electric??

Will everything really be electric by 2023 or does this show how out of touch GM is?

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/comp...models-arriving-by-2023/ar-AAsNOL3?li=BBnbfcN

I liked this line from the story:

The planned lineup demonstrates GM is doubling down on electrification despite the Bolt’s slow start in U.S. showrooms and companies’ inability thus far to profitably sell EVs.

Both India and China have indicated that they are likely to ban the sale of ICE vehicles in the next 20 years. Europe is right behind them. GM and other manufacturers are very much in tune to the marketplace, it's just that GM is doing what it always does - sucking at execution.

Barrel said:

Both India and China have indicated that they are likely to ban the sale of ICE vehicles in the next 20 years. Europe is right behind them. GM and other manufacturers are very much in tune to the marketplace, it's just that GM is doing what it always does - sucking at execution.

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6 years and 20 years are not in the same ballpark in my opinion. I agree with the notion that automakers should be putting some effort into electrics due to legislation that might require them.

Do you think they should be producing 20 models in the next 6 years? I would be shooting for something MUCH more modest inside 6 years if it were my call.

I think consumers are very close to wanting an electric vehicle. All of the luxury brands are electrifying their models. Volvo, Mercedes, BMW are going heavy on electric. Toyota, Mazda, Ford, Volkswagen are all going head first into R&D.

And even Dyson is now making an electric car! Signs point to Apple and Google making a run of it as well.

It's going to be a very interesting time to be a car guy in the next 10 years. As a lover of all things V8 it kills me but...that's what progress is I guess.

Barrel said:

I think consumers are very close to wanting an electric vehicle. All of the luxury brands are electrifying their models. Volvo, Mercedes, BMW are going heavy on electric. Toyota, Mazda, Ford, Volkswagen are all going head first into R&D.

And even Dyson is now making an electric car! Signs point to Apple and Google making a run of it as well.

It's going to be a very interesting time to be a car guy in the next 10 years. As a lover of all things V8 it kills me but...that's what progress is I guess.

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This.

They aren't out of touch. They are trying to grab a market share before the competition. VW is putting up huge dollars for this investment.

But with that said, you'd be out of your mind to assume Ford wasn't doing the exact same thing. They just haven't announced it yet.

Well, if Ford and GM are both doing this, I might be done buying new vehicles in the next 6 years. 20 models seems like a lot to me! Basically that means almost everything will be electric. :(

I need to have cars that are powered by explosions. Anything else is way too uncool for me.

I have a feeling the government will use the move to electric to push gas vehicles out for those that can't afford the fuel.

In 10 years when 40% of the cars on the road (or whatever) are either fully electric or partially electric, the feds will start to levy huge taxes on gas which will make it pointless to buy a primarily gas powered car.

That line from 'I, Robot' comes to mind as I think about the next couple generations.

Will Smith gets on his street bike with that chick on the back and she says "this thing runs on gas, you know gas explodes?"

Even Porsche and Jaguar are getting ready to go electric. I may some day have an electric daily driver, but I will always have a gas powered car for fun.

Austinj427 said:

I have a feeling the government will use the move to electric to push gas vehicles out for those that can't afford the fuel.

In 10 years when 40% of the cars on the road (or whatever) are either fully electric or partially electric, the feds will start to levy huge taxes on gas which will make it pointless to buy a primarily gas powered car.

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It depends on whether we vote for the typical bribe-taking people or whether we put people in office who actually want to do what's right.

I can't believe even enthusiasts are ready to just roll over and take it.

Austinj427 said:

I have a feeling the government will use the move to electric to push gas vehicles out for those that can't afford the fuel.

In 10 years when 40% of the cars on the road (or whatever) are either fully electric or partially electric, the feds will start to levy huge taxes on gas which will make it pointless to buy a primarily gas powered car.

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When I was a kid a lot of local farmers were converting their vehicles to burn Compressed Natural Gas or propane. There are big fleets of vehicles using CNG nowadays. Nobody is going to get rid of CNG and propane in the near future.

If they try to get rid of gasoline, there will be options for those of us who care about the ICE.

It isn't the fact that most people like gas engines better than electric, it's the body style of electrics. They are awful. Make a good looking body style, like the current Mustang, and put in an electric motor. I'll bet you have pretty good sales then. But the Prius? Bolt? Leaf? Awful to look at. The new Tesla Model 3? I dig it.

It still wouldn't drive the same.

Maybe that doesn't matter if acceleration from a standing start is all you much care about, but if the way a car drives matters to you and you want more involvement than you get from a golf cart an EV probably wouldn't be a good fit for you.


Norm

Once battery weights come down more people will start to appreciate the instant torque and throttle response.

Look up reviews of the new zero motorcycle and especially the lightning ls-218. Pretty neat stuff, but still not quite cheap or light enough.

Ebm said:

It isn't the fact that most people like gas engines better than electric, it's the body style of electrics. They are awful. Make a good looking body style, like the current Mustang, and put in an electric motor. I'll bet you have pretty good sales then. But the Prius? Bolt? Leaf? Awful to look at. The new Tesla Model 3? I dig it.

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I like the body style of the original Tesla model S, but IMO the more recent efforts from Tesla have missed the mark. I don't agree that body style is the deciding factor. I think freedom and capability are the factors. Any vehicle that takes more than 5 minutes to "fill the tank" is inconvenient and a poor performer. Also if the vehicle has poor range, not much interior room, doesn't heat and defrost well, etc. those are factors.

I do agree that mostly enthusiasts like me care about the sound an ICE makes. Many people would prefer something that makes no sound. But the current state of the art batteries aren't anywhere near what is needed to compete with the ICE.