EV Production Reduction

[Cobra129]

Ford dramatically scales back EV plant amid plummeting sales, massive losses (foxnews.com)

Looks like the EV sales are starting to recede somewhat. Maybe a blow to that new union contract with a commensurate reduction in proposed Michigan jobs. Now that a major battery plant has been put on hold in Michigan, I don't think I personally would be investing in EV's.

We'll be leaving Florida for a trip to the western mountains of NM, CO & WY this week for Christmas and putting some miles on that PB...Cheers all and have a VERY MERRY AND SAFE CHRISTMAS.

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[Eighthtry]

EV sales receding??????????

I suggest to you that Ford and GM will both have some serious cash flow problems in the next 3 to five years.

They drank the Koolaid. When one does basic common sense analysis, like how much more expensive it is to build and sell battery powered vehicles, grid and charging infrastructure problems, battery wear levels, GOVERNMENT subsidies (you and I are subsidizing the building of these cars with printed money we don't have), plus add in the impact on lower level socio-economic groups when it comes to buying a USED car because they cannot afford a new one, third world environmental problems (think dirty energy and child labor), then we have a long term problem that will be incredibly expensive to solve.

I'm not saying it can't be solved, but that many problems associated with government and snowflake solutions are environmental and financial disasters (what happens to a fat lady when she backs into a running airplane propeller) waiting to happen.

I'm not saying that electric cars are or are not the answer. I'm saying it is a grand social experiment ignoring some significant underlying problems that are not solvable in the short run.

Above is just my opinion, which I personally know is always right. I own a 2023 6.2 liter GMC Yukon (premium recommended), 2011 6.2 GMC Yukon XL (premium recommended), 2023 F150 XLT (HP and torque figured based on premium but not recommended), 1974 warmed up 455 Cutlass (premium required), 1961 warmed up Chevrolet Apache 10 (premium required), 2018 Z06 (premium required). All of which can be parked in a garage.

Brand new Lightning EV? No way. All my cars are garaged. I am not building a second garage, located well away from the house and prevailing winds, to house it.

I will obviously will need to change my habits, but I will be dead before EV's impact them.

By the way, I have one too many cars right now. Probably two in reality. I need mental help.

 

[gagliano7]

Part of the problem they had with the lightning at least by me the dealers added $25000 to the sticker otherwise i would most likely be driving a lightning instead of my F150 5.0.

 

[Eighthtry]

It was a fun time buying cars at the end of the pandemic. Ordering was easy. Building was much tougher. Writing checks was even tougher. Except for my F150 check. Ford financed 100% of my cost at 0% interest. So I said to myself, self?????????

I am all hat and no cattle. I will put my gas F150 on the road. I have no patience for charging.

If I had 13,000 acres to ranch on the Brazos River in Texas I might consider electric. I would need more than one dedicated ranch truck.

First problem would be electric infrastructure. I will be able to see the lights of Fort Hood, or whatever it is today, and 20 windmills. I have power at the house, but no real way to get serious service. I am on a farmers cooperative. Unless I have a propane generator.

Next, I buy all my trucks used because of the beating they take. A lightning would be experimental for me, but what the hell?

So I am not saying it won't work. I am sounding off on the real problems coming, which is what no one else seems to be doing.

By the way, it is my buddy with 13,000 acres. Ranches this size are going for crazy prices these days.

 

[Eighthtry]

Mary Barra, CEO of GM, came out last week ADMITTING she screwed up committing GM to all electric.

I admire this woman. She drank the Kool Aid, convinced her board to go along, then suddenly came to the realization that politically correct can be stupid (?).

I certainly don't know internal GM operations and planning, but I bet they closed down development pipelines and really have themselves in a bad place.

She has done wonders helping to turn GM around in recent years. Getting to the point of me buying certain GM cars. I wanted them. I had to have them (think performance). She is probably the right person (or whatever her pronoun may be) to turn GM's mess around again.

 

[Samson16]

Looks like the EV sales are starting to recede somewhat.

By EV you mean everyone not named Tesla. EV is all they do and just keep doing it better than everyone else in the world. USA! USA! USA!

 

[Cobra129]

By EV you mean everyone not named Tesla. EV is all they do and just keep doing it better than everyone else in the world. USA! USA! USA!

yes, however, didn’t T just recall a million vehicles???

 

[Snakebitten]

That recall is a recall. So can't argue that. But I think anyone who reads the recall would not equate it to what we usually think about recalls.

It would be like Ford recalling all Gen14 F150s with BC or Lane Centering because the Eye-scanner nag, or the "keep your hands on the wheel" nanny aren't nagging enough!

Tesla, for whatever the REAL reason, is recalling the nanny and giving it increased nag.

 

[Antimatter22]

yes, however, didn’t T just recall a million vehicles???

True but isn't the fix an OTA update? Ford technicians can't even figure out how to update the trucks correctly while random people on the Internet have figured it out and taken it up on themselves to fix Ford's screw ups.

 

[Gros Ventre]

The reality is that the federal government was trying to force the market. People figured out that for all of the allure of EVs, they just were not flexible enough. Not so long ago, I had a narrow window to attend a Ship's Reunion. It was over 2,000 mies away. So I hopped into my trusty PB with an aux gas tank in the bed, and drove 1,000 miles a day. Piece of cake in June. Only had to stop for coffee & peeing... Only made three fuel stops: Abilene, KS outbound and inbound and Myrtle Beach,SC. Try that in your Tesla. Then when you factor in the wintertime performance of batteries, well you get the idea... People will sort this out and will vote with their dollars.

 

[Samson16]

True but isn't the fix an OTA update? Ford technicians can't even figure out how to update the trucks correctly while random people on the Internet have figured it out and taken it up on themselves to fix Ford's screw ups.

Yep. Teslas big recall was probably over and done with before publication lol.

 

[Samson16]

Closer to my world but with similarities is the contrast between SpaceX and United Launch Alliance.

 

[HammaMan]

Not quite sure what's up with the EV lies, but a 50% YoY growth quarter to quarter isn't a reduction, a flat line, or any other of the nonsense being spread. Some companies aren't cost competitive in the space. Q4 which we're currently in is going to break records again. Q1 next year will be meh due to incompetent legislation coming online.

Tesla kicked out a patch over the so called 'recall'. That's it. Poor, dated nomenclature has created this. If the manufacturer doesn't regain control of an item to perform an action, it hasn't been recalled. Software pushes that install without user input are a far cry from your vehicle sitting at a dealership waiting on remediation.

contrast that with "patch"

My absolute favorite part of the entire thing is the member of congress who knew about NHTSA's actions and burned $50k on puts. Tesla lost no value issuing an OTA, but a member of congress lost $50k at a failed attempt on insider trading.

 

[Eighthtry]

yes, however, didn’t T just recall a million vehicles???

It's 2 million vehicles and consists of a software update?restriction.

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