Was the electric car just part of the climate change fad?

[hobie]

Everyone was told they had to reduce their carbon footprint, they had to get solar panels, and stop using any fossil fuels and most importantly change over to a EV. You had to get a electric car or you were a terrible person for the climate, so everyone especially during the pandemic was panicking and running down to the nearest EV vendor or getting online and getting a Tesla. My brother told me this was the future, and he was getting one, my brother in law got his right away and put a charging panel in his garage, everyone in South Florida seemed to be getting a new Tesla, and then it was over. The vendors started to disappear, then the charging stations, and the climate change idea seemed to fade away, even making batteries wasnt so hot any more. Seems like it was all just a bad climate change dream especially for the manufacturers and especially the employees...So much for running the world on EV's...

This was last year...."October 29, 2025 3:33 pm GM Slashes More EV Production At Factory Zero Plant, Cutting Nearly 2,000 Jobs

GM is making a series of job cuts at its Factory Zero assembly plant near Detroit, resulting in the loss of nearly 2,000 jobs across several U.S. facilities. The move follows slower-than-expected EV sales and changing federal policies that have effectively reshaped electric vehicle manufacturing across the United States.

As reported by The Detroit News, GM will cut Factory Zero’s workforce down to one shift, eliminating approximately 1,200 jobs in the process. The Detroit-area plant is responsible for the assembly of BT1-based products like the Chevy Silverado EV, GMC Hummer EV, and Cadillac Escalade IQ, and is currently idle. The facility will remain idle until November 24th, at which time it will operate on two shifts until the holiday break, after which the facility will reopen with only on shift, starting January 5th. Around 2,000 employees will remain on site once the changes take effect next year.
GM stated that the decision was “in response to slower near-term EV adoption and an evolving regulatory environment,” noting that it remains committed to U.S. manufacturing even as the company adjusts its output. Affected employees may be eligible for Supplemental Unemployment Benefits (SUB) under the current GM-UAW labor agreement.

The job cuts extend beyond Factory Zero to the GM Ultium Cells battery facilities in Ohio and Tennessee, both of which are operated under a joint venture with LG Energy Solution. In Ohio, 550 workers will lose their jobs permanently, while another 850 will be temporarily laid off. The Tennessee Ultium facility will temporarily lay off 700 employees."

And now even more...

"GM slashes 2,900 jobs, shutters $102M plant as EV dream unravels

General Motors is ripping up a key part of its electric-vehicle playbook, cutting 2,900 jobs and closing a $102 million factory just as the industry's transition was supposed to hit its stride. The move crystallizes how quickly the EV boom narrative has flipped into a story of retrenchment, stranded investment, and hard choices for workers and towns that bet on a battery-powered future.

Instead of a smooth glide from gasoline to zero-emission models, GM is now juggling layoffs, plant shutdowns, and multibillion-dollar accounting hits as demand cools and policy support shifts. The fallout stretches from Detroit to small Midwest communities, and it is forcing the company to rethink everything from its factory footprint to its once-vaunted technology partnerships.
 

The 2,900-job shock and a $102 million factory left idle

The centerpiece of GM's latest reset is a decision to eliminate 2,900 positions tied to a $102 million plant in the Midwest, a facility that was once pitched as a cornerstone of the company's electric future. Instead of ramping up, the site is being shuttered, leaving 2,900 people facing unemployment right around the holidays and turning what was marketed as a growth engine into a symbol of stalled ambition. Reporting on the 2,900 jobs underscores how workers from Detroit to Ohio are being asked to uproot their lives or accept unemployment as the price of GM's strategic pivot."....

[hobie]

And who is pushing for this climate change agenda and what is the push behind it. Well lets look closer..

 

"Pope: God will ask us if we have cared for our common home

Pope Leo addresses participants in an international conference on climate justice and reflects on Pope Francis' landmark ecological encyclical Laudato Si, noting that when the time comes, God will ask us if we cared for our common home.

 

By Francesca Merlo

On Wednesday afternoon, marking the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis' encyclical, Laudato Si’, Pope Leo XIV addressed participants in the Raising Hope Conference, organised by the Laudato Si’ Movement.

In his address, the Pope expressed gratitude for the legacy of Pope Francis’ encyclical, noting how its message has inspired schools, dioceses, academic programmes, and international dialogue.

“Its impact,” he said, “has extended to summits, interreligious initiatives, economic and business circles, as well as theological and bioethical studies.” Above all, he noted that the phrase “care for our common home” has become a standard phrase, used in academic work and public discourse across peoples and continents."

[hobie]

And we find what he was referencing...

"Everything Pope Francis Said About Climate Change Before His Death

Why the world’s most progressive pope saw the environment as a moral imperative.

After passing away at the age of 88, Pope Francis, leaves a bold and compassionate legacy. Known for his progressive views, he redefined the papacy for the modern world. He embraced LGBTQ Catholics by endorsing blessings for same-sex couples, openly challenged political leaders like Donald Trump on immigration, and focused unwaveringly on social justice.

For 12 years before his death, he devoted himself to climate action, inspiring millions around the world.

 

 

Pope Francis called climate change a profound moral crisis.

Francis made it clear — climate change was not just a scientific or political issue, but a profound moral crisis. In 2015, he released Laudato Si’, the first papal encyclical devoted entirely to the environment.

In it, he argued that the climate crisis and social injustice are inseparable, and that the poor suffer most from environmental devastation.

 

He wrote, “We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.”

[hobie]

And here is what this climate change push is truly about if one looks closely...

Pope Leo XVI Tells Judicial Authorities that Justice Must Serve the Common Good | Advent Messenger

[Joe Knapp]

Quote

The Vatican’s concept of the “common good” is rooted in its social teaching, which emphasizes that civil government should promote what benefits the community as a whole—even if doing so places limits on certain individual freedoms.

AKA Collectivism. Now we know where the push to collectivism is coming from. 

Electric cars are far from dead. There are newer players that dominate the field. Tesla and BYD. 

On 3/30/2026 at 7:39 PM, hobie said:

In it, he argued that the climate crisis and social injustice are inseparable, and that the poor suffer most from environmental devastation.

Environmental devastation ??? 

 

[hobie]

On 4/3/2026 at 5:27 PM, Joe Knapp said:

AKA Collectivism. Now we know where the push to collectivism is coming from. 

Electric cars are far from dead. There are newer players that dominate the field. Tesla and BYD. 

Environmental devastation ??? 

 

Well, looks like Tesla is going out as Elon turns to 'Robots?" and BYD fades...

"Volkswagen Reclaims Top Spot in China Car Sales, BYD Falls to Fourth as EV Subsidies Fade

BEIJING, March 13 (Reuters) - Volkswagen reclaimed car sales ⁠dominance ⁠in China, the world's ⁠largest auto market, in the first two months of 2026 when Toyota also regained ground, both overtaking local electric vehicle champion BYD amid ‌fading subsidies for greener cars.

VW's ‌Chinese joint ventures with FAW and SAIC held a combined 13.9% ⁠share of ⁠the country's passenger vehicle market in sales terms, followed by Geely's 13.8% and a combined 7.8% from Toyota's JVs with GAC and FAW, data from the China Passenger Car Association showed.

The legacy automakers' comeback in the market where they have been struggling to catch up with local rivals in ⁠EVs ⁠comes as purchase tax ⁠exemptions on electric cars expire and Beijing scales back subsidies for trading in EVs.

As subsidies fade, hybrid EVs ⁠that Toyota specialises in were shown to have steered some consumers away from PHEVs, said Cui Dongshu, secretary-general at CPCA.

Local automakers betting on budget electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles take the biggest hits from the curtailed incentives.

BYD, ⁠which unseated VW as the biggest carmaker in China by sales in ⁠2024 and held onto the crown last year, fell to fourth place with 7.1% market share in the January-February period when its overall sales posted the biggest drop since the pandemic"..Volkswagen Reclaims Top Spot in China Car Sales, BYD Falls to Fourth as EV Subsidies Fade

"It has appeared in Tesla showrooms, on its factory floors and has even posed with Kim Kardashian.

But Elon Musk's vision for his human-like robot Optimus is much grander than that.

Since first unveiling it at a Tesla showcase in 2022, the tech billionaire has suggested his company's droid could play a huge role in the homes and lives of people all over the world.

Along with self-driving robotaxis and Cybertrucks, Musk believes Tesla robots are key to establishing a foothold in the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape.  Why human-shaped robots loom large in Musk's Tesla plans

[hobie]

And we see it spreading as reality hits...

EVs: Are They the Future, or Just a Passing Fad? | by Volts & Volts | Medium

[Joe Knapp]

But, BYD is the world's largest maker of EV's.  They are exporting shiploads to South America. 

[Joe Knapp]

https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2026/04/11/where-do-toyota-prius-cars-go-to-die-mongolia-emerges-as-end-of-life-market-for-japans-ageing-hybrids-and-their-toxic-batteries/215962

 

https://autoguide.top/toyota-prius-life-expectancy-how-long-does-a-prius-really-last/