Anyone else hoping that there will be a reveal of a fully electric Bronco? Or pretty much happy with the gas?

[Lakelife36]

Do EVs come with MTs?

I think there was one PHEV with a stick at some point. The 7MT was initially advertised as hybrid ready (or similar language) so I'm holding out hope that we'll get a PHEV manual Bronco. How super unique would that be?

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[Pepin10]

What if you have an emergency or need to run to a store on the other side of town.

You can always get a longer extension cord

 

[Jr87mustang]

Each generation of battery technology has incurred the monumental carbon "bill" of obtaining an entirely new rare natural resource and bringing that material to market in nations with do not have a comprehensive environmental control standards (Lithium mining turned into cobalt mining which is now nickel mining... For fun look up what horrific results happened at each step and the environmental costs for each).

Each "step" in battery tech has come with the understanding that there would be zero effort of sustainability or resource management as the development and bringing to market are the only objectives.

No concept or intention of recycling, re-using or even effective resource usage exist anywhere in the industry.

This is in lockstep with an energy grid based on burning coal. Wind and tide harvesting cannot fulfill human electrical needs (look to the Netherlands for why these technologies are not viable). American politics have determined that 1960's nuclear technology is not viable for Americans (shocking), and no new nuclear infrastructure has been developed here since the 1970's.

So, no, looking at the actual carbon footprint and single-use, throw-away development of incremental battery tech does not make me want to endorse that concept at this time.

If I lived underground and just wanted a fun fast car while shoving my waste onto somebody else (AMERICA!) and preferably some nation without an EPA that I could threaten politically to virtue signal to all my friends how butt-tastically awesome and "in-touch" I am, then yea, i'm 100% behind it.

Namaste to my coal-powered EV buddies!

I totally get what your saying and you are right. I live in California and live the results of “renewable resource” energy. We replaced fossil fuel burning energy plants and now we have brown and blackouts. People that thinking fracking is bad better take a look at lithium mining just like you said. “Zero emissions vehicle” my butt. But you won’t convince people that were brought up in public schools to change their minds. Nobody wants to admit they have been duped.

 

[North7]

You can always get a longer extension cord

 

[lowmpg]

Electric will be the future, and relatively soon. That said, I'm in no rush to get an EV for the sake of an EV. When the costs are in line with the average vehicle price now and charging is more effective with a similar infrastructure capacity as gas/diesel, then I'd take it seriously. It will be a very quiet world when EV's are the norm.

 

[TeocaliMG]

Lol. They literally are.

Gas vehicles will still be around for a long time but you're out to lunch if you think fossil fuels will be around forever.

I agree regarding "Fossil Fuels" but I would add that ICE's can run off a variety of hydrocarbons and they don't have to come from the ground. I am not a fan of using land to grow ethanol either but there are other options. Say for example if the world woke up and realized the nuclear option is here and ready we would have an abundance of heat and power to synthesize hydrocarbon fuels in a closed cycle. Not unlike the economics of Hydrogen fuel cells (but better). This though relies on the future of energy being dictated by brains more than politics...

The market for electrified powertrains will only grow but I think ICE's with carbon neutral fuels will have a place somewhere practically indefinitely

Edit: But to OP's initial question, the thing that worries me most is an outrageous political (not engineering/scientific) based regulation that outright bans ICE's (regardless of fuel source) on most or all roads in the next 10+ years. Sounds crazy I know but if you've followed politics in the last 10 years it seems less crazy...

 

[North7]

Electric will be the future, and relatively soon.

Don't write-off hydrogen fuel-cells, fuel cell vehicle (FCV) or fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), in time, as they mature, they may give EV a run for their money.

A fuel cell vehicle (FCV) or fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell_vehicle

List of fuel cell vehicles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fuel_cell_vehicles

GM Hydrotec Fuel Cell Technology
https://www.gmhydrotec.com/product/public/us/en/hydrotec/Home.html

https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/how-do-fuel-cell-electric-cars-work

 

[lowmpg]

Don't write-off hydrogen fuel-cells, fuel cell vehicle (FCV) or fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), in time, as they mature, they may give EV a run for their money.

A fuel cell vehicle (FCV) or fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell_vehicle

List of fuel cell vehicles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fuel_cell_vehicles

GM Hydrotec Fuel Cell Technology
https://www.gmhydrotec.com/product/public/us/en/hydrotec/Home.html

https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/how-do-fuel-cell-electric-cars-work

I'd love to believe in hydrogen, I was lucky enough to drive one of the original BMW 7 series that was on a hydrogen platform when they were brought over in the early 2000s from Munich. Cool concept, will never take off in the US. The Country has invested far too much in companies like TESLA.

 

[North7]

 

[midwestpilot]

I just wish Tesla could get their quality control together.

This is one of the biggest reasons I canceled the cybertruck. Fell in love with the three but the quality control and consumer support is not where it needs to be if I’m dropping 60k+ on a vehicle.

 

[guernsej]

I totally get what your saying and you are right. I live in California and live the results of “renewable resource” energy. We replaced fossil fuel burning energy plants and now we have brown and blackouts. People that thinking fracking is bad better take a look at lithium mining just like you said. “Zero emissions vehicle” my butt. But you won’t convince people that were brought up in public schools to change their minds. Nobody wants to admit they have been duped.

Rick had an awesome post but I think you're taking it a little too far. Lithium mining sucks with it's huge water consumption and risk for environmental contamination, but saying it's worse (or even comparable) to fracking is a huuuuge leap given the wide array of environmental and human health impacts directly and indirectly attributed to fracking over the last three decades.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...WMAR6BAgGEAE&usg=AOvVaw3oGTk2z8AHG08DF297jtRj

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjALegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw3TNrK7VmUESr7of9NCA8yd

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_hydraulic_fracturing_in_the_United_States

It's also completely unrelated to brownouts in CA, which is a far more complex problem than "ReNeWaBlEs hAvE fAiLeD!!"

https://www.latimes.com/environment...-commission-to-blame-for-blackouts-caiso-says

https://www.mercurynews.com/califor...problems-in-states-transition-to-clean-energy

Last, I'm super curious to hear what this has to do with public schools???

 

[tshaw2009]

I honestly don't think EVs will ever have a solid foothold here in the USA and completely take over the ICE as the choice powerplant. I know I don't want to drive an RC car and I know many others feel the same way, even though EVs can solidly outperform ICEs. I can get behind hybrids for their extremely great gas mileage, but I don't think I could ever get behind a full EV as the technology just isn't there yet as far as range and the speed of charging. I also like the idea of being a good steward of our planet but I also see some glaring hypocrisy and irony in the whole climate change debate. (The picture I'm posting is meant to be funny and not a source of argument, but there is definitely some truth behind it.)

 

[pan-y-cerveza]

I don't completely agree with the basis of this but a funny enough meme and I get where they're coming from.

Does remind me of a Louis CK bit where someone calls him out for littering and not taking care of the environment. "This isn't the environment, this is New York City"

 

[North7]

Interesting new start-up, Redwood Materials, by former Tesla executive JB Straubel for Lithium battery recycling.

Amazon invests in battery recycling firm started by former Tesla executive

 

[NewtoOffroading]

I honestly don't think EVs will ever have a solid foothold here in the USA and completely take over the ICE as the choice powerplant. I know I don't want to drive an RC car and I know many others feel the same way, even though EVs can solidly outperform ICEs. I can get behind hybrids for their extremely great gas mileage, but I don't think I could ever get behind a full EV as the technology just isn't there yet as far as range and the speed of charging. I also like the idea of being a good steward of our planet but I also see some glaring hypocrisy and irony in the whole climate change debate. (The picture I'm posting is meant to be funny and not a source of argument, but there is definitely some truth behind it.)

Believe it or not no one is telling a random field to take better care of the environment. ?

It's the massive corporations that pollute our water and air and don't pay for the externalities associated with that pollution that need to take better care of the environment.

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