::Leader Board:: Ahnko Honu Takes The Lead Chapter 23!

Question of the day:

Do you think electric vehicles are the future?

They have conquered the range problem - it's easy to find models with a range over 200 miles now. They just have to take care of charging times and I think they become totally mainstream. LOTS of electric cars in my part of the country these days. Actually, my brother lives in Normal, IL (he doesn't know Ukeeku, unfortunately) and works in Decatur - 100 mile round trip or so. He drives a Chevy Bolt (full electric) and has no issues with range.
 
Also it looks like the standard sedan is going away and we are going to be driving crossovers, SUVs and trucks.

Yup, Ford has announced that when their sedans reach the end of their model lives they will be phased out in favor of crossovers. I prefer the driving position of crossovers - I love my RAV4 and someday when I can afford to replace it I will get another small crossover - possibly an electric one like the Hyundai Kona electric.
 
I think 90% or more of my journeys could be handled by a electric vehicle.

In the last couple of days I've seen a Tesla Model S from New Jersey and a Model 3 from Florida - so with planning they have become capable of cross-country trips.
 
My guess is that safety studies prove that humans make more mistakes than computers

Some day if the autonomous vehicles can all communicate with each other and completely remove humans from the driving decisions then it may be much safer - as long as humans are part of the decision making process in traffic there will be accidents.

Of course, if the autonomous vehicles take over transportation than a big source of joy in my life is gone - because there aren't many things I love more than driving along a beautiful, winding, mountain road.
 
In the last couple of days I've seen a Tesla Model S from New Jersey and a Model 3 from Florida - so with planning they have become capable of cross-country trips.

There is a 1954 VW bug that has been restored and fit with Tesla batteries around here. I was going to try to snap a picture for Don but I dropped my phone and then the light changed.
 
This is true. I was surprised to see the recent moves by auto makers to discontinue sedans. I guess they need to build what sells the best....

This is only in the US, sedans and hatchbacks sell just fine everywhere else.
Trucks are also way more profitable.
Why do you think we have SUVs from Porsche, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, Maserati, Bentley, Rolls-Royce...

Because people buy them.
 
I believe electric vehicles are ready now.
There are plenty with similar range to a regular car now.
The only major difference is charging time.
It only takes a few minutes to fill a car with gas, but several minutes (or hours) to recharge a car.
As battery and charger tech improves, there will no longer be an advantage to gasoline.
Many cities in Europe are banning gasoline cars in the very near future, for pollution reasons.
All the heavy equipment manufacturers are building buses, garbage trucks, dozers, etc. to be ready for this

I still think there will be a market for gasoline cars though, but they may become niche/enthusiast cars.

In my opinion the biggest hurdle to self driving cars (at least in the US) is a legal issue.
If a car is going down the road, and has to avoid an unexpected obstacle, and must decide between possibly killing a pedestrian or killing the occupant of the car, how do you decide? And who is liable for that decision? The owner of the car? The manufacturer? That is where it gets sticky.
 
This is only in the US, sedans and hatchbacks sell just fine everywhere else.
Trucks are also way more profitable.
Why do you think we have SUVs from Porsche, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, Maserati, Bentley, Rolls-Royce...

Because people buy them.

. . . and soon Tesla.
 
Here are a couple of concept designs. The article I saw said they haven't decided on a design yet.

ttw.jpg
tt.jpg
 
What a great day.
Woke up before the girls did and got some work done. The only client I needed to visit said to come tomorrow. So I worked from home, made breakfast for the girls, and then took Houseguest to Tanioka's to grab lunch then to the airport to catch her flight.
Then came back home, fixed another work issue remotely, then Nanilei and I went to the beach and ate our Tanioka's - poke and maki sushi.
I went in the water and we hung out until about 6:00pm.
I played a little ukulele on the beach too.
Then we went to Costco for some groceries, and we did not feel like cooking tonight so Hot dogs and chili FTW

Life is good!
 
I think 90% or more of my journeys could be handled by a electric vehicle.

My resistance (get it?) to electric cars is a combination of range and recharge. I know that there is a growing network of charging stations, but the time to “fill up” remains too long. I like a cross country road trip. I’m on one now.

Autonomous cars would be a boon to people like my MIL. Shouldn’t be driving, but is. I don’t think she’d give up control though.

There for the generation behind mine, I think.
 
My guess is that safety studies prove that humans make more mistakes than computers

Some day if the autonomous vehicles can all communicate with each other and completely remove humans from the driving decisions then it may be much safer - as long as humans are part of the decision making process in traffic there will be accidents.

Of course, if the autonomous vehicles take over transportation than a big source of joy in my life is gone - because there aren't many things I love more than driving along a beautiful, winding, mountain road.

Computer errors ARE human errors as long as humans are still programming them.
 
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