Farley goes to the White House

[EV Engineer]

This is a nothing burger IMO. Big 3:

1. Farley had to show up. But they're also building a EV plant in Kentucky so it's clear they're committed to EV's.

2. Mary Barra drives an EV, didn't show up to the meeting, and believes EV are future.

3. Stellantis has done more than anyone in reducing fossil fuel burden because their products are so poor they've cut sales in half and are driving customers away so fast to better options like Tesla, Honda, Toyota.


I am for removing CAFE standards. I think there's decent data that it has led to bigger vehicle footprints overall to skirt the rules. The only thing I don't like about my Lightning is it's footprint. Trucks today are just MASSIVE.

I am honestly not sure all of the BIG 3 will exist in 10 years. GM yes, hopefully FORD. I think stellantis in USA is dying a slow death.

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[WXman]

Mary Barra you say? That woman is wishy washy. A few years ago she said, "an EV future is not sustainable" and today she says "We still believe in an EV future". Which is it?

"Yet, GM’s actions tell a different story. In a surprising move, the company announced an $888 million investment in its Tonawanda Propulsion plant, outside of Buffalo, NY to produce the sixth generation of V-8 engines for full-size trucks and SUVs. These engines promise stronger performance, better fuel economy, and lower emissions through new combustion and thermal management innovations. This follows a $500 million investment in January 2023 to upgrade the Flint Engine plant for the same V-8 engines, marking Tonawanda as the second facility to produce them. Barra defended the move, saying, “Our significant investments in GM’s Tonawanda Propulsion plant show our commitment to strengthening American manufacturing and supporting jobs in the U.S.” She added that the Buffalo plant, operational for 87 years, will deliver “world-class trucks and SUVs to our customers for years to come.”

This dual strategy raises questions. Is GM truly committed to an all-electric future, or is Barra hedging her bets to meet consumer demand for gas-powered vehicles? Consumers might argue she’s trying to have it both ways—pushing a government-favored EV agenda while quietly acknowledging that Americans still want gas trucks and SUVs. Barra’s claim of “choice” feels like a nod to market freedom, but it’s hard to ignore the influence of past presidential administrations’ heavy-handed EV mandates. If GM is serious about consumer choice, why not let the market—not bureaucrats—dictate the pace?

Americans aren’t buying the EV hype. AAA’s latest survey shows only 16% of U.S. adults are “very likely” or “likely” to buy an EV as their next car, the lowest interest since 2019." -CBTnews

 

[MaintGrl]

We don't need EV subsidies any longer.

We just need fossil fuel subsidies in all forms to go away, and to tax FF enough to make them accountable for their true environmental, health, and other damages.

The choice is a no brainer when all the costs are correctly counted for.

THANK YOU!

 

[jefrank]

The earth has been going thru heating and cooling cycles for millions of years. Climate change is a natural cycle.

But humans haven't existed for millions of years. The planet will survive in some form for sure, but will we?

 

[fhteagle]

Problem with that fallacy is that a majority of electricity is generated with fossil fuels, and in the eastern U.S. it's typically a large majority. So an idiotic tax on fossil fuels would not only drive up the cost of gas and diesel, it would also drive up the cost of electricity even more than it already has. We ALL get screwed in that scenario.

You do realize that you rail against someone else's "fallacy" (which isn't), while simultaneously committing a version of the sunk cost fallacy yourself, right?

Depending on whose numbers you believe, 80-90+% of new generation being installed in the US is already renewables. Because they are cheaper to build than than FFs based generation is to fuel, with subsidies, and without proper cost accounting. Let that sink in a minute.

Twenty years ago your argument might have held water. Now it's just clinging to a past that cannot exist in the future for a pile of reasons. The sooner we face the reality that "cheap" electricity never was, and start paying the true cost for this valuable service, the better off we'll be.

 

[Kev12345]

We have lots of aluminum to sell up here in Canada. Maybe Jim would like some Tariff free?

 

[Jim Lewis]

The earth has been going thru heating and cooling cycles for millions of years. Climate change is a natural cycle.

The above conveniently ignores the massive settlements along the coastlines of the world and the massive migrations and disruptions that will occur as sea levels ultimately rise several hundred feet. Also, most climate changes in the past have been much more gradual than the one humans are causing now, with time for life to adapt through evolution. And in the extreme, gross climate change, e.g., by massive volcano eruptions creating "nuclear winter" and acidifying the oceans is not a helpful, "natural" event.

The largest volcanic-triggered mass extinction in Earth’s history is the end-Permian extinction (“The Great Dying”), caused by the Siberian Traps eruptions.

• Percent of species extinct: ≈ 80–96% of all species (≈ 90% marine, ≈ 70% terrestrial vertebrates).
• Date: ≈ 252 million years ago (Ma).
  
  Summary:
  No other volcanic event approaches the severity of the Siberian Traps; it is the largest known mass extinction in the geologic record and is strongly linked to massive flood-basalt volcanism, global warming, ocean anoxia, and CO₂/methane-driven climate destabilization.

So, much for "Relax, climate change is a normal, natural event...."

 

[Rayden]

Another thing to think about, if we had a sweet small little Ranger/S10 available, one of them (or both) would probably turn one into an EV, which I'd absolutely love.

So far, it's looking like there's a Slate in your future.

 

[Altivec]

As some one from Canada, we just haven't politicized EV's like Americans have. Ignoring proven scientific data that human made carbon is CONTRIBUTING to heating the Earth is again an American thing for some reason. Stating that most Electricity is produced by fossil fuels, so why bother, you guessed it, is an American thing. (80% of electricity in Canada is generated from non green house gas sources). There are plenty of ways to generate electricity that require little to no fossil fuels (Renewables, hydro, nuclear...). I mean the USA can set up a plan to colonize Mars but can't figure out how to make electricity without fossil fuels that's already been done before... Sorry that's a cop out fed to you by oil companies.

Bottom line is the rest of the world is moving forward whether you believe what I said or not. I've purchased American vehicles (Ford, GM) my whole life but with the crazy priced Tariffs and the going backwards in technology, it's making me think, this lightning will be my last one. If you take a look at what's happening outside the US bubble, the Chinese are fighting hard to sell EV's in Canada as well as trying to dominate the rest of the world in auto sales. They are advancing their tech at lightning speed which is already going to be really hard to catch up to. Taking your foot off the gas and going backwards does not bode well. Doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going to happen to American auto in the long run. It's unfortunate that made up, avoidable, politics is what's going to be the downfall of legacy auto.

 

[MaintGrl]

But humans haven't existed for millions of years. The planet will survive in some form for sure, but will we?

NOPE! We will nuke ourselves out of existence, and the world will continue to spin, and will be a whole lot better off.

 

[Rayden]

As some one from Canada, we just haven't politicized EV's like Americans have. Ignoring proven scientific data that human made carbon is CONTRIBUTING to heating the Earth is again an American thing for some reason. Stating that most Electricity is produced by fossil fuels, so why bother, you guessed it, is an American thing. (80% of electricity in Canada is generated from non green house gas sources). There are plenty of ways to generate electricity that require little to no fossil fuels (Renewables, hydro, nuclear...). I mean the USA can set up a plan to colonize Mars but can't figure out how to make electricity without fossil fuels that's already been done before... Sorry that's a cop out fed to you by oil companies.

Bottom line is the rest of the world is moving forward whether you believe what I said or not. I've purchased American vehicles (Ford, GM) my whole life but with the crazy priced Tariffs and the going backwards in technology, it's making me think, this lightning will be my last one. If you take a look at what's happening outside the US bubble, the Chinese are fighting hard to sell EV's in Canada as well as trying to dominate the rest of the world in auto sales. They are advancing their tech at lightning speed which is already going to be really hard to catch up to. Taking your foot off the gas and going backwards does not bode well. Doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going to happen to American auto in the long run. It's unfortunate that made up, avoidable, politics is what's going to be the downfall of legacy auto.

All I can say is that I will do everything I can to prevent owning any serious electronic anything sold/operated by a chinese company. I do not trust their government at all and any company operating there is undoubtedly subject to compromise by them.
And yeah, I'm aware that my own government leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[RLXXI]

The above conveniently ignores the massive settlements along the coastlines of the world and the massive migrations and disruptions that will occur as sea levels ultimately rise several hundred feet. Also, most climate changes in the past have been much more gradual than the one humans are causing now, with time for life to adapt through evolution. And in the extreme, gross climate change, e.g., by massive volcano eruptions creating "nuclear winter" and acidifying the oceans is not a helpful, "natural" event.

So, much for "Relax, climate change is a normal, natural event...."

They've been claiming that about sea level for over 50 years and it hasn't risen an inch. I call bs.

 

[RLXXI]

The above conveniently ignores the massive settlements along the coastlines of the world and the massive migrations and disruptions that will occur as sea levels ultimately rise several hundred feet. Also, most climate changes in the past have been much more gradual than the one humans are causing now, with time for life to adapt through evolution. And in the extreme, gross climate change, e.g., by massive volcano eruptions creating "nuclear winter" and acidifying the oceans is not a helpful, "natural" event.

So, much for "Relax, climate change is a normal, natural event...."

I'm not getting into this bs argument you believe what you want and I'll believe the truth.

 

[MaintGrl]

Well, you know this is the day they have all been waiting for.
The Roll back.
Not one of those companies were doing any of this on their own volition, the only reason we have high mileage ICE vehicles today . . is because the Government forced them to, otherwise they would just eek along, with their paltry mileage cars & trucks. The world will be taken over by Chinese EV flooding the market, it's just a mater of time. Same goes for solar & Batteries.

 

[MaintGrl]

They've been claiming that about sea level for over 50 years and it hasn't risen an inch. I call bs.

Ya, you keep telling yourself that...
The earth is NOT heating up . . . it's snowing on the East Coast....

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