The materials. Brazil’s using sugarcane-based ethanol. Cane is a lot more energy-dense than corn, which allows for genuine efficiencies. The corn gas E-85 we have in the U.S. is mostly a political ploy to subsidize the farmers without making it look like socialism.
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2nd: On one hand, automation scares me a bit. On the other, kudos to Volvo for working out a sensible way to test the tech without scaring folks. Keen to see how this develops.
I’m also in SEMI, and yes, it’s a 3K car all day long in this condition.
Patrick, you have my compliments. This is one of the best reads there’s been in awhile around here. A fantastic look into the “inside baseball” of GM during a crucial era for them, and one that brings relevance to someone who I’ve mostly known for talking about “a giant sucking sound” as he ran for president.
A friend of mine just bought one to replace his Spark EV and add SUV capability to his household, and he has nothing but positive to say about it so far.
I know one couple in Eugene that has gone BEV only, with a Hyundai Kona and a 2015ish Leaf. They own their own home, so they can charge without issue. Springfield/Eugene aren’t that big, and there’s not a lot to drive to past the end of the metro, so in that sort of case range typically isn’t a huge issue as I…
Unlikely. That’s not the sort of answer someone just shits out on the spot. Generic sport or gardening, or in his case biking, sorts of answers are what you spit out on the spot. Painting buses with people? Not a “on the spot” answer.
Ok, this is the most amazing thing I’ve seen today! Here you have a guy that’s suddenly realizing the fact that his hobby is... eccentric, and probably not socially-acceptable, the sort of thing that would have people looking at him like some folks in white coats should lead him away, but for the fact he’s who he is.
YAY! Ford hates Europe now too!
The new Silverado is definitely The Ugly One.
3rd: Can any of us even pretend to be surprised that there were others, and still are others, cheating at emissions testing? Bonus points if any of us are surprised that ze Germans are doing it!
I guarantee if you ever actually talked to any of them, though, they’d express a desire for their rigs to use less fuel.
Hear hear! I’m convinced that getting commuters out of their cars and onto bikes/buses/trains would actively improve motoring for enthusiasts. I honestly believe we as enthusiasts need to and should be the most vocal advocates for transit and cycling infrastructure, as those would make our hobby so much better.
And the sad reality of it is that New England is amongst the best vis-a-vis non-motorized infrastructure in the U.S.. Get into the Midwest and the West and it’s much worse.
And you ask a good question, good enough I went to the data (so thanks for that). Population growth is a small part of it. Over the same 2000-2017 period, we’ve seen:
US population from 2000 (closest year of available data without extrapolation) to present grew 15 percent.
Europe is larger than the United States (3.9 Million square miles to 3.7 Million square miles). Europe developed in a very dense manner, and European countries/cities still support very dense development by way of public transit, great cycling infrastructure, and reasonable impositions on motoring.
Agreed. Euclidian Zoning has done incalculable harm to the American landscape. I would be much more inclined to revert to a pre-1926 solution, modernized to include building codes and the like. Sure, prevent noxious industrial uses from abutting schools and neighborhoods, but aside from that, undo zoning. Get rid of…
As an aside, that podcast was one of the greatest pieces of media ever produced. Absolutely amazing!
Yes, having the choice to not require a personal automobile to go anywhere, having the choice to walk or bicycle to my job or some other destination, having the choice of whether to have a small yard instead of being mandated by zoning to have minimum 45-foot setbacks and no more than 30 percent lot coverage...