Ford agrees to $9.2 billion US government loan

[Sherminiator]

@flip, I thought Jimmy boy bet the companies future on EV?

This sounds like a CYA move?

As Ford loses billions on EVs, the company embraces hybrids

This is just stupid reporting-EVs are a long term thing and adding something that was planned like hybrids or hybrid like products was already done at least 18-24 months ago that are going to show up on the market in the next 12 months or so.

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[Realtor]

As a Lightning and Bronco owner and member of both forums. It’s a night and day difference in the reactions to this news.

As much as we all love the ICE freedom we currently have, EV’s are here to stay and I applaud Ford’s efforts to become a leader in EV’s.

If you haven’t experienced a Lightning You need to do it. The only complaint is range. But that only affects less than 1% of my use cases. It is superior to an ICE F150 in nearly all other aspects.

We had a Bronco and a Mach e GT for 7k miles. It's a great vehicle. We'll have another Ford EV soon, in the next couple of years when we have a home charger in the garage. Just a Bronco now.

 

[Dunning Kruger]

Unfortunately, like most other things now, EV's have become highly politicized. The advocates and naysayers are almost tribal.

EVs have their place, mainly for commuting within a city. Driving across America or towing, no, they will never be as efficient and convenient as an internal combustion engine. Sorry, but laws of physics don't care. But if someone doesn't mind mapping out stops and building in wait time, that's their choice.

There is almost no "environmental impact" spared by EVs. The impacts are different form ICE impacts, but they are there.

I don't like Government subsidizing the industry, but hey, our Government often picks winners and losers, or props up losers as winners. That, unfortunately, is nothing new.

My only concern is that the idiocy of the hive mind will eventually phase out all ICEs by tax burdens, regulation, etc., and make ICE ownership so expensive and impractical we are left with no choice but EVs. Ten years ago I would have thought such fears as being lunacy. Now, I think such fears are well founded.

 

[Roofus]

Unfortunately, like most other things now, EV's have become highly politicized. The advocates and naysayers are almost tribal.

EVs have their place, mainly for commuting within a city. Driving across America or towing, no, they will never be as efficient and convenient as an internal combustion engine. Sorry, but laws of physics don't care. But if someone doesn't mind mapping out stops and building in wait time, that's their choice.

There is almost no "environmental impact" spared by EVs. The impacts are different form ICE impacts, but they are there.

I don't like Government subsidizing the industry, but hey, our Government often picks winners and losers, or props up losers as winners. That, unfortunately, is nothing new.

My only concern is that the idiocy of the hive mind will eventually phase out all ICEs by tax burdens, regulation, etc., and make ICE ownership so expensive and impractical we are left with no choice but EVs. Ten years ago I would have thought such fears as being lunacy. Now, I think such fears are well founded.

Excellent summary. Think you hit the nail on the head. I'm not opposed to EV's in any way, but agree that they should completely be a market-driven decision for purchase based on individual circumstances rather than a forced purchase by destroying the other market choices through taxation and regulation.

Like you, my problem is the government subsidization in all the wrong ways. If, let's say, Congress and DoT and DoE came together and said, we're going to subsidize infrastructure to help build the tens of thousands of charging stations we'd actually need for people to travel at distance confidently and we're going to build the additional power plants and energy storage solutions we need to increase grid capacity to transition part of the population to EV, then I'd probably be somewhat behind it. But the let's just throw billions at random garbage and see if anything sticks is such a dumb waste of our people's tax dollars and labor. The current "plan" just seems to be to force everyone to adopt EV's by destroying the ICE market, reducing grid capacity while increasing grid demand, and then we all enjoy regular brown outs in 5-10 years.

 

[North7]

rather than a forced purchase by destroying the other market choices through taxation and regulation.

I know someone higher up at Toyota, he said the 2030 regulations are currently unattainable by any manufacturer, but reality be dammed.

The government over regulate things, where did you ever get that idea?
/s

 

[Roofus]

Wait wait wait... Do they make these for people? This might be an excellent natural gas resale opportunity for my weekly buffalo wing night.

 

[BRBUSTER72]

This.... ^^^^

EV Tech has a long way to go before its truly viable for the majority... but a genie doesn't just dance along and give us innovation.... this is how it happens...

comments like that guy's just scream "get off my lawn!" and exhibit a gross misunderstanding of how progress is achieved... whatever tech fails, they'll work on ways to make it better... new standards for efficiency suck, but they are a necessary evil.

As much as I dislike a lot of what people call progress. if it is to work this is how it happens. Small increments and sometimes then what seems like an explosion of innovation.

 

[BigHoof]

The current "plan" just seems to be to force everyone to adopt EV's by destroying the ICE market, reducing grid capacity while increasing grid demand, and then we all enjoy regular brown outs in 5-10 years.

Around here (and most likely elsewhere), they have been decommissioning power plants. The worst part is that they are not putting them in mothballs as in the past. The gov is requiring the sites to completely destroy all of the components, generators, boilers, electrical gear, ect. Should there be an emergency grid situation, there will be nothing to fall back on. There has to be a greater plan at work here that will not bode well for the commoners.

 

[Roofus]

Around here (and most likely elsewhere), they have been decommissioning power plants. The worst part is that they are not putting them in mothballs as in the past. The gov is requiring the sites to completely destroy all of the components, generators, boilers, electrical gear, ect. Should there be an emergency grid situation, there will be nothing to fall back on. There has to be a greater plan at work here that will not bode well for the commoners.

I have no doubt the rich men north of Richmond will all have waivers for ICE vehicles and be just fine. Ask me how I know...

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