Category: Roadkill

We Don’t Need No Flaming Sparky Cars

Alternative Subsidy More Money Than Brains Roadkill 25 Comments

The CBC, always the last to know.

Electric vehicles have proved far less reliable, on average, than gasoline-powered cars, trucks and SUVs, according to the latest survey by Consumer Reports, which found that EVs from the 2021 through 2023 model years encountered nearly 80 per cent more problems than did vehicles propelled by internal combustion engines.

Consumer Reports said EV owners most frequently reported troubles with battery and charging systems as well as flaws in how the vehicles’ body panels and interior parts fit together. The magazine and website noted that EV manufacturers are still learning to construct completely new power systems, and it suggested that as they do, the overall reliability of electric vehicles should improve.

As the stupid rich people market nears saturation…

The growth of electric vehicle sales has slowed sharply since last year. In June 2022, EV sales were growing about 90 per cent year over year. By June of this year the 12-month growth rate had slowed to about 50 per cent, and automakers have become increasingly fearful that the pace will weaken further.

We Don’t Need No Flaming Sparky Cars

Alternative Subsidy Roadkill 11 Comments

Ford Scales Back Michigan Battery Plant Investments

Expect to see media outlets bashing Ford for scaling back EV investments in the near term. You’ll also probably notice the stock market reacting unfavorably to the news for a time. In fact we saw the brand’s valuation slip a bit almost immediately after the two announcements were made. But Ford actually seems to be making the correct choice for itself here, even if Wall Street is blind to the fact. The automaker’s electric vehicle division is projected to lose $4.5 billion by the end of 2023 and wastes an estimated $36,000 on every EV it currently sells.

We Don’t Need No Flaming Sparky Bricks

Alternative Subsidy Roadkill 36 Comments

Edmonton Journal;

Three-quarters of the city’s 60-bus electric fleet is in the garage with poor immediate prospects for parts to fix them.

Proterra, the American company the city purchased the electric buses from between 2019-2022, is in Chapter 11 filing for bankruptcy protection. Edmonton’s on a list of creditors, seeking $1.3 million and fulfillment of service and warranties. […]

While the website touts mileage up to 340 km on a charge, on Edmonton streets the stylish bus is a sluggish employee. It has a range of up to 117 km, which gets it on the streets from 5 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. before it has to hit the charger, and then gets back out from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

We Don’t Need No Flaming Sparky Cars

Alternative Subsidy Roadkill 20 Comments

Fire departments across the United States face a unique challenge with the growing prevalence of electric vehicles (EVs). EV fires, unlike traditional gas-powered vehicle fires, are more difficult to extinguish, last longer, and have a higher tendency to reignite. These distinct characteristics necessitate a deep understanding and the development of specific strategies to ensure public safety.

The complexity of EV fires lies in the use of lithium-ion batteries, known for their high energy density. Poorly designed or damaged, these batteries can undergo “thermal runaway,” leading to the release of flammable chemicals that can cause unexpected reignition. EV fires also emit toxic fumes, posing risks to both firefighters and bystanders, and necessitating careful handling.

In response to the challenges posed by EV fires, some fire departments are reconsidering their approaches. For example, firefighters in Franklin, Tennessee, used an enormous 45,000 gallons of water to extinguish an EV fire, compared to the standard 500 to 1,000 gallons for a gasoline-powered vehicle fire. This has led to a potential strategy of letting future EV fires burn out naturally.

Naturally.

I Confess To A Certain Ambivalence

Climate Cult Roadkill 61 Comments

Daily Mail;

Harrowing images captured the shooter, a frustrated elderly man, climbing out of his car to argue with the eco-protesters who had stopped traffic on the Pan-American Highway in the town of Chame.

He initially attempted to reason with the protesters, but moments later pulled a handgun from his pocket and began gesturing wildly as his frustration grew. Despite the imminent danger, the protesters stubbornly refused to curtail their demonstration and continued to argue back and forth with the disgruntled motorist, who became visibly more enraged with each passing moment.

For a time it looked as though the gunman was prepared to back down, but when one protester holding a flag stepped towards him, he snapped the pistol back up and fired at his target from mere feet away.

Terrified onlookers and other protesters helped move the victim to the side of the road and laid him down on the ground as the gunman calmly began dismantling a small barricade made of stones and tyres erected by the demonstrators.

Still undeterred, another protester wearing a black t-shirt and jeans tried to confront the gunman and was also shot. Footage shows how he recoiled from the shot, holding his upper chest in pain and with an expression of disbelief on his face.

We Don’t Need No Flaming Racin’ Cars

Alternative Subsidy More Money Than Brains Roadkill 11 Comments

Racer.com: Special ONE hits out at FIA, World RX over rallycross fire investigation

Special ONE Racing pointed out the cause of the fire in a statement issued Thursday, saying, “Various testimonies, surveillance camera footage, telemetry data, and expertise based on samples taken from the debris have definitively established the origin of the blaze: a thermal runaway of the lithium-ion battery onboard the car.

“Kreisel Electric, the supplier of this equipment, which is common to all RX1e category models, could not guarantee that such an incident would not recur in the future. Therefore, the FIA has decided not to allow these cars to compete until further notice,” the statement continued. “If this situation persists, it will have the consequence of jeopardizing the future of the discipline, as it undermines the well-being of all its stakeholders.”

While the FIA and World RX began an investigation into the cause of the fire in its immediate aftermath, there hasn’t been a significant update since it began.

h/t @arlasko

We Don’t Need No Flaming Racin’ Cars

Alternative Subsidy More Money Than Brains Roadkill 11 Comments

It’s a Hot Wheels track!

The second day of Formula E testing has been canceled after a fire brought the first day of running at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo to an early halt.

After Robert Shwartzman’s DS Penske stopped on track in the morning session, the car’s battery was removed by supplier Williams Advanced Engineering. It subsequently caught fire, resulting in a paddock evacuation and one WAE staff member being taken to a local hospital as a precaution. […]

The fire is the first incident of its kind in Formula E’s 10-season history, but follows one at July’s World Rallycross event at Lydden Hill in the UK which destroyed Special ONE Racing’s cars and equipment, ruling it out for the remainder of the season.

h/t Allan

Don’t Worry, It’s Transitory

Democrats Roadkill 21 Comments

Truth About Cars;

Subprime auto loans, which are issued to people with lower credit scores, are falling into past-due status at an alarming rate, reaching the highest rates of borrowers behind on loans in almost 30 years.

Subprime borrowers at least 60 days past due on their car loans grew to 6.11 percent last month, the highest rate since 1994. A combination of rising interest rates and higher purchase prices have made monthly payments more expensive than before, and an unstable job market isn’t helping the situation.

Repossessions are expected to show an increase this year of up to 300,000 actions as bills pile up for unfortunate buyers. As Automotive News pointed out, interest rates for subprime borrowers can be as much as three times more than those for everyone else, pushing payments up by hundreds a month in some cases.

We Don’t Need No Flaming Sparky Cars

Alternative Subsidy Roadkill 28 Comments

Vroom Vroom, Fizz Fizz;

The Ford Mustang Mach-E has had some weird recalls in its short time on sale, including one for the glass roof, which could separate and fly off while driving. Its most recent recall is also weird, but it’s also a little embarrassing: The electric SUV could experience a component failure in its battery pack that occurs while DC fast charging or romping on the accelerator.

Ford recalled almost 35,000 2021 and 2022 Mustang Mach-Es equipped with the extended-range battery for the issue. Recall documentation states that DC fast charging and “repeated wide open pedal events” could overheat the high-voltage battery main contactors, causing them to deform and arc. That could cause a loss of power and increase the risk of a crash.

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