G. David Felt

370Z CUV, that would piss some fans off. Course I can totally see it as the bulk of the market is going that way. The desire for sit on the ground auto's is dying.

Amazing how people see flighty things, it should make them think twice how people will perceive them.

1) I am fine with that, very cool to get deals on Auto stuff. 2) Scince I pay to help support an awesome forum, this does not bother me. I hope you can find a good balance with making some money to support the site with ads. It should pay for itself.

G. David Felt - Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.cheersandgears.com The Internal Combustion Engine, the Beginning of the End 2017 Washington Post Story The Washington Post wrote a story about why 2017 is the official start to the end for ICE or Internal Combustion Engine auto's. They did state that it could take 50 years before the last of ICE Auto's are no longer being sold, but just like 1876 when Niklaus Otto invented the internal combustion engine and by 1915 it was clear that out of electric, steam, and gas engines, gas was the clear winner for the next 100 years, it would seem we are looking at the dawn of the EV auto with 2017. Why would people think this you might ask, well as posted in the Washington Post Story as well as reported here at Cheers and Gears and other news outlets we really have 3 core reasons: Chevrolet Bolt and GM's announcement of 20 new EV autos by 2023. Other OEMS have also announced the plans to move to all EV auto product lines. GM was the first established player to launch a long range EV in the market. Tesla's Model 3 mass market EV Auto, yes it is stuck in production hell, but they have captured 512,000 pre-orders as of this 3rd week of Oct. 2017. Many auto companies would love to have pre-orders for a product like this. China, flexing it's muscle with the announcement that they are planning on killing all sales of ICE auto's by as early as 2030. The worlds largest auto market at 31 million auto's has some weight in how they change market dynamics. Yes the story goes on to point out that EV auto sales in North America account for less than 1% for 2017 and yet China says EV auto sales must be 9% by the end of 2018 and rises after that each year aggressively. Thus if an established auto company wants to survive and play in the global market, they have to change their global product lineup. Barclays analysis of Oil Demand is that by 2025 it could be slashed by 3.5 million barrels per day worldwide. If EV auto's reach a penetration of 33%, oil demand will reduce globally by 9 million barrels per day by 2040. Bloomberg puts the number of reduction at 8 million barrels per day by 2040 which they state is more than the current combined production of Iran and Iraq together. The next 5 years to 15 years will really show how fast things will change but most oil industry experts think 15 years will have minimal change on per barrel a day, then things will begin to drop. This could explain oil companies big push in the last 18 months into electric charging companies and infrastructure. Story state something that was posted earlier this month about Shell already adapting by adding charging points at their stations and pushing owners to remodel to have a convenience store, rest area, food, etc. Here they say their stations will adapt or close. The story also points out the effect of converting just 3 million auto sales in the US alone by the Sierra Club. Clearly people are looking to a cleaner future for themselves and their children: 6.5 million tons, or 13 billion pounds, of GHGs reduced annually. 35.6 million barrels of petroleum reduced annually, creating less of a dependency on foreign oil, further boosting demand on domestic electricity and keeping oil money spent in-state. 164.5 million pounds of carbon monoxide reduced annually. 11 million pounds of nitrogen oxides reduced annually, harmful to respiratory health and creates smog. 1 million pounds of particulate matter reduced annually. 9 million pounds of volatile organic compounds reduced annually.

@oldshurst442 & @ocnblu Tesla says they now have as of last week 512,000 pre-orders on the books for the Tesla 3. That speaks big to the desire for quiet EV auto's and as Oldshurst442 so accurately stated above, the BOLT is doing very well in North America and in Europe where they have suspended sales to allow catch up with the thousands of preorders.

I disagree, studies show people are excited but they want more choices. That is what will come over the next 18 to 24 months. Especially with one company having rapid charge batteries, just time before others build them and then the floodgates will open and people will happily give up the smell of gas / oil and higher maintenance and move over to EV with home plugin to charge. Afterall, never having to run out to the gas station, charging up your auto in 6 min for 200 miles or 12 min for 400 miles is nice. Society is ready for change more than you might think.

What has Sergio really made based on Italian socialist crap that is any good. He has destroyed what could have made FCA billions on billions to steal the millions to billions to reboot for umpteenth time the crap alfa on top of keeping fiat alive both along with maserati should have just been killed off.

Accounting at it's best, what is good for the right has to be bad for the left to balance out always. Sergio never did understand that.

That is seriously butt exploding awful.

But SMK says anything FWD is garbage compared to the RWD MB, Say it isn't so that MB has FWD appliance? Actually yes having had a number of XT5 as loaners when I get basic service done on my auto's, I have no problem with them. Smooth, easy to use. I would have thought that too, but the picture I found could be mistagged of the Buick Regal with the shifter or someone could have changed it as it was on another auto web site. I see it on the Buicks for 2017 now.

So looked it up and found BMW started to use this Shifter on the M3 with the 2008 model year cars in 2007. First shown in 2006 at the auto shows when they showed off the new M3. Found that the first version of this shifter was in the 2012 Buick Regal. Wonder if this is from the codevelopment work between BMW and GM or just the supplier was finally after 5 years able to offer it to other OEMs?

Makes me think they took a Jeep or Chevrolet pickup truck pic and photoshopped their auto into it.

Imagen trying to crush my 6'6" size into one, NOT!

Looks way better than the X1 and thank goodness no crappy coupe roof. Interior is BMW expected. Funny to see the shifter on that transmission as it looks so much like the ones GM has been using. X2 on the left and XT5 on the right.

Very true, I just wish it was a better style as I just find it blah compared to the polarizing style of everyone else in Japan. But as you point out, at least it is their own style.

I think this is the Lemming mentality, I bet it is a secret directive from the gov that what ever Toyota does, everyone else in Japan must follow. Having lived in the country for almost 4 years, everyone wants to fit in and be part of the great Japanese order. As such, originality is rare.

Meh, probably cause those of us in the 70's was all about American Iron still even with the oil embargo and the japanese did not register, such craptastic auto's they were building then along side craptastic detroit and craptastic german.

Got it, and your right, I see that now, did not think going back that far as it also kinds felt vw too, but then VW could easily have gottent their design from Honda.

Very Cool for bringing it back and as an EV AWD with Torque vectoring and active yaw control. Very cool powertrain. Polarizing body style for sure, Reminds me of an Eagle. Essentially a car on steroids. I would not consider this a SUV / CUV at all as the body still says I am a car, just bulked up on e-roids.

Must be a regional thing as they cannot give away the bugs here in Washington. They are stacked up much like Fiat's. Just sitting around as a paperweight.

Yes, we have seen the overkill of death by buttons too. The interior I could live with, the exterior just is a no go for me.

This is a hot looking car, Love that Japan has legally changed to allow cameras for use in place of the side mirrors. Be interesting to see how they show it on a screen inside the car. I agree, this is probably the next WRX / STI auto for them.

Cool story covering Chrysler's EV attempts over the last 40 years. https://www.allpar.com/corporate/electric-cars.html Sorry to hear your family knew someone of that senseless killing. RIP Jojo.

So true Especially with the Toshiba break through on battery charging. Also have to say that Honda Urban EV has a very VW design feel to it.

True front end also leaves some to be desired, but I am talking more of the 3/4 look and side profile where it has a very different look. Even then right now pretty much the whole auto industry has lost their mojo for design language in regards to cars IMHO.