G. David Felt

Good News cost of S-Class side mirrors have dropped in the last few years. Bad News ya still looking at $570 to $675 dollars for the mirror module and then installation, so I bet a cool $1,500 for the repair of a broken mirror. Estimate on the Camera nubs is probably $1,500 to $2,500 depending on brand.

What do you think of an implementation like Lexus version? I myself do not mind it, while I hate BMW version. Audi's implementation is not bad, I think a better integration than Lexus. VW has a nice integration that is probably same parts as Audi. I can also see side nubs like this for the cameras.

When I bought my Trailblazer SS I was offered the GM extended warranty to 7 years and 100,000 miles. When at 76,000 miles or so my Radiator had a leak that leaked into the trans cooler portion and ended up messing up the transmission, I saved myself over $10,000 as they had to replace the transmission, cooling lines and combo Radiator / trans cooler. Was so happy I had that extended warranty. Never bought one on my Escalade or any of my other auto's. Just figured on my CPO SS that I would cover my bases and glad I did. FYI, for those wanting to know, GM charges 10% of the sales price of the auto, so my Extended warranty was $2,400. Course I bought my SS in 2011 when people were not wanting gas guzzling auto's. So got a good price on it as less than 24K miles for a 3yr old Leased SUV.

The Tesla Roadster 2.0 has mirror numbs also so a very clean look and side profile.

QUESTION: Do you like or use Auto Extended Warranties and why? EFG Company has launched a new 11 years / 150,000 mile warranty program for all EVs. They call it the Motorist Assistance Plan (MAP) EV Protection. This new auto warranty on top of the OEM warranty covers the following: The new warranty provides coverage for all assemblies and parts, the manufacturer-installed battery, and the motors, although certain specific parts are excluded. It also provides roadside assistance, rental reimbursement, and trip interruption benefits. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/efg-launches-150000-mile-extended-warranty-exclusively-for-evs/ Current OEM warranties are 8 years or 100,000 miles in comparison to 11 years or 150,000 miles. This brings up a good point of discussion, with thousands of fewer moving parts and much lower maintenance, could we see the OEM move to a 10yr / 100,000 bump to bumper warranty with a 250,000 mile powertrain warranty? On another Note, the Ford F-59 commercial truck commonly used as a food truck or delivery truck has received it's CARB certification to sell their truck in California and will sell it nationally in two versions, 80 miles and 110 miles EV. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/lightning-systems-receives-ok-to-sell-its-all-electric-ford-f-59-in-california/ Electrify America is deploying 150kW DC Fast Chargers in San Francisco that are robotic in nature requiring no human intervention in charging up EVs. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/electrify-america-to-deploy-commercial-robotic-chargers/

Yes, I do hate that also, but I thought it was insteresting to see that the one CUV with the highest residual value but lowest upfront cost was the Hyundai CUV.

I expect those pods to go away to numbs on the side. I expect auto's to go this route:

Very excited for this car to come to market.

Excited for this as I can see auto's having numbs on the sides giving a far cleaner look and better visibility off a HD screen.

This is an interesting story about the drop in value for CUVs. http://suvsite.net/worst-of-the-worst-suvs-plummeting-in-value/?utm_source=taboola&utm_campaign=2621236&utm_medium=msn-msn-home&utm_content=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.taboola.com%2Flibtrc%2Fstatic%2Fthumbnails%2F120ec2e59dc141a54a262407da191107.jpg__These+SUVs+Will+Soon+Be+Worthless+–+SUVs+Plummeting+In+Value&utm_term=540msn-msn-home&tict=1

Subcompact to micro cars seems to be Suzuki's area of positive auto sales, I see Toyota would rather badge those auto's than build them themselves.

Yup just another reason to buy the auto you love, change what you want and drive it, be it ICE or converted to EV, drive what you love.

I will agree to disagree with you on this as the ice versus ev is no comparison to a horse and buggy versus cow. Electric is certainly no cow.

Supposedly the first year 1000 units are sold out, you have to wait till late 2020 to get one as a 2021 model.

I totally agree with you that ICE will be around for a decade or two. The point I am trying to make is that EVs when the right package at the right price comes out, people will flock and just as the Equinox is on track to sell almost 400,000 this year, I see no reason as to why an EV should not be profitable at that quality/quantity also. Economy of scale. Production goes up, costs go down. Tesla is just so inefficient at production cause Musk had to do it his way that he FAILED to take advantage of Economy of Scale based on using what has been working for the last 100 plus years on assembling autos.

Seems people keep thinking that Economy of Scale will never happen to EVs unlike how it happened to ICE. Early 1900's you had people that laughed at the auto and said the Horse and buggy would never die. Amish continue to prove you can survive living in the past at a static point in time, but clearly not scaling up like modern society.

Yet the missing piece is ECONOMY OF SCALE. Seems a few folks here are stuck on thinking that when the right packaged auto is built that it would not become profitable at economy of scale. I honestly think a few folks will be eating crow when the EV market explodes in sales while ICE dwindles and dies.

Confused and Annoyed by the long list of new safety features, this story nails it for me: https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2019/08/shockingly-new-car-buyers-are-confused-and-annoyed-by-safety-content/ Bought a domestic and could not figure out how to turn off the nanny features, resold it and move to another brand. OUCH.

First review of the 2020 GMC 1/2 ton diesel pickup. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/reviews/2020-gmc-sierra-1500-preview/ Have to say, very taken with this, focus on Fuel economy over pulling as according to GM, customers move up to the HD line of pickups when they go over 10,000 pounds trailing. Love the camera views, for sure makes it much safer driving. Sadly the review says GM is competitive with Tech and features of the truck, but the interior still looses to the Ram and Ford. Come on GM get it together for a competitive Interior. I just finished reading the 2019 Malibu review for a segment that is still selling a ton of Auto's and the Malibu is GMs loan competitor to the class. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/reviews/2019-chevy-malibu-review/ This statement speaks boat loads about GMs approach which sucks to autos. QUOTE: If price matters more than anything, you'll undoubtedly appreciate that the Malibu starts well below competitors like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima. Yet, aside from the infotainment system, those cars pack superior standard equipment. Trying to equip the Malibu similarly brings the cost way up, at which point its appeal rides the asymptote down toward "None." If you simply must stay in the GM family, your money is better spent on an Equinox. ?

Interesting story but one of the futurist of the auto industry is expecting EVs to reach price parity with ICE auto's by 2023 and ice auto production to cease by 2026. To quote the writting: Wills, the managing director of advisory firm Future Smart Strategies and a board member of remote energy services provider Horizon Power, stated that the future of the automobile is coming, and it’s approaching far quicker than what many expect. “The future is coming faster than we think. And when it arrives, we always say it was faster than we thought,” he said in a statement to The Sydney Morning Herald. The thinking is that we will shift faster to EVs than the long drawn out process of moving to Hybrids and this Wills believes is being shown in the fast drop of the Prius line in sales and people waiting for the roll out of EVs from the auto industry. https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-evs-price-parity-gas-cars-2023/ Ford is officially on record that once we reach autonomous auto's they will be crushed after 4 years of use as the ability to recycle them will be faster and the desire for electronic tech in the latest auto will not decrease demand for buying an auto, but increase it as people will want to swap out auto's at a far more frequent pace and a month auto payment will be normal for ever like electric bills. https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-ford-full-self-driving-cars-last-4-years-crushed/ Seems like the first tests of building model 3 cars at the China Tesla Gigafactory are going well and the first one is expected off the assembly line Aug 29th. Leaked pictures show the first few auto's going through the assembly process. https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-gigafactory-3-footage-model-3-trial-production-video/

Generative Design - Do you know what this means? Generative design is a computing process that mimics evolution to create natural-seeming shapes that maximize strength while minimizing weight! What does this have to do with the Random EV channel you might ask? Plenty, Seems innovation is beginning again with America. Specifically what VW largest office outside Germany which is located in Silicon Valley with more than 180 engineers, designers, researchers and social scientists. VW has allowed this California office to run more like a college campus and the question was asked of how would you blend the BEST of Volkswagen's heritage while embracing the future. The answer is a team of 25 that took less than 6 months to take a 1962 Type 2 11 window Microbus, strip it down to the bones and rebuild it as a modern 21st Century electric Microbus with 120-hp electric motor and a 10 kW battery pack fitting into the same space of the original power train. Tons to read about all the future stuff put into this Microbus from the microphones and cameras to the voice enabled access system, lighting, the ultra light weight steering wheel and wheels to the mirror support and seat supports. The Microbus weights less than what it did as an ICE Microbus. Have to say a very cool story. Full story here: http://newsroom.vw.com/vehicles/a-new-era-for-volkswagen-innovation-in-america-begins-with-the-type-20-concept/

How do we engage the youth of today with the Auto industry of the past with a focus on the future in the 21st century? Seems this teacher found a way, ICE to EV conversions in Auto Shop class Converting old Volkswagen from ICE to EV power trains. http://newsroom.vw.com/vehicles/reviving-auto-shop-classes-for-the-ev-era-one-old-volkswagen-at-a-time/ This is based out of West New York, NJ and the then new teacher Ron Grosinger who started teaching Auto shop class at the school in 2005 was faced with figuring out how to survive with an electrive class that had gone from 6 to 2 teachers, rarely had hands on training and only 27 students. Today the Auto Shop program has 4 teachers and is nearing his goal of 50/50 young men and woman. Seems Woman like the cleaner EV approach over the ICE approach. Over all a great read on how one man is making a difference to drive interest back into the youth over auto's. Some thing we ALL SHOULD WANT for the long term life of the auto industry.

Love this Weird auto list. https://www.motor1.com/news/category/weird/

First of many to come, a 2020 Corvette is crashed, I assume at high speed as it has a go pro on the top for recording and some serious damage to the car and other auto's. Out of Alaska, the local police show the near miss of the cop car hitting a momma and baby Moose. They go down hard. Badda Boom. https://www.autoblog.com/2019/08/06/moose-highway-police-video/

Very cool, I am interested in reading what reviewers think once they get their hands on a production unit.