Drew Dowdell

Again, not only not going to happen at a $70k starting price when F-150 and Silverado 1500 top out at around $80k. A Cybertruck sale doesn’t mean one of the truck makers lost a sale it can just as easily be an X5.

Ford and Tesla jointly announced today that starting in the spring of 2024, Ford EV drivers will gain access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in North America. This move will more than double the number of chargers available to Ford EV drivers who currently have access to 10,000 DC fast-chargers in the BlueOval EV network. Additionally, Ford dealers are adding 1,800 public-facing fast chargers across the continent. Existing EV models like the F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E, and E-Transit Vans will be able to use a Tesla developed adaptor to convert from the Tesla NACS Charger to the built-in CCS charge port, allowing access to Tesla V3 Superchargers. Moving forward, Ford will change from the CCS standard to the Tesla NACS standard on all EV models starting in 2025. The addition of Tesla SuperChargers to the BlueOval Charge Network creates the largest integrated network of fast-charger in North America. Ford cites Tesla's charge network reliability and the smaller form factor of the NACS plug as reasons for the switch. View full article

Gigapress is going to make that so much worse. A small side impact that would normally just bend some suspension bits and maybe an outer fender can total a Tesla. Some of the anti-EV people we had around this place were right about cars becoming disposable appliances, but it wasn't the EV part that will bring that on... it's the Gigapress.

Oh yes, just what I wanted. A 2024 Saturn SC Tesla hasn't gotten Gigacast fully operational and GM, VW, and several others have gotten those presses too. It's not a technology that will be unique to Tesla for more than a minute. There is a big downside to gigacasting though. It greatly increases the likelihood of a vehicle being totaled in an accident.

Tesla makes a great powertrain... I'll give them that. But the "This is nice for a mid-level Passat" interior by Ikea and used bar of soap exterior is what kills it for me. It's been proven that you can do aero and look amazing.

You went to so much effort to construct… what is an opinion… in only the most technical sense of the word. It is almost entirely ?. Eventually, cost and physics will catch up with Elon's promises. The most range the Model X can manage is 348 miles. The Cybertruck is heavier and has much worse aero. Tesla will need to put nearly 100% more battery in the Cybertruck to get it to 500 miles. Can you imagine the costs of a double stacked Model X battery? It's not going to be the $70k version that gets that range, it's going to be the $130k version. GM will have 450 miles of range available in a truck at the bottom end of the Cybertruck's price range. For $80k, you'll be able to get a Silverado EV with 450 miles of range or a Cybertruck with likely around 350 or less. And just like on the Model-X, if you opt for the Plaid, you get a reduction in range... so Cybertruck won't be both 500 mile range and 2.9s acceleration. It will be one or the other. A $15k option. SuperCruise and BlueCruise are like $2,500. It's a truck, who cares? And GM has magnaride, the best shocks on the planet. GM has 4-wheel steering and even their ICE trucks turn well for their size. Already explained why unless it's an 8-foot bed, it doesn't matter. GM and eventually RAM win on this anyway because they have mid-gates. RAV-4 sales are up and there's waiting lists for the Plug-in. If you want to know who the Model-Y is stealing sales from, go look at the BMW and Mercedes sedan sales charts. LOL, they're not going to get 20% of the US market with a $70k base price. Keep in mind that "the truck market" includes the Tacoma, Ranger, Colorado, and Canyon which base in the high $20k range. You can buy two Tacomas for the price of one base Cybertruck. No one tell the Europeans, they've been buying Fords for years. The catch is that Europeans buy European Fords that are built in Europe. Tesla's explosion in sales there coincided with the construction of Berlin-Brandenburg. It also helps that EVs avoid the fuel taxes. The Euro companies are going to catch up to Tesla pretty easily.

The flexibility of Ultium means that they can offer "city" version of these trucks for a lower price. If I'm a commercial fleet master and Chevy can offer me a bunch of 2WD work trucks in 2WT trim with a 300 mile range that I never have to fuel and cut my maintenance costs way down, I think I'd seriously consider it. We have four 2wd V6 Ram Classics at work, but they almost never leave the 11 sq miles of the town. If I stay there long enough, I want to convince the public works director to put chargers in soon. GM never said what the lowest range of battery they would build for these trucks would be, it's always been shown as "up to" 400 miles, now 450 miles, of range.

The ICE Silverado today has: 4 engines, 2 transmissions, 5 bed/cab configurations, and 2 driveline configurations. (5 engines were available in 2022, the V6 was finally dropped from WT models) It has 8 trims (WT, Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ, ZR2, High Country). Plus each of those trims have levels, like several levels of WT, the ZR2 Bison Edition, Several editions of LT, Sub-packages like Z71. Ford has even more with 8 trims, 3 cabs paired with 3 boxes, 2 drivelines, and I can't even get a clear answer on how many engines. (3.3 V6, 2.7 EB V6, 3.5 EB V6, 5.0 V8, 3.5-Hybrid, 3.5 HO V6 Raptor, 5.2 V8 Supercharged... the 3.0 V6 diesel was dropped, did I miss any?) and while all transmissions are 10-speed, they have a light-duty version, a heavy duty version (V8s and Raptor), and the hybrid version, so really it's 3 different transmissions. At the risk of beating a dead horse, Ram has 8 trims, 4 engines, several suspensions including air and not-air, 4 different sizes of infotainment system, several "special editions" that Ram loves to make.... and the Ram Classic is also still in production with a bunch of its own configurations. Nissan simplifies it for you by only offering trims configured certain ways, and if you don't like it, too bad. Before you even get to pick out a color, you have 17 different trim/bed/cab/driveline configurations to choose from. Luckily, you have only one choice of engine. Your list would be significantly less complex than the current situation. That said, I expect that the LT levels might be trimmed a bit, down to 2 or three. For example, LTZ might be dropped completely in favor of a High Country trim. Or we might not get a High Country at all. (though I hope we do)

Tesla has none of that. It's all still vaporware until the official specs are released. And even already, the Silverado has those vaperware specs beat with its own vaporware specs. The initial RST has a 10,000 lb tow rating, sure, but there will also be a tow package that takes it to 20,000 lbs. Comparing payloads doesn't tell the whole story. It's a legal definition rather than a technical one. If the Tesla Cybertruck keeps that 3,500 lbs payload, then it will have to be registered as a Class 3 truck, that's the same as a Silverado HD 3500 or Ford Super Duty F-350. That's not because of some amazing capabilities but because of its curb weight plus max payload rating. Having to register the Cybertruck as Class 3 means higher registration costs, higher tolls in many states, higher insurance costs, and higher inspection costs in many states. There is absolutely ZERO chance that Chevy engineered the Silverado EV to only have a 1,300 lb. payload. That's less than a Colorado. It's a sticker compliance rating so that buyers can register it as a Class 2, the same as a Silverado 1500. How do I know this? That the work truck will eventually be available with a 20,000 lb tow package gives it away. Towing requirements dictate that the tow hitch supports 10% of the trailer weight and 10% of 20,000 is 2,000. 2,000 is higher than the 1,300 lb. current payload rating of the RST. This tells me that all Chevy needs to do to make an HD version of the Silverado EV is swap out some badges and the GVWR compliance stickers. Chevy Silverado Payload Capacity Chart Year Silverado 1500 Silverado 2500HD Silverado 3500HD 2020-2021 1,750-2,280 pounds 3,614-3,900 pounds 4,353-4,572 pounds 2019 1,745-2,543 pounds 2,968-3,435 pounds 3,283-6,137 pounds 2017-2018 1,739-2,018 pounds 2,968-3,559 pounds 3,283-4,415 pounds 2016 1,734-1,990 pounds 2,967-3,559 pounds 3,305-6,288 pounds 2015 1,738-2,011 pounds 2,975-3,583 pounds 3,305-6,288 pounds Wonder why payload capacity went down on the newer trucks? It's not because the trucks got less capable, it's because their curb weight went up. GM had to down-rate them to maintain their legal classification. This is true across the industry. You've been told about this. Hummer had a stop sale while a battery issue was addressed. There are people still on the Hummer waiting list and deliveries have resumed. Lighting has a frunk (much larger than Tesla's), Silverado and Sierra both have a frunk and lockable storage. Silverado has a mid-gate. Locking beds are an option on all of them. As a truck owner, I can tell you there isn't much difference in a 5.5 to a 6.5 bed. In either case, long items will have to travel with the tailgate down. Bed length doesn't matter much in the incremental units until you hit 8 foot and can fit a full sheet of plywood back there and still close the gate. Something the Silverado can do with a short bed beacuse it has a mid-gate that the Cybertruck doesn't. For example, in the Lightning, Silverado EV, or Cybertruck I'd have to leave the tailgate down on all three to transport my motorcycle (7 feet) in the bed. So I'd rather take the more maneuverable and shorter bed. Do you really think people like my parents, who have been buying F-series pickups since the 1970s, are going to buy a funky-looking aluminum doorstop instead of going back to the Ford dealer? F-150 and Silverado/Sierra, and even Ram have some of the best brand retention in the US market. Cybertruck may win sales from newcomers to the truck market who are trading in a Telluride or X5, but I don't think Tesla will make many inroads into the legacy truck makers. Do I think Cybertruck will sell? Yes... but not at those numbers.

You've read a sensationalist article that misinterprets a report from GM Authority. We already knew that the initial release was only going to be to fleet buyers, and those would be 3WT or 4WT trims only. But those are the two highest WT trims that Chevy will build. As production moves into 2024, the lower-level trims will arrive and get closer (but not hit exactly) that $40k price point. The article I'm assuming you read, or a variant of such, incorrectly implies that there will not be any Silverado EV trims below 3WT. You are correct about the price points for those trims, but not that those trims will be the lowest trims available. Yes, for consumers, only the RST will be available late this year, and likely only the first 100. I have an RST reserved, but not a launch edition. However, it's not the RST that I really want. Based on what I've seen so far, I'd want a Premier/LTZ/High Country or equivalent or the Trail Boss depending on what they do to the suspension. I'm aiming for 400-mile range, air suspension, and if I can swing it, Super Cruise. I don't need crab walk, 4-wheel steering or any of that. Just a 2025 EV version of my truck would be fine.

Off-topic, but I saw my first one in the wild yesterday, and it's a really handsome vehicle.

You're the second person to mention $80k (the other was on Facebook). Where are you getting that number? The base truck with a 350-mile range was originally going to be $39,995 + delivery, only the top level 4WT will be $79k. I don't expect it will release at that price after 18 months of inflation, but even at 7% inflation, it's still at $42,700. I can see consumer-grade "LT" models clocking in at around $80k base and going up from there. I expect the Trailboss to be mid-80s. Going from an LT to a Trailboss costs about $5k in ICE models..

As Cadillac moves forward with its rebuild of a naming scheme away from alpha-numerics and back to names, it ran into a connedrum. What to do with Escalade. Cadillac has decided that all of their EV names will end with the letters "iq". Last year, we were introduced to the Lyriq and the Celestiq. Other names that Cadillac has registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office are Ascendiq, Optiq, Symboliq, Vistiq, and Lumisiq. This put Cadillac into a pickle with Escalade. Today, Cadillac confirmed that the all-electric version of the Escalade will be called the Escalade IQ. While obviously a departure from the rest of the lineup, adding the suffix trim allows Cadillac to preserve one of the strongest brands in the entire GM lineup. The Cadillac Escalade IQ will be revealed later this year. Our take: While we like the change away from alpha-numerics, we think the IQ names feel forced and relatively meaningless. We also doubt their ability to hold any long-term brand equity. Cadillac can use the IQ suffix if they must, but use real names rather than made-up words. Names like the Seville and Eldorado have been gone long enough that it is unlikely that any current buyers would have driven an original. View full article

It's unlikely to be more. An Escalade ESV would be heavier, and 200kW is a LOT of batteries. Apparently, they can go up to 212kW on this platform, but that is only available in the GMC Hummber EV Edition 1 at this time. So even with the 212kW pack, the extra weight of an ESV would keep you at 400 miles max, and possibly less.

There's plenty of them. Toyota moves between 220,000 - 250,000 Tacomas a year. Ranger + Colorado + Canyon + Frontier = 250,000 a year combined.

When Chevrolet initially took the wraps off the Silverado EV last year, GM had estimated up to a 400 mile range based on its own calculations. As the Silverado EV has made its way through development, it went for EPA certification and came back with 50 miles more than GM's estimate. With this new EPA certification, the Silverado EV has an over 100-mile advantage over its only on-sale competitor the F-150 Lightning Extended Range (320 miles). The Silverado EV will launch first in WT trim with this 450-mile range in the next few weeks. Soon after, a less expensive WT model will launch with a 350-mile range. All Silverado EVs will be available with DC Fast Charging up to 350kW with the ability to take on 100 miles of range in as few as 10 minutes. WT models will have 510 horsepower and 615 lb.-ft of torque. Following up sometime in the fall of 2023 will be the RST First Edition model with a currently estimated 400-mile range. We say "currently" because the RST is said to be available with the same 200kW battery pack in the WT, but also gets a significant power boost to 754 horsepower and 786 lb.-ft of torque in WOW mode, so we'll need to wait till it gets back from the EPA. Naturally, these ratings will translate directly into the GMC Sierra Denali EV as well. View full article

The Toyota Tacoma has been the best-selling mid-size pickup in the U.S. for nearly 20 years. Holding such an important place in the lineup, Toyota has been very conservative with updates in the past. The outgoing generation ran for a full 7 years, but even that was based on a platform that dates all the way back to 2004. For 2024, the Tacoma sheds the old platform entirely and joins the Tundra and Sequoia on Toyota's new TNGA-F global truck platform. The 2024 Tacoma is the latest (and final) updated entry to the US mid-size truck market, joining the Ranger, Canyon, Colorado, Ridgeline, and Frontier, all of which have been recently redesigned. Tacoma is coming out swinging with powertrains, with a 278 horsepower 4-cylinder making 317 lb.-ft of torque as the base engine for consumer models. This bests the base 4-cylinders from GM and Ford, and just about matches the V6 in the Honda. Frontier's 3.8 liter V6 does make more horsepower at 310, but Toyota has an answer for that too with an available 2.4-liter turbo-charged hybrid making 326 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft of torque. To put that in perspective, that is more torque than the new Ford Ranger Raptor with a 3-liter turbo V6 (410 lb.-ft) and the high-performance 2.7-liter 4-cylinder fielded by GM with 430 lb.-ft. Power is routed through an all-new eight-speed automatic or a six-speed manual with automatic rev-matching, and anti-stall technology is also available. Models with the manual transmission only get one engine choice at 270 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft to torque. Entry-level SR grades usually sold to fleets get a 228 horsepower / 243 lb.-ft turbo 4-cylinder instead. The i-FORCE Max hybrid uses a 2.4-liter turbo four mated to a 48 hp electric motor integrated into the transmission. The battery is relatively limited at only 1.87-kWh and uses NiMH instead of Lithium-Ion technology. But this setup allows the system to nearly double the torque output of the outgoing V6. Toyota says that the i-FORCE Max can ascent an 8% grade at interstate speeds without needing to downshift. Fuel economy estimates will be revealed later, but expect them to be better than any other competitor. Rear-wheel drive models have an automatic limited-slip differential while four-wheel drive models have a two-speed transfer case and active traction control. Upgrade to one of the TRD trims includes an upgraded electronically controlled locking differential. The new top-zoot Limited trim gets full-time four-wheel-drive with a center locking differential when equipped with the i-FORCE Max hybrid engine. Choices Abound There was once a time when truck buyers could order a vehicle as bespoke as anything coming from an ultra-luxury car manufacturer. While other manufacturers have reduced option combinations, Toyota has kept the old truck-buying process alive with an engine/cab/bed/options combination list longer than we could possibly post here. Each grade of Tacoma gets a uniquely tuned suspension with special shocks, coil or leaf springs, and electronic stabilizer bars available. The two cab styles available are both offered with either a 5-foot or 6-foot bed. The four-door double cab offers seating for five, while the new two-door XtraCab is built for two with storage behind the seats. Bed volume has increased 7 percent and the alluminum tailgate has an available power open and close function. Gas-only models can be equipped with a 400W ac outlet in the bed and rear of the center console while i-FORCE Max hybrid models come standard with a 2400W power outlet. Tacoma is available in SR, SR5, TRD PreRunner, TRD Sport, TRD Off Road, Limited, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter. Returning for 2024, TRD PreRunner is available in the XtraCab configuration with two-wheel drive only. It has a lifted front suspension, larger diameter BFGoodrich all-terrain tires, and an electronically locking rear differential. For a sportier look and feel, TRD Sport gets black 18-in. TRD wheels, color-keyed door handles and overfenders, hood scoop, black exterior badging, and aluminum pedals. The TRD Off-Road grade is more capable than ever thanks to the new Bilstein remote reservoir monotube shocks for better heat dissipation and the available front stabilizer bar disconnect system. Limited grades offer more sophistication than ever with a luxurious interior and standard tech including power retractable sidesteps, head-up display, 14-inch touchscreen, JBL audio, digital rearview mirror, and a power moonroof along with the new smooth-riding adaptive variable suspension and full-time four-wheel drive on i-FORCE MAX-equipped models. Trailhunter is also all-new for 2024 and offers a well-equipped overlanding rig that’s adventure-ready right from the dealer. Buyers will be able to choose from Supersonic Red, Blue Crush Metallic, Underground, Wind Chill Pearl, Solar Octane, Celestial Silver Metallic, Black, Ice Cap, and Bronze Oxide colors, plus an additional TRD Pro exclusive color being announced later this year. All the Latest Tech Inside The all-new Tacoma is filled with the latest technology and information screens that bring significant updates to the cabin. A new 8-inch or available 14-inch multimedia touchscreen displays Toyota’s latest Audio Multimedia system that debuted on the 2022 Tundra pickup and is designed and engineered by Toyota’s Texas-based Connected Technologies team. The system supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and pairs well with the available Qi wireless charging pad with enhanced power output. A USB-C data and charging port is integrated on the right side of the display, and dual USB-C charging ports are included in the front row and available for the rear passengers. A 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with four different styles is standard on higher grades while a 7-inch gauge cluster is standard on lower grades. All 2024 Tacoma models come standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, Toyota’s suite of active safety and convenience systems. New-to-Tacoma TSS enhancements are made possible by system sensors with improved detection capability. This suite of features includes: Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control Lane Tracing Assist Road Sign Assist Automatic High Beams Proactive Driving Assist Proactive Driving Assist is new to Toyota Safety Sense. When system operating conditions are met, using the vehicle’s camera and radar, this system is designed to provide gentle braking into curves or gentle braking and/or steering to help support driving tasks such as distance control between a preceding vehicle, pedestrian, or bicyclist. Proactive Driving Assist is not a substitute for the Pre-Collision System and operates in different circumstances. The 2024 Toyota Tacoma was designed in the US and will be built in Toyota's Plano, Texas facility. View full article