Gas Engines, and the People Behind Them, Are Cast Aside for Electric Vehicles

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Fewer moving parts; fewer people needed to assemble those parts.

Bye-bye, lots of jobs.

This was in the weekend edition of The Wall Street Journal.

Powertrain engineers have been the rocks stars of the auto-engineering ranks. But the rapid shift to electric cars is marginalizing their trade. A deeper look at the industry disruption wrought by the EV transformation. https://wsj.com/articles/gas-engines-cast-aside-electric-vehicles-job-losses-detroit-11627046285?st=96p6abq8s4bo93s&reflink=desktopwebshare_twitter via
@WSJ

Link to tweet

Gas Engines, and the People Behind Them, Are Cast Aside for Electric Vehicles

Transition not yet noticeable in showrooms, but industry resources have shifted. ‘We’re trying to make things change pretty quickly’

By Mike Colias
https://twitter.com/MikeColias
[e-mail]
July 23, 2021 9:21 am ET

Steven Penkevich spent 36 years at Ford Motor Co. as part of an army of Detroit engineers who perfected the internal combustion engine, a technology dating back to the dawn of the automobile era. He developed gasoline engines for family sedans as well as thunderous Nascar racing machines.

By last year, though, the excitement was gone. His projects were no longer about advancing the engine, just nursing along existing technology. All the buzz had shifted to electric vehicles. In December, Mr. Penkevich took early retirement at age 59.

“It got to feel like you’re on a maintenance crew,” he said.

For more than a century, auto makers continually honed their gas and diesel engines, sparring over which had greater power, better fuel efficiency, more durability or delivered a smoother ride.

Now, some of the world’s biggest car companies are sending the combustion engine to the scrap heap and are pouring billions of dollars into electric motors and battery factories. Instead of powertrain specialists, they are hiring thousands of software engineers and battery experts.

TO READ THE FULL STORY
SUBSCRIBE
SIGN IN

[2naSalit]

1. Hmmm...

Because of paywall, I can't read the whole thing but I would imagine that the answer to the jobs issue is to adapt, as many a conservative type would tell you. So the best way to do that is to pass the Biden plan since it is a sound and shovel-ready plan that will put us well on our way to appropriate transition. Anything less will not keep us from extinctioning ourselves.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. I can't read it all online either, but ...

I linked to an article in The Wall Street Journal. in LBN a few days ago. Someone who replied found that he could read the entire article by linking to it through the tweet. This trick doesn't always work.

Second, your local public library probably has a subscription to the electronic The Wall Street Journal. You should have access through your library account.

There was an anecdote about the firm Borg-Warner that was, I think, in this article. An analyst pointed out to B-W executives during an earnings conference that everything they make is obsolete in an electric vehicle.

Thanks for writing, and good morning.

[2naSalit]

3. Thanks...

I never thought of looking through the library acct. I'll have to look into that, thanks.

And good morning.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Progress! There are always new things putting the old to bed.

[OAITW r.2.0]

6. Not just gas motors for cars. 2 Cycle engines are also being disrupted.

Briggs and Stratton type engines are also an endangered species. I just bought an electric riding lawnmower....works great and far quieter than the equivalent gas versions.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. Those are four-strokes, at least the ones I'm familiar with.

I'm not saying they don't make two-strokes, but most lawn mower engines I've seen are four-strokes.

Thanks for writing.

[OAITW r.2.0]

8. Of course you are right. I was thinking about my chain saw when I wrote that.

I bought an battery electric chainsaw last year. It's much easier to operate for light jobs like delimbing trees.

[Finishline42]

9. Lawn Boy mowers were 2 stroke

I had one that I used until it broke. Local govt would give you a $125 credit when you dropped off a gas mower. Took my $125 credit and bought an electric mower. On my second one. Doing the electric cord dance every two weeks (every week in the spring).

Really prefer the stop start of an electric mower.

[OAITW r.2.0]

11. Next gen is battery. Cut the cord!

I have a battery weedwacker, chainsaw, blower, drill/sawzall/3.5" circular saw. And a riding law mower - 2 blade, 36" cut. Love them all. Simple and they do 95% of my ground keeping needs.

[Finishline42]

10. Mercedes has stopped development of gas engines.

What they have now is it for them.

https://electrek.co/2019/09/19/daimler-stops-developing-internal-combustion-engines-to-focus-on-electric-cars/

[OAITW r.2.0]

12. Times, they are achangin....

I wonder if John Deere. et al. are moving this way. Farmers with lots of acres for Solar power will be a no brainer for energy systems that are batteries (SLA for weight) with quick change out capabilities.

[Finishline42]

13. Yes they are

Actually I don't think batteries are a good solution for farmers. During planting and harvesting I doubt they want to spend time recharging. But I think they could probably make good money leasing land for solar.

But I always wondered why farmers didn't come up with an alternative to diesel? There was for a time conversions for used cooking oil until companies started paying restaurants for their used cooking oil and they quit giving it away.

[OAITW r.2.0]

14. It wouldn't make much sense to have to recharge the batteries every time they run down.

What I envision is a quick change rack design that would allow quick change out of the exhausted batteries with a fully charged rack.