BMW Clings To Diesel Stating "Electro-Mobility Is Irrational"

Latest example of lazy German Execs burying their heads in the sand just wishing all this new-fangled EV tech would just go away. Note to VW/Audi, BMW, Benz. Tesla is coming for you. They are wrapping their hands around your worthless necks right now and squeezing and you fail to recognize it. And all the German Government handouts directed to you and mandated domestic sales inside Germany can’t protect you from what is happening right now around the world. Tesla is already dominating the best 3 series can offer. Just wait till Tesla unveils their slapdown on the Q5 and X5 market with the March 2019 reveal of the Model Y. Good night, Germans.

"burying their heads in the sand" - the appropriate metaphor would be "burying their head in the Saudi's ass"

Oh nonsense

At this point - the extent of the EV market is very limited - we still do not have the available added Electric generation capacity needed to replace more than about 5% of the ICE vehicles with EV ones - the infrastructure to recharge the EVS is almost non-existent compare to fuel stations for ICE vehicles (And charging takes much longer than a fill up too). It can take 20 years to get construction of a new generating plant approved.

In the 1970 we were all told that by today - we would be almost out of Oil - and today we have more reserves than at any time in history - and they are finding new fields all the time too. At the same time - new discoveries have allowed manufacturers to reduce ICE emissions to well BELOW that of an EV running from the current grid.

Science has progressed enough to the point that it is possible there will be some other form of power for vehicles than either ICE or EVs in the future - maybe even a directly SOLAR powered vehicle.

One thing is for sure -Tesla is NOT going to threaten the major manufacturers of vehicles any time in the near future - we still do not have any idea what the real market for EVS -is - but there is NO DOUBT it will not be anything near 20% of the market for decades.

Renewable energies such as wind and solar don't need power plants. They are by nature distributive power sources, and are scalable. Wind power is plentiful for North Atlantic coast and the North sea. Solar is widely available in tropical and subtropical regions. In the US, solar and wind energy can practically be harvested everywhere. In Northern California, I only need solar panels that cover 1/4 of my roof to supply enough electricity for a household with 2 electric cars. It only takes 7 years for me to recoup my investment, then I'll have free electricity for the next 30 plus years. I understand not everyone can go with solar or EV, but my story is not unique. More and more people are doing the same, I'm actually a late comer.

To continue with fossil fuel means that we have to continue to put up with despicable entities such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, ... and have to spend so much financial and human resources to protect our interest. Independence from oil will set us free.

"maybe even a directly SOLAR powered vehicle" - not so fast (literally).

The maximum solar energy density on earth surface is around 1 Kilowatt per meter squared (90 deg incident angle), or 1.34 horse power per meter squared. Assuming 100% conversion rate (current PV technology is at low 20s%), how much surface do you need to harvest solar energy to propel your car at 60 mph ?

This is how environmental weenies lie: "Renewable energies such as wind and solar don't need power plants." i.e. they tell half truths.

The energy just doesn't leap from the wind or the sun straight to the power outlet. Moreover, COMBINED, wind and solar energy sources are NOT capable of producing the volume of electricity needed to run the grid. That is widely documented, but conveniently ignored by greenies.

@MDarringer: I would never want to argue with idiots like you. No reply from you is expected.

The link below is for those who are curious what distributed power generation entails: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributed_generation

Power distribution in this fashion does not need large power plant mentioned by @TomM.

@EVisNow when idiots on the Left know they cannot prevail with the truth they seek to stifle the freedom of speech of those who speak the truth. Consider this "game on" but just remember that you don't have the mental horsepower to keep up.

I sure you must be rather happy among your peers in your hateful, intolerant, perpetually triggered, histrionic, Alt-Left world.

cue your cliches and hypocrisy

As much as I like the IDEA of long range EVs, ubiquitous charging stations, and ample electricity generated from clean, renewable sources (and I don't mean "clean" coal, LOL), that vision is not a reality, right here, right now.

At this moment, and for at least the next several years, dino juice will continue to be the premiere source of mobility energy for most of the mobile people on planet Earth.

This is not slamming EVs. It's just facing the facts, as they are today.

Note that BMW also is not slamming EVs. The said electric mobility is a "*LITTLE* irrational." That little bit of irrational is when folks think that EVs are the solution for every person, right here, right now. Making such claims is laughable.

In the interim, good stuff is happening! More gas/electric hybrids are showing up for folks who think that's a good idea. They have increased electric-only range on plug-in-power, and regenerative braking is getting more efficient. More and more automakers are jumping on the pure-EV bandwagon. Battery tech is getting better and prices are falling. This is all great news for people who are interested in an EV. Still, all this great stuff is a non-event for most people in North America, for whom today's EVs are not a feasible single-car alternative. That's just a fact.

So my recommendation to EV fans is rejoice that we're heading towards what appears to be a world of electric car popularity. But don't get your shorts in a not because we're not there yet.

There's a saying "Rome didn't fall in a day". Logical mind would say the same about ICE.

The points made here is to dispel the thinking that it's impossible to make it happen just because ICE is dominant and EV is not for everyone. You don't have to adopt it, now or ever, but don't try to put down people who do. When people see how good EV can be as a true means of transportation and not simply a tool for social changes, they will switch over in droves. I'm just spreading the message and hope that it occurs sooner.

For those of you travelling during the upcoming thanksgiving holidays, please count the number of Teslas on the Interstates between main cities and you'll get an idea of how much EV's are are a threat to ICE's.