G. David Felt

@oldshurst442 @Drew Dowdell @surreal1272 @ccap41 @smk4565 @NINETY EIGHT REGENCY @trinacriabob Interesting story, The Volkswagen ID.4 Just Beat 2 Tesla EVs (motorbiscuit.com) In the first quarter of 2022, Volkswagen sold 2,755 ID.4 units. But in Q1 2023, it sold 9,758, for 254.2% growth. That’s far greater than two Tesla models. The Tesla Model S sold fewer vehicles in Q1 2023 than in 2022. This year, it sold 4,849. It experienced a 6.6% drop from the same period in 2022, when the company sold 5,190 Model S EVs. The Tesla Model X fared better, even though it also saw a decrease. In Q1 2022, it sold 6,488. That dropped by 0.4% in Q1 2023 to 6,465.

This is a First for me to see, Consumer Reports is saying that Lincoln and Buick beat Toyota for the lowest cost of maintenance over a 5 year period. 2 American Brands Beat Toyota in 5-Year Maintenance Costs, New Data Shows (motorbiscuit.com) @oldshurst442 @Drew Dowdell @surreal1272 @smk4565 @NINETY EIGHT REGENCY @trinacriabob @ccap41

Very interesting picture of New Auto Sales. USA - Flash report, Automotive sales volume, 2023 - MarkLines Automotive Industry Portal

That is one way to see it, but with both Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Tesla having reduced market share as others continue to go up, I would not count on this being more expensive than the other German brands or Tesla and I am seeing far more VW EVs on the road lately than I am seeing Audi, BMW, Mercedes. Only Tesla has more around here and even then they seem to be stacking up on the Tesla lot as across from Tesla here is Mercedes and they have plenty of EVs now on the lot too, but they are not moving. We are going into interesting times where people want AWD be it a car or SUV and more people are wanting an SUV. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. If Fusion power comes to production by 2030, then you can truly kiss all ICE and Hydrogen autos goodbye. Microsoft says commercial use of fusion-produced energy will be available within 5 years as part of new deal with Sam Altman-backed Helion (msn.com) Interesting chart of days of supply. OUCH, Interesting picture of those loosing market share to those gaining market share. USA - Flash report, Automotive sales volume, 2023 - MarkLines Automotive Industry Portal

Very Interesting, I hope all auto makers test in this kind of heat their EVs.

I can totally understand the extra security, but when 2FA fails you are totally locked out and screwed and some times even the folks that are supposed to help you cannot. I tried 2FA with my google stuff on my Android phone and finally gave up after all the issues I had with google. Update, I forgot that all my doctors have moved over to "My Chart" and that requires the use of 2FA. So I use it there, I just hope I never get locked out. Lucky the Samsung finger print software saves me from having to type passwords and I can get into all my doctors so far.

As the admin for Dell Tech Customer Slack Workspace, those customers that use 2FA I hear from at least once a month for resets as it is the most unreliable security I have ever seen. I do not bother with 2FA due to all the problems I have had in the past.

Ouch for Tesla as Panasonic delays 4680 production. Seems it is not all it is cracked up to be. I hope GM continues with the pouch cells and moves faster to Solid-State cells. Panasonic delays production of new Tesla battery to improve performance | Reuters

@oldshurst442 @ccap41 @trinacriabob @NINETY EIGHT REGENCY @Robert Hall @Drew Dowdell @regfootball @smk4565 Seems VW is doubling down as they had a small press release today as a GTX performance model that will be part of the ID.7 release. First preview of the new ID.7 GTX: a long-distance limousine with more power and all-wheel drive | Volkswagen Newsroom (volkswagen-newsroom.com) These are the only detailed images they have released on this GTX version. Cars are not dead according to VW. FYI - Pro and Pro S were the original two trims at the announcement, both have an 82 kWh battery good for 382 miles. An upgraded battery pack is available at 91 kWh good for 435 miles. Both models get the same 210 kW or 282 HP motor in RWD. So how powerful will the GTX be in AWD will be interesting to see and I wonder if a bigger battery pack will also be available with the GTX.

@Drew Dowdell Saw this story and followed the link to the european news source. Have you heard of anything about GM returning to Europe? GM Returning To Europe This Autumn With Multi-Brand EV Portfolio (insideevs.com) GM to sell EVs in Norway in Europe return | Automotive News Europe (autonews.com) General Motors to return to Europe with range of EVs | Autocar General Motors Returns to Europe After Five Years, but With a Little Tweak - autoevolution

WOW, this is a major catch for GM: Tech Industry Innovator Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Executive Vice President, Software (gm.com) @Drew Dowdell @Robert Hall @oldshurst442 @surreal1272 @ccap41 @trinacriabob @NINETY EIGHT REGENCY @regfootball @smk4565 Mike Abbott, Former VP of Engineering for Apple Cloud Services division is the new executive VP of Software effective May 22, 2023 reporting directly to GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. He will lead the new end-to-end software organization focused on all Vehicle and enterprise software technologies and solutions and the delivery of digital services to retail and commercial customers. He is also a scholar at Standford's Artificial Intelligence Lab (SAIL) focused on computer vision and products that benefit consumers globally. This is a game changer when Apple is loosing their long term technical leadership to other companies.

Fisker, driven to create the world's most sustainable EV has announced that deliveries have begun in Denmark of their all-electric Fisker Ocean SUV. Delivery was presented by Fisker Chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker of the Fisker Ocean One launch edition model. The Fisker Ocean One launch edition was presented in Great White exterior paint with 22" AirGlider Black alloy wheels and the Sea Salt interior with white Alcantara seats. Fisker also released the certified battery range of up to 707km/440 miles on 20" wheels and tires and 701km / 436 miles on 22" wheels and tires. Interested in the Fisker Ocean? Check it out here: https://www.fiskerinc.com/en-gb/configure/ocean Fisker has stated that they will disrupt the automotive world with their Ocean One SUV due to the following stated list: Beautiful Craftsmanship Ingenious Engineering Innovation Affordability Sustainability So, this begs the question, "What are these Key Differentiating Features?" Design Emphasis - Fisker has stated they have delivered a sleek, stylish, modern SUV. A dramatically sculpted exterior with an aggressive stance, clean lines, sleek surfaces and ultra-slim lighting, combining a durable and configurable SUV with the dynamics of a daring sports car. Clean, Luxurious, Minimalist interior - Fisker's SUV starts with the Revolve-Fisker 17.1" rotating central touchscreen and an interior made from recycled materials, this includes carpets and interior materials made from upcycled plastic bottles. Outstanding Battery Range - Fisker offers a hyper range battery pack that is up to 440 miles or 707 kilometers depending on wheel/tire choice. This is a 113kWH battery pack. The smaller battery pack is called their Touring Range battery pack. Range is dependant on multiple factors, but the curb weight of the Ocean One Launch Edition id 5,365 lbs with a GVWR of 6,557 that has a towing rating of 4,013 lbs. As you can see off the specification sheet, greater approach and departure angles are achieved with the larger 22" wheels. Trim Levels - While they are delivering the "Launch Edition" equipped at the Extreme trim level with exclusive features, Fisker will move forward in mass production with the three trim choices: Extreme Ultra Sport Drive Modes - Fisker will have Over the Air updates (OTA) so that additional modes can be added as they are developed. Current modes are as follows: Earth Fun Hyper Special Drive Modes (expected activation early 2024) Off-Road Snow/Ice Standard features on all trims Seating for 5 Cell Phone app as Key PowerBank system Functionality Over the Air (OTA) updates Great White with Gloss exterior finish Black Abyss Interior Trim 20" F7 AeroStealth alloy wheels with recycled material wheel covers Regenerative Braking Digital Interior Rear View Mirror Tilt & Telescoping Steering - Power LED Head Lights and Tail Lights See Me Signal - high-mounted rear indicators Power Liftgate You can check out all the optional colors for an up-charge as well as the variety of wheel options and the details on each trim level by checking out the released PDF file: Fisker_Ocean_Detailed_Specifications.pdf One of the optional features that is standard on the Fisker Launch edition is the SolarSky roof with Photovoltaic solar panes integrated into the panoramic glass roof with power sliding glass panel. You can stay up on the latest Fisker info here at their LinkedIn page: (5) Fisker Inc: Overview | LinkedIn View full article

I too totally forgot about this and just renewed too.

OUCH, Seems the EQS and EQE are being recalled due to battery software issues. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/recalls/2023/05/08/mercedes-benz-recall-sedan-battery-tiffin-breeze/70190442007/ Mercedes-Benz 2022-2023 sedan recall Mercedes-Benz is recalling 3,823 of its 2022-2023 sedans because the high-voltage battery monitoring system software may not alert the driver of a battery malfunction. A high-voltage battery monitoring system that does not alert the driver of a battery malfunction may increase the risk of a crash, injury, or fire. Recalled vehicles: 2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ 2022 & 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 2022 & 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 2023 Mercedes-Benz S 580e 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 Dealers will update the battery management system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Mercedes-Benz USA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

That is very weird, hopefully Drew can enlighten us.

@Robert Hall I moved around checking on many of my posts and still have editing capabilities. Have you checked back on posting new in say the Random channel? Otherwise @Drew Dowdell will have to comment on this.

See now this is where I could see @oldshurst442 @surreal1272 and myself just joining to poke holes in their statements of all things God Musk! ?

Testing this post for editing purposes. Still able to edit for me. This is all I see for you. I am assuming I should not be able to edit your posts. LOL

Quirky but cool looking.

But people swear that he is the second or is it third coming of a certain man! ? This has become so true to me. At work we have a #social-cars channel in our Slack and two individuals were active in discussing things all related to EVs and Tesla. I pointed out some factual issues with Tesla, Musk and their product line and they attacked me about my thoughts. I then pointed to the facts as pointed out by Tesla website and by investors as well as actual real world problems on the autos that still happen today. They swear all the stuff that is broadcast today is made up lies by the media as Tesla fixed all their quality control issues after the first year of production on each model they sell. I then pointed out the lack of the Roadster 2.0, Semi delay and Cybertruck delay and the unibody rather than the Exoskeleton that is supposed to reduce weight big time compared to the Legacy OEMs. and they again said it was all fake news. I then pointed out the failure to deliver on true self driving and the removal of everything use for that tech other than cameras and of course they still said it was fake news that Tesla has self-driving now. Even when I pointed them at the federal investigation into Tesla due to the deaths happening and they still even as software developers are blinded by Musk. It really is scary to think people can be so taken over by an individual that is so absorbed by himself. Yet on the Tesla Front the news continues to show how ugly the company is: Tesla fired ‘angry Black woman’ after ‘maniacal’ White manager sought illegal termination of Latina worker: lawsuit (msn.com) US senators call Tesla’s safety review a “sham,” demand answers from Musk | Ars Technica Seven US senators raise concerns about Tesla use of forced arbitration clauses | Reuters.com

So painting is done and the great move in has begun?

Seems Tesla is failing more fans. 2019 introduced the Cybertruck that was supposed to be superior to all trucks as it would be an Exoskeleton truck, superior to Body on frame truck. Instead pilot truck runs are showing that the Cybertruck will be unibody and nothing more than a Honda Ridgeline Competitor. The stories have many very disappointed. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/tesla-cybertruck-went-from-exoskeleton-marvel-to-unibody-honda-ridgeline-competitor-214263.html

Looks like an attempt to copy the 007 Aston. Lines are just quirky weird to me.

@ccap41 @surreal1272 @Drew Dowdell @oldshurst442 @Robert Hall @regfootball @trinacriabob @NINETY EIGHT REGENCY EV9 is out and about testing on U.S. roads showing that it is coming close to going into production and sales. IMHO it is a good looking SUV and a clear take on the high side of Mid-size SUV.