G. David Felt

Been keeping to a 75K miles and it seems to work for me.

Gotta Love Production of the Hummer EV by GMC.

Actually Robert, I will have to disagree with you as I feel the V8's then had certain designs that were better than the dry sump design they are using now and especially with all the stories you see on the web by unhappy GM Full Size Truck/SUV owners about their engines ticking and noisy till they drive them a bit and the failures that seem to have happened for some. Old GM as a Company was poorly run by executives compared to today's GM, but technology in certain cases seems to have been better than now. All I know is the lifter noises have gone away since I switched to Synthetic after my first oil change was regular and it was noisy. Since then I have no complaints about my Escalade. Yet with newer GM V8's you can find plenty of unhappy customers on the web posting about their Tick Tick Tick V8's. Makes one wonder why the dry sump design is supposedly better. I get it from a racing standpoint but then those engines rarely see the service life our engines see.

Knowing that my full-size SUVs seem to go 300,000 miles plus following the OEM recommendation for Service makes spending money on a 30K mile service seem crazy IMHO also like @balthazar has stated. The place I have used for Transmission service does the Drop n Drain and breaks open the filter to see if any or what size metal bits are in the filter. Then while it is open, they flush the Torque converter using a flush machine. Pretty interesting to watch as you see every little bit of old trans fluid come out. Seems to be working for me and will stick with the schedule of service. Discovered one interesting thing today as I have been looking at the $40 to $100 headlight restoration kits as the SS had the right-side light fogged and the left side was starting to get a little fogging. Wife was getting together with her small bubble of girlfriends for a cookie making day. So I wanted to ensure she had good visibility as the rain has been crazy here lately, the last month and now they are calling for snow. So cleaned the windshield and rainX it as it keeps it so clear much longer than without. So I had my RainX rag and decided to wipe the headlights. WOW was I surprised by the amount of crude it took off, so I used a bit more RainX and cleaned both headlights. No fogging and very clear now. Was very bright when she left.

Been out of the car segment so is the Malibu considered mid-size or full size now? They seem to always come into a segment on the small size and then update/upgrade to a much bigger size such as they did with the Sportage. Was smallest in its class and it is now the biggest in its class.

This brings up so many good movie references of enjoyment. RoboCop (1987) - IMDb Bicentennial Man (1999) - IMDb A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) - IMDb RoboCop (2014) - IMDb Ex Machina (2014) - IMDb Chappie (2015) - IMDb Ghost in the Shell (2017) - IMDb

Factorial Energy has had a major 4th quarter as they secured Agreements with Stellantis, Daimler, Hyundai and Kia to use their 40Ah battery packs in their electric vehicles. The company backed by major investors such as Former President and CEO of Ford Motor Company, Mark Fields; former senior advisor to the Obama Administration's presidential task force on the Auto Industry, Harry Wilson and investment firms Gatemore Capital Management and Wave Equity Partners have enabled Factorial to jump from a tech startup doing research to a commercial production company. Factorial Energy has stated that for EVs to go from a global 4% capture of the global car sales market to a dominate primary auto, buyers need to see dramatic price and performance improvements in the battery systems. Factorials proprietary battery breakthrough called FEST (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology) is a solid electrolyte material that enables save and reliable cell performance with high-voltage and high-energy density electrodes. FEST is safer than conventional current EV battery technology. Fest battery packs have yielded a 20 to 50% improvement in driving range without sacrificing pack longevity and are easy to integrate into existing supply chains. Earlier this year, Factorial Energy has stated that several major automotive partners were validating their technology in real world auto testing. This clearly has completed as they currently announced agreements with Stellantis, Daimler, Hyundai and Kia for jointly developing from the cell-level to modules and vehicle integration production of their 40Ah solid state battery cells. Factorial Energy with their new partners is building plants around the world to ramp up production for new EVs that are coming out through 2025. Every company is taking a different approach to working with Factorial Energy. Daimler is looking to use it in a limited series to get EVs out onto the market as they R&D and work to build their own batteries. Hyundai and Kia look to use this company in all EVs as one of many suppliers in getting EVs into mainstream use and purchasing. Stellantis has stated these batteries will be used across the whole company portfolio from Americus brands, to European, Asian and into Africa. Stellantis sees these solid-state batteries as a starting point for mass adoption of global EVs. As Factorial likes to state, for ages, the promise of an affective, safe solid-state battery has been the ultimate unattainable goal - ideal, enticing but always out of reach. Consider this Quote: "The storage battery is, in my opinion, a catchpenny, a sensation, a mechanism for swindling the public by stock companies." The speaker: Thomas Edison, The year: 1883. 138 years later, that sentiment has held true. Factorial Energy has invested heavily in solid-state battery research over the past 6 years and their process is a practical customer-driven solution, a balanced performance-profile solid-state cell that scales at a reasonable cost. Applications perfect for this solid-state battery cell are EVs, Hi-Spec such as electric planes and stationary storage. Transformational solid-state battery technology that is empowering a sustainable future with the highest performance and safest batteries for electric vehicles, homes and critical applications is the message from Factorial Energy. Join the Future! Solid-state Battery & Technology News | Factorial (factorialenergy.com) Hyundai, Kia and Factorial Energy to Jointly Develop Solid-State Batteries for Next Generation Electric Vehicles - Hyundai Newsroom Stellantis and Factorial Energy to Jointly Develop Solid-State Batteries for Electric Vehicles | Stellantis Solid-state batteries: Mercedes-Benz teams up with Factorial Energy - Daimler Global Media Site View full article

Thinking on the EV9 Concept at 194 inches in overall length, I took a look at the Chevrolet Tahoe which is 210 inches overall length and the Rivian R1S which is 200 inches overall length. This makes me think Kia is looking to enter the full-size SUV/CUV market with the EV9.

Kia has launched the 2023 family of ICE, Hybrid and EVs in Seoul Korea along with concepts at the LA auto show. The Kia Niro is a move forward leading Kia to a more sustainable future. The Niro was revealed as an all-new auto making sustainable mobility accessible for everyone. Refreshed exterior with wide rear pillar, simple lines and transformed tiger face Innovative interior features and sustainable materials Greenzone Drive Mode technology integrates sustainability into daily life The Kia Niro was developed under the companies Opposites United Design philosophy and is strongly influenced from the 2019 Habaniro concept. The Kia Niro will be available in HEV, PHEV and EV powertrains starting in 2023. More details at the following link: Kia Global Media Center : The all-new Kia Niro world debuts at 2021 Seoul Mobility Show (kianewscenter.com) Kia Global Media Center : Kia HabaNiro Concept heats up Manhattan (kianewscenter.com) The LA autoshow was the launch point for the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid CUV. Kia released the following details about the all new 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. Hybrid iteration of completely redesigned Sportage SUV unveiled October 2021 226hp turbo hybrid powertrain: superb performance, up to 39 MPG (targeted) More than 500 miles of driving range Larger in every dimension with best-in-class rear legroom and cargo room1 CO2 emissions reduced by nearly 40 percent over outgoing model Available dual panoramic 12.3-inch display screens3 8 standard Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) 1.6-liter turbo GDI engine 44kW permanent magnet electric motor High-output 1.49 kWh lithium-ion battery 6-speed automatic transmission with rotary style shifter Class-leading 2,000 lb towing capacity Active AWD is standard on EX and SX-Prestige trims, while LX is available with a choice of FWD and Active AWD Active AWD system2 uses electro-hydraulic coupling with center-locking differential to actively distribute power between front and rear wheels depending on road and driving conditions E-Handling uses the hybrid motor to deliver a confident driving experience Standard paddle shifters and Drive Mode Select with ECO, Sport, Smart and Snow modes Moving from the smallest CUV in its class to the largest in its class Kia has pointed out the following: Overall length is 7.1 inches longer than the previous generation, with a 3.4-inch longer wheelbase Taller and wider by a half inch compared to the previous generation Class-leading rear legroom with 41.3 inches of room1 Best-in-Class rear cargo capacity of 39.5 cu-ft. of space1 Dual level cargo floor More details and images at the press release link: ALL-NEW 2023 KIA SPORTAGE HYBRID DEBUTS AT LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW (kiamedia.com) Kia has the EV6 as their initial EV launch vehicle available in all states starting in 2023. With that Kia revealed their EV9 Concept, the second expected CUV in their EV lineup that is coming. Seems more and more the future of interior is to be very open and spacious for end users. It seems the future is also where the customer can auto configure their seats as needed for lifestyle needs be it tailgating to camping. The Concept EV9 had the following released details: 194 inches in length, 81 inches wide, 70 inches in height and a 122-inch wheelbase 300-mile electric driving range Ultra-fast charging technology using 350 kW charging for quick replenish of energy Hood vent area is a solar panel allowing the auto to capture energy while maintaining the interior needs of the user Panoramic sky roof allowing for maximum natural light Inspired by water taking on the characteristics of serenity, calmness and wellbeing Sustainable Mobility as the EV9 embraces Kia's carbon neutrality goal The Kia Concept EV9 – Kia’s all-electric SUV concept takes center stage at AutoMobility LA (kiamedia.com) Photos & Videos - Kia America Newsroom (kiamedia.com) Kia Telluride was named to the Car and Drivers 10 best 2022 models. Kia has their 2023 lineup of cars and CUVs on display at LA showing the future of Kia. Kia America Newsroom (kiamedia.com) Photos & Videos - Auto Shows - Kia America Newsroom (kiamedia.com) View full article

Who does not, especially coming off Thanksgiving? I love cooking with the wife, so food is always on my mind.

An example is BOSE, no retailer is allowed to discount their products unless they have approved such a promotion, nor is any approved retailer allowed to sell above MSRP. They ensure the retailer makes a fair profit and they make a fair profit. Ford problem is they market an amazing auto at a MSRP price. They should be ensuring their dealership network sells at the MSRP price and makes a fair profit. M.A. is greed pure and simple and give Ford a black eye by those wanting to buy their products. I do not see a Mach-E that I agree is a better product than a Tesla Y being sold with an M.A. of $16 Grand to use your example of a great deal. Ford set expectations of their selling price of a Mach-E with the MSRP. The Dealers should be honoring this as a retailer for Fords Products. Ford should be ensuring the dealers make a fair profit and not allow the gouging. IMHO

We are not wrong; we just see it differently than you and disagree with you. While GM even now makes product with questionable decisions, and I will not cover for those either, this thread is focused on Tesla and competition or issues that could destroy or hurt Tesla. Example of what I hate about GM is some of the shortcuts they make on their engine design. Currently is the Tick Tick Tick noise the V8's make on startup till oil is up through everything and then it goes away. I had the Tick Tick Tick on my Escalade till I changed to synthetic, and it went away. GM says this is OK and normal, I disagree, no reason an engine should make noise that go away once oil is flowing. They did not do this in the past and yet now it is acceptable to some, yet not to me. Just another reason I have decided to not buy any ICE auto from GM or any other company but wait it out for EVs. So agree to disagree is where we are at. No Whining but pointing out that Tesla says they are better quality and a luxury auto company and yet you find clear issues of subpar construction. End of Line!

I am going to wait this mess out as like you, I have no problem taking care of my rides and going long on owning them. One thing that is crazy especially on the Mach-E is that some of my coworkers who have pre-ordered them on the internet with Ford have hit the dealerships to finish up the deal only to have them say they want X amount of M.A. to finish the deal and that has killed many a EV purchase as I do not blame my coworkers for NOT wanting to be gouged. Kinda Sucks.

An enjoyable discussion, we will agree to disagree as I do not think I am a drama queen when I have seen so many New Tesla hitting the road and the number of QA issues seem to be glaring to me. But then as one that is a voice of the customer for our UDS storage division at Dell, I do pay attention to all details even if it is not a big deal to you as the company needs to know when quality sucks especially in the unstructured data storage area. We are after all in the Tesla thread. So bitch or praise away as we discuss Tesla.

I get the point you're all making, but to me as @ccap41 has state he would never support them, I also refuse to support a dealership like that. Sadly, all the dealerships around me are using M.A. on the Mach-E so getting one might not happen for me. Another reason to continue to do the maintenance and take care of my existing autos till this shortage craziness is over.

Thank you, I did not consider that this could be a used Tesla 3 that has been resold, but even then if it is resold from an existing old school dealership, they usually review the auto like this with the customer and if it is from a Tesla store, then why did it get sold with the taillight that way. Yes, we could say that it is an item on the owed list of things Tesla or the used auto dealership has to fix. Yet I did state that I am seeing this on more and more Tesla autos. The amount of Semi trucks loaded with Tesla autos is very noticeable around here and I have to think that this is more a chance of it being new than used as I do not find very many used Tesla on the web for sale locally. We have all seen pictures of the quality problems. We have also seen plenty of images about the Model 3 rear bumpers coming off that Tesla had to address. So in a 21st century why should I cut Tesla any slack when GM, Ford, Chrysler, etc. of American auto companies were taken to task for the same type of stuff in the past. Tesla should have learned from these companies to NOT make these same mistakes, but they seem to be reproducing the same QA issues. Will be interesting to see how Rivian holds up as real world starts pounding on those trucks.

I will have to disagree with you as the non-functional taillight is on a NEW, just got it's temp paper license plate. This is the same thing I know we have all seen on the old GM where headlights and taillights had moisture in them and did not work on new autos. In today's age of QA, this kind of thing should not be showing up on a new off the showroom or parking lot. This is one thing I wonder about, while not liking how some dealerships sell their autos, many do a decent job on auto prep for new autos to be sold. Does Tesla have a prep job that should have caught this?

I get what you and others are saying, yet leadership is where all things start and from day 1 I have not been a Musk Fan of his leadership. Yes, he has done wonders for Tesla marketing and selling and keeping the company afloat when it should have folded, but overall, the many QC problems on Tesla autos and the less than stellar support from the company is just a few of the many issues I have with Tesla including the less than impressive leadership. Rivian I feel is a much better led company. I get what you are saying and how some members have handled things, but I do feel my laugh is deserved as I do remember the quality problems the OLD GM had as an owner of and still owner of my very first GMC Suburban that I have from 1993, a 1994 model I bought. I think I deserve the right to laugh about GM's quality issues as I have had to deal with them in the past. I am sure there are still many issues today in the new GM that I have not seen or had to deal with due to the way I buy, service and use my auto's. Lucky me. No Auto Company is perfect, Looking at Daimler to Toyota and GM. There will always be room for error, but currently Tesla is hitting more errors than quality and the global ramp up might have something to do with it along with the distractions of space, Semi trucks, etc.

With all the Drizzle and lately the Atmospheric rainstorms, water is a big issue here and having leaks like I am seeing on more and more Tesla Auto's does not give me that warm fuzzy sense of quality or Luxury. At this point I would take a Ford or GM over Tesla any day.

I would love this too, but there is one big BIG BIG glaring problem. Dealership GREED, I like the looks and am interested in the Mach-E, but my local ford dealers have all put anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 adjusted market value on the auto's, as such I am seeing more and more Mach-E sit on the lots. This is not good for Ford and not good for consumers when the greedy dealerships screw you over. This is what will make it hard on changing over when states protect greedy dealerships rather than letting sales via all means, online, direct and dealership play out. The old days of dealership protection needs to come to an end and let them compete on services.

Founder, Chairman and CEO of NIO, William Li announced with Executive VP István Kapitány of Shell Mobility have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to collaborate on electric vehicle charging and battery swapping across China and all of Europe. Nio and Shell will jointly construct and operate the battery charging and swapping facilities. Initial phase 1 will be to have 100 battery stations up and running in China by 2025 and to jointly build and operate an undisclosed number of stations across Europe by 2022 that will be available to NIO customers. NIO started auto deliveries to Norway this fall of 2021 marking its first step outside China in opening up new territories of business. In 2022 NIO will expand sales across Europe with both retail and commercial offerings. NIO started in 2018 in China and has delivered over 100,000 electric vehicles. Shell is one of the world's largest gasoline retailers and has announced they plan to be a leading charging service provider worldwide as they add charging to their global station network. Together NIO and SHELL will explore and collaborate on opportunities in global battery asset management, fleet management, membership system, home charging services, advanced battery charging and swapping technology development and construction of fast charging facilities. NIO and SHELL have both stated this cooperation demonstrates the ability to use the strengths of both companies as they accelerate the energy transition and commitment to sustainable development globally. NIO has stated that this agreement will help accelerate the existing NIO stations in China of which NIO operates 301 battery swap stations, 204 power charging stations and 382 destination charging stations in China. NIO has completed as of this announcement 2.9 million battery swaps and 600,000 uses of One-Click-for-Power services. NIO and Shell agreement will help NIO achieve going beyond their current target of having 700 battery swap stations by the end of 2021. From 2022 to 2025 NIO / SHELL will build an additional 600 battery swap stations in China and by the end of 2025 NIO / SHELL plans to have over 4,000 battery swap stations globally. NIO has also announced that the NIO Power Charging ans swapping system, as well as BaaS (Batter-as-a-Service), will be fully available to the global industry. NIO has expanded on what Tesla once thought and considered for battery swapping which can be done in 90 seconds or so on a Tesla, but costs of $60 to $80 per swap made it too expensive for CEO Musk. As such Tesla has continued to push charging only and improvements to their battery tech saying that BSM (battery Swap Mode) will go away as the industry focuses on fast charging only. NIO does not believe BSM will get kicked out as NIO autos can be charged or swapped depending on the needs of the customer and with BaaS (Battery-as-a-Service) this gives customers more options in being able to purchase the auto they want and only pay for larger battery packs when they need them for say a long road trip. NIO believes BSM, BaaS and self-charging are not in conflict but complement each other based on the needs at the time for the customer. This battery tech option allows customers to recharge, replace or upgrade at the users choice and convenience rather than forcing a single option on them. Does the Battery Matter? Tesla has chosen to take the supercharger station as the focus to eventually get to where ICE autos are with recharging in 5 to 10 minutes to a full battery pack. NIO believes that a battery swap of a depleted one for a fully charged one is a better option especially when one might want to go to a larger or smaller battery pack depending on driving needs. NIO BaaS allows owners to buy the auto they want without a battery pack. This allows a savings of $10,000 dollars on average for all of the NIO models, NIO owners then subscribe to a 70 kilowatt battery subscription for $142 a month, stopping by battery swap stations to get a fully charged one when it is needed. NIO admits that the BaaS is a great tool to get user feedback on battery performance and user preferences as they can move up or down in battery size depending on their driving needs. NIO owners have loved the battery swapping service which on average takes only 10 minutes or less. Customers have also stated they love the reservation system to ensuring a fully charged battery is ready for them ahead of their arrival at the station. This makes for a convenient road trip system. NIO offers a wide range of EVs from the NIO EP9 performance car to the CUV 6 series with the ET7 sedan and ES8 CUV in between serving the needs of all customers. EP9 ES8 ET7 EC6 NIO Signs Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Shell | NIO NIO Announces NIO Power 2025 Battery Swap Station Deployment Plan | NIO Tesla vs Nio: Is it smarter to charge or swap battery? - CGTN View full article

Interesting observation as I see more and more new Tesla auto's that have defects right off the line like this model 3 with a failed rear left tail light and moisture in the lens. With quality like this, competition can easily beat Tesla.