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Cont: Electric Vehicles II

The Don said:
Tesla seems to be in the process of moving away from being a global car manufacturer. Their only new platform for the best part of a decade is the Cybertruck - a US only model - and their focus appears to be on self drive software, mythical taxis and robots.
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And propping up twitter and spacex. Don't forget that Musk is pushing money and resources from the only marginally useful company he's involved in to his scams.
 
Maybe I missed it but has anyone else seen articles about the upcoming Slate truck? Not, presumably, an accident that "Slate" is an anagram of Tesla, this supposedly will be a super-basic small pickup that will cost about $20k. With virtually no options, not even electric windows, just what is needed to go, and everything else you either buy or make. I like the idea of a nofrills electric vehicle that doesn't do tricks, need connections, etc. I'm not crazy about the Jeff Bezos connection, but still, it looks interesting. The base model will supposedly have a range of about 150 miles, a more deluxe one 250.
 
The "blank slate" concept for a truck is an interesting idea. It should appeal to some because of the lower cost of entry and to others (who like building fancy PCs or even Lego kits) because of the DIY upgradability.

If it really sells for 20K, I could almost afford getting one and leaving it barebones just to have something for going to the home improvement store or garden center and back occasionally.

I would have to customize it a little. Otherwise I might leave the store to find ten identical gray trucks in the parking lot. I had that experience when I first moved to Orlando. I drove a red Le Baron convertible which turned out to be a very popular rental car. Parked at Walt Disney World it would be like a tree in a forest.

If the Federal tax credit goes away, though, that 28K price pits it against the much better equipped Ford Maverick hybrid. Maybe it will encourage Ford to offer a plug-in hybrid version of the Maverick.
 
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So its a small 2 seater ute, with a 240km range and literal zero included as standard...
That costs over $30k Au... (so about $38k onroad here, assuming it was ever imported- doubtful...)
1745843856551.png

For the same price I could buy a BYD Atto 3 SUV which is about the same size, with all the mod cons, and a range of 345km... (or for another $10k get the long range 450km version)- and can legally tow a trailer here with more payload than that 'ute'....
1745843930877.jpeg

For about 18k Au more, I could buy a real fullsize ute hybrid Shark, with actual 4wd, and all the modern conveniences....
1745843952061.jpeg

Yeah, but no thanks...
 
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Item in most of today's papers about charging/using your phone in Chinese made EVs.

I'd hate to be the poor sod who listens in on my calls, or reads my texts. Mind you, he/she would learn a lot about my dental appointments. And which booth we are in at the local boozer... :cool:
 
Dabop said:
So its a small 2 seater ute, with a 240km range and literal zero included as standard...
That costs over $30k Au... (so about $38k onroad here, assuming it was ever imported- doubtful...)
View attachment 60442

For the same price I could buy a BYD Atto 3 SUV which is about the same size, with all the mod cons, and a range of 345km... (or for another $10k get the long range 450km version)- and can legally tow a trailer here with more payload than that 'ute'....
View attachment 60443

For about 18k Au more, I could buy a real fullsize ute hybrid Shark, with actual 4wd, and all the modern conveniences....
View attachment 60444

Yeah, but no thanks...
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Those vehicles are not all available here in the US though. And with the new tariffs on China coming I doubt they will be practical any time soon even if they are. Search results are quite ambiguous about whether there are or are not ways of getting any BYD vehicles here, but it looks as if plans have stalled.
 
SteveAitch said:
Item in most of today's papers about charging/using your phone in Chinese made EVs.

I'd hate to be the poor sod who listens in on my calls, or reads my texts. Mind you, he/she would learn a lot about my dental appointments. And which booth we are in at the local boozer... :cool:
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I hear lots of people saying something like that, but I think most people don't realise how much sensitive data people are leaking with their phones. Your location and location(s) visited for a start. From your location data alone, a huge amount of information can be deduced: When you're home and where you (probably) work as well. Which hours you work. The state of your health, probably (from the doctors' clinics you visit), etc, etc. If e.g. you park at a location where an AA meeting is being held at the time you park there, that's sensitive data as well.

It doesn't take many data points (even just so-called meta data) to know an awful lot about you.
 
Anyone who knows the first thing about it can tell exactly when I was home and when not by the data on my GivEnergy app.
 
bruto said:
Maybe I missed it but has anyone else seen articles about the upcoming Slate truck? Not, presumably, an accident that "Slate" is an anagram of Tesla, this supposedly will be a super-basic small pickup that will cost about $20k. With virtually no options, not even electric windows, just what is needed to go, and everything else you either buy or make. I like the idea of a nofrills electric vehicle that doesn't do tricks, need connections, etc. I'm not crazy about the Jeff Bezos connection, but still, it looks interesting. The base model will supposedly have a range of about 150 miles, a more deluxe one 250.
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I love the idea. Although I'm a bit surprised that it won't have electric windows since they are cheap little motors and mechanisms. This probably doesn't make a big deal in the UK but Walmart is creating their own charging network in the US. They plan on adding 10 to 20 charging stalls at most of their stores.
 
acbytesla said:
I love the idea. Although I'm a bit surprised that it won't have electric windows since they are cheap little motors and mechanisms. This probably doesn't make a big deal in the UK but Walmart is creating their own charging network in the US. They plan on adding 10 to 20 charging stalls at most of their stores.
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Yes, electric windows have become so ubiquitous it's hard to remember when they weren't. The one thing I miss about crank windows, though, is what to do when it rains. Back when I was a kid, everyone in the family who had a car (my sister and I at times included) would leave the windows open in summer. If it rained, whoever was not instantly busy would run out and crank up all the windows. Now you have to fish around for the keys every time.

Anyway, I'm not going to rush right out and get one of those trucks, but it looks like a good trend, away from the idea that everything has to be powered and connected.
 
bruto said:
Yes, electric windows have become so ubiquitous it's hard to remember when they weren't. The one thing I miss about crank windows, though, is what to do when it rains. Back when I was a kid, everyone in the family who had a car (my sister and I at times included) would leave the windows open in summer. If it rained, whoever was not instantly busy would run out and crank up all the windows. Now you have to fish around for the keys every time.

Anyway, I'm not going to rush right out and get one of those trucks, but it looks like a good trend, away from the idea that everything has to be powered and connected.
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I think half the problem is that car manufacturers stopped chasing the low end of the market. They stopped selling affordable. Ford had a very successful entry level car and dumped it for an overpriced small SUV. Larger margins but unaffordable for the customer base they had for the other vehicle.

Give me simple, cheap and dependable.
 
bruto said:
Those vehicles are not all available here in the US though. And with the new tariffs on China coming I doubt they will be practical any time soon even if they are. Search results are quite ambiguous about whether there are or are not ways of getting any BYD vehicles here, but it looks as if plans have stalled.
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Sux to be in the US then lol- BYD (as well as most others) have simply ignored the US market...

The US's xenophobia costs them dearly (it's not just from the US right either, its a 'US thing' from both sides of politics there)

We have literally dozens of different brands and models of EV's available here, from small sedans and hatchbacks, up to electric trucks... (as in actual delivery commercial vehicles, not overgrown utes lol)

A mate told me only last week he actually got to go to the Sydney Everything Electric show in Sydney a couple of months back, he was there two days and reckoned he didnt get to see half of it... lucky bugga...

I've been a subscriber of EV's and Beyond for several years bow on youtube, a Kiwi (I won't hold that against him lol) who test drives EVs available in NZ (and they don't get many of the models we get here in Oz!!!) he even visited here for the Sydney EV show too and videoed while there...
https://www.youtube.com/@EVsBeyond/videos

The US really is missing out on whats out there....
 
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The UK is gradually getting a decent selection of somewhat affordable electric vehicles.

BYD's entry level vehicle is the Dolphin at around £25k, Leapmotor has the T03 starting at £16k

If you don't fancy a Chinese brand, Dacia have the spring at £15k, Renault have the tempting 5 at £23k or the FIAT Panda at just over £20k.
 
acbytesla said:
I think half the problem is that car manufacturers stopped chasing the low end of the market.
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When Ford released the Maverick, it was hailed as a "small truck." It is about the size of the current Ford Ranger and much larger than the old Ranger.

They stopped selling affordable. Ford had a very successful entry level car and dumped it for an overpriced small SUV. Larger margins but unaffordable for the customer base they had for the other vehicle.
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They actually dropped all cars except the Mustang. Then they labeled the Mustang (yeah, right) Mach E as an SUV (yeah, right).
 
jadebox said:
When Ford released the Maverick, it was hailed as a "small truck." It is about the size of the current Ford Ranger and much larger than the old Ranger.


They actually dropped all cars except the Mustang. Then they labeled the Mustang (yeah, right) Mach E as an SUV (yeah, right).
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I swear I hate that crap with a passion. My entire career was sales and marketing. BS only works for so long. Eventually, the customers figure it out. They know what an SUV looks like.

You also can't just keep raising prices thinking it won't have an effect on sales.
 
Well, it seems some of us are in a minority, or what passes for one. I like cheap reliable little cars. But apparently, whenever the manufacturers come out with a cheap, reliable little car, people complain that it isn't fancy enough or big enough. So they either cancel it or make it bigger and fancier. Then we have to start all over again.
 
bruto said:
Well, it seems some of us are in a minority, or what passes for one. I like cheap reliable little cars. But apparently, whenever the manufacturers come out with a cheap, reliable little car, people complain that it isn't fancy enough or big enough. So they either cancel it or make it bigger and fancier. Then we have to start all over again.
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That's not true. Ford successfully sold their lowest end vehicle and stopped production and replaced it with another vehicle that didn't sell very well. They replaced volume for higher margins.
 
I have a friend whom I may be winning over to the idea of not selling his 35-year-old Merc estate car soon, while he can still buy a new petrol car, but on the other hand holding on to it and taking his time to decide when the right EV for him has come along. This looks quite tasty I think.

www.volkswagen.co.uk

New ID.7 Tourer | Electric Car | Volkswagen UK

The new ID.7 Tourer sets new standards when it comes to comfort and functionality. Discover the ID.7 Tourer today.
www.volkswagen.co.uk www.volkswagen.co.uk
 
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