How General Motors Killed the First Modern Electric Car

[jcgriff2]

I remember this program offered by GM, but forgot about it until seeing this YouTube video.

Incredible that Tesla began operations within a decade of GM concluding that EVs would never work in the US, which still is not definite yet. Time will tell.

 

[Will]

I like Cold Fusion videos - he's a good creator.

 

[Gary R]

Interesting video, but the reasons for the Automobile and Oil industries opposing the introduction of EVs are pretty self-evident I think.

As for EVs in general, I'd have one tomorrow, if ........

• The initial cost for one wasn't so prohibitive
• The public charging infrastructure was massively better than it is now

Cost and range anxiety are still the main two reasons for people not to want to purchase an EV.

 

[Corday]

I've said and continue to say that hydrogen fuel cells are a far better alternative than plug in charging.

 

[Gary R]

I've said and continue to say that hydrogen fuel cells are a far better alternative than plug in charging.

Couldn't agree more.

Sure there are problems with using Hydrogen, but none that are insurmountable, and I'm sure if half the effort was put into Hydrogen fuelled cars, that have been wasted on trying to make the dead end cul-de-sac of battery powered vehicles a goer, then we'd all be driving around in them now.

 

[A Guy]

Alternative fuels as a bridge while they improve batteries and build the infrastructure. Alternative fuels that will work in existing ICE vehicles using sustainable resources and providing farmers with another crop...perhaps subsidized for tobacco farmers to replace tobacco. EV is a promising technology, but the environmental issues with resources needed for current batteries...resources only available in quantity in other countries, is trading one pollution for another. Battery cost and recycling is another issue kicked down the road. There is a hellbent rush for EV that is misguided, even if the intent is good

A Guy

 

[Gary R]

No real sign that batteries are going to improve to any marked extent, and infrastructure (at least in the UK) is so far short of the mark that that's not going to be fit for purpose any time soon.

No, until the situation improves massively, I'm certainly not going to be reaching into my pockets to buy an EV any time soon.

 

[A Guy]

New battery technolgies improving every day, but still need the lithium, etc. Only when there is money thrown at it will there be impetus. Even with the Infrastructure bill in the US, it's mostly repairing old things falling apart, not adding new production, etc. It is doable, but with government gridlock and 1/2 denying any climate issues really exist...

A Guy

 

[Gary R]

Improving yes, but range of most EVs still does not exceed 300 miles (or not by much anyway), and is unlikely to be much better in the near future. The 300 miles is probably questionable as well, since most quoted milages tend to be from tests run on rolling roads, rather than on real life experiences.

 

[jcgriff2]

China is experiencing quite a few fires with their EVs -

 

[Corday]

Not just a China problem. Here's Tesla data: Tesla Fire: Digital record of Tesla fire incidents

 

[Gary R]

Yes, and it's not as if the danger of EV fires isn't known about elsewhere either ... How much of a fire risk are electric vehicles? | Autocar ... also ... Data reveals extent of electric vehicle fires around the UK | CE Safety Blog

 

[jcgriff2]

[Some/most (??)] Owners of Chevrolet's Bolt EVs claim that dealers are telling (suggesting?) them "DO NOT PARK THIS VEHICLE IN YOUR GARAGE OR WITHIN 50 FEET OF OTHER CARS OR STRUCTURES" due to the possibility of a fire.

These EV fires [caused by batteries] are chemical reactions and need no oxygen to burn. A fire department in Northern NJ claimed they ended up using in excess of 200,000 gallons of water and even then...

I am sure that these fire issues will be dealt with and ultimately solved.

 

[Gary R]

Tackling fires in electric vehicles

Electric Vehicle - Cold Cut Systems AB

 

[Corday]

 

[A Guy]

A Guy

 

[Maxstar]

Here in the Netherlands, a new 'sustainable' neighbourhood obtains power through a diesel generator for over a year already....

- The homes cannot be connected to the grid because of faulty cables, so a generator is necessarily to provide power.
- In 2022, the homeowners received the keys to their houses, which include heat pumps and solar panels. But these houses need more power at some times and return more power than anticipated at other times.