Goodbye Gas-powered GM vehicles

[V]

We all pretty much knew it was coming and now it seems GM has finally announced it. By 2035 (in 14 years) GM will no longer produce gasoline powered cars and light trucks.


I know its not a huge deal, and thats how technology progresses but still, its something that makes you stop and think. My younger son is already into cars a little and likes watching shows working on them and such and to think, when he gets his license, The new car showrooms will only have electric vehicles. Plus, its "by" 2035. Could do the full changeover years prior. Yes, there will still be the used market, but how long will that really last for. Cars today seem to be almost disposable, a 10 year old car seems old now. Even the older cars will probably become more rare, and therefore more expensive. And then we can only assume the price of gasoline will gradually increase to the point where it'll be intended to push consumers out of older models, and into all electric cars.


Also makes me think about my project cars, like my '79 Vette. That literally hasn't run in 20 years. By the time I get around to putting it back on the road, who knows if you can buy gas still. I see 2050/2055 as a reasonable end to having gasoline powered cars on the road. Perhaps it'll be like horseback riding and horse and buggy were back in the late 1900s. People still did it, but it wasn't mainstream, only could go on certain roads, no highways etc. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[sweetbmxrider]

:|

Start hoarding now???

Or start tuning Teslas???

[KevinW]

I have been thinking about this a lot (with 2 project cars to complete). My kids would like to get the cars eventually. My gut feel is most running classics will be converted to electric as more and easier conversions are available. ICON has already started doing this and the some of the major Auto companies are announcing kits: https://www.electrive.com/2020/11/02/gm-announces-electric-conversion-kit/

So my plan is to complete the projects with gas engines and convert to electric later when battery tech get smaller. Right now its the batteries that are the key factor. They are too large to fit most classics. When they start getting smaller and more modular, they will work well in place of gas tanks.

Electric conversions will work very similar to the EFI route. Remember when EFI were bricked by the dealer and you had to go to the dealer for every change. Now there are paths to modify the cars computer available to hobbyists and plug and play EFI systems that retrofit to older engines.

I think the biggest market will be for RV conversions. That is a huge market waiting for the right guy (come on Elon!) to produce. Just think, RVs are perfect for EV! Small amount of daily traffic, huge roof for flexible solar cells, overnight parking in camp grounds with electric, etc. I think the Tesla Semi RV conversions will be a business to get into! Those are my .02

[TaKid455]

Or put Tesla's in your old car?

[sweetbmxrider]

Steam powa!!!

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

Time to start hoarding! I still waffle back and forth but don't think I could ever sell my Z, all the old memories dating back to HS.

I already knew I wasn't selling my old boatercycle when I buy new. Time to lock in a newer Tahoe!

[Blackbirdws6]

I'm skeptical given the need for the charging infrastructure to improve but a lot can happen between now and then. Batteries will continue to improve providing greater range, the charging infrastructure will also be better and more prevalent, etc. I can appreciate some of the simplicity of the electric car with far less parts to worry about going wrong.

I will await the future car shows with a sign that states (no electrics allowed!) haha.

With cars like the Tesla Model S Plaid running bottom 9s in comfort and ease....I think there will be many more converts as that level of performance continues to trickle down to the less expensive offerings. I'll def feel like the old man in my slower, IC car banging gears with sticky tires making all kinds of racket as the Tesla whispers away from me.

[KevinW]

The charging station situation just confuses me, Tesla puts stations in strange places. Why are they not attached to shopping, eating and amusement areas. This make much more sense to me to hook up to the charging station, then go get lunch, rather that sitting there watching your phone while the charge creeps up.

[wretched73]

The charging station situation just confuses me, Tesla puts stations in strange places. Why are they not attached to shopping, eating and amusement areas. This make much more sense to me to hook up to the charging station, then go get lunch, rather that sitting there watching your phone while the charge creeps up.

Down closer to cherry hill i've seen charging stations at a couple of grocery stores.

As stated before, it's the infrastructure that will have a hard time keeping up

[The_Bishop]

Biggest problem with electric right now is the charging. If you like to travel by road, what are you supposed to do? Stop for the night every 200-300 miles? That's insanity.

[LTb1ow]

Biggest problem with electric right now is the charging. If you like to travel by road, what are you supposed to do? Stop for the night every 200-300 miles? That's insanity.

Don't travel via car, IE, be a city dweller.

[Blackbirdws6]

Biggest problem with electric right now is the charging. If you like to travel by road, what are you supposed to do? Stop for the night every 200-300 miles? That's insanity.

Tesla supercharging stations can get you about 50% charge in around 20 mins. Longer than getting fuel for sure but certainly not an overnight situation. Range is also in the 400+ range now.

[qwikz28]

Biggest problem with electric right now is the charging. If you like to travel by road, what are you supposed to do? Stop for the night every 200-300 miles? That's insanity.

I, for one, can't last for more than 200 miles at a time on a road trip before I need a break to stretch or void my bladder. Put fast chargers at rest stops and that's it. Fast charging can get you 80% charge in about 30-40 minutes and that is quickly improving. Considering the lines at the rest stops and the bathroom stop, etc., that doesn't seem so bad. Especially with how long it takes to mobilize with the wife and kids. And it's all done while you're not in a car, rather than at a pump which means its potentially less time consuming on a trip if your stop was going to take 30 minutes or so anyway.

Admittedly, I have no first hand experience with this but it doesn't sound so bad in theory. Yes, it's an adjustment, but the infrastructure will improve. I imagine even now, with the current infrastructure, you can travel more than 300 miles a day on an electric car provided you stick to interstates and not country roads.

[V]

What they don't really tell you is that using Teslas "superchargers" a lot, will degrade the battery and cost you range over time. The rapid charging isn't healthy to the current batteries. That will need to be addressed too. Either by making batteries cheaper to swap out when needed or have a longer projected lifespan, taking into account rapid charging.

[Blackbirdws6]

Just like anything else these days, few things are built to last a lifetime. There will be a booming market for refurb battery packs and folks who will sell them. I expect, like Tesla's, they will be on the Apple business model (already are really), where there will be a new, better model in short cycles prompting most of them to be leased. First owners won't care about battery longevity or degradation from using superchargers.

[The_Bishop]

Don't travel via car, IE, be a city dweller.

No, I don't think I will. :rofl:

Tesla supercharging stations can get you about 50% charge in around 20 mins. Longer than getting fuel for sure but certainly not an overnight situation. Range is also in the 400+ range now.

A Tesla also costs a lot more than I'm interested in spending on a car type vehicle. I use my truck as a truck pretty often. Fast charging beats up batteries with the current technology, and without a 'breakthrough' in electrical storage I don't see how it'll be feasible. Also, there's the whole 'Can the electrical grid handle the loads' problem.

Just like anything else these days, few things are built to last a lifetime. There will be a booming market for refurb battery packs and folks who will sell them. I expect, like Tesla's, they will be on the Apple business model (already are really), where there will be a new, better model in short cycles prompting most of them to be leased. First owners won't care about battery longevity or degradation from using superchargers.

The 'new car every three years' is already a mess with the used vehicle market now, how much worse will it be when there are expensive/hard to replace and/or recycle batteries in the mix?

[Blackbirdws6]

Infrastructure can come a long way in 15 years. If there is money to be made, investment will happen. Throw away culture is alive and well so why would those that can afford a tesla care about trading up?

[BonzoHansen]

I suspect my 67 Camaro will leave the stable by this time next year. Maybe not. But it would not surprise me.

The 77 is my brilliant red barchetta from a better vanished time
(unless someone makes me an offer i can't refuse lol)

[TaKid455]

One of the workers of Racing Junk & I had a discussion on this topic during an interview of my shop over the summer. Verdict: times are changing and electric power plants are coming on strong. Infrastructure will change and adapt accordingly. As stated earlier, if $ is to be made, it will happen.

Past arguments of changing of the times would be:
Horse & carriage vs Motorised carriage
Flathead vs overhead valve
Jet vs IC - (mopar) Jet didn't take off too well. Good effort
Carb vs injection
Rail vs plane


Where does that leave classics? They will remain, however, as generations die off, interest will dwindle to a degree. Think of the rage of restoring & motoring Model A & T Fords 30 years ago. That interest is much smaller now. I had a 1930 Chevy a couple years ago. Turn key, drive it anywhere. While it was fun, I moved it on due to reasons of interest. Point in case...I preferred newer things. I put it in the category of ' I want access to one, but not particularly ownership'.


Merging of elec in old cars. Absolutely going to happen. While late to to Tesla experience , I got to drive one this weekend(Model 3, dual motor). Its silly. Why wouldn't you want that type of acceleration & braking? Handling wasn't bad but not what I would call a corner carver. Not sure if I would trade the smells, sounds & feels of a muscle car for it, but in a cruiser or sleeper, totally. Think 64 Lincoln, anything from the 50's; 80's G body's, your G'ma;s Pinto or Chevette, ect. Giving the opportunity to do such a build, I would take it on in a heartbeat.

[V]

Currently I have a friend in the process of swapping a Tesla motor setup into a 90s MR2. Haven't seen any updates lately only due to the fact I haven't been on FB in months but I'm positive hes still making progress with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZFRRCCouU8

I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of doing an electric swap into one of my cars but just not in the market right now for that. Last time I looked into it, it was 5 or so years ago, and we all know how far advances have come since then. So what was viable then, is highly outdated now. As yes, battery technology is the biggest restraint. Not only size and capacity, it's also packaging. When I did look at options, batteries were the typical large car battery shape, a big box. Once aftermarket options open up to where custom batteries could be made, that should spur it on even more. Think about it, a battery in a pre-formed shape to fit in say a fender well, or spare tire well flush. Utilize un-used areas and be able to distribute weight around the car where desired. Just putting a battery box in a trunk or under the hood isnt ideal. Currently its common for enthusiasts to build a muscle car or such by swapping in a custom pre-built chassis. What if, they make replacement chassis that already include a electric drivetrain and floor pan length batteries. You could just drop your body over it and make the needed connections. A quick search online shows that several companies are already taking that approach. Its definitely interesting.

[Blackbirdws6]

I bet a pretty big battery pack would fit nicely in those infrequently used back seats of a 3rd or 4th gen Fbody.... Being right in front of the rear axle would be a nice place to put weight too.

[sweetbmxrider]

I think the drivetrain in a rolling frame makes the most sense. Keep that weight low!

[IROCZman15]

yea, this would suck big time.
I have zero interest in an electric vehicle. It is not for me.
I have less than zero interest in an electric converted muscle car.
I want to hear the 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 explosions, I want to smell the exhaust, and I want to feel the engine as it goes through the gears.
The big companies will do whatever they will because it is a business, but until the last drop of gasoline is consumed, you will not hear anything but distaste from me regarding this "phasing out gasoline vehicles" trend.

[V]

New GM logo... (or should it be "gm" now)
https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210108150400-general-motors-old-new-logos-split-exlarge-169.jpg

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/screen-shot-2021-01-08-at-12-57-56-pm-1610128751.png?resize=480:
The now-lowercase letter M, for example, features arches that are squared so they resemble the prongs of an electric plug, the company said. And the blue coloring is supposed to evoke "clean skies." I was also looking at their current chevy vehicle offerings and I hadn't realized they already killed off most of their actual car line. Aside from having a bunch of suvs, the only cars they offer are the Spark and the Malibu. Buick has NO cars anymore.



I've heard that 2023 will be the last for the camaro so that was why I was on their website, building and pricing one out to see the possibility of maybe getting one in 2 years. But to get a highly optioned 2SS you are close to 50k, might as well get a base c8 for 60k then. So who knows.


Cadillac only has 2 cars too, CT4 and CT5. But on the brighter side, I see they do have V versions of them. The CT4-v Blackwing has a twin turbo 3.6 making 472hp and has a standard 6 speed manual transmission. Then the CT5-v Blackwing has a supercharged 6.2l v8, 668hp, and also comes with a standard 6 speed manual. If they could only fix that rear window/trunk mess or maybe I just need to get used to it.


https://www.cadillac.com/content/dam/cadillac/na/us/english/index/vehicles/future-and-concept/future-vehicles/v-series/ct5-v/large/01-images/my22-ct5vbw-features-exterior-intro-image-1-l.jpg?imwidth=900