Posted on 02/07/2020 6:23:52 AM PST by karpov
General Motors, the auto maker that sells millions of cars and trucks each year, has a new production target: zero.
CEO Mary Barra hasnt lost her mind. Instead, GMs goal is a future with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, the company said at an investor event following the release of its fourth-quarter earnings. Its a bold vision to say the least.
Zero Emissions
No greenhouse gases coming from a tail pipe, of course, is all about vehicle electrification. GM, it seems, is leaving the traditional motor behind.
We believe climate change is real, its a global concern and the best way to remove automotive ambitions from the environmental equation is an all-electric zero emissions future, said Barra at the investor event. The National Zero Emissions Vehicle Program that we have proposed across all 50 states will help accelerate the transition to EVs.....it would also position the United States as a leader in electrification.
The GM plan calls for credits for zero-emission vehicles and incentives for battery development, among other things.
GM isnt waiting for federal regulation, though. The company said in January that its Detroit-Hamtramck plant would be its first devoted to just making electric vehicles.
...
Zero Crashes
No accidents is all about active safety. Thats industry jargon for what the rest of America thinks of as self-driving cars.
The companys Cruise division is the core of its autonomous driving. And on Wednesday, GM touted its growing engineering and software expertise when talking about gains its technology is making.
The Cruise portion of the day was extremely compelling, Levin Easterly Partners portfolio manager Christopher Susanin told Barrons. GMs rate of improvement on their internal safety metrics have been [huge].
GM says self-driving safety features can eventually save millions of lives.
(Excerpt) Read more at barrons.com ...
Directed by Steven Spielberg.
I wouldn’t buy a GM vehicle now much less one run on electricity.
A few of the reasons why I don’t want an EV:
Battery aging. Batteries wear out. Function of battery age, cycles, charge speed, load levels, temperature. My personal experience with batteries wearing out cause me not to want 10k worth of batteries powering my car.
Battery charging time. I live out in the country. A trip to town is at least 70 miles round-trip and I take many cross country trips each year. Ultra-fast charging to improve charging time greatly negatively impacts battery life.
Change is predicated on improvement. I just do not see the improvement. Early cars were better than horses. Horses went away. Propeller planes better than passenger trains. Jet planes better than propeller planes. ICE cars are highly reliable, great range, quick fill-up, many last for decades and 300k+ miles without needing a new motor.
Cost. EVs vs ICE on equivalent platform seem to be more expensive. Current cars are already outrageously expensive due to government mandates.
EVs are clearly not a step change better, and, it can be arguably questioned are actually a step backwards. The environmental drive is not based on science or truth, but is based on fantasy. That is why government will have to force them on us, because people are smart, they will not convert to a step backwards.
What i like about electric is i frankly don’t drive very far, willing to buy a solar panel at home and at work to recharge vehicle so i never, ever have to pay to charge it.
Free forever.
If I want to drive from Chandler, Arizona to Port Townsend, Washington, I will choose a standard fuel vehicle.
The infrastructure for all-electric vehicles is -- at this time -- minimal. And the electric charging stations I see around here have cobwebs on them.
CEO CEO Mary Barra is running GM into the ground. The quality of GM’s electric vehicles and trucks is horrible.
This logic or business plan makes no sense at all. Has there been some new battery tech that extends beyond the 350 mile mark to say 1000 miles and recharges in the amount of time it take to fill a current vehicle?
I think until this sort of technology is present and vetted this is the Volt all over again...
You can’t buy a new Tesla for $30,000.
The Duel: Who wrote it?
Me too but only if that includes a full ten year 100,000 mile warranty on the battery and drive train.
We are hanging on to our 2000 Porsche. Mint condition. Looks new in & out. We really don’t want all the new “improvements” 2000, last year of air cooled vs water cooled. Car is worth much more now than when new. Gets offers all the time, not for sale.
I HATE anti lock brakes.
We are hanging on to our 2000 Porsche. Mint condition. Looks new in & out. We really don’t want all the new “improvements” 2000, last year of air cooled vs water cooled. Car is worth much more now than when new. Gets offers all the time, not for sale.
I HATE anti lock brakes.
Critical materials for a gas engine are steel, and aluminum.
For an electric motor, aluminum and copper, and possibly rare earth (magnets).
Copper and rare earth metals are much more expensive and in shorter supply than steel.
Then you have to mine lithium and cobalt for the batteries. Lithium, cobalt, and rare earth metals mostly come from out of the CONUS.
I think, without doing an extensive research, that it will be material supplies that dictate how many electric cars we as a nation can build.
I do think hybrid powered vehicles make sense for semi-trucks.
The range and refueling limitation problems need to be solved before all-electric makes general sense.
The low price for a Tesla is more like 35k with a range of 220 miles. Is there a lot to like about Tesla? Sure, but the only reason it exists is because of government subsidizing it. GM should die for the same reasons. Thrive or die on your own business model without government propping you up.
My 2 cents
Gov. decides where you go, etc. Read fiction by Larry Burkett
The Illuminati. Government controls EVERYTHING. Written many years ago, most of the far out futuristic predictions in the book already came true.
READ WE THE LIVING by Ayn Rand. What really happens when communists take over.
The Octopus about the NSA and murder of. DANNY CASOLARO.
Add manganese to the formula.
Honda and GM are cooperating on EV technology.
Tesla says a total of 31 hours of driving and charging via LA
Adding almost two hours just to get to Riverside.
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