GM to stop making internal combustion cars

[Orange Vise]

It dawned on me earlier today that GM's commitment to all-electric may have less to do ICE vs Electric and more to do with fundamental tech changes happening or about to happen:

1a. Self driving capability - easier to implement with electric
1b. Automated ride share, personal delivery, etc

2. Vehicle-to-grid energy storage

Tech companies like Apple and Google are getting into the car biz. Amazon's developing its own delivery vehicles. I think any auto company caught snoozing is going to be left in the dust.

 

[Bill D]

Ford no longer makes cars, of any kind, in the USA. They make an electric minivan they call a mustang. That is as close to car as they make now.
Bill D

 

[standardparts]

It dawned on me earlier today that GM's commitment to all-electric may have less to do ICE vs Electric and more to do with fundamental tech changes happening or about to happen:

1a. Self driving capability - easier to implement with electric
1b. Automated ride share, personal delivery, etc

2. Vehicle-to-grid energy storage

Tech companies like Apple and Google are getting into the car biz. Amazon's developing its own delivery vehicles. I think any auto company caught snoozing is going to be left in the dust.

You make a very good point. No doubt driveless vehicles are easier to do on a electric vehicle platform.

 

[standardparts]

Its easy to push the GM “to big to fail” narrative. Why don’t you tell the whole story??
The Fed bailed out the entire auto industry, suppliers, financing arms and all. Ford still owes almost $5 billion on their bailout. What about the $180 billion the Fed gave AIG or the billions it loaned to foreign companies on American soil? Why not talk about the “to big to fail” bailout the Banks and Wall Street received? They were the root cause of the problem....corporate greed at the expense of the average person. We allowed them to offshore all manufacturing and then complain about China and not enough good paying jobs to raise a family.

Boeing ran around the world looking for a $68 billion bailout and nobody would give them a dime. Along comes the “pandemic” and EVERYONE gets bailed out. The taxpayer gets nothing in return. What about the recent PPP bailouts? As a tax payer, do I get any juice in private businesses??? Nope not a penny, we the people get screwed again. I personally know 5 multi millionaires that received the PPP bailout. They all said the same thing, “there’s no way this can be real”. I looked them up and they totaled just over $2 million in bailout loot that was completely unnecessary. Three of the five are now selling their businesses and retiring because 2020-2021 were the best years they ever had.

We can’t forget the never ending farm bailouts, the 50yr war on drugs, millionaire career criminals (AKA politicians), government deficit spending to support the 50yrs of endless war we’ve been in for the US defense contractors.

"The Fed bailed out the entire auto industry,"

Yesterday at the White House during what was called an "Electric Vehicle Summit" $$Billions in subsidies for EV technology was announced.

Here's a link with comments regarding Tesla's place at the EV Summit.

At least one reporter asked Biden's spokesperson if it was all about being a union shop.....Pete Buttegieg---deer in the headlights.

Tesla Snubbed at White House EV Announcement + EV Tax Credit Update - YouTube

 

[kustomizingkid]

The government is gonna do what it wants.

 

[Ries]

Ford no longer makes cars, of any kind, in the USA. They make an electric minivan they call a mustang. That is as close to car as they make now.
Bill D

A friend of mine just bought one. He says it drives better than either his corvette or his two firebirds. Thats some mini-van. I got passed by one the other day, and it didnt look or act like any soccer mom car I have ever seen. And every one that hits the dealer sells within a day or two at this point. Sure, it aint nothing like a 66 mustang convertible. But its fast as snot.

 

[CarbideBob]

.... And every one that hits the dealer sells within a day or two at this point.

Right now due to the shortage everything sells. 90% of all on the incoming truck are already sold.
We are sitting in a shortage of product which is why used prices are up and people paying above sticker.
In the oil field they call this the boom days.
Bob

 

[EmGo]

In the oil field they call this the boom days.

Followed shortly after by all the shop owners selling their Rolexes cheap

You'd think they'd figure this out after a while, no ?

 

[otrlt]

Has it crossed anyone's mind that every low quality car manufacturer is now committed to electric vehicles.

Toyota is not. Why is that?

 

[Mark Rand]

Toyota has been making hybrids for 24 years.

 

[standardparts]

Has it crossed anyone's mind that every low quality car manufacturer is now committed to electric vehicles.

Toyota is not. Why is that?

Interesting question, but I believe Toyota is doing all electric as Beyond Zero (bZ). I don't know which manufacturer qualifies as "low quality"?

It appears that in the United States the favored manufactures are those with union represented employees.

Wonder if that will lead to importing electric vehicles manufactured outside of the United States which might open the door for low cost (low quality?) imports.

 

[Pathogen]

GM to stop making internal combustion cars

Good !

They have been off my list since too big to fail

 

[john.k]

Actually Toyota and the Saudis are investing in hydrogen ,produced from Saudi oil,converted to ammonia for transport and storage ,and used in Japan for whatever oil is used for now.....cars powered by fuel cells ,and able to be refuelled in seconds ,rather than the hours battery electric cars take.......and also designed for land poor societies where huge solar and wind generators are out of step with national aspirations.

 

[standardparts]

It appears Dumb-Ass-Biden's timing was off when he decided the U.S. would go EV. Dementia Joe must have missed the fact that there are still IC cars on the road and people and the economy is getting battered by high fuel prices.....

Aug 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday urged OPEC and its allies to boost oil output to tackle rising gasoline prices that they see as a threat to the global economic recovery.

U.S. calls on OPEC and its allies to pump more oil | Reuters

 

[Ries]

Has it crossed anyone's mind that every low quality car manufacturer is now committed to electric vehicles.

Toyota is not. Why is that?

Toyota has sunk literally billions into hydrogen cell technology, instead of jumping full into electric, starting close to 20 years ago. Thus, they are lobbying for their cars to be included in subsidies and not considered to be "fossil fuel". So they made a bet, and it may turn out to be wrong.
They just released their first hydrogen fuel cell car- it costs 90 bucks to fill it up, to get about 350- 400 mile range. And it starts at about 50 grand. Not exactly a low cost car.
2021 Toyota Mirai: 8 Takeaways From the New Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Sedan
However, Toyota is hedging their bet- they have SIX new all electric cars announced to be available in the next 2 years or so.
Toyota Details 6 New EV Models Launching for 2020–2025

Meanwhile, here a few other "low quality" carmakers making electric cars:

Jaguar- 2022 I-PACE | Electric SUV | Jaguar USA
Porsche- Porsche Taycan Turbo - Porsche USA
Audi- 2021 Audi e-tron | The first purely electric SUV from Audi | Audi USA
Volvo- https://www.volvocars.com/us/v/cars/xc40-electric. starting at 60K.

Lexus, Cadillac, BMW, Lincoln, and Mercedes all are expected to have fully electric, expensive luxury cars, on the lots within a year- 2 at the most.
And, while Nissan, Mazda, and Honda all have electric cars due to hit the market by the end of next year, none will be "low quality"- most will start at $40k to $50k, and go up from there.

 

[john.k]

Toyota have never tried one size fits all...not since the sixties anyway......they have US market models ,Euro models ,Asia and third world models,Australia and Pacific models,and Japan market models ......all tailored to the specific ,market,and very successful.

 

[Trueturning]

I found this article interesting on how Tesla’s have this Autopilot thing going on and some of these Tesla’s on autopilot will run into other vehicles and the system will even run into police!

That is a problem. Anyone knew with any vehicle using a computer controlled system would run into real issues.

Article; Why the government is investigating Tesla crashes | Popular Science

 

[john.k]

Not just crashes ,deaths .....Tesla are under investigation in multiple jurisdictions as a result .

 

[Trueturning]

The trucking industry fully expects to have automated trucking on highways in the near future. Full employment for injury lawyers?

 

[CarbideBob]

The trucking industry fully expects to have automated trucking on highways in the near future.

In a interesting system where the truck pulls off the freeway at the destination exit ramp and a local driver then takes over.
Goodbye long haul but looks like local driving here to stay for a while.
Bob