We Need To Stop Pretending That The Autonomous Car Is Imminent

[JMAC]

`


https://www.recode.net/2017/9/5/1625...ng-soon-future


" The big problem here is that very few consumers are buying or planning to buy electric vehicles. Sure, we can point to the hundreds of thousands of preorders for Tesla’s Model 3, but even if they all get delivered over the next two years, they will represent a tiny single-digit percentage of total U.S. auto sales.

Throw in all the other electric vehicles from other carmakers, and the number still remains well below 5 percent. Why? In part because U.S. consumers are generally very concerned about getting stranded if the batteries run out. Rightly or wrongly, until we see nearly as many charging stations as we have gas stations, there will be reluctance on the part of car buyers to give up their gas-powered vehicles. (Of course, throw in the fact that there are multiple electric-car charging standards, and that charging “fill-ups” are measured in tens of minutes — or even hours — and you start to get a sense of the problem.)"

___________________________________________
_____________________________________


5 big challenges that self-driving cars still have to overcome



https://www.vox.com/2016/4/21/114478...nges-obstacles


`

_

[GSOphile]

And what happens to the cost of ownership equation when the government subsidies for electric cars dry up?

[jdandy]

John.......Not to mention the immense additional load on the national electric grid to provide the power for the charging stations. Additionally, the concept of electric cars being pollution free is misleading. Just because there is no tailpipe emissions from an electric vehicle does no mean there aren't gigantic emissions issues at coal, oil, and nuclear power plants that generate the power necessary to charge these vehicles. What's really happening is emissions are being shifted to different locations. Just because an electric car owner feels warm and fuzzy about his "clean" vehicle doesn't negate the falsehood of the sales propaganda. Perhaps solar powered charging stations would be a clean alternative, but that idea is a long way off if ever becoming a reality.

[JMAC]

(I feel kinda silly using this emoji as it could be applied to all of your posts, really )

I've long thought that the source-of-pollution-swap point isn't made enough. Is it not the "800# gorilla" ?

.

[PHC1]

Those interested in this topic as well as solar energy and what is possible may want to watch this video with Elon Musk as a speaker at the National Governors Association presentation in 2017.

https://youtu.be/2C-A797y8dA

[The Lost Bears]

The government needs to get out of the car business. Let consumers drive innovation instead of government subsidies.

We recently bought a new truck after 15 years. It has every useless gimmick and gadget imaginable. What it doesn't do is drive well. I found out that you have to buy an after market module if you want it to shift properly. Because the truck is setup to test well. It is also paper thin and I have real concerns if we were to get into an accident where we are T boned. Our 15 year old Ford Explorer is a much safer vehicle in my mind.

[Mikado463]

Originally Posted by The Lost Bears

We recently bought a new truck after 15 years. It has every useless gimmick and gadget imaginable. What it doesn't do is drive well. I found out that you have to buy an after market module if you want it to shift properly. Because the truck is setup to test well. It is also paper thin and I have real concerns if we were to get into an accident where we are T boned.

why did you buy it ?

Our 15 year old Ford Explorer is a much safer vehicle in my mind.

should have kept it .......

[The Lost Bears]

Originally Posted by Mikado463

why did you buy it ?



should have kept it .......

The transmission on the explorer was going again. It needed to be rebuilt about every 20,000 miles or so. So we were on our third transmission and it was going. Also the plastic guides in the engine needed to be replaced. It wasn't worth putting that much money into it. But I will say it was hanging in there and we could drive it around the area without a problem. Then it was vandalized by the gang that lives next door and all the windows were smashed. That was the end of the Explorer. The cops didn't care. I had to throw a fit for them to even file a report. But we need a report for the insurance claim.

We needed a reliable vehicle to go back and forth to Florida. Something that could pull a trailer. After the way we were treated by Ford, we would not consider another one. The Toyota Tacoma had one of the highest reliability ratings. And I had a Toyota pickup in the early 1980's and just loved it. Also to be honest, all the vehicles we looked at were just filled with gimmicks and gadgets. The Toyota Tacoma was about the best vehicle we could find.

[Mikado463]

Originally Posted by The Lost Bears

The transmission on the explorer was going again. It needed to be rebuilt about every 20,000 miles or so.

weird....... that can't be right ??

The Toyota Tacoma was about the best vehicle we could find.

and one that retains it's value big time, good luck with it !

[quinlanmw]

Am I the only one here wondering what happened to the OP's original topic of autonomous vehicles and why this thread immediately devolved into a political discussion of electric vehicles, taxes, and government subsidies?

Jeez, guys....