Alternative Fuels & Propulsion RANDOM

[ykX]

19 hours ago, David said:

electric Mountain Bike

Electric bikes are biggest scam ever (and I mean people fooling themselves).  You either work and pedal or buy electric bike to ride around.

[G. David Felt]

Seems Lordstown while moving forward to go into full EV pickup production has also committed to an EV van for both personal use and delivery use. 

Lordstown has just signed a long term battery supply agreement with LG Chem for the Endurance Pickup and other unidentified EVs. 

Lordstown will reveal the EV Van in June of 2021 with production starting in 2nd half of 2022. The exciting part if that Camping World will also sell a conversion of the van through their national Camping World stores and service all Lordstown EVs. 

Lordstown also confirmed that they have stamped 57 Beta Prototypes for testing starting in March. From crash testing to a wide range of validation testing to be done on these test mules.

Lordstown also confirmed today that they are now an official listing on the United States Services Administration sheet for auto purchases. The first step in being approved to sell to Government fleets across the US.

Lordstown confirms electric van for 2022 production, LG Chem batteries for Endurance pickup (greencarreports.com)

Jaguar / Land Rover has confirmed they are boosting the range of their EVs by moving to more carbon Fiber / Composites in their Auto's.

Jaguar Land Rover aims to boost EV range with more carbon fiber, composites (greencarreports.com)

[G. David Felt]

EXCITEMENT!!!

Omni Powertrains has introduced a whole new series of parallel-shaft gearboxes. These new boxes address cost, performance and additional needs that come into play when building EVs for Off Road applications.

Gear boxes provide torque from 200Nm to 3,000Nm or 148lb-ft to 2,213lb-ft. with ratios from 15:1 to 60:1 using Helical Ground Gears.

Omni Motors and gear boxes can be paired to meet OEM specifications.

Charged EVs | Omni introduces parallel-shaft EV gearboxes - Charged EVs

[G. David Felt]

As the OIL Industry prepares for the eventual end of oil / gas powered auto's and buys up EV focused suppliers we are seeing more and more new products come to market. Rhombus Energy Solutions has launched a new Residential to commercial application of Bi-Directional  Chargers.

The benefit of Bi-Directional chargers is it allows Vehicle to Grid functionality that will allow fleet operators to return unused power in EVs to the grid during peak demand or to use the power in battery packs at times to power buildings in a behind the meter scenario.

Expect more and more companies to come to market in support of all levels (1 to 4) of charging. Yes current levels are 1 to 3, but a level 4 is being considered to cover your large scale fleet bi-directional charging.

Charged EVs | Rhombus launches new bidirectional charging solution for medium- and heavy-duty EV fleets - Charged EVs

Milbank - Learn the Levels of EV Charging (milbankworks.com)

An interesting read for those that want to see the battle of green energy versus fossil fuels in a state that has land maxed out with oil pumping as it reduces down over the oncoming years and increases their green energy production via Solar and Wind.

Governor of Texas, No. 1 in US wind power, showboats over fossil fuels - Electrek

[G. David Felt]

It appears gm is going to challange Norways lead for EV adoption with their new super bowl adds covering their new auto's.

Last year was all about the Hummer, now it seems to be expanding.

 

 

[balthazar]

The new logo is beyond repugnant.

[G. David Felt]

18 hours ago, balthazar said:

The new logo is beyond repugnant.

Does not bother me, companies try new branding all the time and some works, some does not. With the Pandemic, probably not a bad time to reboot a companies image. GM or gm does not matter as it is a parent company and people are buying GMC, Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac. That is a different marketing issue all together if Cadillac went to cadillac or GMC to gmc, then yes would have to think long and hard, but I could care less about the parent company logo.

[G. David Felt]

Washington State EV News. Monday February 1st 2021, our politicians introduced a bill in our capital, HB 1204/SB 5256 that will require starting in 2030 all new passenger cars and light-duty pickup Auto Sales to be electric in order to be registered to be driven in Washington State.

Hydrogen fuel-cell, emergency vehicles and vehicles weighting more than 10,000 lbs would be exempt from the ICE ban. This follows California and Massachusetts that have also introduced bans on new ICE sales starting in 2035.

HB 1204

Washington State Legislature

SB 5256

Washington State Legislature

 

[G. David Felt]

Been a while since I posted anything about the startup Atlis Pickup Trucks. The CEO and founder drives a 3/4 ton Diesel Pickup and Owns a Tesla Model 3. In his latest interview, he talks about how much he loves to drive his truck over the Tesla. As such, his goal is to bring to market his concept Atlis pickup with all the capabilities of Diesel trucks plus more.

One of the areas that Atlis is putting investment money into is what only now Tesla has started to research into and that is new battery cell format that would allow a 500 mile range battery pack to recharge in 15 minutes.

The writer of the story, says that Hanchett is blithely optimistic.

CEO Hanchett says the basic truck will start at $45,000 with a 10,000 pound towing / 5,000 pound hauling rating with a 125 kWh battery pack good for 300 miles. The top range truck with much higher ratings and range will start at $78,000

Atlis is planning to have a 400V, 800V and 1,600V electrical system and batteries.

While I like the looks of the concept truck they have built, I do wonder if they will be able to truly get the product to market due to their funding source being the crowdfunding web site.

Interesting read of the full interview here.

Crowdfunded electric-truck hopeful Atlis has a super-size vision, dollar-menu budget (greencarreports.com)

The truck Platform has the following specifications, 35,000 pounds of Towing and a 5,000 pound payload with battery packs up to 500 miles of range in top form.

 

Shell OIL Company has made their latest acquisition in buying up Ubitricity, a European electric charging network. This company currently operates in France and Germany with a 13% market share for EV charging. This will continue to expand Shell's market penetration as they now have a vast charging network across the UK, France and Germany.

Charged EVs | Oil companies buying up EV charging networks: Shell acquires ubitricity - Charged EVs

[G. David Felt]

Seems more Tesla Semi Trucks are showing up from the Nevada Giga Factory where they will be produced in California for testing.

 

Seems Tesla has finally ditched the last item tied to ICE auto's, the 12V Lead Acid battery. They now use in the new revamped Tesla S and X auto's a 12V Li-Ion battery pack. This battery is what runs the lights, media unit, windows and locking doors.

Tesla's new Model S and Model X get rid of lead-acid 12v battery, move to Li-ion - Electrek

Musk has posted Drone footage showing how fast the Germany Giga factory is being built.

 

 

Very cool EV Super Soco motorcycle. 123 mile range on current battery pack.

 

[G. David Felt]

NHTSA 1, Tesla 0, in the battle over recalls with Musk saying nothing is wrong, well Tesla has given in and has their first recall of 135,000 Tesla S and X over the on going failure of their NVIDIA Tegra 3 Processor based 17" infotainment screens. These 2012 to 2018 models will get the newest screens that go into the Tesla 3 / Y autos. 

Weird part in reading the story is that NHTSA is saying it is 158,000 to be recalled, so wondering if The Drive fat fingered this?

Tesla Bows to NHTSA Pressure, Recalls 135,000 Cars Over 'Inevitable' Touchscreen Failure (thedrive.com)

[ocnblu]

[balthazar]

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, ocnblu said:

GM is using Colbalt free battery packs as is Tesla who has switched over and Ford.

Those same men who help destroy the planet drilling oil and producing increased CO2 will find jobs putting up Solar, Wind and other awesome GREEN energy production sites.

[ocnblu]

1 hour ago, David said:

will find jobs

Quoted like a true out of touch leftist.

[G. David Felt]

14 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Quoted like a true out of touch leftist.

Stop the Politics, Delusional Righty!

[ocnblu]

5 hours ago, David said:

Stop the Politics, Delusional Righty!

Oh, they'll just "find jobs", how does that happen, magically?  And what else is in those batteries, farts of virgin unicorns?

[balthazar]

Look how many pro football players jump right over to hockey, Bill. 
 

[ccap41]

Yeah, they'll find those solar jobs right next to the oil fields they're currently working in. They won't have to pack up and hopefully find these solar jobs elsewhere in the country. 

Interviewer: What relevant work experience do you have?

Person looking for work: I worked in the oil fields. 

Interviewer: How is that relevant?

Person looking for work: I was told we still have jobs. A guy on the internet told me. 

[G. David Felt]

In AWESOME EV News,

Amazon has started deliveries using the first batch of Test Vans delivered from Rivian in the Greater LA Area. Amazon expects to have 10,000 Rivian built delivery vans in a variety of configurations starting with this base RWD, 150 mile range van. They will add AWD with 300 and 400 mile range vans for cities in northern climates where you have snow, hills, etc. on the North American roads by the end of 2022. Full production starts Q4 of 2021 on the vans.

The Delivery vans will have 360 video camera's reducing accidents and van damage as well as Alexa voice control. Amazon has already finished installation of chargers in all their hubs around the world as they move forward to go to an all electric fleet by 2025.

Amazon's Rivian electric vehicles start making deliveries in LA | Engadget

 

[ocnblu]

Just... so FIERCE in countenance!

[surreal1272]

8 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Yeah, they'll find those solar jobs right next to the oil fields they're currently working in. They won't have to pack up and hopefully find these solar jobs elsewhere in the country. 

Interviewer: What relevant work experience do you have?

Person looking for work: I worked in the oil fields. 

Interviewer: How is that relevant?

Person looking for work: I was told we still have jobs. A guy on the internet told me. 

How did the oil field worker get his job on the oil field? Training. The same applies to applying for any new job. You are also assuming that a solar company would not have an oil worker otherwise.

 

https://cleanchoiceenergy.com/news/renewable_energy_jobs_for_coal_miners_and_oil_workers

1 hour ago, ocnblu said:

Just... so FIERCE in countenance!

It's a freakin delivery van. As William said earlier, just drop the "EVs are garbage" routine already.

Edited February 4, 2021 by surreal1272

[ocnblu]

7 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

It's a freakin delivery van. As William said earlier, just drop the "EVs are garbage" routine already.

Sorry it would look just as silly/babyish with a 572 in it.

[surreal1272]

2 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Sorry it would look just as silly/babyish with a 572 in it.

Then let me say it again. It's a freakin delivery van, regardless of powertrain. Who gives two squats how it looks? It only needs to do the job.

[oldshurst442]

11 hours ago, balthazar said:

Look how many pro football players jump right over to hockey, Bill. 
 

Well...maybe not hockey, but baseball.

 

 

And then there are football players who decide they also be doctors

 

Oh...hockey players need not be outdone by football players

Hockey players cutting short, very short, their hockey hall of fame careers to be lawyers. Barely played 8 years. Won 6 Stanley Cups all the while studying to become a lawyer, then left the hockey world to be a... lawyer. 

       

                                             

 

Its called re-inventing yourself. Never being afraid to learn new things to do new things. And more true in TODAY'S world, one has to re-invent one's career path SEVERAL times over.

But it seems easier to bitch, whine, complain and blame everything and everyone rather than actually learning new things... to do new things to survive today's ever changing jungle.

Survival of the fittest, strongest, smartest and the one that is willing to work the hardest to go that extra extra mile...more so than EVER! 

 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by oldshurst442

[surreal1272]

27 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Well...maybe not hockey, but baseball.

 

 

And then there are football players who decide they also be doctors

 

Oh...hockey players need not be outdone by football players

Hockey players cutting short, very short, their hockey hall of fame careers to be lawyers. Barely played 8 years. Won 6 Stanley Cups all the while studying to become a lawyer, then left the hockey world to be a... lawyer. 

       

                                             

 

Its called re-inventing yourself. Never being afraid to learn new things to do new things. And more true in TODAY'S world, one has to re-invent one's career path SEVERAL times over.

But it seems easier to bitch, whine, complain and blame everything and everyone rather than actually learning new things... to do new things to survive today's ever changing jungle.

Survival of the fittest, strongest, smartest and the one that is willing to work the hardest to go that extra extra mile...more so than EVER! 

 

 

 

Exactly. I am so tired of reading the slanted remarks to the concept of learning something new because your previous industry is dead or dying. Change has been a technological fact since day one. Out with the old, in with the new and with that comes the need to learn new skills and take advantage of training in up and coming fields. Whats that some circles say? "Lace up your boots and get to work!"

[ccap41]

13 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

How did the oil field worker get his job on the oil field? Training. The same applies to applying for any new job. You are also assuming that a solar company would not have an oil worker otherwise.

If "training" is your justification, then why aren't we all getting 250k/yr jobs? Just train us. Seems simple enough. 

[surreal1272]

30 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

If "training" is your justification, then why aren't we all getting 250k/yr jobs? Just train us. Seems simple enough. 

Way to miss the point entirely. There is training for just about every job out there if one were so inclined to get off their ass and look. Read my entire statement (the one above your comment) on that instead of cherry picking the one little piece that doesn’t tell the whole story. Old industry being replaced by new industry is practically the backbone of this country. It all started with the industrial revolution. 

Edited February 4, 2021 by surreal1272

[riviera74]

2 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

Old industry being replaced by new industry is practically the backbone of this country. It all started with the industrial revolution. 

Tell that to WV and WY coal miners, as well as those who are in obsolete industries elsewhere.  They need to be given the memo.

[balthazar]

Were it that a shuttered plant or shut-down industry's employees were a slam dunk for re-training / new jobs.

Were it that all Oldsmobile & Pontiac customers went right over and bought Chevrolet/Buicks, too, while I'm at it.

[G. David Felt]

8 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

Tell that to WV and WY coal miners, as well as those who are in obsolete industries elsewhere.  They need to be given the memo.

Many states including WV and WY have retraining programs for dying industries. Yet even with that, not everyone will take advantage of change.

As the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but cannot make it drink. As such, it dies. 

Same with the changes in various industries.

Posting this in both random forums as it is valid for how the industries of auto production will also change.

The latest Morgan Stanley report on the US Power Generation by source is predicting that Coal will be a dead industry in the US for power production by 2033 due to submission of decommission applications to the US Energy Administration. While Coal will still be taken from the ground, it will be for use to China and other countries that are still dependent on coal for electrical production.

The report goes on to say that 55% of US electrical production will be from Green sources of energy such as Solar, Wind, Hydro and the rest will from from Natural Gas and Nuclear. 

Why is this important to the auto industry, easy with the change over to EVs, the electrical production industry is planning for the need for redundant power sources to fuel everything from EVs to cell phones, homes and businesses.

Coal will be gone from US power by 2033 – Morgan Stanley - Electrek

Even with worker retraining, not everyone will be willing to change and that is no one else fault but their own. Stop learning and changing with society and you get left behind.

POWER Dislocated Worker Grants - Resources for Coal Miners | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)

Training Available for Dislocated Coal Miners and Dependents « UMWA Career Centers, Inc. (umwacc.com)

Plenty of money being spent to retrain coal workers for new jobs, but again, they are not being forced, if they do not realize that the news is accurate on this industry dying, no one else to blame but themselves.

Same with Auto Union workers, retrain to build EVs or eventually your job disappears.

[G. David Felt]

Tesla had stated that they would only sell the Tesla Model Y in markets when local production could start. Tesla has started production and delivery of Model Y CUVs in China. They have now updated the progress on their German manufacturing site that production of Model Y and 3 EVs will begin for Europe in mid-2021.

Tesla updates Model Y timeline in Europe, hints at Gigafactory Berlin to start production 'mid-2021' - Electrek

[balthazar]

The 2019 share of so-called 'renewable' energy sources was 17%, but note that that also includes such sources as wood, landfill gases, solid waste and geothermal. Nuclear was 19%. There's only been 2 nuclear plants built in the last 25 years; track record there for increased output is poor. 

I like the concept of hydro-electric generation, but the infrastructure there is the oldest of all sources, and the backlash against hydro-electric dams by environmentalists in recent years is becoming a formidable issue. They're also significantly restricted by geography.

Edited February 4, 2021 by balthazar

[G. David Felt]

FORD CEO Jim Farley gave an interview on CNBC today and has made a commitment to the stock holders and public that he will "Lay out the Entire Picture" of the companies EV plans over the coming couple months. This plan will provide a clear and decisive plan for the company as the auto industry transitions to an all electric auto portfolio.

In the first 4 months as CEO Ford stock are up 60% as the public are excited with where Ford is going, paying off debt and having a clear and decisive vision for the company. Per CEO Farley, "2021 is our year of Action". The CEO has accelerated the $11 billion global restructuring plan launched under his predecessor in 2018 that Farley helped design as second in command at the time. This included the shedding of 14,000 jobs, revamping global operations and ending auto production in Brazil.

Ford is focused on ensuring the best quality of build for the Mach-E, F150 EV and the Transit Van EV. Mr. Farley also said that fans of ICE auto's should enjoy the next couple of years as they launch the final generation of engines in new products such as the Bronco.

Jim Farley also stated that EVs need to be open to everyone and Ford has a plan to deliver from entry level EV to Luxury level allowing all to move to an EV.

In the interview it was clearly pointed out that Ford seems to be working under two out of sync clocks compared to GM which has heavily restructured, pulled out of money loosing markets and embraced a full EV plan for the current decade which has left GM with a market value of almost $80 Billion compared to Fords Market Value of $40 billion. This has Morgan Stanly upgrading GM in the near term and downgrading Ford in the near term.

Farley has stated that he plans to deliver such proof to show that the Mach-E is not a one off success and that the rest of the company can transition sooner than later to an EV portfolio that will deliver world class auto's for both on road and off road use. 

Farley points to the announcement earlier this week with Google which saw the Ford Stock price jump 8.6%. Morgan Stanley does see that this tie-up will generate a estimated $9 billion revenue stream of which $5 billion is to be a profit for Ford.

Investors have criticized Jim Hackett for his lack of urgency and transparency with a 5yr restructuring plan, investors seem to be much happier with CEO Farley who accelerated the plan from 5 into 3 years. With major costs having hit in Q4 of last year so that things will be much more profitable moving forward sooner.

Ford CEO promises 'year of action' for restructuring and EVs (cnbc.com)

[ykX]

46 minutes ago, balthazar said:

The 2019 share of so-called 'renewable' energy sources was 17%, but note that that also includes such sources as wood, landfill gases, solid waste and geothermal. Nuclear was 19%. There's only been 2 nuclear plants built in the last 25 years; track record there for increased output is poor. 

I like the concept of hydro-electric generation, but the infrastructure there is the oldest of all sources, and the backlash against hydro-electric dams by environmentalists in recent years is becoming a formidable issue. They're also significantly restricted by geography.

NJ renewable source of electricity is only 5% at the moment.  Most of the electricity (over 90%) comes from natural gas and nuclear (about half and half).  I think there is a plan to build wind farms of the shore but it will be awhile till they come online IMO.

Edited February 4, 2021 by ykX

[ccap41]

23 minutes ago, ykX said:

NJ renewable source of electricity is only 5% at the moment.  Most of the electricity (over 90%) comes from natural gas and nuclear (about half and half).  I think there is a plan to build wind farms of the shore but it will be awhile till they come online IMO.

I had to look IL's up because this made me curious.

"In 2019, renewable energy generated 8% of the electricity generated in Illinois, and in-state renewable electricity has almost tripled since 2010.106 Wind is the primary renewable resource used for electric power generation in the state. 

 In 2019, wind provided 97% of the state's renewable energy generation, and Illinois was sixth in the nation in utility-scale (1 megawatt or greater) wind capacity, with about 5,200 megawatts online. The state has considerable additional wind power potential, and about 1,200 megawatts of capacity is either under construction or in advanced development.

Biomass, along with hydroelectric power and solar photovoltaic (PV) facilities, together account for less than 0.4% of Illinois' electricity generation. More than half of this is provided by biomass, mainly from municipal landfills. The state has many rivers, but its relatively level terrain limits hydroelectric potential, and 0.1% of the state's electricity generation is provided by hydroelectric power. Solar power provides less than 0.1% of the state's net generation. However, solar PV use has grown rapidly in the last decade. Almost three-fourth of the state's solar PV generation in 2019 came from customer-sited, small-scale generation, mostly rooftop solar panels.

Illinois generates more electricity from nuclear energy than any other state, accounting for one-eighth of the nation's total nuclear power generation. In 2019, 54% of electricity net generation in Illinois was produced by the state's 6 nuclear power plants with their 11 reactors. The nuclear plants are all ranked among the 10 largest power plants in the state by electricity generation, and 5 of the 6 are among the 10 largest by capacity. Because of economic issues in the electricity market, two nuclear power stations, the Clinton and Quad Cities nuclear plants, were scheduled to close in 2017 and 2018, but the Illinois legislature in late 2016 approved Zero Emissions Credits for nuclear generators to keep the stations operating for another decade. The ZEC program rewards utilities for producing carbon-free electricity."

[balthazar]

6 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Because of economic issues in the electricity market, two nuclear power stations, the Clinton and Quad Cities nuclear plants, were scheduled to close...

Interesting. I think we sometimes tend to think that, because energy requirements are continually growing over time, that power generators are somehow immune from economic / market place factors.

Further, and that a successful business case for them also needs to be present.

[G. David Felt]

@ykX @ccap41 @balthazar thanks for the info guys, here is where Washington State is at, we have the final Coal power plant scheduled for decommission in 2025. The huge 1000 acre open pit coal mine is being leveled as it will be covered in Solar panels to replace the power created by the coal power plant. They are also installing in one area that is tall hills with strong winds wind turbines.

Currently our states electricity is produced in the following:

• % from Coal = 8.9%
• % from hydroelectric = 63%
• % from natural gas = 8.6%
• % from nuclear = 8.6%
• % from solar = .1%
• % from wind = 9.2%

Total MegaWatts produced = 9,248

In Washington, a Coal-Fired Power Plant Will Put Its Money on the Sun | NRDC

Washington - State Energy Profile Analysis - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

[surreal1272]

My picture response to the anti-renewable energy crowd when they bring up issues with things like Wind and Solar. Feel free to look up "Dan river coal ash spill" while you're at it.

 

 

[balthazar]

^ Is that a lithium mine? 😜

[ykX]

@surreal1272

No one wants more coal power plants.  However, need to look realistically how to replace old power plants with renewable sources. 

For example, NJ nuclear power plant has an output of 1172MW.  The average wind turbine has an output of 1.67MW.  So for NJ to replace our old nuclear plant will require 702 wind turbines. 

Another calculation is that per some regulations with the allowable space between wind turbines it comes out to 10MW of wind power per square mile, meaning NJ will need 117.2 square miles of wind turbines to replace one nuclear power plant.

Just putting things in perspective.

Edited February 4, 2021 by ykX

[G. David Felt]

47 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

My picture response to the anti-renewable energy crowd when they bring up issues with things like Wind and Solar. Feel free to look up "Dan river coal ash spill" while you're at it.

 

 

Imagine how flat the surrounding area becomes when they back fill in the hole with the hills around it. 😐 

[balthazar]

^ Right; 

3 hours ago, balthazar said:

significantly restricted by geography.

NJ just doesn't have the open real estate for huge infrastructure changes. I've already heard significant outrage against off-shore wind farms here.
There's only 3 hydro-electric dams in the state, and 2 combined only produce 3.5 mW (the other: 453 mW).
Nuclear and natural gas have, so far, proven to work the best with the grotesque population density and terrain here. I'm sure the balances between sources can be modified... 

[surreal1272]

13 minutes ago, ykX said:

@surreal1272

No one wants more coal power plants.  However, need to look realistically how to replace old power plants with renewable sources. 

For example, NJ nuclear power plant has an output of 1172MW.  The average wind turbine has an output of 1.67MW.  So for NJ to replace our old nuclear plant will require 702 wind turbines. 

Another calculation is that per some regulations with the allowable space between wind turbines it comes out to 10MW of wind power per square mile, meaning NJ will need 117.2 square miles of wind turbines to replace one nuclear power plant.

Just putting things in perspective.

Very true. Some places will indeed be more difficult than others but nationwide, there are still plenty of options to set up sustainable and renewable energy. On the flip side, nuclear power is an expensive and risky undertaking for most areas. There are good reasons why more locales don't use it.

18 minutes ago, balthazar said:

^ Is that a lithium mine? 😜

Ha! However, there are attempts to move away from that as well i.e. solid state batteries. 

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, surreal1272 said:

My picture response to the anti-renewable energy crowd when they bring up issues with things like Wind and Solar. Feel free to look up "Dan river coal ash spill" while you're at it.

Just for the record, I believe there is only one person who is actually "anti". The rest of "us" are more skeptical but are certainly not against it. We just want things to be more comparable and comparably priced. 

I certainly plan to own an electric vehicle one day but I'm not paying 15k or more for one vs the comparable ICE vehicle, which is(from what I believe, I don't want to put words in his mouth, what Balthy's biggest issue as well. The prices just are not comparable and you'll never recoup the savings when you spend so much more up front. 

[balthazar]

^ Agreed. Battery costs per kW have halved or the like, but that savings hasn't been extended to the consumer. Also seeing increasing real world reports that the maintenance & 'fueling' costs are higher than the common narrative is. I think a huge portion of non BE owners think Teslas get free electricity. 

Add the high relative sticker to the evaporation of tax credits and you're not going to come out ahead. That's been the cornerstone of the BE narrative, and people vote with their wallets. 2035 in some states/towns is going to be a major clash between consumer & gov't.

[G. David Felt]

Ford has just announced a doubling of investment into EVs development to spending $22 billion from the $11 billion originally committed. 

Ford had a $2 billion loss.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ford-reports-quarterly-loss-tops-2-billion-increases-investment-in-electric-vehicles-11612474055

[G. David Felt]

20 hours ago, balthazar said:

^ Right; 

NJ just doesn't have the open real estate for huge infrastructure changes. I've already heard significant outrage against off-shore wind farms here.

I can understand the outrage for those that will see it, deep ocean wind farms have so much more potential since the winds are far stronger than when they are close to land. The ability to replace ALL AMERICAN energy production with Wind from deep ocean wind farms is a reality that is being worked on. These farms would NOT be seen from shore thus removing the anger. Supposedly, we could with what the DOE has researched so far produce 2000 GW of power a day supplying far more than the country consumes. Floating Wind Farms have huge benefits over current wind farms that need shallow water.

US has only one offshore wind farm, but that's about to change (cnbc.com)

This also has Great high pay job potential for off shore oil drilling workers who can use their skills to build the off shore wind farms be them built into shallow bed rock or floating farms farther out. It will also support many jobs locally in the marina's that have boats going out to the wind farms.

Very Green, renewable clean energy.

[G. David Felt]

I am really digging the look of the Mach-E as this is just sharp to me.

This is a very interesting review especially as the reviewer is an 8 year and running Tesla owner in a current Tesla Y so he makes some interesting comparisons. Also I think he has a valid point, he is not going to debate the is this a real Mustang or not as he states, it is the only Mustang built all New since his birth that he is super excited about.

The Electrek Review: The Mach E is Ford's most important Mustang in 56 years - Electrek

 

[G. David Felt]

Rereading the review, I have to agree that Ford has done better than Tesla in keeping certain things traditional in which people going from ICE to EV will appreciate. Example is the windshield wiper which is on the stalk on the Steering wheel column compared to Tesla which has the windshield wipers as a menu option in the big screen.

I do appreciate that this guy clearly talks about headroom in the back seat being much better than in the Tesla Y and how that space matches up from cargo to front between the Mach-E and Tesla Y.

He makes clear the 3 things he finds as Head Scratchers but over all a equal and in some areas superior EV to Tesla.

To quote:

As a Tesla Model Y owner who wanted to validate my purchase decision, I wanted the Mach E to be significantly less of a car overall. It wasn’t.

On the contrary.

In many meaningful ways, the Ford Mustang Mach E is a better vehicle than a Model Y, and more importantly for Ford and the EV industry, it is an exceptional vehicle overall. I imagine a lot of people who aren’t ready for the leap to Tesla will find the Mach E every bit as exciting and more of an easy step from the ICE car they are coming from. Especially Ford owners.

The Mach E isn’t perfect and I imagine in the coming years, Ford’s designers will reconsider some of the quibbles mentioned above. But as a package, Ford has to be congratulated on their first and very important effort.

The Mach E has tons of room for 5 + dog, looks amazing, and pays homage to Ford’s Mustang, drives like a bat out of hell, and can be had for a starting price of about $35,000 after federal tax savings. It costs less in states with their own and utility incentives.

Maybe the Mach E is too good to be called a Mustang?

State of Tennessee has just passed a major bill to fund a Statewide EV Fast Charging network. This is a $20 million dollar investment in the State to help drive adoption of EVs. The new charging network is to be completed by 2024.

Tennessee funds statewide electric vehicle fast charging network - Electrek