Just a foot note this is designed to generate some talking points and opinions from people. Not about right or wrong and try not to waste your energy going off the deepend, not worth it. And for those who seem convinced I hate EVs, I don't I'd buy a Rimac tomorrow once I can off load some Red Lobster shares.

An electric Aztec will solve all problems.

Reviews in 2028 : It's quiet, has a long range, pumped in audio & weighs 3 tonnes. Copy & paste on any EV review.

“I was there when VHS slew Betamax. I witnessed HD-DVD struck down by Blu-ray. My nights are haunted by the cries of the Sega Dreamcast. I know this same fate awaits the Kia EV6.”

At 63 think I might just daily my ‘89 300E for the next 35 years. 355km still runs like a swiss watch.

These "talk" videos are my favorite, they are the reason this channel is the only car review channel I am subscribed to, and watch every video of. They distinguish you from other channels, and add a layer of depth not found anywhere else. Especially during these transitional times, having videos that talk about the reality of things, and what happens behind the scenes is very appreciated.

We used to make cars here in Australia. And the industry was propped up by the federal government for a very, very long time. But then as South Korean and Chinese brands started to infiltrate and get better and better, that was no longer viable. We don't make cars here in Australia anymore...

The rot set in when the loopholes for SUVs and trucks was created.

I love listening to this guy talk. Minimal edits too, what a boss

All industry, not just the auto industry in the US needs to get away from the idea of "infinite growth". Its not sustainable. All levels of the supply chain (from the nuts and bolts) to the dealership lots need to become leaner, and they just aren't willing to do that. That means reasonable shareholder returns, reasonable executive compensation, and fair employee waiges. Its going to be a change to a "slow and steady" mindset.

It feels like the 90s and early 2000s were kind of a goldilocks period for ICE cars - They were built robust, had enough tech and safety but were not excessively expensive, complex and heavy like today's offerings. It is strangely refreshing seeing cars like the MG3 on the road because at least they're simple, cheap and have only the essentials. A lot of the problem seems to stem from the SUV craze and trying to make them do everything well (impossible). You can't have cheap, agile, economical, practical, rugged and luxurious attributes in one package. Dedicated family cars like Holden Commodore or dedicated sports cars (MX5), Luxury cars (E39 bmw) etc worked better and were simpler, lighter and cheaper all for it.

I come from both worlds, having owned and driven a Chevy Bolt for 4 years, and now driving a ram truck with a hemi V8 engine. The Chevy bolt was fun to drive as a daily commuter but after all the costs of having two vehicles, it came down to consolidating to one for insurance reasons alone, plus the extra fees they put on electric cars for the license plate tabs. Consolidating to one vehicle it became clear to me that the Chevy Bolt, while fun to drive, would not work as my loan vehicle. The compromises of having an electric car are real; the charging cost are cheaper than gasoline but not zero, the range loss in Winter temps is almost 50%, people don't factor that in. It meant that I could barely drive 100 miles from my home in winter, I live in northern Michigan and we have actual real winter here. I couldn't tow even my lawn mower trailer with a plastic kayak in it. One thing, I never understood - the irrational hatred for EVS from some people, it somehow got associated with politics and that's a damn shame because my Chevy Bolt was more American made than my co-workers Ford truck. Government getting involved in vehicle electrification was a death blow, many people have a natural and understandable aversion to anything the government wants them to do. This was a good video and a good summary of where we are, I think electrification will (slowly) continue but the less government is involved the better it will be for the consumer in the end.

There's so many factors going into it just making everything worse. For example, one reason Hertz cited for cancelling their Tesla fleet was chargers requiring accounts to use them, which people renting cars didn't want to bother with. Recently I ran into the same issue with just parking. I went to a parking lot in a big city that I often use when I go there and they had changed from just requiring payment to needing your name, phone number, e-mail, etc. I just left and street parked because I don't want to deal with that BS.

Mark, Easily the best segment ever. When politicians become engineers and engineers become politicians a recipe for disaster along with this thing called physics….

I said this when helping my mom buy a new car, “Remember everything the dealer wants is to convince you that scaling up a bad decision is going to somehow save you from those consequences.”

Low emissions + vehicle durability peaked in EFI NA 4-6 cylinder cars with a couple airbags and plastic bumper covers. We should reset CAFE requirements to the late 90s but include trucks.

I can only speak about my experience with the Model Y, it has been fine. Reliable transport, good performance and practicality, averaging about 240 wh/mi. real world. Cost 46k after 8k rebate.

The main problem with this conversation is demonstrated right here in the comments of this video. The point isn't about loving or hating E.V.'s, it's about actually speaking about facts and issues. -Are E.V.'s expensive (in America)? Yes, but they don't have to be. Right now, it's a luxury item, and it doesn't have to be like that. When a car is well over the average cost of a new vehicle, that means at least 50% of buyers can't afford it. -Is the infrastructure for charging millions of cars available (in America)? No, not yet. If we have more E.V.'s on the road, we need more chargers (Period). The answer isn't adding video games to your infotainment. Sometimes, waiting 2 plus hours at a grocery store or mall isn't an option. -How many shops near you (that are not the manufacturer of the vehicle) will even work on any E.V.? The answer, very few if any at all. While manufacturers claim allowing independent shops to work on their vehicles would violate I.P. laws, buyers are left shipping E.V.'s for 100's (or 1000's) of miles to get them fixed. All while voiding any warranty that might have been left. Until we can all talk about these things in a somewhat civilized manner, we won't get very far. I really like cars, working on them, talking about them, and driving them. But when any mention of any known issue surrounding E.V.'s is met with combative attitudes or name calling. We all lose.

Great video! You should do one on the constantly rising car insurance issue. Mine goes up every six months without tickets or claims 😢

"LOL make EV's the savior of all these bad decisions". Well said Mark! I like that this segment treads between any political side and talks about common sense, gradual, smart adoption strategies, and above all Mark is protective of the end user and consumers when it comes to practicality and affordability. Great segment.

Years ago, when Giorgetto Giugiaro paid his first visit to America, safety was the big issue in the auto world. And when interviewed by a journalist, he said "if safety is your only priority, we should all be driving the same car." Fast forward to today, when emissions are the issue. We will all be driving the same car.

Honestly, I dont care about EV or Fuel. I just want good suspension that will handle potholes, but also suspension that will minimize bodyroll. And physical buttons for climate & radio

Last time I was this early Turbowski was still co-host.

Cars and politics are an issue now? What about the insane policies that has led to everyone owning a giant SUV? No one had any issues about those policies. But oh no EV! bad govt.

Why am I hear wishing this videos was twice as long?! Masterfully done. I love these "Conversation" videos you make. It almost feels like it's live and your streaming it.

The comment section proved your point. People states their true concerns they have about EVs and they get trashed by EVangelists.

This was excellently done. If people would calmly talk like this, we'd be a lot farther along. Instead, people get angry and start insulting each other.

The only "affordable" car left is Versa. This is an enormous problem.

It's the takes and knowledge like this that just keep me coming back. Phenomenal content.

Great video, thank you. I think Toyotas approach to hybrids is a winning strategy. You will see a new generation of hybrids coming up that will improve peek thermal efficiency from 40% to 45%.

The infrastructure point is the big one for me. I own a condo in an old building with street parking, it's simply not feasible to buy an all-electric but the government here in Ontario want to force it in less than 10yrs. Good luck with that, seems like a free win for whichever party promises to roll back that agenda a few years from now.

They need to close the "light duty truck" loophole. In my opinion I think that will have a real impact on how many rolling tanks you see on the road and make both pedestrians and other drivers safer.

Direct injection has already shortened the lives of engines. I’ve had a CR-V need a new cylinder head at 89,000 miles because of the carbon buildup. Something like that in a Honda used to be unheard of. Unfortunately, ever tightening fuel economy standards are forcing automakers to do more of this, even on hybrids (where it wasn’t necessary before)

You guys should do a video that promotes the better value cars. Get exposure on cheap but well built cars

Just got out of a 2024 Honda accord hybrid after renting it for a week while on vacation. The hybrid system is seamless and the car achieved 48 mpg over about 500 miles. It was honestly really pleasant to be in and I could see anyone spending 35k on it. Hybrids have been widely available a lot longer than EVs, even if it’s less reliable, people are more exposed to the idea of putting gas in a car. I doubt EVs are going anywhere though.

I am an Engineer for the South Korean brands (north american market). The performance of internal combustion vehicles is detrimented because of government regulations, forcing us to reduce torque to meet emissions and fuel economy. The revenue margin on plug-in hybrids is minimal, unless we talk about high performance vehicles (like mentioned in the video), and the cost is just too high for most customers. Automakers are backing up from only doing EV development, as sales and market share are not as expected. MSRP for new vehicles, regardless of Propulsion Systems, is ridiculous, but EV cost is just outrageous. In my view, the best option for a good mixture of performance/fuel economy/cost, is to go regular hybrid. Still, I will always prefer internal combustion, as the system is simpler, easier to maintain, and there is no need to worry about high voltage battery replacement over the years. Good video guys, I enjoyed it.

Off topic but eagerly waiting an update on your 2024 red Honda Pilot Elite. Thanks.

Great video, but my main takeaway is that a guy that has driven MANY cars is enamored with the Lucid Air. I need to test drive one of those.

I appreciate you for all that you said here mark, this was well intentioned, no biased and exactly what us in the auto industry is dealing with. I will be reviewing this for a while to use as taking points for my clients. Again, thank you!

Great video Mark. The point about massive EVs is something that is so backwards it's hard to fathom. Somehow EVs are supposed to be about efficiency and green and yet we have multiple companies pushing out gigantic monstrosities that weigh close to 10,000 pounds and are absurdly fast. It makes no sense, and by the governments mandates they would rather us trade in a Prius for a EV Hummer or Cybertruck, since all that maters is being dogmatic pure EV no matter any other consideration. Lunacy.

Most new cars are being cost cut to the bone

Car tecnologies should work for everyone. As an example when Hurricane Maria hit here in Puerto Rico in 2017, we did not have electricity from 4 up to 12 months. Even if we had all the EV infrastructure in place, EVs would have been a nightmare during that time. The generators available were needed for powering up everything strictly essential. Solar power it's available now but I wouldn't want to choose between charging a car or having a working refrigerator.

We bought a 2024 Camaro and a 2024 Subie BRZ, both manual, and we intend to keep them until they make gasoline illegal.

As a grown man myself, I love watching/listening to these grown men talk about vroom vroom boxes.

Well said! As a Nissan Hybrid owner, one big problem is finding a dealer that is qualified to service the hybrid side of the drivetrain. The dealer that we bought the car from is not qualified to fix our car for hybrid issues.

Great video Mark! Unfortunately, it is not just cars that are afflicted with this issue. I am in the middle of a kitchen renovation and I am seeing the same problems with kitchen appliances and to a lesser extent cabinets and countertops. Lots of companies trying to sell feature packed garbage with poor warranties and no one to provide reliable service or repair. Just spend more and more money for items that do not last as long as older versions. Similar to cars, one has to be vary when putchasing something with all the bells and whistles.

One of the best and most concise contributions to this topic I’ve seen. Thank you so much.

Why is it always about the safety of the occupants of the vehicles when it comes to accidents, but not the safety of those outside the vehicle? I think Volvo was the only one who advertised about this but that only really worked with vehicles with low hoods. Now that everything's an SUV or truck, how do companies account for the safety of others outside the vehicle with these high hoods? Plus, with the addition of weight for vehicle safety it just makes them heavier and even more lethal at lower speeds. Wouldn't it be easier to remove some of the safety features that have been created and added for people who can't properly drive? Also limiting speeds as well? It'll make cars lighter, more efficient, and safer by making people who operate them feel less safe and more careful drivers. That last part was a stretch

I paid off my lease early on my 2022 Volvo XC60 B6 in order to get a new 2023 Lexus GX60. I wanted to get the GX before it went away with the intention of owning it for a long time. Overall, the Volvo was a nice vehicle, but I leased it for a reason -- a super complicated drivetrain from a brand with a very sketchy reliability record. I can only imagine the cost of maintenance and repair once outside of warranty. The GX is loaded and it wasn't cheap. I'm financing at 2.5% over 4 years, but I anticipate having it for a long time without much drama. This brings me to my point. I am not an early adopter and I am not willing to help industry finance its way through this maze. It's anyones guess how this will ultimately shake out. So until then, I'll wait it out in an old-school vehicle with proven reliability.

here in the philippines there are still remote areas with no electricity. where tge basic mode of transportion is a motorcycle

I like the freedom aspect of cars, you can jump in them and go wherever you want at high rates of speeds. With gas cars you don’t need to think where to go, there’s gas station absolutely everywhere and they just work. I can drive for hours with the A/C blasting and still cover hundreds of miles. I went to some amazing remote areas that no EVs could take me. And there’s cost… you can buy a 5k$ Honda Civic right now and take it across the states. A 5k$ electric car will be a 2011 Nissan Leaf with 60 miles of range.

Excellent video, and it's exactly what I've been saying since Pete Bootygieg made the comparison of an EV to the smart phone, which just demonstrated the absolute cluelessness of politicians. We readily adopted the smart phone because they made it appealing and we WANTED to go there... it wasn't shoved down our throat.

I will never personally own an EV but I’m cool with other people owning them

you didn't even mention the apartment dwellers and their complete inability to install power charging. we all have been to los angeles...this is the ONLY way you can live...looking out your window into the courtyard and its dirty, unusable pool and directly at the apartments across from you i just read how today the homeowner is going the way of the dinosaur and, in fact, homeownership is out of the reach of most young families. and no power to charge their forced purchase? and the regulators, the unelected bureaucrats, they have no clue about this????

Really refreshing to hear a properly balanced discussion of the topic. So many channels online are either Pro-EV or Anti-EV and take an almost religious stance either way. As someone with both a diesel and a basic EV (for four years), each has its pros and cons and it all depends on which country you live in, and what your requirements are as an owner. EVs are neither the devil nor angels - they are just cars!

I like this type of evolutionary video. It’s like the manual transmission. Nobody likes to be told HOW to drive. If I’m spending the money, no one tells me how to drive.

Hey man. I really enjoyed this segment from you, and was enlighten on the topics you discussed. In addition, bro that shade of blue your shirt is really compliment you well. Great job overall!

My car requirements: - Gas powered - No screens for critial functions; including the speedometer - Buttons for basically everything - Minimal "smartness". If there is blue tooth for playing music there should be an AUX or USB input also - As much safety things as possible. < EUR 25 000 I've find these cars from around 2016-2020.They have radar, angle detection, automatic breaking, an infotainment but also buttons for AC and everything else and analog speedometer. The silly depreciation is mostly over. I can fix and repair many things myself.

Great vid Mark. A very reasonable and well informed take(s) on the situation. Thanks.

In the words of DJ Khalid, I appreciate you. Spot on information and excellent delivery.

Transitions are hard, remember 70's emissions cars (all pretty bad). Yes electric infrastructure needs to improve, but pure EVs are so much more mechanically simple, they will win in the end. But, the country seems to just want to argue and fight, I no longer have much faith in it solving any of our problems.

We need light and simple cars. Diesel for long distances, petrol for fun, a cheap EV with a small battery for everyday commute .. Also, there shoule be a weight limit, like 2000 kg. It could even be limited per seats, like 1000kg+ 100kg/person .. or something. Weight kills everyting! Look at the Citroen Oli Concept from 2022. That is the way, that should be followed by every automaker. Its design is questionable (yet i'm personally like it), but the thinking behind it is futureproof. It's simple, clever, LIGHT, so it can do like 250 miles with its 40kWh battery .. And please, get rid of the screens, we want BUTTONS!

I just dropped my Mustang GT off for a recall and this is what I see.

These are my favorite kind of SG videos. Love to get your opinions and thoughts on things.

My neighbour has 2 Tesla and just level one changes them, they are constantly plugged in. He never has any problems

Great summary of the challenges of this transition… you really summed it up incredibly well!

A very honest conversation.... we need more conversations like this on multiple topics.

I really think cost is the biggest factor…I can’t afford a $50,000 car let alone even wanting to afford a $30,000 car

I hope this video is viewed by millions. Well done. You can’t just take away every job. Bingo.

I want an EV, but I live in a big city with no garage or driveway. Until charging infrastructure allows me to somehow fully charge super quickly (like in 10-15 mins) at a supercharger that can be found everywhere, I don’t think I can live with one. Will that day ever come? One can only dream…

Autotrader did a video on a 356 that had been modified to be electric. It looked absolutely perfect. The motor maxed out at 8k rpm and was pretty weak, so it still required the transmission to use. I think for car enthusiasts, that’s excellent. I just kinda refuse (while I can) to have a rolling computer. A product that costs $40-80k or whatever where I’m still the product because an OE’s line must go up. I’d love to see more of everything on the road. Hybrid, hydrogen, EV, naturally aspirated performance cars. Addressing passenger car emissions and not the 6 mpg that big rigs get is disingenuous. I feel no compunction to personally sacrifice when corporations aren’t held to account.

This is the smartest video I've seen addressing this topic. I feel exactly how you feel about the future of cars right now. The 2020s will be interesting to look back on when hopefully we figure out what direction we want to go in when it comes to personal transportation for the masses. Maybe we'll look back at this era like we did the 1970s

Hybrid yes, ev meh; love your view point, you hit the nail on thr head. No more throw away cars

There needs to be further adoption of public transport options nationwide. We’ve designed this country around the car and it’s been backfiring for decades. Not to say we need to get rid of cars entirely but the fact it’s the only option a lot of the time, people will gamble on car payments that aren’t reasonable.

Honestly this EV trend is starting to go away. Sales are plummeting, Benz, and several manufacturers are slowing down their ev department. There is clearly not enough infrastructure and demand for these vehicles anymore. But only time will tell, thanks for sharing your thoughts I love your videos.

Love this , a lot. Thank you for putting this out !!!!

Well Stated. Would like to see large cities (Chicago, NYC, Philly, Boston etc) become less car centric and put emphasis on public transportation, bicycles, walking to get around while we enact many of the policies you mentioned for rural and suburban areas with one personal wish....we tax GIGANTIC Trucks and SUVs more so not every soccer Mom is driving around in massive vehicles and can't see anything directly in front because their too high up. Always hit like on your videos. You and Jack are great.

Remember when 4 transmission replacements woudl cost $1800 for a good one that wont fail again.... Gm 8 speed is $7k and will fail in the exact same way. Dont forget the labor, $12k job. 🤦‍♀️. Bleading people dry. Sure you could trade and pay the $8k to get rid of the car. But now you have to take on more debt. Its just a no win. You could go old (2000's) and reliable. But new cars are so strong in accidents, now you are playing with your life.

We’re a family of 5 with one income. We recently had to buy a van to move everyone. We ended up choosing the 3.5L Odyssey over the other hybrid options. Many things influenced our final decision, but one of the main ones was the fact that many of the mechanics I trust don’t really work on hybrids. I didn’t want to be forced to pay the dealer repair fees when something needs repair 10 yrs from now. Great video, by the way.

Best summary of the situation I've seen so far.

Great video, great points. Tax auto manufacturers on a sliding scale that makes larger or heavier vehicles more expensive than smaller cars(currently the system is completely backwards). Allow range extenders in vehicles and still tax them as EVs. As long as the wheels are solely driven by electric motors. ADAS should not be considered in a vehicle's safety rating. Automatic emergency braking saves lives, but the rest of the systems seem to just make lazier worse drivers, and cause the cost of vehicle repairs to be insane.

As a long time EV owner (Model S since 2013, Model 3 added in 2018) I agree with what you have said. Electric is the future, but there are issues right now. I’ve had range anxiety only 3 times, in my 11 years of EV driving. I remember these well! 😊 Two were due to chargers being further apart in 2013-2014 time, and one, due to unexpectedly high cross winds on a mountain pass silently eating my range quickly! All these were on long distance journeys. For the 95% of the drivers, it’s the daily commute, and that’s no problem at all with EVs. EXCEPT for renters with no access to good charger going infrastructure. The charging infrastructure sucks because they make little margin, compared to gas stations. Most margin for gas stations is from the merchandise and food sales in the gas station. However, almost all EV chargers are separately operated from convenience stores. This should change. In fact, existing gas stations which own some chargers also, would be the ideal way to do this, IMHO.

“Broken ideas and broken laws.” Regulators are throwing the book at problems instead of realizing nuanced and strategic approaches are likely to be more fruitful in the long run. As always, consumers pay for it and we have ever-divided sides battling it out to no end.

Fantastic Mark, you nailed it 👍Something needs to change. Thanks for your videos

Our enemies are moving away from oil and natural gas as they are strategic targets. Wind and solar are decentralized forms of energy, they are harder to destroy. When goons who want to live in the 9th century can fire cheap weapons and sink slow moving tankers, we need to do something different. If you put the environmental concerns aside, electrification from renewables is a smart security move.

Not to mention that electric range goes down by as much as 35% with cold weather/winter driving. Not everyone lives in sunny California!

Ah, another segment in the series of "savagegeese yells at the auto industry", lol. Perfect watch for my lunch break.

Excellent analysis. Something else to note. I addition to the crazy prices for the cars and charger installations, insurance is insane. Why? Because you get tapped just the wrong way and you’re looking at a battery replacement. Since the battery replacement will cost damn near the value of the car (or exactly the value of the car given the crazy depreciation of most electric cars), your insurance company will total it. So the financial and environment hit is much worse than ICE vehicles. Electric vehicles are just nowhere near where they need to be to be truly viable transportation.

I can lease an EV for the same amount as my Subaru Outback. That's what I plan to do. Better for me and better for the planet. 😎

EVs make sense for commercial, delivery, and NPC commuters that drive a lot. I don’t mind cleaner air but let enthusiasts and car people afford and purchase the cars they want. If they want a Mustang GT V8 with a manual in 2045, let them.

Excellent video and commentary on current issues. Love my RAV4 Prime and feel that Toyota was wise in taking the split approach for adoption to EV. It's helped ease me into the mindset of EV ownership. Wish other brands would take the same strategic approach going forward.

Well spoken my friend--as I am at a point in my life where there is absolutely no car under $100,000, that I’m interested in buying.

The future is smaller lighter solid state batteries with 400+ miles range that can be charged quickly to 100% and recycled.

I had a Model 3 for a couple of days. Range anxiety is still a huge factor in the decision making process of buying an EV. It’s just not there yet.

I liked the glitch when talking about tech that might not be around in ten years, even went back to see if I really saw it. When I spotted the second one I started waiting for a Tux Mat ad.

Sure am glad I know how to fix and maintain older cars, can't imagine buying anything newer than a 2019 for years to come.

Another important part to mention about having home charging - you need to live in a house. In Europe 46% live in flats. Vast majority of them are fucked when it comes to "home charging". Requirements for active safety/assistance systems should be removed. Making lightweight cars should be encouraged by regulations, not the opposite way around, as it's currently happening in Europe.

In my country we have zero subsidies for EVs. Cheapest one is Tesla model 3 at 54K USD whilst average price of a new car is 32K. 86% of population live in a flat (no home charging). And charging at supercharger is more expensive than buying petrol. We have 6500 petrol stations throughout the country but only 160 chargers. And our government wants to push EVs heavily and wonder why the uptake is soo low… 😂😂😂

This is a great breakdown. Thank you

I drive a 15 year old Mazda 6. A need for a second car in the family had me looking for something new. After seeing what is offered....I went with an even older 1992 XJ cherokee 😂😂. Cars are becoming ridiculous with buyers being Beta testers and paying a fortune for it. Oh I drive many new cars at my job, so it's not like I don't have first hand experience. So future is going to the past, at least for me 😂