How to “Sell” an Electric Car . . .

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Electric cars are a great deal  . . . when you get someone else to pay for them. This appears to be the only way to convince anyone to buy one.

BMW recently offered a $54-per-month lease deal on the i3, its $44,450 (to start) electric car. BMW is literally paying people to take one off their hands – and for those who do, it’s one hell of a bargain.

BMW is not the only company selling electric cars this way. They are all being sold this way.

Every single one of them is a money-loser . . .  for those making them.

The problem, of course, is that you can’t stay in business for very long paying people to “buy” your stuff. Cue the infamously frank comment by Fiat’s head, Sergio Marchionne – who publicly urged people not to “buy” the electric version of the Fiat 500, which he admitted cost his company $14,000 per sale.

And yet, Fiat continues to make the 500e – just as BMW continues to make the i3. The market (and economics) be damned.

The absurdity of this would be the subject of national laughter (and outrage, in the “environmental community”) if the car companies were paying people to take home $45,000 SUVs for $54 a month. Someone might raise their hand and ask why the car companies, in such a case, don’t just stop building SUVs they can’t get rid of without resorting to paying people to take them off their hands?

Shareholders would gather pitchforks. Heads would roll.     

The usual rule has been: If a car doesn’t sell, you stop making it. The infamous Edsel comes to mind. More recently, the Pontiac Aztek. Imagine the belly laughs if GM refused to throw in the towel, despite obvious lack of interest in the dumpster-on-wheels and just kept on stamping them out – resorting to ever-more-pathetic “deals” in order to unload them.

There would be calls for men in white outfits to visit the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit – which is GM’s HQ. Take the people on the top floor away for a rest. Come along now. It’ll be all right . . .

Ford decided to stop selling the Taurus and other sedans because they weren’t selling. There’s no more Honda Crosstour, either.

It is not, as the saying goes, rocket science.

But the car companies are in a political quandary when it comes to electric cars. They have to manufacture a certain number of them, regardless of the economics – in order to meet “zero emissions” electric car production quotas in states like California, which is absolutely determined that electric cars will be manufactured regardless of the buying public’s interest in paying market price for them.

And car companies which do business in Europe must contend with laws being passed  restricting where non-electric cars may be driven. This is the real reason for BMW’s decision to convert almost every car it currently sells both there and here (where such laws are probably coming, too) to at least plug-in hybrid status. It adds thousands to the cost of each car, of course.   

But – for now – people still don’t have to buy them. And most won’t, unless the price is literally to good to be true. Then, maybe.

Unlike most of what the government pushes, electric cars remain optional. You are free to buy something else. Something which makes sense. And so, most people do. That half of the market equation remains operative – and embarrassing, to the acolytes of the electric car.

Which is why the market half of the equation – people’s freedom to not buy an electric car, unless it’s at a give-away price – is likely to be addressed in the near future.

You may have noticed, if you’ve been new car shopping recently, that on the window sticker there is now a “Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Rating,” on a scale of 1-10.

Italics added.

It used to be just fuel economy that was measured – and regulated. Now that is being conflated with greenhouse gas “emissions,” which means carbon dioxide. Only electric cars emit zero of that – at the tailpipe, at least. (The government concedes the point, right there on the sticker, with very fine print “tailpipe only” for the 1-10 sliding scale.)

Regardless, that will be the means by which electric cars will be made more “competitive” – by making non-electric cars ever-more-expensive. The latter will be held to ever-stricter limitations on the quantity of C02 they may legally “emit” – but never quite catching up to the “zero emissions” (well, at the tailpipe) electric car.

Because of course they can’t – as long as they aren’t electric cars.

And that’s how they’ll nudge us unto electric cars – which will then not be such a deal because we won’t be allowed to say no.

. . .

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90 COMMENTS

    • Hi Free Speech,

      That is well-said, sir. It needs to be said more often. Blacks have been taught to obsess about the “legacy of slavery,” which blinds many of them to the fact that we are all enslaved now. The plantation has merely become larger and we are allowed to move within it to a greater degree than the field hands of 1850. But we are no less enslaved. Our lives are not our own; we own nothing except the clothes we wear. We are permitted to work, under certain conditions, provided we obey and don’t resist when “massa” steals half of the value we work to create.

      White or black, it doesn’t matter. What matters is who wields power – and it’s not us.

    • Ah yes, Free Speech. And I suppose that is why we see so much freedom in the niggerdoms of Africa- and especially in South Africa where the niggers have taken over and are instituting communism….errr…I mean “freedom” and legalized theft….errr…I mean “sharing”…..

      Most niggers have no concept of private property- and private property is the foundation of all liberty.

      Here in America, the tyrants have used you people much like they use “terrorists”: They just let you do your thing; and your “thing” is usually robbing, raping, murdering, looting, destroying, etc.- and then THAT is what enables a police state, because the average person would choose “security” over freedom- so they tolerate the police state.

      More and more people are waking up lately to the fact that you people are part of the problem- and fewer and fewer people are willing to tolerate your BS which enables this police state.

      White society by-and-large, has had a great deal of freedom, prosperity, and high culture down through the years…until we started integrating YOU into our society. Just look at how Europe is being turned into a cesspool virtually overnight, right before our eyes!

  1. If it makes you feel any better, Tesla will deliver their 200,000th vehicle this quarter, which lowers the $7,500 tax break down to around half of that. The clock is ticking afterwards and there will be no tax break after 6 months for Teslas.

    • Meh, some states, such as WI. do their own sub…errr…uh “tax credits” in addition to the Fed BS. I’m sure Commiefornia no-doubt does too [how ironic would it be if they didn’t?!]

  2. “Unlike most of what the government pushes, electric cars remain optional. You are free to buy something else.”

    Reminds me of the New Coke and Coke Zero Sugar fiascos. You can’t pull your old, superior product from the market and expect people to buy your new, cheaper swill when they can buy another product. For now, I’m a Pepsi Zero (Max) guy.

  3. There are two electric car charging stations in the parking lot behind town hall. I asked who’s paying for the charge as I didn’t see a place on the stand to insert a credit/debit card. The person I asked shrugged. The taxpayer, I guess.

    • And that’s the OTHEr shoe that’s waiting to drop, [Im]Bro!

      They can’t make these electric turds economically viable as it is, even when subsidizing their manufacture ans purchase…and providing free charging; imagine when people have to start paying to use the “public” chargers, like they do in Europe!

    • Hi Jershi,

      It may just be… the Tesla 3 is gimped by some other problems, too. Among them that sedan sales have cratered. Honda and Toyota are having trouble selling cars like the Accord and Camry… what does that imply for the future of the Tesla3?

    • Once Tesla fixes the braking problem Commie Sumer Reports will give the car glowing review, as they do every Tesla model. They love crony capitalism.

  4. A li’l off-topic here (Such a rarity for me! :o)

    But….Not only am I still being logged-out every time, but I think Turdpress is failing to notify me of new comments to subscribed threads. I assume this is because i have not appeased the interweb gods of political-correctness, and Turdpress has taken it upon themselves to kinda “soft ban” me?

    Gee-whix, Eric, ya lose me and Bill in the same week, this place might start looking mainstream! 😉

    • Hi Nunz,

      This stuff defeats me; it’s been a tough week. My writing mojo is just not there. I’m worn out. And then this random computer stuff that I don’t have a clue how to fix…

      • I hear ya, Eric. I really can’t even comprehend how you can be so prolific with all the stuff you write just for this site, AND participating in the comments! It boggles my mind. (And a special kudos for all of the articlers documenting the abuses of so many porkers. I tend not to read ’em or comment, ’cause I don’t need my blood boiling more than it already is- but that is PRECISELY the kind of stuff we need to help those who may be on the verge of waking up, to come around!)

        But, uh…yeah- I’m with ya about the Turdpress stuff. In fact, I’m past ya! This stuff should just work for those like yourself who choose to avail your site of it. It shouldn’t be such a hassle! It CAN just work….the technology is there, and it’s been there for a long time now….but just like all the extraneous crap they add onto the simple IC engines to turn them into the monstrosities they have become in modern cars, they do all of this nonsense for a reason- and it defeats the very purpose for which the technology supposedly was invented: To make things easier and better!

        We can spend our lives tweaking this junk….but why? It’s just jumping through hoops. THEY are the ones who should be jumping through the hoops to please site owners and users- their ultimate customers. If they make more work for site owners/admins, or make it so that THEY have more control than the site owner/admin, they will fall by the wayside and something better will replace them- and that is the way it should be.

        So i’m with ya 100%- No need to waste your time trying to get THEM to do what their stuff is supposed to be doing. As long as we can still use it, the inconvenience is minimal- and will likely resolve itself anyway, as it seems to have for others who have had this problem.

        And just to piss-off Turdpress:

        NIGGERS!! NIGGERS!! NIGGERS!! NIGGERS!!NIGGERS!! NIGGERS!! NIGGERS!! NIGGERS!!NIGGERS!!NIGGERS!! NIGGERS!! NIGGERS!! NIGGERS!!NIGGERS!! NIGGERS!! FAGGOTS!! FAGGOTS!! FAGGOTS!! FAGGOTS!!FAGGOTS!!…and so forth…

        🙂

        • Morning, Nunz!

          I had a meeting yesterday with Ben the Computer Guy – he’s the one I pay to tune up the site when it begins to misfire. He is going to look into the issues you brought up and some other things as well. Stay tuned!

  5. Americans beg for their chains.

    Part of the reason the US is a police state now is that whites think white people are exempt from tyranny and black people think tyranny for everyone is fine if blacks don’t have rights.

    If the US could be a free country in 1899 and 1999 then why can’t the USA be a free country now?

    Why can’t we have freedom for everyone?

    https://30chan.org/index.html

    • Hi Free,

      There are so many synergies at work, all of them working together to erode whatever remains of the freedoms we once enjoyed. Those which remain are largely vaporous – and dissipating fast.

      It is often said that most people don’t want freedom – but I would say differently. I think most people do not understand freedom. And that this lack of understanding is the chief cause of freedom’s waning.

      Freedom, at bottom, means leaving other people alone. It is not primarily about yourself. Your freedom flows inevitably from the conscious, principle decision to leave other people alone. To accept that their lives are theirs; to accept that their property is theirs – and that you have no more right to control their lives or take their property than they have to control your life or take the things which belong to you.

      If this principle is accepted, at a stroke the very idea of government loses its power. The creatures known as politicians become obviously despicable, even more so than common street criminals. Busybodies mortify in the light of general contempt. The personality types all of us despise become generally despised.

      We live – and we let live.

      And that is freedom.

  6. The Pontiac Aztek like the Edsel line up were just styling failures. There was nothing inherently bad about them from a functional or even reliability standpoint. Just average or so vehicles in that regard. Thus on a unit basis they probably both made money (losses incurred through tooling, development, marketing etc certainly, but on unit cost vs. sale price they probably made money to put against their development.)

    • Hi Brent,

      Yup!

      I actually like the Aztek. It’s a solid, very versatile … ugly son-of-a-bitch! But, so what? Ugly means it’s a good deal, usually. And that you can park it on the street without much worry.

      It’s not unlike a really cool chick who’s great in the sack and smart and funny… but not the best looking girl in the room.

      • > It’s not unlike a really cool chick who’s great in the sack and smart and funny… but not the best looking girl in the room.

        Where is she? I want to meet her.

          • Youse guys can keep ’em! The good-looking ones turn into wildebeests soon enough! (The mediocre-looking ones turn into cankle-saurus-wrecks’s!)

            • And they all wreck your finances, except the ones who have their own. Those that do aren’t looking to share, either, so to hell with it. I used to believe there would be one who would help carry the load, but not these days. I’ve got about 15 years of unfinished projects to catch up on anyway, and don’t need the distraction and added expense thank you.

              • Amen, GTC!

                These women today bring NOTHING to the table. They are a liability only. And even physically: My goodness! Even the young’uns lately are really nothing to behold – it’s as if their bodies and faces are starting to mirror their poor character and idiotic thinking. They don’t even dress nice anymore, nor look feminine.

                I had to be in the company of my neighbor’s twenty-something girlfriend recently, for about 20 minutes. I was thoroughly bored within 10 minutes and lost all interest in even trying to maintain a conversation. Totally MUNDANE! I mean, my 93 year-old mother is more interesting and fun to talk to!

                And I truly believe that what we imagine in our daydreams, is FAR superior to the physical reality. Imaginary women are the ONLY good ones!

                  • BJ,

                    UHhhhggg! Don’t even remind me of that! I think every girl in the world now has tattoos!

                    That, and the freaking pants with holes…..

                    They may as well be standing next to a giant billboard that says “I am a stupid cunt who mindlessly does things I see others doing, even though it is totally retarded. I will never have a cohesive, logical thought. I can not even understrand my own actions, so don’t expect me to have even the remotest clue about life or anything that is going on in the world. I am motivated purely by conditioned responses and emotions which are not even my own, but which I have been programmed to think are are my own, and to which I respond with condiotioned predetermined responses, which any competent 5 year-old can anticipate with ease. If you know anything about ‘this stuff’, there will be absolutely no surprises, because I just go along with the script. Just buy me some gaudy pink and purple piece of crap on Valentine’s Day so I can take a picture of it and post it on Facebook, and say the proper words at the proper times- the ones i’ve been conditioned to hear so that I’ll know you’re a good boyfriend like all of my friends have”.

                    Seriously, I’d rather die than have to wade through the ilk that is out there….

                    • Eric just wrote an article on how just about every car has power everything and then some and we all get pulled along with the masses. It’s the same thing in the dating world. For every man who does a cost-benefit analysis there are ten who will put up with anything and do anything and pay anything. Even many who know better but think it is expected of them.

                      The marketing towards women creates expectations of men. How many stand up to it and say it is BS? And those that do, what happens to them?

                      This constant giving in, serving, on every level. That’s why marriage is now a contract of liabilities, obligations, and penalties for men with no responsibilities or obligations for women. That’s why the laws are the way they are.

                      It takes very strong character not to be corrupted by an environment set up to cater you and mitigate every risk and cover your ass. An environment set up to aid you at every turn while sparing you from as much hard/dirty/dangerous work as you desire to be spared from.

                      So is it any wonder there are relatively so few uncorrupted?

                    • Hey Brent,
                      Which is why I never purchased a diamond for any of my exes. If its so meaningful and glamorous, they can get a job and buy their own. Prime example of this image bullshit…Liz Taylor. Quoted as saying that the discovered she only had to do one thing to get whatever she wanted, ask for it! (Bitch) I bet she never thought she would get a “sparring partner” when she married Michael Todd, of course, neither did he, lol!

                    • Hi Graves!

                      The modern, manufactured conception of marriage is based on a no-longer-existing premise: That it is a morally binding unconditional commitment to each other until death do us part. Most people utter those exact words at the altar.

                      Marriage today is in fact a conditional partnership – so long as the woman (or man) is “happy,” or the situation is agreeable it remains operative. When it no longer suits one party, that party can just decide to rip up the fraudulently agreed-to unconditional commitment they made at the altar.

                      Most people get married thinking it is explicitly unconditional; that – at last! – you have found a person who will stick with you through good and bad, who will not decide they’re “unhappy” and check out, leaving the other person – who did commit, emotionally, financially – to try to pick up the pieces of their wrecked life. You trust them completely. You go into it thinking that whatever happens, you two will figure it out. Otherwise, why bother with it? Who would agree to it, if there was any doubt in their minds that it would not be forever?

                      I don’t say that people ought to commit to being miserable. I merely say that if people aren’t willing to commit unconditionally, then marriage doesn’t make much sense. Shack up, “partner” – until it is no longer agreeable.

                      And a contract that can be broken unilaterally and without major repercussions for the party who broke the contract is a pretty worthless contract.

                    • I think there may be something at play where some / many / most women want to sort for men willing to risk it all for them. So they are making the entire dating and marriage system an all in gamble that never ends.

                      There’s also the power aspect of it. When one party to a contract holds all the responsibilities, liabilities, and penalties, he is essentially a slave to the other party.

                      I think people long ago understood this and that’s why it was ‘death till you part’ and why each had responsibilities and obligations.

                      But that division always favored women. Thus the rise of feminism to push for more. Until we get where we are now.

                      If this course doesn’t end what will happen is polygamy. Over half, perhaps even 90% or more of the women sharing the top (in their mind) 10% of men.

                      Back to pack animal living. Civilization ends. We’re already seeing male productivity that keeps society functioning falling off as the sexual reward for it is stripped away.

                      Eventually even the do anything men will just stop.

                      Of course the shaming language is still being used. “man up”, do what it takes, risk what it takes. Trouble is the math problem. No matter how much men man up, the top 10% remains only 10%.

                    • Hi Brent,

                      Agreed on all counts.

                      And, men have the advantage in this scenario.

                      We are physically stronger, obviously – and that matters when it comes to basic survival. I had a chat the other day with a friend of mine about this. Pointed out that – if I need to, because of financial hardship – I can cut and split 3-4 cords of wood myself, for free – and have free heat all winter long. My ex wife will have to turn up the thermostat and pay $350/month for electric.

                      Women – most of them – need a soft, office-type of job because they cannot perform hard labor, especially over time. Most women also lack technical/mechanical understanding – even on a basic level – and so need to rely on a man (it is almost always a man) to fix whatever’s broken.

                      And men’s “clock” ticks slower. A man in his 40s or 50s can date and be appealing to women in their 20s and 30s. It is rarely the reverse. A woman in her 30s is rapidly losing her biological value. She will (on average) look obviously past-due by the time she is in her mid-40s and be less and less appealing to men, who by nature are attracted to nubile women, not menopausal ones. A man will stick with his wife – and mother of his children – as she ages, if she doesn’t turn into a cold/sexless old frau (which many do). He has invested in her – and she in him.

                      But why on earth would a man in his 40s or 50s who is single and looking for a woman date an old one if he has the option to date a young, nubile one?

                      The 40-something women who divorce their husbands expecting to change up to a better model are mostly in for a very rude awakening. They are probably going to trade down, or end up alone.

                      And the nubile but bitchy ones?

                      When they perfect the Japanese Sex Robot, feminism is done.

                    • Well-said, Brent!!

                      I love it when they say “Man-up”. That is exactly what many of us MGTOWers are doing.

                      We are being men, by not putting ourselves in positions where we stand a very good chance of becoming slaves for the rest of our lives.

                      Foregoing the pleasures(?) of sex, companionship and family, so as not to fall into the traps of alimony, child-support, divorce decrees, “domestic abuse” laws, etc. which can literally enslave us for the rest of life due to the unpredictable whims of stupid enabled twat…THAT is manning-up!

                      A weak man would say “Oh well, what are you going to do> That’s the way it is, so take a chance and see how it works out”.

                      Putting oneself in a position where he will be stripped of his dominion, or at least be prevented from exercising it, is just the opposite of being a man.

                      >”When one party to a contract holds all the responsibilities, liabilities, and penalties, he is essentially a slave to the other party.”<

                      Same deal with "domestic rape" laws- where a wife can charge her husband with "rape". It puts the woman in charge, of ultimately, everything. The woman is given ultimate power.

                      I love how they are putting the blame for the inevitable collapse of society on MGTOWers, when we are only reacting to the real causes of the problem, which are feminism and big government.

                    • Heya Nunz!

                      It’s natural to want a woman, not just for sex but also for the female companionship – which can be wonderful. But the culture has interceded between men and women, creating almost hopeless expectations for both. There is a schlock TV show, The Bachelor (and Bachelorette) which paints the picture for all to see, but few see it.

                      The premise is: The woman will be constantly entertained by the man, who will pay for elaborate and expensive things to demonstrate his love. The man must be a kind of stud horse, with six pack abs and great hair who will never go gray or put on a few pounds. Neither will have to deal with serious things; they will take helicopter rides (paid for by … ?) to remote private islands where a gourmet meal will magically appear.

                      The moment it’s no longer glamorous, when the woman dries up or the man suffers a downturn in status/affluence – the other party begins looking across the fence. There’s no real commitment, hence no real trust and no sense of permanence.

                      Women, ironically, end up with the shorter end of the stick – which most of them don’t grok but will when they find themselves pushing 50, divorced and dealing with the dawning realization that they are well on the way to being Cat Ladies in pantsuits, like Hillary but without the resources.

                    • That’s a thing too, Eric. Even without the feminism and big government interference, I have long been leery of marriage, simply because women do not age well.

                      What do you do when the girl whom you salivated over, and to whom you’ve been married for 20 years, turns into an androgynous beast at 40? For a couple of good decades (if you were extremely lucky) you have to then spend the next 30 years or more being repulsed in quiet desperation?

                      That is not a pleasant prospect- and since I honor my vows, divorce is not an option…. I’m just thankful that I never met anyone remotely compatible when I was 16-20ish, when I was under the impression that “Maybe by the time you’re 40, you think a 40 year-old woman is attractive. I mean, it has to be, because I see so many middle-aged men married to these *things*…”.

                      So here I am in my mid 50’s, and I probably look better than I ever have, and am in as-good or better shape than I was at 20. (And I don’t think that that is just my opinion, ’cause in the recent past, I had an opportunity to go out with a NICE 23 year-old- so nice, I actually was considering it…but ultimately decided against it.)

                      Meanwhile, someone I’ve long known, who, physically speaking was my “dream girl”- who was GORGEOUS from the time she was 13 to 30- started going downhill in her 30’s- until today, in her mid 40’s, is literally unrecognizable.

                      What would life be like if I were married to her? She’s DISGUSTING now! And no amount of love could change that fact.

                      From everything I see, I always think “Thank God I never married!”. It was a GREAT blessing to have never met Miss Right.

                    • Eric, as always, you not only perfectly graps[sic 🙂 ] the entirety of the situation and all of it’s ramifications, but you verbalize it so eloquently and concisely!

                      Re: The Bachelor TV show you describe: THAT is why I have always had an aversion to modern dating culture. Instead of two people getting together in an attempt to get to know each other and assess each other’s character, modern dating is more like the mating ritual of insects- i.e. a contest to see who can put on the best show for the queen, in order to be allowed to boink her, and maybe reproduce and commit self-sacrifice for her.

                      Since I am not an insect, I’ve always abstained from the ritual.

                      Re: Female companionship: Ya know? When I was younger, I always had female friends, and they were always my favorite friends.

                      I haven’t been friends with a female in decades now. Women changed. They became stupid and entitled, and ceased being “regular people”. It seems like now, everything they do is a calculated move to elicit a desired response, or to try and establish some kind of “equality” or superiority. Everything now is politically or agenda driven; an expression of some aspect of feminism, rather than just being themselves and interacting as a person.

                      They’re all part of the “women’s team” now, rather than the “you and I friendship team”.

                      Even older, once humble, conservative women are now that way.

                      And, re: The 50 year old Hilary pants suit [great allusion!] cat ladies:

                      So true! And those were the ones who were viable when they were younger. The rest- like the 20’s and 30’s single mothers with one, two or three kids and/or canklesaurus-wrecks’s, are pretty much done and forever alone even in their 20’s.

                      My mother used to live in apartment complex in the 00’s- and the place was full of the above-described.

                      These washed-up wastes could have sex with various men any time they wanted….pop out a new kid or two if they want more benefits- but they’ll never be married, and never have a man who loves them, or even a good male companion.

                      It’s a shame. Some of ’em were even decent looking….but they’re done. No real man wants to raise someone else’s kids, or be the odd man out in a pre-made family, where 3 different men are still attached in one way or another because of the kids.

                      Yeah, a few of ’em may find “A husband”- like this one land whale I knew, who was married to this little pipsqueak who was half her size, and no bargain in any way- but that’s having a husband like having a $300 beat-up Geo Metro is “having a car”.

                      Even one of my relatives: She lived with a guy for years, and they got married when she started losing her looks and he lost any semblance of his balls. She’s the boss of the house. They had kids, who are all delinquents- on drugs; in prison; pregnant by married knee-grows. She’ll never know what it is to have a MAN, or security or real love.

                      They did it to themselves. They bought the lies that this was somehow freedom, and independence and a better way.

                • Nunz I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed by your reply.

                  Brent, you ever see the 2009 movie Watchmen? Rorschach said something like “Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon.” Notice how the guy who doesn’t compromise also isn’t with a woman? You said it nicely. Men not only put up with their behavior, they relinquish all self-respect and submit, worship, every fleeting whim of the female. And it still isn’t good enough, funny enough. As their wants are unlimited. Any man with standards for himself and for his partner will not be dating for long. They’ll definitely be outbred by the men who will do anything, put up with anything, pay anything, to get their dick wet. Which makes you wonder about the future of humankind, what will happen as the men/genes that have standards are eliminated? The most principled and intelligent men, in this environment, would not marry and do not (generally) breed. The best men, as women define best, do breed. And all women who want to breed do breed. The only problem with this theory is that there seem to be a lot of men who aren’t putting up with it anymore (hence MGTOW and such).

                  • BJ, funny thing is: most women choose the guys who submit and who take all of their crap- thinking that that is the kind of guy they want- but they are never happy, because that is not a man, and they will never be happy with a man who is inferior to themself.

                    Then they are attracted to “bad boys” who treat then like crap, because they don’t understand what it is that they were missing- and so think that a man who doesn’t care or who is insensitive is the answer.

                    And if any of ’em actually do figure out that they need a real man who doesn’t take crap AND who has character and is loving and all of that….good luck finding one, ’cause such as rare or rarer than good women…and those of us who do exist, have probably already figured out that we don’t need a woman to be happy- and in-fact that a woman would likely spoil our happiness, or at least cause us to resent her for the intrusion on our solitude and peace and already blissfull life.

                    • Hey Guys, I saw the title of a video on Youtube last night- just the TITLE pretty much said it all- I didn’t even watch the vidoe….

                      The title:

                      “Most Middle Class Men Who Are Married Are Broke”.

                  • Hi Brandon,

                    As a guy who was once married and – like probably all guys who get married – I assumed when I got married that the other person was equally committed, meant what she said about better/worse and all the rest of that. She didn’t. They don’t. They change their minds. They unilaterally decide it’s not what they want now – and so they decide to leave, wrecking you emotionally and financially.

                    I never would have gotten married had I thought for a moment she was the sort who would one day decide she wasn’t “happy” and just leave. What is the point of getting married in that case?

                    Could have just shacked up for that – and had less hassle. Which is how it will be for me going forward. If I ever get involved again, it will be on an employment at will basis. You’re not “happy”? There’s the door. See ya. No lawyers. No courts. My name and my name only will be on the deed to my place henceforth.

                    • Eric, it makes me so sad when ever I read your recounting of “how she just left and the vows meant nothing to her”.

                      It just so perfectly illustrates the deceptive and selfish nature of what has come to be the culture of modern women- and even more, how Uncle’s interference even into our famblies and interpersonal relationships enables and exacerbates this problem, and perverts justice by destroying innocent men for the benefit of vow-breaking women.

                      Now, I know that you’re one’a them godless heathens 🙂 but your plight is a perfect illustration Biblical principles:

                      In God’s economy, the husband (or father, if she’s unmarried) has ultimate say over the woman- and any contracts that the married woman enters into can be negated by her husband [etc.] – the same as even Uncle’s legal system does with minors….

                      Years ago, I used to think that this was just because it was the way God wanted it to be- but over the years, I’ve come to see that it is so because of the nature of women- They are like children in many respects- They were never meant to be just smaller softer higher-pitched versions of men. Imagine if we treated 10 year-olds as “fully equal”, and Uncle artificially enabled them to have full autonomy and legal powers…..

                      But that is exactly what Uncle has done with women- only, since they can not elevate the character of nor change the nature of women, they can not in reality elevate women, so in order to make them “equal” they must demote men- just as they do when they “help” the poor by destroying the middle-class/rich, or make certain minorority groups “equal” by giving them special rights, while denying the rights of those in the majority, etc.

                      And the above is yet another reason why we will never see a mass movement towards liberty- because women depend on the state for their “equality”, and in many cases to play husband and daddy.

                      Once women are given political power- such as being able to vote….it is a death-knell to any society which allows it- and look: Pretty much everything that has happened to make this country into the oppressive police state that it now is, has come about just since the time women were given the vote- the election of FDR being a glaring example of how quickly and predictably women selfishly and childishly reacted to the power that was given them.

                  • Eric we are sold a fantasy. A government marriage contract is interpreted much like a government constitution, a living and breathing document, to be bent and twisted as needed. I do thank men like you for telling your story. It helps spread the word and break the fantasy dreams the rest of us may cling to. In the past it was harder to see, but men today have no excuse. They choose to ignore the likely consequences and go in anyway, thinking with their little head I guess. I recall on the forum several years ago you gave me the advice to think with the big head not the small one. That little piece of advice probably saved my life. It kept me just cautious enough and on a better path.

                    If you decide to get involved again, you probably know better than me, but don’t let her move in either.

                    Nunz, you make an excellent analogy about 10 year olds. I’m still trying to figure the whole God/spiritual thing out, but there is no doubt in my mind that when deity-worship died in this country, the state became the religion. I guess humans need something to worship. Too bad it’s celebrities and politicians for most. These zealots cannot be reasoned with.

                    • Brando, you got that right. It’s too bad that most so-called Christians who are steeped in 501c3 gov’t churches can not see what is now so blatantly obvious, and what has long been in the Scriptures:

                      That state is God’s main competitor. They want to usurp God’s position and authority. It is a false god of destruction and death and tyranny, who seeks to destroy all of rights and dominion the true God gave to every man over his own life, family and property.

                      The false god of “state” is at war with the principles of the true God and with those who obey His precepts, be their obedience by overt worship and conscious adherence, or just coincidental (as is the case with many Libertarians) because some men have figured out on their own that such actions are good.

                      Just consider a few of the contrasts:
                      God demands:
                      An unchanging form of money which has intrinsic value; That parents teach and diswcipline their children; That marriage is sacrosanct and permanent, unless it was predicated upon deception, in which case divorce was only permitted when that deception is discovered; that the penalty for property crimes is restitution and punitive damages; that kidnapping, robbery, assault,breaking into people’s houses, and murder are serious crimes- murder and kidnapping being punishable by death- and there are no exception for men who do so in the name of the state against those who transgress some law which the state made-up, which are not crimes in God’s eyes.

                      Those are just a few examples. Now think of how the state is total opposition to those things, and in-fact makes slaves and criminals out of those who would obey them!

                      Our “freedom of religion” is just like that of Ancient Rome: Worship any and every god you want….just so long as you obey Caesar above all and pay your taxes to him. As long as one’s servitude is to the state, they care not what rituals and names you use in your devotions- but if you have no gods before the true God, and obey Him (or just happen to be in agreement with some of His precepts, even without knowing the source of such) and one quickly realizes the degree of their slavery and servitude to the state- and it is no different oday than it was 3500 years ago in Egypt; 2500 years ago in Babylon; 2000 years ago in Rome, or 1000 years ago in Catholic Europe.

                      The state has always drawn it’s line in the sand. Most people don’t see it, because they just go along and do not pay much heed to God nor to His precepts.

                      Many Libertarians have discovered many of God’s precepts unwittingly, without realizing it. Ironically, they don’t know that God is the author of much of what they subscribe to- something which a tleast some of the Founders of this country understood, because they admitted that it is evident that our true rights are inalienable and God-given.

      • I chided a female coworker after she bought her second one, asking her if she didn’t learn her lesson after the first one. They make my eyes hurt.

  7. I saw an Aztec parked behind the CarMax in Arlington, TX last year in what I assume was the employee lot for the dealership.

  8. You know what’s curious? In the most densely populated urban environments worldwide, regardless of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-world status, easily 50% of commuting is done without 4 or more wheels, personal and commercial! Why do you suppose that is? Government funding? I think not. Economy and availability of transport necessary to accommodate a large population in a small space. And yet, in this country anything less than 4 wheels is vilified and shunned by the masses, and the PTB. Why do you suppose that might be?
    Perhaps we still enjoy a standard of living that provides a substantial disposable income to be robbed, and wasted on “wishful thinking”. Most of the rest of the world seems perfectly content to accept, and improve upon, that which works in order to prosper. Curious, isn’t it?

    • We don’t want to be out in the environment. It’s a luxury we in the developed world enjoy, not being wet or cold or hot. In fact only in the last few years has the heat problem been pretty much universally solved. I remember the grandparents’ cars in Florida had “factory” air conditioning, a necessity in the south but what a luxury in the north east! One time it was so hot in the back of the Omni that the dog got overheated and we had to buy bags of ice for her to lay on so she wouldn’t puke all over the back seat. Good times…

      • AC anywhere north of the PA line is a complete waste. I never understood it. AC adds weight and yes complexity to all cars.

        • On the contrary, the AC system is very useful in many areas where it is not hot. One primary function often overlooked is that of a dehumidifier. Most vehicle have the AC automatically engaged with the defog function specifically for this purpose. Having driven in every state on the continent, I can definitely verify the benefits of having dehumidified air on the windshield, regardless of temp.
          As for adding to service complexity, it is most annoying from a service and repair aspect. It seems automotive engineers invariably place the AC equipment where it will cause the most interference possible when when attempting to service just about anything other than the AC.

        • Pfffft, yeah, Anonymous, try driving anywhere in the Northeast where you spend more time sitting at lights or creeping along in 15MPH traffic on a 90* day with 90% humidity, and tell me A/C is a waste!

          I could probably stand to have a vehicle with no A/C here in KY where you’re always moving at a good speed and there’s rarely any humidity….but when I was young, I had cars with no A/C back in NY, and I’d take a 15 minute trip to the store in the summer, and my shirt would be soaking wet with sweat- and mind you, all the years I lived in NY (39) I NEVER had A/C in any house I lived in.

          And if you need to transport an elderly person or sick pet, etc. in the hot weather…. I just don’t buy vehicles without good-working A/C- it’s really the only luxury/option I care about.

      • Clover? Me? Ahahahahaha! That’s a riot! You have absolutely no idea to whom you are addressing, because you could be any more wrong than a sandal salesman in a snake pit, lol! That’s ok, I don’t expect you have read hardly anything else I’ve written here over past several years, or you would know A: I don’t reside on the West Coast, nor in the Southern Border States. Why don’t you log in and stop being a troll?

      • It’s also amusing that “both” of you refer to yourselves in the collective “WE”, as though you would speak for the entire driving public. You should consider careers in politics, you would fit right in!

  9. I think what most, if not all, proponents of the EV fail to acknowledge, (or perhaps more purposely wish today’s consumers to be ignorant of), is that the invention of the IC engine gave the public a level of autonomy never before possible, nor equaled since! All other arguments such as energy efficiency, phony govt. environmental scamming, technological utopia, etc. pales in comparison to the freedom of mobility the IC transporter, personal or commercial, offers and allows. Expansion of our suburbia, to say nothing of human civilization even, has been primarily due to this one invention. It remains the most practical, versatile, and affordable (govt. attempts to control this aspect aside) means of transportation in existence. Technology has yet to “create” what physics and the available natural resources have abundantly supplied.

  10. > Greenhouse Gas Rating

    Because most people in high school took Earth Sciences and not Chemistry.

    Probably one reason why the i3 lease is so cheap is that BMW is competing with the crazy low prices of the highly-depreciated used i3’s on the market.

  11. Perhaps what is most frustrating is that the 1%ers are no longer satisfied with simply robbing the rest of us of the fruits of our labor. They are apparently intent on dictating the role we should all play in the process. Lead a horse to water, if he doesn’t drink, drown him, that should do the trick!

    • The so-called elite have wanted to engineer society since the 19th century. This means controlling every aspect of our lives. They want to make an efficient society.

    • All based on junk science:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malthusian_trap
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malthusianism

      Malthus believed there were two types of “checks” that in all times and places kept population growth in line with the growth of the food supply: “preventive checks”, such as moral restraints (abstinence, delayed marriage until finances become balanced), and restricting marriage against persons suffering poverty or perceived as defective, and “positive checks”, which lead to premature death: disease, starvation, war, resulting in what is called a Malthusian catastrophe. The catastrophe would return population to a lower, more “sustainable”, level.[1][2] Malthusianism has been linked to a variety of political and social movements, but almost always refers to advocates of population control.”

      Even though it’s been pretty much proven when a society has a lot of economic mobility most will choose fewer children so they can concentrate on giving them the best shot at moving up, these myths continue. Even when the elites do exactly what the the anti-malthusian theorists say will happen.

  12. How to cheapen your brand in one easy step.

    Must be nice for the 3 people that actually could use them. Funny how electric cars stay under 1% of new cars no matter what these clowns do.

    • Hi Rich,

      If things weren’t tight, I’d be tempted to sign on for one of these $50/month deals. But the problem is that even at $50/month, the cost in hassle is too high for me. My “commute” to the coffee shop where I go to work – to get out of the house and thus not become too weird – is about 65 miles, round trip. And the trip isn’t flat. That puts me on the ragged edge of range for most of these things – and who wants to deal with that?

      Even for $50 a month?

  13. The real end-game is going to be a ban on food, and sex, and to start killing off everyone over 35. Round up everyone else into domed cities where they can do nothing but sit and watch TV and wait to be slaughtered at the will of the govt. But it won’t be like Logan’s Run with a computer telling everyone to do this. There will still be an elite group of dictators, pseudo-humans, who will be gorging themselves on whatever was left after life and liberty had been extinguished. More like the world in the film FreeJack. “Oh that’s just science fiction”
    you say? Understand this: what you and I are only imagining the worst to be, the PTB have already been planning not only what to do to keep themselves on top, but also how. This is how it accomplished, removing every freedom of choice until there only exists a generation that has no idea what freedom OR choice is. And ignorance and complacency are going to be all that the PTB need to accomplish that. OR, we can stop buying into the insidious crap that keeps being “offered” to us as a society, because individual protest, disobedience, and revolt won’t work. But this means society has to first stop asking for handouts, impossible utopian crap such as automated transportation, free, energy, immortality, and all the other stupid nonsense it keeps insisting that the government should provide. Which, of course, politicians can’t provide, nor do they have any intention of doing so. But they already increasingly use the excuse that you asked them to “build a perfect world” and they are now in charge, not you. As for me, I’m not even getting on that train, because I already know the “death camp” it’s heading for, despite all their promises of wealth, health, happiness, and prosperity. THAT, they are reserving for themselves. Everyone else is just another brick in a “great pyramid” to “their”
    heaven.
    But honestly, who am I kidding? Already, look at people around you, wherever you go. 95% of them are constantly absorbed and preoccupied with their miraculous “smart phone” instant gratification devices. This is what society really wants, and neither you nor I are going to be leading anyone to “see” or “refuse” anything.
    The “collective jury” has already voted, the verdict is out, and now those of us still insisting that we be allowed to choose or own paths, can sit and wait as sentencing is passed. I suspect I’ll be one of the first to be incarcerated for minding my own business and having something productive to do. We definitely can’t have any of that nonsense, now can we?

    • “This is what society really wants, and neither you nor I are going to be leading anyone to “see” or “refuse” anything.” is largely correct.

      But at about 40-ish a 20s-ish loaned me a copy of “The Law”. I won’t say the scales dropped off, but they loosened. Buckley and his ilk still had me pretty much wound up tight. But I dug in to the FEE library, then beyond. I discovered Ron Paul. By the time George, The Elder, reared his ugly head during Reagan’s campaign, the scales had dropped to the floor. Hell, I even used to scream at Reagan when he showed up on my TV. “The Kid” got me started almost 40 years ago (old fart here). So there is hope.

      But do my kids or grandkids understand? Hell no! Things are too good for now, and no one is bothering THEM. I’m just an old fart longing for the bad old days to them. They never really knew the same freedom I grew up with (and that in what I now call The Soviet State of New Jersey). I am merely tolerated and largely ignored. The poor bastards all voted Trump, and still defend that choice to this day. The son-in-law is bragging about how much he has made in his 401-k since it is almost entirely in defense stocks. He might occasionally even feel sorry for a kid with his legs blown off, or a mother holding her dead baby. But those are collateral damage when compared to the money he is ahead right now. Waddaya gonna do?

      Anecdote: In the 60’s I was a foreman at the plant that built TBMs. I used to like my “girls”, Rosies from WWII. But I sure am pissed at them for doing such a good job on one TBM in particular. One rivet, not properly bucked, could have changed American History. Kind of a “For want of a nail….” in reverse.

      • I must be having a mentally slow day. Does TMB mean Tactical Ballistic Missile? What incident are you referring to? You have my curiosity up…

        • TBM: Grumman Avenger Torpedo Bomber built by Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors during WWII. George, The Elder, almost bought his (his crew did buy the farm and controversy surrounds that claiming he bailed out and left them to crash instead of “flying the plane to the crash site”). Just another “War Hero Becomes Politician” story. Had it turned out differently we would have been spared two Bush presidencies.

          • Above was actually from me. I must have had my cloaking device activated. (Actually probably due to some sort of web reset since I see others wondering how they became Anonymous, too.) I did not notice that my user name was not pre-selected, as it has not been on this message either. Sounds like someone is stealing our cookies.

            • Ah! The light dawns and the darkness disappears! Thanks for the clarification, and yes, I agree with your opinion of the Bush dynasty. It amazes me that HW’s dad, Prescott, was working for the Nazis while his son was flying in the Pacific.

  14. I think the reason BMW is clearing out inventory of the i3 is because of the free market. Tesla is selling the Model 3 with 3 times as much range, 2 times the performance, and more interior room than a 3 Series at the same price as the i3. Why would anyone buy and i3?

    • Hi DM,

      Why would anyone buy a Tesla?

      And “free market”?

      Teslas are subsidized at the manufacturing and retail level and they still can’t sell them at a profit. The actual (unsubsidized) cost of the Model 3 is probably around $50k.

      Put another way, they’d have to sell that thing at 3-4 percent over $50k to make an honest dollar on the thing.

      • It’s the same “free” market. Both the i3 and Tesla get the same tax credits so it’s easier to compare. The Tesla is a better deal so the i3 is now obsolete. Hence the deal.

        • Hi DM,

          They’re both obsolete in terms of being economically absurd and functionally gimped. Which is why they both have to be given away in order for anyone to be willing to drive one!

          • Hey Eric, DM, apparently mr musk tweeted over the weekend that he is releasing a new version of the model 3 for high performance. Claims it will out perform a BMW M3 (haha.- the current model s P85D has not being able to complete a round of the nurburgring without going into limp mode because it overheats when you floor it more than say a couple times…. ) So while a financial news channel here keeps going on about how wonderful it is, it turns out that this version of the “peoples” electric car comparable to the model T will cost over 80k USD (and probably still be sold at a loss) !!!

            • Hi Anonymous,

              Thanks for this! Musk’s cars have always been about performance/style/trendiness… because they can’t make an economic or practical case for themselves. All those billions have been put toward what amounts to an electric Porsche or BMW – which is okay by me if people in a position to spend their money on such a thing wish to do so. My objection is to these toys being touted as something other than what they are and to their subsidization.

              If electric cars can’t be made more economical and practical than a current $16-18k economy car, then they make no sense – and that ought to be the end of them, except as toys for affluent people who want a . . . toy.

  15. Regulators love centralization. It makes their jobs easy. Look at the meatpacking industry. Over-inspect the little players by treating them the same as everyone else (with fines suitable to mega-operations) and they’ll go away. Then when there are only a handful of processing plants it’s easy.

    Carbon regulation is driving centralization of power generation. Look at the thousands of tailpipe tests done per day now, and add on “carbon pollution” testing. Too much work! Better to just have a few big natural gas turbine plants. Heck, I’ll bet the plant operator will even provide an office for the regulators, just like big corporations have office space for IRS officials.

  16. Headline in Consumer Reports: “More American Drivers Want Electric Cars, AAA Survey Says”. If more American drivers want electric cars why aren’t they buying them?

    AAA seldom sees a buearcrat edict it doesn’t approve of and Consumer Reports is a leftist rag, with near zero credibility, run (into the ground?) by an arts major.

    • Our Royal Automobile Clubs in Australia, supposed to be looking out for motorists, are mouthpieces of the elite and do not now represent motorists in any shape or form. They jump up and down like glee at government dictates that inhibit use of cars. That’s why I have nothing to do with those farcical clubs.

  17. Here in Commiefornia, we have a bill in our legislature to ban all internal combustion vehicles off the road by 2040: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/energy-green/sd-fi-vehicle-ban-20180116-story.html

    These same idiots squander tens of billion on rail that will never get built, and will never be used. They mandate electric cars, but oppose building power plants or expanding the electric grid to handle them, it’s already close to failure charging the relatively few electric cars we already have.

    I can’t comprehend how these imbeciles can legislate like this. They pass some edict and assume that fairies and gnomes will make it magically happen without additional resources. They know full well that their edicts can’t be implemented, yet, they make them. What has happened to common sense and intellectual honesty. Bah!

    If this state bans the internal combustion engine, I will find some way of building an external combustion engined car, perhaps steam powered, and I’ll burn tires as my fuel.

  18. You hit the nail on the head when you say that electric car production is not economically motivated, but politically motivated…and when you say that we may soon have no choice but to buy them.

      • That Bimmer shown here is one butt-ugly thing IMO. At least you can see out of an Aztec.

        The only cars, new cars that is, I like the looks of are exotics and not every one of those.

        I submit the Bugatti Veyron. The front end is nothing to write home about but the rear just sux.

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