Alternative Fuels & Propulsion RANDOM

[ykX]

42 minutes ago, David said:

Considering that Charging stations and outlets are far cheaper to install than gas stations and pumps, I think with committed dollars, we will see the infrastructure expand greatly in the near future.

Interesting read on California's electrical grid.

https://poweringcalifornia.com/californias-electricity-grid-explained/

Another Interesting read: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-07-28/what-the-world-gets-if-u-s-electricity-becomes-100-green

 

https://deadline.com/2020/08/california-the-largest-power-outages-in-its-history-this-week-1203015664/

California Facing Largest Power Outages In Its History This Week Amid Record Heatwave.

That was this August, imagine if they had additional load of thousands or millions EVs to charge.  Their electric  power infrastructure is lacking.

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

Oh I agree. I was just saying the required solar panels is a great start but, like you said, how can 15 years' worth of new homes be able to support everybody? they do need a massive overhaul to do what they're claiming. 

NJ was off to a great start doing that.  It wasn't just on new homes, but a lot of existing homes and businesses retrofitted solar panels.  It's been a great success. 

[Scout]

It's been a while since I've been around.  I was browsing through some active threads when I came across this one.  After yesterday's announcement by California's idio, er I mean governor, it's more proof the guy is clueless.  And seems to have an irrational hate for Ca and it's residents. 

[G. David Felt]

Seems Canoo EV company out of LA California has gone into testing mode of their Skateboard concept which will have 4 auto body options on their lease only plan.

 

[ocnblu]

[daves87rs]

11 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

How future rednecks get their kicks? ? 

[ocnblu]

The hilariously inept Newsom has provided plenty of material with this one.  The meme-makers are really making hay!    Chevy's new California-Compliant transportation alternative!

Edited September 27, 2020 by ocnblu

[Scout]

So here we are 

 

California has an inadequate power grid in part because of global warming policies. 

 

 

 

I would have to look at the statistics but I believe California as a state has more drivers on the road than any place else in the nation.

 

Can someone please explain to me how the solution is for billions of people to plug in something that needs at least 240 volts to charge halfway timely into a grid that can't handle turning on a 60w light???  

 

 

Sincerely,

     Confused

 

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by Scout

[Scout]

I make the above post because we're having more rolling blackouts due to our electric infrastructure being inadequate every time it gets warm outside, and fire causing more shut-off to electricity.  

 

How the hell are people supposed to get around if they drive electric cars that they cannot charge??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, ranting. If I go any further it will only go into politics.  But that's really what it comes down to is it not???

8 hours ago, ocnblu said:

The hilariously inept Newsom has provided plenty of material with this one.  The meme-makers are really making hay!    Chevy's new California-Compliant transportation alternative!

In order for that to be truly accurate the carriage would have to be in front of the horse.

[daves87rs]

Not going to be easy in Cali for sure...

[A Horse With No Name]

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

Jeep E bike, might be a good companion to a Wrangler for me.

https://quietkat.com/product/2020-jeep-bike/

ICE love in the thread....

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

More ICE goodness....

12 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Not going to be easy in Cali for sure...

Or anywhere else...

[G. David Felt]

FORD Anouncement - Today Ford announced their deal with Unifor in Canada of their new national labour agreement. Ford will be investing $1.8 Billion CAD to rebuild the Oakville Assembly Complex from an ICE production facility to a full time BEV manufacturing facility.

https://electrek.co/2020/09/28/ford-investment-produce-battery-electric-vehicles-canada/

To Quote the deal from the story above:

The deal includes several new benefits for Ford employees in Canada:

• Competitive alternative work schedules to maximize production flexibility
• Enhanced temporary employee program
• 2.5% wage increase twice over the life of the agreement
• C$7,250 ratification bonus for full-time permanent employees and $500 for temporary employees
• Reduced grow-in period for new hires from 11 years to eight years

Interesting Read on the VW ID.4 and the Nissan Ariya EV's. Chasing the Tesla Model Y is a review of the industry and the slew of compact sized EV CUVs that are coming to market over the next 2 years.

Interesting take on this is as follows:

• More than 200 miles of range is the price of entry, and a 300-mile version is probably needed to reassure nervous shoppers and attract attention;
• Fast charging at 125 kw is the minimum for the next few years, and 350-kw charging is coming on fast;
• $40,000 is the entry price point for an EV crossover, but it still takes convoluted math to produce an “effective price” that’s as low as the highest-selling entries; and
• Electric pickup trucks may get the buzz, but compact crossovers are where automakers see EV volume coming.

A true generic look when you see these two side by side.

https://chargedevs.com/features/volkswagen-id-4-nissan-ariya-bring-ev-drive-to-compact-crossovers-chasing-tesla-model-y/

[G. David Felt]

Final Story is an interesting read on the Ban of new gasoline auto sales starting in 2035 and how California Power Companies are seaking a streamlined approach to permitting by the Government if they are to build and install what is needed in power generation and grid distribution of created power to support the demands of the EV auto's by 2035.

Power companies are wanting approval to build Vehicle-to-Grid or V2G technology to allow the cars that have full batteries to discharge back to the grid during high demand times. This would be a battery buffer on wheels approach to optimizing power distribution.

Power Companies of California are expecting a jump of 25% more electricity demand by 2035 when this ice ban goes in effect.

Having auto's charge up during the day when there is a surplus of solar generated electricity is a need as is having battery banks so that in the evening when solar drops off but AC and other needs are needed it can offset the demand.

Also changing to LED to reduce power consumption by all light sources needs to happen sooner than later so reduce electricity waste. Smart Charging, Smart Storage and changes in how we do things such as excessive lights on at night.

A change that will change how we see and do things.

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1129747_report-california-will-need-massive-grid-upgrades-for-2035-electric-car-push

[balthazar]

Tesla Model Y appears to be plagued with poor sales, despite the company slapping 3 grand on the hoods a few months after their debut. GLOBAL sales thru June stand at 13,415, barely surpassing the Model X (12,461). Meanwhile, the Model 3 stands at 142,346.

Chevy Bolt, globally, is at 11,496 thru June.

[ccap41]

I'm actually surprised I've seen a Model Y in the wild then. 

[ykX]

Currently out of about 160 employees in my company there is already 3 Tesla Model 3.  I have seen few model Y already on the road, not many yet.  I think maybe the manufacturing of model Y is still not up to full speed.

[G. David Felt]

9 hours ago, balthazar said:

Tesla Model Y appears to be plagued with poor sales, despite the company slapping 3 grand on the hoods a few months after their debut. GLOBAL sales thru June stand at 13,415, barely surpassing the Model X (12,461). Meanwhile, the Model 3 stands at 142,346.

Chevy Bolt, globally, is at 11,496 thru June.

Where Yoda are you pulling this figure since Tesla does not break out the Model 3 to Model y sales, both quarters they are combined.

• Q1 sales = 76,200 of the Model 3/Y and 12,200 of the Model S/X = Total Sales of 88,400
• Q2 sales = 75,496 of the Model 3/Y and 6,326 of the Model S/X = Total Sales of 82,272

I am sure if we look at state by state registration we can get this number, but forgot where I would find it.

California does publish their own breakout of sales by every model sold in the state.

https://www.cncda.org/wp-content/uploads/Cal-Covering-2Q-20.pdf

Would love to have an account here that would show the US individual models sold by state.

https://www.autocount.com/#

Even here where you have to pay at Staitsta they have a higher number for the Model Y which is not in full production yet due to the pandemic per Tesla.

https://buyshares.co.nz/2020/08/20/tesla-accounts-for-over-80-of-electric-vehicles-sold-in-the-us-in-h1-2020/

[G. David Felt]

Ford just released the details on their F-150 Hybrid. The most Powerful HP/Torque ever in an F-150.

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1129765_2021-ford-f-150-hybrid-hits-a-new-high-for-torque-if-not-mpg

Quote:

The model, badged PowerBoost, will make 430 horsepower and 570 lb-ft of torque, Ford revealed Tuesday—the highest power and torque ratings of any other powertrain available in the new F-150, and according to the automaker the most torque ever in the F-150. 

[balthazar]

'EV Volumes', via Forbes :
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2020/08/02/tesla-model-y-passes-chevy-bolt-in-global-sales-underscores-gm-electric-car-challenges---as-renault-zoe-gains-report/#5368cc382586

[Robert Hall]

7 minutes ago, balthazar said:

'EV Volumes', via Forbes :
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2020/08/02/tesla-model-y-passes-chevy-bolt-in-global-sales-underscores-gm-electric-car-challenges---as-renault-zoe-gains-report/#5368cc382586

Model S is not on the list...not in the top 20, presumably.

[G. David Felt]

Seems Ford is finding new savings on the Mustang Mach e and has slashed prices up to $3,000.

https://electrek.co/2020/09/29/ford-slashes-mustang-mach-e-electric-car-prices/#more-149004

 

GM has Announced that they have started testing their Ultium Battery system that will power their next generation of EV's that are coming out starting with Cadillac and Hummer by GMC. The battery packs will last for 1 million miles.

https://electrek.co/2020/09/29/gm-tests-ultium-battery-system-cruise-origin-autonomous-electric-vehicle/#more-148985

 

Tesla has announced that they have secured an order for 130 of the Tesla Semi Class 8 trucks from Walmart of Canada. Walmart has over $2 million dollars in deposits to Tesla for their Semi Truck orders that are now over $20 million on the books.

Quote from Walmart of Canada:

“Walmart Canada is now reserving a total of 130 Tesla Semi trucks, making it one of the largest reservations of electrified trucks in the country. The move comes on the heels of Walmart Canada announcing a major $3.5 billion investment over the next five years aimed to generate significant growth in the business and is aligned with  Walmarts global goal to target zero emissions by 2040 announced at Climate Week earlier this month.”

https://electrek.co/2020/09/29/tesla-tsla-secures-order-tesla-semi-electric-trucks-walmart/#more-148949

 

[balthazar]

The battery packs will last for 1 million miles.

Just like LED light bulbs will last for 10,000 hours.  

[G. David Felt]

Honda at the Chinese auto show showed off today their first EV SUV concept. This is as they say the direction Honda will be going in global production of EV auto's and are focusing first on the CUV/SUV market.

Honda has an agreement to use the GM EV platform, batteries, and motors for their Global EV product line.

https://electrek.co/2020/09/28/honda-electric-suv-concept-future-mass-production-model-trend/

[ocnblu]

5 hours ago, David said:

Ford is finding new savings on the Mustang Mach e and has slashed prices up to $3,000.

LOL blatantly clear why this is happening... BEFORE the car even hits the lots.

[balthazar]

Most all EVs are overpriced for what you get. Some are going to say there's a strict difference between incentives and MSRP cuts, but ultimately both are discounts to entice buyers.

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

Most all EVs are overpriced for what you get. Some are going to say there's a strict difference between incentives and MSRP cuts, but ultimately both are discounts to entice buyers.

As such every Pickup Truck out there ICE and EV are over priced especially with the crazy $7,500 to $12,000 discounts being thrown on the hoods now.

[G. David Felt]

Buick Electra EV for the Win!

 

[balthazar]

^ THAT will never be built.

[Robert Hall]

6 hours ago, balthazar said:

^ THAT will never be built.

Not in that form, but a toned-down for production version would be plausible. This is as in they said in the olden days a 'dream car' or concept. 

[surreal1272]

12 hours ago, ocnblu said:

LOL blatantly clear why this is happening... BEFORE the car even hits the lots.

Yeah, its a good thing Ford doesn’t offer massive discounts on their best selling models like the F-Series.

 

Oh wait.

 

It should be noted that they did not change the price of the GT model and most trims only dropped $1000. I’m sure those little facts don’t help your narrative that all EVs suck but there you have it.

Edited September 30, 2020 by surreal1272

[ykX]

[riviera74]

33 minutes ago, ykX said:

Show me a year when trucks are NOT heavily discounted to make room for the new models they want to sell you.

[ykX]

13 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

Show me a year when trucks are NOT heavily discounted to make room for the new models they want to sell you.

Not just trucks, Chevy has discounts on SUVs as well. $2.5k on Traverse for example.

So what is the big deal with Ford lowering price on Mache E to stay competitive.

[ocnblu]

Hard to remember the last time a brand new vehicle was discounted BEFORE it hits the lots.  Most manufacturers can take advantage of goodwill and a rush of customers at this stage of a vehicle's life. 

[G. David Felt]

2 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Hard to remember the last time a brand new vehicle was discounted BEFORE it hits the lots.  Most manufacturers can take advantage of goodwill and a rush of customers at this stage of a vehicle's life. 

Except Tesla has already started to drop prices on Tesla Y CUVs so Ford is matching to be competitive. A Smart and sound business practice.

[surreal1272]

13 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Hard to remember the last time a brand new vehicle was discounted BEFORE it hits the lots.  Most manufacturers can take advantage of goodwill and a rush of customers at this stage of a vehicle's life. 

It’s really not that hard to remember if you don’t have a certain blindness towards one kind of car. And as David pointed out, its not that hard to see hwy they did it in the first place and it has jack to do with “goodwill” or demand. It’s called being ahead of the competition when it comes to pricing. Besides, the initial prices on those were not committed numbers anyway.

Edited October 1, 2020 by surreal1272

[ocnblu]

10 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

It’s really not that hard to remember if you don’t have a certain blindness towards one kind of car. And as David pointed out, its not that hard to see hwy they did it in the first place and it has jack to do with “goodwill” or demand. It’s called being ahead of the competition when it comes to pricing. Besides, the initial prices on those were not committed numbers anyway.

Well we know it's not in demand.  Thanks.

[G. David Felt]

24 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Well we know it's not in demand.  Thanks.

Really, then how do you explain their First Edition being sold out as well as the first year of production?

[ocnblu]

19 minutes ago, David said:

Really, then how do you explain their First Edition being sold out as well as the first year of production?

Didn't they re-open orders for First Edition trims, and they have not yet sold out? 

How many Mustang Monk-EES are they building overall?  They could build 200 and say the year's production is "sold out".  Meaningless.

[G. David Felt]

Clearly some one is having fun and making sure folks that want a unique golf cart gets it. So many different options, posted a few that I thought you all would get a laugh out of.

https://yeahmotor.com/moto/golf-carts/?v=2

[balthazar]

Saw a news story in passing that said the Nikola Badger is basically dead.

[ccap41]

11 hours ago, balthazar said:

Saw a news story in passing that said the Nikola Badger is basically dead.

They're just sticking to the semi-trucks then? 

[G. David Felt]

12 hours ago, balthazar said:

Saw a news story in passing that said the Nikola Badger is basically dead.

 

51 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

They're just sticking to the semi-trucks then? 

Seems the GM deal is now in Limbo, so the reveal event was scrapped till further notice.

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1129807_nikola-badger-electric-pickup-debut-event-canceled-as-gm-deal-hangs

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/nikola-badger-electric-pickup-debut/

[A Horse With No Name]

On 9/29/2020 at 12:52 AM, balthazar said:

Tesla Model Y appears to be plagued with poor sales, despite the company slapping 3 grand on the hoods a few months after their debut. GLOBAL sales thru June stand at 13,415, barely surpassing the Model X (12,461). Meanwhile, the Model 3 stands at 142,346.

Chevy Bolt, globally, is at 11,496 thru June.

Mainstream car makers will overtake Tesla in EV market. They are spending tens of billions on electric, Tesla has a 1 billion R and D budget.

Tesla will probably not be building cars in 5 or ten years.

12 hours ago, balthazar said:

Saw a news story in passing that said the Nikola Badger is basically dead.

A scam, sadly...

[G. David Felt]

14 hours ago, balthazar said:

Saw a news story in passing that said the Nikola Badger is basically dead.

 

3 hours ago, ccap41 said:

They're just sticking to the semi-trucks then? 

 

2 hours ago, David said:

 

Seems the GM deal is now in Limbo, so the reveal event was scrapped till further notice.

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1129807_nikola-badger-electric-pickup-debut-event-canceled-as-gm-deal-hangs

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/nikola-badger-electric-pickup-debut/

It now seems based on reports coming out from unidentified sources that GM is looking to take an even bigger stake in Nikola and the building of the Nikola Badger Pickup Truck.

It would seem that GM is looking for a way to recover costs from the R&D done on Hydrogen generators, storage and an EV platform that is what Nikola was planning for the Badger. Will be very interesting to see what comes of this as I can see value to be had in building a long range EV pickup using a Hydrogen generator.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-general-motors-nikola/gm-continuing-discussions-with-nikola-on-alliance-deal-idUSKBN26K2MF

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/gm-considers-boosting-stake-in-nikola-in-reworked-deal/ar-BB19CSv0?ocid=uxbndlbing 

https://www.autonews.com/automakers-suppliers/gm-considers-boosting-stake-nikola-reworked-deal-report-says

 New Tesla Crate motor for your V8 powered auto.

 

 

[G. David Felt]

Interesting 1yr review of a Tesla Police car versus the Dodge Charger.

Appears to be a large saving that pays for itself.

https://insideevs.com/news/446583/tesla-model-3-police-savings-1-year/

 

 

[balthazar]

On 9/29/2020 at 9:16 AM, ccap41 said:

I'm actually surprised I've seen a Model Y in the wild then. 

Pulled up next to one at a light. No badges on the rear or pass side, so unless the owner removed them, the model name doesn't appear on it. And it basically looks just like a Model X... but here I saw it had proper rear doors. I've probably been seeing them around and not realized/cared it wasn't an X.

 

- - - - -
Have a classic patina'd Nova you just want to get running & ramrod around in?  'EVWest' has an "easy" solution for your problem (not that you asked).

Cool, right?? A 'crate' Tesla motor! zoom-zoom! And QUIET, because hot rodding is all about being Corolla-quiet.

What? 'How much'? Why do you have to ask; people put $3000 worth of wheels on $800 cars all day long; WHO CARES!!

 

Edited October 3, 2020 by balthazar

[balthazar]

FIFTY THOUSAND?!?!?!?!?!?

By the by, apparently one of the hallmarks of an electric-propelled vehicle is under assault, and not just by the Government.
Now the aftermarket is stepping up to address one of the glaring shortfalls of EV cars- the lack of noise. (Apologies you have to suffer thru this douche host to see the results) :

 

Edited October 3, 2020 by balthazar