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Electric Cars -- anyone own one?

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When is this "very bad idea" going to cease~? We are well beyond the time to divert all this ill spent money from the exploitation of EVs to the development and production of hydrogen power ICEs. It's just so obvious that hydrogen power is the way forward and even be carried to the production of electrical energy The element is so abundant, and great strides have be made recently in producing efficient and cost effective hydrogen producing technology that is already there. Cummins, Toyota, Renault, Honda, Hyundai, Ford, Mazda and BMW are already well along the path to making this technology economically feasible.
The transition to hydrogen power will produce a huge change to our economy and will generate significant changes in our cultural. And "no", the Hindenburg didn't "blow up", it burned rapidly. Hydrogen doesn't blow up, it burns rapidly just as natural gas burns~!
Yes, it burns. Oxidizes very rapidly, in other words.

This is precisely why the folks on the fringes of the environmental movement will not like it at all. Well, those that have an understanding of basic chemistry, anyway. The only combustion by-product of hydrogen is water vapor. Oh no! That's a greenhouse gas! Verbotten! More of the misinformed will be supergluing their asses onto intersections and highways.

Well, maybe it has a chance if the narrative forms around 'the emissions are carbon-free'. Getting them to listen to how elemental hydrogen is produced for use as fuel would be a waste of time.
 
Dec 12 (Reuters) - General Motors (GM.N) and Komatsu (6301.T) said on Tuesday they will jointly develop a hydrogen fuel cell power module for the Japanese construction machinery maker's 930E electric drive mining truck.

"Mining trucks are among the largest, most capable vehicles used in any industry, and we believe hydrogen fuel cells are best suited to deliver zero emissions' propulsion to these demanding applications," Charlie Freese, executive director of Hydrotec, the No.1 U.S. automaker's fuel cell unit, said in a statement.

The two companies said they aim to test a prototype of the hydrogen fuel cell-powered 930E mining truck, which has a nominal payload of 320 tons, in the middle of the decade.

GM and Komatsu said that as these mining vehicles usually operate at just one mine throughout their lifetime, that should make it easier to roll out hydrogen refueling infrastructure to service a vehicle fleet.

Last week, GM and Autocar Industries said they will jointly develop hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles - such as cement mixers, dump trucks and refuse trucks - the first of which should go into production in 2026 at Autocar's plant in Birmingham, Alabama.
 

China’s BYD moves closer to unseating Tesla as EV leader​

Strong sales increase pressure on US pioneer to keep crown as top seller of purely electric vehicles


Chinese group BYD has moved a step closer to unseating Tesla as the world’s top-selling electric-vehicle manufacturer after reporting bumper fourth-quarter sales. The Shenzhen-based company, which has become emblematic of China’s rise as a powerhouse in clean technology, said on Monday that it sold a record 526,000 of its battery-only vehicles in the quarter, helped by a more than 70 per cent surge in December sales.

The figures leave Elon Musk’s Tesla needing to beat analyst expectations and deliver a blockbuster fourth quarter to maintain its position as the biggest seller of purely electric vehicles. According to estimates compiled by Bloomberg, Tesla is expected to have sold about 483,000 vehicles in the quarter. The company is scheduled to release production figures on Tuesday.

At the end of the third quarter, BYD and Tesla each boasted about a 17 per cent share of the global market for fully electric cars. In the third quarter, BYD sold about 432,000 versus Tesla’s 435,000. When including plug-in hybrid vehicles — which China counts as “new energy vehicles”, or NEVs, alongside pure battery and hydrogen-powered models — BYD overtook Tesla in the first half of 2022.

BYD was founded by Wang Chuanfu, a former university professor, in the mid-1990s. Wang initially focused on making rechargeable batteries, including for early cell phones, but expanded into the car industry in the early 2000s. The company counts Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway as a shareholder.

After initially relying on existing industry technology, BYD is now considered a leader, with a focus on stripping out costs from the production process. It also boasts a high level of vertical integration, including owning one of the world’s biggest EV battery-making companies.

The group’s total sales for 2023 were up 62 per cent to more than 3mn vehicles, according to the figures released on Monday.

While much attention has focused on the rivalry between Tesla and BYD, analysts have also pointed out that the biggest losers from the rapid transition to cleaner vehicles has been many of the oldest carmakers who have been slow to adapt.

Daniel Roeska, an auto analyst with Bernstein, said that consumers had perceived a “chasm” between the industry leaders — Tesla and BYD — and the “traditional [original equipment manufacturers]” such as Volkswagen, Mercedes or Renault. “Many incumbent OEMs rushed into electric vehicles without appreciating the far-reaching technological and design difference between combustion and electric vehicles,” he said.
 
Tesla was dethroned by BYD as the world’s best-selling electric-vehicle maker last quarter after recording fewer deliveries than its Chinese rival for the first time. The US company, run by Elon Musk, handed over 484,000 cars in the fourth quarter, Tesla said on Tuesday, more than the 473,000 anticipated by analysts polled by LSEG.

BYD on Monday reported record sales of battery-only vehicles of 526,000 for the same period, helped by a strong end to the year for the Chinese electric vehicle market. This is the first time the Chinese group has exceeded Tesla’s quarterly sales of fully electric cars.
 
Most hybrid drivers I know get 200k out of their cars without major repairs, so I don’t think there are as many short lived batteries as the memes would suggest.
How many do you know w/ 200k miles on their hybrids?

Those are likely Prius. Is there another hybrid that's been around long enough for some to rack up 200k miles?
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From Fox News, December 30 2023 (edited for brevity; emphasis added):

About half of General Motors’ 2,000 Buick dealers have accepted a voluntary buyout program due to their reluctance to sell electric vehicles. Additional dealers may opt to take the buyout instead of making the EV-related investments that GM required for them to continue selling Buicks, as GM is planning for the brand’s vehicles to be 100% electric by 2030. Last year, GM told the dealers to invest at least $300,000 to facilitate the selling and servicing of electric vehicles, according to the Wall Street Journal. Cadillac dealers also accepted a huge number of buyouts, reducing current locations by about one-third, driving the number of dealerships from 875 at the beginning of 2021 to less than 560.

A coalition of more than 3,000 auto dealers nationwide sent an open letter to President Biden, calling on him to "tap the brakes" on his administration's aggressive electric vehicle (EV) push. The dealers noted that the best indicator of customer demand in the auto marketplace is how EVs are stacking up in their lots. The letter further noted that there are many issues facing the EV industry such as lacking charging infrastructure, energy grid instability and a lack of reliable mineral supplies vital for EV batteries. The coalition — which includes dealers located in all 50 states and who collectively sell every major car brand — is taking particular aim at the Biden administration's tailpipe emissions standards released earlier this year which are the most aggressive federal regulations of their kind ever issued.

Under the regulations proposed by the EPA, the majority of new vehicle purchases will be electric within a decade.The EPA's tailpipe regulations will impact car model years 2027 through 2032. Under the regulations, 67% of new sedan, crossover, SUV and light truck purchases, up to 50% of bus and garbage truck purchases, 35% of short-haul freight tractor purchases, and 25% of long-haul freight tractor purchases could be electric by 2032. Biden previously set a goal of ensuring 50% of car purchases are electric by 2030. The White House said the rules would provide force a "clear pathway for a continued rise in EV sales."

Gas-powered cars represented 93% of all new car sales in 2022, according to a report from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. And EVs remain far more expensive and less efficient than alternatives. In addition, experts have warned that switching too quickly to EVs may present a national security risk given China's dominance of the global EV industry.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), for example, China produces about 75% of all lithium-ion batteries, a key component of EVs, worldwide. The nation also boasts 70% of production capacity for cathodes and 85% for anodes, two key parts of such batteries. In addition, more than 50% of lithium, cobalt and graphite processing and refining capacity is located in China, the IEA data showed. Those three critical minerals, in addition to copper and nickel, are vital for EV batteries and other green energy technologies. Chinese investment firms have also been aggressive in purchasing stakes in African mines in recent years to ensure a firm control over mineral production.
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How many do you know w/ 200k miles on their hybrids?

Those are likely Prius. Is there another hybrid that's been around long enough for some to rack up 200k miles?
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Most car manufacturers have had hybrids for the past 10 - 15 years. For people in outside sales it’s not uncommon to drive 30k to 40k a year. The choice of what people in these jobs drive comes down to $ per mile and they love hybrids.

These are some cars a guy copied off of auto trader.
The yellow car below is a retired New York taxi.

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4B3CB0B3-9A5C-4EBB-B0FA-2531A4D4D8B7.jpeg3531A4D6-6B79-4D08-ADBA-0FE2778468E3.jpegC7D34E30-3EE7-4058-A43B-A8C26B4806C3.jpegC3EC8309-D542-4500-9E8F-94FB508E09E5.jpeg
 
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