G. David Felt

The final day of Summer is used to reveal the flagship full size SUV by Ford, the new 2022 Expedition! Ford choose to start at an entry level point with the new 2022 Ford Expedition Timberline Series. This is Fords most off-road-capable Expedition they have ever made with higher ground clearance to help clear obstacles, Trail Turn Assist for making tight turns, plus the F-150 Raptor heavy-duty underbody skid plate system for the ultimate rugged off-road ability. Press Release Quote: The new Expedition elevates itself above competitors with new class-exclusive features, plus new capabilities and technologies, including: First Timberline series elevates the Expedition above the Jeep® Wagoneer with best available ground clearance in its class of 10.6 inches (versus a maximum 10 inches for Jeep Wagoneer), F-150 Raptor underbody protection and best available power in its class Expedition Timberline SUV model weighs 4% less than Jeep Wagoneer SUV and boasts a better power-to-weight ratio, as Ford’s high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine tops the Jeep Wagoneer SUV 5.7-liter V8 engine with 48 additional horsepower and 106 more lb.-ft. of torque Timberline boosts Expedition trail capability, starting with standard 10.6-inch best ground clearance in its class and a wider track, while improved approach and departure angles enable deeper travel into the backcountry on tougher trails. Timberline is powered by Ford’s high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine producing 440 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque. More functional upgrades include Trail Turn Assist – the same system as on Bronco™ SUV – that can tighten the turning radius on hairpin trails to take customers further off-road8, rugged 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler™ AT tires, two-speed transfer case and tough F-150 Raptor underbody shielding. Ford Continues with off-road capability with interior comfort with a Timberline focused interior and depending on package, two different interior dashes. If Trail off-road capability is not your interest then we can move onto the next model of Expedition in the 2022 Expedition Stealth. The Stealth edition Performance Package combines unique athletic styling appointments with best-in-class power from a high-output twin-turbo 3.5 liter V6 EcoBoost engine producing 440 HP and 510 lb-ft of torque, with sport tuned suspension supplying maximum on-road fun and driving confidence. The Stealth edition Performance Package delivers 85 more horsepower and 127 lb-ft of more torque than the Chevrolet Tahoe RST SUV with the 5.3L V8. If off-road prowess and street stealthy power is not your interest, then there is the luxury 2022 Expedition Platinum SUV. The Platinum edition will debut Ford BlueCruise hands-free driver-assist technology built upon adaptive cruise control with stop-in-go, lane centering and speed sign recognition. It allows the owners to operate their vehicle hands-free on the highway while being monitored with a driver-facing camera to ensure they keep their eyes on the road. Elevating the luxury level is a new instrument panel and craftsmanship with a 12.4 high-definition digital gauge cluster. The new Expedition comes standard with SYNV 4 or the Optional SYNC 4A system which uses a 15.5 inch high-definition touch display, largest in it's class. The ultimate in sound is provided on the Platinum Expedition with a 22 speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. This 360 degree surround sound system is available on the other models as an upgrade. The 2022 Ford Expedition also comes in an entry level XL, Limited and Limited Max editions too. Expeditions equipped with the 3.5L GTDI engine in 4x2 configuration has a maximum towing of 9,300 pounds when equipped with the Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package. Ford for 2022 has made the following standard on every Expedition: Road Edge Detection: This feature engages the steering system to help you maintain your position in the lane on roads with a visible line or a clear edge Intersection Assist: It’s not easy to traverse a busy intersection, especially when you need to consider other vehicles around you. Available Intersection Assist can help. Intersection Assist uses the front camera and radar sensors to detect oncoming traffic while you are attempting to turn left. If there’s a risk of a potential collision with an oncoming vehicle, your vehicle can alert you and apply the brakes. This just might give you more confidence when attempting to make a left turn at an intersection Reverse Brake Assist: Backing out of parking spaces often puts drivers in situations with limited visibility, so this feature senses oncoming pedestrians and vehicles, alerts the driver, and automatically brakes if the vehicle is at risk of a collision Evasive Steering Assist: It happens. Traffic is rolling along smoothly when suddenly there’s a slow or stopped vehicle in your path. This available feature can help make it easier to potentially avoid a collision. It doesn’t steer for you, but it can provide extra steering support if the system’s warning goes off and you need to maneuver around the vehicle ahead Active Air Dam: This available new feature improves aerodynamics, deploying at speeds above 40 mph then automatically retracting at lower speeds for city driving and parking The 2022 Expeditions can be equipped with Pro Trailer Backup Assist 2.0 which uses the rear camera and park aid sensors to detect a trailer, with the user directing it through a control knob and backup camera screen. Version 2.0 improves on the previous system that required the driver to put a “target” on the trailer and to in-put trailer dimensions – automating all of that for a more seamless user experience. Please read the disclosure claims at the press release link below for more details on the features listed here. Press Release - New Ford Expedition Raises Bar Among Full-Size SUVs with Most Off-Road Capable, Most Powerful, Smartest Expedition Ever | Ford Media Center 2022 Timberline Images 2022 Ford Stealth Images 2022 Ford Platinum Images View full article

BRONCO Fans Rejoice, Ford has posted this to the official Ford YouTube Channel Ford Bronco Raptor is coming 2022

Today GM president Mark Reuss revealed the trio of electric motors that will power the Ultium-based EVs and the assumption that the e-crate Performance plug n drive that GM has talked about based on Ultium. Designed and calibrated in-house by GM to ensure the highest level of performance we get the following Ultium Drive motors. 62 kW or 83 HP all-wheel drive assist motor 180 kW or 241 HP front-drive motor 255 kW or 342 HP rear and or front-drive motor The three motors, 62 kW, 180 kW, and 255 kW motors are built as a scalable family, sharing design principles as well as similar tooling and manufacturing strategies. This allows for a mix n match approach allowing GM to offer unique branding solutions that offer excellent torque and power density across a wide spectrum of vehicles from performance cars to work trucks. This trio of motor options is what allows Hummer by GMC to use three of the 255 kW motors to produce the 1,000 HP. GM President Reuss stated, "Twenty years of electric drive system development and more than 100 years of high-volume vehicle engineering are helping GM pivot quickly from conventional vehicles to EVs”. Reuss believes this vertical integration of both hardware and software allows GM to have full control over their own destiny and is a significant competitive advantage. GM is looking to reduce pressure on the planet as the 180 and 255 kW motors are permanent magnet design which minimizes reliance on heavy rare earth materials. The 62 kW unit is an induction motor. Ultium Drive software development starts at the GM's Global Technical Center in Warren Michigan, Global Propulsion Systems in Pontiac, Michigan, and Milford Proving Ground where a team of nearly 11,000 team members work on the Ultium Drive software development. This number is projected to be a growth area for GM as it serves as a critical pillar of GM's all-electric Future vision. Ultium Drive Software is key to serving the propulsion needs of the vehicle portfolio of GM's future. Computer-assisted and virtual engineering is helping to move product development that would take four plus years and reduce it to a quick, safe and cost-effective manner in delivering new auto's to market in only a couple years. A.I. and machine learning is helping to determine the most efficient ways to distribute torque in a three-motor system like the GMC Hummer EV, allowing extreme off-road capable vehicles to also drive smoothly and comfortably on surface streets. Faster go-to-market times is being achieved by the Ultium Drive Software which was originally designed allowing for reuse in many applications of future EV products. GM's Ultium Drive Unit The brains behind every Ultium powered auto is this Ultium Drive unit that can work with any combination of Ultium drives. This includes the software of key power electronic components such as the power inverter module, which converts DC voltage from battery to AC voltage to power the motors. To quote GM's press release: The HUMMER EV’s 0-60 mph acceleration in a GM-estimated approximately three seconds – Watts to Freedom mode2 –is largely due to GM’s electric drive software expertise in addition to its key competencies in motor controls, power electronics, motor design and development. With GM's current EVs, that being the Chevrolet BOLT, BOLT EUV and past electric autos such as the VOLT, the inverter, power electronics, accessory power module, onboard charging module all resided outside in individual units adding to complexity and cost. The Ultium Drive Unit will have all this integrated reducing cost and manufacturing complexity leading to a planned higher reliability. As some might say, simplicity is the answer to reliability thus GM's move to reduced complexity. GM's equivalent electric parts of today in an Ultium design will have 50% less mass and volume while giving 25% more capability. GM's All-New EV motors and integrated power electronics, contained within its Ultium Drive Units Debut on the 2022 GMC Hummer Pickup and 2023 GMC Hummer SUV with the Truck production and sales starting later in 2021. Production of GMC Hummer Ultium powered electric vehicles will be done at the Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck site. GM Reveals All-New EV Motors to Power an All-Electric Future Architecture-and-Ultium-Battery-System (2).pdf View full article

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Tomb

This Movie I am excited for also, but sad that I have to wait for streaming as I no longer go to the dirty smelly theaters.

There is a difference between the Rental market and Commercial fleet market that companies like Skanska are or state, county or city governments that buy a bunch of trucks for use. Fleet is not focused on only Rental and when was the last time you saw a rental company with a huge fleet of trucks? I sure have not, yes a few trucks are in rental, but no fleet is so much more than Rental.

I agree that they are using a better platform, but so many decades to get to a boxed High-Strength Steel Frame is sad and I am still not 100% sure I like having critical components built into said frame such as the Steering box they have in the frame cross member. Hopefully it truly will be better in salty areas. I do find it interesting that the press release is very clear about this global truck being designed, engineered and of course will be built in the US. Since the truck is designed, engineered and built by US folks, one would have thought they would have been more expansive in the options list to be more competitive with the US brands.

I wanted to be sure and so went back and read the press release again and they are very clear that this 2022 Tundra is to be their Global Truck replacing all other full size trucks. I then went into their press site for the Tacoma and bingo, the 2022 Tacoma is to become a global truck also. This makes me think Toyota is looking to simplify and reduce costs on their truck line without adding anything and as you pointed out, they have dropped the regular cab which is popular in the commercial segment. Though with that said, I do wonder if they might not offer a regular cab in other markets where they sell much more than here. We have seen this with GM, Ford and Ram where they sell versions not sold here in the U.S. Either way, Toyota seems to be reducing their product mix with Global Auto's for a less cost and what becomes a less regional vehicle as they move to just sell a global model everywhere. ? If memory serves me correct, GM did this when they were a true global brand before their big decline.

Thank you for pointing that out, with the lite rail construction so busy going on, there is a ton of trucks with 8ft beds around my area and I honestly have not bothered looking at the weight class as I see so many crew cabs with 8ft beds being used by Skanska construction on this massive job across 3 counties here. Makes sense that they are 3/4 or 1 ton trucks with single wheel in back. Just checked and did not realize how big Skanska is as an international company and so many new GM white trucks in this area for the lite rail project. Cool to see the live web cams on this project. Mountlake Terrace where I live. TrueLook - SKANSKA | LYNNWOOD LINK EXTENSION L300 #1 Lynnwood where I used to catch the bus before becoming a permanent work from home person. TrueLook - SKANSKA | LYNNWOOD LINK EXTENSION L300 #3 Lynnwood Link Extension | Project map and summary | Sound Transit The picture gallery shows that Ford and GM won big time on all the trucks that Skanska has in use for this mega project. The Platform - Fresh pics | Sound Transit

It is weird how they have the 3 beds and non are really any standard size especially the 8.1 ft length bed. Talk about weird sizing. Worst yet is rereading it, I see now that the Crewcab or Crewmax does not get the 8.1ft length bed, only the double cab which is in essence a king cab model. Some very weird choices as most 8ft beds I see on Crewcab trucks.

@regfootball Sing it a song, give it some synthetic oil, a wash and wax, heck the best thing it wants is a Spa Day!

My Friend, you had me confused till I went back and reread the press release. Double Cab and CrewMax. Double Cab models will be offered with the choice of a 6.5-foot bed or an 8.1-foot bed. CrewMax models will be offered with either a 5.5-foot bed or a new 6.5-foot bed.

An interesting day of Auto news from engines being discontinued to interesting possible auto resurrections. Chevrolet Performance Division has stopped production of the 755 HP 715 lb-ft of torque LT5 V8 engine as a crate option. Chevy Discontinues 755-HP Corvette ZR1 Crate Engine | The Drive Interesting read on how Ford Dealers are getting in the way of Ford Motor Corporation taking Tesla head on for BEV sales crown. Ford Wants To Compete With Tesla, But Its Dealers Are Getting In The Way (jalopnik.com) Another interesting read on how Cadillac Blackwings sedans are the last that matter. 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing & 2022 CT4-V Blackwing Review (jalopnik.com) Had to laugh at this one on how people reacted to having to wear a seat belt from the 1980's. The feds are taking away our freedom. Watch 1980s Drivers Freak Out About Having To Wear A Seat Belt (jalopnik.com) Interesting take on staking cars in a tight garage. This Is How You Fit 7 Cars Into A 3-Car Garage (motor1.com) Final bit of interesting news is the VW owns the rights to the International SCOUT name and is considering bringing a Bronco / Wrangler competitor to the global stage but as a pure BEV version. Volkswagen May Bring Back the International Harvester Scout (motortrend.com)

Interesting review on ICE versus EV Tires and why the differences.

Honda has not had much to say about battery electric auto's or even any updated info on the Honda Prologue till today with a new press release that states they will start off with production of 70,000 in 2024 due to working with their dealership network and commitments to what is forecasted to be sold. Honda Continues Drive Toward Electrified Future (hondanews.com) Honda has also stated that they expect 500,000 minimum in BEV sales by 2030.

Interesting read on a very rare F250 Crewcab pickup, thought to be one of the very first ever built by Ford. Barn Find 1966 Ford F-250 Crew Cab Has Some Quirky Little All-Original Secrets - autoevolution

Very cool find posted by a person on their way to the R1T launch. For motorcycle fans such as @Drew Dowdell Have to say this bike is very cool, 180 mile range in the City, 120 miles range on the highway. Verge Motorcycle Opens Preorders For Hubless Electric Model (rideapart.com) Loving the Hubless drive wheel. 80 kW (107HP) motor with 735 lb-ft of torque. 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds. Final EPA miles still to come and final speed numbers.

I would agree that they seem to be missing some of the traditional spaces in the Full Size Truck Lineup. I have to wonder if they really want to take market share or just to keep the roughly 100,000 truck sales going each year. I am also surprised that they did not make a beefy version of the Hybrid system on the Prius line and instead went with a Hybrid system for performance and not really seems to gain MPG. Will be interesting to see how this goes and if they make any gains versus all the BEV Trucks that are coming. I can see Toyota missing out on this since they are Missing in Action on the BEV front. ? Maybe they are lost in the Hydrogen waste land?

Since I started writing / reporting for Cheers and Gears, I have never seen more than a few hundred views of what I post. Clearly I hit it with the Toyota Tundra 2022 story as I posted late last night and by Midnight it had 1,501 views. When I finished work at shortly after 1am it was at over 2k views and just now I see 4,551 views in comparison to the other reporting I have done for the most recent 6 postings where Cadillac has 413 views. Crazy in how many want to see the 2022 Toyota Tundra. Trucks are popular!

Yes, in the Photo Album I have listed in the story, you can see the skid plates in some of the photo's, all part of their TRD Protection package. Was just way too much info to cover from the dual press releases on this launch.

Right, 3rd time is the charm compared to how many generations of Ford, GM or RAM trucks? I honestly cannot count how many generations they have been through. After reading through the full press release, I am honestly not surprised they decided to try one more time for the Toyota Loyalists. I did find it interesting about the chassis, but wonder about some of the incorporated modules of braces with auto parts like the front brace with the steering box integrated into it. Makes me think you take it off road, hit the front brace hard enough to brake something and the steering is gone.

Toyota has decided "Born From Invincible" is the new marketing message for the all new Toyota Tundra 2022! From the African Savanna to the Australian Outback or the asphalt of NASCAR, Toyota Trucks has taken people places for over 70 years. The global debut of the All-New 2022 Tundra builds on what Toyota brought to the world starting in 1950 with the first Land Cruiser building on the unique heritage to take Toyota into an even more exciting future per their press release. To quote their Invincible press release: “Born from Invincible” showcases an unparalleled international truck history in a wild ride down memory lane. Toyota’s rich history of building world-class body-on-frame vehicles is highlighted in an action-packed montage that culminates with the global debut of the star of the show, the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra. In addition to the next-generation Tundra, Toyota trucks featured in the spot include: the 1987 4Runner SR5, 1960s Australian Troopy FJ45, 2007 FJ Cruiser, 2017 Tundra SR5, 2012 Tundra Platinum, 2021 NASCAR Trucks, 1985 Tacoma SR5, 1991 Australian FJ75 and Baja Truck. Keen viewers might even catch a glimpse of a 1980s icon that took us back to the future. For a deeper dive into Toyota’s truck history, click here. Toyota starts the All-New 2022 Tundra with the following bullet points: Standard i-FORCE 3.5L Twin-Turbo V6 produces 389 HP / 479 lb-ft of torque Available i-FORCE MAX Hybrid V6 producing 437 HP / 583 lb-ft of torque Both engine options mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission 12,000-pound maximum towing capacity 1,940-pounds payload capacity Bold Exterior style complementing spacious, well-equipped interior Available 14" touchscreen with all-new Audio Multimedia system 12.3" and 8" Instrumentation panel display available Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 active safety standard on all grades. As the third generation Tundra, Toyota is looking to improve upon everything, from performance, capability, multimedia, comfort and more. Toyota will offer two different four-door layouts and have three bed lengths, 5 1/2, 6 1/2 and an 8.1 foot bed length. The all-new Toyota Tundra pickup truck starts with a high-strength steel chassis to increase rigidity over previous generations. Frame crossmembers are double the size of previous generations adding reinforcement and rigidity and yet Toyota has introduced aluminum in key areas to reduce overall weight. Engineering designs have moved forward to give enhanced handling dynamics on steering input for for the driver by constructing the front cross brace also hold the steering gear box. The truck beds are built of extremely strong SMC (Sheet Molded Compound) construction using aluminum. The over all double wall construction of the bed and gate reduce weight by 20% over the outgoing model while protecting the outside of the truck from impact dings, rust, etc. from material put into the bed. Standard on all models is that the tailgate release is built into the key fob. Storage is enhanced via cabin storage under the back seat. Toyota has also continued the all-new changes as they have complimented the all-new chassis with an all-new multi-link suspension, ditching leaf springs in favor of coil springs. Toyota has left no area untouched as they built a new double-wishbone front suspension, enhanced twin-tube shocks front and rear with triple -oil seals and extended dust covers for added durability and protection. TRD packages get Monotube Bilstein shocks. TRD Pro get FOX internal bypass shocks as standard. So many details in the suspension that if you are interested in these details, click the link below for the Press release. Toyota is retiring their V8 engine as they go with a Twin Turbo V6 or Twin Turbo V6 Hybrid engine. These are Dual overhead cam, chain driven motors featuring Dual VVTi systems. The twin turbo system is water-cooled. This same cooling system is used to cool the exhaust to lower exhaust gas entering the turbo chargers to improve reliability and performance. Both motors are mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with intelligence (ECTi). This transmission will feature sequential shift mode to optimize uphill and downhill shifting and yet also having a special programmed TOW/HAUL mode. Two TOW/HAUL modes are given with the first one programmed for small trailers, boats, etc. Second TOW/HAUL mode is for towing large trailers such as RVs, Large 5th wheel box trailers and larger boats. When in the TOW/HAUL mode, start/stop is disabled. Toyota has multiple interiors depending on if you have the TRD Pro, TRD, Limited, etc. You have three screen size choices, 14", 12.3" and 8" size screens are available with multiple choices in multimedia and audio systems. These systems will come standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the systems will take advantage of over the air software updates. The A.I. of the systems will allow voice control for human like conversation. Blue tooth connectivity is available for smartphones or tablets and even with the use of the Toyota App you can store User Profiles allowing each user upon entering the auto to have their own profile set for the vehicle. Toyota also will offer WiFi connection of 4G connectivity for up to 10 devices allowing the truck to be an AT&T hot spot. Be it in 4x4 or 4x2 models, the all new 2022 Tundra offers options aplenty with your choice of Crewcab or Double Cab configurations and available in 11 different colors. Quote: Super White, Wind Chill Pearl, Magnetic Gray Metallic, Celestial Silver Metallic, Midnight Black Metallic, Super Sonic Red, Army Green, Lunar Rock, Blueprint, Smoked Mesquite (Limited and 1794) and Solar Octane (TRD Pro exclusive). 2022 Toyota Tundra will come with a standard bumper to bumper 36 month / 36,000 mile warranty with the powertrain having a 60 month / 60,000 mile warranty and 24hr roadside assistance for the first two years or 25,000 miles. More images inside and outside of the 2022 Tundra can be seen here: While not every detail has been covered here in this writeup from their press release and much more is available for you to read at the links below, this writer does wonder if this truck outside of traditional loyal Toyota owners will be able to increase full size truck sales to get conquest buyers with what is being offered here in this all-new pickup truck. Absolute Powerhouse: Next-Generation 2022 Toyota Tundra - Toyota USA Newsroom 2022 Toyota Tundra is ‘Born from Invincible’ - Toyota USA Newsroom View full article