G. David Felt

@Drew Dowdell This discussion has me wondering if it would not be cheaper in the long run and maybe VW has looked at this, as to why they have an AI charging controller that can handle high rates but is variable based on the plugged-in power supply over building slower controllers that are fixed at a set rate. With the U.S. seeing a surge of building new production sites that can supply U.S. made chips to the auto industry here, could we see a standardized controller that has a maximum rate to support the fastest 800V charging yet still downgrade to slower speeds based on the supplied electrical charge coming from the wall.

Course I am sure the power companies would not mind putting in a second power panel and meter to an older home.

Weird that Chevy never mentioned it in advertising and of course for my area, I never saw a manual one, all just autos.

Exterior wise I like the look of this EV. Interior is just too BLAH for me and reminds me of Tesla. If it was not a Chinese owned company, I might actually like it enough to consider buying it if I can fit comfy and people can sit behind me. Looking at this more, I have to say that while I still like the exterior look, it does remind me of a Subaru Forrester. More Station wagon like the Eagles than SUV.

@Drew Dowdell I wonder if the AI auto sensing 22kW controller actually steps down when it has a smaller power supply, and they just are not calling it out in the press release. ?

I understand, the browser auto translated the German press release for me. I get the point you're saying also. This makes me wonder if the homes in Europe have a bigger power load that gets delivered to the home compared to the U.S. I wonder how many states will change home standards for electrical. I know part of the green home building here in Washington state, all new built homes and this includes condos and townhomes have to have a dedicated 220V 50amp outlet for home charging.

I hope GM is able to upgrade their onboard controller soon as per their own website, the GMC Hummer, GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado EVs all will use the same 11.5kW onboard controller for home charging that allows 4 miles of charge per hour if on 110, 40 miles of range if on 220. Controller allows 100 miles of range per 10 minutes for Level 2 DC/Fast charger. Audi should be able to maximize sales with their new controller which will also be in the Porche EV products.

Found this on their living with electric section. Have to say that I would have expected better from GM on this. Home Charging for Electric Vehicles | Chevrolet

@Drew Dowdell Now you have my curiosity peaked and as such, looking at other EVs. This has me a bit disappointed in Cadillac. Using Your Dual Level Charging Cord | LYRIQ (cadillac.com) The Dual Level Charge Cord allows a vehicle-controlled electrical connection to your home or charging location. The Dual Level Charge Cord allows you to swap between 120-volt (3-pronged) and 240-volt (4-pronged) plugs to best fit your available wall receptacles. In this way, it supports charging at two levels: Level 1 charging† at 120V (up to 1.4 kW) and Level 2 charging at 240V (up to 7.7 kW). Talk about SLOW. I am now interested in what the GMC Hummer, Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado have for controllers.

Audi has standardized with an onboard 22kWh charging controller for use by 110, 220 and DC fast charge. This compares to Tesla that has 110 set at 7kW, 11kW if on 220 or 22kW for DC/Supercharging. Audi engineering did say that the new controllers are auto sensing of the electrical you plug into so that is always maximizes the fastest charge rate for your auto. Tesla has stated they are moving the S & X models to 17kW for home charging either at 110 or 220 and 22kW for DC/Supercharging. Tesla 3 & Y are still on the old 7/11kW charging for home use but 22kW for DC/Supercharging. The one area that can surprise people is if you are not on a modern electrical box, but a single phase 32A connection, Tesla drops you to only 4kW charge rate Tesla has stated they are looking at even higher levels for their cybertruck. My thinking is that Audi using an AI based controller can maximize over older controller tech.

In 2018 Audi introduced the world to the e-tron, the age of electromobility had arrived and this marked the start of the electric future for the four rings. Audi has been setting the standards in the electric luxury-class SUV segment and continues that trend with the new Audi Q8 e-tron family of EVs. The Q8 e-tron moves forward from 2018 to 2023 by taking pre-orders now and deliveries will start in February 2023. Customers will get the following: More battery capacity and higher charging performance Fresh exterior, new brand design and dynamic driving characteristics Net-carbon-neutral production and a first-time use of recycled materials in a safety-related component Markus Duesmann, charman of the board of management of Audi AG had this to say: “With our corporate strategy ‘Vorsprung 2030’, we’ve set a fixed date for our withdrawal from combustion engines and clearly decided that Audi will be a fully electric brand within 11 years,” “The new Audi Q8 e-tron, with its improved efficiency and range and refined design, is another important component in our electric portfolio to get people excited about electromobility with emotional models that are suitable for everyday use.” Audi's press release had plenty of executives talking in many various gray modes of executive speak, but the real meat and potatoes of what has changed came from the engineering side about the new Q8 Family, Audi's top of the line luxury EVs. Audi has decided to elevate the Audi product line to move up stream in luxury with the new corporate identity with a two-dimensional design of the four rings on the exterior. Audi highlights the vehicles face with the projection light singleframe. The Q8 is also the first of the models to feature the new model badging with Audi lettering on the B-pillar. This minor point of change from a bulky badge on the side of the ICE versions of Audi is also focused on the improvements for airstream over and around the auto in maximizing electric efficiency. Audi Maximizing Space and Comfort Q8 Sportback dimensions 4.915 meters long, 1.937 meters wide, 1.619 meters tall = 193.5 inches long, 76.26 inches wide, 63.74 inches tall Q8 SUV dimensions 4.915 meters long, 1.937 meters wide, 1.633 meters tall = 193.5 inches long, 76.26 inches wide, 64.29 inches tall Both are 2 millimeters lower and 39 millimeters wider = .08 inches lower and 1.535 inches wider Wheelbase for both EVs is 2.928 meter = 115.276 inch wheelbase Storage Volume 569 liters (20.09 cubic feet) for the SUV 528 liters (18.646 cubic feet) for the Sportback 62 liters (2.19 cubic feet) in the Frunk Drivetrain Variants - Q8 are driven by dual motors and SQ8 are trimotors with torque vectoring. Audi Q8 50 e-tron 250 kW and 664 Nm of torque and a range of 491 km = 335 HP, 490 lb-ft of torque, 305 miles of range Top speed of 200 km/h = 124 mph Audi Q8 Sportback 50 e-tron 250 kW and 664 Nm of torque and a range of 505 km = 335 HP, 490 lb-ft of torque, 314 miles of range Top speed of 200 km/h = 124 mph Audi Q8 55 e-tron 300 kW and 664 Nm of torque and a range of 582 km = 402 HP, 490 lb-ft of torque, 362 miles of range Top speed of 200 km/h = 124 mph Audi Q8 Sportback 55 e-tron 300 kW and 664 Nm of torque and a range of 600 km = 402 HP, 490 lb-ft of torque, 373 miles of range Top speed of 200 km/h = 124 mph Audi SQ8 e-tron 370 kW and 973 Nm of torque and a range of 494 km = 496 HP, 718 lb-ft of torque, 307 miles of range Top speed of 210 km/h = 130 mph Audi SQ8 Sportback e-tron 370 kW and 973 Nm of torque and a range of 513 km = 335 HP, 718 lb-ft of torque, 319 miles of range Top speed of 210 km/h = 130 mph Battery Capacity and Charging Q8 50 e-tron = 95 gross kWh battery pack Maximum charging performance is 150 kW with 80% charged in a few more minutes over the big battery pack Q8 55 and SQ8 e-tron = 114 gross kWh battery pack Maximum charging performance is 170 kW with 80% charged in 31 minutes Home charging Q8 50 charges in 9hrs and 15 minutes (110V) or 4hrs and 45 minutes (220V) Q8 55 and SQ8 charges in 11 hours and 30 minutes (110V) or 6hrs (220V) Comfort and Sportiness The Audi Q8 comes standard with an air-spring suspension with controlled shock absorption. Total height adjustment can be varied by a total of 76 millimeters or 3 inches depending on driving situation. Parking Enhancements The Q8 e-tron's come with 40 driver assistance systems that can use the five radar sensors, five cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors. The new Q8 e-tron has optionally digital matrix LED headlights, numerous interior upgrades and options such as an air quality package that not only uses filtration but a true 4 zone independent climate control system. Q8 seats come standard with pneumatic seats and backrest adjustments that can also include an optional massage function. Q8 have gone with a totally touch display system with voice control, replacing all conventional switches and knobs. View full article

@oldshurst442 I will admit I am a weird person as I love snow, I love Rain, I love things green and to me, hate the sun. I love that Washington State only has about 3 months a year of sunny weather though this year we got 5 months straight of no rain or clouds, summer was hell for me and a record as Washington usually does not have that long of a dry, sunny summer. I hate heat, hate humidity. I do not mind snow, love it and the more we have the more snowpack for fresh water we have, healthier for the planet and better for the glaciers to rebuild. Overall, we need more snow and cold temps to offset climate change to cool the earth down. U get that as we get older, we feel it in our joints, bones on rainy days, etc. Heat pumps are great for a home to regulate moisture levels and comfort year-round. Our Ski season is usually first of December to mid-April, if we get a good winter, we can push it into June here. If the snow fall is really good like it was in 1994 and 2012 where we had ski season all year. Mt. Baker, Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood usually get enough snow to ski well into early summer. If this year is a powder dump like they are forecasting, I could be skiing well into summer 2023. Nothing like a sunny day on the mountain in Shorts and a t-shirt skiing.

Shoveling snow is not a problem, rather than have a snow blower sit most of the time, the few weeks a year we have snow to shovel, I happily do it. My driveway is a big all-day deal as it is 35 feet or 10.668 meters wide and 65ft long or 19.812 meters long. Since it is a slope down into my garage and I do not want my wife or kids to slip, I get out and shovel it every time it snows to ensure clear walking. Since I work from home full time, and my autos are all garage kept, I never have to clear ice if I go out. Even then it does not bother me to clear the windshield as I like the cold anything under 60 degrees or freezing is better than heat for me. What Amazes me is I get that some homes have small garages, but the amount of people around where I live use it for storage and leave their autos out. Crazy, but I use the approach, if you have not touched it in 90 days, probably better to donate it to goodwill or sell it. I do get that some have hobbies like Roberts awesome model auto collection. We all have hobbies, but when your garage is full of stuff and most people do not remember what all is in it, that is hording a bad mental problem IMHO. Snow/Ice on the freeway/roads does not bother me. Right tool for the right job as to why I have proper AWD SUVs with the proper tires and as we all like to use a little common sense on how to drive in the snow.

Wow and look who is trolling me now. I actually do not live in Seattle, but up north over 1hr away, much closer to Stevens Pass and I am sure the 250,000 people that live on and around Mt. Baker would care. I never stated Seattle was a dangerous place, those are your words. I only talked about how crazy it is here due to the wet snow and the lack of people being able to drive safely in it as seen in the video. Enough said, since reference is what this was about and my love of snow never had nothing to do with dangerous places. Enjoy your trolling of me, as I am done with this conversation.

@oldshurst442 Maybe you need to take a step back and reread my posts. I never mentioned Mt. Rainer. That is part of a national park here, most people never go there during the summer let alone winter. I focused on the passes where there are also the ski resorts and 10's of thousands of people if not 100's of thousands go during the winter to play. Then these same passes have MILLIONS of trucks and autos go over them especially during the holiday season. I90 is a major highway that supplies North America with products from all the container ships that come to port and unload. Hence those truckers have to deal with the crazy water heavy snow that falls and is on hills causing slippage. Yes, Seattle does not have to deal with Feet of snow that hangs around during the winter like where you live, but I joke and laugh at how we play auto pin ball when we do get snow due to nothing here being flat and you can go from sea level to 1,000 feet above sea level and snow in a matter of minutes due to all the hills here. Then if you want winter sports or need to go to pretty flat eastern Washington, you have to go over all the hills and up the cascade mountain passes. I NO WHERE took anything away from Canada or any other place that has far more snow fall in their city and has it hang around for months. I love snow, love winter as my favorite season, but also love living here where I have my four seasons usually and cold wet rain most of the time, with a short drive to go play in the wet heavy snow we get here.

No-Lift Shift Systems 101: Keeping Your Foot On The Floor While Rowing The Gears | DrivingLine

Olds, I never mentioned the Rocky's. Maybe you are a little confused on geography. All the passes that are heavily used and ski areas are here in Washington State. I so could care the Phoque, your term less about the Rockies. The Cascade Mountains and Olympic mountains are the only interest of this Washington Born and raised resident. Yes, I know from personal experience of having visited once during the winter that Montreal gets nasty snow. I take nothing away from it. Many people joke about Seattle and how little snow we get and how folks freak out. Yet once they are here and realize the hills and that nothing is flat like the mid-west or that the snow is not dry, they then finally understand the craziness that happens with the Seattle area and snow. Two important facts; The most snowfall in North America is around the PNW area of Mt. Baker. The wettest place in North America is also where a movie series was done, Twilight, town of Forks is actually not the wettest place, but Sequim. Top 35 US Ski Resorts With The Highest Average Snowfall | Unofficial Networks Climate and Weather - Weather in North America Washington is the winner for a state of Rain 10 Wettest Cities In The United States - WorldAtlas So just saying we are a wet place to live and have some of the biggest snow fall totals around the Greater Seattle area.

Not sure where you get your info, maybe this is a Google French thing in Canada as while yes, Seattle gets less than an Inch of snow a year in the lowlands, our Mountains get way more than you ever get. Mount Baker Highway gets an average of 651" of snow a year. For your metric measure, that is 16.535 meters Stevens Pass, HWY 2 over the mountains gets an average of 474" of snow a year, 12.04 meters Crystal Mountain, Hwy 410 to Crystal Mountain Blvd gets an average of 413" of snow a year, 10.49 meters White Pass over the mountains, Hwy 12 gets an average of 380" of snow a year, 9.625 meters Snoqualmie Pass over the Mountains, I90 gets an average of 387" of snow a year, 9.83 meters This covers all the major highways, and the snow level is not a dusty fluffy snow. PNW gets a very wet, heavy snow. In fact one of the complaints after the heavy snow fall we had this weekend on the passes is that the wet heavy snow tends to reduce greatly the LED headlights on the Rivian and I have seen the same complaints on Tesla as the headlights do not produce any heat. Un-drivable at night in wet PNW snow | Rivian Forums - R1T & R1S Owners, News, Discussions, RIVN Stock PNW has NEVER had champaign powder, but wet heavy snow that builds up, creates plenty of slippery roads. Here is last years snow in Seattle and the terrible city drivers.

Yes, Looks/style are subjective. I know some would take it in a heartbeat, but I would take a Corvette any day over this Italian mess IMHO. C8 just has smoother flowing lines to me.

No Idea, but ugly it is.

Yes, true the SS had auto, but I bet they still would have sold them all if they only came in Manual. End result is for Honda, this will pull in those that want a sedan that is Performance focused.

Yes, I still think he is a Douchebag, but would also like to see that overrated Ferrari get trashed after he was such an idiot with the Hummer that DID NOT deserve being trashed this way.

This is Honda's version of the Cheverolet SS sedan. I suspect while totally manual transmission, it will still sell out and for high price.

Would love to see him total that Ferrari he pulls the hummer in next too.