Motor Trend June 2021 Issue

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

Say what you will, car guys that give the electric cars a fair shake generally come away impressed.

They aren't garbage...

Having put around 5000 miles in Teslas, I agree. They are very impressive in many ways. Quiet, smooth and the torque is simply amazing. For those 3 reasons alone, the vast majority of drivers would much prefer a Tesla to a similar gas powered car, if they drove both for a week.

But I think for us old car guys, the electrics really have so soul, and IMO are not fun. To me, the torque was novel at first but wore off. I can’t deny their cold competence, though. An impressive accomplishment by Tesla, there hasn’t been anything like what they’ve don’t to revolutionize the auto industry since the Model T 100 years ago.

[1990C4S]

The e-Mustang also appears to be very good. Maybe the e-150 will get some converts here.

[aldente]

Everybody should have an EV for a DD.

Your IC car is your sports car.

[ZOO]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

The e-Mustang also appears to be very good. Maybe the e-150 will get some converts here.

I'd love a small EV truck -- a four seater, with a short bed. I don't need to tow anything massive.

[1990C4S]

I'm sure smaller e-trucks are coming. But I think the longer bed of the full size allows for a huge battery and longer range right now.

[Starless]

Imagine an EV with a 5 or 6 speed with some sort of clutch. But hell, you can hardly find an ICE car with a clutch.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by Starless

Imagine an EV with a 5 or 6 speed with some sort of clutch. But hell, you can hardly find an ICE car with a clutch.

With almost constant torque and very high rpms available, the multi-speed transmission provides almost no benefit, and a lot of weight and cost. It won't happen.

Even Porsche limited their 'Turbo' to a two speed transmission.

It would be fun. But I don't think you'll ever see it.

[MrBonus]

Originally Posted by aldente

Everybody should have an EV for a DD.

Your IC car is your sports car.

This is how I do it. I usually cycle through daily drivers every year due to boredom but I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Model 3. I cannot say enough good things about how it drives. It's both fun and easy to drive which is such a rare combination. It's quiet. It's simple. It requires almost no maintenance. I don't ever stop to "refuel." Oh, and it's the fastest point-to-point street car out there that isn't an exotic. There are faster cars, but very few faster under normal driving conditions.

[vash]

I bet the May 1920 issue of Horseman magazine got tossed into the fire when the cover showed an automobile. it went downhill from there, fast!!

[pwd72s]

Did I say electrics were bad? Nope. My honorary nephew has a chevy bolt..he loves it. But I'm not interested in electric cars...definitely no intentions of buying one. So why bother reading?

I will confess to being a bit miffed at Ford for calling a small electric SUV a Mustang...

[MrBonus]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Did I say electrics were bad? Nope. My honorary nephew has a chevy bolt..he loves it. But I'm not interested in electric cars...definitely no intentions of buying one. So why bother reading?

I will confess to being a bit miffed at Ford for calling a small electric SUV a Mustang...

Why wouldn't you buy one? I find this attitude odd.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by CA_WhaleTail

Sign of the times...Oil is evil....Won't be any gasoline produced from Kalifornia by 2045

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday said California will stop issuing fracking permits by 2024 and halt all oil extraction by 2045, using his authority to take on the state's powerful oil and gas industry in a year he will likely face voters in a recall election.

If successful, California — the seventh-largest oil-producing state in the nation — would become the largest to ban fracking and likely the first in the world to set a deadline for the end of all oil production.

“As we move to swiftly decarbonize our transportation sector and create a healthier future for our children, I’ve made it clear I don’t see a role for fracking in that future and similarly, believe that California needs to move beyond oil,” Newsom said at a news release.

California was once one of the largest oil-producing states in the nation, with a robust industry centered in the Central Valley just north of Los Angeles. But by 2020, the state’s oil production fell to its lowest level in state history, down 68% from its peak in 1985. Still, the industry employs about 152,000 people and is responsible for $152.3 billion in economic output, according to a 2019 study.


https://news.yahoo.com/california-governor-seeks-ban-fracking-190531485.html

He obviously has no clue where oil is used beyond gasoline and diesel fuel.

The only things holding me back with an electric is that they can't replace the minivan yet and for road trips they take too long to charge back up. I can't justify another car just for the commute to work.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by vash

I bet the May 1920 issue of Horseman magazine got tossed into the fire when the cover showed an automobile. it went downhill from there, fast!!

There are more horses in the USA now, than ever before. They are mostly "pets" or pleasure only horses now.

It will be the same for IC cars. They will be just hobby toys. My 911 is a car than can be fixed up over and over. Long after I am gone, I hope it is in some collection and driven on occasion.

Modern cars, all modern cars and especially electric cars are disposable. How will one find the computers for the climate control or the computer that runs the traction control for a 30 year old car? All cars will be using the John Deer mode of dealership only repair and all software will be intellectual copyrighted property.

The hotrod guys will be writing custom software to run custom modules that operate the vehicles. Programmers will be the gurus.

Finding the hardware will be the hard part.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by MrBonus

Why wouldn't you buy one? I find this attitude odd.

There is a lack of a fast charging network where I live. The present premium for an EV over an ICE along with the cost of a home charger buys a bunch of fuel. Just not viable for me at the current time.

[MrBonus]

Originally Posted by Sooner or later

There is a lack of a fast charging network where I live. The present premium for an EV over an ICE along with the cost of a home charger buys a bunch of fuel. Just not viable for me at the current time.

The cost hurdle can be a big one depending on which model you're looking at. All I have is a 220V line out to the garage which wasn't particularly expensive. My car was under $50,000 with federal and state incentives and it costs me about $20/month to keep it charged so two years of ownership has been about $480 in running costs.

I've only had to use a fast charger like 4 times since buying it, all on road trips.

[oldE]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Did I say electrics were bad? Nope. My honorary nephew has a chevy bolt..he loves it. But I'm not interested in electric cars...definitely no intentions of buying one. So why bother reading?
.

A wise man once said, "No knowledge is truly wasted. "

Best
Les

[Evans, Marv]

I have to say my wife's Model Y is a digital wonder. She loves it. As for me, it's "meh." I don't tell her but in my mind, the car is a total appliance. Like I've said before, I encouraged buying it on the basis of close to no maintenance, it's a decent car, and with our solar panels it's close to zero cost electricity wise. I much prefer to drive my Ford van with the 3.5L Ecoboost.

[SeanPizzle]

Honestly, until we come up with the next generation of nuclear power generation, there is no viable way to replace the carbon of ICE with EVs.

[oldE]

In reality, the current drive for electric vehicles over internal combustion isn't so much the total reduction of carbon emissions, but rather removing those emissions from urban centers.

Try standing on the curb in a major city as a bus goes by and weigh the relative merits of standing mere feet from the exhaust with having the exhaust removed to another location.
It isn't perfect, but likely improves the health of everyone around you.

Best
Les

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by SeanPizzle

Honestly, until we come up with the next generation of nuclear power generation, there is no viable way to replace the carbon of ICE with EVs.

There are really good technical videos out there. The problem with current EVs is the energy store. A tank of gas is many times more efficient than a battery. The ICE is not dead due to the fact that (1) there are still more efficiency gains to be found, and (2) a battery can not store the power needed to make an automobile practical as a replacement to the ICE. I think we might be looking at some other source of power like hydrogen or some such, or many generations later of improved batteries. Or carbon neutral "synthetic" gas.

In our lifetime, it is not likely that the ICE will be replaced by battery powered EVs.