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Have We Reached Peak Virtue Signaling With EVs?
Issues & Insights ^ | 14 Jul, 2023 | I & I Editorial Board

Posted on 07/14/2023 4:19:28 AM PDT by MtnClimber

The cars that were going to save our world from the scourge of carbon-based global warming are, says one media outlet, “​​piling up on dealer lots” because they can’t be sold. Maybe we’re finally at the point where most if not all of those who are desperate to demonstrate their green cred already have an EV and don’t need another battery-powered adult toy.

Even though “the auto industry is beginning to crank out more electric vehicles (EVs) to challenge Tesla,” Axios reported Monday, “there’s one big problem: not enough buyers.”

Two days later, Market Watch said that as “EV sales stall … there’s a ‘step back from euphoria.’”

While ​​Tesla Inc. and BYD Co., a Chinese conglomerate, have strong growth numbers, the rest in the industry, which has been incentivized to build, build, build by government mandate, can’t sell their EVs.

Korean luxury brand Genesis “sold only 18 of its nearly $82,000 Electrified G80 sedans in the 30 days leading up to June 29, and had 210 in stock nationwide — a 350-day supply,” Axios says.

Meanwhile, “Audi’s Q4 e-tron and Q8 e-tron and the GMC Hummer EV SUV, also have bloated inventories well above 100 days,” and “the Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Nissan Ariya are also stacking up.” Even “the once-hot Ford Mustang Mach-E now has a 117-day supply.”

Axios is blaming the high price of EVs for the lack of sales, but that doesn’t explain why Tesla and BYD continue to sell electric cars. Could be there’s another factor.

We have recently written:

- That EVs are evil (they’re “​​responsible for raping the planet, poisoning entire communities, enriching genocidal tyrants, and creating a massive hazmat problem while doing nothing to stop “climate change”).

- That EVs are the Yugo of the 21st century (“a minor accident can cause a total loss, even if the car’s been driven only a few miles,” because “the cost of repair is exorbitant”).

- And that they deserve scorn from those who don’t own them (because “​​the policy geniuses in Washington” want to impose a per-mile tax on all driving since EVs don’t generate fuel tax revenues that fund road repair and new construction – when they’re not being diverted to public transit and other destinations that have nothing to do with automobile travel).

But we haven’t said nearly enough about how they’ve been the perfect product for virtue signalers. EVs are rolling megaphones for the upper-middle class and upper-class white Democrats and progressives who want to scream “look at me, I’m saving the planet.” We’ve seen no research on the matter, but we’d bet that there’s an enormous crossover between homes with EVs in the garage and “In This House We Believe …” signs in the yard.

Guardian columnist John Naughton recently wrote about EV buyers “basking in the warm glow that comes from doing one’s bit to save the planet,” and the “smug feeling” one gets when one doesn’t produce the same emissions as a “​​hideous diesel SUV.”...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: ev; evs; greenenergy
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To: MtnClimber

Correct, the Mustang II was indeed a re-bodied Pinto.


41 posted on 07/14/2023 6:34:57 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: V_TWIN

That was nuts.


42 posted on 07/14/2023 6:39:58 AM PDT by GranTorino (Bloody Lips Save Ships.)
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To: Alberta's Child
1. The track records of Tesla vehicles in terms of reliability and repairs have been awful compared to most "legacy" manufacturers.

While the sample pool I'm going to base my comment on is rather small, I know three Tesla owners.

None have spent a single dime on repairs in their three plus years of owning one. None of the three has had a single issue and they rave about their vehicles.

I'd be curious to know what the reliability and repair issues the above is based on. Yes, I've read stories about repairs being nightmares, from the small sample of stories I've read about those, they're related to accidents and not to the vehicle quality/reliability itself. Again, a very small sample.

Would appreciate a link or two that talks about your point above. (Not questioning the veracity of your statement, just interested in reading "the other side" of the story.)

43 posted on 07/14/2023 6:49:16 AM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: V_TWIN

“I meant I’m just tired of leadfoot rednecks in their deisel whatever, “

A lot of people get diesels in their personal SUV or whatever that, in my opinion, aren’t worth the high cost.

Perhaps pulling an enormous RV or some other towed load for many miles would make it worth the cost.

We have a travel trailer and pulling it up a mountain grade means you downshift and going slow, but that doesn’t happen often.


44 posted on 07/14/2023 6:50:17 AM PDT by cymbeline
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To: FreedomPoster
Correct, the Mustang II was indeed a re-bodied Pinto.

As a former 1974 Ford Pinto owner, I'm thrilled to know that I was indeed driving a re-bodied Mustang!

45 posted on 07/14/2023 6:50:59 AM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: MtnClimber

M son, a technology nerd, recently leased an EV. He spent over $2,000 to equip his garage with a level 2 charger, though he boasts he has a separate electric meter and gets a better rate from the power company for charging his EV. He has charging where he works so has experienced no problems with keeping his battery charged for his daily commute. He recently drove his EV to a family lake cabin, but had to meticulously plan charging stops. He however, opted not to drive his EV to an annual summer get together with friends in northern Wisconsin due to lack of available charging stations. While he says he is pleased with his EV, he is realizing its limitations. I am waiting to hear how he fares this winter in below zero temperatures particularly if he gets stuck in traffic.


46 posted on 07/14/2023 7:12:26 AM PDT by The Great RJ
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To: usconservative
Tesla was rated 19th out of 24 brands this year (2022)

Tesla makes some of the least reliable cars, Consumer Reports says (2021)

Tesla no longer recommended by Consumer Reports partly due to reliability issue (2019)>

Interesting relevant quote from the 2021 report: "Problems typically didn't involve the motors or battery, but rather components like finicky in-car electronics."

47 posted on 07/14/2023 7:17:30 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I've just pissed in my pants and nobody can do anything about it." -- Major Fambrough)
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To: Alberta's Child

was was was..... not is, is, is

The sources you cite not only hate, but fear the innovative Tesla disruption. The American legacy manufacturers are all presently in trouble

I invite you to visit Sandy Monroe for an engineering perspective info on Tesla and especially on the cyber Truck. He actually buys the cars and takes them apart and evaluates literally piece by piece. He makes lots of videos that are factual rather than conjectural.

Again I say I present findings

Here are two:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xks7fEzmbQI&ab_channel=TeslaAndOtherStuff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93LiP0jSCpA&pp=ygUWc2FuZHkgbXVucm8gY3liZXJ0cnVjaw%3D%3D

Tesla is now owner of the gas stations that provide juice for all EV’s. All that matter have joined the TESLA standard. Selling cars has expanded to selling electricity


48 posted on 07/14/2023 7:43:59 AM PDT by bert ( (KWE. NP. N.C. +12) Joe Biden is a kleptocrat)
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To: bert
was was was..... not is, is, is

The links I posted were tied to annual ratings that come out in November, so the 2022 item was the most current one available.

That's as "is" as it gets for those ratings.

Tesla is now owner of the gas stations that provide juice for all EV’s. All that matter have joined the TESLA standard. Selling cars has expanded to selling electricity.

I don't see how this is necessarily a good thing. If Ford, Toyota and GM got into the gas station business, they'd be subject to massive antitrust lawsuits.

49 posted on 07/14/2023 8:03:59 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I've just pissed in my pants and nobody can do anything about it." -- Major Fambrough)
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To: Alberta's Child

But, you see...... they think of what was and they think what is.

Elon Musk sees the future where he earns form the very being of his trivial competitors.

Again, I say check out Sandy Monroe. He is an old car guy. He knows not only the extremely technical nitty gritty but also the economics and financial aspecte of the world wide Tesla disruption.

The sources you cite and depend on simply cannot see what is happening. they all try to proceed from what was rather than start from absolutely new. They simply do not understand what is happening


50 posted on 07/14/2023 8:28:23 AM PDT by bert ( (KWE. NP. N.C. +12) Joe Biden is a kleptocrat)
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To: Alberta's Child

Thanks, and yes I’ve heard some comments from friends about some of the finicky nature of the accessories. The constant software tweaks, feature deployments and bug fixes tend to rattle the non Techie people from my limited observations. These are the same people that cannot operate a PC or smart TV well and expect a new car, built from scratch, to operate like their old legacy manufacturer vehicles?

It doesn’t work that way. My new Toyota Tacoma OffRoads tech package it is so vastly different than my Jeep Grand Cherokee from 2013 that I often have to think twice before adjusting something in it. That’s just what technology does as it matures. Tesla is just so far ahead of the curve from everybody else that so many people are trying to catch up to it and they’re not exactly tech savvy people themselves.


51 posted on 07/14/2023 9:57:02 AM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: bert
Maybe I’m not understanding your point. The sources I cited are rankings based on customer experience and repair data for all the auto manufacturers.

How do you develop a reliability rating for an existing product by “seeing the future?”

52 posted on 07/14/2023 10:25:56 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I've just pissed in my pants and nobody can do anything about it." -- Major Fambrough)
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To: The Great RJ
M son, a technology nerd, recently leased an EV. He spent over $2,000 to equip his garage with a level 2 charger ...

A financial planner would read this and cringe. Spending $2,000 on an accessory that you use for a LEASED asset is a terrible idea.

It's like renting a car for a week and buying a new set of floormats for it.

53 posted on 07/14/2023 11:16:07 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I've just pissed in my pants and nobody can do anything about it." -- Major Fambrough)
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To: Alberta's Child

A friend’s sister rented a Grand Am for a week and we drove it from Boston to Florida and back.
Before returning the car she had the oil changed.
I couldn’t believe it..


54 posted on 07/14/2023 12:03:10 PM PDT by mowowie
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To: usconservative

Like generals who fight wars with previous war’s tactics and strategies.


55 posted on 07/14/2023 3:20:30 PM PDT by subterfuge (I'm a pure-blood!)
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To: BobL

One commentator recently pointed out that many urban folks who want to virtue signal live in homes and townhouses on residential streets where they park on the streets.

That means there is no way to charge the EV while at home.

This is an Achilles Heel in the EV market.


56 posted on 07/14/2023 3:33:01 PM PDT by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: MtnClimber

Electric cars are too expensive, cannot travel far, take a long time to recharge. Cannot charge more then 80% or the battery will wear out faster. Replacement battery will cost at least $10,000 to replace but more likely will not be available as battery pack design will change and the one you want will cost too much to store away unlike gas engine parts so none available. Your tires will wear out faster due to the heavy load of the batteries.

In cold weather the car mileage goes way down. Use of a heater causes the mileage to go way down like 8%+ an hour. In hot weather the mileage goes way down. Use of a/c will also cause the mileage to go way down. Towing or carrying a load will cause the mileage to go way down.

Charging runs a great risk of your home burning down. Car companies like GM asking you to charge outside. Thefts of the copper from the extension cords. The cost of installing the high voltage need for fast charging which also will cause the battery to fail quicker.

Apartment building owners not allowing electric cars because of fire hazard. Electric scooters already killing people from fire.

No insurance company will cover as any damage to the electric vehicle will compromise the battery and the car is declared totaled and you get to keep paying for it as insurance never covers the whole cost and now you have to get another electric car and repeat the nightmare.
Think cell phone dropped and you still owe money on it.

Also keep in mind that car companies have built badly made vehicles in the past and saved pennies on a part that has killed people and they knowingly did so figuring your life is not worth the bonus money they will make. Batteries shortcuts to save them money will be no different.

Car garages do not want the too heavy electric cars as they can cause the building to collapse. The roads will wear out faster due to heavy loads. The electric bill will be enormous. Calif charges up around .30 cents a kilowatt with bigger increases coming. There are brownouts now due to not enough power generated.

Resale value plummets due to replacement battery cost plus when you sell say a Tesla the extra power you bought that was ‘unlocked’ by Tesla disappears until the new owner pays up. Think lawsuits.


57 posted on 07/14/2023 10:05:21 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)
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To: Libloather

With conventional cars.. you would disconnect the battery cable it the car sits idle for a long time. Not sure about EVs.


58 posted on 07/15/2023 3:56:02 AM PDT by Leep (What skill or service did the biden family have that netted them tens of millions of dollars?)
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To: Alberta's Child

The cars that are evaluated are not the current production

The past is not really relevant because the current production is “new”


59 posted on 07/15/2023 6:06:03 AM PDT by bert ( (KWE. NP. N.C. +12) Joe Biden is a kleptocrat)
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To: MtnClimber
The mid ‘70s Mustang II was a real crap box during the Jimmy Carter oil embargo years. What was it, a rebodied Pinto or something?

It wasn't good! My brother had one...had one of my wife's and I wedding pictures taken in it because I had a beat up gremlin and my wife had a beat up Pinto.

60 posted on 07/15/2023 6:14:23 AM PDT by DouglasKC
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