Posted on 07/24/2021 9:01:09 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
He developed gasoline engines for family sedans as well as thunderous Nascar racing machines.
By last year, though, the excitement was gone. His projects were no longer about advancing the engine, just nursing along existing technology. All the buzz had shifted to electric vehicles. In December, Mr. Penkevich took early retirement at age 59.
“It’s been a fun ride,” said engineer Dave Lancaster, who spent 40 years working in engine development at General Motors Co. “But I think we’re coming into the homestretch for the conventional engine.”
Over the past several decades, auto makers in most years rolled out between 20 and 70 new engines globally, according to research firm IHS Markit. That number will fall below 10 this year, and then essentially go to zero, the research firm said.
“We don’t want to be left making the best buggy whips,”
For the UAW to prevail, workers would have to vote yes, and wages likely would be far lower than at a car factory. Other battery plants typically pay $15 to $18 an hour, compared with a top hourly wage of around $30 for a UAW-represented worker at an assembly plant.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
—”Subsurface micro-maglev delivery systems would be interesting.”
Have you been hanging around with Mr Musk, did he share his stash with you?
—”The problem is poor people won’t be finding any used and abused $500 Electric junkers when they need a Car for basic transportation.”
The great and Glorious 0bama and his Cash for Clunkers did exactly that!
I’m sure Mr. Penkevich did a great job with GM, or he wouldn’t have lasted there for a half century. He probably was not, though, classified as an ‘engineer’. Engineering classifications there have an additional word such as ‘test’, ‘project’, or ‘development’ engineer. There are no titles of ‘engineer’. I’m sure his work was quite important, even vital, but I doubt that it was the kind of assignment that would give him the insight to predict the future.
People’s electric car? A VoltsWagen.
Plus the old 5 gal gas can and 5ft siphon hose will be replaced by a 50ft extension cord.
You, my friend, are a genius!
I've posted this before and it's something 'lectric car lovers seem to ignore...
EV's, a great idea for a place like Lichtenstein or Vatican City, but not such a great idea for getting lettuce from California to Maine and then lobsters on the rebound trip.
EV's ca.1900 were getting 100 miles per charge. And now 300 miles per charge is considered great. What a quantum leap!!!!
It’s one thing to brew up a little ‘shine but hundreds of gallons (remember alky gets 40% lower mpg than gasoline) is a pretty big facility.
That was my experience also. Out of ten or twelve phone calls and emails to installers in my area, one two called back, and only one followed through with an estimate.
However, perseverance was worth it. Now, we draw almost no net electricity from the grid except for the months from December to March, and with all the tax breaks, usage offset, and SRECs, the system will pay for itself in ten years.
If you're thinking about getting a solar system, DO NOT get sucked into solar panel financing. They offer deceptively attractive 25 year loans at 2%, but the real interest rate is much, much higher. The finance company will take all your tax credit, and charge both you and the installer a huge loan origination fee, with the result that you won't break even, if ever, for twenty-five years.
The electric car and truck will not destroy the ICE.
Not even close.
The mere idea of it is ludicrous.
They are urban vehicles only and they will blow up the power grid, severely limiting their desirability long term.
—” Not a single installer within 100 miles has responded for weeks. WTF is going on with that?”
My brother went 100% solar, his daytime output covers his night use, with net metering.
Now my son-in-law wants to try solar and asks me to dig into it for him.
I think the ringer on my landline is wearing out!!!
Seems to have a lot to do with the local utility agreement on buying back surplus power at retail rates.
My brother in Denver has a multi-year agreement with the utility and purchased a turnkey system.
Here in Illinois, the terms are subject to change and the monthly minimum charge, regardless of the meter.
Currently looking at a self-installed, small no return system.
If it works, we can expand.
Here in Germany the fools want to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars in a few years. Oh my, it is going to be a sight when the people rebel. Make sure you have popcorn on hand.
They will be making electric cars with engine sound speakers on the outside...
I’m a mechanic and I see electric cars as the way things will go.
The government needs to stay the hell out and let the market handle it.
We could end up with very very clean running diesel and coal plants across the land to provide all this electrical demand.
Actual emissions will probably end up a bit better or worse.
I just don’t want my car to sound like an electric drill....and I don’t want an unreasonable power bill....wait...already have.
i don’t want to talk a about gas prices...Thanx globalist! Death to the globalist mafia!
—”There is no grid strong enough for these fantasies.”
Can you document that statement?
Peak daytime load is twice peak overnight load.
There is more than sufficient to buy time and add capacity as needed.
https://www.nrel.gov/state-local-tribal/blog/posts/phrase-of-the-day-peak-load.html
When Harley Davidson switched to electronic ignition the engine lost the skip that so many generations had fallen in love with.
They reprogrammed the computer to fake it but it really sounds nothing like the good old points fired motors.
I bet you could a lot of those to the EV nutjubs.
Just plug it into itself and presto.
—”I don’t know about having a car assembled by minimum wage workers.”
And the many cars made south of the border and beyond?
They are paid well below any US minimum wage.
And the sometimes sober UAW workers are pulling in the big bucks for doing such a great job.
Autoworkers caught drinking and smoking marijuana while building cars.
“I think rubber tires will be a thing of the past for road travel”
Are there alternatives now? I have not heard about that.
Will work better than the perpetual motion machine I’ve been building.
Just need an extension cord.
I don’t know why nobody has thought of this before.
I’m going to file a patent on it first thing monday morning!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.