G. David Felt

Quality is very important to me too, but there should be no problem having quality with quantity. I honestly do not get these places that charge for what I would consider a normal size meal for most Americans and they serve you a little tiny bit of food saying quality and experience is better. Not so when you tummy tells ya your still hungry and it is rumbling. I get that everyone has different needs of food, and I get that European eating is very different than American eating. But do not give me this elegant style eating of 2 bites please. Do not forget the nut cracker Glutes!

So India through 2020 is showing a 20% year over year increase in EV sales. Interesting is that Tata like GM in China has the number 1 selling EV in India. This is the first year for EV sales in any volume, but with Government incentives EVs for those that buy auto's are starting. Bigger market is the EV mopeds as bikes outsell auto's in India. Indian EV Bike sales are up 20.9% year over year to 1.52 million EV Bikes sold in India. Tata Nexon EV Becomes No 1 Selling Electric Car In India For 2020 (rushlane.com) 20 Best Electric Bikes & Scooters In India [2021] - A Comprehensive List (carbikeindia.com) Electric Scooter & Bike Sales In India For FY 2020: Registers A 20.6% Growth With Low-Speed Scooters Accounting For 90% Of The Total Sales - DriveSpark News

Like all new technology, the cost is higher at the beginning, but always goes down and we have both Hybrid and pure electric. Companies that want to continue and grow will have to adapt and change. Many cities around the world have announced a ban on diesel construction equipment. Just like the NY gas company that had their first electric backhoe, there is always a starting point. This is from 2019 when multiple cities from the Asian Rim and Europe announced bans on diesel construction equipment. Electrified Construction Equipment | OEM Off-Highway Yes there will be those here that call the west coast tree hugging crazy, but cities here have announced reviews for when to transition from diesel to electric construction equipment. The EPA up to 2019 was in lock step with the European Union for emissions. Now Europe has a Tier 5 in place with a plan to eventually ban all diesel especially in construction. As such, the current plan is for allowing clean running Hybrid heavy construction equipment. The Industry sees a very real possible change to pure electric within 20 years. This means that by 2039 all diesel construction equipment will be dead for new as everything will be electric. Electric Dreams: Will Heavy Construction Equipment Go All-Electric? (constructconnect.com) In regards to onsite fueling, I have always seen from state, county and city governments to major and medium construction sites using on site refueling. Yes small business will probably not have a need for this since they usually trailer their construction gear there and back daily for some jobs. Here is a company I see all the time around here fueling up work sites. Site Fuel | National Fuel Delivery | Onsite Refueling

Electric is not the cure all for everything, but it does offer an amazing change in society with no noise and no smell and with proper planning you can have them recharged and ready to go in the morning. Flip it this way, the guy that is supposed to show up to refuel your diesel tractor, did not refuel his own truck in the evening, gets up to do his run and has to stop to fuel up, but the gas stations are all closed since the ones by him are not open 24/7. He now sits on the side of the road awaiting someone to bring him fuel and so he misses getting to his lot to fill up all the tanks and get out to the site to refuel your tractor and you now have an empty fuel tank on the job and unable to work. This goes both ways. While yes a modern pickup truck might be much quieter than they used to be with GM being the quietest, Ford and RAM are still super noisy from an engine stand point and all still stink so unless your auto has inside cabin air filters you still get the stench of diesel and even worse when an older truck goes by blowing out the toxic black smoke. Like you said, they all have their place in work and society, but that does not mean we cannot keep working to make them better and remove the toxic stench, noise pollution and have a cleaner quieter work area. If Diesel is the perfect solution, then why does John Deer, Kubota, Nortac, EGO and so many companies build residential to small business tractors? If Diesel is the perfect solution, then why does Caterpillar, Komatsu, John Deer, Bobcat, Cummins all are now starting to make electric bulldozers and excavators? Right now Hybrids are starting to out sell traditional diesel as you have a generator that is much quieter with a pure electric power train doing superior work.

Amazing what you can watch when you make parts out of Clear tuff plastic resin.

AT4 packages have been talked about going across the whole GMC portfolio and the 2022 GMC Terrain now has this edgier look and new tech. My only hesitation is the single choice turbo motor, at least it has a 9sp transmission be it FWD or AWD. 2022 GMC Terrain lands with AT4 model, new tech and edgier looks - Roadshow (cnet.com) To Quote the review: The exterior grows more angled and edgier on all Terrain models, while the rear receives new LED taillights. A handful of new color options and two new wheel designs all join the menu for buyers to go home with their favorite combination. No matter which trim, a 1.5-liter turbo-four engine is the sole choice, which makes 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque. A nine-speed automatic sends power to the front or all wheels. GMC will launch the Terrain in base SLE trim, SLT and AT4 this summer, while the fancier Denali arrives at dealers this fall. GMC will also bring back the popular Elevation special edition, too. No prices yet, but expect a minor bump with all the new features baked in as standard. Leaked is the all new Nissan 400Z while fans are saying how cool and awesome it looks, I have to say Nissan 400Z leaks in production form, looks downright amazing - Roadshow (cnet.com) More photo's and interior images at the link above.

Lightning Motors out of Loveland Colorado has had some major announcements this week. First off, the latest is that Proterra the maker of all things Commercial Transit buses is going to provide Lighting with battery packs for their wide range of EVs. Commercial Cargo Delivery Vans which are Ford vans with electric powertrains, small and medium passenger vans as well as electric trucks and city buses that are repowered with Lighting powertrain and Proterra battery packs. Proterra battery technology to power Lightning eMotors Electric Transit commercial van - Lightning eMotors Lighting has also announced their Generation 4 of electric Transit Class 3 vans with 250 miles of range with a 105 kWh battery pack. These come in the following configurations of Passenger Van, Cargo Van, School Bus, Ambulance and RV configurations. Shipments start in the 2nd quarter of 2021. New Generation 4 Lightning Electric Transit Class 3 Van Introduced by Lightning eMotors - Lightning eMotors Porterville California has purchased 12 of the passenger electric vans to be used for curb to curb service by it's residents as a city ride-hailing service with a cost of $3 per person. These 12 passanger vans are ADA compliant with Support Wheel-Chair Lifts and will allow the city to on average respond within 15 minutes to requests from the senior residents. These vans will replace city Transit buses on low ridership routes allowing the residents a better experience with on demand curb to curb service over a traditional large size commercial bus. California’s City of Porterville Deploys 12 All-Electric Micro-transit Vans from Colorado’s Lightning eMotors - Lightning eMotors More details on all options of EV auto's available for purchase as well as news releases about the company and technology they use can be found here: Electric Fleet Vehicles and Charging Systems | Lightning eMotors

Totally agree here and this is what corrupt dealerships fear is that the EV change over will cut them out as People will pay what they perceive as a fair price. Saturn was rated as one of the highest buying experiences due to the set prices, no gouging and the ability to come in and buy what you want at the marked price. Dealerships got a fair % as did GM and everyone felt good about it. Tesla has done so well even with crappy fit n finish due to the amount of people not wanting to play the traditional dicker game or price gouging of a dealership. Look at the auto, build it the way they want and see what the price is and move forward to buy no matter what. Mach 1 is a cool car, no doubt about it. Ford has it marketed as such at a MSRP price. They need to control the dealers by ensuring a fair profit for prepping and selling the auto and stop the gouging. As I stated, if they want the auto on the dealership floor to bring people in, then put a Not For Sale sign on it over a crazy price of gouging the market. You have hit the nail on the head Surreal, thank you.

Plenty of Portable generators yes both smelly Diesel and regular gas and now more and more I see portable electric cell generators to bring power to the job site. So I do not see you having to load up the BackHoe and take it back n forth to the shop for charging. On top of this, I also see that just like the companies that supply fuel and lubricants to the job sites that come very early in the morning or late at night to top all the trucks / tractors off, you also have them bringing charges to replenish electric based tractors / trucks. As is evident in all the services and portable options out now. Mobile EV Charging Service for Rentals, Events & More | EV Safe Charge Portable Electric - Clean, portable power stations | Electric Generators (portable-electric.com) Charged EVs | Sparkcharge launches a portable and scalable DC fast charging unit - Charged EVs Blink Introduces Portable, Mobile EV Charger for Roadside Use (caranddriver.com) AAA Introduces Roadside Emergency Charging for Electric Cars | PluginCars.com This is just a fraction of what I found and there are plenty of options for companies like the gas company above that can have their own portable recharger to insure the tractor on site has plenty of charge for the day. I see your response as another one trying to say electrics cannot do the job of toxic diesel when they are proven they can and with no noise. The future is quiet and it is electric. Welcome to the 21st Century.

Very clear, dealership days are numbered for those that think people will buy crazy marked up auto's. Rivian states a price and if you want that product, you pay that price, not $10K over the stated price which the stupid Ford Dealer is trying to gouge out of a customer. So yes this Ford dealer is an IDIOT! People need to go to dealers that do not do this and give their business to dealerships that respect the buying process and not gouging for dollars.

We will See, here is the actual press release from CASE. The CASE 580 EV Delivers Ultimate Power and Sustainability Zero Emissions: Lower your carbon footprint and achieve incentives/greater consideration for new projects with electrified additions to your fleet. All the Performance: The battery separately powers the drivetrain and hydraulic motors, resulting in hydraulic breakout forces equal to diesel-powered machines and improved performance during simultaneous loader and drivetrain operation. Long-Lasting Power: The machine's lithium-ion battery provides enough power for the typical 8-hour work day. Lower Operating Costs: Save as much as 90 percent in annual vehicle, fuel and maintenance costs. Classic CASE Performance: The 580 EV retains the precision and efficiency of diesel-powered CASE backhoes with features such as ProControl, which allows for extremely precise boom movement and placement, as well as Comfort Steer, which significantly improves steering while working in tight quarters or in truck loading operations. CASE 580 EV - The Industry's First Fully Electric Backhoe Loader | CASE Construction Equipment (casece.com) I honestly cannot see how anyone would want the noise of a diesel backhoe in their neighborhood. Having Silence is way better even if the cost of maintenance is not what they say it is and case clearly says the 90% saving is maintenance, Fuel and annual vehicle costs. Yes we still do not know what the cost is.

Kia Corporation revealed ahead of their planned world premiere the EV6. This is Kia's first dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) influenced by an all new Design philosophy, embracing Kia's shifting focus to global electrification. Kia announced that the EV6 was their first BEV to embrace the following: 'Opposites United' is Kia's design philosophy for the Future vehicles Philosophy formed of five pillars: Bold for Nature, Joy for Reason, Power to Progress, Technology for Life, and Tension for Serenity EV6 exterior design characterized by High-tech details Modern and spacious interior design made possible by Kia's first dedicated EV platform (E-GMP) The EV6 strikes strong in the companies new Opposites United taking inspiration from nature and humanity. The visual identity evoking positive forces with natural energy and contracting combinations of sharp stylistic elements and sculptural shapes. This distinctive crossover inspired BEV is a showcase of human-centered, progressive design and electrification. Welcome to the Future of Kia Power to Progress is the tag that Kia has for the EV6 as this is a global collaborative effort between Namyang Korea, Frankfurt Germany and Irvine California USA design studios. Quote: At the front, characteristic daytime running lights display a sleek, modern appearance. They form part of the car’s ‘Digital Tiger Face’, a design progression evoking the spirit of Kia’s ‘Tiger Nose Grille’ for the electrified era. The design of the lamps also includes a ‘sequential’ dynamic light pattern. Below this, a low air intake visually widens the front of the car, accentuating its high-tech image. Part of the optimization of air flow from the front, the air is channeled through and under the car’s flat floor for optimum aerodynamics. The side profile displays a crossover-inspired design aesthetic, which is modern, sleek and aerodynamic. This contrasts with sharp lines and high-tech details to create a sense of tension in the design. A swept-back windshield provides dynamism and purpose, while bold rear haunches add volume. A character line runs along the bottom of the doors curving upwards towards the rear wheel arches, visually elongating the profile of the car. The interior design is to profile an innovative use of space, creating a unique spatial and driving experience. QUOTE: One of the most striking elements of the new interior is a seamless high-tech curved high-definition audio visual and navigation (AVN) screen. The simple form language of the wide curved screen and the slim dashboard give the space an open feel. Extending from the steering wheel across to the center of the car, it displays an instrument cluster in front of the driver, and infotainment and navigation above the center console. The width of the screen creates an immersive experience for the driver, while a minimal number of physical buttons offer an uncluttered and soothing driving experience. Underneath the AVN screen, passengers control HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) settings by using haptic ‘buttons’, while below this panel, the dashboard slopes away towards the front of the car, creating a sense of space and openness for the front-seat passengers. The seats are slim, lightweight and contemporary, and clad in modern, visually interesting and robust fabrics created using recycled plastics, which create yet greater openness in the cabin. To quote Senior Vice President and Head of Global Design Center for Kia Karim Habib: “We want our products to deliver an instinctive and natural experience that improves the daily lives of our customers. Our aim is to design the physical experience of our brand and to create original, inventive, and exciting electric vehicles. The ideas of our designers and the purpose of the brand are becoming more connected than ever, with our customers at the center of what we do and influencing every decision that we make,” added Karim Habib. 17208_Source_of_inspiration_Opposites_united.mp4 Kia reveals new design philosophy and full images of EV6 (kiamedia.com) View full article

Per the latest write up, seems CASE is moving their Back Hoes to be available in Electric version as it would save 90% of maintenance cost to cities like New York. Time to R.I.P. Diesel! Charged EVs | CASE’s electric backhoe loaders could save New York utilities 90% in maintenance costs - Charged EVs

One Day I want to get up to come eat at your place and talk auto's. Would be a blast! Hopefully you have some big dishes since I am a big eater!

I honestly do not know as they really did not go into detail and it makes no sense that they made it a manual for being an EV. Weird for sure.

You would think if they want to keep it on the floor as an attractor for people to come in and look at and then possibly buy something else, then just put a sign on it that says NOT FOR SALE. Then later once the excitement has worn off, sell it for MSRP if possible. Doing things like this would be a I WILL NOT BUY FROM YOU thing. This is the kind of crap that makes me walk away from a dealership due to stupidity like this. IDIOTS! ?

@dwightlooi needs to watch WALL-E a perfect movie of how humanity can mess up the planet for good not caring about it for future generations. WALL·E (2008) - IMDb You can only waste so much before it catches up with us. After all we already have plastic mess in the ocean and along what was once beautiful beaches due to the I careless as the planet has plenty of space. I have a hard time that anyone thinks this is OK to do to our planet as long as private companies make a profit at the ecologies expense. When do we wake up to realize that if we want ourselves as well as our kids and grandkids and future generations after that to live in a clean healthy planet, we have to stop destroying it. That sometimes means making the hard decisions about ease of use, cleaning up and recycling as well as looking at all green energy sources and preparing for both extreme cold and heat to insure humanity can stay alive and be warm. Sad when we see marine life having to struggle due to the I Do Not Care about Society only myself Humans.

As I posted VW has with Audi joined the growing group of companies focusing on pure EV R&D and selling as long as they sell the current lineup of ICE auto's. As such we now have the following list of auto companies that no longer will be investing in ICE technology, sell what they have as long as people buy it and the future will be Electric vehicles. Audi VW Daimler Volvo Jaguar Land Rover Stellantis PSA Bentley Aston Martin Companies that will end ICE auto's as EV replacements come out. GM Ford Honda Nissan There are more companies that would fit the list but this is what I found from their auto companies news release sections.

Nuclear waste is a Problem and Burying it in the sand will contaminate who knows what lies beneath. There are better ways to deal with it than just pushing it off into an area that you feel is unimportant. As proven in 2015 we can convert the liquid waste into glass and then bury it safely. Turning nuclear waste into glass: Physics Today: Vol 68, No 2 (scitation.org) The other option and yes it costs money but as @Drew Dowdell pointed out, we can build the proper facilities to deal with this waste and generate power also.

Jeep is showing off their MAGNeTO Jeep wrangler that is pure electric with a Manual Transmission. Jeep Builds an EV, Stick-Shift Wrangler for Easter Jeep Safari (roadandtrack.com)

WOW, when it comes to Nuclear. You have the size right about 80,000 tons at 2018 and it is toxic and destructive and the Great Pyramids has nothing to do with this. No one would mind 5 million tons of rock, 80,000 tons of toxic waste everyone minds. NO ONE wants that waste even when it is a solid rock area that used to be a salt mine and upon turning liquid into solid form to bury it, states still do not want to deal with it. Washington state has over 56 million gallons of High Level Nuclear waste due to Hanford and the work done there to nuclearize this country. As such, it is in rusting out in ground storage tanks that are now leaching into the underground water tables and the INCOMPETANT Last Administration was too stupid to work with the facts and scientist to address this, instead like an Ostrich, they stuck their idiot heads in the sand and re-classified the waste to regular nuclear waste which it is not. A solution was found to turn the liquid into a solid and bury it in a place that would not as you state leak into ground water, sadly the few areas in this country that could do that refuse to let it happen for various reason. To quote: I can understand not understanding a complicated subject like nuclear waste. It’s willful ignorance that I can’t forgive. Bureaucrats frustrate Hanford scientists | Guest Opinion | Tri-City Herald (tri-cityherald.com) Quote: America’s nuclear waste is accumulating at over 75 sites in 35 states. In 2016, Stanford scholars discussed why there was no clear way forward for its final disposal. Not much has improved. The steep costs of nuclear waste in the U.S. (stanford.edu) As of March 2020, we now have 83,000 metric tons of Nuclear waste in this country. 5 Fast Facts about Spent Nuclear Fuel | Department of Energy U.S. nuclear industry - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

In Auto News, VW has announced that they have ended all ICE development joining Audi as they focus on EV's for VW and Audi by 2030. Porsche will be the only company to continue with ICE for now as it funds the transition to EVs. Porsche will eventually join Audi and VW in becoming an all EV company but at a later date. VW CEO did state the following: Duesmann gave no timeline for when the automaker will stop producing combustion engines. "Our customers will probably decide when the last combustion engine comes off the production line," he said. With that statement, R&D has stopped, but production continues forward as ICE funds the EV change over. VW brand will phase out combustion engines, CEO says (autonews.com) Volkswagen Will Also Stop Developing Internal Combustion Engines (roadandtrack.com)

Seems Toyota MIGHT be planning a competative piece to go up against the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler. Toyota Trailhunter. New Toyota Trailhunter Ready To Battle Ford Bronco And Jeep Wrangler? | CarBuzz