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Rivian CEO: 'blows my mind' to see US auto makers shifting back to ICE vehicles

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21–30 of 68 posts

Re: Rivian CEO: 'blows my mind' to see US auto makers shifting back to ICE vehicles

#21

It is hardly surprising given these facts: 1. US is the largest oil producer country in the world 2. US knows it has lost the EV race 3. ICE employees have an outsized impact on elections due to where they live

4. America is a giant land mass and Americans want 500 miles of range when most countries are ok with 200.

Re: Rivian CEO: 'blows my mind' to see US auto makers shifting back to ICE vehicles

#22
People could see this coming a mile away. The automakers, whom currently produce the vast majority of vehicles, are tired of financing their competition (Tesla), who for years now has sucked all the air out of the room in the auto industry, despite accounting for a small fraction of vehicle sales overall. The carbon credits are solely responsible for creating Tesla. They created an unfair environment where we have an industry propping up a company that should have never been propped up to begin with. Had it not been for those credits, Tesla would never be able to compete on its own and would have gone bankrupt a long time ago.

Electric vehicles have a dubious environmental impact, require special and costly new infrastructure, are inferior economically and do not align with US policy goals around energy.

Look at every business who has tried to adopt Tesla vehicles and you will see only failure followed by trying to unload the vehicles for a huge loss. Tesla cannot or will not produce a decent work truck, and are grossly disconnected with the needs of the average American (self driving, robots and other such bric-a-brac need not apply).

For those that want to purchase these vehicles, they should remain an option, albeit a minor one. The technology (still quite inferior) needs to stand on its own, not be propped up by the public, the vast majority of us do not want an electric vehicle and will never want one.

Re: Rivian CEO: 'blows my mind' to see US auto makers shifting back to ICE vehicles

#24
post #3

This trend has always been wild to me. The USA feels like a solid home of automaking since the inception of the ICE. They don't necessarily make the best cars but they have the infrastructure, knowledge & experience, and culture to innovate and drive the industry forward. The next big generational change in car design matures to commercial viability - the electric motor for cars - and the USA turns it into a bogeyman…

There’s no profit in converting to electric vehicles: a trillion dollars of electrical infrastructure upgrade costs would come due from corporate apartment holding companies, small-scale landlords, and parking garage owners having to deploy electric outlets of any wattage to every parking spot currently offered to renters (the majority of car owners) today. Just as with COVID and HVAC air exchange rates, the benefits of doing the work are outweighed by the inability to generate recurring corporate revenue from it. Rivian and Tesla have likely reached saturation with the wealthy homeowner market and none of their profits are being forcibly redirected to the unpaid infrastructure costs, so of course the U.S. is stalled on EVs: the U.S. is stalled on at-home EV charging.

Re: Rivian CEO: 'blows my mind' to see US auto makers shifting back to ICE vehicles

#26

People could see this coming a mile away. The automakers, whom currently produce the vast majority of vehicles, are tired of financing their competition (Tesla), who for years now has sucked all the air out of the room in the auto industry, despite accounting for a small fraction of vehicle sales overall. The carbon credits are solely responsible for creating Tesla. They created an unfair environment where we have an…

>“ Electric vehicles have a dubious environmental impact, require special and costly new infrastructure, are inferior economically and do not align with US policy goals around energy.”

Citations needed.

Oil extraction is massively damaging, co2 is causing global weather turmoil, exhaust while better than the 70’s for passenger cars/trucks is still an air quality issue, noise pollution is worse for ice.

And electric cars are objectively more pleasant and nicer to ride unless one likes loud, slow to accelerate vehicles over smooth and quiet. I guess there will be some who prefer noise and lag for nostalgia.

ICE ludism doesn’t matter though, we’re at a tipping point, especially in the rest of the world. Ice cars are become horses and no amount of complaining will stop that.

Re: Rivian CEO: 'blows my mind' to see US auto makers shifting back to ICE vehicles

#28
Because chargers were enshitificated before they were widely deployed. I want to arrive on charger, connect the charging hose, wave a debit/credit card or my phone with NFC interface and start charging.

But noooo, you need to have an account with your debit card linked to it and use their half assed application or you won't be able to activate charger. And you should better pray that charger in your destination is actually operational and your car is compatible with the charger, which itself is fucking wild.

The whole EV industry essentially ignored lesson learnt for last 100 years using ICE cars - gas pumps, with somebody who can assist you if you don't know do exist for a reason!

Rivian CEO should go outside and try what is the average charging experience for an average customer.

Re: Rivian CEO: 'blows my mind' to see US auto makers shifting back to ICE vehicles

#29
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 1. US is the largest oil producer country in the world [citation needed] Here's mine, Saudi Arabia is by far the largest exporter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_expor... Perhaps you're confusing oil production with refined petroleum (e.g. gasoline) exports? Edit: Thanks for the correction, looks like for the last 8 or so years US has indeed occupied the top slot for production: https://en.w…

YOU are confusing crude oil production with exports. The US IS the largest oil producing country: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_pro... The parent commenter is right. You are wrong. Do a little Google search before commenting.

They did do one, but the US only slid into top spot somewhat recently it looks like?

Can avoid the hostility.

Re: Rivian CEO: 'blows my mind' to see US auto makers shifting back to ICE vehicles

#30

EVs are having their own little dotcom bust right now. You can't say the companies didn't try. Every automaker came out with a near identical EV that was too expensive. And some even made some pretty bold steps to stop ICE production on some models. EVs are still inevitable in the not too distant future so long as batteries keep improving, but the jump is not going to happen overnight.

They need to have a true 500 mile range, even at low ambient temperatures. I live in MN; winters are fucking brutal on EVs and their already inflated estimated ranges.

Why? Gas cars get much worse mileage in low temperatures too. Not as bad as EVs, but it is substantial. Many gas cars don’t have 500mi of range, certainly not in dead cold conditions.

With the increase of density of fast charging infrastructure (which, is pretty much the only reason you need large ranges in EVs), you require less overall range between stops.

What’s needed is access to at home charging infrastructure so cars can be topped off daily.

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