Bruce In Philly

Really cool news commentary..... you may need a subscription to read it but I think the magazine allows x-number of free accesses... So here goes...

https://www.economist.com/news/leade...ed-world-death

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Final paragraphs from the piece:

The internal combustion engine has had a good run—and could still dominate shipping and aviation for decades to come. But on land electric motors will soon offer freedom and convenience more cheaply and cleanly. As the switch to electric cars reverses the trend in the rich world towards falling electricity consumption, policymakers will need to help, by ensuring that there is enough generating capacity—in spite of many countries’ broken system of regulation. They may need to be the midwives to new rules and standards for public recharging stations, and the recycling of batteries, rare-earth motors and other components in “urban mines”. And they will have to cope with the turmoil as old factory jobs disappear.

Driverless electric cars in the 21st century are likely to improve the world in profound and unexpected ways, just as vehicles powered by internal combustion engines did in the 20th. But it will be a bumpy road. Buckle up.

DC911S

I quit dating women that read every single word of the Economist each month, but in DC it's hard to find ones that don't read it. Good info, but it's got to be the driest and wonkish magazine ever written.

Dennis C

I no longer subscribe to The Economist, although I did for many years. I now prefer reading The Weekly Standard, which I find to be equally well written.

The article on internal combustion engines is interesting though. Porsche's future strategy will be fun to watch as it unfolds.

Bruce In Philly

I was very dismayed when Porsche moved to electrical steering and ditched the mechanical linkage... shocked actually (good pun eh?). But when you consider where the world is going and what it's leaving behind, these car companies are just slowly positioning their technology in line.... bit by bit. Far easier to replace one component at a time than all at once.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Bruce In Philly

Nothing like a woman with a set of really big brains eh?

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Iceter

The move to electric power steering and other accessories is largely driven by fuel economy standards. When we move to all-electric cars, the existing systems will be redesigned as the change to electric propulsion will also allow auto-makers to switch off of the 12-volt standard and move up to 48, or even variable (different voltages for different components).

If you don't think the change to electric and autonomous cars is coming, think again. It's coming faster than we know. My BIL works for the NCDOT. They are already changing their signage and lane marking requirements to better accommodate computer-controlled cars and trucks.

You don't need to look any further than the EU to see that the governments there hate the IC engine and are demanding its elimination within 15-25 years. Keep an eye on California. They'll pick up on this soon and wherever California goes automotively, there goes the country. And wherever socialism takes the EU, there goes California.

patently

[deleted when I thought better of it]

DC911S

Long as big brains have big hooters to match, it's fine.

SoCal C2S

Yes, I totally agree...living in CA at the "foreskin" of socialism in the US, everything is done for the betterment of mankind, or any way to line the pockets of the nut cases in charge. Hence my plan to get the F out in a couple of years.

Chris(MA)

I agree with the article, the writing is on the wall for internal combustion powered cars, I'm not concerned about it. I already have 103k miles on my daily driver EV, I plan on driving it until the wheels fall off, then give it to my son.

What does concern me is the massive social unrest that is going to happen in the next 10 years, millions of driving jobs eliminated, mechanics and dealerships going out of business and parts suppliers.

Millions of work age people made unemployed by technology, they will be stirred into anger and rage about their circumstances and there will be people there to exploit it for their own greed and power. It will be very ugly.

Bruce In Philly

Will be? Cripes I grew up in a hard steel town... now the hospital is the biggest employer...... It is now.... that is why Trump is in office... everyone left in my hometown voted for him as he was the only one who spoke to their most basic and real needs.

The change has already started.....

Peace (I hope)
Bruce in Philly

DC911S

Meh and the people who bred the horses, fed them, grew and harvested their food, wiped them down, built wagons and saddles all lost jobs when the ICE took over. Same thing here, new jobs will be created to build, maintain, and keep the electrics going. Technology marches forward not backwards, that's the way it works.

Louis de Funes

I do not look forward to it but as others said it will happen

I see what is going on in Germany - they are pushing for this very hard

until it happens I will enjoy my cars as much as possible

Chris(MA)

Yes new jobs are created when old one go away but ALWAYS less jobs, that is how capitalism works, if as many jobs were created as were removed there would be no net savings so no point in the newer tech, as the new tech requires up front investment to realize savings on capital or labor (or both) down the road.

Chris(MA)

I hear what you're saying but trump only won POTUS via around 70-77,000 strategic votes, due to the electoral college and no proportional representation.

Don't want to get into politics but imagine 2,500,000 truck drivers out of work in the same demographic and in the same strategic counties.

That's a lot of anger waiting to be tapped for power. Someone will rise up to tap it and probably not in a good way.