News Chevrolet is teaming up with Walt Disney World to reveal the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt EUV and Bolt EV

[spock8113]

Here we go again, more Mary Barra and Government Motors:
1996:

General Motors EV1 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Owners charged up over electric cars, but manufacturers have...

[...] GM has been hauling its EV1s out to the Arizona desert and crushing them.

www.sfgate.com

"While customer reaction to the EV1 was positive, GM believed that electric cars occupied an unprofitable niche of the automobile market, and ended up crushing most of the cars, regardless of protesting customers."
The EV1 program was subsequently discontinued in 2002

2009:

General Motors Bailout Cost Taxpayers $11.2 Billion

The total cost of the government's bailout out GM has come to $11.2 billion after the Treasury sold the last of its assets in December

time.com

"U.S. taxpayers lost more than $11.2 billion as a result of the federal bailout of General Motors, according to a government report released Wednesday."

GM doesn't have to pay punitive damages for defect that killed dozens, court rules

A U.S. Court of Appeals is protecting GM from paying punitive damages related to the faulty ignition switches that are linked to 124 deaths.

www.freep.com

"General Motors is protected from paying punitive damages related to vehicle defects linked to more than 100 deaths."

2018:

Thousands moved out for a new GM factory; now it's closing

General Motors Co on Monday pulled the plug on the Chevrolet Volt hybrid and the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant that builds it, both examples of a costly gamble that is not paying off.

www.reuters.com

"In 1981, the Michigan Supreme Court approved a decision to allow Detroit to tear down up to 1,500 homes, more than 140 businesses, a hospital and six churches to build the $500 million plant. The Detroit News reported 4,200 people lost their homes as a result. General Motors Co on Monday pulled the plug on the Chevrolet Volt hybrid and the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant that builds it, both examples of a costly gamble that is not paying off.

And where are the Minnie-vans?

 

[montyz81]

I thought the whole concept is about the future. All electric vehicles are no longer a cutting edge technological concept. There are other concepts of vehicle propulsion in prototype testing already that will eclipse all electric. Chevy, hence, G.M. can showcase the future better. It is a great ride though.

What other technology? HFC?

 

[montyz81]

Post show most likely. It has sort of been a tradition going all the way back to the world of motion days. They add new vehicles every few years in order to help boost sales supposedly. Im not sure if anyone has ever gotten off a ride there and then decided they want to buy a new car. Then again stranger things can happen.

I bet it has happened. People spend a lot of money at WDW, if you have a lot of money to spend, why not take home a C8 direct from WDW? Talk about the ultimate souvenir.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Hopefully, this will be more successful and enduring than that legendary pairing of the Chevy Lumina and as it was then known, Disney-MGM Studios. As far as I could tell, being the "official car of Disney-MGM Studios" entailed a large, out-of-place static display at the front of the park and absolutely nothing else of note.

 

[GimpYancIent]

What other technology? HFC?

Very good! In the interim pure Bio Diesel will do. EV's are a very good interim concept to satisfy a noisy non-majority. Have a great day!

 

[DCLcruiser]

What other technology? HFC?

Waste of time. Why store hydrogen in order to create electricity which charges a battery and is used to propel the car? Just charge a BEV and skip lugging around the hydrogen.

 

[DCLcruiser]

Very good! In the interim pure Bio Diesel will do. EV's are a very good interim concept to satisfy a noisy non-majority. Have a great day!

Please drive a Tesla or comparable BEV. The driving experience alone is worth ditching combustion engines. The benefit to the planet is just the cherry on top.

 

[montyz81]

Waste of time. Why store hydrogen in order to create electricity which charges a battery and is used to propel the car? Just charge a BEV and skip lugging around the hydrogen.

That is what I was thinking. Then again. Give me a good V6 with high octane gas and a manual and that is the only way I like to drive!

 

[Touchdown]

Let me know when I can drive 12 hours with only 1-2 <10 min stops to refuel. Then I’ll buy an electric car

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Let me know when I can drive 12 hours with only 1-2 <10 min stops to refuel. Then I’ll buy an electric car

Current electric vehicles are definitely better suited for daily commutes over long distance driving. Hybrid models are possibly an option; they run on a combination of electric and gas. So you have gas as an option when you need to take a longer drive.

Current high speed chargers will get a car from flat to 80% charged in about 30minutes. On a road trip, this = stopping to eat a meal, or shopping for half an hour. It isn't as fast as stopping at a gas pump, but it isn't horrible. Depends how often someone takes long drives. Another option is to rent a car when you wish to take a rare long road trip.

The average driver drives (in the before times) 29 miles per day. For regular commuting, electric cars are easily charged between commutes. (overnight/while at work) Electric car ranges vary from about 150 up to about 400, but the 250 range is fairly common. In practice, just as you don't always get full gas MPG, electric range is also slightly variable- depends on the temperature, how much you run the AC/heat/lights, and how one drives. Electric ranges are also improving over time. Some folks commute 3 hours fairly often; others rarely do.

At present, if your household has two cars, a very workable solution is to have one gas powered car and one electric. Generally speaking, electric cars are less expensive to operate, but that depends on the cost of electricity, cost of gas, and relative subsidies of either/both.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Within the past few days, several sources have announced that GM is aiming to offer all electric vehicles by 2035. Below, please find the NPR 4-minute listen, which was posted today:

General Motors Sets All-Electric Target For Vehicles By 2035

With the Disney-GM commercial preceding the electric vehicles announcement, I started to wonder if a Test Track 3.0, focused on electric vehicles and/or the efficiency narrative, is soon to follow.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

Anyone still miss the original Test Track and prefer it to what we have now? Just me?

Meh - they're both pretty mediocre. I do enjoy the "design your car" addition, when they'll let you actually do it...

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

I just don't get the whole "electric vehicles are green" idea. You still gotta generate A LOT more electricity than we do now, and make A LOT more (very dirty) batteries than we do now. Never mind distributing all of that power. I'm all for exploring new technologies, but rushing headlong into something that doesn't really look like a big improvement is strange.

 

[GimpYancIent]

I just don't get the whole "electric vehicles are green" idea. You still gotta generate A LOT more electricity than we do now, and make A LOT more (very dirty) batteries than we do now. Never mind distributing all of that power. I'm all for exploring new technologies, but rushing headlong into something that doesn't really look like a big improvement is strange.

I am curious about if there is any thought process to the disposal of the EV's once their batteries die. All batteries have a life span, the "E" car is pretty much a rechargeable battery w an electric motor on wheels, and when it will not hold a charge anymore will what happens. Is there a plan for recycling the hazardous waste that used to be batteries? Who wants to purchase a used EV w a spent battery?

 

[wdwmagic]

I am curious about if there is any thought process to the disposal of the EV's once their batteries die. All batteries have a life span, the "E" car is pretty much a rechargeable battery w an electric motor on wheels, and when it will not hold a charge anymore will what happens. Is there a plan for recycling the hazardous waste that used to be batteries? Who wants to purchase a used EV w a spent battery?

The batteries are recycled, and the actual cars can have complete battery pack replacements.

 

[DCLcruiser]

That is what I was thinking. Then again. Give me a good V6 with high octane gas and a manual and that is the only way I like to drive!

I’ll take a 6MT turbo-4 cylinder (WRX guy here) to compliment my Tesla.

Let me know when I can drive 12 hours with only 1-2 <10 min stops to refuel. Then I’ll buy an electric car

Well, that would be a pretty horrible trip on yourself. Currently you can go NYC to Charleston, SC (12 hours) and make about 4 stops of 30-40 min. My suggestion, stop at a hotel and charge to 100% overnight.

I just don't get the whole "electric vehicles are green" idea. You still gotta generate A LOT more electricity than we do now, and make A LOT more (very dirty) batteries than we do now. Never mind distributing all of that power. I'm all for exploring new technologies, but rushing headlong into something that doesn't really look like a big improvement is strange.

Well a gas car requires exploration, drilling, shipping or pipping, and then being burned in your car. The entire process is polluting.

An EV requires exploration, mining, shipping, generating and then that’s it. It’s clean to use in your neighborhood around your family.

Then consider using wind, solar or other means of clean electricity generation.

So the future process can be even cleaner. Gas can’t do that.

 

[wedenterprises]

I just don't get the whole "electric vehicles are green" idea. You still gotta generate A LOT more electricity than we do now, and make A LOT more (very dirty) batteries than we do now. Never mind distributing all of that power. I'm all for exploring new technologies, but rushing headlong into something that doesn't really look like a big improvement is strange.

LOL

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

If Disney is going to champion EVs - whaddya say about putting in some more charging stations at each park and all the resorts. As it stands right now I usually have about a 25% chance on any given day. I'd like to increase my odds up to a 50/50 proposition.

 

[JoeCamel]

If Disney is going to champion EVs - whaddya say about putting in some more charging stations at each park and all the resorts. As it stands right now I usually have about a 25% chance on any given day. I'd like to increase my odds up to a 50/50 proposition.

I'm sure they will as soon as they can get a company to pay for them

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

LOL

That's some awesome commentary there, Chief. Give us some more of your unique insight.