Electric vehicles has taken off in many parts of the world, but nearly half are now in China (47%)
China is also aiming at leading in the development and production of EVs for the world market:
PS> Maybe Chinese EVs will come with batteries from Norway?:
“Quantumscape”, story today in Wall Street news about being a large new player in battery tech. Stock has gotten a lot of attention lately. Along with Apple making noise.
Nah, China produces batteries for their EV’s and all the gadgets we use that have batteries. Norway will always be an importer because industry pollutes. EV’s are the industry of the future and I’ve read some stuff about large ships becoming electric or adding electric capacity to their ships, something like what Corvus Energy does. I think a couple of marine engine manufacturers are expanding their battery section too, or something like that. Some of the information I got here at GCaptain.
Check it.
There is already a large battery production in Norway:
You need any more proof that Norway is in the battery business?
After all, Norway needs something to replace the oil & gas industry with if The Greens win next years election. 
The Greens will keep with the same policies. Isn’t it also a strain on the environment to take the platforms apart?
At the other end of the spectrum: electric bicycles. Wildly popular in Seattle. Many styles. Something between a bicycle and a motorcycle, but in many ways neither.
The battery technology is the same as in electric cars. A myriad of battery types and configurations. Same goes for motors, controllers, and all the other bits. People can build their own ebikes easily. Which makes for endless experimentation.
When I was a boy, kids tinkering on cars was a thing. Cars were simple and cheap to work on. Nowadays not so much. But ebikes are much the same level of tech as a '56 Chevy. Kids are tinkering with off-the-shelf battery configurations, or building their own, Upgrading motors and building their own. Faster/stronger/more range. Simple DC circuitry, so people do their own electrical–and blow it up, of course.
I love it when kids get greasy with wrenches and drivetrains. Bodes well for the economy. These kids are the e-car designers of the future.
My ride:
I’ve been looking into getting an ebike but it is complicated, there are the types which have a mid-drive motor next where the pedals are which apparently have more torque for going up hills and towing etc, then you have he type which have the motor in the hub of the wheel where the spokes meet which put cause less damage to the drive chain/belt.
Also a lot of these ebikes cost a fortune in europe when they can be bought for relatively cheap on alibaba, I think that is the business plan some people have, they buy hundreds or thousands of ebikes from a reputable manufacture on alibaba then sell them on for four or five times more in europe or the US.
A problem in the UK is that you can only use a 250 watt motor on the road for an ebike, anything above that and it is classed as a moped, I think a lot of people disregard the laws and have larger motors than legal but if they get caught they could get in a lot of trouble.
Here is an interesting one from alibiba with a low buy requirement, although it compromises on strength I like the idea of a folding frame you can hide the battery inside.
Take it from me, that’s no more than the difference between brown bread and white bread: both will make a sandwich.
in the U.S./Canada/Australia it comes down to speed. To be classified as a bike and use bike trails, the ebike can’t go faster than 20 mph when you’re pedaling on a flat. The electronics regulate your speed. You don’t think of it as you’re pedaling. Motor sizes in the States usually go 350-500-750 watts. The bigger motors don’t change your street speed, because of the 20 mph setting. They just give you faster acceleration and more power climbing hills.
As you say, you can disable the street legal speed but few people bother around here, that I’ve seen. 65 pounds is a normal weight for a big ebike, but the bicycle-sized disc brakes can’t effectively stop that amount of mass above 20 mph (I have stories…)
The Seattle home-brand is Rad bikes. $1100 gets you a basic bike. $1600 a very nice ride. You can’t throw a rock in Seattle without hitting a Rad bike, or a Prius. (That’s a Seattle joke…)
You might want to get your brakes checked 
. The rim brakes on my tandem had no problem stopping my wife and I, ~400lbs total with all of our camping gear + bike. Fastest panic stop was pushing 40mph (fastest we went on the tandem was close to 60). I could skid the front tire if I felt so inclined. I swapped to disc brakes for less fade. They’ll still lock up the front wheel.
Will do.
This points out the tech side of ebikes. One of many doo-dads that can be found on them is a brake motor cut-off sensor. When the brakes are applied, juice is cut off to the motor(s). Makes braking more effective. Otherwerise the motor still turns for a second after you stop pedaling, fighting the brakes.
But not all ebikes have these. Mine doesn’t. So after I brake, I still have 350 watts of power trying to propel the bike forward for a moment. Some people find this dangerous. I just don’t override the 20 mph setting.
These are one of the many aftermarket doo-dads people are always tinkering with, which makes owning an ebike fun.
Come spring I’m adding a second battery under the fairing, so I can switch them into parallel or series, either doubling the range, or doubling the power, at will. Nothing like the thrill of riding with six pounds of inexpertly-wired, inflammable lithium batteries inches from your junk. 
Not only Tesla make electric cars:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/bmw-aims-for-20-of-its-vehicles-to-be-electric-by-2023-report-13849980
I think electric vehicles will play an increasing roll within our transportation system. One of the things that hasn’t been addressed is how the owners of these vehicles will begin contributing their share of road maintenance. Currently the taxes levied on gas (diesel) at the fuel pump, both Federal and State, pay for road maintenance. Electric vehicles and hybrids when running battery power are getting a free ride. There will be a breaking point when the number of these vehicles becomes so great that there is a significant shortfall on funding. It may already be happening in places, so what then?
As the topic is electric vehicles for the future; one can expect the government, at some point in time, to have their hand out.
Any visitor to China will have noticed the popularity of electric scooters for urban transport. They looked like a Vespa and new cost about US$2500. For some reason they were unable to be imported into NZ.
Electric bicycles are popular here as urban transport and a lot of RV owners carry them as well.
Local government as part of their social engineering remit are constructing cycle ways and either removing parking or making the parking spaces smaller. I have enough trouble opening the doors on my Ford Ranger never mind a full size pickup.
Then the first 10 Electric buses are in active service here in Ă…lesund:
http://en.frammr.no/FRAM/Current/AAlesund-first-with-electric-buses
Not a new electric vehicle, but a new way of using one:
My Elby has regenerative braking. Apply the brakes and part of the energy required to slow the bike goes back into the battery.
What’s going on with traditional car makers? When they talk about investing billions in electric vehicles I assume investors will take notice. Or is it just hype? Much of the NYT article deals with the race between companies/countries to become battery superpowers:
Quote: Carmakers are engaged in an intense race to acquire the chemical recipe that will deliver the most energy at the lowest price and in the smallest package. G.M.’s announcement last month that it would go all electric by 2035 was widely considered a landmark moment by policymakers and environmentalists. But to many people in the battery industry, the company was stating the obvious.
From a Ford press release [edited]:
DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 4, 2021 – …“The transformation of Ford is happening and so is our leadership of the EV revolution… “We’re now allocating a combined $29 billion in capital and tremendous talent to these two areas, and bringing customers high-volume, connected electric SUVs, commercial vans and pickup trucks.”
I would look seriously at a plug in hybrid pickup. We have two vehicles, one a compact fuel efficient petrol car and a diesel pickup truck. We need two vehicles living in the country, walking and cycling are not practical given the distance, the hilly nature and road surface. At my age mountain biking or riding a horse as school children did before the advent of the school bus are not attractive options.
My normal journeys in the pickup are more than 20 kilometres but less than 50 kilometres which is well within the capability of electric only operation when lightly loaded.
I still require that the pickup has the capability of 4-w-d and to tow three and a half tonne at an extended range. If it could while stationary supply 2400 watts of AC power that would be a bonus.
