The Army and Air Force need to be merged and the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines need to be merged. The overlap there is just nuts, tons of overhead, procurement programs, command structure, etc...
So you'd be left with an Army who does everything on land and a Navy who does everything at sea (and does landings on coasts, then hands off to the Army at about the 15 mile point inland).
The drone pilots at Nellis (Las Vegas) end up with PTSD like field soldiers do.
While true, that is only because the screening program for that job weeds out abnormal people. Normal people simply don't want to kill other people, either in person or via remote control.
However, such people do exist... Once the military figures out that they can get socially maladjusted people to fly the drones, they'll have no problems, because such people couldn't care less about killing "ragheads" or whoever the "bad guy of the week" happens to be.
Is it a perfect car? No, FAR FROM, but FFS, stop the spreading of misinformation already and go drive an electric car!
You like your car, more power to you...
But it is insanely overpriced for what it is... for the same money, you can buy a very nicely equipped Ford Explorer with another row of seats and even more features.
The problem is the electrics just cost too much. If you simply need a small cheap car and don't drive too far, you're better served with a Chevy Sonic, almost $10K less and you just won't burn enough fuel over 5 years to make up the difference in price.
This right here is the problem. Yes, yes, it is true that most of us really could use just the current range, yes, most of us drive less than 80 miles in a day, 99% of the time.
But...
That isn't the point... My truck dings at me and yells "low fuel" when I hit 40 miles of range, the GPS navigation pops up and says "do you want to see the nearest fuel stations?".
At 40 miles... that is only half of the Leaf's range... at 40 miles, I make a note to stop for fuel sooner rather than later. The "miles remaining" actually goes to "L" after the 15 mile point, at that point, you have a gallon or less in the tank, it is seriously time to get fuel.
I was driving cross country last year and was stopping for fuel on I-40 (which some of you may know is rather empty in West Texas).
The gas station was closed, so I had to keep driving to the next one. It was a long drive, there are parts of America that have 50+ miles between stations (and are actually marked as such). Not only was my truck on "L" when I got to the next station, I put just over 30 gallons of fuel into my 31 gallon fuel tank.
Not fun, and the fear of that (regardless of how often it might happen), will keep people away from electrics.
Note: I was able to refuel in less than 5 minutes and had another 500+ miles of range to drive. Try that in an electric (supercharging or no supercharging)
170 miles is about 2 hours of driving. A car that has to charge for 30 minutes at a (very rare) super charging station, then can only drive 2 hours before becoming completely stuck, is not a car that has any real long range value.
Yes, battery swaps could address that, but by the time such stations exist in large enough numbers to actually matter, batteries likely will drop in price enough and improve in capacity enough to make them pointless.
And after 4 - 5 hours you'd probably want to stop for a meal, so your batteries can be recharged then (assuming a restaurant meal and not McD's or KFC)
Yes, but the Tesla can't drive for 4-5 hours on a single charge. With a battery double the current size, it probably could, but could it be fully recharged in 1 hour? At a remote location, sitting next to 20 other Teslas also being supercharged?
We're a long, long way from any of that, power delivery to remote locations isn't as much as you'd think (it does have limits), and the cost of doubling the battery in the Tesla should not be underestimated.
150 miles per charge is already here, just buy a Tesla S. Of course, nicely equipped it will set you back $100K, which makes it pointless. Price remains the problem, that will get better with time, but we're not there today.
The battery swap idea is stupid, by the time that massive infrastructure was in place, batteries will have enough power to not need to be swapped. At some point, 10-20 years from now, I expect to see 500 miles as the standard range on an electric car, 700-1000 mile cars will not be out of the realm of reason. Either that, or series hybrids will be what takes off. Swapping batteries is just not going to happen at scale.
There are several problems with your numbers and assumptions, the first being that Europe is a different place than America. So while some of your ideas and numbers may work there, they won't work here.
Driving 4 hours in the morning, stopping 1 hour for lunch, then 4 more hours in the afternoon, sounds great, just charge for that hour, right? The Tesla doesn't have enough range for that, in 4 hours, at 85 mph (the real speed on most of America's highways), you'll cover 340 miles which is well beyond the range of the Tesla. Even if you cut it down to 70 mph, you're looking at 280 miles. You are simply not going to take off on a cross country drive in a car that might or might not make it to your next stop.
Now, this problem will be solved once electric cars have 500 mile ranges, that would probably be enough, assuming there are super charge stations that can fully recharge the car in 1 hour, in many locations.
That is likely 20 years away however...
A much more reasonable answer is the Chevy Volt technology, a series hybrid, a pure electric car with a gas range extender, is more likely to gain traction.
Yep, this... I suspect that those who would make the trade are more willing to do so for belief reasons, "saving the planet" and "being green", more so than because it actually makes any economic sense. It simply currently makes no financial sense.
What I need and what I want are two different things. I do not, in any way, suggest that I need my truck. I want my truck, I am well aware that it is a want, not a need. But I can afford it, I enjoy it, and that is just the way it is.
Telling people to stop consuming so much, then in the next line, that there will be no reduction in quality of life, is being dishonest.
By definition, if we have fewer comforts, our quality of life will be lower.
Riding a bike to work sounds nice, if you live close to work, the weather is nice, etc. for many people, that just isn't an option. LED lights are a fine idea, that one works well enough.
All true... but keep in mind that hundreds of thousands of these trucks are sold every year, it isn't a tiny market segment... It is also one of GM's largest sources of profit, since they have no real competition here. The Expedition/Navigator really doesn't hold a candle to the Suburban/Yukon XL/Escalade, Ford only competes on the basis of price.
Beyond that, a whole pile of minivans and midsize SUVs (really crossovers) are sold every year, total in the millions. There are, mostly, no real options there either.
So what exists? Little cars like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt? Yea, nice, but those cars meet few people's needs, and those who can afford them, can generally afford more car. The sales numbers do not lie, the Leaf and Volt are not flying off show room floors.
Price remains the problem, that problem grows as the size of the vehicle grows. To get decent range, the Tesla is insanely expensive, more than my truck. It really is just a luxury status toy right now, nothing wrong with that, but it is up there with a Porsche or similar, it says "hey there, look at me, I have something pretty and expensive".
I really do wish Tesla all the luck in the world with upending the car business and bringing us cost effective electrics. It will force the big boys to compete or die, as it should be. I have no issues with getting an all electric truck, for my second truck... I just want a range extender in my primary... I'll get it, but it won't be in the next 5 years... Probably not 10 either, but I can hope.:)
Yes, but that is because of taxes and other factors, not because the gas actually costs that much. In the US, you won't see that type of increase, Americans love their big vehicles too much. A recent attempt to increase gas taxes by a few cents was soundly rejected in Congress.
Yes, you can rent a pickup truck, but it is a basic, stripped work truck.
My daily driver is a 2012 GMC Yukon XL Denali. It is a very nice, well equipped, luxury truck with all the nice stuff.
I'm taking my family on a 2 week trip this summer to Disney World, it is an 18 hour drive from here to there, each way.
I can rent a Tahoe or Expedition, neither of which is really big enough for all of us and our stuff for 2 weeks, neither of which will be very nicely equipped.
I can rent a conversion van, which will be nicely equipped, but not really the same as what I drive, still missing a few things, and it will cost, for 2 weeks, what I pay in 4 months for my truck.
There is no market for the renting of large luxury trucks such as mine because those who can afford them, already own them.
The challenge is to provide me with a way to own my current truck, but to get me off sucking down tons of gas every year. This is where GM has it right with the Volt, once that technology evolves, it will move into the large SUV area, then it will actually start to make a difference.
Cost remains the challenge, right now, the premium is crazy, I'd never pay the $30K additional cost that they'd have to charge. Maybe $5K more. I believe it will get there, but it will take another 10 years to do so.
You're right, that is an option. Of course, the cost to rent for a week is $1,200 and doesn't include all that many miles.
Then you have to consider that I need something big enough for my family all the time, so I already need a large vehicle. It sounds really nice on paper, less so when reality hits. If gas were $8 a gallon, the idea would have more merit, but at current prices, it makes little sense.
If I could rent the same truck that I own, it would be worth at least considering. But it isn't an option, no one rents such vehicles, the people who would rent them, own them.
It would be more accurate to say that I would buy the electricity from a stranger, not the battery. I don't swap out the gas tank on my truck at the station.
Agreed, for the price, they just aren't ready for prime time yet. Clearly that day will come, but it isn't today. For what a Nissan Leaf costs, you can buy a nicer, larger car, without the limits of electric. The price point of electric is just too high, for now...
Is that a manufacture rebate or government rebate? Something left off the conversation far too often is that once electric cars become popular, the government rebates will go away.
I just looked up some prices... Renting a Tahoe or Expediton for a week from Enterprise is about $500, this week. More in the summer of course. You get 1,500 miles at that price, which might or might not be enough. Neither is as long as a Suburban, which is more useful for road trips with multiple kids and baggage, both will be base model trucks, which can be owned for $500 a month. Luxury versions of these trucks cannot be rented as far as I can tell.
No, they aren't... In fact, some are quite nice... But they are missing features, they are not the same fully loaded versions as what is for sale. My Yukon XL Denali has two DVD screens, it has air conditioned seats, it has power folding mirrors and running boards, it has navigation, etc. The rental Suburban likely has none of that. If I am going to take an 1,800 mile road trip with my wife and three kids, I'm not going to do it in a base model rental Suburban. No one who can afford a Tesla is going to either.
Of course they do, I don't see these people saying electric cars are dead. In fact, I think electric cars are the only future, because they actually can use any power source to make the electricity, it decouples the car from the source of power.
The problem is that people want a car that covers all their uses, not just 90%. Most people own one car. For families that own two, one could be all electric, but not both.
The future is in cars with range extension, then when batteries come out that can drive 1,000 miles, you can start to drop the range extension.
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So you'd be left with an Army who does everything on land and a Navy who does everything at sea (and does landings on coasts, then hands off to the Army at about the 15 mile point inland).
The drone pilots at Nellis (Las Vegas) end up with PTSD like field soldiers do.
While true, that is only because the screening program for that job weeds out abnormal people. Normal people simply don't want to kill other people, either in person or via remote control.
However, such people do exist... Once the military figures out that they can get socially maladjusted people to fly the drones, they'll have no problems, because such people couldn't care less about killing "ragheads" or whoever the "bad guy of the week" happens to be.
Is it a perfect car? No, FAR FROM, but FFS, stop the spreading of misinformation already and go drive an electric car!
You like your car, more power to you...
But it is insanely overpriced for what it is... for the same money, you can buy a very nicely equipped Ford Explorer with another row of seats and even more features.
The problem is the electrics just cost too much. If you simply need a small cheap car and don't drive too far, you're better served with a Chevy Sonic, almost $10K less and you just won't burn enough fuel over 5 years to make up the difference in price.
But...
That isn't the point... My truck dings at me and yells "low fuel" when I hit 40 miles of range, the GPS navigation pops up and says "do you want to see the nearest fuel stations?".
At 40 miles... that is only half of the Leaf's range... at 40 miles, I make a note to stop for fuel sooner rather than later. The "miles remaining" actually goes to "L" after the 15 mile point, at that point, you have a gallon or less in the tank, it is seriously time to get fuel.
I was driving cross country last year and was stopping for fuel on I-40 (which some of you may know is rather empty in West Texas).
The gas station was closed, so I had to keep driving to the next one. It was a long drive, there are parts of America that have 50+ miles between stations (and are actually marked as such). Not only was my truck on "L" when I got to the next station, I put just over 30 gallons of fuel into my 31 gallon fuel tank.
Not fun, and the fear of that (regardless of how often it might happen), will keep people away from electrics.
Note: I was able to refuel in less than 5 minutes and had another 500+ miles of range to drive. Try that in an electric (supercharging or no supercharging)
Yes, battery swaps could address that, but by the time such stations exist in large enough numbers to actually matter, batteries likely will drop in price enough and improve in capacity enough to make them pointless.
Does 30 minutes give you a full charge? Of the Tesla's battery?
And after 4 - 5 hours you'd probably want to stop for a meal, so your batteries can be recharged then (assuming a restaurant meal and not McD's or KFC)
Yes, but the Tesla can't drive for 4-5 hours on a single charge. With a battery double the current size, it probably could, but could it be fully recharged in 1 hour? At a remote location, sitting next to 20 other Teslas also being supercharged?
We're a long, long way from any of that, power delivery to remote locations isn't as much as you'd think (it does have limits), and the cost of doubling the battery in the Tesla should not be underestimated.
It will come, in 10-20 years, but not today...
150 miles per charge is already here, just buy a Tesla S. Of course, nicely equipped it will set you back $100K, which makes it pointless. Price remains the problem, that will get better with time, but we're not there today.
The battery swap idea is stupid, by the time that massive infrastructure was in place, batteries will have enough power to not need to be swapped. At some point, 10-20 years from now, I expect to see 500 miles as the standard range on an electric car, 700-1000 mile cars will not be out of the realm of reason. Either that, or series hybrids will be what takes off. Swapping batteries is just not going to happen at scale.
Driving 4 hours in the morning, stopping 1 hour for lunch, then 4 more hours in the afternoon, sounds great, just charge for that hour, right? The Tesla doesn't have enough range for that, in 4 hours, at 85 mph (the real speed on most of America's highways), you'll cover 340 miles which is well beyond the range of the Tesla. Even if you cut it down to 70 mph, you're looking at 280 miles. You are simply not going to take off on a cross country drive in a car that might or might not make it to your next stop.
Now, this problem will be solved once electric cars have 500 mile ranges, that would probably be enough, assuming there are super charge stations that can fully recharge the car in 1 hour, in many locations.
That is likely 20 years away however...
A much more reasonable answer is the Chevy Volt technology, a series hybrid, a pure electric car with a gas range extender, is more likely to gain traction.
Yep, this... I suspect that those who would make the trade are more willing to do so for belief reasons, "saving the planet" and "being green", more so than because it actually makes any economic sense. It simply currently makes no financial sense.
What I need and what I want are two different things. I do not, in any way, suggest that I need my truck. I want my truck, I am well aware that it is a want, not a need. But I can afford it, I enjoy it, and that is just the way it is.
By definition, if we have fewer comforts, our quality of life will be lower.
Riding a bike to work sounds nice, if you live close to work, the weather is nice, etc. for many people, that just isn't an option. LED lights are a fine idea, that one works well enough.
Beyond that, a whole pile of minivans and midsize SUVs (really crossovers) are sold every year, total in the millions. There are, mostly, no real options there either.
So what exists? Little cars like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt? Yea, nice, but those cars meet few people's needs, and those who can afford them, can generally afford more car. The sales numbers do not lie, the Leaf and Volt are not flying off show room floors.
Price remains the problem, that problem grows as the size of the vehicle grows. To get decent range, the Tesla is insanely expensive, more than my truck. It really is just a luxury status toy right now, nothing wrong with that, but it is up there with a Porsche or similar, it says "hey there, look at me, I have something pretty and expensive".
I really do wish Tesla all the luck in the world with upending the car business and bringing us cost effective electrics. It will force the big boys to compete or die, as it should be. I have no issues with getting an all electric truck, for my second truck... I just want a range extender in my primary... I'll get it, but it won't be in the next 5 years... Probably not 10 either, but I can hope. :)
Yes, but that is because of taxes and other factors, not because the gas actually costs that much. In the US, you won't see that type of increase, Americans love their big vehicles too much. A recent attempt to increase gas taxes by a few cents was soundly rejected in Congress.
Yes, you can rent a pickup truck, but it is a basic, stripped work truck.
My daily driver is a 2012 GMC Yukon XL Denali. It is a very nice, well equipped, luxury truck with all the nice stuff.
I'm taking my family on a 2 week trip this summer to Disney World, it is an 18 hour drive from here to there, each way.
I can rent a Tahoe or Expedition, neither of which is really big enough for all of us and our stuff for 2 weeks, neither of which will be very nicely equipped.
I can rent a conversion van, which will be nicely equipped, but not really the same as what I drive, still missing a few things, and it will cost, for 2 weeks, what I pay in 4 months for my truck.
There is no market for the renting of large luxury trucks such as mine because those who can afford them, already own them.
The challenge is to provide me with a way to own my current truck, but to get me off sucking down tons of gas every year. This is where GM has it right with the Volt, once that technology evolves, it will move into the large SUV area, then it will actually start to make a difference.
Cost remains the challenge, right now, the premium is crazy, I'd never pay the $30K additional cost that they'd have to charge. Maybe $5K more. I believe it will get there, but it will take another 10 years to do so.
You're right, that is an option. Of course, the cost to rent for a week is $1,200 and doesn't include all that many miles.
Then you have to consider that I need something big enough for my family all the time, so I already need a large vehicle. It sounds really nice on paper, less so when reality hits. If gas were $8 a gallon, the idea would have more merit, but at current prices, it makes little sense.
If I could rent the same truck that I own, it would be worth at least considering. But it isn't an option, no one rents such vehicles, the people who would rent them, own them.
It would be more accurate to say that I would buy the electricity from a stranger, not the battery. I don't swap out the gas tank on my truck at the station.
Agreed, for the price, they just aren't ready for prime time yet. Clearly that day will come, but it isn't today. For what a Nissan Leaf costs, you can buy a nicer, larger car, without the limits of electric. The price point of electric is just too high, for now...
Is that a manufacture rebate or government rebate? Something left off the conversation far too often is that once electric cars become popular, the government rebates will go away.
I just looked up some prices... Renting a Tahoe or Expediton for a week from Enterprise is about $500, this week. More in the summer of course. You get 1,500 miles at that price, which might or might not be enough. Neither is as long as a Suburban, which is more useful for road trips with multiple kids and baggage, both will be base model trucks, which can be owned for $500 a month. Luxury versions of these trucks cannot be rented as far as I can tell.
No, they aren't... In fact, some are quite nice... But they are missing features, they are not the same fully loaded versions as what is for sale. My Yukon XL Denali has two DVD screens, it has air conditioned seats, it has power folding mirrors and running boards, it has navigation, etc. The rental Suburban likely has none of that. If I am going to take an 1,800 mile road trip with my wife and three kids, I'm not going to do it in a base model rental Suburban. No one who can afford a Tesla is going to either.
Fair enough, that sounds like an option for many people as well, you do have to buy gas for cars anyway.
The problem is that people want a car that covers all their uses, not just 90%. Most people own one car. For families that own two, one could be all electric, but not both.
The future is in cars with range extension, then when batteries come out that can drive 1,000 miles, you can start to drop the range extension.