Who has or is planning to get an electric car / EV Talk

[44267547]

You can get some very small EV’s here from the likes of Nissan and Renault but even those are £20k+. The average car purchase in the UK is £12k.

In my post, I specifically at italicized North America, and I’m not speaking for UK pricing, and I don’t know what consumers generate annually on average in your market, what are the economic costs for a living, etc. None of that was taken to account for your specific market.

But I wouldn’t classify EV as a luxury segment, just because it’s an ‘EV’. I would look at a parity of what specific features is offered at what price tag, but there are EV manufacturers who are more luxury oriented, like Lucid, were they are very open about being a luxury segment EV.

I’ve never spent more than £25k on a car and I have a decent job.

Both my wife and I have outstanding careers, but we also choose to spend more on vehicles, because we can afford to do so. But more to the point, it’s not that I think EV’s are unattainable, it’s because of limited availability, and there are specific regions in North America that are not well equipped for the EV infrastructure as I already mentioned.

Who are those 30 grand cars aimed at or are you suggesting they would be more affordable secondhand?

Used EV’s are definitely not affordable, as they almost cost just as much as a new one, but the used vehicle market is also very unstable, where used vehicles have a much higher price tag of what they’re worth right now, and vehicles in general holding value.

I know this is obvious, but when a consumer is considering purchasing a ‘new vehicle’, they’re also trading in a used vehicle that is probably in good condition, which will naturally decrease the value of a new EV or other vehicle of interest. So it’s not like somebody is just purchasing a new car without putting any money down and totally financing the full amount, there are factors that there is a trade-in of current vehicle owned, tax incentives, that all help decrease the value of what the final price tag is for a new car.

 

[JamesMay82]

All EV’s are definitely not aimed at the luxury sector, when there’s quite a few models that start/near around $38,000-is, and most definitely don’t include luxury materials either. The problem here in North America, is a two fold situation, the infrastructure (Both the electric grid and roadways) has to improve to have a wide-spread platform for electric and not enough consumers have the necessary education of why they would want an electric car, because that requires a significant change from their internal combustion vehicle. With fuel prices being unstable as they are now, definitely provokes consumers to other possibilities. And the last reason being, the availability is far too limited with manufacturers that can’t produce them fast enough due to lack of parts availability, which is something that probably won’t be established more lucratively until the end of this decade.

The other consideration too, is that usually the base model EV from manufacturers, includes a ‘single motor’ that is either FWD or RWD, and in some states where snow is predominant, AWD is the only real considerable option for better stability/handling, which also means that would include a ‘dual motor’ for EV’s, which includes a higher price tag for those models. There’s a fairly distinct price hike between a single motor and dual motor EV, which I think is probably too steep for some consumers to upgrade, depending on what trim option they choose and from what manufacturer.

But besides all that, [And not to turn this thread into economics], but the entire consumer market is upside down with the cost of housing, retail/grocery is obviously more expensive, I already mentioned fuel prices, even airfare is considerably higher for travel, the list goes on. So in that event, I think all these inflation rising costs is pushing the consumer to keep their ICE vehicles longer, where they are essentially trapped until the market can settle and return to some sense of normalcy before they consider purchasing a new car, given if the average consumer isn’t able to keep up with the rising costs of living, then there’s no way that they’re considering an EV or any new vehicle for that matter.

I would say any vehicle over 30k is a luxury or middle class option and because most electric vehicles start at over that I would then consider them a luxury or premium vehicle. I would also argue that most people live way beyond their means and should be driving less expensive cars.

Again, a BMW X3 gas version is 20k less than the electric version that’s just come out. I’d be getting the gas version and save the 20k cost and the price potential inconvenience of faulty chargers and range anxiety.

Also, I think the line between luxury vehicles and what use to be considered an average car has been blurred. Ford, Renault, VW etc have all massively Upped their interior games to rival the likes of BMW and Mercedes and there isn’t that much difference between them these days.

 

[44267547]

I would say any vehicle over 30k is a luxury

Pricing for a vehicle shouldn’t only be relative to what you consider ‘luxury’, it should be based on what you can afford.

Again, there’s different markets in terms of what’s offered at what price, and also based on what somebody generates for income is totally relative to what type of vehicle is offered that would be considered ‘luxury’. It’s a fairly subjective stance that your interpretation of what luxury is, may not be that of the others based what I already listed above to the other member I replied to.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I would say any vehicle over 30k is a luxury or middle class option and because most electric vehicles start at over that I would then consider them a luxury or premium vehicle. I would also argue that most people live way beyond their means and should be driving less expensive cars.

Again, a BMW X3 gas version is 20k less than the electric version that’s just come out. I’d be getting the gas version and save the 20k cost and the price potential inconvenience of faulty chargers and range anxiety.

Also, I think the line between luxury vehicles and what use to be considered an average car has been blurred. Ford, Renault, VW etc have all massively Upped their interior games to rival the likes of BMW and Mercedes and there isn’t that much difference between them these days.

I think a large proportion of premium vehicles on British roads are either company cars or leased. I’ve seen a big rise over the last few years of people I know going for the lease option because it enables them to obtain a car which they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. However, with the 2030 deadline for going electric not too far away, I think most drivers will be leasing EV’s as buying them will be unrealistic. It’s not a route I want to take but will probably be forced to if I want a car the size of what I am used to and need. I could afford to purchase a £50k car, but it would mean sacrifices elsewhere and that’s rather stupid for something that is just a method of transport. I’d also have to consider keeping it 10 years to make it worthwhile.

 

[JamesMay82]

Pricing for a vehicle shouldn’t only be relative to what you consider ‘luxury’, it should be based on what you can afford.

Again, there’s different markets in terms of what’s offered at what price, and also based on what somebody generates for income is totally relative to what type of vehicle is offered that would be considered ‘luxury’. It’s a fairly subjective stance that your interpretation of what luxury is, may not be that of the others based what I already listed above to the other member I replied to.

Yes I agree that luxury is subjective but surely we can agree that a bmw is nicer than a Toyota and ranger rover (when it’s working ) is nicer than a bmw. I suppose what I’m ultimately saying is the cheapest car you can buy in the UK is 12k with combustion engine and a reasonably priced family car with nice extras would be 20k. Versus the cheapest electric cars start at 29k and with nice extras added it’s prob in the 35k range so that’s why I’m saying they are a luxury item because the electric engine is charged as a premium. A bit like our Apple computers are a premium over a windows pc etc.

 

[JamesMay82]

I think a large proportion of premium vehicles on British roads are either company cars or leased. I’ve seen a big rise over the last few years of people I know going for the lease option because it enables them to obtain a car which they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. However, with the 2030 deadline for going electric not too far away, I think most drivers will be leasing EV’s as buying them will be unrealistic. It’s not a route I want to take but will probably be forced to if I want a car the size of what I am used to and need. I could afford to purchase a £50k car, but it would mean sacrifices elsewhere and that’s rather stupid for something that is just a method of transport. I’d also have to consider keeping it 10 years to make it worthwhile.

I live in the Uk but originally from America and when my sister visits she’s always amazed how everyone has new premium cars. I think in the Uk that cars are treated like our iPhones and most people just upgrade every 3 years. That 2030 deadline is easily going to get pushed back as the infrastructure just isn’t in place. The Trafford centre shopping mall has loads of Tesla chargers and they are powered by diesel generators!!!

In think the days of cheap cars and behind us now sadly. we use to be able to get 10-20% discounts on cars and now your lucky if you 1-2%

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

In my post, I specifically at italicized North America, and I’m not speaking for UK pricing, and I don’t know what consumers generate annually on average in your market, what are the economic costs for a living, etc. None of that was taken to account for your specific market.

I think we can only reference from where we are from and as this is an international platform, we’ll notice the experiences will differ considerably. The cost of living on the whole is 16.5% higher in the UK compared to the US.

But I wouldn’t classify EV as a luxury segment, just because it’s an ‘EV’. I would look at a parity of what specific features is offered at what price tag, but there are EV manufacturers who are more luxury oriented, like Lucid, were they are very open about being a luxury segment EV.

I think we’ll perhaps have a different opinion on that which is fine. EV’s in Europe are viewed very much as the luxury sector of motoring at the moment as the infrastructure is crap currently and most of the adoption from the articles I have read is by the older generations with more disposable income. This will obviously change as more people move towards EV’s over the next 20 years.

Both my wife and I have outstanding careers, but we also choose to spend more on vehicles, because we can afford to do so. But more to the point, it’s not that I think EV’s are unattainable, it’s because of limited availability, and there are specific regions in North America that are not well equipped for the EV infrastructure as I already mentioned.

It’s nice to hear you’re wealthy but yeah the infrastructure in parts of your country are probably worse as the expanse of land is so much greater than the densely populated areas here in Europe. It’s still not brilliant here though yet which is why I will wait as long as I can before considering the technology.

Used EV’s are definitely not affordable, as they almost cost just as much as a new one, but the used vehicle market is also very unstable, where used vehicles have a much higher price tag of what they’re worth right now, and vehicles in general holding value.

Gaining value too. In some cases cars are worth £4K more after 12 months and with an extra 10k miles on the clock. It really is a bizarre time for that sort of thing. I made money on my last car and that’s the first time ever. Sell privately though to get the maximum.

I know this is obvious, but when a consumer is considering purchasing a ‘new vehicle’, they’re also trading in a used vehicle that is probably in good condition, which will naturally decrease the value of a new EV or other vehicle of interest. So it’s not like somebody is just purchasing a new car without putting any money down and totally financing the full amount, there are factors that there is a trade-in of current vehicle owned, tax incentives, that all help decrease the value of what the final price tag is for a new car.

Unfortunately dealers now realise that your part-ex is worth more, so offer you below bottom book to try and reduce that bonus to you. I found that out last year when I tried to part-ex my CR-V and the dealer wouldn’t match the official Parker’s valuation for part-ex. I think we are starting to see this trend coming to an end though as car prices are starting to come down slightly. If I traded either of my cars against a similarly standard EV, I’d still have about £30k to pay. This will decrease I suppose by the time I come to buy one as the affordable ones will be 7 or 8 years old by then.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I live in the Uk but originally from America and when my sister visits she’s always amazed how everyone has new premium cars. I think in the Uk that cars are treated like our iPhones and most people just upgrade every 3 years. That 2030 deadline is easily going to get pushed back as the infrastructure just isn’t in place. The Trafford centre shopping mall has loads of Tesla chargers and they are powered by diesel generators!!!

In think the days of cheap cars and behind us now sadly. we use to be able to get 10-20% discounts on cars and now your lucky if you 1-2%

Yeah the trend for upgrading cars here is very popular. Our main family car gets upgraded generally every 2 or 3 years and that is purely to prevent too much of a loss financially. The car I drive daily which is an Audi A4 is 7 years old now and I keep mine quite a bit longer than my wife. I’ll probably keep it as long as possible now until it’s unaffordable or breaks. My street is full of nice cars which most of which are probably leased lol. No EV’s yet though.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

Something to consider.

Modern cars are designed with planned obsolesce, thus are disposable commodities. Manufacturers make more $ on vehicle turnover. Electric vehicles have an even shorter useful life with all the electronics and batteries.

I can purchase a >60 year old carbureted vehicle and drive it today, and have the skills and tools to work on it myself.
What is the expected life span of an electric vehicle?
Do electric vehicles actually reduce environmental impact over their much shorter service life? Everything from raw materials to disposal?

 

[quagmire]

All I will say is I wish people who don't have a passion for cars would stop proposing to force everyone into small engine vehicles that have no horsepower. Speeding may be illegal, but certainly having passing power is helpful. My mom has a 2013 Equinox with a 2.4 liter 4 banger producing 185 HP. Around town driving, it's got enough power to move the car due to the lower gearing. But on the highway, it's absolutely gutless. You have to plan lane changes due to the lack of oomph without causing anyone already in that lane to hit the brakes.

With my Camaro SS and now Tesla, I love how effortless it is to change lanes. I can move over and get up to the speed of traffic in the left lane quickly without causing anyone to slow down( mind you, I do not cut anyone off). You may argue, " But the speed limit!", but it is far safer to maintain the pace of traffic.

Having horsepower helps on the highway especially in the states that have 70 to 80 MPH speed limits( thus the speed of traffic is more 80-90).

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Something to consider.

Modern cars designed with planned obsolesce, thus are disposable commodities. Manufacturers make more $ on vehicle turnover. Electric vehicles have an even shorter useful life with all the electronics and batteries.

I can purchase a >60 year old carbureted vehicle and drive it today.
What is the expected life span of an electric vehicle?
Do electric vehicles actually reduce environmental impact over their much shorter service life? Everything from raw materials to disposal?

That’s a very good point. Are EV’s going to be like the smartphone race where technology evolves so quickly in terms of software and cars become outdated and laggy very quickly? Rhetorical of course as none of us know. I wonder what 2013/14 Tesla’s are like now and do the software updates slow down the interface?

 

[quagmire]

That’s a very good point. Are EV’s going to be like the smartphone race where technology evolves so quickly in terms of software and cars become outdated and laggy very quickly? Rhetorical of course as none of us know. I wonder what 2013/14 Tesla’s are like now and do the software updates slow down the interface?

I need to look up what years were eligible, but Model S and X's were offered to upgrade from MCU1 with the NVIDIA Tegra to MCU2 with the Intel Atom.

In theory, Tesla could offer an upgrade to MCU3 with the AMD Ryzen. It would cost $2,000-$3,000, but would still be better than buying a whole new Tesla and able to extend the useful life of the current car. Who knows if Tesla will continue with that practice, but certainly a possibility based on past practice.

 

[Apple fanboy]

All I will say is I wish people who don't have a passion for cars would stop proposing to force everyone into small engine vehicles that have no horsepower. Speeding may be illegal, but certainly having passing power is helpful. My mom has a 2013 Equinox with a 2.4 liter 4 banger producing 185 HP. Around town driving, it's got enough power to move the car due to the lower gearing. But on the highway, it's absolutely gutless. You have to plan lane changes due to the lack of oomph without causing anyone already in that lane to hit the brakes.

With my Camaro SS and now Tesla, I love how effortless it is to change lanes. I can move over and get up to the speed of traffic in the left lane quickly without causing anyone to slow down( mind you, I do not cut anyone off). You may argue, " But the speed limit!", but it is far safer to maintain the pace of traffic.

Having horsepower helps on the highway especially in the states that have 70 to 80 MPH speed limits( thus the speed of traffic is more 80-90).

Sorry but I couldn’t disagree with you more. Your choice to drive a huge gas guzzling car? Well yes. But unfortunately we all share the same planet. We can’t keep on trashing it like this.
I have a passion for cars. Just I chose not to drive round in a huge engine planet wrecker.
As for small cars not being pokey enough to get up to speed etc it is true (my wife’s current car is a 1 litre Kia that is slow), but then it doesn’t go on the motorway or duel carriageways. Over here the roads are designed so you can get up to speed on the slip road.
But I’ve never had any issue keeping up with traffic in my 1.4 litre Golf. There are options that are not one extreme or the other.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I need to look up what years were eligible, but Model S and X's were offered to upgrade from MCU1 with the NVIDIA Tegra to MCU2 with the Intel Atom.

In theory, Tesla could offer an upgrade to MCU3 with the AMD Ryzen. It would cost $2,000-$3,000, but would still be better than buying a whole new Tesla and able to extend the useful life of the current car. Who knows if Tesla will continue with that practice, but certainly a possibility based on past practice.

As long as the manufacturers foot the bill after just a few years to replace hardware to keep models up to date, I don’t think consumers would mind the inconvenience of taking the car to be upgraded. Most likely though these already expensive cars will be required to be upgraded at our expense which is a concern.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Something to consider.

Modern cars are designed with planned obsolesce, thus are disposable commodities. Manufacturers make more $ on vehicle turnover. Electric vehicles have an even shorter useful life with all the electronics and batteries.

I can purchase a >60 year old carbureted vehicle and drive it today, and have the skills and tools to work on it myself.
What is the expected life span of an electric vehicle?
Do electric vehicles actually reduce environmental impact over their much shorter service life? Everything from raw materials to disposal?

Yes. Studies show that the environmental impact of a new EV is offset in the first two years. Nobody is making EV’s that are obsolete in 2 years. Most have an 8 year battery warranty at least. Plus when an older EV loses range, it can still be used by someone who only travels shorter distances, thus extending its life. Meanwhile ICE don’t last forever either. I see a lot less older cars on the road than when I first started driving decades ago.

 

[quagmire]

Sorry but I couldn’t disagree with you more. Your choice to drive a huge gas guzzling car? Well yes. But unfortunately we all share the same planet. We can’t keep on trashing it like this.
I have a passion for cars. Just I chose not to drive round in a huge engine planet wrecker.
As for small cars not being pokey enough to get up to speed etc it is true (my wife’s current car is a 1 litre Kia that is slow), but then it doesn’t go on the motorway or duel carriageways. Over here the roads are designed so you can get up to speed on the slip road.
But I’ve never had any issue keeping up with traffic in my 1.4 litre Golf. There are options that are not one extreme or the other.

And the middle ground is EV's.....

Better for the planet and fast and heck..... Not forcing me into a gutless 1L gas/diesel engine....

Also mind you, I just detest the thought of banning big engines. For a mainstream car, yeah not everyone needs a V8. A 2.0 liter turbo producing 240 HP is more than enough power to pass on the highway and still get 30-35 MPG( US gallons). But leave my sports cars alone. The amount of those on the road are a lot smaller and the impact of them is small.

 

[Apple fanboy]

And the middle ground is EV's.....

Better for the planet and fast and heck..... Not forcing me into a gutless 1L gas/diesel engine....

Not forcing you into a 1 litre. But there are hybrids and sportier EV’s. Or just more economical petrol that aren’t one extreme or the other.

 

[quagmire]

Not forcing you into a 1 litre. But there are hybrids and sportier EV’s. Or just more economical petrol that aren’t one extreme or the other.

But the person I was mainly replying to is proposing everyone into a 1L and banning bigger engines because who needs that power and speeding is illegal anyway......

 

[Dismayed]

Yeah, Tesla isn't perfect. And because TSLA is one of the most shorted stocks traded today, there's more false anti-Tesla FUD spewed by those who make millions from a drop in share price than FUD about any other company. (Oh, and they never advertise, so news publications are biased against them in favor of car companies that advertise.) Despite Tesla's flaws, they are doing a million things right and just like Apple drove the clumsy mobile phone into the direction of the smart phone when they unveiled the iPhone and, by doing so, compelled other phone manufacturers to follow suit, Tesla has accelerated the development and adoption of the electric vehicle for the benefit of the entire world.

Tesla isn’t even close to perfect. The model 3 body design was led by a person who had zero experience designing car bodies. The assembly is overly complicated so it’s rare that one comes off the line with acceptable panel gaps. They are making progress, but this never should have happened.

FSD is so bad that it’s a crime that consumers have to pay for it.

As for Tesla’s stock valuation - I spent a decade working on mergers and acquisitions. The short sellers are right, but the kool aide drinkers have propped up the stock to absurd levels.

And, lastly, Musk is a pathological liar.

 

[quagmire]

Tesla isn’t even close to perfect. The model 3 body design was led by a person who had zero experience designing car bodies. The assembly is overly complicated so it’s rare that one comes off the line with acceptable panel gaps. They are making progress, but this never should have happened.

FSD is so bad that it’s a crime that consumers have to pay for it.

As for Tesla’s stock valuation - I spent a decade working on mergers and acquisitions. The short sellers are right, but the kool aide drinkers have propped up the stock to absurd levels.

And, lastly, Musk is a pathological liar.

Agree with all of that.

I love watching Munro on youtube. Just watching his tear down of the Model 3 and Y shows the progress Tesla has made in manufacturing a car. He even tore down a 2021 Model 3 and compared it to the 2018 Model 3. While not as close as the Model Y, it still shows Tesla is still improving on assembling the Model 3. And with Giga Texas, the Model Y will complete its improvement with the front sub-frame being a single casting like the rear is now.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Sorry but I couldn’t disagree with you more. Your choice to drive a huge gas guzzling car? Well yes. But unfortunately we all share the same planet. We can’t keep on trashing it like this.
I have a passion for cars. Just I chose not to drive round in a huge engine planet wrecker.
As for small cars not being pokey enough to get up to speed etc it is true (my wife’s current car is a 1 litre Kia that is slow), but then it doesn’t go on the motorway or duel carriageways. Over here the roads are designed so you can get up to speed on the slip road.
But I’ve never had any issue keeping up with traffic in my 1.4 litre Golf. There are options that are not one extreme or the other.

A chap at my work commutes from the same town as me to work and it costs him £40 a week in fuel in a 1.2 petrol Corsa and my 2.0 TDI engine is more fuel efficient. Mine probably isn’t the best for the environment though but I can’t afford an EV in my budget, so cost comes first for me at the moment. The low powered petrol cars are crap when you’re doing a mix of dual carriageways and steep hills but great for around town stuff.

Also I do wonder if we’ll see a scrappage scheme in a few years to encourage people to buy EV’s and grants for installing chargers? I think it’ll have to come down to that to be honest.

 

[VictorTango777]

I just think the infrastructure isn’t where I want it to be just yet. From an environmental point of view would it not be easier to make us all drive smaller 1 litre engines as there is no point speeding etc as it’s illegal. I’ve never seen anyone make this proposal and what the benefits would be?

i just watched a review of the new BMW X3 electric and it’s 20k more than its Combustion powered version so how is that a saving? It would take years to recoup the 20k difference and most peeps don’t keep their car that long these days

Both my wife and I have outstanding careers, but we also choose to spend more on vehicles, because we can afford to do so. But more to the point, it’s not that I think EV’s are unattainable, it’s because of limited availability, and there are specific regions in North America that are not well equipped for the EV infrastructure as I already mentioned.

Are there people who purposely oppose efforts to expand EV infrastructure and then point to lack of infrastructure as “proof” that EVs are not ready for mass adoption?

 

[jaymc]

I need to look up what years were eligible, but Model S and X's were offered to upgrade from MCU1 with the NVIDIA Tegra to MCU2 with the Intel Atom.

In theory, Tesla could offer an upgrade to MCU3 with the AMD Ryzen. It would cost $2,000-$3,000, but would still be better than buying a whole new Tesla and able to extend the useful life of the current car. Who knows if Tesla will continue with that practice, but certainly a possibility based on past practice.

I've got a 2013 Tesla Model S P85+ ... originally had a MCU1 processor and 3G connectivity. A couple of years back I upgraded to a MCU2 and LTE; both greatly enhance the operability of the car. The only real problem I've had was a drivers side door handle which need to be replaced from ver 1 to ver 3.
In my state it's only 11¢/kWh to charge at home and supercharging is free for the life of the car.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

Yes. Studies show that the environmental impact of a new EV is offset in the first two years. Nobody is making EV’s that are obsolete in 2 years. Most have an 8 year battery warranty at least. Plus when an older EV loses range, it can still be used by someone who only travels shorter distances, thus extending its life. Meanwhile ICE don’t last forever either. I see a lot less older cars on the road than when I first started driving decades ago.

Question

Do those "studies" include the environmental impacts of mowing down forests, strip mining lithium ore, the huge amounts of water consumed during extraction and processing, the impacts on water supply for agricultural and drinking water, the contamination of surrounding soil and water tables, the huge evaporation ponds, the pollutants emitted by the equipment used during extraction and processing, the toxic chemicals introduced into the food supply?

All EVs do is shift the the problem from one highly polluting non-renewal resources to another, while the corporations and politicians get rich bleeding the taxpayer dry through higher prices and taxes.

The Environmental Impact of Lithium Batteries

During the Obama-Biden administration, hydraulic fracturing was accused of causing a number of environmental problems—faucets on fire, contamination of drinking…

www.instituteforenergyresearch.org

Environmentalists expressed unfounded concerns about fracking, but they need to be worried about replacing fossil fuels in the transportation and electric generating sector with electric vehicles and renewable energy where lithium, cobalt and other critical metals are needed to produce these technologies. Mining, processing, and disposing of these metals can contaminate the drinking water, land and environment if done improperly as seen from several examples. And, since China dominates the global market, it just switches what once was U.S. reliance on the Middle East to U.S. reliance on the People’s Republic.

View attachment 2004947

 

[Herdfan]

Yes, EVs are good for the planet once you start driving it (no emissions). Now, the carbon footprint for building an EV is as high (if not higher) than the one for building an ICE automobile. The EV of the far future would be a hybrid that can generate enough electricity to keep a relatively small battery charged 100%, without producing any air emissions. In this case the traction battery would only be needed for accessory power, or for momentary traction power, and the generator power for traction. Another option would be to have an ICE that does not emit hazardous gasses, or one where the gases are filtered to trap the hazardous ones. I know that my imagination is at play here, but it's true that a clean-burning ICE is a possibility.

Yes, I am dreaming

I am a bit surprised that there are no hybrid Semi's similar to a locomotive.

So instead of using an 8-12L diesel driving the wheels, use a smaller diesel (like the small Duramax 3.0) to power a generator to drive electric motors.

Maybe the numbers don't work, I don't know.