G. David Felt

I will agree to disagree with you on this as the ice versus ev is no comparison to a horse and buggy versus cow. Electric is certainly no cow.

Supposedly the first year 1000 units are sold out, you have to wait till late 2020 to get one as a 2021 model.

I totally agree with you that ICE will be around for a decade or two. The point I am trying to make is that EVs when the right package at the right price comes out, people will flock and just as the Equinox is on track to sell almost 400,000 this year, I see no reason as to why an EV should not be profitable at that quality/quantity also. Economy of scale. Production goes up, costs go down. Tesla is just so inefficient at production cause Musk had to do it his way that he FAILED to take advantage of Economy of Scale based on using what has been working for the last 100 plus years on assembling autos.

Seems people keep thinking that Economy of Scale will never happen to EVs unlike how it happened to ICE. Early 1900's you had people that laughed at the auto and said the Horse and buggy would never die. Amish continue to prove you can survive living in the past at a static point in time, but clearly not scaling up like modern society.

Yet the missing piece is ECONOMY OF SCALE. Seems a few folks here are stuck on thinking that when the right packaged auto is built that it would not become profitable at economy of scale. I honestly think a few folks will be eating crow when the EV market explodes in sales while ICE dwindles and dies.

Confused and Annoyed by the long list of new safety features, this story nails it for me: https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2019/08/shockingly-new-car-buyers-are-confused-and-annoyed-by-safety-content/ Bought a domestic and could not figure out how to turn off the nanny features, resold it and move to another brand. OUCH.

First review of the 2020 GMC 1/2 ton diesel pickup. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/reviews/2020-gmc-sierra-1500-preview/ Have to say, very taken with this, focus on Fuel economy over pulling as according to GM, customers move up to the HD line of pickups when they go over 10,000 pounds trailing. Love the camera views, for sure makes it much safer driving. Sadly the review says GM is competitive with Tech and features of the truck, but the interior still looses to the Ram and Ford. Come on GM get it together for a competitive Interior. I just finished reading the 2019 Malibu review for a segment that is still selling a ton of Auto's and the Malibu is GMs loan competitor to the class. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/reviews/2019-chevy-malibu-review/ This statement speaks boat loads about GMs approach which sucks to autos. QUOTE: If price matters more than anything, you'll undoubtedly appreciate that the Malibu starts well below competitors like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima. Yet, aside from the infotainment system, those cars pack superior standard equipment. Trying to equip the Malibu similarly brings the cost way up, at which point its appeal rides the asymptote down toward "None." If you simply must stay in the GM family, your money is better spent on an Equinox. ?

Interesting story but one of the futurist of the auto industry is expecting EVs to reach price parity with ICE auto's by 2023 and ice auto production to cease by 2026. To quote the writting: Wills, the managing director of advisory firm Future Smart Strategies and a board member of remote energy services provider Horizon Power, stated that the future of the automobile is coming, and it’s approaching far quicker than what many expect. “The future is coming faster than we think. And when it arrives, we always say it was faster than we thought,” he said in a statement to The Sydney Morning Herald. The thinking is that we will shift faster to EVs than the long drawn out process of moving to Hybrids and this Wills believes is being shown in the fast drop of the Prius line in sales and people waiting for the roll out of EVs from the auto industry. https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-evs-price-parity-gas-cars-2023/ Ford is officially on record that once we reach autonomous auto's they will be crushed after 4 years of use as the ability to recycle them will be faster and the desire for electronic tech in the latest auto will not decrease demand for buying an auto, but increase it as people will want to swap out auto's at a far more frequent pace and a month auto payment will be normal for ever like electric bills. https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-ford-full-self-driving-cars-last-4-years-crushed/ Seems like the first tests of building model 3 cars at the China Tesla Gigafactory are going well and the first one is expected off the assembly line Aug 29th. Leaked pictures show the first few auto's going through the assembly process. https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-gigafactory-3-footage-model-3-trial-production-video/

Generative Design - Do you know what this means? Generative design is a computing process that mimics evolution to create natural-seeming shapes that maximize strength while minimizing weight! What does this have to do with the Random EV channel you might ask? Plenty, Seems innovation is beginning again with America. Specifically what VW largest office outside Germany which is located in Silicon Valley with more than 180 engineers, designers, researchers and social scientists. VW has allowed this California office to run more like a college campus and the question was asked of how would you blend the BEST of Volkswagen's heritage while embracing the future. The answer is a team of 25 that took less than 6 months to take a 1962 Type 2 11 window Microbus, strip it down to the bones and rebuild it as a modern 21st Century electric Microbus with 120-hp electric motor and a 10 kW battery pack fitting into the same space of the original power train. Tons to read about all the future stuff put into this Microbus from the microphones and cameras to the voice enabled access system, lighting, the ultra light weight steering wheel and wheels to the mirror support and seat supports. The Microbus weights less than what it did as an ICE Microbus. Have to say a very cool story. Full story here: http://newsroom.vw.com/vehicles/a-new-era-for-volkswagen-innovation-in-america-begins-with-the-type-20-concept/

How do we engage the youth of today with the Auto industry of the past with a focus on the future in the 21st century? Seems this teacher found a way, ICE to EV conversions in Auto Shop class Converting old Volkswagen from ICE to EV power trains. http://newsroom.vw.com/vehicles/reviving-auto-shop-classes-for-the-ev-era-one-old-volkswagen-at-a-time/ This is based out of West New York, NJ and the then new teacher Ron Grosinger who started teaching Auto shop class at the school in 2005 was faced with figuring out how to survive with an electrive class that had gone from 6 to 2 teachers, rarely had hands on training and only 27 students. Today the Auto Shop program has 4 teachers and is nearing his goal of 50/50 young men and woman. Seems Woman like the cleaner EV approach over the ICE approach. Over all a great read on how one man is making a difference to drive interest back into the youth over auto's. Some thing we ALL SHOULD WANT for the long term life of the auto industry.

Love this Weird auto list. https://www.motor1.com/news/category/weird/

First of many to come, a 2020 Corvette is crashed, I assume at high speed as it has a go pro on the top for recording and some serious damage to the car and other auto's. Out of Alaska, the local police show the near miss of the cop car hitting a momma and baby Moose. They go down hard. Badda Boom. https://www.autoblog.com/2019/08/06/moose-highway-police-video/

Very cool, I am interested in reading what reviewers think once they get their hands on a production unit.

It has been interesting to see the amount of comments I have read on various sites about the Explorer and Suburban and everything loosing solid front axles for a IS setup. I wonder if anyone will really care that this does not have solid axles? ?

Not only that, but they set a new EV record that MB has yet to get anywhere close too. https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/2019/products/porsche-taycan-record-nuerburgring-nordschleife-18440.html Have to say the video on the Porsche news anouncement is very cool. Love the comments on this video of the run Porsche posted and how folks say other than tire noise and the whine of the motor, very quiet and just rushing air. Very Cool indeed! Tesla should be shaking in their boots as this clearly looks superior to anything they are building.

Gotta start somewhere. ?‍♂️

Clearly these are toys for the rich around a bay and not real long term boating. Yet with that said, we do have the following: A boat that can go 100 miles a day on pure solar, not too shabby. https://catamaranguru.com/catamarans/catamaran-concepts/sunwave-54-solar-catamaran

Good read on the new EcoDiesel review of the Ram truck. https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/29461/2020-ram-1500-ecodiesel-first-drive-review-diesel-done-right

Loving this project auto as the Germans cannot beat the pure heart of a quality small block American V8. 1973 Porsche 914 has the air cooled engine dropped out and some customization work done as the owner moves a GM small block to motivate the 914 to new highs. https://www.thedrive.com/news/29561/widebody-1973-porsche-914-with-chevrolet-v-8-will-make-purists-weep

Seems Rivian has confirmed that there will be 4 roof top options for te R1S SUV. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1124632_rivian-r1s-suv-to-offer-four-roof-options-but-no-sliding-moonroof The four roofs include: - a fixed steel roof - a fixed glass roof - a fixed electrochromic glass roof that can automatically darken or leave it to the driver - a roof with two opaque lift-out composite panels Loving all these ID3 VW Mules as they are tested against the Kia and Chevrolet Bolt. I know VW is calling it an electric crossover hatchback, but I swear they look alot like the Bolt. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1124726_volkswagen-id-4x-spy-shots-reveal-production-direction-for-crozz-electric-crossover

The airplane industry is also finding ways to electrify 2 and 4 person plans. The first 26 planes have been purchased for use in airplane training for pilots. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/quantum-air-orders-26-electric-airplanes-from-bye-aerospace/ Talk about your silent flight, very cool. Daimler is delivering their first 2 Electric Class 8 Commercial semi's for use to Penske Truck Leasing. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/daimler-to-deliver-first-ecascadia-electric-heavy-duty-trucks/ Seems Daimler has beaten Tesla to delivering Semi Trucks for Commercial use. Shell Gas Stations just finished installing and opening up for use their first Fast Charger for public use in Singapore. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/shells-greenlots-installs-first-abb-ev-fast-charger-in-singapore/ Seems you like the Chub rub too!

Seems the Auto Industry is not the only place for electric mania to take place, Boating with the massive torque is taking off but without all the gov incentives. Seems rich folks love the power while being quiet. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-20/battery-powered-boats-are-the-next-frontier?srnd=premium

Some very cool auto news stories came out today. This was done by Ford earlier in the year but now written up about the major retooling that took 11,000 people and 30 days to gut their oldest assembly plant and install over 600 robots, 500 new machines plus upgrade cafeteria, etc. in preparation for building the new Ford Explorer and Aviator. https://www.autonews.com/manufacturing/ford-explorer-launch-required-major-redo-aging-plant Here is the latest update in regards to which Auto Companies are going to feel it more at the bottom line from the Trade war with China. https://www.autonews.com/automakers-suppliers/bmw-mercedes-ford-most-risk-new-tariffs Ford, BMW and Mercedes will be hurt the most by the newest increase in Tariffs. OUCH! BMW Leads with 12% of their sales in China coming from the US. This is the X3, X5 and X6 plus a few other crossovers and cars that from from the Charleston S.C. assembly plant. BMW and Daimler corporation, Mercedes Benz has 57% of the auto's they sell in China coming from the US assembly plants. VW is now exploring buying ownership in China suppliers with a focus on buying up as much battery suppliers as they can along with other material suppliers such as Carbon Fiber and Aluminum. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-23/vw-is-said-to-explore-buying-stakes-in-chinese-auto-suppliers

9 States have signed on to follow California with a ZEV Mandate. Full story can be read here: https://autoalliance.org/energy-environment/state-electric-vehicle-mandate/ The main point is as follows from this screen grab: Here is where those states line up in regards to their state, county and city gov agencies buying ZEV auto's.

Very cool tool to see what your state top auto's are: https://autoalliance.org/economy/consumer-choice/ You can pick the state you want to look at, default is the whole state or you can select the district you are in and default is light trucks, but then you just have to click on any of the other choices below light trucks and see where you align compared to the rest of the country. Washington state is #1 in the country for Hybrid auto sales and #2 behind California for EVs. Amazing was that Vermont is #1 in the country for the youngest average age of auto's in the state at 9.7 years compared to Montana which has the oldest average age of 16.3 years old. Guess if you want a project auto, look to Montana to find some old Iron.