They mention Norway in the article and it’s NOT hard to find a fuel pump. Granted many petrol stations has shut down, but often at least one pump remain. And many stations has rebranded as “energy stations”.
What bugs me with the EV market is how you need a fucking app for every fucking vendor when charging on the road (and how Tesla cornered many of the prime spots and tried shut everyone else out)
Filling up with diesel/petrol I just tap my card at the pump and validate with pin. With EV it’s apparently “not possible”. And many of these vendors dont spend much on their crap software. Its pure lock-in.
I’m across the border from you, but i mostly use my card to charge. It’s rare, I can think of one bigger provider requiring their own app, but it doesn’t differ one bit from the petrol companies loyalty programs: “become a member and save X cents/liter and ger your own credit card”…
I think its slightly different because you are not forced into the loyalty programs. You can still buy fuel with a card at the pump without registration. With the app you can’t use the charger without registration.
See that CircleK has simple cars options on 90% of their stations, and that several others are updating their chargers with card payment option.
Power Steering fluid is phasing out too. I’m hoping EVs eventually get rid of as many fluids as possible.
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Solid-state car
Solid state batteries, hopefully soon we will have electric breaks. I hear it’s a challenge, which is why it hasn’t happened yet. But my ignorant self feels that a well shielded wire will hold up better to wear and tear than a pressurised hydraulic hose. Radiators are still a thing, but smaller. Maybe they’ll come up with a pure air-cooled system, or use a heat pump and dump the heat either in the cabin or off the battery/motor.
I think it’s possible to eventually get rid of all the fluids except for the housing/lube around moving parts like the u-joint. But then again maybe those in-wheel electric motors don’t need u-joints?
I’d also like the electrical and a/c to run off the main battery not the 12v car battery left over from ice.
Currently at a few percent EVs there is a pretty decent charging infrastructure around. There is no reason that would not be the case for combustion engine cars, especially since it has been built already.
However what we will see is refineries being shut down, as they have to run at at least 80% capacity for technical reasons. So above 20% EV sales starts causing trouble for them. Especially in markets like Europe, where car adoption is not going to go up a lot. Obviously exports are an option as well, but to a limited extend. There are also not that many refineries around. The EU has less then 100 for example.
Refinery shut down has already started in Europe^^, and those left are trying to find alternative markets.
while not wrong things will not be significant that fast. The average car is 12 years old and so there will be many years of enough still on the road to support existing cars.
Stations will greatly slow down building new gas pumps soon, but existing pumps are a sunk cost - you won’t tear them out without good reason as the money they make is still a nice addition to the bottom line for most stations…
Spare parts often are available long after any new car uses that part - there is a lot of money in autoparts and so someone will make then for 15-20 years to get the market, OEMs keep their molds around just to makes spare parts for years. Modern cars the drawings are electronic so they can make new ones (at a cost) even without the molds. A machinist doesn’t care if the part is for a car, custom drum kit, or a widget factory - just will you pay them.
Eventually gas cars will be colletcors items with fuel spercial ordered. however that will be many years yet,
While I agree in general, the decline of gas stations started long before now. The first reports i can find about the rapidly declining number of gas stations are from the later part of the -00s. Back then it was because cars had better mileage, but it also highlights that petrol stations don’t go bust because 100% of customers disappear. They go bust because 100% of the profits disappear and if the profit margin is only a few percent, that doesn’t necessarily take much at all.
There are other factors as well. When a commodity goes from a high volume, low margin commodity to a high value necessity, prices will start to come up.
I also wonder what happens further up the production chain. It isn’t just cars that are affected, transportation is too. The big push right now is for electrified heavy road transport. And if dents are made in that sector, the real high volume fuel, effects will be seen in everything from transportation to agriculture.
As for car parts, SAAB went bust in 2008 and there are still plenty of those around. However, that was before the digital revolution, so they are easier (not easy) DIY cars. Finding dealer specific experts with required skills and software is harder for newer cars.
Relatedly, I’d like a similar article regarding the gas network. Folks rely on gas for heating and cooking. As, generally the more well off, migrate to heat pumps and induction hobs there will be fewer users of the gas network. At some point the whole thing becomes economically unviable, leaving those less well off trapped in spiralling costs.
I understand why “those” businesses won’t evolve… gotta transition with the times with everyone else. Same business different maintenance.
I guess either be tracked or risk a bike and walking again
But you cannot own any EV because they are internet connected proprietary trash. Fully open source hardware is essential to democracy. Proprietary, internet connected vehicles are dystopian fascism. Democracy is fundamentally incompatible with trust in anyone else. Trust is a fascist political structure. Citizens in a democracy have a requirement to be informed and skeptical of all sources. Skepticism is the antithesis of trust. Trust is for halfwit fools victimized by cons.
Have you seen new combustion cars? The tracking technology is the same in both. The only difference is that there aren’t many old EVs to compare to.
I would love to not need a car, but I’ll settle for an EV if I can disable the tracking.
Dude are you ok?
Let him cook, he’s right.
are you
New fossil cars are the same, unfortunately
Yeah, but until someone makes a open source EV, old fossils are the last bastion of democracy
they haven been around for decades. I’ve seen books on how to do it written in the 1980’s - which is a reflection on my age not when people first did this, They have been updated for the latest battery and motors. There is a lot of effort needed so few do it, but they exist.
Bicycles and walking is the way buddy
Literally talking to a guy that committed to 100% bike at 400+ miles a week for 4 years in all weather, and raced crits before the 6th +1 crash with 2 SUVs disabled me with a broken neck and back while commuting to work long before lithium e-bikes were a thing. I still ride but it is now physical therapy. I’m likely the most hardcore roadie you’ll ever encounter. I did 66 mile daily commutes for years 6 days a week rain wind hail lightning or shine
I have a Peugeot iON. Bought it second hand, I doubt the constructor even knows my name. No app, no GPS, I plug my charger in our AC outlet when I park. Never had to charge it outside home.
I agree that the more open source, the more freedom, but there is a world between “We will upload your every move to feed MechaHitler” and a full open source car.
Trust is a fascist political structure.
I see what you mean but I have a strong disagreement with that formulation. Trust is a fundamental tool in building a society. But trust must be earned and chosen, not forced on someone.
I doubt connected cars will go away. It is very practical. Allowing to root the vehicle and providing documentation might be compatible with modern consumer expectations.
Check out the upcoming Slate electric trucks. They have no modem and use your phone to do (optional) software OTAs.
And you provide this? Or are you more of a keyboard warrior type?
