Featured GM announces future technology

Reminds me of:

GM Promises 14 Hybrids by 2012, We ID The Potential Line-Up

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i hope they pull it off, with perhaps some creative thinking that hasn't entered the marketplace yet.

 

I hope that most of those vehicles will be US-bound, instead of China-specific cars that are cheap but wouldn't meet US crash safety standards.

 

You guys have to learn to stop bumping into each other so much while driving. Did you all learn how at the fair?

 

Hey, if they didn't want us crashing into each other, maybe they shouldn't make them look like bumper cars

 

Ford also announced setting up a 'Team Edison' for EV development, and is looking for partners.

Ford's 'Team Edison' to explore electric car partnerships - Business Insider

 

No car company is serious about an EV future until they start investing heavily into infrastructure. So sad that a good vehicle like the Bolt is useless regarding road trips because of a still horrible infrastructure. Tesla is the only company to actually put the horse before the cart.

 

Responding to my own post

To be fair, this goes against everything they've done in the many many decades of doing business. Never before have they had to worry about building gas stations to support their vehicles. Will be a total paradigm shift for them.

 

Since this thread is only about GM, your sentence is not out of context but it should really be written as "all of them" since only Tesla is building an infrastructure. Nit pickers might say so is VW (ha, ha).

 

I don't remember the auto makers investing heavily in gas stations. Perhaps those who believe in a growing demand for changing stations should be investing their money into expanding the infrastructure.

 

You obviously didn't read my next comment before posting this.

 

IMHO, this is being driven by Chinese and European governmental mandates.

As long as gasoline is still really cheap in the US, the charging infrastructure is lacking, and various other obstacles exist, there may be little hope to change the hearts and minds of the majority of the American public.

OTOH, if people can be cured of their rectocranial impaction when it comes to climate change, perhaps they'll switch.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Here is the problem with that reasoning. I don't think undo harm would have happened to the US economy if Chrysler had collapsed, but if GM actually hit chapter 7 bankruptcy, then today there would be less efficient cars on the road. I don't believe the bail out was necessary, chapter 11 likely would have a smaller gm today, but not a collapse of the parts suppliers and higher costs to US produced fords, toyotas, and hondas.

Oil companies like car companies are an oligopoly. Each time we lose one (merging fiat with chrysler cut down by one) the others are more free to impose their wills on consumers. Toyota's truck plant in San Antonio makes it a lot more money than the imported prius does. US oil companies would do fine with only imported vehicles, they have been modifying their operations to make profits with less oil sales. What hurts the integrated oils is all the new finds, which have increased available supply, and decreased the value of their reserves. US oil goes out of business america is in really bad shape. Taxes will be raised greatly, and the us would be at the mercy of saudi arabia and other unfriendly governments that pretend to be america's friends.

So cheers to gm for the bolt and the volt. Without the volt I don't think we would have seen the prius prime advance so far from the prius phv, nor would bmw have the team for the i3 (many came from volt development). Of course the bolt, well maybe the next generation if battery costs continue to fall.

China yes, europe no. European mandates are getting vw, bmw, and mercedes to really invest, but markets are probably not profitable for gm or ford. China is a huge market for gm and will be for tesla in the future. Everyone will have to develop for the chinese and american market which are the #1 and #2 in terms of unit sales today, and likely will continue to be in the future.

The 3 biggest factors are falling battery costs, improving car models, and of course infrastructure. For these reasons phevs are really likely to be the volume seller in the US even though they will likely cost more than a long range bev. As these get more popular, infrastructure for charging will increase. I expect by 2020 tesla will have great infrastructure in the US and china, and other companies can definitely join in as long as they help tesla pay for improvements for higher volume of cars. Alternatively SAE combo plug may get investments by about 2025. This is a long game. I don't expect change over can happen fast given that the average american car is now 11 years old. Battery technology needs to stabilize and more large plants need to be built.

 

What passed for gasoline back when ICE cars started out was being sold as a degreaser in general and hardware stores. Compared to plugging in a car, getting it was less convenient, but the businesses already selling it by the can and bottle saw an opportunity in making it easier to fuel a car.

I would not be surprised if DC charging starts showing up at those large gas stations and travel stops along the interstate in the near future. They make most of their profit from selling other stuff and services, not the fuel, and charging a BEV means the customer spends more time at the location to potentially spend money. The major chains already have the ideal locations that cover the required area, and would let them develop coverage in a more efficient manor than the third party charging companies.

Don't overlook India's influence.

 

As long as they add simulated 150db engine roaring sound and simulated diesel smoke (colored water vapor maybe?), the pickup truck EV's will sell!

....Gotta keep on coaling them hippie Prius's!!

 

Here's one company that's working on infrastructure.
Check Out Shell's EV Charging Stations

 

Europe's always ahead of us on this stuff

 

There's hope, the article does say that they could eventually go worldwide.