Detroit May Have an EV Future But Diesel Is Still Alive and Well

The popularity of full-sized diesel pickups remains strong.

Earlier this month the president signed an executive order to have 40 to 50 percent of all cars to be electric by the end of the decade. GM and Ford anticipate that this will happen, but they also recognize that the demand for full-sized gasoline and diesel pickups is as strong as ever among consumers. 

Reuters released a story on Monday that stated the industry expects to build 3.3 million full-size pickups and SUVs this year in North America, virtually all gasoline or diesel powered. The demand is strong and will likely continue throughout the decade.

The popularity of big trucks may mystify some, but is no surprise to others. Lawmakers and pundits pounce on gasoline and diesel trucks as massive polluters, even though great strides have been made to reduce emissions and develop more fuel efficient engines.

The big three automakers issued a joint statement on August 5 regarding their "shared aspiration" to meet the president's 2030 target. "That goal would mean boosting annual North American output of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to 7 million vehicles or more," wrote Paul Lienert, author of the Reuters piece.

The article's main thrust seems to be that the rate at which the automakers are rolling out EVs will be significantly less than intentions of the projected target. "The entire industry, however, is planning as of now to build just 2.6 million battery electric vehicles (BEV) and another 585,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) in 2028, according to AutoForecast Solutions (AFS), which compiles production estimates that are widely used across the industry."

All forecasting is a tricky business, in part because there are so many variables at play. Based on current projections by the automakers, AutoForecast Solutions (AFS) states that EVs will account for 15% of production, and hybrids another 3.4%. EPA is projecting a similar but slightly smaller number.

It's not that there's an inability to make more EV vehicles. What's missing is demand. There's simply a lack of demand for battery powered cars, and to stay in business manufacturers must. build products people are willing to pay for. 

Ford has repeatedly reiterated that 40% of its global volume will be battery-electric by 2030. GM has stated again that it plans to eliminate tailpipe emissions from light-duty vehicles by 2035. The reality is that trucks and SUVs are in high demand and consumers are willing to pay premium prices for them. 

The article ends with a note about the 2021 semiconductor shortfall, which has been a headache for automakers. Demand is there but dealerships can't get enough vehicles to fill their lots.

Here's the article, along with some informative charts to make it visual.
Detroit sticks with trucks, SUVs despite lofty 2030 goals for EVs

Electric Trucks Vs. Gas or Diesel, The Pros and Cons

Electric vehicles (EVs) are nothing new. Electric cars have been increasingly adopted into the mainstream for more than two decades. In this third decade of the 21st century we're beginning to read more abut electric trucks and it appears that we'll be seeing them soon.

Elon Musk sure has a way of garnering media attention, and his Tesla Cyber Truck rollout definitely turned some heads. Yes, it's odd looking by conventional standards, but then we thought the VW Bug was a bit odd when it first began multiplying ou American roads. The plan is to have Tesla Cyber Trucks on the road by the end of 2021 or sometime in 2022. 

Five other manufacturers have EV trucks in the works to be road ready later this year or early next as well. In light of these developments people are wondering about whether or when to consider this new concept in transportation. The ideas here below come from WBAP, a news/talk radio website story titled, Are Electric Trucks Better Than Gas or Diesel? 

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The article lists the following Pros for electric trucks,, most of which we're all familiar except the last.

Pros
Reduced Emissions

Lower Cost per Mile

Quiet (How loud is your golf cart? Sweet.)

Less Frequent Maintenance and Less Expensive

Tax Credits (EVs are incentivized)

HOV Lanes (Carpool lanes available in some places even if you are solo.)

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There are some drawbacks worth noting, however. It's nice to find them assembled in one place

The Cons

Range Anxiety

In 1900, 50% of all cars were electric. The problem was that you could only go about 17 miles before you had to re-charge. How do you get from New York to see cousins in Boston? 

The author of this article focuses not on the range limitation per se, but on how awareness of our limitations distracts and affects us inwardly. I'd never considered this before. What's more, haulers designed to crisscross states not only need to be recharged regularly but also quickly.

 

Choice of Truck

Right now the options are quite limited. There are only a handful of companies with EV trucks in the works.

Insurance Costs

Evidently, and I was unaware of this also, there are only a limited number of insurance companies willing to take the risk with insuring EV truck. Prices are higher, too.

Availability of Charging Points

The infrastructure is not yet in place as with gas stations. This is a concern, at least in the near term.

Time to Charge 

It takes minutes to fill your fuel tanks. Not so to re-charge your batteries.

Increased Cost of Vehicle 

Be prepared for sticker shock.

 

The Bottom Line

Here are the conclusions presented by the author of this article:

The current administration wants more EVs and will offer incentives. In other countries, the incentive helps but doesn’t cause consumers to sell their vehicles and have only one EV in their households. It helps but will not replace all gas and diesel-powered vehicles.

Manufacturers will be producing electric vehicles in order to meet the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE), as federal fines could be excessive over time. Manufacturers are not making profit from these vehicles and they’re in business to make money. If they’re not making money and are forced to produce cars that don’t produce a profit, it will only hurt their bottom line which will reduce their advancement in technology and employment.

List of 2021 Electric Trucks available

Rivian R1T 
Prices start at $67,500 – 250 mile range – deliveries start in June

Tesla Cyber Truck 
Prices expected $39,500 – very late 2021 or 2022

Bollinger B2 
Prices start at $125,000 – no set time in 2021

Lordstown Endurance pickup 
$52,500 – September 2021

Atlis XT 
$45,000 – available 2022

Hummer EV 
$80,000 – late 2021

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READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE:
https://www.wbap.com/news/are-electric-trucks-better-than-gas-and-diesel-trucks/

GM Rolls Out More Diesel Models Than Ever

There's a saying on Wall Street: "The trend is your friend." Until fundamentals change, an investment will continue to flow in the same direction it had been flowing. Growing companies keep growing, and wise investors buy into it.

EV cars and trucks have seen this kind of growth the past 20 years, some of it driven by hype and much of it by public demand. Every automaker has been active in the development of vehicles that reduce the carbon footprint of gasoline-powered internal combustion engines.

The media coverage of this adoption of EV technologies has been extensive. What's been missed, or seems so at times, are the advances in Clean Diesel technologies. Their reputation as being loud and smelly is so fixed in some peoples' imaginations and memories that they are unable to see the New Diesels in their true light. Fortunately, major automakers recognize the consumer demand.

This week GM Authority published a story by David Finlay about GM's continued commitment to diesel. The December 26 article is titled, "Availability of Diesel Models Has Doubled Since 2016." It begins:

The availability of turbodiesel engines in General Motors vehicles sold in the U.S. has doubled in the past five years. During the 2016 model year, just six GM diesel models were available. In 2021, that number has risen to 12.

The article includes a chart showing which GM models have had diesel engines and what kind of engines they were, from the 1.6L 14 LH7 WhisperDiesel to the 6.6L V8 L5P, which has a toque close to 1,000 pound-feet.

The article includes a chart showing which GM vehicle models have been powered by diesel engines and the kind of engines they've got under the hood. In 2021 you'll find Duramax engines in all its full-sized vehicles include the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe Suburban, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukons and the Cadillac Esscalade, which we wrote about here.

Finlay points out that GM has been neglecting its EV offerings. Not by a long shot. In fact, the global giant has announced plans to roll out 30 EVs worldwide by 2025. In the meantime, don't expect EVs to outsell diesel powered vehicles in the U.S. anytime soon.

Read the full article here: 
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2020/12/availability-of-gm-diesel-models-has-doubled-since-2016/

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