Seems like Musk is starting to succeed in his plan in forcing the car makers to go electric
Exactly my thoughts. Plus, I wonder where are they going to get batteries from ;) Current hybrids pure electric range is laughable.
Volvo signals 'end of the solely combustion engine-powered car'
11–20 of 149 posts
Re: Volvo signals 'end of the solely combustion engine-powered car'
#12Earlier quoted context omitted.
3 years ago was also before the diesel gate. Here in Europe, we moved from Diesel is king to the specialist press running article on why you can still consider buying a Diesel car in 2017 in some condition. That triggered countries like Germany to announce plan to ban gas car sales in a decade. Regardless what Volvo CEO thought 3 years ago, the market has shifted in a clear direction and it is his job to adapt. In a…
I wonder how Porsche and the alike will adapt to that situation. Sure it will take some years before someone will start pushing it...
Douglas Adams on the internet affecting media in the 2000s: ”It's like trying to explain to the Amazon River, the Mississippi, the Congo and the Nile how the coming of the Atlantic Ocean will affect them. The first thing to understand is that river rules will no longer apply.”
Wide-scale fully automated cars will change everything. First, I think fewer people will personally own cars, perhaps a small fraction. Vehicles will need to be less “general purpose,” if they’re not personally owned. One or two seaters, low speed electrics are better/cheaper if you’re getting around a congested city on your own. If we don’t own our own, we don’t always need cars that can fit a family, handle highways…
Re: Volvo signals 'end of the solely combustion engine-powered car'
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wonder how Porsche and the alike will adapt to that situation. Sure it will take some years before someone will start pushing it...
Douglas Adams on the internet affecting media in the 2000s: ”It's like trying to explain to the Amazon River, the Mississippi, the Congo and the Nile how the coming of the Atlantic Ocean will affect them. The first thing to understand is that river rules will no longer apply.” Wide-scale fully automated cars will change everything. First, I think fewer people will personally own cars, perhaps a small fraction. Vehicl…
As an aside, the Congo and the Amazon used to be the same river before the Atlantic came along...
Re: Volvo signals 'end of the solely combustion engine-powered car'
#14Seems like Musk is starting to succeed in his plan in forcing the car makers to go electric
Exactly my thoughts. Plus, I wonder where are they going to get batteries from ;) Current hybrids pure electric range is laughable.
> Plus, I wonder where are they going to get batteries from ;)
Maybe here:
http://nordic.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-former-right-ha...
Re: Volvo signals 'end of the solely combustion engine-powered car'
#15Can we please standardize charging stations to not require a person to manually establish a connection? It seems that it would pose such an awkward and unnecessary hurdle. Especially in the coming age of self driving cars. Every time you arrive or leave you have to remember to (dis-)connect the charger. Why not just have some kind of inductive energy transfer or I dunno... something. Edit1: Heh, this could work I gue…
I'd choose bmw's charger
http://www.bmwblog.com/2017/04/27/bmw-wireless-charging-530e...
Re: Volvo signals 'end of the solely combustion engine-powered car'
#16Almost 3 years ago the CEO (Håkan Samuelsson) said that he did not believe in pure elecric cars but rather hybrids[1]. Will be interesting to see if that still holds or if he has changed his beliefs. [1] http://www.dn.se/ekonomi/rena-elbilar-tror-vi-inte-pa/ (translated, https://translate.google.se/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=y&prev=... )
He does not want to go 100% electric, but 100% hybrid AND electric.
Plugin hybrids do seem to offer the best of both worlds right now.
Re: Volvo signals 'end of the solely combustion engine-powered car'
#17Almost 3 years ago the CEO (Håkan Samuelsson) said that he did not believe in pure elecric cars but rather hybrids[1]. Will be interesting to see if that still holds or if he has changed his beliefs. [1] http://www.dn.se/ekonomi/rena-elbilar-tror-vi-inte-pa/ (translated, https://translate.google.se/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=y&prev=... )
3 years ago was also before the diesel gate. Here in Europe, we moved from Diesel is king to the specialist press running article on why you can still consider buying a Diesel car in 2017 in some condition. That triggered countries like Germany to announce plan to ban gas car sales in a decade. Regardless what Volvo CEO thought 3 years ago, the market has shifted in a clear direction and it is his job to adapt. In a…
Diesel engines can be ran on DME (dimethyl ether) with a redesigned fuel system. DME is clean and its's storage requirements are nearly the same as for LPG: pressurized containers at 0.5 MPa (roadbike tyre pressure).
Volvo Trucks has partnered with Oberon Fuels and converted several trucks to run on DME.
http://www.volvotrucks.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/VTC/Corpo...
Also Mack Trucks is looking into DME as an alternative truck fuel.
https://www.macktrucks.com/community/mack-news/2013/dme-truc...
Petrol engines can also be ran on an 70/30 LPG/DME mix.
Re: Volvo signals 'end of the solely combustion engine-powered car'
#18Can we please standardize charging stations to not require a person to manually establish a connection? It seems that it would pose such an awkward and unnecessary hurdle. Especially in the coming age of self driving cars. Every time you arrive or leave you have to remember to (dis-)connect the charger. Why not just have some kind of inductive energy transfer or I dunno... something. Edit1: Heh, this could work I gue…
All modern electric cars can trivially have enough 'parking assistance' AI to line them up exactly with a charging port (which could be, for example, beside or even under the car). The car can then trigger the charger to connect, and when you get in the car and start it it can trigger the charger to disconnect.
All that is needed is standardization effort, and an up-front security review e.g. cars 'sign on' with a proper certificate when the charger connects so charging stations can decide who to bill etc.
I wouldn't imagine this replaces the conventional charging plug you can use at home, but rather augments it.
Here's hoping ;)
Re: Volvo signals 'end of the solely combustion engine-powered car'
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
Exactly my thoughts. Plus, I wonder where are they going to get batteries from ;) Current hybrids pure electric range is laughable.
> Plus, I wonder where are they going to get batteries from ;) Maybe here: http://nordic.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-former-right-ha...
Or from LG: http://www.lgchem.com/global/lg-chem-company/information-cen...
Batteries supply appears to be a solved problem quite soon.
Re: Volvo signals 'end of the solely combustion engine-powered car'
#20Almost 3 years ago the CEO (Håkan Samuelsson) said that he did not believe in pure elecric cars but rather hybrids[1]. Will be interesting to see if that still holds or if he has changed his beliefs. [1] http://www.dn.se/ekonomi/rena-elbilar-tror-vi-inte-pa/ (translated, https://translate.google.se/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=y&prev=... )
3 years ago was also before the diesel gate. Here in Europe, we moved from Diesel is king to the specialist press running article on why you can still consider buying a Diesel car in 2017 in some condition. That triggered countries like Germany to announce plan to ban gas car sales in a decade. Regardless what Volvo CEO thought 3 years ago, the market has shifted in a clear direction and it is his job to adapt. In a…
>>that some countries will forbid non-automated car to access some public road in the near future.
I am sorry, but I don't believe that will happen in anything that could be described as near future. I don't see any actual bans to be introduced any sooner than 30-50 years from now, and even then only if:
1) the technology gets really good, not just "kind of good but only when the conditions are optimal"
2) the technology gets cheap enough that you can put it on a kind of car that nowadays is sold new without A/C and electric windows and don't impact the price of the car too much.