Auto News
News volume 1: https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/news/
News volume 2: https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/news2/
Maybe they'll sell them at a $6K discount, like Chevy Bolts.
Chrysler's new advertising slogan - "American cars that don't burst into flame!"
Interesting article about an online car dealer. Opinions from members would be welcomed as well as personal experiences.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/online-car-dealer-carvana-banned-from-illinois-second-time
I thought child labor ended in 1930s
Speak for your local country/region.
It’s still prevalent in other countries around the world, unfortunately..
Yeah unfortunate
Stellantis' (PSA-FCA) financial numbers are in -
The merger seems to be a huge financial success.
- Net revenues of €88 billion, up 17% compared to H1 2021
- Net profit of €8.0 billion, up 34% compared to H1 2021
- Operating income of €12.4 billion, up 44% compared to H1 2021
- Total deliveries rose by 10%, BEV/HEV deliveries rose by 50%
- Stellantis North America - Achieved record profitability
- All 5 regions posting double-digit margins.
- In Europe - 5 Vehicles top 10 Selling Vehicles (in EU30)
- "The company will launch 100 new products during 2022-2030, by which point it aims to boost revenues by 72%
- Alpha Romeo has achieved a Successful Turnaround
- Masserati is on track to double digit margins.
- Lancia will soon be revived with electrified models
- DS marketshare in EU30 up 33%
Things are heading in an interesting direction.
You should give a brief description for your links.
"... investigation into reports of "catastrophic engine failures" in V6-powered variants of the 2021 Ford Bronco. The issue could affect over 25,000 units of the SUV."
Thank you Joe, @mmj
Tesla is threatening to sue the creator of this video
https://twitter.com/RealDanODowd/status/1556973572698128385
alternative Youtube link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHIgawTRCv8
There are standard tests to asses "Assisted Driving",
Tesla scored 2/4 points. (with most "Assistance competence" metrics being "marginal" or "poor", as a matter of fact it scored 36% in that metric - the worst score of any car tested. The 2nd worst car was the Nissan Juke with 52% with the difference being that it's a free feature even on the base model, the whole car costs about the same as the $15k "autopilot" add-on for a $50k-$100k Tesla)
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IMO Telsa are a scam, when it comes to repair, eco-friendliness, marketing, and pretty much almost everything else abiut it.
Self driving cars still have a looooooong ways to go:
The first car woke Jennifer King at 2 a.m. with a loud, high‑pitched hum. “It sounded like a hovercraft,” she says, and that wasn’t the weird part. King lives on a dead-end street at the edge of the Presidio, a 1,500-acre park in San Francisco where through traffic isn’t a thing. Outside she saw a white Jaguar SUV backing out of her driveway. It had what looked like a giant fan on its roof — a laser sensor — and bore the logo of Google’s driverless car division, Waymo.
She was observing what looked like a glitch in the self-driving software: The car seemed to be using her property to execute a three-point turn. This would’ve been no biggie, she says, if it had happened once. But dozens of Google cars began doing the exact thing, many times, every single day.
King complained to Google that the cars were driving her nuts, but the K-turns kept coming. Sometimes a few of the SUVs would show up at the same time and form a little line, like an army of zombie driver’s-ed students. The whole thing went on for weeks until last October, when King called the local CBS affiliate and a news crew broadcast the scene. “It is kind of funny when you watch it,” the report began. “And the neighbors are certainly noticing.” Soon after, King’s driveway was hers again.
https://www.autoblog.com/2022/10/08/autonomous-cars-slow-progress-losses-doubt/
Time to lay down some sharp objects in the driveway 😆
Thanks for sharing. And of course, yeah hybrid cars could have the same problem. They have a large battery pack and electricity and salt water do not mix
What happened in FL confirmed your statement, we are not ready for the EV cars yet. Thank you sir!
Kia joyrides continue to spread ... luckily no innocents hurt this time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B1laqHpw7A
incorrect analysis based on old information from August, presented as "groundbreaking news"
In simple terms: Toyota didn't loose any money, as a matter of fact frofit margins grew.
Toyota was not able to make as much cars as expected, due to supply chain issues.
And what he misses out on is that EV sales aren't a priority, small volumes, high costs, low profit margins
(Just the same way you don't see many companies rushing to sell $13k sedans, not enough money to be made)
BUT if you look at HEVs, 1/4 Toyotas sold are hybrids (compliant with future regulation) and profit margins are great.
As no one can really rival Toyota hybrid's warranty and reliability from a design standpoint.
I think a bright future awaits Toyota,
Car companies like PSA and VW are planing on going EV, so their only products will be expensive and have questionable longevity.
And Toyota is going hybrid, so they'll be a much more rational choice for most consumers.
I was hoping someone would do this. Not that I have anything personal against EV's (well I kinda do, considering that the EV industry is made entirely of equal parts vaporware and political donations). But the undeniable fact is that EV's work for wealthy people on the coasts but absolutely do not work for low- and middle-income people and people who live anywhere else. Nothing in the foreseeable future is going to change that.
I don't want to rehash all the EV debate (we've had a lot of that in the last month or 2), but I believe people should be able to drive whatever car works best for them. If we don't want California to make all the de facto laws for everyone else, there has to be push back. WY is a good start, but not enough to beat CA. But maybe if ID and MT and ND and SD and especially TX mandate some sales of ICE cars (doesn't have to be all), then in the end we can get a compromise where the people - not the politicians - get to decide what cars they want to drive.
This bill is hilarious. It’s a response to the (dumb) 2035 ICE ban. Which shows how ridiculous the ICE van is and how ridiculous the EV WY ban would be.
I’m not against ICE. I’m not against EV. Just let the market figure it all out, instead of legislation.
If this is real, and it actually airs, what do you think will happen?
Looks like a hit piece. Nothing will happen. Idiots will keep buying them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aNwxfwLqsg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEeg_Rzuv7k
Why are members of Parliament deciding this without the people in mind?
That's what you get for joining the EU. One governing body for an entire continent is an idiotic , utopic idea that never worked and never will. Humans weren't built that way.
do you think this law will be annulled later?
No. Restrictions will only get tighter. You handed over too much power to a central authority. People didn't learn from the previous times.
What is going on?
The bureaucrats are consolidating power. That should sound very familiar to you.
This ICE ban is just another tentacle of corruption. The powers that be are shifting the flows of economy into their hands, and the behaviours of the proletariat. Same old story.
Personally I have considered an Citroen E-C4, MG ZS EV, or ORA Funky Cat- but went with an ICE instead, these EVs are pricy but not too expensive, they're all about $30k-$40k
I get what you're saying but I'd consider those to be too expensive - that's more than I've paid for every car I've owned put together for the last 50+ years.
I believe their plan is to phase out all cars, to make you use public transport, instead of having the "luxury" of freedom of movement
I believe that is likely the intended end game. It's easy to see that at least with today's state of the art that electric cars are just not going to work out on the current mass scale of gasoline and diesel, let alone long-range truck transport, construction equipment, and farm equipment. (Look up the "15-minute city". Once again, it's not a conspiracy theory when these plans are out in the open.)
> "I get what you're saying but I'd consider those to be too expensive"
Well, yeah I agree that they're expensive, I ended up buying two brand new corolla hatchback sized ($13k) gasoline powered cars for what one decent EV would cost.
https://imgur.com/7YswKwp
But overall, EV prices are coming down, the Geely-Volvo Geometry C, at $28k is well under the average car price - for now. With the demand that that new EU law may create - I think prices are going to go up significantly.
ned put together for the last 50+ years.
I believe their plan is to phase out all cars, to make you use public transport, instead of having the "luxury" of freedom of movement
I believe that is likely the intended end game.
It sure seems that way.
Consumer Reports, like all other auto rankings surveys, should be taken with a strong grain of salt.
Excellent article by autoblog on current state of new car buying. Prices are at their highest and unlikely to ease anytime soon, if ever. Add to that the automakers’ new mantra: keep production low and profits high.
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The average cost of a new vehicle is near $50,000 which is up 30% since 2019. The average monthly payment for a new car has soared to a record $777, nearly doubling from late 2019!
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Nearly 30% of the market is from households with annual income of more than $150,000, up from 22% in 2016
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Link to article:
https://www.autoblog.com/2023/02/18/new-cars-expensive-rich-people-only/
California has little to do with the real world, it's a bastion of craziness.
https://twitter.com/CityJournal/status/1513940048068104193
Scam Alert - Sellers beware
Apparently there's a scam going around victimizing private sellers of vehicles.
A few people will arrive at the same time to look at the vehicle. While one distracts the seller away from the car, another will use a syringe to insert oil into the coolant reservoir. They will then attempt to devalue the car by claiming it has a blown head gasket.
Used cars to avoid
(based on survey responses by subscribers to Consumer Reports)
April 28, 2023 - 'Hero' 7th Grader Grabs Steering Wheel and Stops School Bus After Driver Passes Out
When I first saw this I thought it must have been from the "The Onion", "Babylon Bee"or other satirical site, but apparently not. From the "don't these people have anything better to do" department:
Legislation introduced requiring AM radios in new cars
"A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a bill that would require all new cars to include AM radio as many manufacturers have increasingly been phasing it out.
A release from the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Thursday states Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who serves as the committee’s ranking member, and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), another committee member, are leading a group of nine other members of Congress from both parties to support the AM for Every Vehicle Act."
Maybe they'll want to require the old CONELRAD markings be put on the tuner as well.
Of course I hail from a time when any kind of radio was optional in new cars and have owned cars that had no factory radio. (If you were too cheap to order a factory radio in your new car it came with a blank plate, maybe with the manufacturer's name, to cover the hole in the dashboard.)
We should petition Congress to require the return of 8-Track Tape!
Maybe require all car brands to bring back the built in CD players in their vehicles too. And NA engines too while they're at it!!!
I actually don't mind this. AM radio is very useful in emergencies, and when there's hazards on the road. I think it should be considered part of emergency equipment. Better this than requiring you to have internet/cellular connected vehicles.
Although I understand what you're saying I think the idea of mandating a radio be included at all in new cars is kind of ridiculous. It's not a safety item in the sense of seat belts or air bags. You can always just carry a transistor set with you in the car to receive AM radio if desired. That's what we used to do in cars that had no radio, or if the radio was broken.
Sure it is. Seatbelts can save your life. So can knowing about hazards coming up on the road ahead. Who has an AM radio at home any more?
I have quite a few AM radios at home - table radios, clock radios, as well as transistor sets, even a console stereo that has AM band. For knowing about upcoming road hazards you might as well mandate that every car have a CB radio. Traffic reports on commercial radio broadcasts can be sporadic and frequently you won't hear about a problem until you're already in the middle of it.
The answer is, hardly anybody has an AM radio. You are definitely an exception.
CB radio is for usually used for talking back and forth, not broadcast, and no existing consumer cars are equipped with CB. It's much easier to use technology that is already ubiquitous.
There are all traffic stations that update you on my entire city in a few minutes, and they repeat it over and over. And if there were a serious threat (flood, fire, landslide, bridge out, child abduction, etc.) you could have it broadcast on all stations.
Nope, I think this is important. We can't let automakers start taking radios away.
We have no such pervasive traffic stations anywhere around here. Some major roads do have electronic signs erected that warn of problems up ahead. Relying on the local AM news station is very hit or miss. I usually just play tapes while driving. I just don't see the need for mandating this.
Most major US cities I searched have traffic radio stations.
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It takes hours to dispatch and deploy an electronic sign.
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We have road signs at every city's limits announcing the local radio stations.
It seems the USA has something similar called travelers' information station (TIS) and highway advisory radio (HAR), usually on AM 530.
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"used to broadcast information to the general public, including for motorists regarding travel ...only noncommercial voice information pertaining to traffic and road conditions, traffic hazard and travel advisories, directions, availability of lodging, rest stops and service stations ... TIS stations have also been developed for supporting emergency public safety communication ... operated by U.S. national parks and others under U.S. federal government jurisdiction ... Stations may be licensed to operate on any AM band frequency from 530–1700 kHz"
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Scotty weighs in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oiwIZ3gtNM
good thing we switched to paper straws in N.America. :silly:
The Bimmer driver got out and pushed his car. Admire his competitive spirit for sure!
And this is why I will never get an electric car new (with a warranty) or used (out of warranty).
Resale value of EVs is terrible, so buying new doesn’t make sense.
NHTSA investigating 708,000 Ford SUVs, pickups for 'catastrophic engine failure'.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating more than 708,000 trucksand SUVs built by Ford and Lincoln due to reports of a "catastrophic engine failure." The vehicles included in the investigation are all powered by a turbocharged EcoBoost V6.
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The NHTSA estimates that 708,837 vehicles are included in its engineering analysis. The full list is below.
- 2021-2022 Ford Bronco
- 2021-2022 Ford Edge
- 2021-2022 Ford Explorer
- 2021-2022 Ford F-150
- 2021-2022 Lincoln Nautilus
- 2021-2022 Lincoln Aviator
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Ford vehicles being a fire hazard is nothing new.
Even in 2018, the chance of a Ford F-250/350 catching fire was 149% of the worst Kia.
Same goes for older model years.
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DATA: "Noncrash fire losses - Prepared by HLDI for NHTSA"
2018 report:
https://www.iihs.org/media/c93b98d8-6a7d-44a1-810e-4468ec539e05/uIu4tg/HLDI%20Research/Fire%20losses/HLDI_FireLosses_1218.pdf
2016 report:
https://www.iihs.org/media/f8be29ed-e632-4d0d-83ee-f29ad385f4fe/NMKYyg/HLDI%20Research/Fire%20losses/HLDI_FireLosses_0417.pdf
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A big part of it is media sensationalism - covering up the big faults of legacy domestic brands and making every recall sound like it's the most severe safety fault ever known to man.
@dan something doesn't seem right about those stats. Ford & GM pickups are the highest selling vehicle models in the US. The first chart seems to show there are twice as many insured Jeep Wranglers as all the F-series combined.
@mmj Hi,
The first table ONLY displays the top ten SUB-types (specific combination of body styles and configurations) and NOT "all the F-series combined" - the information on the rest of the entire F-series lineup is in the 2nd table.
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In the 2nd table you can see 537,649 insurance years on the F-150 SuperCrew 4WD, 161,923 on the F-150 SuperCrew, 108,908 on the F-150 SuperCab 4WD, etc. (With overall poor results, ANY F-series product is at least 36% more likely to burst into flames than a Corolla or a Civic)
Here you can clearly see IIHS-HLDI's members huge "exposure" to F-series products does seem to reflect their popularity on the US market.
If you think that battery price is bad, check out the $40,000 repair on a Rivian if a fender bender dents the bed of the stupid thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU7Ok7j1IJs
(Of course this problem has nothing to do with the truck being battery electric, it's just amazingly poor overall design.)