Posted on 08/12/2019 7:35:28 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
Toyota, Ford plan to keep hybrids as core part of their lineups, showing split in auto industry
“If I had a dollar more to invest, would I spend it on a hybrid? Or would I spend it on the answer that we all know is going to happen, and get there faster and better than anybody else?” GM President Mark Reuss
Last week, Continental AG , one of the world’s biggest car-parts makers, said it would cut investment in conventional engine parts because of a faster-than-expected fall in demand—yet another sign the industry is accelerating the shift to electric vehicles.
Today, auto companies generally lose money on each electric car they sell, mostly because of the high cost of lithium-ion batteries.
VW and GM are focused on all-electric cars largely because of China, where new regulations require car companies to sell a minimum number of zero-emissions vehicles to avoid financial penalties.
or now, both hybrids and electric cars are more expensive to produce than comparable gas-powered vehicles. A hybrid system can add roughly $2,000 to a vehicle’s cost, while a fully electric version is an additional $6,000 to $10,000
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
$82,500 !
My family and I are averaging 52 MPG on four Toyota Prius cars. We’ve driven Prius cars since the first one sold in Maine (mine) in 2000 - appx. 660,000 miles on four cars.
We’ve saved appx. $82,500 over this time - compared to. cars that get only 25 MPG
I wonder if they ever point out that each of these zero emission wonder cars comes along with an electric generation plant which can put huge amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere, leave a residue of toxic radioactive materials to be dealt with or cause huge damage to rivers and fish populations??
When Air-Force-One flys with electric motors I’ll embrace the technology. I know it’s coming, but I want more range than 200 miles.
They’ll be less smug in the air.
“My family and I are averaging 52 MPG on four Toyota Prius cars.”
Or, you could buy a Hyundai Elantra, average over 40 mpg and save a pile of up front cash. Not to mention, no replacement cost of hugely expensive battery packs.
Hybrids are viable, but minimally attractive. All electric cars are only viable for certain applications.
Whichever direction GM selects, bet on other options.
Somebody needs to do the math: how much would it cost to provide electric “filling stations” on the scale we currently have gas filling stations? What would this do to the electric grid? Is this even feasible?
Understand the basics for diving headlong into the unknown . . .
I think the future is in something like electric or hydrogen, but probably not in my lifetime (I’m 66). I remember when I bought my 2001 Chrysler 300m new. I thought it would be my last internal combustion engine car. Nope. Who knew gas would become even more plentiful and cheaper?
There are simply way too many BTU’s of energy in a pound of gas compared to a pound of battery - so far. The one thing hybrids and electrics have going for them - the ONE thing - is that they convert braking energy back to fuel instead of heat. But since my FR-S went 142k miles without a brake job, for me that doesn’t really give you much.
And did I mention gas is cheap? ;)
BTW, I work in the power industry. Imagine our electric grid as it currently exists trying to support millions of electric vehicles. Nope. It only works if not many people have them.
Gas is $6 a gallon in Maine?
perhaps you should be taxed for all the gas you didn’t use...
hmmmm
GM used to be known for the boobs in their bumpers. Now the boobs are apparently placed in upper management positions.
If you like your prius you can keep your prius. I like saving money too but not enough to drive a prius.
You forgot to mention the giant windmills that slice and dice birds of prey and bats that are critical to maintaining a balaced ecosystem plus being a blight on the landscape on both the mountains and plains. Some areas of eastern New Mexico are so dense with them it almost appears like a science fiction movie scene.
Just can’t do an all electric vehicle up here in Minnesota.
Batteries don’t like the low temperatures. Then factor in the amount of juice to heat the interior and de-ice the windshield. I bet the range is well under 100 miles at that point. Then factor in sitting in traffic for hours while the entire road system is walloped with a foot of snow and the chance of freezing to death becomes real.
Sorry, electrics do not have the range, recharging time nor capability of ICE vehicles.
Hybrids are the stop-gap. Toyota knows this.
The first person who freezes to death in an electric vehicle because its range was cut in half and no charging was available will make all-electrics a non-starter for most Americans.
All-electric may work in urban areas with density, but not in the vast majority of this nation.
Electric cars might make sense if you live in an urban area, where you have to drive relatively short distances and you don’t have to drive all that often.
I’m fine with experimentation with alternative sources and bringing these to market. It’s a fine balance to “help” automakers or incentivize them and buyers to encourage this experimentation so as to not bankrupt companies.
Somebody needs to do the math: how much would it cost to provide electric “filling stations” on the scale we currently have gas filling stations?
...
Do people’s garages with electric outlets count?
I believe 90% of recharging is done at home or at work.
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