what sort of a-hole clickbait advertising is this thread?

For a SUV on batteries? Might as well start a thread about dildos.

A couple of weeks ago, during the fires. We were without electricity for 3 days. My electric vehicle was sitting with 250 miles of range waiting to flee....Motorhome was sitting with 150 gallons of diesel and the jeep was full too....

Some great points but I felt rather old after reading that. :(

Now the Millennial ricers can drive "guilt free" and know that they are doing their part to "save the planet". lol

Where will they put the fart can?

Jack Baruth is an ossified, whining old dinosaur who can't stand the idea that today's consumers like cars he doesn't. So what if the EMustang becomes a niche car. Porsche sold fewer than 10,000 911s in 2018. Tesla sold over 145,000 electric cars. If niche cars are worthless, Porsche should pull the plug on the 911 pronto.
He said, "These people cannot understand our attachment to the automobile." First I want to say, "So what? Is it my son's responsibility to understand your attachment to cars and try to make you feel better? If so, why?" Second, the problem with this guy is he is pining for the kinds of cars almost nobody makes anymore because almost nobody wants them. Car buyers like traction control and ABS and air bags everywhere and TPMS and all the nanny crap.
I have a life-long attraction to automobiles. I have owned dozens of air cooled Porsches, VWs, plus several new and old Americans cars and trucks. Electric cars are just another point on the continuum of my attraction to automobiles. My oldest vehicle was made in 1947, has 90 horsepower, and gets about 9 mpg. My newest is a gas/electric 2017 Volt and I don't even know (or care) what it's horsepower rating might be. The last I looked it was clocking 250 mpg. I like them both equally, though for different reasons.
He went on to say, "...and since they cannot understand it, they fear it. Since they fear it, they have sworn to destroy it." That's just paranoia. It has already been destroyed, by road congestion, computerized controls, and the (now) second generation of Americans who are more interested in the newest the cell phone than in the newest car.
The automobile he pines for is already gone, or exists only as niche models. If Porsche can get by selling 10,000 of a niche model somebody will surely still be making whatever the hell he is so impassioned about.

EV sales in the US are possibly 3% of total sales. Eliminate the tax credit and it wouldn't be that high.

That is not a lot of "proof" that the consumer likes EV vehicles.

And that makes Jack Baruth fear EV owners are out to destroy his way of life. :rolleyes:

It’s a valid point though. Every automaker on earth is rushing to build a car that consumers don’t want to buy.

Wait, what about the Cyber Truck?

As much as it pains me to admit it, the internal combustion engine is on it's way out. It won't be gone in my lifetime (I'm 73) but it is on it's way out just the same. I used to enjoy hearing and seeing a huge cubic inch displacement naturally aspirated roaring American V8 but they are GONE. It may take 50 years or 100 years but ALL the fossil fuel powered cars will be gone as well. You can argue that the electric grid can't handle the load or that we won't be able to produce enough electricity to charge all the batteries but these are problems that will be solved in the future. Just because we don't have the capacity now doesn't mean we should limit new modes of powering transportation. Time marches on. Things change. Get over it.

Well, ya pays your money and makes yer choices.

This makes me wonder how much longer people will be allowed choices.

At 76, I'm thankful to have lived when the choices were many. Soon enough I'll be saying so long while wishing you kids luck.

The dino fuel guys are terrified that you are right, but I don't think you are and i don't think their fear is justified. Even at their best electric cars aren't for everyone. I think what's happening is just that there are more options to chose from - gas, diesel, and, now, electric. As we have more electric cars on the road, there will be less smog and less pressure to lower tailpipe emissions. Dino power will find it's plateau. Gas cars may become a niche market with only high performance enthusiast cars using gas and the boring grocery getters driven by people who only want a functional appliance will be electric. I don't have a problem with that.

Nobody is terrified. They are the future.

At the current time no manufacturer is making a dime when they sell an electric. Initial cost is so high they require a tax credit to move them off the lots. About the only people buying them are high wage earners that don't really need the tax credit. (Per CNBC 70% of buyers make more than 100k a year.)

Charging stations in most of the country are few and far between. (Closest to me is 40 miles). At a cost of about a grand for a home charger with installation you could buy fuel for nearly 10,000 miles of driving. (Non Cali priced fuel)

Every manufacturer is bringing out models that will be competing for less than 5% of the total market.

When someone buys an ev they are getting a hell of a deal because the actual cost is far more than the purchase price. The manufacturer is offering a loss leader hoping to keep a long term customer.

What's the deal with the smart door handles ?

Us car guys must appreciate the maintenance intervals on an electric car. There is practically no maintenance. No oil, filter, plugs, timing belts, emission checks etc. and with regenerative braking, not even much to do on brakes. 100k miles intervals to get to brakes, shocks and maybe some suspension components.

The cars are getting cheaper, the batteries better, charging times shorter. The electric car will beat the combustion engine car on price - initial price and definitely cost of ownership. We aren't even talking performance. Most people care about straight line acceleration for merging etc. Can't beat an electric car on that. To have that power in a gas car on tap, you will commute at <20 mpg.

But again, for our cities, lots of effort going into moving an unsustainable mode of transportation from gas to electric instead of looking at public transport solutions ... maybe the Mustang E 2 can be a self driving electric bus? ;)

G

Hit the nail on the head here WD! And as far as millennials "driving guilt free", I think many aren't interested in driving much at all. I am no millennial, but in the cities I totally agree with people that have zero interest in driving. Rather would put a fork in my eye than commute here. I only enjoy road trips and trips up the canyon these days. NOTHING fun in daily driving here anymore.

G

You are trying to apply driving in congested commutes in Cali. It ain't that way in much of the country.

If they are so cost effective why do we need tax credits? If they are so cost effective why do they only make up about 3% of new car sales with heavy tax credits?

Mr Baruth seems pretty damn skeert.

His rant is more accurate than not.