ngc. Volvo going electric

[azguzzirep]

Volvo announced today that in two years they will no longer produce internal combustion vehicles. Only electric or hybrid.  Not sure if this covers their big rigs and busses, too.

I like the Volvo SUV's.  Can't afford them,  but i like them.

[GearheadGrrrl]

Volvo cars parted ways with Volvo trucks/busses/construction equipment/Renault trucks/Mack over a decade ago. Today's Volvo announcement is pretty much a PR stunt- It'd be corporate suicide to build only electric cars, so they'll add a modest hybrid propulsion to their conventional cars to keep their well heeled green customers happy.

[bad Chad]

The shape of things to come...
Oh wait that was the add campaign for the Triumph TR7!

[Rough Edge racing]

The shape of things to come...
Oh wait that was the add campaign for the Triumph TR7!

   Didn't the slant engine in the TR7 come from Saab ?

       

[John Ulrich]

The Swedish yuppies in MN will buy all they can make!

[Lumpy Idle]

i saw this on the guardian website and i thought it was a hopeful sign. i have heard (could be apocryphal) that the chinese (who now own volvo) have 360,000 of their people die every year from smog related illness.  there are days in bejing when you can barely see your hand in front of your face. it harkens backs to the dickensian london period when everyone was burning coal in their fireplaces and workplaces and they all breathed the result.  the chinese are well aware of the need for a change in the car business and the electricity generation game. currently they are the world leaders in solar panel construction and deployment.  i have no particular axe to grind here and i am not a paid spokesperson for anyone.

generally, as i get older, i have become more irascible and curmudgeonly. i am fairly well convinced that we will not be able to fix our climate problems and slowly but surely the human race will kill itself the f#*k off.  the fukushima #1's & 2 plants are dumping over 400 tons of radioactive water into the pacific ocean PER DAY.  mmmmm, seafood anyone?

so, the curmudgeon in me is inclined to believe that this is just a volvo pr stunt but when i initially read it i was really quite hopeful that it indicated a change. silly me.

[PJPR01]

Volvo is now a Chinese owned company...going hybrid/electric makes sense for that growing market - they have enough pollution as it is and need a cleaner burning option for the local market.  So it's not all hype...there's actually some logic behind the announcement.

[roadscum]

Volvo is now a Chinese owned company...going hybrid/electric makes sense for that growing market - they have enough pollution as it is and need a cleaner burning option for the local market.  So it's not all hype...there's actually some logic behind the announcement.

+ 1
Volvo  hasn't faired  well in  the US market so development and engineering will do into the markets with the greatest growth potential. Maybe a hybrid would be a nice to have since most of us generally drive less then 50 miles a day, why not? Hmmmm, this  is new think for me! 

Paul

[PJPR01]

Having grown up in Volvos as a kid (122S station wagons, 145E, and 245DL)  I have never bought another Volvo since my childhood/early adult years, however, I have to say that the new XC90 is a very decent option for someone looking for a medium size SUV'ish vehicle.  On top of which it now sports a B&W (Bowers & Wilkins) sound system, and that alone would be worth the price of admission.

Will be interesting to see if Sweden mandates hybrids over the next 15-20 years for their own local market...dominated by Volvos.

[jcctx]

No idea if it is true but saw blurb last week that the manufacture of the battery pack in a typical(?) electric auto creates more bad emissions than a modern gasoline auto would in something like 40 years!

[Green1000S]

So Volvo is saying that in TWO years they are capable of designing, testing and manufacturing a complete line of cars, all electric or hybrid.

That sounds like total nonsense. (Unless they will redefine the word hybrid)

[John Ulrich]

So Volvo is saying that in TWO years they are capable of designing, testing and manufacturing a complete line of cars, all electric or hybrid.

That sounds like total nonsense. (Unless they will redefine the word hybrid)

Maybe sell rebadged Tesla's and Priuses!   

[rocker59]

No idea if it is true but saw blurb last week that the manufacture of the battery back in a typical(?) electric auto creates more bad emissions than a modern gasoline auto would in something like 40 years!

Yeah.  I see those types of articles pretty regularly.

https://www.wired.com/2016/03/teslas-electric-cars-might-not-green-think/

https://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~wilkins/writing/Samples/policy/voytishlong.html

[blackcat]

Yeah.  I see those types of articles pretty regularly.

https://www.wired.com/2016/03/teslas-electric-cars-might-not-green-think/

https://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~wilkins/writing/Samples/policy/voytishlong.html

"By the end of their lives, gas-powered cars spew out almost twice as much global warming pollution than the equivalent electric car. Disposing of both types of vehicles (excluding reusing or recycling their batteries) produces less than a ton each.

Electric vehicles already result in far less climate pollution than their gas-powered counterparts, and they’re getting cleaner. Optimizing EV production and the disposal or reuse of batteries could further increase their environmental benefits. And as electricity becomes cleaner (which it is), the difference between electric cars and gasoline cars will only grow—cementing the role of electric vehicles in halving U.S. oil use and cutting global warming emissions."

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/electric-vehicles/life-cycle-ev-emissions#.WV5KobGZOWa

[Mr Pootle]

I'm all in favour of reducing pollution, and may go for a hybrid, but for me to buy a wholly electric car it'll need to meet a number of conditions.
First, it must get me the 200 miles from where I live now to the town I was brought up in on one charge.
Secondly, it must get me the 300 miles from home to the Channel ports with only one stop to charge it.
Third, a full charge must take no more than 10 minutes.
Fourth, there must be sufficient charging points, both in the UK and in Western Europe, for me not to have to queue for any length of time to recharge.
Fifth, the price of an electric vehicle must be in line with the petrol and diesel variants.
Finally, the technology must be settled. I don't want to find myself a couple of years after buying it to find myself driving something that's based on redundant technology.
I have a Volvo at the moment, and will look favourably on their hybrid offerings if I consider changing in the next two or three years. I don't anticipate that condition 5 is likely to be met by then.

[rocker59]

"By the end of their lives, gas-powered cars spew out almost twice as much global warming pollution than the equivalent electric car. Disposing of both types of vehicles (excluding reusing or recycling their batteries) produces less than a ton each.

Electric vehicles already result in far less climate pollution than their gas-powered counterparts, and they�re getting cleaner. Optimizing EV production and the disposal or reuse of batteries could further increase their environmental benefits. And as electricity becomes cleaner (which it is), the difference between electric cars and gasoline cars will only grow�cementing the role of electric vehicles in halving U.S. oil use and cutting global warming emissions."

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/electric-vehicles/life-cycle-ev-emissions#.WV5KobGZOWa

Yep.  Articles out there come down on both sides.

Most people I know, who buy hybrids and EVs, only give a shite about how much they spend on gasoline.  The Prius owners are particularly annoying.

Me?  I love burning gasoline.  It makes me happy. I burned two tanks of fuel in my V8-powered GMC dually pickup last weekend. 9-MPG all the way.  It was fantastic!

[rocker59]

- a full charge must take no more than 10 minutes.
- there must be sufficient charging points, both in the UK and in Western Europe, for me not to have to queue for any length of time to recharge.
 

Can you imagine pulling up to a "recharging station" (formerly a petrol station) and find all the charging docks (petrol pumps) full with cars which will take an hour to reach full charge ???

LOL !!!  That will be a riot !!!  (literally, a riot)...

[Chuck in Indiana]

No idea if it is true but saw blurb last week that the manufacture of the battery back in a typical(?) electric auto creates more bad emissions than a modern gasoline auto would in something like 40 years!

Back in the day, GM and the ethyl corporation spent *many* dollars hiring scientists to say that the amount of lead in the air was "normal," and not caused by leaded fuel. It took much dedicated scientific research to disprove all that..

[blackcat]

Yep.  Articles out there come down on both sides.

That article(Cleaner Cars from Cradle to Grave (2015)) from the Union of Concerned Scientists was part of the link in the Wired article that you posted.

Personally, I don't like spending lot's of money on gasoline/diesel fuel. My el Camino gets a ridiculously low mileage, as expected and I use it sparingly for hauling material from the lumber yard.

Yes, we do have an 05 Prius purchased new and it now has about 130,000 miles on the odometer and we changed the main battery around 20,000 miles ago and I assume this one will go for another 80,000 miles. Battery was changed out by Toyota and I assume it is probably in another vehicle. It has been a trouble free vehicle for the most part, the new ones seem better, quieter and have better mileage than ours but I'm OK with keeping it. Just changed the brake pads for the first time about a week ago.

I think it is a positive move for Volvo to go electric given their owner base.

[PJPR01]

Time for a solar panel on the hood, roof and trunk lid to charge the motor...may not work on a cloudy day, but I agree, the charging aspect has to be MUCH faster!

[rodekyll]

So Volvo is saying that in TWO years they are capable of designing, testing and manufacturing a complete line of cars, all electric or hybrid.

That sounds like total nonsense. (Unless they will redefine the word hybrid)

That's assuming they never heard of electricity before today.  They've been working on the concept for over a decade.

Go electric...and burn more coal to produce the electricity!

And who has proof-not computer generated model data-but actual observed scientific studied data that proves any pollution has raised the temperature of the planet?

I liked the two Volvos I had. This is just a pr stunt.

Almost everybody.   


I saw an article saying China is committed to having 30% of their passenger cars electric by 2020.  They're tooling up to produce 10x the Kwh of batteries that Tesla has in the works, and they're actively working to stage recharging stations like the USA has gas stations.  I think it's a move in the right direction.

I'm hoping that instead of charging stations they just unplug the dead battery and plug in another one -- like exchanging propane tanks at the jiffy mart.  Of course that will involve standardizing the battery  . . . .

[rocker59]

There was some sarcasm in my earlier posts.  I actually love the concept of hybrids, and have wondered why Toyota hasn't expanded its Prius line to include a sports coupe, a convertible, a real-deal wagon, and maybe a Ute.  They just keep trudging along with 5-door hatches.  Boring.

For me, a real help would be if one of the Big Three would build a bruiser hybrid 3500-series pickup.  1000 lb/ft torque on demand, for starting and for hills, hooked to a turbocharged V6 or V8 that could return 20+MPG under light loading.

[blackcat]

There was some sarcasm in my earlier posts. 

Sorry, I missed that and I was wondering why you liked getting 9mpg. 

[elvisboy77]

I'm just so glad everyone else is buying these "fuel efficient" vehicles.  It means I will have plenty of low cost gasoline (everyone's eco-boxes means a lower demand for it) for my 15 MPG Lincoln Town car.

Thanks, that was so nice of you!

[Rough Edge racing]

There was some sarcasm in my earlier posts.  I actually love the concept of hybrids, and have wondered why Toyota hasn't expanded its Prius line to include a sports coupe, a convertible, a real-deal wagon, and maybe a Ute.  They just keep trudging along with 5-door hatches.  Boring.

For me, a real help would be if one of the Big Three would build a bruiser hybrid 3500-series pickup.  1000 lb/ft torque on demand, for starting and for hills, hooked to a turbocharged V6 or V8 that could return 20+MPG under light loading.

 Hmm, there was a time when 200 HP Diesel PU trucks was more than enough to get the job done...That was when Diesels were about fuel economy and easy maintenance...Now they have 800 ft pounds of torque and piss bags......It's just like big bloated bikes   

[Penderic]

Here's a 1947 Japanese Taba Electric delivery van...



free image hosting

[rocker59]

Hmm, there was a time when 200 HP Diesel PU trucks was more than enough to get the job done...That was when Diesels were about fuel economy and easy maintenance...Now they have 800 ft pounds of torque and piss bags......It's just like big bloated bikes   

It's 900 lb/ft, this year.  And it's really nice driving one of them when pulling a heavy load.  My dad's 2012 Ford 6.7 diesel is rated at 400HP @ 2,800rpm and 800 lb/ft @ 1,600 rpm.  Pretty nice being able to pull 17,000 lbs of horse trailer down the road at 75mph getting 12mpg and never shifting out of overdrive!!!  My gasser GMC pales in comparison...

I'm pretty sure that the OEMs could use either a small turbo-diesel or small turbo'd gasser putting out half that power, coupled to a big electric motor and accomplish the same thing.  There is plenty of room between the axles for batteries and such.  There's even plenty of room on the roof of the crew cab for a PV array to help with charging.

Now that the diesel option is $8k+ for a new truck, you'd think hybrid tech could be competitive.

Maybe not...

[rocker59]

Here's a 1947 Japanese Taba Electric delivery van...



free image hosting

Other than the driver, what did it have room for?  LOL!

[Testarossa]

Didn't the slant engine in the TR7 come from Saab ?

Other way around. The original Saab 99 and 99e had a four-cylinder SOHC 1.7 liter engine that was one half of the Triumph 3.5 liter V8. Reliability was pretty poor, so Saab designed its own turbo four and made it in house.

[Two Checks]

Almost everybody

Actually....NO ONE.

It cant be done. There is no possible way to conduct an observed study proving man is the problem.
Why? To do the study man has to be removed. How ya gonna do that?

Maybe Volvo will subcontract the cars to Tesla.