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He's probably right, and he has the money.

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Over the weekend was listening to a tech show on CBC (Canadian NPR) and both experts said "all roads lead to electric."

They acknowledged a few issues - better & lighter batteries, but, according to them, the direction is clear.

In a separate but related, Ontario just became the first province to allow driverless cars. Interestingly, as we were watching this on the news, Mrs JP turns to me and says: "We got it all backwards." "For our whole lives we were taught that when we got to driverless cars, the technology would be in the roads, turns out that the technology is in the cars." Some days (OK most days) that woman amazes me.
 
We've heard the alleged death knell for internal combustion engine before, and the predictions of its demise have been premature, to say the least. Electric is getting better, but it's not a cure all. Electric only works in places where you have electricity.

Frankly, I think steam powered cars should get another look. :D
 
I think steam cars would be pretty darned awesome. :encouragement:
 
Although if that is steam being released as it runs the utility of it would be limited as it couldn't carry enough water for meaningful range, not to mention weight of cargo.
 
One thing I've noticed when changes come about. For every problem you try to solve with new or better technology, two NEW problems just as bad, if not worse, arise.
 
MikeP said:
Although if that is steam being released as it runs the utility of it would be limited as it couldn't carry enough water for meaningful range, not to mention weight of cargo.
Click to expand...

But if the engine captures the (used) steam, and condenses it back to water ... wouldn't flight be limited only by the fuel for the boiler?
 
That would be true. I was wondering based primarily due to the white smoke it emitted when it seemed they throttled up. I wonder if the recondensing it supposedly did wasn't capable of handling the high flow from faster running and that was "overflow". In any case water carried would have to be a smaller amount to get away from weight and space restrictions so any loss would be an issue.
 
After coming back from a Saskatchewan vacation last week, exploring the open prairies... Few towns (most with low population), lots of open space... An electric car just does not make sense in that setting... For one thing most people on the prairies drive big pickups, even as their personal vehicle

Even living in big city Alberta, I'm not certain how well electric would work in a climate like this, especially winter...

Yet I do sense some profound change is coming to the automotive industry, and I don't like most of it, I dread the driverless car, I would never buy one...
 
I'm all for an electric driverless car for my commute to work. I read the paper, take a nap, etc.

But let me keep my pollutin' IC-engined, manual transmission car for weekend jaunts on back roads!

How can we keep both?
 
Popeye said:
I'm all for an electric driverless car for my commute to work. I read the paper, take a nap, etc.
But let me keep my pollutin' IC-engined, manual transmission car for weekend jaunts on back roads!
How can we keep both?
Click to expand...

I tend to agree. I suppose we end up keeping both the same way horseback riding nuts kept their horses once their world changed.

But - I think Tim Cook is talking about a lot more that just electric cars and suspect he (& others) are looking at trying to change where they're made, how they're assembled, and so on. Kind of an extension to the modules "Detroit" uses today, but more like PC component makers have evolved into. Could be a great thing, could be utterly boring.
 
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