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Ford is Throwing $11 Billion at Its Electric Car Problem (theverge.com)
Ford said on Monday it will boost its investment in electric vehicles to $11 billion in the next five years, more than doubling a previous commitment. Company's chairman Bill Ford said the car maker would have 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles in its range by the same period. It comes as countries around the world put more pressure on car makers to rein in carbon emissions. From a report: It was a dramatic escalation in Ford's crosstown rivalry with General Motors, which has seen its stock prices rise thanks to its commitments to both electrification and autonomy. GM has said it plans to roll out at least 20 new electric cars by 2023, a goal that puts it in a position to bring battery-powered driving to the mainstream. Last week, it unveiled a concept autonomous car without steering wheel or pedals. Meanwhile, the Blue Oval has had a challenging 2017. It remains strongly profitable, but its sale are stagnant, its costs have increased faster than expected, and its margins have failed to meet targets.
I have a Chevy Bolt. For my mix of driving it's nearly perfect in every way. For someone who takes many trips over a couple hundred miles it probably isn't practical, mainly because of lack of chargers. Charging is where Tesla really shines. Tesla Supercharges are not usable to charge anything but a Tesla. Their slower changers can be used with an adaptor, but that's mostly pointless on a trip. There are multiple charging networks and each one must be joined. Imagine having to join Exxon or Shell to use their pumps. High speed chargers are somewhat common in urban areas but almost non-existent in rural areas.
As for the car, I NEVER want to go back to an ICE (internal combustion engine) car. The smoothness, quiet, ease of driving and shear convenience just can't be approached by an ICE vehicle. I live in hope that the charging networks get built out so I can use the Bolt on very few longer trips I take yearly. I really love this car.
Range is severely effected by cold temps. Cabin heat is supplied by resistance coils (the Leaf on the other hand has a heap pump) and when temps are down in the single digits(F) up to 25% of the battery is used to keep the cabin warm. Plus, there is reduced battery capacity in the cold. I've seen my full charge range (all estimated of course) go down to 150miles in sever cold. Serious greenies, or people that must have the range wear heavy cloths and turn the heat very low. I'm not in either category so I keep it between 68 and 72 most of the time.
I'm much more sensitive to the smell of car exhaust now and find it more annoying.
Finely, I'll add that I didn't get an EV to be green, although it was a consideration. I was curious and ready to replace my current car. I test drove both the Volt and the Bolt. The Volt is a fine car, but the Bolt is clearly a generation ahead. Once I test drove the Bolt I was sold.