Electric cars: The death of the internal combustion engine
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Re: Electric cars: The death of the internal combustion engine
#2Anytime you make something cheaper, easier to use, more useful and/or more efficient you get an increase in usage. Autonomous electric cars are all 4, and will lead to a dramatic increase in the number of miles driven. Some of those miles we can imagine (for instance sending your car on a dead-head journey somewhere for somebody else to use it), but most of the increase will probably be from new usage models that we don't expect.
There may be a decrease in the number of cars; the increase in car sharing may be higher than the increase in miles, but I doubt it.
But congestion? That's going to get a lot worse, it's not going to be the utopia that people here seem to expect.
Re: Electric cars: The death of the internal combustion engine
#3Anytime you make something cheaper, easier to use, more useful and/or more efficient you get an increase in usage. Autonomous electric cars are all 4, and will lead to a dramatic increase in the number of miles driven. Some of those miles we can imagine (for instance sending your car on a dead-head journey somewhere for somebody else to use it), but most of the increase will probably be from new usage models that we…
Self-Driving Cars Will Improve Our Cities. If They Don’t Ruin Them.
https://www.wired.com/2016/08/self-driving-cars-will-improve...
Re: Electric cars: The death of the internal combustion engine
#4I don't see how you could publish an article about the death of ICEs and fail to mention any other application but consumer vehicles.
Re: Electric cars: The death of the internal combustion engine
#5Anytime you make something cheaper, easier to use, more useful and/or more efficient you get an increase in usage. Autonomous electric cars are all 4, and will lead to a dramatic increase in the number of miles driven. Some of those miles we can imagine (for instance sending your car on a dead-head journey somewhere for somebody else to use it), but most of the increase will probably be from new usage models that we…
I do think it's a fair ways out, but it wouldn't shock me at all to see at least some cities banning empty cars from driving around.
Re: Electric cars: The death of the internal combustion engine
#6You don't realize it until you focus on it, but walking around a city, even a relatively clean one like Boston, how much of the air is full of exhaust. City busses that don't run on natural gas spew huge amounts of black smoke, it's disgusting. I can't wait until electric cars take over, the air is going to be so much cleaner, even in dense urban environments.
Re: Electric cars: The death of the internal combustion engine
#7For most of the time, I'd be totally cool with an electric vehicle (this has changed in recent years as ranges and cold-weather performance has improved dramatically). However, that time when I'm traveling off the "grid" would be an absolute nightmare.
For example - taking a vacation up in the mountains. No power, limited direct sunlight for solar, and your car is your lifeline. Or cross-country travel that isn't on the highways (i.e. no superchargers every 100 miles). Limited to 400 miles in a day, and required to stay at a hotel or spot with a plug in. Or someplace not in the continental US - for example Alaska or Canada.
That said, I think my ideal theoretical vehicle would have an all electric power train, and a gas turbine generator for those long trips. Best of both worlds (combustion and electric).
Re: Electric cars: The death of the internal combustion engine
#8As if ICEs are going to be replaced for emergency power generation any time soon. And with new tech coming out where regular gasoline engines can be as efficient as diesels (in fact using the Diesel cycle to a degree) if not more, you're going to find a resurgence of them in hybrid-electric vehicles. I doubt you're going to be rolling around with a solar-powered weed-eater to do your yardwork. I can guarantee you aren't replacing the ICE for things as large as earth movers any time soon.
Re: Electric cars: The death of the internal combustion engine
#9Anytime you make something cheaper, easier to use, more useful and/or more efficient you get an increase in usage. Autonomous electric cars are all 4, and will lead to a dramatic increase in the number of miles driven. Some of those miles we can imagine (for instance sending your car on a dead-head journey somewhere for somebody else to use it), but most of the increase will probably be from new usage models that we…
I do think it's a fair ways out, but it wouldn't shock me at all to see at least some cities banning empty cars from driving around.
Not banning, but charging higher tolls for empty cars than cars that have a load or person in them.
Econ 101!
Re: Electric cars: The death of the internal combustion engine
#10You don't realize it until you focus on it, but walking around a city, even a relatively clean one like Boston, how much of the air is full of exhaust. City busses that don't run on natural gas spew huge amounts of black smoke, it's disgusting. I can't wait until electric cars take over, the air is going to be so much cleaner, even in dense urban environments.
Getting rid of combustion in urban areas is one of the biggest public health wins available, on the same scale as famous past examples like banning leaded gasoline. The only reason we haven't already done it is lack of alternatives.