ogre's Fiero Cave[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 01-29-2021).]
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