Why do I have a feeling the V167 will be the last GLE petrol vehicle and everyone who is owning one MUST KEEP IT FOREVER. I rode the EQS a few times last week and as much as I like the torque, the screen, etc... I have this feeling it is just a hook, line, and sinker for future owners and we all know ALL batteries needs replacement not like a petrol motor. After 8-10 years I can't imagine how much it will cost to replace a MB battery. If a Tesla model 3 battery replacement would cost around $17k (tax not included) and knowing MB were I would assume you need to rip almost half of the car to replace the battery, consider it stupid to replace it in a 10 yr old MB after losing almost 80% of the value of the vehicle. Add to that electric vehicles depreciates MORE than ICE vehicles (look it up!). The more I think of it the more I will not be getting rid of whatever petrol motor car I have in my garage. There is a point that when you experience excellent vehicles everything after it seems to be somewhat just the same. I was really happy with the ML I had before so when I got the GLE the feeling is not a WOW 24/7 (it dies down as you get use to it). If I step on a current GLS it feels the same as the GLE. When I step in a EQS the in-your face tech gets you first then everything feels like you have seen it before and you go "meeeh". Seeing what the upcoming electric GLS I am not really looking forward to the electric GLE. Driving the EQS already set a tone in my head what to expect and the currently V167 (in a 6-8 banger hybrid) is almost as good in terms of power and quality but without that "oh ****, It cost how much to replace!?" moment when it is time to replace the battery. True that if you own a MB you should not be affected by the rising cost of gas prices and cost of ownership (you can afford anyway, if you are affected by it YOU ARE JUST playing pretend and should not be driving a MB) but hitting you a sub $20k bill to replace a battery after 8-10yrs is just pathetic actually. Don't believe when people tells you EV batteries will cost less after 10 years as it is the same notion 10 years ago about vehicles and gas cost and look how much it is right now.

 

ICEs will be 50% of new vehicles built in 2029. They aren’t disappearing overnight.

 

50% or more, probably.
And at that time, there will be a battery shortage that won't be easily solved, curtailing EV production.
Which will put everybody in a bind if the new CAFE rules are continued.

 

Okay get this....the MB service manager friend of mine just told me for a EQS battery replacement we are looking at $30-40k at current condition LOL!!!!! it might be even higher as they have not really done one but from what the service hours and cost of the battery unit it will cost more than a civic.

 

When EV sales can't keep up with production costs and the car companies are losing money, they'll get back on track building efficient ICE cars again.

 

With the current Liberal Administrations in the US and Canada they may very well legislate ICE engines to extinction sooner than we think. California just began the process-35 percent of new cars and light trucks sold must be zero-emissions starting in 2026. That will increase to 68 percent in 2030, and to 100 percent in 2035. These dates could easily be moved up sooner in the future.
The new EPA requirements also put a lot of pressure on building performance ICE engines. One reason Mercedes halted V8’s was because they can’t meet the EPA average improvement in the fleet until they sell enough EV’s. As the Regs tighten more and more ICE will be small bore fuel efficient engines/hybrids. IMO, the ICE will not disappear anytime soon but a lot of us won’t be happy with the puny engines.

 

It is just a joke how expensive those batteries can be which makes owning one in a long run seems senseless. You might be saving money in gas in the first 6-8 years of ownership but you give it all back 10 fold when you need to replace the batteries. It is like the diesel MBs they are good in gas and have lots of torque but when it fails you give back the savings when you repair it.

 

Yes, we are now on the verge of creating disposable cars. Once the battery dies, we buy a new car and scrap the current one for parts.

 

But how long will Mercedes continue to update the software? "Forever" is not the same as it was with analog cars because at some point the instructions that run their systems will likely cease to work.

 

Regarding software updates and designed obsolescence.

Think about the temptation a carmaker has to sell a vehicle based on the number of ignition cycles. This is effectively in place today, with DEF-equipped diesels. Once the DEF tank gets to a low level, a warning message is presented that the engine will not restart until the DEF tank is refilled.

Carmakers could sell a vehicle for a "coupon book's worth" of ignition cycles. Successive coupon books could have a higher price per ignition cycle, creating pressure on the consumer to seek the best alternative, or a new vehicle with a lower per ignition cycle cost. The coupon book is a subscription. No bueno in my view.

 

That's not funny.

 

You're right, but that still made me laugh. This is what it's come to.

 

How are you going to fill up gas when there are no more gas stations?

 

IMO, gas pumps will outnumber charging stations for many years to come. BTW, greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles are less than 12% of the total. Governments should prioritize the big emitters (industry, etc.).

 

Yeah, I was being sarcastic.

OP thinks gas cars are going away soon.

 

once people realize the compromises required, electric car adoption will plateau, unless .gov makes fuel unavailable or too expensive.

 

One would expect so. Unless the Administration imposes some onerous conditions on gas stations.
Like forcing them to remove and replace all of their pumps and tanks that have come into contact with Ethanol, like they did for Leaded gas and MTBE tanks.
How many fueling stations went out of business when that happened in the 80 - 90's? Just about every privateer, and a lot of "low production" stations owned by chains.

I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't "another shoe" to drop, when somebody realizes that the Consumer isn't cooperating by crushing their ICE cars.

 

EV vehicles are simply unsustainable. The premise that they are clean and good for the environment is an emotional belief, not founded in science.

 

Half of the believers don’t care and the others don’t either but believe that by legislating they will force technology that makes EV’s work. In between we are making the US and many other Countries less competitive than we already aren’t… and Countries like China keep on polluting….just a little less. Maybe after solving the farting cow problem they will figure out how to plug the Volcano’s…heavy on sarcasm.

 

I'm no greenie, but I appreciate the goal and I do think they will get there eventually, but are being jumped on by governments too soon and thus a form of "greenwashing." When the issues of 1) use of rare minerals, 2) battery life 3) battery size and weight, 4) battery life, 5) battery recycling, 6) battery cost, 7) electrical infrastructure, 8) source of green electricity, etc. are advanced, then maybe we'll have something.

 

The main beneficiaries of EVs are car companies, by virtue of higher profit through less assembly labor content to assemble EVs. This is especially attractive to the Detroit 3, shadows of their former selves as they are, because of legacy high cost union labor.

EV battery high cost will “get solved” through investments in technology by car companies and suppliers. This achieves the goal for car companies: higher profit per vehicle than with ICE vehicles.

IMO the government is neutral on EVs to slightly in favor of them. Follow the money - gas tax or electricity tax, it doesn’t matter much. Uncle Sam gets paid under any scenario.

ps GM is smaller in revenue and market cap than Ford, and much smaller than Toyota and VW. GM has squandered their global position away, shamefully for them.

 

Not until we as a Country accept mining at home, with all the devastation it causes.
And we should, instead of exporting our Major Impacts to the ROW (meaning they need our puny capital and can "afford" the devastation).

 

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Double check the market cap.


The planet doesn’t get saved by EVs so that can’t be the real reason the govt wants them. EVs are total lifecycle carbon unfavorable vs ICEs.

 

I think you must be referring advanced technology like a 'Mr Fusion' and Flux capacitor, warp drive, transporters or hyper drive...

A bit far off I'd say