Ford announces launch of largest electric vehicle charging network in the US

[MULTIZ321]

Ford announces launch of largest electric vehicle charging network in the US.


https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/17/cars/ford-electric-vehicle-charging-network/


Richard

 

[Passepartout]

Ford announces launch of largest electric vehicle charging network in the US.


https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/17/cars/ford-electric-vehicle-charging-network/

Interesting. Thay aren't doing it alone, but it's an ambitious plan, in cahoots with VW, Shell, and Amazon. Good to have a big network that will be compatible with vehicles other than Tesla.

 

[Big Matt]

Stuff like this will change the auto industry forever, and it's a good thing. I still think the solution has to be light weight batteries that can be replaced as simply as switching out a propane tank for your grill. Universal adapters would enable this. Cars could have 4-8 batteries and you would go to a station to swap them out.

 

[bogey21]

IMO being able to swap batteries in minutes is better than waiting in line to spend 40 minute to complete a charge...

George

 

[Passepartout]

Stuff like this will change the auto industry forever, and it's a good thing. I still think the solution has to be light weight batteries that can be replaced as simply as switching out a propane tank for your grill. Universal adapters would enable this. Cars could have 4-8 batteries and you would go to a station to swap them out.

With current technology, 'lightweight, swappable batteries' is a pipe dream. Batteries with enough capacity to provide motive power for substantial range are heavy and necessarily large. That's why they ae mounted under much of the whole floor of the car. And the reality of changing them out 'quickly' when like 80% of a full charge is do-able in 40 minutes across different vehicles is just unworkable. Who is going to buy a luxury EV for $100,000+ and when on an extended trip have technicians take it apart and put in a used battery? Nobody I (or propably you) know.

 

[bogey21]

With current technology, 'lightweight, swappable batteries' is a pipe dream.

Agree but progress is amazing. First mobile phone were in cars because they needed the car's battery power. I had a friend who had a mobile portable phone around the same time. He had to carry around a battery pack hung over his shoulder that looked like a medium size suit case. Look at where we are now...

George

 

[Passepartout]

Agree but progress is amazing. First mobile phone were in cars because they needed the car's battery power. I had a friend who had a mobile portable phone around the same time. He had to carry around a battery pack hung over his shoulder that looked like a medium size suit case. Look at where we are now...

George

That's with current technology. LOTS of very smart people are working on battery technology even now. And the sources of the rare earth minerals (like lithium) that make 'em work are volatile. They burn unexpectedly. And are sourced in politically unstable places in the world. Unless you want your car fueled by a nuclear reactor under your seat, the future of EVs is incremental, rather than revolutionary.

 

[bogey21]

the future of EVs is incremental, rather than revolutionary.

Absent a major breakthrough I agree with you wholeheartedly...

George

 

[Big Matt]

Passepartout, I agree with you in today's technology, but I was talking about future technologies. Let's look at cars over their history.

Initially they had crank starters and simple gear shifts and brakes, then cars got bigger engines and became much heavier due to larger frames, seats, etc.

Then we got automatic transmission, air conditioning, and power brakes. That car stayed pretty much the same until computers came into being.

Now we have self driving cars, computer assisted everything, and eco friendly engines.

People will demand electric cars due to environment concerns, etc. Tesla is the obvious leader in terms of battery technology, but I expect it to significantly change, and my horizon is the next ten years. The only thing that would derail it is if we find an alternative that is even cheaper and cleaner (solar, hydrogen?). I also don't think we will need/use cars as much in 50-100 years due to technology enabling more remote interaction. I actually believe that we will have people traveling in drone like machines also.

 

[Passepartout]

People will demand electric cars due to environment concerns, etc. Tesla is the obvious leader in terms of battery technology, but I expect it to significantly change, and my horizon is the next ten years. The only thing that would derail it is if we find an alternative that is even cheaper and cleaner (solar, hydrogen?). I also don't think we will need/use cars as much in 50-100 years due to technology enabling more remote interaction. I actually believe that we will have people traveling in drone like machines also.

My crystal ball rolled out the truck door and smashed to smithereens so my gaze into the future might be a little cracked. Tesla is a leader in battery manufacturing, not the underlying technology. Others will catch up, and maybe surpass them. It just makes sense that the future is in electric transport, because eventually, the last drop of crude will be extracted from Mother Earth and electricity can be produced without it. I won't be around to see whatever follows, so who knows?

Jim