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Mercedes-Benz scales back electric ambitions as EV pessimism grows
(arstechnica.com)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Wish they would take the hybrid model and flip it. I love my gas/EV hybrid but the EV side of things is only good for 50miles or so. Its much more a gas vehicle really than an EV. Why not a primarily EV vehicle with large battery and a small gas generator for those Oh crap, I need another 50-100 miles right now with no time to charge moments?
Because you waste a lot energy transporting a heavy mostly useless gas tank and motor. In the other hand, if gas is main motor, you can use the battery / EV motor to get brake energy back and accelerate faster.
Yeah, seems like there could be a point where the gas engine sufficient to generate an emergency charge could be small enough that the impact while non negligible would be worth the elimination of battery fear. The tank could be empty most of the time and just available for a quick gas station fill if on a long trip and battery prediction is insufficient to reach the destination. Alternatively fast capacitor charges or a small swappable emergency battery that gas stations could carry for evs seem like systemic changes that could help with this issue.
Because 90% of the time 50 miles is enough for you (maybe not you, but most people) to get through the day and charge it, while you will only need gas on those long occasional trips.
People keep saying this, but when I'm buying a 40k car I want to be able to go shopping and cross country with my family. The fact that I'll only use it for the occasional family trip is irrelevant. The point is my current ICE car does both things without any worry. If EVs want to win they need to be better than the ICE counterparts.
I want to reduce emissions but you'll never get adoption of something that's objectively worse. If I have to worry if it will start in the winter or reach the next town on my trip, it's a non-starter. And that's even before we get to the insane prices of new cars.
Yes