Are we ready for this?

[Badbart56]

So here is Chevrolet's entry into the world of electric trucks. While the horsepower and torque numbers look good at first glance, payload and towing numbers not so much (in my opinion).

Granted, there is the promise of more to come. And a range of 400 miles, which I believe is better than the cars at this point. But $105K?!

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/2024-che...171500420.html

[chuckster57]

That’s ok… just add this and your golden

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...301450349.html

[notanlines]

All things considered, it is a fantastic age we're living in. Many drawbacks, but every day we see technological and medical advances only seen in sci-fi movies years ago.

[flybouy]

I'm 67 years old. It was well over 50 years ago that we were promised flying cars before the turn of the century. Now we have drones that take pictures. What progress! Of course I beleive battery power will EVENTUALLY compete if the money doesn't run out first. How much does that $100k truck REALLY cost? As in cost us taxpayers via subsidies and tax incentives?

[Badbart56]

Originally Posted by flybouy

I'm 67 years old. It was well over 50 years ago that we were promised flying cars before the turn of the century. Now we have drones that take pictures. What progress! Of course I believe battery power will EVENTUALLY compete if the money doesn't run out first. How much does that $100k truck REALLY cost? As in cost us taxpayers via subsidies and tax incentives?

Today you can buy a nicely equipped F-350 dually for around $70-$80 thousand dollars or so. That truck will tow my Fuzion anywhere I want to go and I can expect to get well over 200K miles out of it and I have seen some with an excess of 600K miles.

My current 2011 F-350 has just under 200K miles on it and I've probably spent an aggregate total of $4000-$5000 in maintenance and repairs during this 10 year time period, over and above the original purchase price and the cost of fuel.

Electric vehicle proponents tout the low cost to operate these cars (and presumably trucks), but there is an unknown factor. We are told that the battery life span is 7 to 8 years. And from real world experience we have also learned that an EV with a 5 year old battery has virtually no value as a trade in, as the dealers know they will bear the expense of replacing the battery before resale.

What we are not told is how does constant use (running max range carrying max payload) affect battery life. Just how many actual MILES are these EV's expected to last? So the bottom line is to get the true cost of the electric vehicle, be it car or truck, you have to add the depreciation of battery replacement. And most certainly the cost for these high powered truck batteries will be higher than the $7,000-$22,000 cost of existing EV's.

And then the legislation moving to tax your vehicle by the mileage vs gallons of fuel. That's a whole nuther animal.

While I know we really don't have answers to many of these concerns, two things are obvious to me.

(1) Electric vehicles are coming.

(2) It's painfully obvious that we have put the cart before the horse.

Not going into the lack of infrastructure, charging stations and so many other issues, but personally they will have to drag me kicking and screaming from my diesel truck!

[jasin1]

Probably moving to a lease only business model..unfortunately…you just turn in the vehicle in 5 years and they give you another one…lifelong payments without a break for people that take care of and keep their vehicles long after they are payed off

We are moving towards not owning anything that you can’t carry on your back…in most states you never really own your own home …miss a tax payment and your out of there

[gearhead]

You know there is one sliver of good news: electric vehicles may free up a little bit of hydrocarbon fuels for us knuckle draggin deplorables.
I would be all for it if:
Someone vets where the raw materials are coming from.
Pictures of barefoot kids digging in the earth for raw materials is not acceptable.
How to measure the EV"s required charging against the capability of our power plants.

[JRTJH]

One of the "EV business models" that I've seen proposed is constructing EV's with "readily replacable batteries"... Sort of like a cordless drill... When traveling, pull into a "fuel station/battery station" and while you're using the bathroom, the attendent swaps out your battery, presumably by pushing the two tabs, pulling the battery and then pushing a fully recharged battery into the slot... Job done in about 30 seconds, you're on your way and the "fuel station/battery station" then recharges your battery and uses it in another vehicle once it's fully recharged....

Apparently, you "buy the vehicle" and lease the battery, paying for the recharging that you use.

If (this is the long stretch) the EV manufacturers can come up with a "battery standard" (like the current AAA/AA/C/D battery standard) then it's just a matter of designing all EV's to accept the "fuel station/battery station" products...

This is supposed to eliminate any "EV recharging while on the road" and as long as the batteries are leased, not owned, there's no "I lost my new battery and wound up with this old one so I don't have what I paid for"....

[flybouy]

[B]"My current 2011 F-350 has just under 200K miles on it and I've probably spent an aggregate total of $4000-$5000 in maintenance and repairs during this 10 year time period, over and above the original purchase price and the cost of fuel."/B]

This has been pretty much my experience as well. I don’t consider the repairs unusual as they were mainlt steering componets. The other "elephant in the room" is recharging that truck A when the trailer is connected (space for that) and B charging at a campground. And now Thor is talking about adding to that? First of all I wouldn't trust that they would get the trailer drive wheels to turn in the same direction as the tv much less sync up with it.

So just envision this, you pull into the cg with your EV and electric assisted trailer. The "new EV site" with the 3 seperate 50 amp service pedestals will be $xxx amount. And now that the truck AND trailer have very limited payload we have your cloths that you shipped ahead and food is available for delivery, all at a "nominal fee".

I doubt I'll live long enough to see this but if I do I won't be a participant. I love the enviroment but that would unobtainable financially for me.

[wiredgeorge]

I got another junk email advising me that lithium is in super short supply due to a number of factors and lithium trading would be a great investment. Lots of articles online saying there may be a coming lithium shortage.

Top lithium producers:
1. Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium - China
2. Albemarle USA (N.C.)
3. Tianqi Lithium - China
4. Sociedad Química y Minera - Chile
5. Mineral Resources Limited

If some substantial amount of lithium comes from China, doesn't it make sense they would hang onto it and manufacture the car batteries to retain a large market share? If this is the case, are we outsourcing our transportation capability (like we did with medicines, steel, ..... well just about everything) to China?

[Badbart56]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Apparently, you "buy the vehicle" and lease the battery, paying for the recharging that you use.

Funny you should say that, I recently bought a leaf blower that I use instead of a broom on the truck now. (yes, it's awesome!)

Here's the break down:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-40...d2fd61ad403cf2


Battery cost more than the tool! And then there's the charger.....

[flybouy]

Reminds me of an HP color LaserJet printer I had years ago. To buy high yield 3 color and 1 black toners cost more than the printer. I didn’t care because I home officed and my employer reimbursed me for it but .....

[jasin1]

You know I carry an extra battery for my drill…maybe I could just throw an extra battery in the back of the truck or trunk of the car…that way I could just swap it out if one dies…just like my drill

[dutchmensport]

Well, at least with a pick-up you'll be able to carry a gasoline operated generator in the bed of the truck and keep it running to charge the battery in the truck when the battery in the truck goes flat-line! Except in California, where generators are scheduled to be banned!

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

Except in California, where generators are scheduled to be banned!

Only the sale of NEW ones, us people that already have one are ok.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

Well, at least with a pick-up you'll be able to carry a gasoline operated generator in the bed of the truck and keep it running to charge the battery in the truck when the battery in the truck goes flat-line! Except in California, where generators are scheduled to be banned!

Just carry it in the frunk (front trunk) out of the weather.

[Summergirl]

All fun and games until you get stuck in a snow storm with the highways closed for hours on end on a cold snowy night with three kids screaming.
I always wondered what would happen if an electric vehicle got stuck on the highway in a snowstorm for the evening.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Summergirl

All fun and games until you get stuck in a snow storm with the highways closed for hours on end on a cold snowy night with three kids screaming.
I always wondered what would happen if an electric vehicle got stuck on the highway in a snowstorm for the evening.

If it happened to "common people" not much would happen....

If it was "someone with influence" that was stranded (a senator, energy czar, hollywood VIP, etc) then the push for longer extension cords and more recharging stations along the highway would be "loud and clear" and work would start as soon as the snow melts.....

But, since it was "only commoners" caught in this past snowstorm, we'll read about a study to determine feasibility in 2026 or beyond.....

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by Summergirl

All fun and games until you get stuck in a snow storm with the highways closed for hours on end on a cold snowy night with three kids screaming.
I always wondered what would happen if an electric vehicle got stuck on the highway in a snowstorm for the evening.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...tric-vehicles/

Roadside assistance trucks of the future will have to carry 20 kw generators and super chargers I guess…or long extension cords

[German Shepherd Guy]

Badbart wrote:" Not going into the lack of infrastructure, charging stations and so many other issues, but personally they will have to drag me kicking and screaming from my diesel truck!"

You are old enough I do not think that's going to happen. I think that the near and over 70's folks are not going to see the end of dead dinosaur power while we are alive. Sure, there has been a lot of noise though, about all the new electric trucks. Motor Trend even gave Rivian its "Truck of the Year" award. Really?? Thing is you cannot truly buy one yet. Oh you can give them money alright, you just cannot get an actual truck. There is still no hard date when those who have paid for one will be able to put their hands on their purchase and drive it home. And that's Motor trends "Truck of the Year"?? Just speculation and talk and a lot of noise. Until I see actual trucks, you can actually buy, I am treating it all as Popular Science/ Popular Mechanics articles of "the future".


That said:
Do I think it is coming, yes I do. In any meaningful way during my lifetime? Don't think so, BUT that was sure an interesting article Chuckster linked to. Thor is taking electric trucks seriously.