This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
We had electric cars before ICE cars. The first car was electric.
My largest concern is not being able to prepay for electric usage. It hurts people who don't have credit cards. Plus it seems like there are like 30 different chargers you need accounts for.
I like electric cars, they're not for me I personally hate modern cars looks, computerisation, screens, and lack of any discernible personality, but the more people who own EVs, the longer I will be able to keep running my ICE car.
I do realise I'm a luddite, but I see vehicles as more than just a tool for travelling from one point to another- which EVs are great for- and more of a symphony of engineering to create something that has a distinct personality, every engine drives slightly differently and I think that is much more engaging than what is possible with EVs. (I do think the fake gear changes in cars like the Ioniq 5n are a bit silly as they're not necessary)
I don't know actual numbers but my physics teacher said that he'd worked out that his car which had almost 400,000 miles on it had just about created the same amount of CO2 emissions in its use as it had in its creation but regardless of whether he was correct I think there's something to be said for not constantly replacing cars and keeping existing ones running as long as possible, there's a lot of materials that go into producing a car that are at best environmentally expensive to recycle.
Cars are like horses: they shit all over the place and never work when you need them
Combustion cars literally work by farting.
We have an ID.3 and a 2012 Audi A5 Cabrio. I love my Cabrio. I would drive it all day if I could. It's just so much fun.
The ID.3 is a tool. An appliance. There's... No joy. Because of the empty-ness, because of the flat screens, because I'm being monitored by Volkswagen and I cannot turn that off.
If they could marry the fun and privacy of the Cabrio with the sheer "better-ness" of the ID.3.. then I would be set :-)
I rented a Ford Mach E and couldn't believe I was driving a Ford I actually liked. The tablet features are a pain and I wish they hadn't copied Tesla on that aspect... But everything else about that car was just a pleasure to drive. I was concerned about a rural road trip but between the efficiency of not driving a giant suv and the new DC charging station on the route it was no issue.
I was passing ICE Mustangs and Teslas so easily. Some lifted jackass was tailgating me when I was stuck behind a camper and I was in the next town over once I got in a passing lane.
I really think a solid effort to make cars fun again is 💯 what the US car culture needs rn.
This right here. Too many EVs tried to copy tesla and you end up with the beige box era. No one wants that shit. That's not gonna get you widespread uptake. No one wants to drive a milquetoast blehmobile outside of duty
Where's our iMac revolution
It is happening right now in Europe I think. Renault started it with bringing back cars with emotion, for a more reasonable price tag. The Renault 5 at first, now coming the new Renault Twingo (starting at 20k EUR), the VW ID.Polo with some other brands based on that same basis. etc. Compact, not oversized and overweight cars, built to a price but interestingly still not coming across as flimsy and cheap as a Tesla interior and with real buttons and largely with real door handles. There are also options from abroad, like the Hyundai Inster for example but also some from China with BYD, GM etc.
This is what kept EV adoption back in Europe, the lack of options in that segment at a reasonable price. But this is changing as we speak.
Awesome.
I'm not a car aficionado but i know many who are, and emotion is a good word for it. There are those who want noisy cars, but it really does seem to be down to people having a machine that is pleasurable for them to drive. A giant fucking golf cart is not it.
Sadly, the privacy won't come back in general with new cars but if I look at the coming ID.Polo, VW is throwing out most of the Tesla trash, the previous CEO has brought in (terrible and extremely cheap interior, no real buttons, no reall door handles etc). It is a really good VW again.
What I'd like is a EV that has no additional shite attached other than what I want.
Just give me a chassis with a standardised battery pack, that has AC. Then let ME choose what after-market 3rd party options to put in such as:
Heated seats, Radio/CD/BT/carplay or android auto using standard car DIN box sizes, reversing sensors, cruise control, cab lighting, etc.
So basically you want a retro electric car
Sort-of. What I'm imagining is a small selection of vehicle sizes from small hatchback to estate/people carrier to van/kei-sized pickup that have a common battery pack size, motor, and inverter.
You'd choose the type of vehicle that has just the basics built-in like safety and AC.
The rest is customisable and allows for 3rd party manufacturers to make ancillary products for it. Do this by using existing standards for 3rd party automotive parts and then create new standards with open sourced designs for things that aren't: i.e. the battery pack size and interface, and inverter size and interface.
Eventually what I'd like to see is a market where people can keep these vehicles running by upgrading, repairing, recycling.
If I had a billion dollars laying around I'd sink it into trying to create an automotive co-operative to get at least 3 different sized vehicles with a common battery, motor, and inverter made, through certification, and then released. Then let the market do it's thing when presented with a new opportunity: adopt and grow.
And I know that I'm certainly missing a lot of issues with this idea but that's just what it is, an idea and it'll probably stay that way unless someone else has the resources to make it.
Yeah, that would be nice. God I wish
I think Slate Auto is what you're looking for, but it's just concepts at the moment. No idea if they'll actually deliver.
Slate Auto is a good start, what I'd want is something that's beyond what they're offering at the moment.
Wishing them best of luck, despite Jeff Bezos, the Amazon cunt, backing them.
I would love to have one but let me know when they make a 4x4 truck that can haul my travel trailer more than 90 miles before needing a charge. I do a lot of hauling in the mountains where there is not much a a charging network. I had high hopes for the Ford Lightning but that fell pretty flat.
Donald Trump.
World's most contemptible belligerent asshole, and also, unintentionally, world's most effective EV salesman.
Does anyone think... gas prices... are going to meaningfully go ... down, in the future?
If so, well I know a guy who can offer you a timeshare on a bridge he sublets from a travelling used car salesman.
... the best bridge.
after 70s, 80s, ... ev was the best car I'd ever driven. try one for a week. i was more pissed car makers have been repackaging oil-burners since 60s. basically same accessories without a clutch.
Need WAY better infrastructure for charging, better batteries, a way to cheaply replace those batteries, a faster way to charge and most important - cooperative prices.
Well the infrastructure is getting pretty good. A few years back yeah it wasn't great but there's been a ton of buildup. I haven't had issues of being far from a reasonably high speed charger in any trips I've made in the last 3 years or so.
