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I got all of them. I have corded equipment which I hate with a raging passion, but it puts out more power and is much cheaper than battery equipment. I have gas powered equipment that puts out the most reliable power but requires running up to the gas station and filling a gas can that inevitably overfills and stinks up the car and my hands, and I have battery operated equipment that's limited on power, but is really convenient, but I get tired of buying $40-$100 batteries every other season. Short answer is, I wouldn't commit to any one technology at this point.
Battery technology is really the issue here, and I would imagine is the largest threat to oil gas industry. It seems logical oil and gas industry would seek to suppress any great new battery technology, as its in their best interest.
Battery technology is really the issue here, and I would imagine is the largest threat to oil gas industry. It seems logical oil and gas industry would seek to suppress any great new battery technology, as its in their best interest.
Every now and then you'll have a valid point, then later get derailed and go back off to La La Land.
The oil and gas industry is not threatened in any way by any leaf blower batteries. There's nothing they can do about it even if they were threatened by it. Even if there was something they could do, that wouldn't stop other countries and governments looking for energy independence from carrying on with it.
Fact: Europe and China are forcing their people to use EVs. America is heavily subsidizing EVs. Not because they're in cahoots with the oil industry, but the other way around.
"General Motors is a technology company that makes cars, and the skills its employees had yesterday are continuously becoming outdated. Experts say that is the underlying message of GM CEO Mary Barra's"
lol okay keep shooting for the moon I guess.
old people can't learn new skills or company wont pay current employees to keep up to date with technology
Thank you for your loyalty to the company, don't let the door hit you on the way out.
And they've failed to announce laying off 80% of their contract staff as well. Possibly 100%, if they don't reach the numbers they are looking for.
Happy Holiday's....yeah right.
I should have elaborated. You will be waiting a long time (at minimum 5 yrs) for something fully autonomous (no pedals, or steering wheel) that you would want to own. Next year GM will release one, i'm willing to bet it looks like a toaster with wheels and windows.
What we need is totally survivable travel modules.
Armored, full 360 degree sensors, fully autonomous. It will look more like a big steel bubble, gliding along the road. No windows (too breakable). No driver's seat. Just a plush interior with surround-video screens so you feel more like you're skateboarding to work than being inside what is effectively a tank.
We have been hearing about the transition to autonomous (Self drive) for awhile now, lots of people either dont want to believe it or dont want to accept it...IT IS coming though.
It really reminds me of the days when the first motorized cars came out, I imagine there were LOTS of people that had a problem with that, and wanted to stick with horse and buggy...but here 100+ yrs later, even though millions of lives have been lost as a result to motor vehicle accidents, NO ONE is calling to go back to horse and buggy, so all the deaths were worth it in the big picture.
My Mom was one of eleven kids, from the mountains around Park City, UT. One of her brothers was killed at age nine, I believe - by a horse-driven buggy. But your point is taken, the automobile has increased our productivity and freedom such that a certain number of deaths per year (currently about 50 thousand in the U.S. alone?) is considered "worth it". Personally, as someone who is maybe twenty years from having their driver's license pulled due to old age (God willing), I'm looking forward to self-driving cars being available. If the only advantage was to offer mobility to people who cannot drive on their own, it would be a Good Thing.
As Ziggy100 mentioned, the main problem getting EVs to become more common, is that they're really limited to being owned by home-owners who have a garage.
It's funny to me how the state and federal governments throw a bunch of money in incentives out there with rebates and tax write-offs - to the tune of thousands of dollars, as if that's what it will take to replace gas vehicles, without considering the above. They are just giving money to people who don't need it for an additional vehicle. The people who buy them probably still own gas fueled vehicles, too.
I'd love to have one, but I'm not going to park it across town where I might find an available charger, and then pay a taxi or Lyft service to get me home and back again, hoping nothing happens to it while it's parked at the mall.
As to autonomous vehicles - I can envision the day coming when they can reliably maneuver using GPS somehow. If we were already at that stage, and I could afford one, I'd use it to be able to visit a friend in San Diego with my dog - who won't fit in a carry-on bag on an airplane. I love the idea of piling in a vehicle with my dog for a 10 hour trip, and being able to sleep half the way there. I can't handle a drive that long anymore, so it's 2 days each way, and a hotel room coming and going, which keeps me from going to visit.
Once they figure out the technology, I could see them actually preventing accidents. I live near a hospital and just the other day watched a couple come out of a medical building each with a walker, barely moving along the sidewalk. Then, they got into their car, the man took forever to get into the driver's seat, having to lift his legs into the car. And then he drove off. I thought, oh man, he should not be driving. And, then thought about how horrible it would be if I couldn't drive any longer. Anyway, maybe automated vehicles would be safer than many of the drivers on the road - whether they're old or young or inexperienced or texting... I figure eventually the day will come. We're not there yet.
As Ziggy100 mentioned, the main problem getting EVs to become more common, is that they're really limited to being owned by home-owners who have a garage.
It's funny to me how the state and federal governments throw a bunch of money in incentives out there with rebates and tax write-offs - to the tune of thousands of dollars, as if that's what it will take to replace gas vehicles, without considering the above. They are just giving money to people who don't need it for an additional vehicle. The people who buy them probably still own gas fueled vehicles, too.
I'd love to have one, but I'm not going to park it across town where I might find an available charger, and then pay a taxi or Lyft service to get me home and back again, hoping nothing happens to it while it's parked at the mall.
Which was true of gasoline vehicles 100 years ago.
I can remember when I started driving that long trips still took consideration of where gasoline stations were. There were still lots of "last gas for the next 100 miles" signs around the country. The electrical infrastructure is building, just as the gasoline infrastructure had to build.
Quote:
As to autonomous vehicles - I can envision the day coming when they can reliably maneuver using GPS somehow. If we were already at that stage, and I could afford one, I'd use it to be able to visit a friend in San Diego with my dog - who won't fit in a carry-on bag on an airplane. I love the idea of piling in a vehicle with my dog for a 10 hour trip, and being able to sleep half the way there. I can't handle a drive that long anymore, so it's 2 days each way, and a hotel room coming and going, which keeps me from going to visit.
Once they figure out the technology, I could see them actually preventing accidents. I live near a hospital and just the other day watched a couple come out of a medical building each with a walker, barely moving along the sidewalk. Then, they got into their car, the man took forever to get into the driver's seat, having to lift his legs into the car. And then he drove off. I thought, oh man, he should not be driving. And, then thought about how horrible it would be if I couldn't drive any longer. Anyway, maybe automated vehicles would be safer than many of the drivers on the road - whether they're old or young or inexperienced or texting... I figure eventually the day will come. We're not there yet.
And despite all the "hell, no" folk today, I figure the bulk of Boomers will reach the point of having to surrender their keys right about the time autonomous vehicles become practical. At that time, autonomous vehicles will be able to extend the freedom of movement of millions of Boomers, and there will be big demand.
On the tail end of an exceptional 3rd quarter ? $2.5 billion in profit, not to mention the $2.75 billion investment from Honda ? I doubt it, there is something going on for sure though. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/31/gene...s-q3-2018.html
Those not in favor of autonomous vehicles are effectively saying "the millions of lives affected by car crashes are not as important as my feelings of pleasure when I floor my car".
I dont think thats accurate. I think some people just dont want to relinquish control, and its mainly because they dont trust other people on the roads. I think once it comes, One only has to experience it working to believe it is a good thing.
Now I personally would want to have two cars, one is the EV, and one is my hemi. I would still like the pleasure of hearing and feeling it when I floor it. But the EVs come with good speed when they are floored as well.
I would love to be able to jump in the car and be able to surf the net while the car drives me to work.
I would also laugh at the people on the side of the road because their car pulled over for an error or malfunction and they never learned to drive manually, lol. It will get to that point. People have to get their cars towed (by remote take over) because a glitch stopped it from driving itself. Forget spare tires!
At that point will manually driving be looked at as an ancient skill? Will people be laughed at for learning how to drive, will it be what the peasants do, and become a class issue?
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