Perhaps most EVs ARE just compliance cars....

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Yep, spread over many models, not two. Chevy has a dealer problem. Lots of service complaints. Good to see no Volt complaints though.
 
CEO of GM gave a speech in China coming out against the recent announcement of China planning to ban gas and diesel light vehicles at an unspecified future date:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/business/gm-china-ceo-gasoline.html?

This is an issue of course, because China is the LARGEST car market in the world, since it passed the US a few years back.

From the article:

Speaking in Shanghai on Friday, Ms. Barra said her company was making a big push to develop electric cars but that consumers, not government dictates, should decide how cars are powered.

“I think it works best when, instead of mandating, customers are choosing the technology that meets their needs,” she said.

China this month joined other countries, including Britain and France, to say they will eventually ban sales of gasoline- and diesel-powered cars.

....

China issued draft regulations in June to require all automakers to begin selling large and ever-growing numbers of so-called new-energy vehicles over the next several years. Those draft rules, which would reward automakers for the number of new-energy cars they make, emphasize battery-electric cars over plug-in hybrid electric cars. Global automakers have been lobbying the Chinese government to loosen the rules before they are finalized.

Electric cars may have more appeal in China anyway. Major cities are linked by high-speed rail, and long drives between cities have never really taken root here the way they have in the United States and Europe.

Relevant for this thread, of course, because GM is making the Volt and Bolt in low volumes, not really advertising them, at the same time they are downtalking EVs at the corporate level. Get a Bolt? No thanks.
 
Competition is always good. Both forms of transportation will benefit if both are allowed to compete.
 
Competition is always good. Both forms of transportation will benefit if both are allowed to compete.

Indeed. There will be plenty of time to compete between now and 2030 or 2040.

I think the ONLY real import of these 'announcements' is that it helps get the zeitgeist on board with an EV powered future....which will take a while.

By the time these policies are enacted....they will be unnecessary.
 
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Wasn't GM that just moved 90% of their RD work to China? ( think that was last year sometime that that was picked up and very quickly killed in the Media)
 
China is in a great position for "leap frogging" ahead of the U.S. in many areas. They've taken advantage of the R&D done in the U.S. and their own (incredible) capabilities for production to implement the types of systems that we still squabble about in the U.S. (e.g high speed rail). As an example, the many polluting scooters and motorcycles that used to move their people are rapidly being replaced by e-bikes. Unless we get our stuff together in the U.S. we'll be looking to China and others for the technology we need to become economically and environmentally sustainable -- a sad turn of events.
 
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the many polluting scooters and motorcycles that used to move their people are rapidly being replaced by e-bikes.
... and I recently received my electric front wheel that turns almost any bike into an e-bike. UrbaNext I installed this on my wife's bike so that we more easily may ride together, as I normally ride faster than she does. First analysis of this electric wheel to e-bike conversion: very good and usable, especially for commuting. I got an extra battery, li-ion and very light in weight, to extend the range. With the extra battery the bike easily handled 18 miles of mostly gravel and hilly terrain and riding mostly all electric but using pedal assist on the hills.
 
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If they go ahead with the keystone pipeline ,they must by banking on relatively strong demand for the future.
 
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