Quick Drive: 2013 Scion FR-S

Im glad to get that off my chest  

This is what Andy Palmer said, the dude of what the article in the link is about.     "Hybrids are a road to hell. They are a transition strategy, and the longer you stay on that transition, the less quickly you ramp up into the new world," Palmer said. "If you just delay transitioning to EVs by diluting it with hybrids then you are more uncompetitive for longer, and you allow the Chinese to continue to develop their market and their leadership. I honestly think it's a fool's errand," he added.   And him being the dude that helped engineer the Nissan Leaf and was later the dude in charge of Nissan's EV department, I am 100% in agreement with him.  And I would also like to add: The Chinese government pushed and pushed hard for EVs.  Pushed hard not only on the global stage but MOSTLY got ALL Chinese people ON BOARD with EVs.  They had several reasons to do so.  China has lots and lots of minerals and important ingredients to make said batteries. An essential part of EV transition.  But most IMPORTANTLY, China WANTS to REPLACE the USA for being the defacto country  in political, social, economical influence in the world that the USA enjoyed since the end of WW2 in 1945.  And since they knew they lacked behind in ebery metric that would push them to that status, they had only one move to make. It was a Hail Mary pass, but kit was to dominate in the the tech world and it happened to be in the automobile realm. EVs. And while China was seeking to dominate in this arena, and CAREFULLY nurtured it, the USA phoqued themselves over.  Idiot Americans were fooled to believe ALL the negative commentary on EVs. Uneducated morons liked the drill baby drill commentary. Smart but greedy fools failed to see what was coming next and failed even further to see the threat that is China and ITS technological breakthroughs.  ALL from morons that had biased reasons to be anti-EV. From the Joe Rogans and Alex Jones of the world that thrive from clicks for the podcast youtube and other shytty platforms to anti-EV biases from Big Oil.  And lastly, stupid politicians that failed American citizens in different decades from keeping Americans poor and stupid by not giving them educations. By PURPOSELY DEFUNDING the American school system, by PURPOSELY lying to them on DIFFERENT subjects and while these American politicians were greedily looking to make America into a fascist, oligarch world, they failed to see and acknowledge the OTHER threats the world was giving to the US OTHER than the war threats.  The technological warfare.   Exactly the OPPOSITE of what the Chinese regimes were on about EVs.  And if Trump decides to cut EV subsidies, even of only to allow Tesla to sell, the Chinese are building European factories to build EVs there. Slowly.  They are FLOODING the market with Chinese EVs as we speak in Europe.  The next step is to flood North America with Chinese EVs. The starting point IS Mexico.  If one is educated, one could see the disaster that is to come for GM, Ford.  Stellantis is going to get the disaster first in Europe.  Chinese EVs are going to flood Mexico.  INEXPENSIVE Chinese EVs.  Then WILL come the factories in Mexico.  So much for the "NOBODY WANTS EVs" rhetoric that the uneducated, wrongfully informed Americans (and Canadians to some degree) keep on spewing...   Its really IS a big deal. I SEE that rhetoric play about the failure of VW and Stellantis and even GM when these fools squeal about how they are failing because they have put all their monies on EVs.  The thing is, they didnt put their monies FAST enough on EVs and also concetrated on producing ICEVs when they should have just NIXED them waaaay before.  Of course that is Monday morning quarterbacking from me as I say that, but I ALSO saw the writing on the wall about EVs being THE future.  Had Americans NOT been LIED to about this whole thing about scare tactics about EVs, GM and Ford would have ALL the working EVs RIGHT NOW not ONLY to shut down Tesla, but to even shut down Chinese EVs. Elon Musk could have TAKEN China ALL to himself if he was 5% the visionary he thinks he is.   But he was too busy STILL selling us on colonizing Mars...  Whatever happened to that super loop thing anyway?  Yeah...a billion dollar boondoggle that had everybody fooled.  Chinese politicians, engineers and all around smart folk must be STILL laughing at all the gullible Americans and greedy fools that the US has churned out the last 15 years...    But hey...   Now lets keep on shopping because its the Christmas season and we should all consume because its good for the economy while we wait for tariffs to hit us because Canada and Mexico reasons, because our eggs are expensive while we get fleeced by insurance companies but we dont want healthcare because communism and education education education but Ivy Leaguers  they too smart so they elitist but Democrats wanting to forgive student debt no good but keep on having insanely expensive school tuitions while other areas in the country and young folk not having ACCESS to an education while calling some countries of the world as shytehole countries while ALSO keep on having school shootings because teachers arent packing but also those shytehole country folk  are eating the dogs and they are eating the cats.  

This is spot on accurate of the failure by Japanese and American Auto companies. Some will go away even in merger like Nissan/Honda/Mitsubishi Motors as they sat and allowed China to surpass most companies. Korea is the only true competitor right now as Tesla has fallen behind with their old 400V EV tech. https://www.businessinsider.com/godfather-of-evs-explains-why-china-is-winning-ev-race-2024-12

Sending a Christmas eve chuckle your way: Here's Dyan Cannon, who has again poured herself into her clothing, to attend a Lakers game, which she does often. It looks like she can easily fit down many chimneys.  Maybe even into a Christmas gift stocking. I find the different chapters of Dyan Cannon humorous.

@Drew Dowdell @Robert Hall @trinacriabob @A Horse With No Name @ccap41 @surreal1272 @oldshurst442  And including all of the C&G members that are here that I do not interact with often enough or those I have forgotten their handles. Wishing each and every one of you a Merry Xmas Eve and Merry Xmas.  To those that do not celebrate Xmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, Happy time off. Wishing each and every person here a restful end to the year, one of love, respect, relaxation to you and your families. Wishing all the best!