mpgmike
Well-Known Member
The Internal Combustion Engine (ICE as it is called in scientific papers) was patented when the United States was fighting its Civil War -- the 1860's!! If you had to rely on that engine to get you from point A to point B, you'd be bitchin' up a storm! When you look at the quadrillions of $dollars that have been invested in refining the internal combustion engine over the past century and a half, it is now a relatively respectable machine.
Believe it or not, Henry Ford was initially interested in developing an electric car. He shifted gears when he realized Rockefeller (Standard Oil) was intending to shut him down. He made a pact. There are electric cars that date back as far as ICE powered cars. There came a point where petroleum made more sense than electric, based on the economics of the time.
With all that said, there are many (me included) that believe there is potential in the electric vehicle that has not yet been realized. I assure you that the EV technology is way beyond what it was even 20 years ago when GM introduced the EV-1 ("Who Killed the Electric Car" movie). What might have happened if the quadrillions of research dollars invested into ICE's were diverted to EVs??? The story would be dramatically different!!
I recently had a conversation with a local farmer that told me that New Jersey is trying to force electric tractors on its farmers. I exploded! EVs have a place, based on current technology. Farm tractors are NOT that place! A farmer puts a tractor in a field and leaves it there for the season. They pack 5-gallon containers of diesel fuel in to refuel. WHERE IS A CONVENIENT GRID WHICH THE FARMER CAN RECHARGE AN ELECTRIC TRACTOR?????
I try to be realistic. I work with electronics as my day job. I have had my name on a couple patent applications for ICE fuel economy improvements, but have also developed improvements for electric apparatuses. I'm in both camps. I have to realistically acknowledge when one technology is the best fit for a particular application. I know there are those that have fallen in love with vintage ICE iron -- the focus of this Forum. (My newest vehicle is 1995, so I can relate.) However, I ask you be open to the possibilities that abound for future EV plausibilities. I assure you there are small companies solving problems left and right. If you could look at the 2026 EV offerings (I know, you sent your crystal ball out for polishing and can't), you would see that they are much more capable than the 2022 selection. Believe me, I have doubts about the Grid's ability to supply the necessary power for EV charging, range anxiety, and many of the same issues you probably question. But I see solutions in the pipeline. Just sayin'.
Believe it or not, Henry Ford was initially interested in developing an electric car. He shifted gears when he realized Rockefeller (Standard Oil) was intending to shut him down. He made a pact. There are electric cars that date back as far as ICE powered cars. There came a point where petroleum made more sense than electric, based on the economics of the time.
With all that said, there are many (me included) that believe there is potential in the electric vehicle that has not yet been realized. I assure you that the EV technology is way beyond what it was even 20 years ago when GM introduced the EV-1 ("Who Killed the Electric Car" movie). What might have happened if the quadrillions of research dollars invested into ICE's were diverted to EVs??? The story would be dramatically different!!
I recently had a conversation with a local farmer that told me that New Jersey is trying to force electric tractors on its farmers. I exploded! EVs have a place, based on current technology. Farm tractors are NOT that place! A farmer puts a tractor in a field and leaves it there for the season. They pack 5-gallon containers of diesel fuel in to refuel. WHERE IS A CONVENIENT GRID WHICH THE FARMER CAN RECHARGE AN ELECTRIC TRACTOR?????
I try to be realistic. I work with electronics as my day job. I have had my name on a couple patent applications for ICE fuel economy improvements, but have also developed improvements for electric apparatuses. I'm in both camps. I have to realistically acknowledge when one technology is the best fit for a particular application. I know there are those that have fallen in love with vintage ICE iron -- the focus of this Forum. (My newest vehicle is 1995, so I can relate.) However, I ask you be open to the possibilities that abound for future EV plausibilities. I assure you there are small companies solving problems left and right. If you could look at the 2026 EV offerings (I know, you sent your crystal ball out for polishing and can't), you would see that they are much more capable than the 2022 selection. Believe me, I have doubts about the Grid's ability to supply the necessary power for EV charging, range anxiety, and many of the same issues you probably question. But I see solutions in the pipeline. Just sayin'.
