Engines and the future

[aicpjim]

Actual facts are important.
An EV has well past a 1,000 Lbs of battery on board.
These batteries do not have an infinite cycle of recharge available.
Where is the final resting place for expired car batteries?

Put them in the same place as the nuclear waste depositories we'll need when we get our heads out of our asses and stop pretending wind and solar are going to be sufficient substitutes for fossil fuels.

 

[nielsm]

Actual facts are important.
An EV has well past a 1,000 Lbs of battery on board.
These batteries do not have an infinite cycle of recharge available.
Where is the final resting place for expired car batteries?

It’s true once fully depleted BEV batteries need a place to store, but while overall range will deteriorate over time, they’ll still have >50% capacity at 200K miles. Switch them to use for stored energy on the power grid and you extend the life further.

While I think EVs will be the likely future, they don’t have to be BEV (battery electric vehicle). Lower maintenance, instant torque and efficiency can be compelling to have an EV with a bonus of zero tailpipe emissions. But, charging time in a BEV is an issue that causes range anxiety especially if charging stations aren’t widespread. I could see hydrogen being an alternative. It can be used for electric vehicles with a fuel cell, can be refilled quickly much like traditional gas vehicles and the only emission is H2O (water). Adding in hydrogen in normal gas stations is likely easier than electric grid upgrades and battery mining/recycling issues.

Right now, only Toyota is exploring this option for EVs, but when you consider the limited global supply for lithium and the effectively unlimited supply of hydrogen, BEVs seem like a short term solution at best.

 

[Deleted member 1344]

Good thoughts there nielsm.

 

[BeerMe]

I specifically bought the R18 for THIS very reason. The BMW R18 will not exist as a purchasable bike in 20 years. I'll be 55 and will have never owned an American cruiser. I wanted a big heavy cruiser for once in my life that has things done the old school way and I'm not very good at restoring or owning older bikes. I find old bikes are a pain to own and maintain (My 1995 K75RT is getting hard to find parts for). If not for electrification, than the EU's emissions and noise restrictions will get worse. The fact BMW made the R18 Euro5 compliant is a blessing. Will it pass Euro6? Not clear. I think eventually Harley exits the EU markets and then California markets and everyone moves to electrification.

A dinosaur burning big heavy American cruiser that makes noise is not long for this world so I'm glad the R18 exists and I'm glad it exists today because by 2050, it won't except for BMW stuffing batteries into cylinder heads.

someone recently asked me why I bought an R18 and I said it's because I may not be able to buy one tomorrow.

Very well said. Same logic as to why I bought two R18s. Because today I can, but tomorrow…