The EV fact thread

[MikeInWimbledon]

Cheap enough for the unemployed who hitherto had a job in western car manufacturing to afford?
Mass unemployment and the inevitable social tensions but hey, the city air is a sniff cleaner than it was.

Nonsensical argument.

The Scots don't want to work coal mines, iron foundries Computer assembly lines, or on car manufacturing.

They want to look at their iPhones while sitting in call centres, devising new computer games, or taking long lunches in devolved inefficient Government offices.

The West can't manufacture goods efficiently or well, so they tax the bejabers out local manufacturing and stick it all off shore for underpaid and undertaxed Jonny Foreigner to do.

 

[markjay]

Really? An I-phone is for life is it?

That's a very good example... people were up in arms when Apple replaced the old Lightning charger with USB-C. They would much rather that Apple didn't 'keep changing their chargers every 10 years' - so annoying.....

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Advocating a never-ending series of changes when we migrate from one technology to another, over a one-off change that will eliminate the need for frequent future changes, is to my mind irrational.

Try telling that to every EV manufacturer. They're enmeshed in a far faster pace of technology change than they've seen before.

Look at Jaguar closing production completely because of the chaos of replacing its Ipace.

Look at Volkswagen being beaten from pillar to post over its software failures and build quality issues (suspension, EV charging port failures etc)

Look at the endless stream of recalls on all EV brands

Look at Toyota saying "we can't go all in for EV's when we know that at least three million consumers won't buy EV because they have no infrastructure in India, Africa, South America, Australia and North America.

 

[markjay]

Nonsensical argument.

The Scots don't want to work coal mines, iron foundries Computer assembly lines, or on car manufacturing.

They want to look at their iPhones while sitting in call centres, devising new computer games, or taking long lunches in devolved inefficient Government offices.

The West can't manufacture goods efficiently or well, so they tax the bejabers out local manufacturing and stick it all off shore for underpaid and undertaxed Jonny Foreigner to do.

Not directly related, but it seems that the UK has the lowest retun-to-work-after-COVID rate than any other Western country? I.e., of the people who had to stop working during COVID, only few are actually working again, 4 years on? If true, then that's shocking.

 

[Bellow]

Not directly related, but it seems that the UK has the lowest retun-to-work-after-COVID rate than any other Western country? I.e., of the people who had to stop working during COVID, only few are actually working again, 4 years on? If true, then that's shocking.

Why shocking?
Some people with the financial wherewithal decided not to return to the rat race after a brief period spared from it and created employment opportunities for others. Shocking?

 

[markjay]

Try telling that to every EV manufacturer. They're enmeshed in a far faster pace of technology change than they've seen before.

True. That was one reason why I chose the IONIQ 5 back in 2021 - because it was based on the new Hyundai/Kia platform (E-GMP) that has just been introduced, so I knew it will be a while before the tech ages.

I am happy to say that so far so good - the 2024 models only have minor improvements over my 2021 car (slightly larger battery, full OTA, and digital rearview mirror). The big game changer will be when the infotainment system will be replaced by the new all-dancing, all-singing NVIDIA unit. Everything else was brought up to date by software updates.

In fact, when the lease expires next year, I might just get another IONIQ 5.

But agreed, buyers should be wary of EV manufactures who bundle old tech with new cars.

 

[markjay]

Why shocking?
Some people with the financial wherewithal decided not to return to the rat race after a brief period spared from it and created employment opportunities for others. Shocking?

Shocking because of the knock-on effect of our productivity as a nation. Was there a shortage of jobs in the UK before COVID?

 

[Bellow]

Shocking because of the knock-on effect of our productivity as a nation. Was there a shortage of jobs in the UK before COVID?

I don't have the figures at hand, but I don't recall unemployment being zero pre-Covid.
Low productivity is due to a multitude of factors and the increasing trend to blame all of it on supposed laziness of people is misplaced, unproductive, and smacks of an alternative agenda.

 

[markjay]

I don't have the figures at hand, but I don't recall unemployment being zero pre-Covid.
Low productivity is due to a multitude of factors and the increasing trend to blame all of it on supposed laziness of people is misplaced, unproductive, and smacks of an alternative agenda.

Re the 'laziness' argument, any evidence to support one side or the other?

 

[Bellow]

Re the 'laziness' argument, any evidence to support one side or the other?

I have no evidence that laziness is the cause of the UK's low productivity.
I am aware however how the incompetence of people across the spectrum intrudes. From the poor driving that caused the accident that closed the road for six hours, the wrong items delivered that requires time consuming rectification, the poor reliability of (eg, telecomms) infrastructure that causes outages and time lost to repairs - and lots more beside. There might be an improvement if those who create the above difficulties - right up to senior managerial level - did stay at home post-Covid.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Not directly related, but it seems that the UK has the lowest retun-to-work-after-COVID rate than any other Western country? I.e., of the people who had to stop working during COVID, only few are actually working again, 4 years on? If true, then that's shocking.

You need to be more careful about interpreting what's exactly being said in that.

My understanding is that this is the rate of return after sick-noted Covid-19.

The trouble with the comparison is that we have different rules about sick-noting, different benefit regimes, and different tax cultures.

An American can't "afford" to be off work. She'll get fired, so she goes in. And Presenteeism is in the culture. And then she thinks she has to be working because she needs to buy stuff, and she needs the Medical cover until Medicare kicks in at 65.

But most importantly, this has nothing to do with EV's.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Shocking because of the knock-on effect of our productivity as a nation. Was there a shortage of jobs in the UK before COVID?

How do you measure that, and what has this got to do with Westerners preferring high paid non-manufacturing jobs over low paid factory work?

Scratches head. Do any of the "usual suspects" on mbclub actually work in manufacturing? I can't think of one, off the top of my head.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I don't have the figures at hand, but I don't recall unemployment being zero pre-Covid.
Low productivity is due to a multitude of factors and the increasing trend to blame all of it on supposed laziness of people is misplaced, unproductive, and smacks of an alternative agenda.

Exactly.

Unemployment was at the lowest level since reliable records began, immediately pre-Covid. Roughly 3.8%. Brexit, of course.

(Basically the lowest level for six decades. And chronically over-reported, as we all know, because of the black economy)

 

[SmartAmg]

But most importantly, this has nothing to do with EV's.

Most of this thread has nowt to do with EVs. Has it?

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Most of this thread has nowt to do with EVs. Has it?

Disagree.

This thread is about prejudice against new technology.

We had the "Iphone fact" thread ? When the old boys said "Why would you need one, my landline does all I need?"

It was after the "Home Internet fact" thread. When the old boys said "My encyclopedia, newspaper and yellow pages give me all the information I need."

 

[ALFAitalia]

I sold all my Encyclopedia Britannica .....no point having them when the wife knows everything!!!

 

[markjay]

How do you measure that, and what has this got to do with Westerners preferring high paid non-manufacturing jobs over low paid factory work?

Scratches head. Do any of the "usual suspects" on mbclub actually work in manufacturing? I can't think of one, off the top of my head.

A. I did say "Not directly related".

B. I don't know how to measure it, and I don't know if it's true - hence my comment "If true...".

I saw this online.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

A. I did say "Not directly related".
B. I don't know how to measure it, and I don't know if it's true - hence my comment "If true...".
I saw this online.

I would say "Isn't it great that we're all headed towards a three day week later this decade, under Prime Minister Starmer, preparing software for the Gaming industry?"

But that belongs to another thread.

Did you know that the average female GP now works 24 hours a week ? There's not many people know that.

 

[poormansporsche]

Disagree.

This thread is about prejudice against new technology.

Is it not more about having the new technology forced upon us by politicians rather than the actual technology itself ?

 

[Bellow]

Disagree.

This thread is about prejudice against new technology.

No, it isn't. Interpret it that way if it suits you but you will be ignoring genuine concerns regarding the viability of electrification of road transport by those actually capable of spotting pitfalls rather that waiting for them. Elsewhere it's called discernment - here it is reduced to the pejorative 'prejudice'.

We had the "Iphone fact" thread ? When the old boys said "Why would you need one, my landline does all I need?"

It was after the "Home Internet fact" thread. When the old boys said "My encyclopedia, newspaper and yellow pages give me all the information I need."

Yes, i-phones brought benefits beyond landline capabilities and the internet the same over printed material. There is no benefit that an EV brings over its predecessor - bar the dubious improvement of air quality in cities - so your comparison is somewhat misplaced.