Germany's Bundesrat Resolves End of Internal Combustion Engine

GoFaster

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This is nothing other than political grandstanding. The Bundesrat has no authority over this.

It's a "We would like to see this", as opposed to a "thou shalt comply with this".

It's also coming from a country that vowed to shut down all their nuclear plants, and all their coal plants, and all their fossil fuel generating plants. Where's the electricity going to come from? Yep, they've got a decent amount of wind and solar, but there is no foreseeable way for that to be their base generating capacity.
 

Powder Hound

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So, it sounds like some people are foolish enough to think that if europeans do something stupid, the rest of the world will run off the same cliff. I disagree. Besides, in the USofA, just because you have an ICE powered car doesn't mean you'll have to give it up just because new ones have more incentives to be electric. (Of course, this may not be true in Kalifornia, but that state is a special case of nut-jobs anyway.)

In addition, if europeans quit drinking diesel, there would be more for the rest of us, so diesel prices might start to come back down to where it ought to be in relation to gasoline.

But in the end, I don't think the power density problem in batteries will be solved anytime soon. Without that, EV cars & trucks will continue to be a short commute appliance since the range will be too limited to be useful to many people.

But, meh - my driving life probably wouldn't see the end of ICE powered vehicles since I won't live another 100 years. And I think it will take nearly that long for this pipe dream to happen. Wishing won't make it so: you can't politicize and fake out the physics.

Cheers,

PH
 

Debra Morgan

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At any rate, I think we will continue to move towards electrics. My sister and her husband run a catering business and have a fleet of about 12 Ford Transit vans to deliver food.

Given what they spend on fuel and repairs, electric vans would be ideal for them. I for one want a Tesla 3 when they get rolling on these and get the bugs worked out.
 

GoFaster

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I've got no problem with the move to electric propulsion as long as that move is done on its own merits and not rammed down our throats before it's ready for prime time.

The switch to gasoline powered vehicles from horse and buggy was done on its own merits. You can still use a horse and buggy if you choose to do so ... and some do.
 

MP517PRCT

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When someone says "Electric Vehicle" think "Coal Powered"

Talking about electric cars as though they are zero emission is willfully forgetting where the electricity comes from!
 

GoFaster

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In many places in the USA, that's true. Where I am, it's about 50% nuclear with the rest split between hydroelectric and natural gas, and a little bit of wind and solar.

An EV will automatically shift what it ultimately runs on depending on how the supply to the grid changes.
 

nwdiver

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When someone says "Electric Vehicle" think "Coal Powered"
Talking about electric cars as though they are zero emission is willfully forgetting where the electricity comes from!
Do you see the trend?





Electric Vehicles... the only cars the get cleaner over time ;) We're currently adding >10x more wind & solar generation annually than EV consumption.
 
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