The Car Thread

[WestPhillyPunisher]

It's like looking at a beautiful fashion model. Gorgeous, but you know she would be hell to be with.

No doubt, but, don’t tell me you wouldn’t want a roll in the hay with her! HA!

I do wonder if Ford and other car companies that gave up producing sedans to focus on trucks and SUV's are starting to second-guess their choices with the price of energy (gasoline AND electricity) these days.

I’m no expert on the auto industry, but I think companies that hitched their wagons to trucks and SUV’s either can’t or won’t turn back. The investment put into those vehicles is just too substantial to give up on them. For good or bad, they’ll just ride out the current bad times while hoping gas prices inevitably drop before their profit margins take a hit.

[MajorHoy]

I’m no expert on the auto industry, but I think companies that hitched their wagons to trucks and SUV’s either can’t or won’t turn back. The investment put into those vehicles is just too substantial to give up on them. For good or bad, they’ll just ride out the current bad times while hoping gas prices inevitably drop before their profit margins take a hit.

Also, even if they wanted to go back and offer a smaller, more fuel-efficient sedan again, I don't know how quickly they could make the changes to do so.

I also thought I read somewhere that California may have some problems with their push to get more cars to be electric powered because their grid system may not be able to deal with that?
Problems included charging cars overnight, when solar power isn't readily available?

[Kirby101]

No doubt, but, don’t tell me you wouldn’t want a roll in the hay with her! HA!

A roll in the hay would be a test drive, or a weekend rental. But if it's your day in and day out car...?

[achilles]

Also, even if they wanted to go back and offer a smaller, more fuel-efficient sedan again, I don't know how quickly they could make the changes to do so.

I also thought I read somewhere that California may have some problems with their push to get more cars to be electric powered because their grid system may not be able to deal with that?
Problems included charging cars overnight, when solar power isn't readily available?

Well, here's the sitch. A bit over a decade ago, the state's leadership decided to take our electricity grid to 100% renewables, solar and wind and the like. I think we're at about 70% or so at the moment. Also, in SoCal, in summer, the hottest part of the day is from 4:00 to midnight. So, right now we get rolling blackouts during the summer and fall, and we are asked NOT to use air con at those hottest times.

We also have committed to selling only electric or other alternative powered cars only by 2030. Now, Gov. Newsom is begging Californians NOT to charge their new electric car he made them buy. They can look at it, and take in the horror of their faceless Tesla, knowing it only wants to crash you on autopilot, then burn you to death in the resulting fire, and then steal your soul as it lacks one of it's own. But that's it, you dare not run it, or HE will come, and steal your soul and perhaps a kidney for sale.

Now he's quietly trying to keep our last remaining working nuclear plant going.

Not to harp on this, but a serious program to bring solar roofs, battery storage, and fast chargers to as many homes in the state would really help, as would diversifying our power mix. Just trying to jump into the deep end as we did doesn't work well in the real world.

[MajorHoy]

. . . Not to harp on this, but a serious program to bring solar roofs, battery storage, and fast chargers to as many homes in the state would really help, as would diversifying our power mix. Just trying to jump into the deep end as we did doesn't work well in the real world.

Of course these days, are there any supply issues / problems in obtaining enough solar panels and batteries?

Also, has any car company focusing on electric automobiles added small solar panels to vehicle roofs so they could do some self-charging?

[achilles]

Of course these days, are there any supply issues / problems in obtaining enough solar panels and batteries?

Also, has any car company focusing on electric automobiles added small solar panels to vehicle roofs so they could do some self-charging?

Yes, a couple have, it's just not very good. Not enough surface area on a car's roof to charge it in any reasonable time. But as long as you just want a bit of extra range, I suppose it's fine.

Meanwhile, BMW is illustrating an annoying trend; in the UK they've allowed you to have a heated seat if you pay a monthly subscription. Evidently, they put it in standard, but only enable it if you pay. I don't like that sort of thing, and would move to another brand if I were in the market.

[MajorHoy]

Yes, a couple have, it's just not very good. Not enough surface area on a car's roof to charge it in any reasonable time. But as long as you just want a bit of extra range, I suppose it's fine.

Might as well have it get back some electricity while it's just sitting there in the sun at a shopping mall parking lot or something.

[achilles]

Might as well have it get back some electricity while it's just sitting there in the sun at a shopping mall parking lot or something.

Exactly. It's not a total solution, but I don't think anyone's ever going to find one big thing that will allow clean vehicles; it will be combination of smaller factors. But I think what's holding this back is also the looks of the thing. I mean, unless they can disguise it as carbon fiber which people seem to like the look of, they're not going to convince a lot of people.

[achilles]

Dodge is killing the V-8 Challenger and Charger come next year. They are going all electric. Hope the trucks don't.

[MajorHoy]

Dodge is killing the V-8 Challenger and Charger come next year. They are going all electric. Hope the trucks don't.

Dodge is going electric?

Chrysler I could understand, but isn't Dodge still pushing the brotherhood of speed or something like that?

[Kirby101]

I guess they decided to embrace the future instead of the past.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Dodge is going electric?

Chrysler I could understand, but isn't Dodge still pushing the brotherhood of speed or something like that?

Not anymore I guess. Between the ever high cost of gas and insurance, those dinosaurs no longer make sense in a world weening itself off fossil fuels.

[achilles]

Dodge is going electric?

Chrysler I could understand, but isn't Dodge still pushing the brotherhood of speed or something like that?

Yes, they are. Its confusing, I should think.

[achilles]

Not anymore I guess. Between the ever high cost of gas and insurance, those dinosaurs no longer make sense in a world weening itself off fossil fuels.

That's the thing. They were cars that drank gas like there's no tomorrow, exactly the wrong car for now. So I'm not really mourning their loss. I don't think going all electric is a good idea for car companies though. As I've pointed out time and again, there just isn't the infrastructure or grid capacity to handle many more electric cars, (and as I've pointed out, Gov. Newsom in CA has begged electric car owners not to charge their cars---an entirely seperate issue to the unfortunate tendency of some electrics to bust into flame if charged, thus making doing so indoors a very bad idea). It should be a mix until and unless we can fix the huge problems facing the large scale deployment of electric cars. Hybrids might be the way to go for now.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

That's the thing. They were cars that drank gas like there's no tomorrow, exactly the wrong car for now. So I'm not really mourning their loss. I don't think going all electric is a good idea for car companies though. As I've pointed out time and again, there just isn't the infrastructure or grid capacity to handle many more electric cars, (and as I've pointed out, Gov. Newsom in CA has begged electric car owners not to charge their cars---an entirely seperate issue to the unfortunate tendency of some electrics to bust into flame if charged, thus making doing so indoors a very bad idea). It should be a mix until and unless we can fix the huge problems facing the large scale deployment of electric cars. Hybrids might be the way to go for now.

I agree. Car companies should focus on hybrids until the country gets its collective act together on the infrastructure for all electric vehicles, including safety concerns when it one’s to charging.