oh man, don't ask me. I'm a ski whore. If some is good, moar must be better.
Toshi's thread
- Thread starter Toshi
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FCA introduces Compass and Renegade PHEVs.
https://www.allpar.com/news/2019/03/jeep-compass-renegade-plug-in-hybrids-reveal-eawd-43999
While these particular platforms are not of interest to me their powertrains are.
They seem to have a gas engine and standard transmission hooked to the front axle, and an independent electric setup for the rear axle, battery in transmission tunnel. No propshaft or other connection between axles.
So in its 31 mile EV range it’s a RWD vehicle. AWD via software coordination.
An interesting approach, and one that might see life in a PacHy in the future, albeit maybe with the front still via the 2 motor Toyota/TRW design.
https://www.allpar.com/news/2019/03/jeep-compass-renegade-plug-in-hybrids-reveal-eawd-43999
While these particular platforms are not of interest to me their powertrains are.
They seem to have a gas engine and standard transmission hooked to the front axle, and an independent electric setup for the rear axle, battery in transmission tunnel. No propshaft or other connection between axles.
So in its 31 mile EV range it’s a RWD vehicle. AWD via software coordination.
An interesting approach, and one that might see life in a PacHy in the future, albeit maybe with the front still via the 2 motor Toyota/TRW design.
The Polestar's EV's and roadster hybrid that are upcoming look pretty snazzy. You could see if your Volvo sales guy will do you a deal
What could go wrong?!No. Just, no.
Interesting. Good thing I likely won’t have this one long enough for it to be an issue!
As long as it can last one winter…
A cordless drill and a 1/2" bit would solve the problem without buying a whole new car, you know.Interesting. Good thing I likely won’t have this one long enough for it to be an issue!
Maybe it'll be $8000 brand new?*le sad*
Congratulations to BMW for building an electric car that I might have been interested in 6 years ago.
The figure I keep seeing is "around £29k", or 38k USD.Maybe it'll be $8000 brand new?
I really want to like this car but jesus, is BMW making it hard.
https://electrek.co/2019/03/06/tesla-supercharger-v3-kw-capacity-efficiency/
V3 Supercharger unveiled.
V2: 120 kW peak. Power sharing between stalls so lower peaks if someone charging next to you. Air cooled cables.
V3: 250 kW. Water cooled. No power sharing. 250 only possible on long range Model 3 from what I can gather, pending a software update. V2 installations will get a bump to 145 kW but won’t get redone as V3 per this announcement, so for new sites instead.
What does 250 kW look like?
V3 Supercharger unveiled.
V2: 120 kW peak. Power sharing between stalls so lower peaks if someone charging next to you. Air cooled cables.
V3: 250 kW. Water cooled. No power sharing. 250 only possible on long range Model 3 from what I can gather, pending a software update. V2 installations will get a bump to 145 kW but won’t get redone as V3 per this announcement, so for new sites instead.
What does 250 kW look like?
My take is that this compares favorably to the plans for Electrify America. They plan 150 kW CCS stations on highways with a future upgrade path to 350 kW. Instead Tesla already has 120 kW Superchargers all over the place and will roll out 250 kW ones going forward. Bird in hand, etc.
Spotted in my neighborhood this morning on the school run over about 5 minutes:
3 Model 3s (including mine) at a 4 way stop. The 4th location wasn’t occupied.
1 Model X driving by.
1 other Model 3 going the same way as me after visiting the school bus stop.
3 Model 3s (including mine) at a 4 way stop. The 4th location wasn’t occupied.
1 Model X driving by.
1 other Model 3 going the same way as me after visiting the school bus stop.
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2019/03/teslas-self-driving-strategy-is-outdated-and-possibly-dangerous/
Others share my skepticism. I think he’s going to deliver stop line, red light, and rudimentary intersection handling ability at the end of this year with the same level 2 caveat that it might crap out and require intervention immediately at any time and claim Mission Accomplished.
Related: https://jalopnik.com/heres-another-dummy-apparently-sleeping-at-the-wheel-of-1833123703
I use it responsibly. It’s far too easy to abuse it, though, as this extreme example shows.
The cat’s already out of the bag but it would have been better ultimately to mandate Super Cruise type driver awareness tech before these level 2 systems were unleashed.
I use it responsibly. It’s far too easy to abuse it, though, as this extreme example shows.
The cat’s already out of the bag but it would have been better ultimately to mandate Super Cruise type driver awareness tech before these level 2 systems were unleashed.
I test drove two vehicles at CarMax today because why not? (And because it scratches my “what if?” itch.) Both were Lexus LXs, so like my old Land Cruiser but plus a gen and one and two refreshes, respectively.
2014 Lexus LX 570
This one felt beat. Nanny wasn’t kind to it up at the Aspen house, perhaps? Scratches and scuffs on interior, needed an alignment, smelled of either old smoke or old thick perfume.
Drove as I remember my old 100 Series, for better or worse. Slow steering ratio, long hood, very smooth and quiet. Old style dashboard wasn’t endearing—more vertical and visually imposing than modern designs.
Verdict: Meh, particularly for this example.
2016 Lexus LX 570
Only glimpsed its Alien maw once so wasn’t scarred. New interior is worlds nicer than the old in style and layout. Lower cowl height with stuck on screen is a good overall compromise. Mousy thing was annoying and the system’s response laggy. Millions of buttons and knobs on center console. Nice open pore wood textures but the wood on the steering wheel didn’t wear well at all.
8 speed mated to 5.7L is a lovely, smooth drivetrain. Verified cruise is stop and go (Full Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control in ToyoLexus lingo). I didn’t play with the stereo but I’m sure the Mark Levinson is superb.
Verdict: the 2016+ LX is what I wanted my Land Cruiser to be, for better or worse. But is that what I want? I do want something bigger than my 3 ultimately and it would make for a great ski day vehicle as did my Land Cruiser. Saner 3 row AWD alternatives abound but are just so… normal.
I still will likely plow on with my Tesla upgrade path plans but was nice to knock these off my list—recall that I do enjoy doing this, after all.
2014 Lexus LX 570
This one felt beat. Nanny wasn’t kind to it up at the Aspen house, perhaps? Scratches and scuffs on interior, needed an alignment, smelled of either old smoke or old thick perfume.
Drove as I remember my old 100 Series, for better or worse. Slow steering ratio, long hood, very smooth and quiet. Old style dashboard wasn’t endearing—more vertical and visually imposing than modern designs.
Verdict: Meh, particularly for this example.
2016 Lexus LX 570
Only glimpsed its Alien maw once so wasn’t scarred. New interior is worlds nicer than the old in style and layout. Lower cowl height with stuck on screen is a good overall compromise. Mousy thing was annoying and the system’s response laggy. Millions of buttons and knobs on center console. Nice open pore wood textures but the wood on the steering wheel didn’t wear well at all.
8 speed mated to 5.7L is a lovely, smooth drivetrain. Verified cruise is stop and go (Full Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control in ToyoLexus lingo). I didn’t play with the stereo but I’m sure the Mark Levinson is superb.
Verdict: the 2016+ LX is what I wanted my Land Cruiser to be, for better or worse. But is that what I want? I do want something bigger than my 3 ultimately and it would make for a great ski day vehicle as did my Land Cruiser. Saner 3 row AWD alternatives abound but are just so… normal.
I still will likely plow on with my Tesla upgrade path plans but was nice to knock these off my list—recall that I do enjoy doing this, after all.
My wife is the voice of reason and reminded me just now that an LX would have the same drawbacks as the Land Cruiser had:
- if kid car seats 3 wide in the second row (barring funny foldable designs like the IMMI GO) then 3rd row access is very difficult, as in awkwardly climbing into the high rear of the vehicle
- 3rd row on Land Cruiser and its variants is pretty useless, particularly with regard to legroom. This is exacerbated when one puts a car seat back there
So maybe Tesla will surprise me and throw in a useful magic 3rd row on the Model Y, like with built in jump seats a la the discontinued Model S option . Or maybe we will try our luck next season as a family on ski trips with Nokians (and auto socks) on the FWD PacHy. Or maybe I’ll go conventional once more.
The 3 row SUV market is depressing. The X doesn’t speak to me, yes, but the Ascent and its ilk really don’t. Their 3rd rows are also way less useful than those of a minivan, even if they are better than that of the Land Cruiser. Access is also worse, mildly tempered by fancy tilt-with-car-seat tricks.
So I have emerged from that thankfully none too deep rabbit hole and instead will order some AutoSocks for the (FWD) PacHy’s Nokians for next ski season. I suppose if I would drive an AWD Sienna that’d solve it, too, but y tho?
(Recall that I got away with the 2 row Volvo then Tesla for this ski season since the wife was first pregnant then staying at home with Thing 3. The whole brood will be traveling come next winter—ski resort of choice has child care starting at 6 months and the wife wants to ski with me once more.)
I totally did daydream a minute when I saw that new option. Even has adaptive cruise!
I’d take my silly thought more seriously had we not had the Transit as a rental on last year’s Oregon trip to see my parents. The interior on those is horrid, if you don’t recall or haven’t experienced yourself.
Huge benches bolted solidly to floor, super high floor, no room behind last bench, economy class seat pitch/leg room. If only someone could make a civilized modern slightly more than mini van. Like that Merc.
4x4 via quigley.
Eh, there's not much to it. Quigley will convert an NV3500 for ya, and you can buy ready-made Sprinter and Transit 4x4s now, too. Practically they would suck for the factors I mentioned re the Transit a few posts up, but if you're in Utah and feel compelled to pop out 6 crotchfruit then they're the ticket for winter activities.
that looks nice and all . . . i (and I think the fam in general) really miss our r350. that thing was awesome. i wish instead of canning it they'd updated it. oh well . . .Concept EQV unveiled:
https://insideevs.com/mercedes-benz-eqv-long-range-concept-mpv/ among other coverage. 100 kWh pack (!) yielding 249 miles of range. 201 hp, FWD. Unspecified quick charging capability is present, presumably CCS ~150 kW or so given the time quoted.
I, or rather my wife, could definitely dig it as a non-Model X replacement for the PacHy.
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Tesla management need to get their heads screwed on tighter:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/11/tech/tesla-price-rises/index.html
Context is of announcing the $35k Model 3 and closing almost all stores, then backing that out, then raising prices as a response. All within a week or a week and a half. Oh and a 7% workplace cull last month. Not confidence inspiring.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/11/tech/tesla-price-rises/index.html
Context is of announcing the $35k Model 3 and closing almost all stores, then backing that out, then raising prices as a response. All within a week or a week and a half. Oh and a 7% workplace cull last month. Not confidence inspiring.
DeLorean?
Is Elon Musk a drug smuggler? Perhaps, perhaps
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-z-delorean-is-arrested-in-24-million-cocaine-deal
will get busted for smuggling memes into the EU
A potential plan given the actual announcement: https://www.tesla.com/blog/update-tesla-stores-and-pricing?utm_cam
Relevant factoids:
- DCU is still offering 3.99%, which is equal to my current rate
- I apparently can get a Tesla trade-in appraisal online at any time and have time later this week to get CarMax's appraisal, too
- if any available could potentially angle for an ex-demo vehicle for an additional discount
- don't have enough going on in my life at the moment, apparently
- I can work around summer tires given the limited skiing I still have planned for the season
Step 1 should be to get that online Tesla appraisal rolling and scheduling a time at CarMax. If both of those super low then this can all be aborted.
Although this could well backfire on me if they drop prices again later in the year in yet another capricious move, this invites the question of whether I should move quicker than planned on my 3 LR AWD -> 3 Performance idea.
Relevant factoids:
- DCU is still offering 3.99%, which is equal to my current rate
- I apparently can get a Tesla trade-in appraisal online at any time and have time later this week to get CarMax's appraisal, too
- if any available could potentially angle for an ex-demo vehicle for an additional discount
- don't have enough going on in my life at the moment, apparently
- I can work around summer tires given the limited skiing I still have planned for the season
Step 1 should be to get that online Tesla appraisal rolling and scheduling a time at CarMax. If both of those super low then this can all be aborted.
Just wait, at the end of the quarter they announce that demand has cratered and they're dropping prices $5k across the board.
And firing everyone. Or maybe not.
I would like to try out this ski at some point:
https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/2019-2020-k2-mindbender-108-ti
https://www.pugski.com/threads/2020-mindbender-108ti-vs-mantra-102-vs-qst-106.14594/
This would be a replacement for my 118 mm Bibbys, with my 100 mm Mantras still around for corduroy days.
But before this I should probably try a different mount point on the Bibbys, maybe? -1 cm? Hmm.
https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/2019-2020-k2-mindbender-108-ti
https://www.pugski.com/threads/2020-mindbender-108ti-vs-mantra-102-vs-qst-106.14594/
This would be a replacement for my 118 mm Bibbys, with my 100 mm Mantras still around for corduroy days.
But before this I should probably try a different mount point on the Bibbys, maybe? -1 cm? Hmm.