EV snow plows falling short.

Hybrids guaranteed to not fail? I wish I could get a guarantee like that.
Solyndra, that other electric bus company, and a few other “green” technologies got taxpayer-funded “too green to fail” handouts… and still failed terribly.

The 99% don’t get golden parachutes like that, to be able to walk away Scot-free from a train wreck they created. 😔
 
Solyndra, that other electric bus company, and a few other “green” technologies got taxpayer-funded “too green to fail” handouts… and still failed terribly.

The 99% don’t get golden parachutes like that, to be able to walk away Scot-free from a train wreck they created. 😔
Yeah I wouldn't turn a deal down like that, but us normies don't get that deal.
 
Battery vehicles have been around for over 130 years. If it ain’t sorted by now, it’s NOT because they haven’t had intelligent people working on it. Why do you think the ICE became so popular, so fast? Because it works.
Regulations are starting to choke internal combustion again, some of it for good reason. If anything EVs just need a better power source. I live on a corner next to a hill and every jacked up truck seems to need to gun it to take off from the hill. I say that not because ICE isn't a good reliable power source, just that we're doing stupid things with it and there's even more sound pollution than there is air pollution coming from vehicles in some cases.

I love cars. I love the sounds some make. They don't have to be loud to sound good. I've had cars that were too loud to be comfortable highway cruising. There's nothing to gain from it. I guess the modified truck crowd didn't get this memo. Every single one of them is loud. I hate to keep harping on size and weight of vehicles, but that's precisely the problem. How often do you see a small hatchback any more? Everyone decided they want and deserve a loud living room on wheels and I hate every bit of it.
 
Hahahaha, yeah, I mean, there are memes out there because of this, Americans measuring things in crocodiles and so they don't have to use meters, lol.
At work, my German coworker and I had a bit of a poke at each other: I pointed out that there were 2 kinds of countries: those that use metric, and those who have been to the moon. He paused, then pointed out: there are 2 kinds of countries: those who use metric, and those who have flow into Mars.

Touche.
 
Regulations are starting to choke internal combustion again, some of it for good reason. If anything EVs just need a better power source. I live on a corner next to a hill and every jacked up truck seems to need to gun it to take off from the hill. I say that not because ICE isn't a good reliable power source, just that we're doing stupid things with it and there's even more sound pollution than there is air pollution coming from vehicles in some cases.

I love cars. I love the sounds some make. They don't have to be loud to sound good. I've had cars that were too loud to be comfortable highway cruising. There's nothing to gain from it. I guess the modified truck crowd didn't get this memo. Every single one of them is loud. I hate to keep harping on size and weight of vehicles, but that's precisely the problem. How often do you see a small hatchback any more? Everyone decided they want and deserve a loud living room on wheels and I hate every bit of it.
Seems like you should complain to your local town hall, there have to be both regulations on noise and on the limit you can lift a truck (most have bumper and/or tire protection requirements).

I’m completely where you’re at on the noise, most are just flat obnoxious and with today’s technology, there is ZERO performance gain to be had just because they went loud. Seems there would be a sizeable increase in local receipts if the flashy lights would just do what they’re supposed to. Oh and the ice blue/purple/green headlight crew needs to get cited as well, since not only are they blinding other people, there’s no possible way they can see the road as well either!

/almost old man rant 🤣
 
Then why the senseless push to go all electric when everyone knows it could fail because batteries are just too expensive and likely won't hold enough power to do the job? Why not attempt to do hybrids that are guaranteed to not fail aside from just poor engineering or some mechanical failure?
I recall when hybrids were coming out, everyone was saying they wouldn't work, they wouldn't last, and they'd be stupid expensive. Too much weight, batteries wouldn't last, and the efficiency couldn't be there as you lose energy on every conversion.

When emissions controls rolled out, no one liked them either. And we had a whole era that nobody wants cars from as a result. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made "for the greater good". We seem to be better for it today, but our predecessors likely weren't very impressed with having to live through those times.
 
Seems like you should complain to your local town hall, there have to be both regulations on noise and on the limit you can lift a truck (most have bumper and/or tire protection requirements).

I’m completely where you’re at on the noise, most are just flat obnoxious and with today’s technology, there is ZERO performance gain to be had just because they went loud. Seems there would be a sizeable increase in local receipts if the flashy lights would just do what they’re supposed to. Oh and the ice blue/purple/green headlight crew needs to get cited as well, since not only are they blinding other people, there’s no possible way they can see the road as well either!

/almost old man rant 🤣
The biggest kicker is that most are friends with my neighbor across the street and I could park the roof of my car under his front bumper. He works for the state too. For whatever reason they just don't enforce any of these laws. The cops sit out here a couple of times a week, they just don't do anything unless someone is speeding.

Speaking of performance gains, I'm planning to order a Stage 1 upgrade for my GTI soon. All the GTI guys keeps swearing I'll miss leaving power on the table by not upgrading the downpipe and going Stage 2. Personally I'll take 80 more horsepower, but I don't need it to be loud just for an extra 20 additional horsepower.
 
Sometimes hard decisions have to be made "for the greater good". We seem to be better for it today, but our predecessors likely weren't very impressed with having to live through those times.
I know you’re not implying it here, but one reason one never sees “for the greater good” mentioned in the founding documents is, society gets to a point where those deciding what the greater good is, do not have the same goals as those who get to suffer for the greater good. Hitler and Stalin both told their people they were doing what they did “for the greater good”.

If it’s so good, it will become clear on its own and become the dominant technology organically, rather than being forced. Alternating current over direct current is one of these arguments, despite Edison’s best efforts and big money he set against Tesla and his ideas.
 
Then why the senseless push to go all electric when everyone knows it could fail because batteries are just too expensive and likely won't hold enough power to do the job? Why not attempt to do hybrids that are guaranteed to not fail aside from just poor engineering or some mechanical failure?
Everyone?
By the way, I love my Tesla and plan on getting another within a year. I like the RX hybrid, but not as much and I doubt I would buy another. EVs are not for everyone.

Darn, there's that everyone word again...
 
Battery vehicles have been around for over 130 years. If it ain’t sorted by now, it’s NOT because they haven’t had intelligent people working on it. Why do you think the ICE became so popular, so fast? Because it works.
In the early 1900's only the very rich could afford a car. They were all hand made. Electrics had like 20 mile range.
When they came in, ICE offered more power and cheaper cost.
Crude oil and lack of electric infrastructure turned the tide.

Enter Henry Ford.
By the way, there's more to the Solyndra story than meets the eye, not the least of which was the dropping of China sourced panels. There was more of course.
 
I know you’re not implying it here, but one reason one never sees “for the greater good” mentioned in the founding documents is, society gets to a point where those deciding what the greater good is, do not have the same goals as those who get to suffer for the greater good. Hitler and Stalin both told their people they were doing what they did “for the greater good”.

If it’s so good, it will become clear on its own and become the dominant technology organically, rather than being forced. Alternating current over direct current is one of these arguments, despite Edison’s best efforts and big money he set against Tesla and his ideas.

I dunno. I sincerely doubt that emission controls would have been anything that happened "organically" since they do come with costs in terms of money and performance. It required government to regulate emissions. I for one am happy that leaded gas is gone and unburned fuel coming out of tailpipes is rare.
 
I dunno. I sincerely doubt that emission controls would have been anything that happened "organically" since they do come with costs in terms of money and performance. It required government to regulate emissions. I for one am happy that leaded gas is gone and unburned fuel coming out of tailpipes is rare.
That’s why it’s still technically organic. There would have been an uprising to change it and big business likely wouldn’t have done it out of the goodness of their heart.
 
I dunno. I sincerely doubt that emission controls would have been anything that happened "organically" since they do come with costs in terms of money and performance. It required government to regulate emissions. I for one am happy that leaded gas is gone and unburned fuel coming out of tailpipes is rare.
And yet more people die from lung cancer today that never smoked than even chain smokers did back then during leaded gas. While I never experienced leaded gas, it’s obvious that lead was only a crutch at best for poor combustion technology of that day.

Wonder how many tons of toxic battery fumes are emitted from an EV that spontaneously combusted?

Seriously though, while ICE development has had nearly the same ~130 years of development that batteries have, there are still efficiency gains to be had, even though they’re diminishing. It would be much better if the trend wasn’t making the average vehicle weigh more than a crew-cab longbed dually from the 80s, but that’s what people are buying. If we chopped 1000lbs from the average ICE vehicle today, you’d probably gain 5-7 mpg across the board.
 
And yet more people die from lung cancer today that never smoked than even chain smokers did back then during leaded gas. While I never experienced leaded gas, it’s obvious that lead was only a crutch at best for poor combustion technology of that day.

Wonder how many tons of toxic battery fumes are emitted from an EV that spontaneously combusted?

Seriously though, while ICE development has had nearly the same ~130 years of development that batteries have, there are still efficiency gains to be had, even though they’re diminishing. It would be much better if the trend wasn’t making the average vehicle weigh more than a crew-cab longbed dually from the 80s, but that’s what people are buying. If we chopped 1000lbs from the average ICE vehicle today, you’d probably gain 5-7 mpg across the board.

How many would be willing to sacrifice safety? Everything is a balancing act.

I don't see a problem with electric vehicle pilot projects to see what does or doesn't work.
 
And yet more people die from lung cancer today that never smoked than even chain smokers did back then during leaded gas. While I never experienced leaded gas, it’s obvious that lead was only a crutch at best for poor combustion technology of that day.

Wonder how many tons of toxic battery fumes are emitted from an EV that spontaneously combusted?

Seriously though, while ICE development has had nearly the same ~130 years of development that batteries have, there are still efficiency gains to be had, even though they’re diminishing. It would be much better if the trend wasn’t making the average vehicle weigh more than a crew-cab longbed dually from the 80s, but that’s what people are buying. If we chopped 1000lbs from the average ICE vehicle today, you’d probably gain 5-7 mpg across the board.
This! This 100%! Size of the vehicle is the problem. That 80‘s truck can still pull a boat.
 
I recall when hybrids were coming out, everyone was saying they wouldn't work, they wouldn't last, and they'd be stupid expensive. Too much weight, batteries wouldn't last, and the efficiency couldn't be there as you lose energy on every conversion.

When emissions controls rolled out, no one liked them either. And we had a whole era that nobody wants cars from as a result. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made "for the greater good". We seem to be better for it today, but our predecessors likely weren't very impressed with having to live through those times.
Yes some hybrids were shtt. GM made a few that were garbage. Early designs offered little to no advantage on the highway.
Now they are good for about +4 to +6mpg on the highway and +10mpg in the city.
Upfront cost is that bad, less so on used cars.
 
Yes some hybrids were shtt. GM made a few that were garbage. Early designs offered little to no advantage on the highway.
Now they are good for about +4 to +6mpg on the highway and +10mpg in the city.
Upfront cost is that bad, less so on used cars.
Not everything can be a hit out of the gate I suppose, but I’m sure they learned from it.
 
At the risk of repeating myself, it was a test bed. Aside from a couple of states no one is stating it has to be electric only. Car companies are building electric vehicles to help meet tightening MPG standards, which if they weren't making such massive heavy vehicles it probably wouldn't take so many EVs to offset it.

Hybrids guaranteed to not fail? I wish I could get a guarantee like that.
Yeah they're guaranteed to work as opposed to quitting about half way through the intended task like their electric counterparts.
 
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