Electric Jeep

I know where you’re coming from @AGeezerAndHisJeep but I’ve also been impressed with how fast technology is changing when necessity demands. The EU emission reduction targets effectively will ban new gas and diesel engines by 2035, similarly in Canada and the US. Some countries even earlier - Norway, 2025 and Britain 2030. I’m not sure for commercial vehicles, no doubt they will require a much longer transition. 50-100 years, though? We’ll see, if we live that long, I’m an old guy, so maybe not me, lol. New battery technologies are not lithium, and I’ve recently read that some of the new 800 V vehicle architecture can accommodate hyper charging, filling a battery to 80% in 15 minutes. It’s going to be interesting in the next few years, for sure. At today’s gas prices, the transition to electric might not be gradual. Who will be able to afford driving an ICE when a less costly alternative is available? Personally, I wouldn’t go out and buy a new ICE right now for big bucks, the depreciation on it will be a killer as things seem to be evolving much quicker than anticipated.
I love ICE technology, especially when it was simple. I watched some guys at a specialty shop repair a fairly new turbo diesel F350 and they removed the cab of the truck from the frame for access. Wow, no thank you! However, for me, personally my old 2 door JK will run forever, and it’s fairly easy to fix. It takes me where I need to go.

 

Yes. Most estimates that are made are based on present conditions and the one thing we can be pretty sure of is that present conditions will not last. Things change too quickly.

I was not aware of any new non-lithium battery solutions, but I am not surprised as we tend to think in terms of what we see now. But I still maintain that switching from petroleum based energy to electric in our vehicles still requires that the energy being used to move around be created to begin with, and that means that as the EV vehicles get more popular we will need to generate additional energy at power plants to charge them, and that energy has to come from something.

As nuclear power is phased out we lose that source. I have not seen any new hydro-electric plants being built, and because of the drought in the western part of the US we may lose some of that source as well. Coal plants are being shut down, so where is all of this power going to come from? Solar? That is extremely inefficient, and is not reliable, even where I live in Arizona. Gas? I don't think so, so we are facing an energy production issue that electric vehicles will just make that much worse.

It used to be possible for new technologies to ramp up quickly - think of the rapid expansion of train service in the US during the 19th century, and the initial building of electric plants in the early 20th century, but new restrictions on power plant locations and environmental studies, which generally take a long time, make rapid expansion of power supplies very iffy. Things are going to get very, very dicey in the not too distant future. Since I am a card carrying geezer I don't guess I hav to worry about it too much, but the younger generation will have some issues to address.

In the end, of course, it will probably all sort itself out. New technologies will be developed, new methods of transportation will probably be needed or large parts of the suburban US, especially in the West, will just die out from lack of ability to get where people need to go from the lack of energy to get to where they need or want to go.

It is hard to not think that expenditure of power for simple recreation, like driving a Jeep through the middle of nowhere just to see some interesting rock formations or beautiful views will be a thing of the past. I hope not, but fear that is where all of this is headed. But then I have generally been wrong in making predictions, so there is that ...

 

Who's willing to pay an additional $20,000 to replace a rechargeable battery? Not I. Diesel vehicles dig those large lithium pits. Still need to burn coal for electricity to plug in the vehicles. Still need oil to make all the flimsy plastic parts and doodads. Long road trips are going to be longer. You have to stop and wait to charge.

We aren't there yet. Its going to take time.

Emptying our pockets for this is only making people resent the electric vehicles.

Core Earth samples have proven the weather always changes.