Fixed that for you g6snl bier

Me or We Generations
 

Perhaps "generations" are not the correct time frame for what comes next. Perhaps decades might be more appropriate, but the concept is sound at least in my mind. The creative, whether they be leprechauns high on meth, or others invent what is needed and wanted. Those who do not are relegated to the past or the future.

The sixties pixies, invented huge "we" social programs and huge "we" wars and huge "we" stop the wars. And then it changed and became "me" it was all about the "me" and in turn the yuppies individualized everything from communication to sex. (Think about that one) Anyway, the forthcoming advent of the public "we" transportation systems is the product the future "we."

The transformation to automated "we" transport will not dispel the allure of - as one French rider put it to me in a private message, so very accurately, "it is that last pop of my Norton's engine when I shut her down that keeps me scavenging parts and spending my fortune to keep her running." Viva La Norton.

I know he, the Frenchman, will never succumb to electric, and I would bet those of the "me" might just outnumber those of the "we" and probably have a lot more money. I will leave you to your own conclusion - xfiltrate

The price of oil
 

MHO, backofbeyond nailed it when he introduced the price of oil/gas factor - related to the demise of gas burning engines...one of the most difficult challenges for the automobile industry is calculating the future price of oil. As long as gas prices remain affordable, there will be a delay of total electric and hybrids will be having more of a market share. But when manufacturers determine that the market wants electric because the price of oil is too high, there will be made available electric engines. And, the public will buy electric.

Meanwhile the hydrogen engine - with a 300 mile range and 3- 5 minute refuel will be introduced. Who knows if the infrastructure to support hydrogen engines will be put in place? I do not.

As for automated cars, "guardian angel" systems that allow a driver to drive, but warn and take over to avoid accidents will begin appearing en mass around 2020 and totally automated cars, with operators choice of self driving or not, will be introduced for general public consumption around 2025.

Guardian angel systems for motorcycles are beyond my imagination and I would enjoy hearing from anyone in the industry who knows anything about the development of automated motorcycles. Perhaps 3 wheel motorcycles will be automated???

Somehow I foresee a positive correlation between alternative engines and automation. I am not sure why, but as the people begin to trust alternative engines, MHO they will also begin to trust automated vehicles. The gas engine represents the old established culture just as driving might represent another old established culture.

I remember in 1964, after graduating high school in Ankara, Turkey I entered a university in the States...and was completely lost when my peers began speaking about the number of barrels their carburetors had and went on and on about the silver discs called hub caps or wheel covers on their cars. It was all insane to me - What a waste of time....I sincerely believed the social conversations were being carried out in some code I did not understand and more important issues were really being discussed.... how could grown men - well almost grown men - spend so many hours discussing carburetors, and when that was settled begin all over again on the merits of wheel covers.

That was the old established culture I speak of. In Turkey we did not drive and had a chauffeur - provided for my Father, needless to say I had not yet learned how to drive so was not of the old established culture, and I saw cars as means of transportation only.

My interest in motorcycles began when I began to need personal freedom and that having a motorcycle was much like owning a horse in another old established culture.

Comments welcome.
xfiltrate

[QUOTE=xfiltrate;548686]

As for automated cars, "guardian angel" systems that allow a driver to drive, but warn and take over to avoid accidents will begin appearing en mass around 2020 and totally automated cars, with operators choice of self driving or not, will be introduced for general public consumption around 2025.

[QUOTE]

EU legislation mandated lane departure warning and collision mitigation on all new vehicles over 7.5 tonnes built after September 2016. Given the vehicle will brake automatically to minimise the effect of any collision I would suggest we are there now.

Andy

[QUOTE=Threewheelbonnie;548712][QUOTE=xfiltrate;548686]

As for automated cars, "guardian angel" systems that allow a driver to drive, but warn and take over to avoid accidents will begin appearing en mass around 2020 and totally automated cars, with operators choice of self driving or not, will be introduced for general public consumption around 2025.

Andy, thanks for that, but do you think EU legislation mandates for certain vehicles might fall short of being "en mass?" See my post, perhaps your comment is a little geocentric? A question for you - is a tonne equal to a ton? Greater or less? And, do you see any correlation between electric (alt energy) and automation?
xfiltrate

There are two big markets, the EU and US. Everywhere else, China included follows one or both. No one builds a vehicle to the Albanian regs, its too much hassle for too little gain.

Electric goes hand in hand with autonomous driving because the electric computer can understand an electric drive and brakes while getting it to change gears, understand diesel, use pneumatics sensibly, shovel coal etc. adds layers of complexity.

We got the electric truck hand brake at this years IAA show. The computer can see directly that the mechanical lock applied and it is safe to shut down. If it used springs and air it would need micro switches or something to confirm function.

Autonomous driving goes with electric because the truck needs to surf the web to find a charging point, you can't just fit a huge tank and wait until nature calls the driver.

Andy

Springs?
 

Threewheelbonnie, another Jack Daniels night with good friends of the Hubb Pub.

Here you go: https://youtu.be/ikwPxniT1Rw. just for you....

My ranch is on the old Route 66 and you are welcome to visit. Thanks for explaining but you are well beyond my level of expertise re: mechanical locks
and springs. We used to stage river trips down the Colorado put in was Lee's Ferry and take out Peach Springs but I don't think that was your intent. So without a little more detail I have no idea of what you speak.

xfiltrate

I think that the move to a majority of electric autonomous vehicles is going to happen more quickly than people think, it will take hold in the cities first and then spread.

Having your own car is a hassle in cities and young people don't have the same emotional attachment to their vehicles that older people have. The pollution issue with current cars and vans will drive them out of the cities