cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/48269458

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz used the opportunity to rally against planned EU-wide restrictions that are set to ban manufacturers from selling new combustion-engine vehicles from 2035.

  • A_norny_mousse@feddit.orgEnglish
    0·
    22 hours ago

    Idiots. Just like with coal back then, they’ll have to give it up anyhow, sooner or later. But the polls and lobbyists say that for now it’s more advantegous to keep it up.

    • Quittenbrot@feddit.orgEnglish
      0·
      15 hours ago

      But the polls and lobbyists say that for now it’s more advantegous to keep it up.

      Given that in the end it will be us paying that bill anyway, they will keep it up until the very end. Yay…

    • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
      0·
      20 hours ago

      The chancellor appeared to be particularly impressed by the showcased range extenders, small combustion engines used to increase the range of electric cars.

      That can probably run forever. In fact, I think that the idea of a rentable range extender trailer plus EVs that have some kind of rear trailer charge port that’s usable while driving — the regular one isn’t, to keep people from accidentally driving off from a charging station with the thing still plugged in — does a lot to make EVs more usable. If doing an occasional long-range trip just means going to U-Haul and renting a range-extender trailer, that does a lot to eliminate the range restrictions imposed by batteries.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_extender

      1000009260

      • Obi@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        0·
        3 hours ago

        The only time I can see this being useful is when you travel through the Arctic or something. The availability of fast chargers in Europe is so ubiquitous nowadays and cars charge fast enough that range is really a non-issue.