Unofficial Off Topic Thread

[sk47]

A billion-dollar Kentucky battery plant went bankrupt, got fined by the DOJ, and is now owned by the contractor it never paid

Hello; This story hits on several things which have occurred since the big EV push which appears t be faltering. Some interesting twists and an uncertain outcome in terms of lithium battery recycling.

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[HoosierDaddy]

A billion-dollar Kentucky battery plant went bankrupt, got fined by the DOJ, and is now owned by the contractor it never paid

Hello; This story hits on several things which have occurred since the big EV push which appears t be faltering. Some interesting twists and an uncertain outcome in terms of lithium battery recycling.

Well the dumb "push" is over but more Tesla model Ys were sold than any other vehicle world wide every year for 3 years and counting. Push was never needed (other than for stock holders). These things sell themselves to majority of people who try one.

https://www.autoweek.com/news/a73250059/ev-owners-love-cars-says-jd-powers/

 

[sk47]

Electric Vehicle Sales and Market Share (US - 2026 Updates) - CarEdge

Hello; I did search for EV sales percentage but only came up with the above after one try. Seems EV sales are just over 5% of total sales in the USA. The link does say that Tesla sales are up but that EV sales in general are down, apparently due to the taxpayer supplements going away.

I get that you have and like an EV. I do not mind the fact. I am pleased the taxpayer supplements have gone away hopefully to never return. Let me say again my beef was not with others having an EV, it was the taxpayer monies dumped into them in various ways plus the "war" on fossil fuels.

I do have some gripes about EV's to be sure as a personal vehicle. A number of gripes with price above an ICE being one of the biggest.
Next being the need to have expensive electric panel work done to charge an EV at my home. I may have the extra breaker space in my panel, but I would need to run a charging cable some 75 feet from the box to my carport. I will not be having an EV in my basement garage for the fire concerns.

The majority of my trips are under 50 miles. A big share of those under 20 miles. However, I do need to make a 200-300 mile run from time to time. I also often haul 16 to 18 five-gallon buckets of dirt & stone away a few times a month. I will need to have a pickup for the foreseeable future.

So, like you an EV would be a third vehicle which makes little sense as I think i can buy an ICE for less money and not have the range issues. Anyway, if I get a third vehicle it will be a Mustang.

On that note let's explore the options for a Mustang for a thread break. I am not at all happy with the tech on the new Mustangs. In particular the touch screens, no manual parking brake, A variety of tech which I would like to be options I could delete but are become "standard" equipment. I like the idea of new so as to have a warranty for three years on that stuff.
I also have come to think some of the problems with new Mustangs are the result of the company having to squeeze maximum MPG's out of the drivetrain as well as meet the emission requirements.
I hold a slim hope the MPG & emission requirement will continue to be relaxed long enough for Ford to make the Coyote and transmissions less finicky.

The other option is to buy an older Mustang. In my younger days such would be a good option. As i approach 79 years of age in ten days that sort of rebuild wrenching is not so appealing. There is an older GT 500 with low miles for sale in Knoxville with low miles on FB. I like the idea of it but the asking price is $49K.

 

[sk47]

Marketplace - 2007 Ford Mustang · Shelby GT500 Coupe 2D | Facebook

 

[Balr14]

I disagree with your position on EV subsidies. Fossil fuel subsidies dwarf those given to EVs and it's a finite resource that continues to get harder and harder to extract, with tremendous damage to the environment. EV technology needs to be supported. It's our best hope.

As for older vehicles, a Cadillac CTS-V from 2010-2014 would be my choice. These engines do not have any of the fuel saving and other "improvements" that have been added to new engines. They are simple, cheap and easy to fix and work on. They are good for 200k miles with no major issues. They also hold their value very well.

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