VERY interesting video about ICE and Geely

[Eagle7]

This is a very interesting video by Number 27 concerning news that Geely and Renault (which is really Stellantis, and would include Alfa Romeo) have announced they've already started shifting away from EV only. This has just come out after Japanese auto manufacturers announced a joint effort to produce new generations of ICE engines. I see this as a huge news item for the future of Lotus!

 

[Pegasi]

This is like whiplash but I am glad to hear it. And certainly more sub 3000lbs should be coming because they would be more eco than larger sports cars.

 

[JClem]

Seems like a general shift. Mercedes have admitted defeat and pulled back from the very heavy 4-pot hybrid systems for AMGs. The word is that they are bringing the V8 back for the CLE63.

 

[PsymonR]

It may make no difference what manufacturers decide to do if governments force the issue. It may not mean the end of ICE cars being produced, but depending on where you live you may not be able to buy one.

That said, EVs can be the go to consumer choice if circumstances align, in Norway over 80% of new car sales were EVs in 2023, with the market share growth having been helped by the use of incentives (such as lower or zero charges for tolls/ferries) and cheap hydroelectric electricity.

In the UK it is very likely we are about to switch to a Labour government next month. In the Labour manifesto that has been released today they have stated that they will restore the 2030 ban on cars with ICE, it's not a major policy point just mentioned, almost in passing, as part of a wider topic (there's no detail but the phase out was originally 2030 for ICE only and 2035 for hybrid, so this could mean a return to this rather than full 2030 ban, but not clear). If this does go ahead then the UK government will be pushing in the opposite direction to manufacturers.

 

[Nova]

There is no common solution for everyone. Cars sold in the US were/are different than those in Europe and it would be rather foolish to think that the entire world can be aligned under one "EV-only" standard just because one of the better well-to-do small European countries is having a great go at it. I just hope that the US government can be reasonable in legislation - hybrids make a *LOT* of sense for the masses in the US. Fortunate people like me who own multiple cars can choose to have one or more EVs, but EVs are still too expensive and impractical to a broad swath of the US population.