California May Push Uber And Lyft To Go Electric

[muwarrior69]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2018/05/16/california-may-push-uber-and-lyft-to-go-electric-with-far-reaching-consequences/#69646dd213fc

This would force the little guy out, no?

[TSmith34, Inc.]

What little guy?  Uber? Or Lyft? Or the guy that makes no money driving for them?

Uber has already said that it's intent is driverless cars.  There aren't going to be Uber or Lyft drivers in the future.

[tower912]

California says lots of things.

[Pakuni]

This is a proposal that not only has passed neither the state House or Senate, it hasn't even passed its way through a single committee. It's been amended three times and withdrawn once. It's been placed in the Appropriations Committee's "suspense file," which is essentially purgatory for legislation.
Even if it somehow passes through all the necessary hoops (and it's not exactly off to a stellar start), it wouldn't go into full effect until 2030, but which time no one knows what the vehicle and rideshare landscape will look like. And, a decade of likely amendments will have come and gone.

So, this is a big fat nothing right now.

[MUBurrow]

The little guy I feel most sorry for are the California cab drivers that spent their life paying off now useless medallions.

[WarriorDad]

What little guy?  Uber? Or Lyft? Or the guy that makes no money driving for them?

Uber has already said that it's intent is driverless cars.  There aren't going to be Uber or Lyft drivers in the future.

Uber and Lyft drivers don't make much, but to suggest they make no money is not true.

[rocket surgeon]

Since all new homes built after 2019 have to be solar, might as well make em solar cars?🤯?  These are the types of things that California is doing to continue to #*@#% up a once very cool state.  Where are they with that bullet train again?  A little over budget is the understatement of the century...and that name “bullet”. Might as well name it the “scud” missile liner, eyn’a?  Bullet’s got to be a dirty word in California

[Pakuni]

Since all new homes built after 2019 have to be solar, might as well make em solar cars?🤯?  These are the types of things that California is doing to continue to #*@#% up a once very cool state.  Where are they with that bullet train again?  A little over budget is the understatement of the century...and that name “bullet”. Might as well name it the “scud” missile liner, eyn’a?  Bullet’s got to be a dirty word in California

Actually, the solar initiative makes economic sense, as well as environmental sense. It'll add about $10,000 to the cost of a home upfront, but save nearly $20,000 on utility costs over the home's first 30 years.
So, what's the problem?

[jsglow]

It's nothing for the moment.  In less than 10 years there will only be two kinds of people left in California; the very wealthy and the very poor.  And if that's what they want, then fine.

[Pakuni]

It's nothing for the moment.  In less than 10 years there will only be two kinds of people left in California; the very wealthy and the very poor.  And if that's what they want, then fine.

Why do you think that is?

[jsglow]

Why do you think that is?

I'm going to follow the rules and avoid a political discussion.

[tower912]

Why do you think that is?

Real estate costs.    Taxes.    And none of it matters if the Hawaii Volcanic eruption signals the start of a geologically active period.   If the 'Big One' hits Cali, all bets and forecasts are off.   

[jesmu84]

It's nothing for the moment.  In less than 10 years there will only be two kinds of people left in California; the very wealthy and the very poor.  And if that's what they want, then fine.

Sounds similar to where we're headed as a nation. Wealth inequality

[Jay Bee]

Actually, the solar initiative makes economic sense, as well as environmental sense. It'll add about $10,000 to the cost of a home upfront, but save nearly $20,000 on utility costs over the home's first 30 years.
So, what's the problem?

Travel hurts Mother Earth. There should be no travel into California for business meetings allowed. It helps everyone & the technology is there to hold meetings with people in other places. Hopefully California bans travel for meetings

[Jockey]

It's nothing for the moment.  In less than 10 years there will only be two kinds of people left in California; the very wealthy and the very poor.  And if that's what they want, then fine.

I'm guessing you were using hyperbole for effect......

But it is still a silly thing to say about the world's 5th (and growing) largest economy. In the last couple years, it has passed France, Italy, and the UK.

California has 12% of the U.S. population but had 16% of U.S. job growth between 2012 and 2017. Its share of the national economy also grew from 12.8% to 14.2% over the same period.

People in southern states would be screwed if they ever lost the Federal tax dollars they receive from Cali.

[mu03eng]

Real estate costs.    Taxes.    And none of it matters if the Hawaii Volcanic eruption signals the start of a geologically active period.   If the 'Big One' hits Cali, all bets and forecasts are off.

Hawaii isn't on the ring of fire.....it is virtually independent of the ring of fire and as such is no indication of geological activity at the merge point of the tectonic plates. To infer otherwise is to prove that a butterfly flying it's wings in Brazil causes butterflies to take flight in the US.

[Pakuni]

Travel hurts Mother Earth. There should be no travel into California for business meetings allowed. It helps everyone & the technology is there to hold meetings with people in other places. Hopefully California bans travel for meetings

[theBabyDavid]

If people only knew...

Electric vehicles are the worst possible mode of power for transportation. Not only is the combustion moved to a coal fired power plant but the issues associated with the mining, transport, manufacture, and disposal of lithium are devastating to the environment.

theBabyDavid shakes his head at the smugness of Tesla drivers.

Not surprised that this particular jurisdiction would make such a collosal mistake.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Travel hurts Mother Earth. There should be no travel into California for business meetings allowed. It helps everyone & the technology is there to hold meetings with people in other places. Hopefully California bans travel for meetings

You should personally boycott California.  That'll teach 'em. Freedom, baby!

[tower912]

Right now, Keefe isn't wrong.  Battery technology and production is hardly 'green'.  Still not a great way to dispose of them, either.   That is one of the reasons I thought Heisie's time frame for electric and autonomy was a little optimistic.  Still efficiencies to be squeezed out of internal combustion.   See: Skyactiv X

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Right now, Keefe isn't wrong.  Battery technology and production is hardly 'green'.  Still not a great way to dispose of them, either.   That is one of the reasons I thought Heisie's time frame for electric and autonomy was a little optimistic.  Still efficiencies to be squeezed out of internal combustion.   See: Skyactiv X

Except the part about coal generation.  Coal produces ~30% of electricity today and dropping fast.  It was about 40% less than 5 years ago. 

[tower912]

Except the part about coal generation.  Coal produces ~30% of electricity today and dropping fast.  It was about 40% less than 5 years ago.

Electricity generated by coal is dropping.  Yay, renewables.  Actually making and then discarding the batteries themselves is the issue I am talking about and what I believe Keefe is referring to.

[MUBurrow]

Electric vehicles are the worst possible mode of power for transportation. Not only is the combustion moved to a coal fired power plant but the issues associated with the mining, transport, manufacture, and disposal of lithium are devastating to the environment.

The dirtiness of lithium is correct and an important factor.

Counterpoint on the reliance of a coal-dependent power grid, though - the grid would be the most efficient target to transition off fossil fuels. It hasn't happened yet largely due to lack of political will and the higher upfront costs of switching old infrastructure to handle renewables. But it would be a far more effective private-public partnership to transition the grid off coal, and then have as many energy consumers as possible feeding off a sustainable and renewable grid as compared to the weird combination we have now of a coal-fired grid with a smattering of electric cars and private homeowners putting solar panels on their houses.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

wonder what will happen when the Air Force puts lithium batteries in the A-10 Warthog?

[theBabyDavid]

wonder what will happen when the Air Force puts lithium batteries in the A-10 Warthog?

Big Blue is actually looking at replacing the PGU-14 DU rounds in the GAU. Most of the PGU-14 inventory is three decades from manufacture.

Looks like the likely replacement will be a tungsten round.