Electric vehicles have an efficiency problem

[TBoneTX 45,285]

Ford Gets Cold Feet, Pulls Plug on Multibillion-Dollar China-Backed EV Battery Plant

 

https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2023/09/25/ford-gets-cold-feet-pulls-plug-on-multi-billion-dollar-china-backed-ev-battery-plant-n2164294

[Mike E 11,739]

1 hour ago, TBoneTX said:

Ford Gets Cold Feet, Pulls Plug on Multibillion-Dollar China-Backed EV Battery Plant

 

https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2023/09/25/ford-gets-cold-feet-pulls-plug-on-multi-billion-dollar-china-backed-ev-battery-plant-n2164294

Seems less about Ford’s confidence or lack of confidence in EV efficiency (see topic title) and more about Congress’s national security concerns about Chinese involvement in what is seen by politicians as a core technology to America’s future.

 

[TBoneTX 45,285]

9 hours ago, Mike E said:

Seems less about Ford’s confidence or lack of confidence in EV efficiency

True, but post wasn't really worth a stand-alone thread.

[Boiler 45,486]

CNN covered it, my impression was a combination of Unions wanting to include this plant and Ford having a hard time selling EVs

 

They have an enormous number of pre orders for the F 150 but seems the basic version that they do not want to make

[Dashinka 24,493]

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

CNN covered it, my impression was a combination of Unions wanting to include this plant and Ford having a hard time selling EVs

 

They have an enormous number of pre orders for the F 150 but seems the basic version that they do not want to make

There is also a fairly loud local opposition to the facility, although for the most part the State government and Ford have been ignoring this group.

[TBoneTX 45,285]

Electric bus company that made POTATUS "look good" goes...well...BUSt

 

[...] A real life story with a moral, a lesson to be learned if one wishes to do so, and it's pretty damn amusing in the most satisfying fashion for those of us who delight in that sort of comeuppance.  [...]

 

https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2023/09/28/electric-bus-company-that-made-potatus-look-good-goes-well-bust-n580859

[Dashinka 24,493]

8 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

Electric bus company that made POTATUS "look good" goes...well...BUSt

 

[...] A real life story with a moral, a lesson to be learned if one wishes to do so, and it's pretty damn amusing in the most satisfying fashion for those of us who delight in that sort of comeuppance.  [...]

 

https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2023/09/28/electric-bus-company-that-made-potatus-look-good-goes-well-bust-n580859

Typical Leftist logic, if it doesn’t work, let’s try it again and expect different results.  Hmm, there is a name for that type of logic.  Btw, I wonder if they factored in the extra wear and tear the EV buses would do to their roads.

[Dashinka 24,493]

Interesting event occurred in front of us yesterday.  Driving North on I75 in the Florence Kentucky area around 7:30 am as a police officer was wrapping up a traffic stop and pulling back into traffic.  The officer was in the right lane and ourselves, and the others on the road (traffic was fairly light) were moving into the center lanes and slowing to the speed limit as a Tesla Model Y driver decided to give us a demonstration of the acceleration of their electric vehicle in the far left lane.  Let's just say, the police car lights came on pretty fast.

[Boiler 45,486]

 

[Mike E 11,739]

On 10/2/2023 at 10:37 AM, Dashinka said:

Let's just say, the police car lights came on pretty fast.

Like some ICE drivers, the officer was apparently  envious of EVs’ acceleration.
 

I am sure having the authority to hand out a silly demonstration of acceleration ticket makes that officer feel good.
 

And disadvantaged folks who are no longer in K-12 winning trophies for finishing last need wins to boost their self esteem.

[Dashinka 24,493]

8 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Like some ICE drivers, the officer was apparently  envious of EVs’ acceleration.
 

I am sure having the authority to hand out a silly demonstration of acceleration ticket makes that officer feel good.
 

And disadvantaged folks who are no longer in K-12 winning trophies for finishing last need wins to boost their self esteem.

I expect it was a speeding ticket as since we were all moving at the posted speed limit including the police officer, and the Model Y (the Pontiac Aztek of EVs IMO) was clearly pulling away, it did not take a rocket scientists, or radar to see the Tesla was far exceeding the speed limit.

 

Beyond that, are you saying EVs should be exempt?

Edited October 5, 2023 by Dashinka

[Mike E 11,739]

Watch Trump’s meet the press interview at the -104:00 minute (aka 13-14 minutes from the start) mark where he discusses the UAW strike: https://youtu.be/JOCRo97NoJ8?si=qNWyPlww9WI8Om2z

 

 

His analysis is brilliant, because he correctly identifies EV mandates as the real problem for the auto worker. In no particular order I paraphrase and add color to his points in no particular order:

 

* The EV mandate will result in most passenger cars sold in the U.S. being Chinese made. Even if UAW workers can get paid whatever they want it will not matter because their employers will be importing Chinese vehicles.

 

On this thread the rough consensus, which includes me, is that the EV mandate is impossible. 
 

Well we are wrong and Trump is right. It is possible.

 

I spent most of September in Thailand, including 2 weeks in Chiang Mai. Unlike Bangkok, there is no mass transit system, and unlike the rest of Thailand, Chiang Mai is leas walkable. 

 

So you use ride share (Grab App  for example).

 

Over 10 percent of my Grab rides were in Chinese Neta sedans. 4 seaters. But they are beautiful cars.
 

I spoke at length to one of the drivers about his Neta. 
 

* he doesn’t worry about range anxiety, as he gets 400km on a full charge

 

* he just charges at home using household current. Fully charges in 6 hours. Granted his household current’s wattage is twice that of U.S. household current due to 240Vs versus North American 120Vs. I am sure the Chinese can figure out a charging system that let uses two separate 120V 15A circuits to get the same 67 km/hour ( 42 mph) charging speed. By comparison my Tesla on a 50A / 240V circuit charges at 24 mph.
 

* 38 kwh battery (about half that of my Tesla) so this reduces cost. 
 

* $15,000 USD in Thailand. A country with high import tariffs (hence the manufacturer  opened  factory in Thailand. Imagine the list price without a tariff. I am thinking $9999. At that price who cares if the battery dies in 8 years? Buy it, use it, junk it. Rinse, repeat.

 

Joe and his successors are just going to import $9000 EVs from China and shutdown the Detroit auto industry. And the voters, who can no longer afford any car thanks to Biden’s economic policies will not care.
 

Bluntly, after my Tesla S dies, I won’t care. I am a retiree on a fixed income. I am getting a Neta if it is available.

 

* a diesel semi tractor / trailer rig can go 2000 miles on a full tank (I did not know this. Trump said it, and I verified it). Whereas if one is lucky, an EV semi tractor / trailer rig will get 500 miles. And at the end of that, 30 minutes to charge from 35-70 miles  350 miles (70 percent) at Tesla’s truck Semi Chargers (not superchargers).

 

Trump correctly points out the impracticality.

 

Of course, I do not think freight should be moved 2000 miles on interstate highways when we have a perfectly functioning diesel powered rail freight system. And so, 300-2000 miles of range is over kill for a truck: unload a container at a rail station and limit trucks to local delivery

 

But I see Trump’s point. Putting long haul truck drivers out of work all of a sudden is going to be traumatic.

 

* The choice to drive an EV should be a consumer choice.

 

I was impressed with Trump’s grasp of the EV issues. I truly doubt anyone running for POTUS understands it as well as him.  If I have his cognitive ability at age 77, then I will be smarter than I am today. 

 

If you want a sensible ICE / EV policy there is just one electoral choice.

 

Even if it means my next EV will cost more than $10K.

 

Edited October 5, 2023 by Mike E

[Mike E 11,739]

1 hour ago, Dashinka said:

I expect it was a speeding ticket as since we were all moving at the posted speed limit including the police officer

hmmm

 

On 10/2/2023 at 10:37 AM, Dashinka said:

police officer was wrapping up a traffic stop

So my understanding when I replied was the officer was stopped.

 

On 10/2/2023 at 10:37 AM, Dashinka said:

the speed limit as a Tesla Model Y driver decided to give us a demonstration of the acceleration of their electric vehicle in the far left lane. 

So my understanding was the Tesla Y was not speeding.

 

1 hour ago, Dashinka said:

Beyond that, are you saying EVs should be exempt?

Based on the clarified description of events, no there should be no exemption to EVs for speeding.

 

I do maintain that laws against rapid acceleration are inane, and I will double down and say that vehicles with slow acceleration are a hazard and should be banned from interstates.

So once there are enough EVs on the road, most ICE cars should be banned from interstates. 
 

Repeal acceleration laws

[Dashinka 24,493]

2 hours ago, Mike E said:

hmmm

 

So my understanding when I replied was the officer was stopped.

 

So my understanding was the Tesla Y was not speeding.

 

Based on the clarified description of events, no there should be no exemption to EVs for speeding.

 

I do maintain that laws against rapid acceleration are inane, and I will double down and say that vehicles with slow acceleration are a hazard and should be banned from interstates.

So once there are enough EVs on the road, most ICE cars should be banned from interstates. 
 

Repeal acceleration laws

Apologies, I should have been more detailed.  When we first saw the officer he was just starting to pull back into traffic.  By the time the Tesla started it's acceleration, the officer was up-to-speed.  I will say, I am happy for Waze as it gave us warning there was an officer ahead as both my wife and I tend to be a little liberal with the speed limit.  Does the Tesla nav system do that (honestly, I would like to know)?

[Mike E 11,739]

Just now, Dashinka said:

Does the Tesla nav system do that (honestly

No. Apple Maps does though.