G. David Felt

LOL, Driver uses Tesla Autopilot as defense for DUI. http://www.thedrive.com/sheetmetal/17834/dui-suspect-uses-tesla-autopilot-as-a-defense-during-arrest Yes, self driving auto's should make DUI a thing of the past once it becomes standard and on every auto period, but we are not there yet and thinking you can get behind the wheel and set self driving mode is just stupid.

Interesting read by an actual trucker about the Tesla. Yes he is excited and believes we will move forward with EV Semi class 8 trucks. But he does have issues with the seating position, big screens and lack of Mirrors. Questions from a real trucker about Tesla Semi story here

Elon Musk Compensation Update Seems the board is holding Elon Musk to a compensation plan that is all stock for hitting deliverables and taking the company to a $650 Billion value. First stock options kick in at $100 Billion and then every $50 Billion after that. He is not being paid cash or any other awards especially with the slip in Tesla 3 production. 12 year vesting period Stock grants only based on achieving milestones Must stay as CEO or serve at Chairman of the board and Chief product officer. Currently no changes in existing roles. Full Story here

Latest on the Tesla Semi, caught in traditional Matte Black with normal dual rear wheel configuration. Nice how quiet it is going through the office park it was caught in.

Great info, nice job. I get the point of cost, but size is the issue that I think a Mini Pickup does over mid or full size for inner city neighborhood ownership where parking is a premium. I just think a Mini size has it's place.

Very cool, did not know it was still up and running, very cool to watch. They have it on You Tube:

Course I could see a modern mini like the Montana that Chevy builds in South America here too. Great Pics and info here

Actually, I had hauled refrigs, washer and dryers and ranges in my Chevy Luv Truck when I had it. Plenty of room for sheetrock or plywood though it sat on top of the wheel wells. Better to have mini trucks for small jobs than to do stupid stuff like I see all the time with cars. Still think there is a market for mini trucks especially in the city. If we did not have all the stupid safety stuff, I am sure they could be built cheap like they were. My 1976 Chevy Luv Series 5 truck was bought new by my dad for $1567 dollars. I got it when I turned 16, restored it like new and then when I went to college in Japan, sold it for $3000 in 1987. I really wish I still had it, talk about an awesome roomy truck that just lasted.

Time and Money, my suburban is the project. 1994 GMC SLE to become eventually EV power with a Frunk!

We live in interesting times and the auto world is ripe for a major upheaval. This could come in the form of the new leading luxury makers not being German. I like the idea of an EV XJ. Being that luxury cars are not driven as much as other auto's, this makes total sense and I could see a new top dog luxury maker come out of the change over in the industry from ICE to EV. I really hope Cadillac has something special for the New York Auto Show.

Cool, but why offer an M6 and M7, that makes no sense to me but says wasted money. Tremec has a manual 7 speed by rear dif built. ZF only has a 6 speed manual. Anyone know if there is like an 8 or 9 speed manual for performance cars?

I have no problem with China coming into the US market, but time to hold up and say, drop the 25% tariff to equal or forget coming in. I think this needs to be more with other places too like Japan.

That hits the nail on the head, inner city people wanting to get stuff like that for their tiny yard. Otherwise I agree, that many of the compact hatches / CUVs can cover what they want.

I can Respect that! EV powertrains are actually easier to install, setup and run. The controllers used are able to be managed via your own smartphone or a laptop. The hardest part would be the fashioning of a brackets to hold the battery packs, motor mounts and the change of how they drive the wheels. Plenty of places can do that for you, but I think not much different than if you did a conversion of a suburban to have a Duramax diesel. All ICE includes some custom fabrication, not much different than EVs. EV West is a great company where you can check out the latest motors, controllers, batteries, etc. http://www.evwest.com/catalog/index.php?osCsid=3la266in6grmm3bvk6h3rchhr4 They also for a fee will do the conversion to your spec. Not a bad way to go if you are not a wrench turner. They have 2 speed transmissions for VW/Porsche EV conversions. These are drop in replacements for existing autos. http://www.evwest.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=464&osCsid=3la266in6grmm3bvk6h3rchhr4 Tesla Model S drive unit for sale as a complete drop in package. This unit will run up to 400 Volts and 400 kW, delivering more power at an affordable price than many of the other packages available. This kit includes the Tesla motor, inverter, gear box, dash display and control unit (EV Controls), throttle pedal, and 2 axles. 535HP, 750 lb-ft of torque. YES, TESLA is selling their parts so people can use their Motors and Programming to convert to EV. http://www.evwest.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=476&osCsid=3la266in6grmm3bvk6h3rchhr4 I also love this racing motor so if you wanted to, you could keep your auto the same, use an adapter kit to connect this motor to your existing transmission. Just replace the gas tank with a battery pack and add the controller of your choice. 420 HP and 560 LB-FT of torque using 150kW controllers. Double those figures if you use 300 kW controllers. http://www.evwest.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=8&products_id=300&osCsid=3la266in6grmm3bvk6h3rchhr4 Plenty of solutions that allow you to pull the ICE engine, replace it with a EV motor connected to the Transmission, add your choice of controller and battery pack replacing the Gas Tank and ICE cpu. This opens the world of options for custom rides using old iron and much lower insurance rates.

Get a Frunk, in wheel hub motors or like many, the electric motor is in between the wheels. Since no drive line, the space between the 4 wheels under the main seating area is where you get a nice thin battery sled that also offers a bit more rigidity to the auto for a better lower center of gravity giving a better ride. You can have your LS, I will take an EV. Silence in a road cruiser is golden.

I also think we need to stop thinking a truck has to have everything your SUV / Car has. A mini pickup truck that can hold 3 people if in bench or two people with buckets can work for an alternative auto that can haul. The death of the Mini was also due to someone wanting a SUV/CUV 4 door people hauler with a bed that can handle a 1000 lb payload. Still think a basic Kingcab mini pickup would work for many people.

Personal Choice! So many great options to take older classic auto's and give them a modern life while looking classic with low maintenance powertrains. Some Great Examples: http://www.autofocus.ca/news-events/news/kreisel-blends-classic-porsche-910-with-modern-ev-tech https://jalopnik.com/5079498/neil-youngs-lincvolt-an-all-electric-1959-lincoln-continental-mark-iv-convertible Just think of the room one would have in a Lincoln Convertible with Suicide doors and a Frunk plus trunk. Talk about a road car that would be roomy, comfy and can carry all your stuff.

The only benefit about the Asian love affair with the Predator grill or a big mouth billy bass grill like above is the after market can build a wide variety of options for people. Totally agree, so much you can do with an ugly black mess like that!

Sorry my friend but this is one time I have to disagree with you. Purist can be purist, but anything goes when it comes to auto's and customization. I understand number matched collectors and that is the beauty of our country to do what one wants, but there are plenty of cool auto's that if someone wanted to rebuild it as an EV or hybrid, why not. It is their money after all. Let them enjoy what they want. Would love my old Grandmas 1970 2 door skylark with it's big V8 back and convert it to AWD EV and then blow away people.

Was a fun movie to watch, if you can find it, watch it as it does hit on the culture of the auto world in California. Cheesy like all old movies of the time, but was very cool still.

I see he put out an updated video July 9th 2017. First show he took his Prius powered 46 pickup too. Interesting, Different strokes for different folks, those that tore up their copy and mailed it back are narrow thinking as the idea of custom rodder covers everything. Asian, European and American, this includes any small auto companies in Africa or South America for that matter. Custom is custom and all ideas should be welcomed and cool!

Just got the latest Chevy Performance email. Talk about crazy price drops on their crate motors. One has to wonder just how long crate motors as a business will continue. 5, 10 more years? I wonder once EVs start to take hold if we will see OEM EV powertrains that can be used for old auto restoration?

Local home race project inspired by the 1981 movie "The Last Chase" staring Lee Majors http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082642/ LOL amazing what people try to replicate from a movie. I did see a brand new Tesla X at the pass today they had the trailer hitch and had one of those multi ski/snowboard racks attached. Father with a family up for the day. Did pretty well in the snow. Should have snapped a pic, but was getting dressed for the day myself.

Looks like a Death Race Vehicle or maybe something for Mad Max!

Makes sense especially if you have BioDiesel to burn in them. But the days of Diesel in auto's is coming to a close.