Canadian Federal Politics Thread v5

[Fuzz]

I think people are over-estimating the EV advances we will see in the next 7 years. Look at the Model S. It's a decade old, and I can't say any technology has made a huge leap in that time. The newest battery, which they struggle to produce in quantity is only about 16% better(when assembled in a pack). It's not like there is low hanging fruit to collect here, it's going to take an unknown innovation to really have an impact, or just small incremental improvements. I don't think the EV's of 2030 are going to be all that much different than what we have now.

[ThePrince]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

And for edge cases, get a PHEV.

I don't think we should even allow pickup trucks and massive Suburban type vehicles to be sold without them being partially electrified(probably PHEV at minimum). They can gain a lot in regenerative braking, and the people buying them seem to have infinite amounts of money/credit, so the added cost shouldn't deter buyers(and will more than make up for it in fuel savings). This is something they should do by 2025. Super easy win here.

Agreed, I really don’t get why PHEVs aren’t getting pushed more. They seem like the best of both worlds to me. The battery ranges are somewhere around 30 miles, I think, which would cover most people’s daily commutes. Then for longer trips, you utilize gas.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by ThePrince

Agreed, I really don’t get why PHEVs aren’t getting pushed more. They seem like the best of both worlds to me. The battery ranges are somewhere around 30 miles, I think, which would cover most people’s daily commutes. Then for longer trips, you utilize gas.

To me it also makes more sense from the current supply bottleneck of batteries. You get 6-8 50k vehicles vs 1 full EV. You get 50-80% of the kms off of gas.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by GGG

To me it also makes more sense from the current supply bottleneck of batteries. You get 6-8 50k vehicles vs 1 full EV. You get 50-80% of the kms off of gas.

Yup, same reason the Tesla semi makes no sense. You could get 10 delivery vans per semi.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Azure

Cobalt production is also a big issue and something the entire world is simply ignoring.

I agree that by the time 2030 rolls around, EV technology will be a pretty amazing.

Unfortunately given the political climate and overall incompetence by our leaders, I do not believe we will have the power generation capabilities for those EVs. We need policy changes on almost every level from how solar is implemented and how rates are paid, to government incentives for private renewable projects, to investment into clean burning natural gas to SMRs, hydro investments, etc, etc.

We need to massively invest into the entire EV ecosystem so that we are not only world leaders in producing the raw materials that are needed to build the EVs, but also that we can sustain the populace actually using them.

To put it into very clear perspective.
Manitoba Hydro is simply not going to be able to build another $10b+ dollar hydro project because of their current debt load. They cannot be spending 60% of their revenue trying to service their debt.

Is that because it is a crown corporation, etc? No idea. But man we are screwed in this province when it comes to further expansion, and we sure aren't helping any of our neighbours either when it comes to building out more capacity.

That is one example.

But there are many across Canada. And these examples are going to prohibit the investment we need to deal with this issue.

At the same time everything else is going to cost more as well. Health care, other infrastructure projects, etc. Who is going to pay for all of this?

The clear answer is to return taxation rates to the levels they were when infrastructure was originally built and expanded. We have been living off of low tax rates from legacy investments for since essentially the Klein/Roy/Chrétien cuts.

[dammage79]

I think within the decade we will see batteries double in charge and drop in production cost.

GM's battery advancements alone are positioning them to leapfrog Tesla within 5 years. Their gen 3 batteries are rumored to be much lighter, hold more charge and full customizable on a single platform. Meaning they can build anything from corvettes to Hummers on a single platform. I think it's a lot more nuanced than that but the gist is, GM looks like the ones who will take this whole landscape and move if forward a pretty significant leap.

[Doctorfever]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Why would Enmax pay for individual batteries in people's houses vs grid storage? Grid storage is much more efficient, and gives them control.

It may make sense to utilize batteries individuals purchase if they want to sell it back, but paying to put them in people's homes makes little sense.

Before we go paying for solar on people's homes, we should maybe force companies to utilize their vast amounts of empty rooftops. The could store the excess power onsite, and dispatch as needed. Similar to what you are suggesting, but on a scale that makes sense. I'm amazed we don't require solar over a certain flat sq footage roof. Look at all this brand new wasted space.

https://goo.gl/maps/yYjsptgYf2QwMNKo7

This is the only solar installed, and just south are 2 massive buildings that dwarf the space capacity, not to mention all the space west of there.

https://goo.gl/maps/ovsGMJ9nnDwVCREz6

These buildings needed to be engineered to accept the loads that solar panels will apply. So, unfortunately you can’t just add solar panels to these rooftops.

Unless, of course, they were engineered to accept the additional loads when they were built. Which is the case with some new buildings.

[CASe333]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I think within the decade we will see batteries double in charge and drop in production cost.

GM's battery advancements alone are positioning them to leapfrog Tesla within 5 years. Their gen 3 batteries are rumored to be much lighter, hold more charge and full customizable on a single platform. Meaning they can build anything from corvettes to Hummers on a single platform. I think it's a lot more nuanced than that but the gist is, GM looks like the ones who will take this whole landscape and move if forward a pretty significant leap.

GM doesn't even make their own batteries but neither does Tesla. Pretty much every EV company is supplied by CATL, LG, BYPD or Panasonic at this point. Any major breakthroughs will likely be led by them and any huge improvements won't likely happen with Li-ion batteries but some other new technology like solid state batteries.

Your post sounds like you are describing GM's Ultium platform which is a good start for GM in that it is their first platform designed solely with the EV drivetrain in mind but nothing revolutionary is there.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

Realistically, batteries lose effectiveness in cold weather. It's why weather stations tell you to use lithium AA batteries and not alkaline.

Yes my post was absurd. Almost as absurd as EV drivers being stranded.

Gasoline powered cars do have batteries that lose effectiveness in cold weather. This isn't a new phenomenon.

The article isn't some sort of 'gotcha' but more of a 'no s***' we already live with this.

Is it really that different from knowing you need to fill your gas tank?

Serious question, does your EV accurately display the charge during the winter months? Does the computer calculate how efficient the car is currently operating?

Sorry was out of town a bit this week.

It's really not a big deal when you know what to expect and plan around it there isn't much impact. Winter already saw a higher utility bill and with the EV it's even worse, but still cheaper than gas.

The range computer adapts very quickly to temperature and driving style. If it warms up throughout the day or we go form highway to city, we get a lot more range than the computer would have expected, and the opposite can be true too, but no different than judging where to gas up any car.

I was just saying people buying an EV should know that when they are talking to the dealer who is saying 400 KM, you're not gonna get that on the highway, or in winter, but warm summer day you'll absolutely beat that in the city and get close to it on the highway.

[Yoho]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1609170420976033799

[Azure]

Originally Posted by GGG

The clear answer is to return taxation rates to the levels they were when infrastructure was originally built and expanded. We have been living off of low tax rates from legacy investments for since essentially the Klein/Roy/Chrétien cuts.

Again, this is more of the pie in the sky stuff.

Alberta can't even implement a PST on non-essential items like junk food, luxury purchases, etc.

Provinces with a PST can't make ends meet either.

Taxes are simply not going up to that point ever again.

The only way I see out of this is opening up Canada to massive levels of private investments that drive GDP growth. We are capable of doing this with our natural resources & telecom industries, but for some reason we are afraid.

Even health care has to go to the private / public European model in order to be affordable.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Yup, same reason the Tesla semi makes no sense. You could get 10 delivery vans per semi.

Most people that use the Tesla Semi have that roof access you are talking about.

They could essentially run their fleets for minimal cost by charging onsite with solar + battery.

LTL can't be run with delivery vans.

[Fuzz]

I don't mean delivery vans as substitute for semis, I mean choosing to use the batteries where they will be most effective for emissions reductions. I don't think hauling bags of chips around is all that good a use of limited battery resources. Delivery vans with their low speed and stop-start usage are probably getting some of the most drastic reductions, since that's when ICE's are at their worst. Plus with the shorter distances and lots of regenerative braking, you can get away with smaller batteries.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Azure

Again, this is more of the pie in the sky stuff.

Alberta can't even implement a PST on non-essential items like junk food, luxury purchases, etc.

Provinces with a PST can't make ends meet either.

Taxes are simply not going up to that point ever again.

The only way I see out of this is opening up Canada to massive levels of private investments that drive GDP growth. We are capable of doing this with our natural resources & telecom industries, but for some reason we are afraid.

Even health care has to go to the private / public European model in order to be affordable.

That’s pie in the sky, the massive levels of infrastructure required to service the influx of people coming with the gdp growth leave us in more or less the same position. Increasing gdp per capita when the money is left in the hands of individuals and corporations is not going to fix the infrastructure deficit.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by GGG

That’s pie in the sky, the massive levels of infrastructure required to service the influx of people coming with the gdp growth leave us in more or less the same position. Increasing gdp per capita when the money is left in the hands of individuals and corporations is not going to fix the infrastructure deficit.

Is it?

The federal government has for years shuttered investment into Canada on many levels. Everything from energy, telecom, health care, mining.....we have the natural resources, but our growth has been stagnant.

Whenever there is high demand for a natural resource that we can provide the world with, provinces & the feds greatly increase their tax income.

If we can't do that, there is no way we are paying for any of this considering how the cost of health care is set to balloon like crazy the next 10 years.

[Northendzone]

^ based on what I see the current federal government “tolerates” the sale of Canadian natural resources.

I am sure we can sell our wind and sunshine and unicorn farts to replace the lost revenue of other “olde tymey” natural resources which are going out of style

[FormerPresJamesTaylor]

Very real, very true story from Mr Poilievre

https://twitter.com/user/status/1609949861821947904

[Johnny Makarov]

Mustafa isn't very bright and his wife is pissed! lol You would think the Reform Party would vet this kind of BS before Deplorable Pouty Pierre opens his pie hole! hahah

You know if 2X4 is going to lie he might as well go all out!
I was talking to a dead guy at the Ottawa airport yesterday. He missed his heart transplant in New York because he couldn't get a passport that he applied for 10 months ago!!!

[Roughneck]

I wonder if Mustafa was getting married to Carolina from Venezuela or Brianne from Chilliwack.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by FormerPresJamesTaylor

Very real, very true story from Mr Poilievre

https://twitter.com/user/status/1609949861821947904

Wait shouldn’t PP be more upset that Canadians are going to Cuban and contributing to the financial well being of a Communist country?