G. David Felt

Here I posted about the IQ names for Cadillacs future BEVs and only now is other web sites months later starting to talk about it and ask if you like it or not. Too Funny! Poll: Are You A Fan Of Cadillac's New IQ Naming Strategy? (cadillacsociety.com) The survey does show as of my posting that only 38% LOVE the IQ names, and 62% HATE it.

Affective January 1st, 2022, Rimac Automobili became two companies, Rimac Group which is a majority shareholder in the Bugatti Rimac with a 55% stake and Porsche owning the remaining 45%. Rimac Technology is a sister company 100% owned by Rimac Group. rimac_technology_video.mp4 Rimac found themselves working with multiple auto companies to engineer, develop, produce and supply high-performance battery systems, electric drive units, electronic control systems, and user interface components. Rimac has established a reputation for providing leading advanced performance electronic technologies. Rimac Technology is the major supplier of performance electronic BEV components to the following customers: Concept to series production, Rimac is dedicated to providing high-performance automotive technology solutions. Experience Rimac Technology. Rimac Technology currently is commissioned by more than 10 global OEMs using their over 10 years of battery development to produce high-performance battery packs that provide some of the highest power and energy density in high volume production. This starts with cell R&D and integration to multi-Use module design, thermal management from ultra-cold to extreme heat management, battery management, power distribution and DC/DC converters to the final vehicle integration. Rimac Technology is based in Zagreb, Croatia with a 1,000-person based team. This team has developed and has for sale to the global auto industry an extensive portfolio that you can find here: Portfolio | Rimac Technology (rimac-technology.com) From motors to gear boxes, controllers, distribution systems and even encrypted smart key systems. Rimac motors and gear boxes deliver some of the finest power output with torque vectoring possible. An example is that Rimac has two motors, SPM 280 which offers 375 HP / 205 lb-ft of torque and their SPM 900 motor which offers 603 HP / 664 lb-ft of torque. Taking this into account as an AWD version using the SPM 280 would be a total of 1,500 HP / 820 lb-ft of torque or with the SPM 900 in AWD form is 2,412 HP / 2,656 lb-ft of torque. With the use of Torque vectoring managing the 4 motors you would have world class grip in performance driving as well as possible in hauling a trailer or freight. The image below shows the independent motors and the combined motor units that can be used in RWD, FWD or AWD. They also have their gearboxes that allow for additional extended combinations for BEV use. With a full portfolio of components when it comes to controllers, management systems, power converters, on board chargers, low voltage and high voltage power distribution systems, Rimac believes they have you covered to ensure optimized performance. Expanded ECU, ICU and Smart Key systems allows one to just about do a one stop shopping to build ones desired BEV. In support of Rimac Green initiative, Rimac has started development on their Green Campus that will allow employees to live and work in harmony with the environment as 36% of the space will be natural vegetation. Rimac_Campus_Animation_W.mp4 Rimac Technology Officially Becomes Its Own Entity - Rimac Automobili (rimac-automobili.com) Press Releases Archive - Rimac Automobili (rimac-automobili.com) Rimac Group (rimac-group.com) Company | Rimac Technology (rimac-technology.com) Home | Rimac Technology (rimac-technology.com) View full article

Interesting Tesla Earnings call. Supply issues will continue to be a problem for 2022 for Tesla and as such the product road map that Musk was to present has come to naught. Top things Tesla Fans were expecting to hear start production this year or have an updated time frame on. $25,000 Tesla car, NOPE Nothing being done on this front according to Musk. Tesla Cybertruck, New concept, nothing really different other than still ugly, no door handles, huge ass single windshield wiper. Still not usable as a real truck. No production yet. Tesla Semi truck, NOPE no update, nothing happening on this front either. In the end, a very disappointing lack of product roadmap as Musk says NO NEW PRODUCT will come out in 2022. Tesla will continue to product the 4 BEVs they have as they bring Texas online and ramp up Berlin for auto production to compliment their California and China production sites. Seems this will put Tesla farther behind the Legacy OEMs as they ramp up for production of full size Trucks/SUVs and Rivian continues to ramp up production of their R1T and R1S auto's. Tesla (TSLA) earnings Q4 2021 (cnbc.com) Stock dropped 5% in extended trading but recovered. Stagnant this morning. The next 24 months are going to be very interesting for Tesla as Ford and GM ramp up production and RAM/Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler roll out their first BEVs.

Interesting to see the news stories that the Chevrolet Bolt is Dead. This is of course attributed to the fact that with this announcement by GM, the Orion Plant will start and undergo changes to support the starting production of the Chevrolet and GMC electric trucks by 2024. At this time GM has not stated where the BOLT will go or if it will survive, but they do say that small affordable BEVs will be produced at their Mexico assembly plants. I do agree that since the Ultium platform is capable of supporting sub compact to full size, that the future for the BOLT looks dim, but that is not to say that a next gen Bolt would not be made on the Utlium platform. I suspect this will be based on how well the Bolt sales pick up once production starts this week, product gets onto the lots and if they sell or not. Dim future for Chevy Bolt EV, EUV as evidence mounts GM plans to end production - Roadshow (cnet.com) The Chevrolet Bolt Is Dead Because There's No Place for It in GM's Future - autoevolution I do see a very bright future for the BEV Equinox that is to start production next year.

I do find it very cool to sell Performance Upgrade Parts with a 24-month warranty even if it is used in actual racing. ? Though I bet their lawyers have written in some very hard language to make it hard to actually have to honor the warranty. Who knows, we will see how this goes.

If ya read the story from the link they say that Dodge started the Performance Upgrade aftermarket with warranty and that Ford and GM copied it with their own performance department. That is what the story says, I have no idea who is first, just stated what the stories said. Quote: In 1974, Direct Connection officially launched as the exclusive source for performance parts and technical information, straight from the manufacturer.

True and we cannot ignore China. I think this decade will see some major disruption and death of established as well as new startup auto OEMs.

Seems Dodge is missing out on the $23 Billion aftermarket for performance parts / upgrades. As such Dodge who started the Performance aftermarket for OEMs and where Ford and GM copied them has returned to their roots with Direct Connection of Warranty Backed, Emissions legal Performance Go Fast Parts that you can have your dealer install or do yourself. Dodge Announces New Direct Connection Performance Parts Lineup, Parts Catalog and Technical Hotline | Dodge Garage Gotta love Package upgrades of performance. Direct Connection will provide enthusiasts with the “keys” to unlock the full horsepower potential of their vehicle in the form of a new Direct Connection Tuner and Stage kits for the Dodge Challenger Hellcat and Redeye models: Direct Connection Tuner (included in Pre-stage Kit) Plug-and-play engine tuner gives enthusiasts the power to upgrade an engine calibration at the touch of a button, plugs into the OBD-II port and can be used to install factory-tuned, 50-state-legal Stage kit calibrations. Tuner includes a hand-held tuning device and mounting hardware. Pre-stage Kit (Challenger SRT® Hellcat Redeye) Includes the Tuner along with a performance air cleaner and low temp thermostat. Pre-stage Kit also comes with a pre-loaded 50-state emissions-legal calibration that adds five horsepower and allows future performance upgrades via downloadable tuning maps. Stage I Kit (Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye) Features a key code to unlock installation of the Stage I factory-tuned, 50-state emissions-legal calibration, resulting in a jump to 840 horsepower and 770 foot-pounds of torque when in high-octane mode. (Requires purchase of Pre-stage kit) Stage II Kit (Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye) Building on Stage I Kit, includes a 3.17-inch “Hellephant” engine pulley and key code to unlock installation of the Stage II factory-tuned, 50-state emissions-legal calibration which achieves a huge boost up to 885 horsepower and 787 foot-pounds of torque. (Requires purchase of Pre-stage Kit and Stage I Kit) Pre-stage Kit (Challenger SRT Hellcat) Pre-stage Kit includes Tuner and a pre-loaded 50-state emissions-legal calibration that adds five horsepower and allows future performance upgrades via downloadable tuning maps. Stage I Kit (Challenger SRT Hellcat) The Stage I kit adds a 3.17-inch “Hellephant” engine pulley and the Stage I key code that unlocks factory-tuned, 50-state emissions-legal calibration to achieve 757 horsepower and 696 foot-pounds of torque. (Requires purchase of Pre-stage Kit) Go to the link at the start or here for more details, but talk about a ton of performance go fast competition packages that are now warranty backed by Dodge. Dodge Announces New Direct Connection Performance Parts Lineup, Parts Catalog and Technical Hotline | Dodge Garage Other News: Seems that Toyota is now coping in looks and details the American Full size SUV. 2023 Toyota Sequoia Arrives With 437 HP And New Luxury Trim | CarBuzz

More news as it seems Stellantis is out Trademarking Avenger as an BEV in various countries. Seems an EV Muscle car maybe according to this story and the screen captures of the trademarks. Dodge Avenger Returning As Electric Muscle Car? | CarBuzz

We now know via the Cadillac Society web site that the 6.2L V8 Escalades will all come with an exclusive to Cadillac 10 Spd transmission. 2022 Cadillac Escalade Gets New 10-Speed Automatic Transmission (cadillacsociety.com) This is different than the 10spd transmission that is installed with the 3.0L diesel or the smaller V8 gas engines in GM stable. I have to also say that I am always glad to see sketches of possible design direction, but at the same time not always thrilled with the style. Interesting to say the least. Cadillac InnerSpace Concept Design Sketches Released (cadillacsociety.com) Have to say that the Matte Emerald Green Forest color is nice, shame they did it for such a short time. Dark Emerald Frost Unavailable On Collector Edition Cadillac Blackwings (cadillacsociety.com) This is an ugly black eye, I hope Cadillac gets this resolved properly. Not good to see this valve issue affecting so many Escalades, 2014 to Current and Cars with the V8 2016 to 2019. Cadillac V8 Engine Valve Lifter Suit Claims Recall Is Necessary (cadillacsociety.com)

This is a sad statistic! Omicron Deaths in U.S. Exceed Delta's Peak (msn.com) Another sad loss of life due to ignorance about Vaccines. ‘NCIS’ Actor Who Decried Vaccine Dies of COVID Complications (msn.com)

I just realized, today is Tesla Earnings Day and these 3 stories say what you want to watch for: Tesla's Earnings Day Is Here. This Is the Real Number to Watch. | Barron's (barrons.com) Earnings Preview: What To Expect From Tesla Today (forbes.com) Tesla Earnings Today: 1 Key Metric to Watch Closely | The Motley Fool

Interesting Drag race between two electric power cars. Race #1 Lucid Air DE Performance (92% SOC) Tesla Model S Plaid (92% SOC) - win 0-60 mph: 2.98 s 60-130 mph: 4.70 s 100-150 mph: 4.69 s 1/4 mile: 9.83 s @150.59 mph Race #2 Lucid Air DE Performance - win Tesla Model S Plaid (Launch Mode not used) 0-60 mph: 3.02 s 60-130 mph: 5.05 s 1/4 mile: 10.21 s @125.64 mph Race #3 Lucid Air DE Performance Tesla Model S Plaid - win 0-60 mph: 2.56 s 60-130 mph: 4.98 s 1/4 mile: 9.67 s @146.02 mph Race #4: Roll race at 25 mph (40 km/h) Lucid Air DE Performance: Tesla Model S Plaid - win Watch Lucid Air Dream Edition P Vs Tesla Model S Plaid Drag Races (insideevs.com) I am sure some will be excited for this brand, but meh by me, but seems 5 new BEVs in 2025 and pure BEV only by 2030. Bentley announces 'Beyond100' sustainability strategy, investing nearly $3.4 billion to go all-electric by 2030, five new BEVs starting in 2025 - Electrek

Seems that Foxconn bought at the end of 2021 Lordstown EV Plant in Lordstown, Ohio. As such, with the purchase came an agreement to produce the Lordstown Endurance Pickup truck with Deliveries to begin in Q3 2022. Foxconn chairman predicts exceptional Q1 but challenging 2022 - Nikkei Asia Lordstown Endurance electric pickups will be delivered in 2022, claims Foxconn chairman (greencarreports.com) Seems Foxconn will also produce 3 other BEVs at this plant for sale in North America. Seems this truck might get to market after all and before Tesla.

Bunker Slot Windows is the Number One Complaint I hear about the Camaro. Especially from more established Camaro fans. Young, new Muscle car people seem to not care as much, but the current Camaro is a Failure IMHO.

Good question, but I do not think that will happen. If you ask most people what they hate about ICE auto's, you find fueling, maintenance and repairs. Repairs happen no matter what type of auto you get, but maintenance can be reduced and fueling, this is resolved for local driving by charging at home or work. I see nothing but better quality of life which is what technology is all about, making life better. Better questions to ask I think: Do you want to plug in at home and recharge starting every day with a full battery charge or have to drive to a fuel station to refill? If stuck in traffic, would you rather burn fuel to stay comfortable dwindling your tank faster or have the intelligence of the computer direct power consumption only to those items that need to use it to regulate the comfort of the auto? Most electric auto's do not have the lubricants that ICE auto's have and require going to the dealership or a 3rd party place to have addressed. That maintenance is what most auto owners I believe would love to get rid of. We currently have generic appliances that as many here have stated are forgettable. As such, how would that change as most EV's right now are forgettable. Examples of BLAH BEV's: Tesla auto's Mercedes Nissan BMW Examples of BEV's that I believe are to stick in the minds of people: F150 Lighting Mach-E GMC Hummer Rivian Yes, a very debatable list of autos but I do think there are those that are very attractive to the consumer and then there are the lemming mobiles. We have this whether it be ICE or BEV.

This is a perfect example of how technology is helping to make a better quality of life over old ways of doing things. This is why Human Society must evolve. Better for all IMHO.

Happy Birthday @Paolino Wishing you an awesome day!

This is sad that a Nurse gets infected with Covid and dies 12hrs later. It 'Went Downhill Extremely Fast': Nurse Dies 12 Hours After Testing Positive for COVID (msn.com) They do not state if he was vaccinated or not since Florida does not require it, but he did have heart issues and the Covid attacked his heart issue and killed him. Update: According to this story it would seem he was unvaccinated and got the vaccine once he was diagnosed having Covid. It ‘Went Downhill Extremely Fast’: Nurse Vaccinated & Died 12 Hrs After Testing Positive W/COVID-19 – Nats News (nataliekeshing.com)

No matter how we look at it be boosted, fully vaccinated only or 1 dose, the U.S. is FAILING at leading the World. So many places are doing a better job than here in the US. Sad that due to ignorance, lack of common sense, how ever you want to state it, be they educated or uneducated, the unvaccinated are hurting this country more than helping. The other issue is the people that are now complaining about not being able to work cause companies are forcing vaccination on them. This is an issue that again shows their ignorance as a private company can decide if they want vaccinated or unvaccinated employees. If a person wants to work, then getting vaccinated so it is not a limit in job application is a no brainer. Agree, at this point the comparison should be boosted citizens in the world. Based on Booster, then Chile is leading the world and the US is in 12th place.

Sorry it was not clear enough as the funny was the web site posting it. I have since clarified it.

I find this sad about the people who have died and funny at the same time based on the web site that is listing them. Famous Anti-Vaxxers Who Have Died From COVID-19 | NewsOne

Seems Chevrolet is sending out a link to allow one to do a Virtual up close and personal tour of the Chevrolet Silverado EV. S-Electric AR Final - Animations (silveradoevathome.com)

GM is accelerating its drive to lead the EV industry with a $7 billion investment in Michigan, creating 4,000 New Jobs and retaining 1,000 existing jobs. One can watch the 46-minute announcement here: https://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/home.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2022/jan/0125-michigan-investment.html With our investments in charging infrastructure, our dealer network and digital platforms for our customers, General Motors is well on its way to U.S. EV leadership by mid-decade. We’ll have the broadest EV portfolio, with an EV for every lifestyle and price point. The bulk of the details are as follows: Orion Assembly to become the 2nd U.S. plant building Chevrolet Silverado EV and electric GMC Sierra By the end of 2025, GM to have more than 1 million units of electric vehicle capacity in North America GM and LG Energy Solution to build 3rd U.S. Ultium Cells battery cell manufacturing plant to increase battery supply $7 billion is the largest single investment announcement in GM history Lansing Michigan is where the 3rd Ultium battery plant is to be built. GM's assembly plant in Orion Township, Michigan will be converted to build the full-size Chevrolet and GMC electric pickups. Quoting Mary Barra: “We are building on the positive consumer response and reservations for our recent EV launches and debuts, including GMC HUMMER EV, Cadillac LYRIQ, Chevrolet Equinox EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV. Our plan creates the broadest EV portfolio of any automaker and further solidifies our path toward U.S. EV leadership by mid-decade.” Factory ZERO and the Lansing assembly plant will be capable of 600,000 electric pickup trucks by the end of the year. GM has been the leader in U.S. full-size truck deliveries over the past two years and GM is going to build on this. Specific details are as follows for the Orion Assembly and new Ultium Cell battery plant: Orion Assembly for production of Chevrolet Silverado EV and electric GMC Sierra — GM is investing $4 billion to convert the facility to produce electric trucks using the GM-developed Ultium Platform, which gives the company the flexibility to build vehicles for every customer and segment. This investment is expected to create more than 2,350 new jobs at Orion and retain approximately 1,000 current jobs when the plant is fully operational. GM estimates the new jobs at Orion will be filled by a combination of GM transferees and new hires. Electric truck production, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV and electric GMC Sierra, will begin at Orion in 2024. The Orion investment will drive significant facility and capacity expansion at the site, including new body and paint shops and new general assembly and battery pack assembly areas. Production of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV will continue during the plant’s conversion. Site work begins immediately. New Ultium Cells battery cell plant at Lansing site — GM and LG Energy Solution, via their Ultium Cells joint venture, are investing $2.6 billion to build Ultium Cells' third U.S. battery cell manufacturing plant. This investment is expected to create more than 1,700 new Ultium Cells jobs when the plant is fully operational. Site preparations will begin this summer and battery cell production is scheduled to begin in late 2024. Ultium Cells Lansing will supply battery cells to Orion Assembly and other GM assembly plants. In addition to this announcement, GM is investing $510 million in the following two Lansing Assembly plants. Lansing Delta Township Assembly — Investment is for production of the next-generation Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave. Lansing Grand River Assembly — Investment is for plant upgrades. GM is now projecting that 50% of North America assembly production will be EV production by 2030. GM is also working to expand and build a new supply chain via strategic supplier agreements for batteries and EV components, this is expected to be scalable, more resilient, sustainable and North American Focused. The following strategic supplier agreements include the following: MP Materials to scale rare earth magnet sourcing and production in the U.S. VAC to build a new magnet factory in the U.S. to support EV growth. POSCO to build a new North America plant to process Cathode Active Material. GE Renewable Energy to serve as a source of rare earth and other materials. Wolfspeed to develop and provide silicon carbide power device solutions. Controlled Thermal Resources to develop a source of U.S.-based lithium through a closed-loop process with lower carbon emissions when compared to traditional processes. GM expects to have more than 1 million units of BEV assembly capacity by 2025 and the capability to respond to the projected growing electric vehicle demand. GM North America is currently building or converting the following to build EVs. Factory ZERO - Detroit and Hamtramck Michigan Spring Hills Assembly, Spring Hills, Tennessee CAMI - Ingersoll, Ontario Ramos Arizpe Assembly, Mexico GM Accelerates its Drive to Lead the EV Industry with $7 Billion Investment in Michigan, Creating 4,000 New Jobs and Retaining 1,000 (3) A $7 Billion Investment in Michigan | LinkedIn GM Quote Sheet GM's Commitment to EV Jobs & Investments in Michigan GM in the U.S. View full article