Electric Cars: Can they finally become popular in the United States?

[Paper Chaser]

Let them Chinese EVs in with no tariffs please.

US and Canada are now aligned in applying 100% tariffs to Chinese built EVs. Polestars, Volvos, and some Teslas are impacted immediately. It also pretty much kills the idea that BYD or other Chinese EVs companies would sell their cars in US or Canada unless they're going to build them there.

Going to be interesting to see the response over the next few years. The idea is that is should spur some more manufacturing in the US/Canada, but as noted previously higher interest rates make it more expensive to do that. That could mean fewer EVs on the road, and it could make the ones that we do get more expensive (to cover the cost of manufacturing them in US/Canada).

[GilesMM]

Let them Chinese EVs in with no tariffs please.

US and Canada are now aligned in applying 100% tariffs to Chinese built EVs. Polestars, Volvos, and some Teslas are impacted immediately. It also pretty much kills the idea that BYD or other Chinese EVs companies would sell their cars in US or Canada unless they're going to build them there.

Going to be interesting to see the response over the next few years. The idea is that is should spur some more manufacturing in the US/Canada, but as noted previously higher interest rates make it more expensive to do that. That could mean fewer EVs on the road, and it could make the ones that we do get more expensive (to cover the cost of manufacturing them in US/Canada).

I think Polestar was planning to move some production to Korea, if they can survive.

[reeshau]

Let them Chinese EVs in with no tariffs please.

US and Canada are now aligned in applying 100% tariffs to Chinese built EVs. Polestars, Volvos, and some Teslas are impacted immediately. It also pretty much kills the idea that BYD or other Chinese EVs companies would sell their cars in US or Canada unless they're going to build them there.

Going to be interesting to see the response over the next few years. The idea is that is should spur some more manufacturing in the US/Canada, but as noted previously higher interest rates make it more expensive to do that. That could mean fewer EVs on the road, and it could make the ones that we do get more expensive (to cover the cost of manufacturing them in US/Canada).

I think Polestar was planning to move some production to Korea, if they can survive.

Polestar also just started production of the Polestar 3 in South Carolina.

https://media.polestar.com/global/en/media/pressreleases/683156/the-first-polestar-manufactured-in-the-usa-production-of-polestar-3-starts-in-south-carolina

[LennStar]

Let them Chinese EVs in with no tariffs please.

US and Canada are now aligned in applying 100% tariffs to Chinese built EVs. Polestars, Volvos, and some Teslas are impacted immediately. It also pretty much kills the idea that BYD or other Chinese EVs companies would sell their cars in US or Canada unless they're going to build them there.

The funny thing is, if BYD really wants to they can pay the 100% and still offer cars (though not "American sized) that are cheaper than what US car makers offer.

Or do they offer sub 30K EVs?

[NorCal]

Let them Chinese EVs in with no tariffs please.

US and Canada are now aligned in applying 100% tariffs to Chinese built EVs. Polestars, Volvos, and some Teslas are impacted immediately. It also pretty much kills the idea that BYD or other Chinese EVs companies would sell their cars in US or Canada unless they're going to build them there.

The funny thing is, if BYD really wants to they can pay the 100% and still offer cars (though not "American sized) that are cheaper than what US car makers offer.

Or do they offer sub 30K EVs?

Don't make the mistake of just applying a currency conversion rate to Chinese MSRP prices and thinking that's what it would cost in the US.

There are a lot of costs unique to the US like dealership networks.  Dealing with 50 different states that have 50 different sets of rules for dealers and financing adds costs.  Transportation.  Modifying the cars to be US compliant is doable, but costs money and time.

[sonofsven]

I love the idea of taking existing ICe vehicles and "up cycling" them with electric drivetrains, but really, these prices are just insane!

https://kindredmotorworks.com/models

[Taran Wanderer]

Those are cool for show cars. As a daily driver, I would prefer something with crumple zones.

[Just Joe]

Surely looks to me like an aircooled battery pack. I think we've established with the Nissan Leaf the reasons this is bad over the long run.

Yeah, the prices are ridiculous. I don't think they are aimed at people with normal finances.

[AlanStache]

Those cars are intended to drive 10 miles to the beach and be a "quiet" status symbol maily visible to others who know how much they cost.

[alsoknownasDean]

To be fair, restoring classic ICE vehicles doesn't come cheap either.

The Mini here could be fun:

https://www.jauntmotors.com/

It's going to be expensive when it's largely bespoke/custom equipment. Especially for later vehicles with more in car electronics.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

[Paper Chaser]

I love the idea of taking existing ICe vehicles and "up cycling" them with electric drivetrains, but really, these prices are just insane!

https://kindredmotorworks.com/models

There are tons of shops selling "Boutique" vintage off roaders for six figure sums. Wealthy people have tons of options really. That's not reflective of the cost to convert an older ICE into an EV as much as it's a cash grab for the hot part of the market.

EV West offers some more attainable EV swap kits for the intrepid DIY'er, or that a pro shop could use as a base:

https://www.evwest.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=40&osCsid=970d8cff279b2691eb9f3e26f4c58ba7

[NorCal]

I went to an EV event a few weeks back and there was a guy with a converted EV. I forget the exact model, but it was something like a 1980 Datsun pickup. He used Leaf internals to make it.

He was a retired shop teacher, so he had the skills and tools to do it.

I briefly looked at the conversation stuff a few years back. It looks fascinating, but it requires a level of custom metal fabrication and electrical troubleshooting that very few people have.

It’s fun to see, but it won’t be economical for the masses.

I could see converted school busses being a thing though. They’re pretty uniform in size/design, and there’s enough chassis room to work with all of the components.

[jinga nation]

Those are cool for show cars. As a daily driver, I would prefer something with crumple zones.

All these resto-mods with upgraded powertrain, braking systems, HVAC, interior upgrades ignore this one simple fact. I'd rather have an EV (or a hybrid) vehicle with the modern safety systems intended to protect occupants as a daily driver.
The cool retro rides seem to be for those with $$$$, but they do serve a purpose to show EVs can be retrofitted.

[bacchi]

EV West offers some more attainable EV swap kits for the intrepid DIY'er, or that a pro shop could use as a base:

https://www.evwest.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=40&osCsid=970d8cff279b2691eb9f3e26f4c58ba7

This is what I plan to use for my ICE conversion. Yeah, it'll have the range of a degraded Leaf (~100 miles) but it's a beautiful car that screams "do not disassemble" and that kind of range is perfect for getting around town.

[sonofsven]

I love the idea of taking existing ICe vehicles and "up cycling" them with electric drivetrains, but really, these prices are just insane!

https://kindredmotorworks.com/models

There are tons of shops selling "Boutique" vintage off roaders for six figure sums. Wealthy people have tons of options really. That's not reflective of the cost to convert an older ICE into an EV as much as it's a cash grab for the hot part of the market.

EV West offers some more attainable EV swap kits for the intrepid DIY'er, or that a pro shop could use as a base:

https://www.evwest.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=40&osCsid=970d8cff279b2691eb9f3e26f4c58ba7

Yeah, I looked into this about a decade ago for my trusty '91 Nissan pickup.
I priced out everything I needed for a DIY conversion to electric and it came to about $15k, not including labor.
Option B was to source a Cummins 4BT from an old bread truck, I guesstimated around $10k.
I went with the third option, a crate 2.4 KA24 Nissan engine, a little over $2k

[Paper Chaser]

Another OEM scaling back EV plans.

Volvo in 2021 (Fed funds rate roughly 0.07% at the time of this release):

"Volvo Cars is committed to becoming a leader in the fast-growing premium electric car market and plans to become a fully electric car company by 2030.

 By then, the company intends to only sell fully electric cars and phase out any car in its global portfolio with an internal combustion engine, including hybrids."

https://www.media.volvocars.com/us/en-us/media/pressreleases/277409/volvo-cars-to-be-fully-electric-by-2030

Volvo in 2024 (Fed funds rate 5.33% at the time of this release):

"While Volvo Cars will retain its position as an industry leader in electrification, it has now decided to adjust its electrification ambitions due to changing market conditions and customer demands.

 Going forward, Volvo Cars aims for 90 to 100 per cent of its global sales volume by 2030 to consist of electrified cars, meaning a mix of both fully electric and plug-in hybrid models – in essence, all cars with a cord.

 The remaining 0-10 per cent will allow for a limited number of mild hybrid models to be sold, if needed. This replaces the company’s previous ambition for its line-up to be fully electric by 2030."

https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/333213/volvo-cars-adjusts-electrification-ambitions-remains-committed-to-fully-electric-future

[GilesMM]

Another OEM scaling back EV plans.

...

They are making an economic decision on sales vs carbon minimization.

[dandarc]

Meanwhile Norway is approaching 95% of all new vehicle registrations being EV's. It is gonna happen here too, just a question of when really.

[NorCal]

I kinda get the queries about solar panels and wind turbines.  They have been heavily oversold as a solution to our energy problem, and they absolutely are not that.

How have they been oversold? 

The world is fairly rapidly shifting to renewables. The general industry consensus I’ve heard is that renewables can make up around 75-85% of the energy mix with batteries, with electricity costs roughly inline with current market rates.  Decarbonizing the last 15%-25% would be incredibly expensive though.  I think a 75% solution is an absolutely amazing opportunity given the scope and scale of climate challenges we’re facing.

[Paper Chaser]

Another OEM scaling back EV plans.

...

They are making an economic decision on sales vs carbon minimization.

They were doing the same thing 3-4 years ago too. The difference in that equation now, is that a much smaller number of consumers are willing to pay $50k+ when interest rates are high, and it costs the OEMs more to finance these billion dollar expansions now too. So their costs to produce EVs go up, but their prices are expected to go down in order to maintain affordability for consumers and actually sell their wares. Margins on EVs have shrunken as a result, so it's harder to justify significant investment/expansion.

[reeshau]

Another OEM scaling back EV plans.

...

They are making an economic decision on sales vs carbon minimization.

They were doing the same thing 3-4 years ago too. The difference in that equation now, is that a much smaller number of consumers are willing to pay $50k+ when interest rates are high, and it costs the OEMs more to finance these billion dollar expansions now too. So their costs to produce EVs go up, but their prices are expected to go down in order to maintain affordability for consumers and actually sell their wares. Margins on EVs have shrunken as a result, so it's harder to justify significant investment/expansion.

One difference in Volvo's new position, compared to other OEM's:  the "bottom" option is still a hybrid; perhaps even a mild hybrid.  They still plan to produce no pure ICE's.

[Paper Chaser]

Another OEM scaling back EV plans.

...

They are making an economic decision on sales vs carbon minimization.

They were doing the same thing 3-4 years ago too. The difference in that equation now, is that a much smaller number of consumers are willing to pay $50k+ when interest rates are high, and it costs the OEMs more to finance these billion dollar expansions now too. So their costs to produce EVs go up, but their prices are expected to go down in order to maintain affordability for consumers and actually sell their wares. Margins on EVs have shrunken as a result, so it's harder to justify significant investment/expansion.

One difference in Volvo's new position, compared to other OEM's:  the "bottom" option is still a hybrid; perhaps even a mild hybrid.  They still plan to produce no pure ICE's.

I think that will be a pretty standard approach in the industry. I don't think any mainstream OEMs will be selling pure ICEs in the passenger car market by 2030ish. Toyota has been releasing models as hybrid only lately. In addition to the Prius, the Venza, Sienna, and new Camry only offer hybrid powertrains now. They will continue to add PHEVs and BEVs in the coming years and be in the same spot as Volvo by 2030. But Toyota got slammed in the press for not innovating enough with BEVs, or pledging to eliminate ICEs completely while Volvo, GM, and others got the good press (initially). And yet they're very likely to end up in basically the same place.

Having different options for customers makes tons of sense. Because batteries remain a very expensive component, having smaller batteries in each vehicle (PHEVs or standard hybrids) means the OEMs can drive costs lower for themselves and consumers, which means more units sold (profitably) and more miles driven efficiently.

It's not the optimistic outlook that permeated the EV/automotive environment 3-4 years ago, but it still has great potential to have positive impact moving forward.

[neo von retorch]

I think that will be a pretty standard approach in the industry. I don't think any mainstream OEMs will be selling pure ICEs in the passenger car market by 2030ish

Are you specifically talking about sedans? Because I'm 110% sure that GM will still be selling pure ICE trucks in 2030. Probably still at least one pure ICE Corvette. Maybe all SUVs will offer a hybrid option, but I suspect at least some SUVs will still offer pure ICE models as well.

[Financial.Velociraptor]

Who is in charge of changing the CAFE standards for fuel economy?  Seems like a CAFE of 50mpg would drive an enormous amount of electrification with  the standard passenger car being  plug in hybrid.

[LennStar]

Because batteries remain a very expensive component,

Only for "American sized" cars. This will likely mark the year were electric became cheaper than gas - as long as you produce enough.
If your cars costs the same or less if it's electric, in addition to lower fuel costs... gas guzzlers will be a hard sale in most of the world. Of course the US is might be bit different...

[Paper Chaser]

I think that will be a pretty standard approach in the industry. I don't think any mainstream OEMs will be selling pure ICEs in the passenger car market by 2030ish

Are you specifically talking about sedans? Because I'm 110% sure that GM will still be selling pure ICE trucks in 2030. Probably still at least one pure ICE Corvette. Maybe all SUVs will offer a hybrid option, but I suspect at least some SUVs will still offer pure ICE models as well.

Yeah, you might be right. GM is shooting for 50% fleet electrification by 2030 and 100% by 2035. In industry terms the word "electrified" often includes things like PHEVs or even standard hybrids, so they have used somewhat ambiguous language to build some wiggle room in their stated goals.
But CAFE standards of 50.4mpg for light duty vehicles by Model Year 2031 mean that they're going to have to sell a ton of very efficient vehicles if they want to sell ICE half ton trucks that get less than 30mpg. Heavy Duty trucks/vans have to have an average of 35mpg by 2035, so they're likely to stick around a bit longer. That's going to require some amount of electrification as well.

[Paper Chaser]

Who is in charge of changing the CAFE standards for fuel economy?  Seems like a CAFE of 50mpg would drive an enormous amount of electrification with  the standard passenger car being  plug in hybrid.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations/corporate-average-fuel-economy#:~:text=The%20final%20CAFE%20standards%20increase,year%20in%20MYs%202033%2D2035.

Light Duty vehicles must be an average of 50.4mpg by 2031 model year. Heavy Duty trucks and vans must be 35mpg by 2035. Both goals will require extensive hybridization/electrification.

[GuitarStv]

I kinda get the queries about solar panels and wind turbines.  They have been heavily oversold as a solution to our energy problem, and they absolutely are not that.

How have they been oversold? 

The world is fairly rapidly shifting to renewables. The general industry consensus I’ve heard is that renewables can make up around 75-85% of the energy mix with batteries, with electricity costs roughly inline with current market rates.  Decarbonizing the last 15%-25% would be incredibly expensive though.  I think a 75% solution is an absolutely amazing opportunity given the scope and scale of climate challenges we’re facing.

Old post.


Reducing carbon usage by shifting to renewables is a sensible step in the right direction, but doesn't get towards the heart of the problem - which the issue with increasing consumption.  Look at the adoption of electric vehicles - which has (on average) led to more driving by the people who purchased the vehicles.

Renewables are sold as a 'solution', but aren't.  Switching is only the first step on the road towards a solution.

[LennStar]

Or to put it like the fietsprofessor likes to do: Electric cars will not solve traffic.

[Tyson]

I kinda get the queries about solar panels and wind turbines.  They have been heavily oversold as a solution to our energy problem, and they absolutely are not that.

How have they been oversold? 

The world is fairly rapidly shifting to renewables. The general industry consensus I’ve heard is that renewables can make up around 75-85% of the energy mix with batteries, with electricity costs roughly inline with current market rates.  Decarbonizing the last 15%-25% would be incredibly expensive though.  I think a 75% solution is an absolutely amazing opportunity given the scope and scale of climate challenges we’re facing.

Old post.


Reducing carbon usage by shifting to renewables is a sensible step in the right direction, but doesn't get towards the heart of the problem - which the issue with increasing consumption.  Look at the adoption of electric vehicles - which has (on average) led to more driving by the people who purchased the vehicles.

Renewables are sold as a 'solution', but aren't.  Switching is only the first step on the road towards a solution.

What do. you think is the actual solution?

[Frugal Lizard]

I kinda get the queries about solar panels and wind turbines.  They have been heavily oversold as a solution to our energy problem, and they absolutely are not that.

How have they been oversold? 

The world is fairly rapidly shifting to renewables. The general industry consensus I’ve heard is that renewables can make up around 75-85% of the energy mix with batteries, with electricity costs roughly inline with current market rates.  Decarbonizing the last 15%-25% would be incredibly expensive though.  I think a 75% solution is an absolutely amazing opportunity given the scope and scale of climate challenges we’re facing.

Old post.


Reducing carbon usage by shifting to renewables is a sensible step in the right direction, but doesn't get towards the heart of the problem - which the issue with increasing consumption.  Look at the adoption of electric vehicles - which has (on average) led to more driving by the people who purchased the vehicles.

Renewables are sold as a 'solution', but aren't.  Switching is only the first step on the road towards a solution.

What do. you think is the actual solution?

Walkable cities. Cycling infrastructure. Reliable, frequent and comfortable public transit.

[GilesMM]

Or to put it like the fietsprofessor likes to do: Electric cars will not solve traffic.

Why would they?

[GuitarStv]

I kinda get the queries about solar panels and wind turbines.  They have been heavily oversold as a solution to our energy problem, and they absolutely are not that.

How have they been oversold? 

The world is fairly rapidly shifting to renewables. The general industry consensus I’ve heard is that renewables can make up around 75-85% of the energy mix with batteries, with electricity costs roughly inline with current market rates.  Decarbonizing the last 15%-25% would be incredibly expensive though.  I think a 75% solution is an absolutely amazing opportunity given the scope and scale of climate challenges we’re facing.

Old post.


Reducing carbon usage by shifting to renewables is a sensible step in the right direction, but doesn't get towards the heart of the problem - which the issue with increasing consumption.  Look at the adoption of electric vehicles - which has (on average) led to more driving by the people who purchased the vehicles.

Renewables are sold as a 'solution', but aren't.  Switching is only the first step on the road towards a solution.

What do. you think is the actual solution?

There's no one single thing that will do it.  Theoretically . . . switching over to renewables, significantly reducing consumption (less meat and farmed animal products, no air travel - just make it illegal for recreation, radically less individual vehicular travel/increase in mass transit, an awful lot less buying of shit), dropping the world population of people, taxation that includes the environmental costs of owning/using/disposing of the item being purchased, regulations aimed at increasing the usable life of products with a goal towards eliminating disposable junk, ending subsidies for rural life if you're not farming, heavily regulating product advertisements to reduce effectiveness, improving building standards, taxing products made in other countries without environmental controls to eliminate their competitive advantage, outlawing cryptocurrency, stopping all drilling for oil, reduce plastic use, better city design/construction . . . that would get us well on the way towards a solution.

Based on the human behaviour I've seen in my lifetime though, it seems unlikely that there is going to be one.  We'll likely keep fucking things up until it kills enough of us that we have less impact - all the while patting ourselves on the back for taking the tiniest part measures to make us feel better about ourselves.

[GilesMM]

I kinda get the queries about solar panels and wind turbines.  They have been heavily oversold as a solution to our energy problem, and they absolutely are not that.

How have they been oversold? 

The world is fairly rapidly shifting to renewables. The general industry consensus I’ve heard is that renewables can make up around 75-85% of the energy mix with batteries, with electricity costs roughly inline with current market rates.  Decarbonizing the last 15%-25% would be incredibly expensive though.  I think a 75% solution is an absolutely amazing opportunity given the scope and scale of climate challenges we’re facing.

Old post.


Reducing carbon usage by shifting to renewables is a sensible step in the right direction, but doesn't get towards the heart of the problem - which the issue with increasing consumption.  Look at the adoption of electric vehicles - which has (on average) led to more driving by the people who purchased the vehicles.

Renewables are sold as a 'solution', but aren't.  Switching is only the first step on the road towards a solution.

What do. you think is the actual solution?

Walkable cities. Cycling infrastructure. Reliable, frequent and comfortable public transit.

How do you propose to make cities like Houston, LA and Phoenix walkable?

[LennStar]

How do you propose to make cities like Houston, LA and Phoenix walkable?

Oh, that's easy. Half of the surface is parking lots, or in other words: Smooth, easy to walk space. Just remove all cars and voila you have a very walkable city.
Now simply let people build whatever they want on 2/3 of that space, like shops, houses, parks or whatever, and you have a city that is not only walkable but also has things to walk to.

[RWD]

How do you propose to make cities like Houston, LA and Phoenix walkable?

Oh, that's easy. Half of the surface is parking lots, or in other words: Smooth, easy to walk space. Just remove all cars and voila you have a very walkable city.
Now simply let people build whatever they want on 2/3 of that space, like shops, houses, parks or whatever, and you have a city that is not only walkable but also has things to walk to.

Trains would help a lot too. Tokyo is spread over a huge land area but manages to be easily walkable with the train system.

[GilesMM]

How do you propose to make cities like Houston, LA and Phoenix walkable?

Oh, that's easy. Half of the surface is parking lots, or in other words: Smooth, easy to walk space. Just remove all cars and voila you have a very walkable city.
Now simply let people build whatever they want on 2/3 of that space, like shops, houses, parks or whatever, and you have a city that is not only walkable but also has things to walk to.

That’s great! When do we start?

[GuitarStv]

How do you propose to make cities like Houston, LA and Phoenix walkable?

Oh, that's easy. Half of the surface is parking lots, or in other words: Smooth, easy to walk space. Just remove all cars and voila you have a very walkable city.
Now simply let people build whatever they want on 2/3 of that space, like shops, houses, parks or whatever, and you have a city that is not only walkable but also has things to walk to.

That’s great! When do we start?

Probably right after people take the logical decision to stop poisoning their bodies with addictive substances like caffeine, alchohol, and tobacco.

[AlanStache]

Or someone figures out how to monetize walking and biking as much as driving. 

[LennStar]

Or someone figures out how to monetize walking and biking as much as driving.

Now that you say that... isn't it strange that all those libertarians are fighting nail and tooth to keep driving as much as possible, even though that means they pay for every meter to the frikkin' state!?! While also fighting walkable cities where they would be free to go wherever they want without paying the state anything for it.

[GuitarStv]

Or someone figures out how to monetize walking and biking as much as driving.

Now that you say that... isn't it strange that all those libertarians are fighting nail and tooth to keep driving as much as possible, even though that means they pay for every meter to the frikkin' state!?! While also fighting walkable cities where they would be free to go wherever they want without paying the state anything for it.

No, not strange at all.  Libertarianism is an abdication of reason in favour of fanciful thinking.  That's why it always fails so spectacularly when attempts are made to apply it's concepts in the real world.

[Just Joe]

Saw this yesterday: https://youtu.be/6OfH4EN9A0E

Its an EREV pickup truck. Looks to be a good recipe. I'd buy that before I bought a Tesla CT.

Assuming the BYD EREV was quality vehicle - a EREV p/u vs Rivian or Lightning? That might come down to a coin toss for me.

I prefer a BEV. Really like our BEV. But an EREV might be better IF we were traveling long distances regularly - which we rarely do these days.   

Bet the US domestic brands aren't happy to see that kind of competition on the horizon b/c it will force them to compete or seem stale.

So how does China enter the US market? Factories in the states or building cars in Mexico or ???

[AccidentialMustache]

Still waiting for someone to do the ER part as a small gas turbine.

[LennStar]

So how does China enter the US market? Factories in the states or building cars in Mexico or ???

Not that I am deep into this, but it currently looks like Mexico is the way to circumvent the tariffs.

[Just Joe]

Still waiting for someone to do the ER part as a small gas turbine.

What could the fuel economy be like for a turbine equipped EREV?

[reeshau]

Still waiting for someone to do the ER part as a small gas turbine.

What could the fuel economy be like for a turbine equipped EREV?

Not good; at least, not good compared to one with a familiar piston engine.

https://www.quora.com/Are-gas-turbines-more-or-less-fuel-efficient-than-internal-combustion-engines

[scottish]

I kinda get the queries about solar panels and wind turbines.  They have been heavily oversold as a solution to our energy problem, and they absolutely are not that.

How have they been oversold? 

The world is fairly rapidly shifting to renewables. The general industry consensus I’ve heard is that renewables can make up around 75-85% of the energy mix with batteries, with electricity costs roughly inline with current market rates.  Decarbonizing the last 15%-25% would be incredibly expensive though.  I think a 75% solution is an absolutely amazing opportunity given the scope and scale of climate challenges we’re facing.

Old post.


Reducing carbon usage by shifting to renewables is a sensible step in the right direction, but doesn't get towards the heart of the problem - which the issue with increasing consumption.  Look at the adoption of electric vehicles - which has (on average) led to more driving by the people who purchased the vehicles.

Renewables are sold as a 'solution', but aren't.  Switching is only the first step on the road towards a solution.

What do. you think is the actual solution?

There's no one single thing that will do it.  Theoretically . . . switching over to renewables, significantly reducing consumption (less meat and farmed animal products, no air travel - just make it illegal for recreation, radically less individual vehicular travel/increase in mass transit, an awful lot less buying of shit), dropping the world population of people, taxation that includes the environmental costs of owning/using/disposing of the item being purchased, regulations aimed at increasing the usable life of products with a goal towards eliminating disposable junk, ending subsidies for rural life if you're not farming, heavily regulating product advertisements to reduce effectiveness, improving building standards, taxing products made in other countries without environmental controls to eliminate their competitive advantage, outlawing cryptocurrency, stopping all drilling for oil, reduce plastic use, better city design/construction . . . that would get us well on the way towards a solution.

Based on the human behaviour I've seen in my lifetime though, it seems unlikely that there is going to be one.  We'll likely keep fucking things up until it kills enough of us that we have less impact - all the while patting ourselves on the back for taking the tiniest part measures to make us feel better about ourselves.

With declining birth rates outside of Africa we may see progress sooner than that.    https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/crude-birth-rate   Still, attitudes towards consumption would need to change.   Whoever dies with the most toys is not the winner...

[AccidentialMustache]

Still waiting for someone to do the ER part as a small gas turbine.

What could the fuel economy be like for a turbine equipped EREV?

Not good; at least, not good compared to one with a familiar piston engine.

https://www.quora.com/Are-gas-turbines-more-or-less-fuel-efficient-than-internal-combustion-engines

But smaller, lighter, and they'll run on anything that burns. If you assume it is a fallback for not having EV infrastructure available, you need to measure overall system efficiency, including potentially the ability to remove it (much more likely with a turbine) for day to day use when not needed.

[alsoknownasDean]

Still waiting for someone to do the ER part as a small gas turbine.

What could the fuel economy be like for a turbine equipped EREV?

Not good; at least, not good compared to one with a familiar piston engine.

https://www.quora.com/Are-gas-turbines-more-or-less-fuel-efficient-than-internal-combustion-engines

But smaller, lighter, and they'll run on anything that burns. If you assume it is a fallback for not having EV infrastructure available, you need to measure overall system efficiency, including potentially the ability to remove it (much more likely with a turbine) for day to day use when not needed.

One of the issues may be how much comes out of the exhaust besides CO2.

For all this talk about e-fuels, what happened to biofuels? I know it wasn't going to be viable at a 'replace all gas vehicles' scale, but if more and more vehicles are EVs or at least hybrids... although maybe NOx or similar emissions are higher with those fuels.

I'm guessing higher interest rates aren't helping the cause of more expensive EVs.

It’s also only a matter of time before more manufacturers start opening plants in North America.

I have a feeling that may not be enough to appease regulators. Would we see demands for a TikTok-style divestment/sale of any U.S. operations?

[reeshau]

One of the issues may be how much comes out of the exhaust besides CO2.

For all this talk about e-fuels, what happened to biofuels? I know it wasn't going to be viable at a 'replace all gas vehicles' scale, but if more and more vehicles are EVs or at least hybrids... although maybe NOx or similar emissions are higher with those fuels.

I'm guessing higher interest rates aren't helping the cause of more expensive EVs.

Bio fuels are still around, but wouldn't survive without tradable subsidies from California.  Speaking of turbines. They should get a big boost in 2025 as the EU begins to mandate use of biofuels in aircraft.