Drew Dowdell

Flooded is the term used now to distinguish a regular wet cell battery from an AGM battery.

Yea, I get there is inflation.... but what is making car batteries so flipping expensive? For a basic flooded battery, the technology hasn't really changed significantly in years, yet all regular retail is at $230 for a regular H7 flooded battery. Costco is a lot cheaper, but that's Costco. AZ, Oh-Reallys, Advance are all stupidly marked up. A flooded Interstate H7 from Costco is $147 after core while an AGM is $185 after core. Sam's (Duracell/East Penn) is similar though $4 higher. All of the standard automotive retailers range from $210 - $230 after core for flooded and $240+ for AGM and they're all manufactured by East Penn or Johnston Controls. Clearly, I'll go with the Costco Interstate AGM. I'm just observing the absurdity of these prices. I don't consider $147 to be that unreasonable these days. It's been a while since the sub-$100 car battery as is. But if Duracell/East Penn can sell to Sam's for less than $151, that's over $60/40% in markup over at AutoZone. I guess what's also bothering me is that except for the club stores, the prices of all of the retailers match to the dollar exactly when comparing like models. I know I shouldn't be shocked... but how is it not price-fixing? There are only about 4 major battery manufacturers out there. Johnston Controls (Now Clarios), Exide, Delphi, and East Penn.

Happy Birthday @riviera74 Sorry about the downtime today. We had a fiber optic cable damaged right at the server. The server is remote and it took me a while to convince support to send someone over to physically look at the server.

Doh... and Legacy

I think it is handsome and understated... bit of an Audi without the SCREAM mask grille up front. I prefer the cleaner look of the interior that doesn't look like it is out of an A380 with loads of buttons. At this point, there are only going to be three maybe four large sedans left (Accord, Altima, Camry, and Charger). I guess the Crown as well but it looks so weird. So Honda is hoping to catch a larger slice of a smaller pie. And an Accord owner, if they switch to a crossover, is more likely to go back to the Honda dealer to trade than go to Toyota or Chevy. Ford had some other issue with the Fusion... I said so when they canceled it. They were pushing 250,000 Fusions a year in the US, plus also had China and EU sales. If they can't make money on that, there was something very wrong in their accounting department.

Back in May, we reported about how The Family Sedan is on the Endangered List. At the time of that article, there were 6 sedans left that didn't have news about being canceled. That number has since dwindled to five as the news of the Nissan Maxima's pending extinction came out over the summer, leaving just the Accord, Camry, Altima, Legacy, and Charger. Today, Honda has refreshed its commitment to staying in the family sedan game with the release of the all-new 2023 Honda Accord. The new Accord is longer and sleeker, with a broad stance that builds on the latest Honda design language. The lineup has been simplified while retaining 6 trim levels that now correlate with the engine selection. Sorry speed fans, the 252 horsepower 2.0T with 9-speed auto is gone. The 11th-Generation Honda Accord will be powered either by a 192 horsepower / 192 lb.-ft 1.5 liter 4-cylinder turbo-charged engine that largely carries over from the previous generation (LX or EX) or a Atkinson cycle 2.0-liter naturally aspirated direct injected 4-cylinder paired with a two-motor hybrid system that produces 204 horsepower and 247 lb.-ft of torque(Sport, EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring). The hybrid system has fractionally less horsepower than the outgoing hybrid, but gains 15lb.-ft of torque. Honda expects 50% of Accord sales to be hybrid models. The 1.5-liter has received refinements with an upgraded direct-injection system, and high-rigidity crankshaft and oil pan to reduce engine noise. The CVT for the 1.5T has been updated to reduce noise and improve performance, including adding a step-shift program to simulate gear changes at full throttle. Honda was unclear about the design of the hybrid transmission. The exterior of the Accord has been simplified with a handsome, upright black-mesh grille. Overall length is up 2.8 inches with contributes to a longer hood and flowing fastback roof line. Full width narrow LED taillights contribute visually to the Accord's wide stance. The inside of the Accord was already the finest in the segment and while the materials have received upgrades, the design is evolutionary rather then revolutionary. A metal mesh dash spans the dash and conceals HVAC vents lending simplicity to the design. The front seats are Honda's new Body Stabilizing design that reduce fatigue on long drives. The awkward push-button transmission controls of the outgoing model have been replaced with a more traditional shift lever that has been angled 5 degrees towards the driver to allow room for larger cup holders to the right. Honda eschews the trend (thankfully) of iPad sized infotainment screens in favor of a relatively short 12.3-inch touch screen on hybrid models and a 7.0-inch unit on 1.5T models that doesn't overpower the dash. Noting the recent backlash against touch-sensitive controls, Honda wisely retains physical volume knobs and HVAC controls. Top of the line Touring models gain Honda's first integration of Google built-in. This includes most popular apps such as Google Assistant, Google Maps, and select others from the Google Play store, with select vehicle functions controllable from the Google Assistant. Touring models also come with Qi wireless charging, a 6-inch heads up display, and a 12-speaker Bose Centerpoint Surround Sound system. Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard on LX and EX models, while all Hybrid trims get upgraded to the wireless versions. All versions of the Accord infotainment system can receive over-the-air updates. On the safety front, the Accord's airbags are a new three chamber design meant to cradle the head and reduce neck rotation. Knee and rear-passenger side airbags are now standard. Honda Sensing has also received updates with a new wider angle camera, wider angle radar, and improved ability to recognize objects such as vehicles, pedestrians, white lines, curbs, bicycles, and motorcycles. The 2023 Accord will continue to be built in Marysville, Ohio where more than 12.5 million Accords have been produced since 1982. View full article

Having one variable speed controller makes a lot more sense from a manufacturing standpoint than multiple controllers depending on source. But charge rates are still going to be limited by the max rating on the wires and breakers in the owner's house.

The latest Bolt has DC fast charging. 100 miles in 30 minutes. Home charging at Level 2 is 26 miles of range per hour and that's probably maxing out a 50 amp circuit. The Q8 etron or Hummer EV will pull power at the same rates, but because those are both less efficient vehicles, it will be a lower range per hour.

Agree... it has impressive tech, but it lost all the character of being a Volvo. If I pulled the badges off it could be a GMC or Cadillac or Honda or Land Rover.

I'm not sure it i necessary. A standard 50 amp / 220V outlet will be sufficient to charge nearly any EV from 1% - 100% in 10 hours. Most people won't be charging like that. For example, if I am typically driving 40 miles a day and my charger can add 20 miles of range per hour, I'll get back to my programmed max charge in 2 hours. I don't see the need to spend thousands to install an 80 amp charger to charge in 1 hour and 15 minutes instead. Where these high speed charge controllers are an advantage is for DC fast charging. Charging at home can remain leisurely.

Yes, Euro homes are all 230V. I don't know what a typical amperage rating for their homes are. A 50 amp 220V circuit will still not get max speed on those GM Ultium and Audi vehicles. It only gets you to 12kW. You need 30 more amps to get the speeds GM is claiming in that graphic above. 64 hours to get a Bolt EUV from 1% to 100% on 110v.

Again, this is going to be a house limitation. The controller might be able to accept a higher rate, but the house probably can't provide it.

Only the newest of new houses will have the ability to put in an 80 amp circuit and even then, they'd have to be requested by the building buyer. Most homes get 150 amp standard or maybe 200 amp for a larger house. To have room for an 80 amp, you'll need a 250 amp or more box and not a lot of houses have that.