G. David Felt

Wonder if this could be the second EV that Jeep is supposed to have out by 2023? We know this is coming as the first EV for Chrysler.

Totally expected as inflation is running crazy across the globe and especially with the Idiot Putin invading Ukraine to fulfill his dictatorship desires, this is going to just increase shortages and crazy prices. Proctor and Gamble is increasing prices across their full portfolio with next fulfillment shipments to retailers. Cost across the board is going to go up especially after Target today announced they are moving most retail positions to a starting wage of $24 an hour due to the basic fast-food places and other retail jobs moving to $15 to $19 an hour. Interest rates I see are already going up ahead of the fed meeting where they are expected to raise interest rates a full 1% at least. I expect us to go through the next few years and see interest rates crazy like the early to mid 80's. I remember people buying homes with a 14% 30-year mortgage loan rate. CRAZY

Awesome, welcome home. Glad you got back safe n sound. Look forward to seeing your pictures.

Welcome to the real world! How Far, Far, away have you been?

Today Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares asked people to join him in embracing a new mindset. Expand one's vision, breaking the limits and seek to transform all facets of one's mobility for the betterment of families, communities and the overall society in which we live and operate. Stellantis will be an industry champion in climate change mitigation with a reduction of carbon create by 50% by 2030 and becoming net zero carbon emission by 2038. Leadership at Stellantis have committed to having 100% of European sales and 50% of United State sales to be battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by 2030. This will be done by having more than 75 BEVs and global annual BEV sales of 5 million vehicles by 2030. The start of DARE FORWARD 2030 is to introduce the Jeep brand's first-ever fully electric SUV. This fully electric Jeep will be launched early 2023, expanding the brands reach globally and taking the next step of achieving the Jeep brand's vision of Zero Emission Freedom. More information on this Jeep BEV will be released in the coming months. Stellantis is proud to preview the new RAM 1500 BEV pickup arriving for sale 2024. Fueled by innovation and engineering excellence with the latest in technology, the RAM lineup will offer from the most affordable BEV pickup to the high-performance and luxury. An extensive product portfolio of incredible options to meet the customer's needs. Stellantis aim is to be #1 in customer satisfaction for our products and services bringing exceptional solutions to retail to professional customers. To achieve this, it starts with having exceptional people per their video: Stellantis+New+Talent+-+with+subtitles.mp4 Operational excellence, speed of execution and a breakeven point of less than 50% of shipments will remain their hallmark. Stellantis plans to double net revenues by 2030 and sustain double-digit adjusted operating income margins through 2030. Stellantis+Five+MegaTrends+-+with+subtitles.mp4 Dare Forward 2030 Key Facts Here is how Stellantis sees their iconic house brands and pricing: Stellantis plans to grow their premium and luxury brands from current revenues and profits to be 100% BEV sales with 4x revenues and 5x profits of today. This will be accomplished by an aggressive roll out of the BEV Portfolio: The U.S. market will see an aggressive full speed BEV roll out of products that cover 25+ models between 2024 and 2030, a six-year period seeing 4 models and in some cases more per year. Stellantis has made it very clear that their global carbon footprint will change immensely to help mitigate climate change. One area that many say is not sustainable is that due to BEVs being much less maintenance is the lost jobs by moving away from ICE. Stellantis as does many OEM auto companies see new job creation and retraining that embraces new jobs. The great circular economy: from cradle-to-cradle is how Stellantis sees the future. Every customer count, every journey matters is how Stellantis is seeing the long-term journey to embrace customers for life. Tech is the future as we have a revolutionary shift in the way vehicles are built, serviced and updated. As such electrification and beyond will bring in software, AI, future autonomous driving and more to the auto of the future. Here we have the following for EV commitments: One part of Stellantis plan is that Hydrogen does play an important part in this mix, as such commercial side will have hydrogen generated electric vans and eventually HD trucks in addition to pure last mile delivery/work vans that are pure BEV. Here we have software as a core to the global Stellantis auto family and as a core focus the following: While automated self-driving, data as a service, fleet services and the venture fund are additional areas covered by the DARE FORWARD 2030 plane, the focus of this writeup is on the autos themselves. If you wish to look at these areas, click on the following link: 2030 STRATEGIC PLAN DESIGN (stellantis.com) Stellantis also covered the value the global brands would bring to the table via e-commerce, holistic and digital marketplaces, as this focuses on their 7 accretive businesses: CIRCULAR ECONOMY DATA BUSINESS MOBILITY FINANCIAL SERVICES PRE-OWNED CARS AFTERMARKET COMMERCIAL VEHICLES Market share growth across all global regions was also covered in this press release, as were financials and can be viewed at the strategic plan link above or at the bottom of this writeup. Stellantis closed out their virtual press event with the following slides: Keep in mind that as the auto industry moves forward, technology will be changing at a rapid pace not seen in the ICE auto industry in decades. Part of Stellantis plan is to go beyond where current BEV's are at by starting with Solid-State batteries and their partnership with Factorial. More can be read about Factorial here: Dare Forward 2030: Stellantis’ Blueprint for Cutting-Edge Freedom of Mobility | Corporate Communications | Stellantis Long-Term Strategic Plan | Stellantis 2030 STRATEGIC PLAN DESIGN (stellantis.com) Jeep® Brand Reveals Image of First-Ever Fully Electric Jeep SUV | Jeep | Stellantis View full article

Maybe a $75,000 car, but I agree, the EQS is way overpriced for what you're getting, and the look is so minimalist cheap looking. This is NOT "The Best or Nothing" Truly Nothing, I have to expect that these cars will end up with heavy discounts on them like the S-Class has been done to move them. Another reason to NOT HAVE BEIGH CARPET, Really, used cardboard boxes on the floor to keep them clean, they should have left the plastic covering on till the auto was sold and delivered to the customer then. So, ridicules! At least the Mercedes dealer left the plastic on the floors to protect the carpet till sold.

Focusing on long term production, seems Lucid did not plan well for supply chain issues. They have dropped their 2022 production goal to only 12,000 to 14,000 BEVs to be produced now rather than the original forecast of 20,000 plus for 2022. Tesla Rival Lucid Delivers More Bad News (msn.com) In other news, that boat that caught fire with over 4,000 autos on it has apparently sunk in the Atlantic Ocean due to rough seas. Those limited-edition Porches', Bentleys and Lamborghinis as well as many basic forms. Volkswagen Loses Almost 4,000 Cars As the Felicity Ace Cargo Ship Sinks in Rough Seas - autoevolution

Some cool news, Chrysler is going to be relaunched as an EV brand and the CEO of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares says that the Airflow Crossover will be the first of many new models that are coming as the brand will be fully EV only by 2028. Stellantis CEO: ‘Chrysler Will Be Relaunched’ (msn.com) Stellantis CEO: ‘Chrysler Will Be Relaunched’ | The Drive

WOW, that is freaking ugly in that bottom photo. This is from my local dealership that has Five in stock, all 450 priced from $99,995 to $120,210 450 being sold as used with 1,259 miles on it Used 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ for sale in Lynnwood, WA 98037: Hatchback Details - 620699754 - Autotrader New 450 $120,210 with zero miles on it. New 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ for sale in Lynnwood, WA 98037: Hatchback Details - 624896930 - Autotrader This 450 actually seems to have the full 3 screens under that big screen. $117,655 New 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ for sale in Lynnwood, WA 98037: Hatchback Details - 620699757 - Autotrader Then you have the $105,500 which seems to have a weird metal or plastic dash? New 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ for sale in Lynnwood, WA 98037: Hatchback Details - 625998743 - Autotrader Final new is $103,360 with the same horizontal wood dash but in white interior. New 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ for sale in Lynnwood, WA 98037: Hatchback Details - 627364634 - Autotrader Interesting observation is that my cell phone takes better pictures than the ones in these posted ads by Mercedes. For selling "The best or nothing" one would think Mercedes would have a standard on how the autos should be represented online in actual picture format. Not impressed with the EQS that will eventually replace the S-Class for good. Mercedes needs styling help bigtime.

According to Jay, "The Best or Nothing!" SLR from Mercedes pales in comparison to the Ford Mach-E GT Performance. Mercedes is going to lose and lose big. Badge snobs will never admit it, but their Mojo is nothing of what it was and their time has come and is now going.

Just watched this video a second time and I realized that Jay just knocks that the Mach-E is better than the Mercedes SLR. Guess that answers the question of is "The best or nothing?" Guess for Jay, Mercedes is Nothing especially compared to the Mach-E

I will say that with reviews like the following, if one was not told it is electric, that if OEMs deliver on this kind of experience, EVs will replace ICE faster than ICE grew in the 1900's. Quote: "there are no real disadvantages" to owning one. If Ford has achieved this with the Mach-e, the F150 Lighting will truly fuel the changeover to BEV. Love the new Term, Front Gating rather than Tail Gating. Ultimate Beer Cooler in that Frunk according to Jay!

183 models of trucks then and how many now?

Very cool to see that the Major Technical Schools are offering EV Certified training with heavy input from the OEM Auto Companies. Charged EVs | Universal Technical Institute to add EV repair training to its Ford certification program - Charged EVs

Those are just crazy prices. Glad some rich people have that kind of coin to throw around. Is that not an Add on AC unit for the auto?

Have to say I am really enjoying the GMC Hummer commercials they have on their website. PAYING HOMAGE TO THE KING OF CRABWALK | EV Insider (gmc.com)

Interesting, Toyota is shut down due to cyber-attack today. An estimated 13,000 auto production lost. Toyota halts operations in Japan after suspected cyberattack - UPI.com

Totally agree, that there is good if not great tech here, but the overall package is a FAILURE IMHO due to the styling inside and especially out. Honestly, based on the platform of the motors, electronics and battery pack, I think the Style was a last minute task, make it cut through the air very efficient as we cannot compete against Tesla with what we have right now, close if it will slip through the air. AKA Jellybean EQS, EQE, EQE-AMG, etc. etc. etc. etc. FAILURE to me.

Started in 2013 at the University of Maryland Chemistry lab, ceramic solid-state batteries we the brainchild of Dr. Greg Hitz and Dr. Eric Wachsman. The focus was to increase energy density while making it safer and this gained attention when Samsung Note Phones, especially the Note 7 started to catch fire in 2016. As per the Wall Street story, the United States is far behind the global rivals in the race for energy supremacy in the Green New World. With this, the idea is to catch up and surpass the competition by having a safer energy dense battery. What was a small investment at the beginning by the department of energy has now grown with $8 million in seed money in 2019 into a full-blown battery business called ION Storage. ION Storage will start production on a cell phone size battery pack for the U.S. soldiers which has 50% increase in energy density for the same size and weight of current flammable lithium-ion batteries. Now comes the award from the United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC, a group created in 1992 for advanced research of batteries for the auto industry that has been headed by GM, FORD and Stellantis (Formerly FCA) with input from the DOE. This USABC assessment program contract with ION Storage is a 15 month project that will demonstrate the ION Storage Systems high-rate, high-energy density, solid-state batteries as a safe and versatile option for a wide range of automotive applications that includes a 50% cost share with the USABC. The DOE believes that the electrochemical energy storage is a key enabling technology for advanced, fuel-efficient, light and heavy-duty vehicle application. The Tehcnologies and Teams that the USABC is working on are as follows, advanced propulsion, electrical/electronics, energy storage, hydrogen and fuel cell, manufacturing, materials and of course safety, you can read everything here: USCAR: Technologies & Teams ION Storage Systems has contracts for their solid-state batteries which will go to the Defense and aerospace customers allowing an expected generation of revenue by the end of 2023. CREB, center for research in extreme batteries showcased ION Storage Systems in January of 2022. ION Storage Systems has 4 distinct industry verticals that they are focused on: Defense & Aerospace Consumer Electronics Electric Vehicles Grid Storage The Defense and Aerospace segment is needing a safe battery for deployment into extreme use cases with a wide operating temperature and significant energy density over current battery tech that is made in America. Here ION Storage had hit all requirements. Consumer electronics is a space with huge growth potential as battery density in the same packaging is a drive by all tech companies for their latest product releases from cell phones to laptops and ION believes their 50% increase in energy density delivers on that. Due to the Samsung phone fires of years past, nonflammable batteries are another requirement and here ION delivers along with the need for extreme temperature operating range. Just think of your current 8hr battery life on a cell phone now being 12hrs in the same form factor and with dramatically reduced charge time which ION has shown. ION is the only Solid-State battery tech that has achieved the ARPA-E and DOE VTO fast-charge goals for Li-cycling at room temperature, reducing the need for complex cooling. Electric vehicles are another space where ION batteries can really benefit the industry. A low cost per kWh, increased energy density extending EV range, shorter wait times with DOE achieved fast charging in a wide range of temperatures again reducing the need for complex cooling systems and mass and a simple battery that has reduced dead space and compression. The final vertical as stated above is the Grid Storage where again low cost per kWh, energy density is a win, but better yet is the nonflammable nature of these batteries and with no complex cooling required, an increase in roundtrip efficiency of electrical storage. We have covered many batteries startup companies here at Cheers and Gears and they all bring something different to the table. Solid-State is the next level of batteries for many industries and ION is a unique one based on Ceramic. Let's take a closer look at this battery tech. ION Storage Systems has posted a very clear powerpoint type web page and as such, we have the following slides: Here is an example of comparing ION Solid-State battery cell to the competition. ION Storage Systems has a simple philosophy about who they are: WE ARE a carefully cultivated team of seasoned battery industry geeks who know inside and out how batteries have always been made. We're passionate about power! No, not that kind of power. We know how batteries should work and more importantly, what keeps them from working as well as they could. THAT'S WHY we knew we had to shake-up how batteries were made if we were going to make YOU a better battery. You know that old saying - doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity! Well, that's what other companies have been doing with Lithium Ion for over 30 years. SO WE re-imagined not just how batteries are made but what makes them. We merged two technologies that no one's merged before, and the results are a battery that's simply remarkable. And yeah, we're a little cocky about it. We make sure your batteries are safer and stronger - so your products can protect their users and outlast the competition. They're lighter and more rugged - removing design barriers you've had to live with for way too long. AND WE do it right here in Maryland. Imagine that - shaping the future right here in the U.S.A. America's always been a powerful place. We're delighted to be a part of powering America's next=generation of possibility. TAP INTO THE POWER OF ION That pretty much sums up the latest battery tech company that is making waves and looks to power your auto today and the future BEVs of America and then the world. For those that want to read about other battery companies, you can also look at the last battery story here: U.S. Bets on Faster-Charging Battery in Race to Catch Energy Rivals - WSJ Prince George’s startup Ion Storage Systems raises $30M to make batteries for the Army and others - Washington Business Journal (bizjournals.com) Media | Ion Storage Systems Ion Storage Systems Intrinsically Safe Solid State Battery Defense Sector Continues Support of Ion Storage’s Extreme “Soldier” Battery | Business Wire USCAR: News Release: USABC AWARDS $487,310 BEYOND LITHIUM-ION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM CONTRACT TO ION STORAGE SYSTEMS USCAR: The United States Council for Automotive Research View full article

WOW, you really are stuck in a single thought track of just 2021. The statement is very clear talking about the past before PANDEMIC when OEMs built crazy amount of auto's, had huge lots full of unsold inventory and then had to slap discounts on the hoods at one point getting to 5 figures to move them. You slap me for not thinking of the physical numbers of sold autos in this country to other statements. I get that in certain context I understand you stating a certain statement, but for a Pandemic that is 2 years old, one would think it was clear and understandable that any mention of the old type of business is over. Psychology 101 teaches that it takes people 6 to 9 months at the least to change habits. 12 to 18 months for new habits to become the new norm. As such, one can clearly understand that going back to the way things were before 2020 is not going to happen. Society has changed and with it, the way people were used to doing business. Auto industry is a perfect example, you can drive around to those jumbo dealers and see their huge, paved lots mostly empty now. The largest selection of autos is used. Pretty clear when a CEO of a company of a general person post or says something about going back to the way things were, pre-pandemic is understood. Many businesses are now stating things just like this that even with mask mandates being removed, many people are not going to just go back to how things were in 2019. Buying items even autos has changed.

@ccap41 @balthazar @surreal1272 Let's keep this in proper perspective. As ccap41 has posted, Kia EV6 started sales in Korea in August and exports to Europe only then. Limited release of the EV6 First Edition Trim, which Kia has hit their sales numbers for Korea and Europe. They have only recently started the delivery of the 1,500 First Edition Trim EV6 here in the U.S. but have clearly stated that all models will be shipping to dealers throughout the year with the performance GT available late 2022. As such, we can expect to see their monthly sales numbers for North America, Europe and Korea go up one would expect month after month. The U.S. numbers will go up as they go to North America monthly numbers as Canada gets the EV6 started in Spring. First Edition Launch will happen and then the rest of the model line will show up over the months there. One has to wonder how much pressure Kia will put on their dealers to NOT add second adjusted market stickers. I hope Kia follows through on changing allocation depending on how a dealership treats the customer and price charged.

Since some can only think of a single year, 2021, edit this to be even more clear. Seems in the latest interview, GM has stated that large lots of prebuilt autos are over, they will never go back to that type of business (PRE-PANDEMIC) in building volume to have a ton of product and then heavy discounts to move it at the end of the year. Welcome to the 21 centuries of build to order or pay MSRP for the few auto options on the lot. GM's Barra expects high new-car prices and low inventory for 2022 (freep.com)

Very interesting read about how one state is taking away the ability for self-driving autos to ensure DUI can be enforced. Tesla, Ford and General Motors Get Some Very Sobering News - TheStreet