Ok I know this is a hot topic with car people but it is time we start dealing with this like adults.
#1 GM is going to be relevant and with this more so as there is much more to this than hugging a tree.
The auto industry as a whole is dying. They are building millions of cars but development and material cost are climbing so fast and the market is no longer growing like it once was. The formula the industry was built on is no longer viable.
But with electronics once past the development stage becomes cheaper and more profitable. Advances are cheap too. How is the tech industry making so much money?Electronics.
While the automakers are saying they want to be carbon free it makes for good PR vs saying we want to make money like the tech industries. That is the cold harsh truth of all this.
Now the colder harsher truth is most automakers will have to partner up with a larger company and or even sell out to another company to survive. Some will also not survive.
There are only a few companies able to go this alone or to take on partners to cut cost. GM is one. VW is another.
The future is like this. With global regulations forcing this in many countries and even now states you either have to get in soon or you will be too far behind to catch up. This is much like Kodak in how others went Digital early and Kodak just kept on making film with little Digital investment. Look at Kodak today, They are not what they once were. Blackberry once was the go to phone but they lagged behind when the screened cell phones arrived. Today they are far behind.
Yes there are going to be some challenges. But many will be resolves as this will take place over 15-20 years, Just look at what we were driving and using for cell phones 20 years ago.
Please understand that range is not a real issues anymore. GM and others have batteries coming soon that will do 600 miles. Charging times have improved but will continue to improve. In time the charging will be in the same time a fill of gas would take. Then gas stations will have islands with chargers. No worry for the apartment dwellers.
There has been much to over come and much that will be over come in the coming few years. Battery prices are coming down and will make EV cars cheaper. Yes the first ones will be expensive like the Hummer but it will also bring back the investment cost faster than a Bolt. This will lower the cost of other models as the one took the hit first.
In building these vehicles they will have less parts. Less parts mean shorter assembly and smaller plants with less employees which means lower cost. The parts also will be shared between platforms so less development cost. Finally no more EPA testing and many systems added to the present cars to make them compliant.
The Globalization is more about oil and not saving the planet. It comes down to money.
I am not a tree hugger and I make my living in the performance industry so I have a vested interest here to keep up with what is going on and why.
The American auto industry is down to two companies and one is not well. Ford has struggled with money for a long time and it is not getting better. Just look at the stock. Even their EV Mach E was seen testing at the GM proving grounds before it was released. That should be telling.
So while we can all come up with all these excuses and personal feelings, this EV storm is coming like it or not. It is time we all need to face it. I use to be a denier but it no longer can be denied.
GM is going to bring EV products but not drop ICE models till their sales are down. GM has years marked but they can be adjusted based on developments of tech and buyers migrating over. If you look at the future models most ICE models are still in the plans for a good while yet. Ice is not going to go totally away anytime soon. There will always be some limited ICE for some markets and needs. As I have said 20 years is a long time.
If you want to think this is not going to happen that is fine. But we used to think there is no way a 4 cylinder would out sell the V8 and that the Sedan will be a rare vehicle in the market too.
