ctandc72
Well-Known Member
Self-driving cars - the technology I agree is there...the issue involves liability.
Still way too many question marks.
As for electric vehicles - battery technology has a LONG way to go before even thinking about replacing the internal combustion engine on a mass scale. The 'accepted fact' of a decade ago - that we were running out of oil - has been proved false. Weirdly enough, advancing technology has helped us realize there is a huge amount of oil just waiting to be pumped. The issue, as it always is, is price vs effort. I grew up with a guy who is heavily involved in the oil industry. It's all about price. When the price gets to a certain level, you'll see known deposits start to get tapped.
As for Tesla....the hard truth is - he could not afford to make cars without the massive government subsidies and low-interest loans he has gotten and still gets - and more importantly MANY BUYERS would NOT opt for or be able to afford an electric vehicle if not for the tax breaks / credits the receive by doing so.
This isn't personal opinion. Do a little digging on his profit / loss statements and find what "doesn't count" toward his current bottom line.
Cars is NOT where he makes / has made his money.
This is not a knock on him or Tesla - it's just the facts.
The other thing that no one seems to ever want to mention about electric cars is their impact on the environment when it comes to the precious metals (less available worldwide than oil) that are needed to produce and more importantly their batteries and their impact on the environment after their serviceable life is over. Not to mention the source of these precious metals and the burgeoning economies of the countries mining / exporting them now.
Leading scientists / experts are still shooting down 'environmentalists' when they talk of the "net benefit" to the planet of replacing a conventional automobile with an electric car. The most 'planet friendly' choice is to buy a used, economical car. I only mention this since one of the big 'emotional' pushes towards hybrids and electric cars is "saving the planet".
It's not just an age gap or generation that has people sitting on different sides of the self-driving car issue....
A lot of it is a control issue.
How many regulatory agencies and bodies would be created if self-driving cars became common place? Who would be in charge of these entities? The government. Please let me know the last time any government started such a huge undertaking and ran it on an efficient and cost-effective scale?
If self-driving cars become common, how long before regulations or more likely, large "luxury" taxes are imposed on people who want to drive themselves in a normal car?
As for job loss...it's not happening yet. Needs are just shifting and some "old" professions are STILL in HIGH demand and in fact many technical trades are HURTING for applicants and people to be trained.
My next door neighbor worked in the corporate insurance environment for 20+ years until '08 when he was bought out and forced to retire. He took some schooling and less than 9 years later - he's a licensed HVAC technician and works less hours and makes more money than he ever did before.
Sure alot of things change....but many things stay the same. Until we have affordable robots coming to fix our toilets, air conditioners etc - there will be plenty of good paying jobs available for those people who want to earn a healthy paycheck.
Just my 2 cents.
Still way too many question marks.
As for electric vehicles - battery technology has a LONG way to go before even thinking about replacing the internal combustion engine on a mass scale. The 'accepted fact' of a decade ago - that we were running out of oil - has been proved false. Weirdly enough, advancing technology has helped us realize there is a huge amount of oil just waiting to be pumped. The issue, as it always is, is price vs effort. I grew up with a guy who is heavily involved in the oil industry. It's all about price. When the price gets to a certain level, you'll see known deposits start to get tapped.
As for Tesla....the hard truth is - he could not afford to make cars without the massive government subsidies and low-interest loans he has gotten and still gets - and more importantly MANY BUYERS would NOT opt for or be able to afford an electric vehicle if not for the tax breaks / credits the receive by doing so.
This isn't personal opinion. Do a little digging on his profit / loss statements and find what "doesn't count" toward his current bottom line.
Cars is NOT where he makes / has made his money.
This is not a knock on him or Tesla - it's just the facts.
The other thing that no one seems to ever want to mention about electric cars is their impact on the environment when it comes to the precious metals (less available worldwide than oil) that are needed to produce and more importantly their batteries and their impact on the environment after their serviceable life is over. Not to mention the source of these precious metals and the burgeoning economies of the countries mining / exporting them now.
Leading scientists / experts are still shooting down 'environmentalists' when they talk of the "net benefit" to the planet of replacing a conventional automobile with an electric car. The most 'planet friendly' choice is to buy a used, economical car. I only mention this since one of the big 'emotional' pushes towards hybrids and electric cars is "saving the planet".
It's not just an age gap or generation that has people sitting on different sides of the self-driving car issue....
A lot of it is a control issue.
How many regulatory agencies and bodies would be created if self-driving cars became common place? Who would be in charge of these entities? The government. Please let me know the last time any government started such a huge undertaking and ran it on an efficient and cost-effective scale?
If self-driving cars become common, how long before regulations or more likely, large "luxury" taxes are imposed on people who want to drive themselves in a normal car?
As for job loss...it's not happening yet. Needs are just shifting and some "old" professions are STILL in HIGH demand and in fact many technical trades are HURTING for applicants and people to be trained.
My next door neighbor worked in the corporate insurance environment for 20+ years until '08 when he was bought out and forced to retire. He took some schooling and less than 9 years later - he's a licensed HVAC technician and works less hours and makes more money than he ever did before.
Sure alot of things change....but many things stay the same. Until we have affordable robots coming to fix our toilets, air conditioners etc - there will be plenty of good paying jobs available for those people who want to earn a healthy paycheck.
Just my 2 cents.
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