Interview with Mary Barra

[70 copo]

Reuters interviewed executives for both Ford and GM for the article below.

Development: Ford stock was just downgraded to Junk status and GM is now being threatened with the same potential downgrade.

So Ford is now saying this to its investors:

Executives at GM and Ford told Reuters in interviews they are serious about launching more electric vehicles in the United States in the coming years, but they are concerned about getting too far ahead of mass-market demand.

“We’re trying to time this with the natural demand of consumers (so) we’re not forced to do artificial things and we don’t violate the laws of economics,” Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product development and purchasing officer," told Reuters

I like it. Laws of economics -- Translation: We cannot build things the market will not buy.


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-a...-idUSKBN21D1KW

[JoeC]

the automotive press is watching the sales of the Renault ZOE EV

https://insideevs.com/news/399451/re...-january-2020/

[markinnaples]

Considering that gas is priced at $1.65/gal at our local Sam's Club, not sure the demand for EV's is there. I know this may be temporary, but anything close to $2/gal will diminish the desire for EV's a great deal, IMHO.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by markinnaples

Considering that gas is priced at $1.65/gal at our local Sam's Club, not sure the demand for EV's is there. I know this may be temporary, but anything close to $2/gal will diminish the desire for EV's a great deal, IMHO.

$4 to $5 per gallon was the tipping point when I was on the Volt program (now ten years ago).

That was when we would see sales shift from large SUVs and pickups to small cars.

K

[Lee Stewart]

Solar Charging May Be The Key To Shoring Up America's Rural EV Infrastructure

Electrify America and Envision Solar have joined forces in an attempt to bring electric car charging to routes through rural areas without steady and reliable access to a power grid. The initial test will involve thirty of these “EV ARC” units deployed throughout California’s Central, Coachella, and Imperial Valleys to help EV drivers traverse parts of the state that had previously been difficult or range-anxious to reach.

Each of these charging stations are equipped with solar-tracking 4.28 kW photovoltaic arrays and 32 kWh of on-board battery storage. With this system Electrify America says it can charge two vehicles at the same time with up to 6 kW charge speeds through the supplied EA level 2 chargers.

In today’s climate of everyone talking level 3 DC fast chargers, that 6 kW doesn’t sound like much, but it’ll get something like a Nissan Leaf charged up from empty to the tippy top in 4-ish hours, as opposed to the 20 hours or so it takes plugged into a 110 outlet. And besides, it’s 100% renewable energy, which is all kinds of bitchin’.

https://jalopnik.com/solar-charging-...-ru-1842476405

[70 copo]

Plan B:

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/general...ctric-vehicles

[Lee Stewart]

VW Says The Combustion Engine Is Far From Dead

Being such a large automaker with multiple brands under its umbrella, the Volkswagen Group can afford to invest heavily in electrification without having to put the internal combustion engine on the backburner. Their gasoline engines are now more efficient than ever while the much-criticized diesels that generated billions of dollars in fines are now as clean as current technology allows it.

BMW is also a strong believer the combustion engine still has a long life ahead as R&D boss, Klaus Froehlich, expressed the company’s commitment to ICEs for at least 30 more years. Some of the engines in low demand and/or expensive to produce will be gradually dropped, but BMW has vowed to sell diesels for 20 more years and gasoline engines for about 30.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news...cid=spartandhp

[Lynn]

GM has a bit of history overstating objectives based on the enthusiasm of the day. I remember training at one of the GM tech schools here in OKC in 1979-80. We were told that by 1985 GM would be front wheel drive across the board; including pick up trucks. They obviously back peddled from that.

ICE will be with us for quite a while in one form or another.

[MagicRatt]

WOW.....kool thread to read. Lots of opinions and ideas about EV vs. ICE. I will never be a fan of any electric motor powered anything unless it's my HO train collection. Call me old school, that's fine. I did take notice that some folks on this board seem to be afraid of visiting gas stations. Someone mentioned(insert sarcasm here) something about watching a drag race in silence. I get it, just don't like the notion of it. Part of the driving thrill is the sounds and smell, even if it is only a ride to the gas pumps. I know I will flame out someday, but it won't be in an EV.

Rich

[Charley Lillard]

Gas will be around for a long time but the performance from electric is the main attraction for me. I love torque and electric comes out on top for low end seat of the pants torque.


Anyone into RC cars has probably had the gas powered ones and the electric ones. Electric has taken over. Curious what the market balance is between gas and electric RC cars.
I'm not afraid of visiting gas stations but given a choice I would just as soon skip them.