2010 X5 35d resale predicted to be outstanding

[bigx5er]

See this article from Klipinger and Yahoo.

Best New Car Values 2010: Best Resale Value- Yahoo! Autos Article Page

[Quicksilver]

So lets see, Are they saying that after the four years
50K factory warranty is up then the service cost for the first
years is $4,099?

Or what exactly are they saying when they say the Five-year
service cost: $4,099.

Does that include fuel.........I'm Kornfuzed. But I admit that's
not hard to do in my case LOL

[ABMW]

I don't think they're taking into account the free service, in that price.

I agree it will hold good resale value, amongst its 2010 peers. Though, I have some doubts about the figures given.

In 5-years, the odds are that current generation X5-Diesel (if still produced) will be a hybrid diesel.

On the other hand, fuel cell technology, is but a few years away from reality. We're working on fuel cells that produce hydrogen on demand "only," taking the risk of explosion completely out of the picture.

The units are no larger than the battery back on the chevy volt, yet produce 10 to 15 times the power. In fact, the ones I'm working on produce too much power for an automobile and need to be scaled down for automotive use.

Batteries are a short-term solution. Anyway, I agree the X5 is the best deal on the market.

The Toyota Highlander provided good competition in the numbers department, but of course Toyota's future values are, for lack of better words, "in question."

[Quicksilver]

If their not being accurate in the way they deliver
information the i'm inclined to view their report
as suspect.

[CarsRmyVICE]

Originally Posted by ABMW

On the other hand, fuel cell technology, is but a few years away from reality. We're working on fuel cells that produce hydrogen on demand "only," taking the risk of explosion completely out of the picture.

The units are no larger than the battery back on the chevy volt, yet produce 10 to 15 times the power. In fact, the ones I'm working on produce too much power for an automobile and need to be scaled down for automotive use.

"

If you do not mind me prying what company do you work for/with. I am strictly interested from an investment perspective, is it a publicly held company?

[santo]

Originally Posted by CarsRmyVICE

If you do not mind me prying what company do you work for/with. I am strictly interested from an investment perspective, is it a publicly held company?

I was thinking the same thing

[ABMW]

I can only direct you to the type of technology, I'm referring to: ClearEdge Power: Delivering Smart Energy Today

But, I will say, that this is the tip of a VERY large iceberg and that there are dozens of companies around the world working with "on-demand" hydrogen technology, both public and private.

The "ah-ha" moment was passed some time ago, in terms of having to take you vehicle to a special station to have it filled with hydrogen.

Batteries are a 10-15 yr. fad, at best, due to cost and availability.

As is, the unit I've referenced above is "only" $50k.

Though, for full disclosure I do NOT work for that company, and their technology is not on par with what is being tested now.

[CarsRmyVICE]

Originally Posted by ABMW

I can only direct you to the type of technology, I'm referring to: ClearEdge Power: Delivering Smart Energy Today

But, I will say, that this is the tip of a VERY large iceberg and that there are dozens of companies around the world working with "on-demand" hydrogen technology, both public and private.

The "ah-ha" moment was passed some time ago, in terms of having to take you vehicle to a special station to have it filled with hydrogen.

Batteries are a 10-15 yr. fad, at best, due to cost and availability.

As is, the unit I've referenced above is "only" $50k.

Though, for full disclosure I do NOT work for that company, and their technology is not on par with what is being tested now.

Haha fair enough I suppose old fashioned market research will have to do. I have seen wall street too many times Thanks for the response though, much appreciated.

[jclarkv]

I'm surprised the good resale value needs any proving. The number of used diesels will remain small. The price of fuel will keep going up and there's just no way to get 25-30 mpg in an SUV that is not a diesel. The engine will last forever, too.

Using the Diesel Toureg and Jetta as a guide, resale value for our diesel X5's should remain quite good as well.

--jclarkv

[ABMW]

Originally Posted by jclarkv

I'm surprised the good resale value needs any proving. The number of used diesels will remain small. The price of fuel will keep going up and there's just no way to get 25-30 mpg in an SUV that is not a diesel. The engine will last forever, too.

Using the Diesel Toureg and Jetta as a guide, resale value for our diesel X5's should remain quite good as well.

--jclarkv

If one is speaking of 5-year resale values, nearly every vehicle produced will be a hybrid of one kind or another within the next 5-years. Even Porsche has produced a 911 test mule that will be released shortly, as has Ferrari, and every other brand, that I can think of.

25 to 30 mpg with lithium ion battery packs or a fuel cell powered electric motor will put current vehicles in the junk yards, much quicker than in any time in prior history. Obtaining an effective 30 mpg in an SUV will be the norm, and likely the minimum norm, at that.

Internal combustion engines are not as efficient as electric motors, and one way or another electric motors will be the way in which all vehicles are powered, as we enter the next "generation" of automobile power plants.

As an example, that some of you may be aware of, locomotive diesel trains are actually powered by electric motors 100% of the time. The electricity that powers their electric motors is produced by internal combustion diesel engines, but they provide no forward momentum to the trains whatsoever. That power comes from electric motors only, which are contained in the locomotives trucks, usually in a direct drive fashion.

The electric motor technology is already here: see Tesla Motors. What's still up in the air, is how these electric motors will be powered. For now, batteries are the method of choice due to availability and cost. In the future, fuel cells and other forms will take over, giving vehicles greater range, and allowing them to be more ecologically friendly. Not only do batteries require massive amounts of resources to produce, but they're filled with some vile, god awful elements.

50-years from now, who knows what will power our vehicles. Maybe even 25-year uranium batteries, if they can be produced in a clean and safe manner (using technology that does not exist at the moment). But, I see no way in which any manufacturer will be producing anything but hybrids, if not fully electric vehicles.

From a sports-car perspective, an electric motor makes far more sense as it produces 100% of its available torque in an immediate manner, rather than having to wait 1 or 2 seconds for an internal combustion engine to reach peak torque.

Again, to refer back to the Tesla Roadster. Immediate torque is how it is capable of 0-60 starts in the 4 second range. Put a larger motor in that vehicle, and a higher rated battery pack, and one could see 0-60 speeds in the 2 second range or faster (if you could build a vehicle that was controllable at such speeds: an electric powered Formula 1 vehicle, for example).

Point being, the X5 diesel, is great today and probably the best option throughout modern-day SUVs that the public can now buy. 5-years from now, a vehicle running in dino fuel, only, is going to be a tough sell. 10-years from now, if any of us are still driving our X5 diesels, we'll be in the minority.