Electric trucks ? No thank you

[huntnphool]

Or for people who can't afford a new EV. 

 Or more to the point…people who don’t want a new EV!

[Cougartail]

Kind of political so take it easy with your comments.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/04/12/biden-proposes-standards-designed-to-make-most-new-us-cars-electric-by-2032/?sh=502c46073385

This actually could cause a civil war. It definitely would cause the collapse of the American economy.

Thank God some people are waking up and we will most likely be voting these idealistic dimwits out of power.

When winter hits and "brown outs" have people freezing to death I wouldn't  go for a drive in your electric car.

[kball4]

Not all auto makers are on bored with the all EV trend.  Ford just lost $4.5 billion (yes billion with a B) and is now focusing more on hybrids than full EV.  I'd like to see what Toyota does with it's "break through" in solid states batteries tech promised by 2026-2027 with 700-900 miles of range.

[Sandberm]

My sister said something like 30% less employees are needed to build an EV versus an ice vehicle? Interesting if true.

[Stein]

My sister said something like 30% less employees are needed to build an EV versus an ice vehicle? Interesting if true.

I heard that in the strike discussion.

There are also a lot less people needed to make parts and maintain them.  Not much need for Jiffy Lube or muffler shops either.

[Igor]

My sister said something like 30% less employees are needed to build an EV versus an ice vehicle? Interesting if true.

EV Manufacturing Requires Fewer Workers

Consequently, EVs require fewer workers to assemble. Automakers like Ford and Volkswagen report that EV manufacturing requires 30% to 40% less labor than gasoline-powered vehicles

https://americafirstpolicy.com/latest/research-report-proposed-ev-mandate-would-eliminate-117000-auto-manufacturing-jobs

[salmosalar]

EV's are just basically much simpler that internal combustion engines. The issue has always been the energy storage portion. Without that part, it is a nearly impossible sell that they are not superior. The take of portion is remarkable. hit the gas and it goes. In fact, if it weren't for the difficulty in storing electricity all vehicles would have been electric from the start. Electric motors are just far simpler.

My wife has a hybrid. It's a fantastic car. As a plug in hybrid it only goes about 30 miles on a charge. Anything over that is on gas. We have had it for a year or so. She has filled it up a handful of times. When I first calculated the gas mileage it was around 150 miles/ gallon. It's likely gotten better since then. We live inside city limits and work close to our home so it's rare that she drives more than 30 miles before being able to plug it in. Obviously, it's a different scenario for those who live far from where they work or far from things. I have always appreciated less unpaid windshield time so my choice has been to live close to work, grocery stores etc.

I have actually considered buying an old electric regardless of any reduced battery life. Honestly, I only need like 10 miles of battery storage for a commuter. My solar can charge it at home or at least off set the power used when charging. Reducing my effect on the global oil market that benefits Middle Eastern Ideologues and Russia appeals to me. My electricity is either generated by my own solar or hydro due to where I live.

Given that about 80% of Americans live in an urban area, electric cars are probably a superior choice for a majority of US residents. I mean 75% of auto accidents occur within 25 miles of home. That sort of shows you how far from home most Americans are driving.

I am not a "car guy" or "truck guy". They are just tools to get me too and from somewhere. My personal identity is not connected to what I drive. I just try to make the most logical decision for me. I am having a hard time seeing how my next vehicle won't be electric or plug in hybrid. For me, it really just would not make sense given where and how I live.

I am curious if there will be an increase in used gas vehicles available soon as people transition. There may be some fantastic deals available in a few years for those people that live in more remote areas or who prefer petroleum fuel vehicles.

[huntnphool]

 I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the issue with battery disposal.

[CP]

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the issue with battery disposal.

What's the issue with battery disposal?

[GOcougsHunter]

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the issue with battery disposal.

https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/are-electric-car-batteries-recyclable

We humans are pretty ingenious.. technology continues to improve.  No such thing as 0 footprint.

[CP]

EV's are just basically much simpler that internal combustion engines. The issue has always been the energy storage portion. Without that part, it is a nearly impossible sell that they are not superior. The take of portion is remarkable. hit the gas and it goes. In fact, if it weren't for the difficulty in storing electricity all vehicles would have been electric from the start. Electric motors are just far simpler.

My wife has a hybrid. It's a fantastic car. As a plug in hybrid it only goes about 30 miles on a charge. Anything over that is on gas. We have had it for a year or so. She has filled it up a handful of times. When I first calculated the gas mileage it was around 150 miles/ gallon. It's likely gotten better since then. We live inside city limits and work close to our home so it's rare that she drives more than 30 miles before being able to plug it in. Obviously, it's a different scenario for those who live far from where they work or far from things. I have always appreciated less unpaid windshield time so my choice has been to live close to work, grocery stores etc.

I have actually considered buying an old electric regardless of any reduced battery life. Honestly, I only need like 10 miles of battery storage for a commuter. My solar can charge it at home or at least off set the power used when charging. Reducing my effect on the global oil market that benefits Middle Eastern Ideologues and Russia appeals to me. My electricity is either generated by my own solar or hydro due to where I live.

Given that about 80% of Americans live in an urban area, electric cars are probably a superior choice for a majority of US residents. I mean 75% of auto accidents occur within 25 miles of home. That sort of shows you how far from home most Americans are driving.

I am not a "car guy" or "truck guy". They are just tools to get me too and from somewhere. My personal identity is not connected to what I drive. I just try to make the most logical decision for me. I am having a hard time seeing how my next vehicle won't be electric or plug in hybrid. For me, it really just would not make sense given where and how I live.

I am curious if there will be an increase in used gas vehicles available soon as people transition. There may be some fantastic deals available in a few years for those people that live in more remote areas or who prefer petroleum fuel vehicles.

Excellent summary.  I’ve owned an E-moto for a little over 2 years now and I’m still amazed by the simplicity of the machine.  No clutch, no engine, no transmission, no vibration, no fumes, no gasoline, no maintenance, no burning myself on the exhaust, no stalling the engine, insane torque.  Just twist the throttle and go.

Electric truck?  No, not for me.  But my next car will probably be an EV. 

[salmosalar]

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the issue with battery disposal.

What's the issue with battery disposal?

The same as with any other battery, including the ones in gas cars. Batteries tend to use heavy metals that are toxic (lead, lithium etc.). So disposing of toxic things is difficult. There are regulations in place that try to keep them from your standard municipal waste landfill. These reg's make the cost of disposal higher than the cost of recycling and therefore incentivize recycling. Otherwise, we'd just landfill them in due to economics as was once done.

There are recycling technologies that work for EV batteries just as with lead acid. Companies are doing it. Our "free market" based economy is doing what it does and is creating businesses that fill the need. I am pleased that there are American companies doing it. As with seemingly every market associated with the energy sector there is government interference.

The hazardous waste concerns about EV's are kind of humorous to me as I worked in Haz waste for a lot of years. IC cars produce a lot of hazardous was over their life and when disposed of. Essentially, any liquid petroleum product is haz waste when it's disposed of. The cars literally run off a material that has a shelf life after which it becomes hazardous waste. Most IC haz waste streams are recycled or go for "energy recovery". The hazardous waste stream changes from petroleum based haz waste to metals based haz waste with EV's. Recycling metals is not only a thing but given all the concern over mining those same metals, it stands to reason that they are a resource to be recycled.

[Skillet]

I think it's a damn shame that vehicle electrification had become a political issue. There have been electric vehicles since before gas vehicles. They weren't made obsolete because they didn't work for the jobs they were designed for, but simply because the battery technology was not great and fuel became cheap.

Every job has its correct tool.  To say any one tool is bad because it doesn't do the job you need it to do is just as incorrect as saying one tool does every job well.

 Beyond the politization of the EV discussion, there are still a group of smart people looking at ways to make the technology work for them.  A relative newcomer to the scene is Edison Motors, a startup on Vancouver Island. Their motto: "Stealing Tesla's ideas." Very clever.

He's a logging truck owner/operator, and sees diesel-electric as the future for vocational heavy trucks.  In particular, logging trucks. Since an electric vehicle has regenerative braking, applying the brakes charges the batteries. Typically, logging trucks go uphill light, and down hill heavy - so theoretically, they can use the stored energy of the timber at elevation in the mountains to power their trucks.

Here is a vid of the prototype diesel-electric logging truck they just built, dubbed "Topsy."  The owner is a character, and opinionated.  He's building the truck for reliability and ease of service. I hope he's wildly successful -

[7mmfan]

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the issue with battery disposal.

What's the issue with battery disposal?

The same as with any other battery, including the ones in gas cars. Batteries tend to use heavy metals that are toxic (lead, lithium etc.). So disposing of toxic things is difficult. There are regulations in place that try to keep them from your standard municipal waste landfill. These reg's make the cost of disposal higher than the cost of recycling and therefore incentivize recycling. Otherwise, we'd just landfill them in due to economics as was once done.

There are recycling technologies that work for EV batteries just as with lead acid. Companies are doing it. Our "free market" based economy is doing what it does and is creating businesses that fill the need. I am pleased that there are American companies doing it. As with seemingly every market associated with the energy sector there is government interference.

The hazardous waste concerns about EV's are kind of humorous to me as I worked in Haz waste for a lot of years. IC cars produce a lot of hazardous was over their life and when disposed of. Essentially, any liquid petroleum product is haz waste when it's disposed of. The cars literally run off a material that has a shelf life after which it becomes hazardous waste. Most IC haz waste streams are recycled or go for "energy recovery". The hazardous waste stream changes from petroleum based haz waste to metals based haz waste with EV's. Recycling metals is not only a thing but given all the concern over mining those same metals, it stands to reason that they are a resource to be recycled.

Yes EV battery disposal is a quickly developing market. There are multiple domestic companies setup for EV battery recycling and more and better technology is being developed as we speak. Recycling of these batteries will be a moot point by 2030.

[Alchase]

There are a ton of 2013 - 2018 Ford Focus EVs for sale! 


Battery life = between 3-5 years
Battery Replacement costs = between $23,559 and $23,690. Labor costs are estimated between $502 and $633 while parts are priced between $23,057 and $23,057.