Talk about planned obsolescence.
GM reportedly stops providing battery pack replacements for the Chevy Spark EV (msn.com)

 

It's often risky to buy new technology before it's mainstream. The components are not yet standardized.

Until tech progresses enough that there are only a few types of batteries produced, this will remain a risk for EV buyers.

 

EV's are such a joke. They use energy from coal fired electric plants and the disposal of the batteries is a huge problem. They have cobalt in the batteries and 68% of the worlds cobalt comes from the Congo. Think about that for a minute.

 

When the car became an iPhone

 

Oh wait we aren't supposed to ask those questions.

 

I am a Oldsmobile guy who has BTR building the Nascar or HP block For My 87 Custom Cutlass. And also have a 85 Seville and 85 Eldorado. Have a Tesla Model Y coming in September.. Built in Austin, TX.

We test drove a Model Y awd.. At the new Tesla sales office in Brownsville, TX. The ride was better than the Caddy's. When I hit the pedal hard, the girls though we were rear-ended by a speeding truck.

It accelerated that quickly. Driven many different cars in my 65 years. This is the best of them all. Will always keep my baby HighwayStar. But will be selling the Caddy's.

Even recent backlash against renewables. Wind and solar have been making huge leaps in percentage of power producing in US. Here in Cameron county Texas, are hundreds of windmills. No coal, but LNG here.

Do not turn this political.

 

That doesn't surprise me that GM would do that. Seems typical for them.

 

I guess it would matter if anyone cared. Obviously the Spark owners, but hey, they bit on the hype, now the hype is biting into them.

You get what you pay for. And then, sometimes you don't. The only battery I give two ****** about is the 12V ones.

 

a risk to ALL Washingtonians who want to register a new car after 2029. Thank you Jaydolf.

 

The Amish people are laughing their *** off

 

This thread and the one Solly posted on TVs and other appliances will sure give you pause.

There are things I consider a lifetime purchase. When the electronics fail and the manufacturer no longer supports it, and it's less than ten years old? Makes you wonder if all this technology is worth it.

 

awesome observation. Probably the only people to survive the Great Reset unscathed. No reliance on synthetic fertilizer or microchips.

 

I predict pure EV's will NEVER be mainstream as long as the mobile power is derived from any kind of battery. The chemistry is going to max out in our realm, the laws of physics will not elvolve to stay in step with any amount of legislation.

As much as I admire Big Daddy even he can't force the march of technology, he earned his electric vehicle fire merit badge yesterday, geez stand there are breathe the fumes OMG:

 

The inadequacies of personally owned EV's are the stepping stone. You will own nothing, ride the coal fired sourced electric bus and like it, plebe! I will stop now as our administrator will likely step in.

 

I bet the other racers LOVED watching the safety crew dousing the fire with water right there on the starting line. 🙄

At least pull the car off the track, don’t screw up the racing surface for everyone else.

 

The super bowl commercial with the midget from the "austin powers" movies was nauseating. Guess we are all going to be instantly rich, to be able to "buy" one of these throwaway things.

 

Just looks like parts obsolescence. Probably didn't sell enough to justify keeping the production line running. The bigger thing I'd argue about is WTF isn't there a standardized battery module - like the 12v battery sizes - to avoid this kind of thing? Sure, it'd be a pain in the *** to design around, but seems like it would save a lot of headaches for all the manufacturers.
As a comparison, my Lincoln LS uses the Jag 3.9 v8. Can't buy *any* internal engine parts and haven't been able to since even when the car was new.
Sure, sucks more with a battery, but how many folks are likely to re-battery a car? Probably about the same that are willing to rebuild an engine.

 

I only know of one person in my circle with a Prius, don't know the year of vehicle. But the battery(s) aged out and due to cost he opted to trade it on a Kia, and wasn't allowed much on the Prius even with the hot market for used cars. To the dealers with their plaid pants on it's just another used car, this guy is a big-time hugger and makes sure everyone knows that. And Prius is a Toyota! which we expect to have the very best resale result.

 

Model Y I opted for the three years lease. So many changes in the technology in a short time. My Old's is the only car I want to keep, long term.

Plan on taking a long trip to see family, friends and old girlfriends to reminisce. So to speak! I am looking forward to the Autopilot and full Self-Driving if available.

I would still take control in work zones, around crazy drivers and city driving. Get the chance really see the county. Just not taking a fast glance as I drive .

Battery packs will never be interchangeable. Plans of upping the voltage to 800 to 950 with the different automakers. Some are up there already. Higher voltage is more efficient.

The Y I drove had a very low center or gravity. Even for a taller Tesla. Took a few wild turns in the test drive. Not sure you could flip it over.

The danger I see is in a crash. Need to get out as soon as possible. Not to get into a pisssing fight, fires are few and far between. We are not talking experimental dragster.

Now as the Fire Sprinkler Professional. Fire protection of lithium-ion battery suck! Designed a fire sprinkler system for a small computer battery retailer. Went with the latest codes to design system.

And told the owner. To get a few pails of sand, good fireplace wood tongs and welder gloves. And newly developed Vermiculite base fire extinguishing agent for lithium-ion battery. To put out a small fire himself.

I plan on keeping a few of their extinguishers in the Tesla. https://www.avdfire.com/

 

Any car fire is no joke, regardless of the source. Pretty sad when you have to have fire suppression systems installed in your car to keep it from turning into a BBQ pit. Lemme guess, ANOTHER battery to control the suppression system?

Best solution is not to buy into the hype and BS until it's been PROVEN beyond a reasonable time frame of the safety of these so-called "safe" battery powered cars. There needs to be more standardization of things that will bring down costs and increase reliability. Until then, all this proprietary crap is simply just that. Crap.

I see it like this- if you're too lazy to actually drive your car, simply take the fuggin' Greyhound, or Uber, or a Johnny Cab, etc. Auto Self drive or whatever you want to call it is for pu$$ies. You're no longer a driver, you're a passenger. Might as well just lease the thing if you're not even going to bother to drive it. JMO.

 

After driving up and down the east coast for many years. Driving since 16. It not lazy, need a break from long distant driving. At 65, I call it semi retirement from driving. And you can take your ***** and shove it!

 

Electric cars are so polarizing

 

Yes, for better or for some worst. But it going to happen. Time marches on.

 

Come on people. How is this any different from parts for any other car? Do you think that ten years after Olds stopped making 455s that you could still stroll into the parts counter an buy a new one? Guess what? People who couldn't get factory new parts either rebuilt their old ones or bought aftermarket replacements. There are many companies who rebuild EV battery packs today. You open the pack, replace the individual cells, and you have a new battery. No different than rebuilding an engine. Yeah, you all want to make a big deal of this to crap on EVs, but this is nothing different in the automotive world.

 

It's very much different Joe and not as simple as you make it sound.

 

There are already companies doing it for cars like the Nissan Leaf. They can also upgrade the pack in the process.

 

I don't get it...what in the article suggests this is or was a "planned" obsolescence? Am I missing something?

 

The Chevy Spark electric vehicle (EV) was first released in 2013, and GM continued to make new models until 2016.

 

I'm sure the (other) Eric will give a further explanation to his statement or maybe just "blow it up."

 

I'm glad I will not live to see the day that you can only buy total electric vehicle. When I make a long trip, I don't allow enough time to stop every 400 miles to recharge a battery for an hour or so. It doesn't take that long to re-fill a tank with gas and go.

 

Honestly, I really don't understand - I think I'm dense as a brick.

The Chevrolet Vega was first released in 1970; and, GM continued to make new models until 1977.
The Ford Pinto was first released in 1970; and, Ford continued to make new models until 1980.
The Victory Motorcycle (Indian Motorcycle Co.) was first released in 1998; and, Victory Motorcycle continued to make new models until 2017.
The Victory Motorcycle (Brammo/Polaris) Empulse EV Motorcycle was first released in 2012; and, Brammo (Polaris) continued to make new EV motorcycles until 2020.

I don't see any contention regarding a "planned" obsolescence; either with the Chevy Spark EV, Vega, Ford Pinto or Victory Motorcycle scenarios. I'm most likely beyond help - I don't get it. I don't see anything "planned".

 

His point was that ten years after the start of production, GM will stop making or selling replacement battery packs for these cars, thus when the battery goes bad the car becomes obsolete and you have to buy a new one. Given how rapidly battery and EV technology has progressed, would you even WANT to put a new battery pack in an older EV? That's like buying a new battery for your iPhone3. The reality is that this whole thread is just another excuse to crap on EVs. Aren't these all the same people clamoring for freedom of choice? Geeze, give it a rest people.

 

Ah! OK, thanks, now I got it.

 

Or like driving a 50+ year old car from a manufacturer that’s been out of business for 20 years. Who would want to do that?

 

I don't mind having the choice to buy a new electric vehicle. I do mind the lack of freedom to choose a new ICE vehicle after 2029 without uprooting my life at 61 to leave the state I call home.

 

The point is that it doesn't need to be crammed down our throats at every turn. They're not going to save the planet. They're not affordable. And, no, I don't need one.

 

And my whole point is that we haven't been able to buy parts for them from GM for nearly 40 years, so how is that any different from the battery pack discussion in this case? The aftermarket stepped up where there was demand, and where there wasn't you can't buy new parts anywhere.

 

Ed, many of our children won't live to see that day either.

Just to make every car in UK an EV within 25 years would require 3x the global production of nickel. And that's just one country and one metal. And the mining and refining still require carbon-based fuel.

This is not a political statement. This is not a rant against EVs. This is just logic. EVs do have some very attractive points, as HighwayStar says.

The world elite saying we have a totally-EV future doesn't necessarily mean that it will prove to be an accurate prediction, or even a possibility. As technology progresses, new developments will doubtless creates forks in the road.

Perhaps hydrogen-fueled vehicles will eventually emerge. They could be fueled quickly and would create no carbon emission. The hydrogen could be made from green electricity whenever the wind blew or sun peeked out and then stored for future use.

Gary

 

so there is a discontinuity between existing law mandating EVs/banishing ICE vehicles and what is possible. That is a huge problem. Not a political statement either, just a fact.

 

See, this is what happens when people don't read past the Facebook headline. There are no laws "banishing" ICE vehicles, only the sale of new ones. There are no laws preventing you from driving your current ICE vehicle (and yes, I'm aware of some of the city-center driving bans in Europe - frankly why would you want to drive there anyway?). As for the sale of new ones, I frankly don't give a rip. There hasn't been a vehicle built this century that I have the remotest interest in owning. They're all fugly, overly complex, and full of electronic nanny crap. Heck, I'm replacing my 1999 truck with a 1984 truck with a manual trans. And to bring this thread back on topic, the "planned obsolescence" claim is meaningless to normal people, most of whom lease their new car and turn it back in after 3-5 years, long before any of this is an issue. News flash: those of us on this forum are not normal people.

I worry a lot more about autonomous vehicles. These only make sense if every car on the road is also autonomous and if they are all interconnected. THAT'S the technology that will ban cars from major roads. At some point lawmakers will figure this out.