Can the updated CDF be put in older 10 speeds? Or are there other changes that preclude this...

 

Good question

 

Can you imagine hundreds of thousands of loyal Ford customers never buying another Ford product?

They don't have to find a replacement only fix the drum issue they have on the existing transmission like I had to do at $6,650.00

 

That's not my interpretation. Europe and Asia (and especially China) are transitioning to EVs extremely rapidly. In Norway, 90% of all new vehicle sales are EVs. Ford and GM are putting more priority in hybrids of various flavors, but I see this as a short term plan. By the middle of the next decade (~~ 2035), ICE vehicles will surely be on the way out.

 

You should probably look deeper into the current state of EV firms in China. The massive government subsidies they pumped into EV sector over the past decade trying to supplant Tesla has caused a cut-throat race-to-the-bottom price war where all makers there are selling EVs at below cost, and as a result they have to dump excess capacity overseas. As such Western car makers cannot compete in that space as long as Chinese government is artificially lowering Chinese brand EVs' prices and using the surplus capacity to squeeze out non-Chinese EVs in markets outside of China like in Europe, where there is a deluge of Chinese EVs that makes the likes of VW, Stellantis, Renault-Nissan, etc unable to compete in their home market, similar story in Latin America. When Chinese firms do open factories overseas it's inevitably accompanied by massive labor malpractices and corner cutting, like BYD in Brazil.

Be careful what you wish for.

 

China went big on EVs, because they thought they would be able to break into the US market once all of the previous projected adoption dates were looming. Now they need to do something with all of those EVs, so they released them to their domestic market. Their auto industry, like all other industries, are government owned. The public has no choice but to buy whats offered by the government.

Europe is deeply socialist now, never have their views and our views differed so much since WWII was over. Also, they have no equivalent to what's called "fly over country" here. Most trips outside of their hometowns are taken via train or plane. Here in the US, the area west of the eastern slope of the Appalachians, all the way to the eastern slope of the Sierras and Cascades is still largely rural and smaller towns and cities that are spread apart. With the exception of the fe large metro areas in that vast space, the majority of these 50 states aren't EV compatible do to travel distances, vehicle use, and charging infrastructure. Those who live on the east and west coasts have a difficult time comprehending that, and comprehending the vast distances if they have never driven a vehicle across country, or lived in those areas. In my area, people will make a 150-200 mile one way trip to San Antonio for doctors appointments, or to buy building materials, groceries, etc. And then they drive back the same day. I saw that when I lived in Kansas too. It's that way all over fly over country, especially west of the Mississippi.

I'm not anti EV. They are great city cars, and will serve many people well who only ever drive short distances. There is a place for them in the market, but they can not possibly be they only form of personally owned vehicular motivation.

 

But they will be unless something equally non-polluting comes around that is better. Hydrogen-powered EVs might have a chance if the problems with hydrogen storage and production ever get solved, but that's a long way off if ever.

The east and west coasts had to do something about air pollution, and the lower emissions have "mostly" solved that problem, but it's still a problem. China had significantly worse pollution problems and really had to address the issue. They are behind the curve with getting rid of coal, but their population is 4X the US population, so their pollution issues are probably proportionally worse. Europe is only slightly larger than the US, but they are more concentrated.

The point is that the rest of the world is moving toward an EV future, and quickly. Before we know it, the rest of the world will have switched over, and all we will have are obsolete ICE cars living in our little island. It's true that the range of EVs aren't quite up to snuff yet, but I see that changing; if not quite fast enough. Newer EVs can charge remarkably fast, and that problem will go away as well. I have numerous friends with EVs and I can attest that the issues are largely FUD for the most part.

 

You have a very different experience than we do here in the vast middle of the US, especially west of IH 35, and east of the Sierras. The ability to travel vast distances in just one day is vital to many. The charging infrastructure is insufficient, not only in the number of available stations, but the number of chargers that actually function. people will drive 3-400 miles, or more, in a day to get to San Antonio for such things as dialysis or chemo therapy treatments, Not having the range, in a car they will keep for 200k miles or more, or the ability to charge it quickly, is life threatening for these people. Not to mention those who travel those distance for more basic needs such as major grocery trips, building materials, and shopping at places that don't have more than basic selections at high prices. Many of those who have never lived in West Texas, or places like western Nebraska, eastern Oregon, vast parts of the Dakotas, New Mexico, and much of the Inter Mountain West, will never know, or could even comprehend that. If you live in urban Denver, Rapid City, Boise, Albuquerque, etc, then an EV would do for city commuting, I think urban use, and use in congested metro areas are ideal for EVs. Even those on the east, and much of the west, coasts don't have far to drive to get anywhere, or to find a charging station.

 

I don't think anyone is believing that the current EV technologies and infrastructure are mature enough to replace ICEs at this point. But the very restrictions you mention were once the restrictions that prevented automobiles from replacing the horse as the mens of transportation in areas where range and infrastructure were lacking. It would be a mistake to assume that the EV situation will remain the same, it will progress in the same manner that the ICE auto did - infrastructure and capabilities will increase due to increased adoption, and adoption will increase due to increased infrastructure and capabilities. The ICE vehicle will not be easy to replace, but their leapfrogging of infrastructure and capabilities and adoption has a big head start. EVs will eventually dominate mainly due to their better efficiency.

 

I get that. You can find gas in some very off the beaten path areas. And one day when there are reliable and fast charging stations as numerous as fuel stations, then I may see if an EV is right for me. But not until then. As it stands right now, there is zero reason for me to give up a long paid for truck with low miles, simply because it has ICE power. I've never been the type to fell like I'm missing out for not having the latest things.

 

Here's the CDF drum and hub out of a pre-22. The collar/sleeve has slid back 1/4 of an inch causing pressure loss and you can see the cuts in the drum. New ones are hard anodized to resist this wear