@[email protected] to [email protected]English • 4 months agoEVs Could Last Nearly Forever—If Car Companies Let Themwww.theatlantic.comexternal-linkmessage-square302fedilinkarrow-up1680arrow-down114
arrow-up1666arrow-down1external-linkEVs Could Last Nearly Forever—If Car Companies Let Themwww.theatlantic.com@[email protected] to [email protected]English • 4 months agomessage-square302fedilink
minus-square@[email protected]linkfedilinkEnglish10•4 months agoThere’s an old expression: Any idiot can build a bridge that stands, but it takes an engineer to build a bridge that barely stands. If a car has a warranty of 10 years, it will last 11 years.
minus-square@[email protected]linkfedilinkEnglish5•4 months ago Any idiot can build a bridge that stands, but it takes an engineer to build a bridge that barely stands. Oof. In the defense of engineers, they are usually trying to optimize around a few more variables than ability to stand. Cost is a big one. If a car has a warranty of 10 years, it will last 11 years. …If it’s well engineered.
minus-square@[email protected]linkfedilinkEnglish4•edit-24 months agoYou don’t need to defend the engineers. The expression is saying that engineers build bridges that are efficient and cost effective. Although I do believe the full quote ends with “bridge that almost collapses”, which would make it more clear.
minus-square@[email protected]linkfedilinkEnglish4•4 months agoBut battery cells don’t just fail after a specific time. Maybe a component in the battery will like a switch or gasket though. Motors are highly resilient as well. I’m not as sure about the motors, but I really am optimistic on the LFP batteries.
minus-square@[email protected]linkfedilinkEnglish4•4 months agoThe battery doesn’t have to fail for the car to be useless. One of those circuit boards that holds it all together goes and it’s “whoops, we don’t make that any more”.
minus-square@ZinklinkEnglish3•4 months agoSounds like we might need some new regulations around parts availability & stocking up before subcomponents go obsolete. At some point it becomes an environmental thing just as much as a consumer protection thing.
minus-square@[email protected]linkfedilinkEnglish2•4 months agoIndeed just like a regular car. If cars lasted forever, they’d all go out of business within 20 years.
There’s an old expression: Any idiot can build a bridge that stands, but it takes an engineer to build a bridge that barely stands.
If a car has a warranty of 10 years, it will last 11 years.
Oof.
In the defense of engineers, they are usually trying to optimize around a few more variables than ability to stand. Cost is a big one.
…If it’s well engineered.
You don’t need to defend the engineers.
The expression is saying that engineers build bridges that are efficient and cost effective.
Although I do believe the full quote ends with “bridge that almost collapses”, which would make it more clear.
But battery cells don’t just fail after a specific time. Maybe a component in the battery will like a switch or gasket though.
Motors are highly resilient as well.
I’m not as sure about the motors, but I really am optimistic on the LFP batteries.
The battery doesn’t have to fail for the car to be useless. One of those circuit boards that holds it all together goes and it’s “whoops, we don’t make that any more”.
Sounds like we might need some new regulations around parts availability & stocking up before subcomponents go obsolete.
At some point it becomes an environmental thing just as much as a consumer protection thing.
So just like a regular car.
Indeed just like a regular car.
If cars lasted forever, they’d all go out of business within 20 years.