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General Motors CEO Mary Barra spoke yesterday at the Barclays Global Automotive Conference in New York. During her talk, Barra said the company expects to make a profit off electric vehicles once they launch their next-generation EV platform.

“We are working to provide desirable, obtainable and profitable vehicles that deliver a range of over 300 miles. There’s a lot of really creative things we’re doing to achieve that profitability point for that new platform,” Barra said to investors.

The next-generation modular platform, due in 2021 will play a pivotal role in GM's plan to launch 20 all-new electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2023. The platform will help drop the total per-unit cost by 30 percent or more. It will be used across a number of GM brands and various segments.

GM is also working on a new battery system that will cut the per-kilowatt-hour from $145 to under $100 by 2021.

Before these two launches, GM will be introducing four new EV and hydrogen vehicles. Two of those will be launch by April 2019 according to a GM spokesman. At least two vehicles will be small crossovers according to Automotive News. It is expected the electric models will use the underpinnings of the Chevrolet Bolt.

The company has a set a goal of a million electric vehicles by 2026 - with most happening in China due to their strict production quotas for EVs. 

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Reuters

Edited by William Maley

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ccap41

New Member
14 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

It is a weak excuse given that even ICE cars like the Mustang have sound replicators blaring through your stereo speakers because the engines are so throroughly sound deadened. It’s also weak because the same people who were saying this drove little four banger cars. These days whenever I hear that racket in a parking lot (or down the street from my house on a daily basis), I just wish they’d shut the hell up. 

It's not weak. Ford makes fake noises in the F150 and the Focus ST/Mustang 2.3 get an enhancement which takes the intake noise and just makes it louder. Nothing fake about the cars. F150 is but I don't really care as that's not even what I'm talking about nor were those other two as my examples were definitely thunderous V8s. But I do love the intake side of things on a 4 pot. Little 4-bangers have a great intake noise. 

Vehicles that sound deaden the engine are cars that an EV would suit perfectly. I'm not arguing that aspect at all. 

You don't like the sound of exhaust on any vehicle? What your favorite V8 drives past you you don't get excited? There isn't a car that could drive past you at full tilt where there may be a supercharger whining as it comes towards you then a screaming V8 exhaust note as it passes like a LS/LT, Hemi, Voodoo? 

surreal1272

Members
(edited)
57 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

It's not weak. Ford makes fake noises in the F150 and the Focus ST/Mustang 2.3 get an enhancement which takes the intake noise and just makes it louder. Nothing fake about the cars. F150 is but I don't really care as that's not even what I'm talking about nor were those other two as my examples were definitely thunderous V8s. But I do love the intake side of things on a 4 pot. Little 4-bangers have a great intake noise. 

Vehicles that sound deaden the engine are cars that an EV would suit perfectly. I'm not arguing that aspect at all. 

You don't like the sound of exhaust on any vehicle? What your favorite V8 drives past you you don't get excited? There isn't a car that could drive past you at full tilt where there may be a supercharger whining as it comes towards you then a screaming V8 exhaust note as it passes like a LS/LT, Hemi, Voodoo? 

Oh good grief. You are missing the bigger point here. Regardless of what I like, 99.8% of drivers out there don’t give two $h!s how loud a car is and would rather opt for quiet comfort in this age of loudness (and no I am not talking about just cars here). As such, making an argument about the lack of a V8 growl is not enough to dismiss the many benefits of an EV. It’s that simple. 

 

And most four bangers are not worth listening to unless your into weed eater sounds. 

Edited by surreal1272

balthazar

In Hibernation

1% of the new car market is 170K buyers. With all the aftermarket exhaust & mufflers available, and the factory tuning options/efforts done by OEMs, I'm confident 'those that care how it sounds' is far greater than 1%. Seems every amateur new car review vid takes a moment to document exhaust note, too.

Worst noise offense is Harley-Davidson bikes and just about every 4 banger out there where some idiot puts a fart can on it and so the auto barely moves and yet makes a ton of noise causing ear discomfort.

Do not get me wrong, the growl of my SS V8 6.0 Liters is sweet and I love it, but most times, most people want a silent auto to get to and from work or errands and would rather listen to a audio book or music or chat with their friends.

surreal1272

Members
13 minutes ago, balthazar said:

1% of the new car market is 170K buyers. With all the aftermarket exhaust & mufflers available, and the factory tuning options/efforts done by OEMs, I'm confident 'those that care how it sounds' is far greater than 1%. Seems every amateur new car review vid takes a moment to document exhaust note, too.

Obviously I’m taking liberty with the numbers here but the fact is that the overwhelming majority do not care about an exhaust note. The sheer number Accords, Camrys, and CUVs sold every year should give that away. 

balthazar

In Hibernation

By that same token, the vast majority of buyers don't care about Camaros & Corvettes, doesn't mean the choice is not welcome for those who do, does it?

Give this a listen from just 12:10-12:45 ~

 

surreal1272

Members
7 minutes ago, balthazar said:

By that same token, the vast majority of buyers don't care about Camaros & Corvettes, doesn't mean the choice is not welcome for those who do, does it?

Give this a listen from just 12:10-12:45 ~

 

Again, not saying that at all. Why is constantly being misread? My original post was about complainers whining about the lack of engine noise from an EV when you already have a sizable portion of ICE cars that are quiet as a tomb from the inside and lack any emotional involvement from the driver. 

23 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Again, not saying that at all. Why is constantly being misread? My original post was about complainers whining about the lack of engine noise from an EV when you already have a sizable portion of ICE cars that are quiet as a tomb from the inside and lack any emotional involvement from the driver. 

As such, the quiet as a tomb cars will be welcomed by those that bought them, aka camry, etc. as the less maintenance is what these people want. By the auto, drive it or let it self drive and ignore everything else till they get to their destination.

I am willing to bet that you could take all the ICE bland auto's that sell so well and change the Powertrain to EV and no one would notice or care. They might notice that they never have some of the basic maintenance to deal with.

surreal1272

Members

Have anything useful to offer @ocnblu or are you going to continue the negative vote parade, all because you were called out for your endless trolling here? Maybe more in BOLD?

 

You know what? Don’t answer. I think I am done with the endless and childish trolling nonsense here. 

ocnblu

Members
4 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Have anything useful to offer @ocnblu or are you going to continue the negative vote parade, all because you were called out for your endless trolling here? Maybe more in BOLD?

 

You know what? Don’t answer. I think I am done with the endless and childish trolling nonsense here. 

Sometimes the upvoting and downvoting gets excessive around here.  On that we can agree.  We've all done too much of it from time to time.  It's a sign of laziness, basically, when a person doesn't go to the trouble of spelling out their support or opposition for a given comment.

Robert Hall

Premium Subscriber
2 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

 

And most four bangers are not worth listening to unless your into weed eater sounds. 

To me, is interesting how quiet 4 cyl cars have become, though...I remember how lumpy and buzzy 4 cyl cars were when I owned them (80s Fords)... the recent 4cyl rentals (Passat, Fusion, Altima, Sonata, Malibu-2 different generations) I've driven have been almost uniformly smooth and quiet as far as engine noise.. the biggest noise annoyances are tire noise and the HVAC fan noise... 

28 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Sometimes the upvoting and downvoting gets excessive around here.  On that we can agree.  We've all done too much of it from time to time.  It's a sign of laziness, basically, when a person doesn't go to the trouble of spelling out their support or opposition for a given comment.

Yo Willis, why you yelling? <_<

ocnblu

Members
7 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Yo Willis, why you yelling? <_<

Whatchoo talkin' about?  :angry:  :smilewide:

oldshurst442

Members

My wife's 1.6 liter ecoboosted Fusion is almost as quiet as a mouse.

Yes...its surprising why that is. For a  ~3500 pound sedan powered by a measly 1.6 liter with an anemic (for its weight) 180 horsepower or so and not that much more torque numbers as horsepower numbers. Its good. And under full throttle...it aint buzzy either. I wouldnt call it throaty but it aint buzzy like how 4 cylinders use to sound like a decade ago. Especially domestic 4 cylinders. I mean...some Japanese 4 cylinders under full throttle do sound good!

I want my muscle machines to be loud. I want the world to hear them! Yes, inside the car too. That philosophy goes with the fact that I also want my muscle machines to have loud and bright exterior colours.

I want my luxury sedans to be quiet like a library. 

That is the distinction that I wanna make for what kind of loudness I prefer for my cars.

As for EVs...

I know how much noise induction motors make. If Im buying one, or converting an existing ICE car into one...then I have already accepted that what I am about to drive wont got a rumble to it!

But then again...the last time I owned a V8 was in the mid 1990s. It was a tired V8 at that. In that time, Ive bought lame V6s, supercharged V6s, little 4 cylinders...I think its too damned late for me to lament the loss of the growl of a  V8...

 

 

ocnblu

Members

Sitting at a red light this morning on the way to work, a 5.0 drove by and made its presence known.  And I was thinking how the V8 engine was in EVERYTHING back in the good days, and the manufacturers weren't afraid to let them sing.  Sure, there was Cadillac with their swift, powerful silence, and Ford for years advertised their LTD as "quieter than a Rolls-Royce", but other than that... we had the '60 Buick in Balthy's endurance film... man that thing's a beauty as it annihilates that track... it just SMASHES those banks flat as a pancake!  :wub:

ccap41

New Member
15 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

Oh good grief. You are missing the bigger point here. Regardless of what I like, 99.8% of drivers out there don’t give two &#036;h&#33;s how loud a car is and would rather opt for quiet comfort in this age of loudness (and no I am not talking about just cars here). As such, making an argument about the lack of a V8 growl is not enough to dismiss the many benefits of an EV. It’s that simple. 

 

And most four bangers are not worth listening to unless your into weed eater sounds. 

I. ALREADY. SAID. THAT. 

My only gripe was for performance and enthusiast cars. I have already said as daily drivers(which would be the 99.8%) they are perfect.

You must have never listened to the intake growl of a 4 banger and only hear the shatty exhaust that kids put on them. Huge difference. 

ccap41

New Member
14 hours ago, dfelt said:

I am willing to bet that you could take all the ICE bland auto's that sell so well and change the Powertrain to EV and no one would notice or care. They might notice that they never have some of the basic maintenance to deal with.

I agree 100%! 

17 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

I can't think of the last Honda I've ridden in...maybe be a Pilot from about 2007. Are Hondas particularly noisy?     

Maybe it's part of getting older, but I really appreciate smooth and quiet in a vehicle more than noisy... 

The most recent generation of Hondas has majorly skimped on sound deadening material, with the exception of the very latest Accord.  The current Pilot, CR-V, and Civic are terrible for those of us who don't like road and engine noise

My big V8 is very nicely quiet... just a torquey hum from under the hood.

10 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

 The current Pilot, CR-V, and Civic are terrible....

Nothing much else needs said here, actually.

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