Drew Dowdell

10 hours ago, ccap41 said:

13hrs on the slowest charger possible:

How long do you have it?

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Yeah, I juuuust plugged it in at 44% and this is what it’s reading. TUESDAY. 😂
 

it would honestly be do-able on a regular basis because most driving is short for us. We’d kill it over the weekend and multiple nights throughout the week we’d be full again. 

See if turning off Eco Charging helps the time. That’s Mercedes being “smart” and charging at a slower rate because your grid isn’t green right now. 
 

If you bought one you’d want to put an L2 box in.

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

62249

I’m going to rummage through the trunk and see if the charger that comes with the car can work or not with our situation. 

Well, it looks like the home charger can be plugged into a 110v outlet with an extension cord so I’ll have to do that tonight. We drove about 70 miles today and it’s at 45% remaining. Getting about 300w/mi in quite a mix of driving. 

Assuming 12 hours of charging overnight, you'll get about 108 miles of range back, that might get you pretty close to full.  Not terrible.

5 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

62249

Woof! You are in a charging dead zone. Even your fast charger is slow at 50kW max. (There Buick/GMC dealer). I see a bunch listed as “Coming Soon” and your Walmart will get them also. So it isn’t forever.

16 hours ago, ccap41 said:

I've finally gotten to spend a few minutes behind the wheel of an EV. My wife's G is in the shop again for the same exact reasons it was a couple years ago. We had a C300 4Matic loaner than got a flat Wednesday. They picked that up and dropped off an EQE 350 4Matic Sedan.

It looks like crap. But I already knew that. It's super quick and super quiet, which I expected both of those already as well. The interior is 95% of the C300 with a few more menu options and considerably larger rear legroom, also as I'd expect from an E over a C. 

It's overall super nice and quite fun to drive and mess around with something so different. It's weird accelerating so quickly and my body/mind just expect a shift point and for noises to happen and they just don't. It just keeps pulling silently. 

I have no clue how long we'll have this for so I may only have those like 3 miles of driving it. I'd like to comment on the range/efficiency of it but we'll have to see how that goes.

Oh yeah, we have to publicly charge it and that's going to suck total @ss. We only have 3 chargers in town, all level 2, with no way to plug it into an exterior wall outlet at home, that I know of. 

What's your zip?

On 3/11/2024 at 2:24 PM, trinacriabob said:

I had meant to chime in on this.

The Malibu production line may be ongoing at Fairfax/Kansas City and it looks like the 2025 model may be much the same as the 2024.  Sales are sales, even if it's a "rental (agency) darling." (Great term.)  I think GM needs one bread and butter sedan.

With the new Camry fetching a very favorable reception, Chevrolet is probably taking some extra time so that it doesn't introduce it alongside a new Camry and can also fine tune the final product.

I can only hope that this doesn't turn out to be another Charger-like scenario.  That would mean that everyone is prognosticating and sketching and then we get treated to the news that it would be retired.  The difference is that the very last Charger/300 would have been a tough act to follow while the Malibu can improve and become a more attractive and refined vehicle.

They are keeping the Malibu going at Fairfax as a way to keep the lights on and volume at that plant.  The XT4 that is also built there doesn't have the volume to support the facility on its own... though with XT4 sales numbers where they are, I can't imagine anything coming out of Fairfax being that profitable.  My guess is they have future plans for the plant and they're keeping it going just enough because it would cost too much to idle it and then bring it back later.

You need to cruise down to Pittsburgh!

I want to take that front plate off though

17 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Yep....treated myself to a new (to me) car today.   Had been looking, did a few test drives of CT5s and CT6s, found this minty 2019 CT6 AWD w/ 44k miles at the Cadillac dealer in downtown CLE.    Took a test drive, fell in love.   Going to take it on my road trip to the Outer Banks and Myrtle Beach next month.    Hadn't really intended on getting another black car...but couldn't find one in red in the state.   

 

@Robert Hall wins the "treat yo'self" of the month... and probably of the year!

On 3/8/2024 at 10:55 AM, ccap41 said:

I don't care what it may resemble. It looks cool as hell. 

Absolutely!  I think this is going to be a hit the way the Neo-Beetle and Neo-Mini Cooper were.  But with real practicality, this might have more longevity as a model.

On 3/8/2024 at 10:07 PM, riviera74 said:

Tesla aside, what car marque has been successful being an all-EV carmaker?  Also, since Jaguar's greatest weakness has been poor reliability (especially in electronics!), how will any of this work out for them?

Rivian seems to be gaining. They have over 70,000 reservations on the R2 already and there's still a backlog of R1S and R1T.

On 3/8/2024 at 10:18 PM, riviera74 said:

How much is that Escalade iQ SWB again?  Cadillac needs to be careful NOT to overprice this brand new vehicle.

I don't think pricing has been announced yet, but it's going to be pricey.

I ended up putting a reservation deposit down for the R2 for Albert. I'm iffy on the no-carplay part, but he's pretty low tech, so as long as there is a music solution for him, he'll be fine.

This is what I see

In a surprise move at the 2026 Rivian R2 reveal today, Rivian also unveiled another smaller crossover, the Rivian R3 and R3X. 

Based on the same platform as the Rivian R2, the smaller R3 will be even less expensive than the $45,000 R2, but we don't have an exact price yet. Like the R2, it will have two battery sizes and be capable of ranges over 300 miles with acceleration to 60 under three seconds.  The R3 will be available in single-, dual-, and tri-motor configurations.

The R3 has a 5-inch shorter wheelbase than the R2 and strays away from the boxy SUV character of other Rivians, reminding this author more of a lifted 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit in the side profile.  Despite its smaller size, the R3 keeps many of the features of the R2, including a large frunk, front and rear seats that fold flat, and a rear glass that opens independently of the hatch to allow carrying larger items.

Aiming for a more performance-oriented image, Rivian also introduced the R3X, a tri-motor variant that features wider tires and more ground clearance.

The Rivian R3 will be built at Rivian's new factory in Georgia, which is not yet online. We will have to wait until closer to launch to find out when you can buy one or how much it will cost.

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Expanding its offerings today, Rivian unveiled the Rivian R2, expected to go on sale in early 2026.  This new model rides on a new platform and is smaller than its big brother, the Rivian R1, by nearly 15 inches in length and 12 inches in height. The first question and second questions on people's minds when revealing a new electric vehicle are cost and range.  In this, the Rivian R2 will come to market with an expected $45,000 base price and an EV range of 300 - 320 miles, depending on the configuration.  Rivian is expected to enable Tesla Supercharger access in the next few weeks, more than doubling the number of charging plugs available to Rivian drivers, and the R2 will ship with the Tesla-designed NACS port natively.

While this is a new platform, Rivian was careful to keep the details familial. The R2 will be built, at least initially, at Rivian's Normal, Illinois plant to enable a faster ramp-up for 2026, though production could move to Rivian's new plant in Georgia once that comes online. Unlike the R1, which is available in dual- or quad-motor configurations, the R2 will be available as a single-motor rear-wheel drive, a dual-motor all-wheel drive, and a tri-motor all-wheel drive.  In top spec, the R2 is capable of sprinting to 60 in under 3 seconds. Every version of the R2 will have at least 300 miles of range.  Exact charging speeds haven't been released, but Rivian claims charging from 10-percent to 80-percent will take less than 30 minutes on a DC-Fast Charger. You can see in the Rivian R2 size compared to the Rivian R1S to the left, there is a significant difference in size between the two vehicles. (Click image to enlarge)

The R2 gets some neat features not on the Rivian R1. One of the main bits of feedback Rivian received about the R1 was over the lack of a glovebox, and Rivian overcompensated in the R2, with not one, but two gloveboxes. The rear window can lower into the hatch like in a Toyota 4-Runner and the rear C-panel windows pop out for additional ventilation. All four seats, yes, including the driver's seat, fold flat to allow for an in-vehicle camping experience.

Keeping with their adventure theme, the R2 has some off-road credible specs with 9.8 inches of ground clearance, 32-inch tires, a 25-degree approach angle, and 27-degrees of departure angle.

Rivian also had a "... and one more thing" moment and unveiled the Rivian R3, an even smaller crossover based on the R2. Be sure to check out the Rivian R3 story also.

Reservations for the Rivian R2 are open now at Rivian.com

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Def different specs for different uses. My observation is that the suburban departments that don't need "pursuit" vehicles favor the Explorers because the officers are also acting as first aid with Narcan and defib. Where I worked the Chargers were almost never used except for during discrete work because they were mostly unmarked.

However, for departments with highways that need to chase someone, I could see the Charger being the superior pick.

14 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

Bigger battery for a $400 price cut is a nice deal.  All these first gen EV's need more battery and lower cost and I also feel like anyone buying a 2023 EV is going to have a really dated cat come 2028 when the battery tech really gets better and the prices drop.

The use case for these is significantly different than a family car. They don’t need a massive range, and even in delivery service they can charge to 80% over lunch 

1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

I think the front looks a little off, like if you put a red light bar across the front it would look like the back of the car.  Kind of looks like a rear bumper on the front of the car.  

Overall it looks like it would appeal to Charger fans, the interior looks on par with the price point they are going for in a large car.  This is a pretty large car though over 206 inches long I think and over 5800 lbs for the EV version.  I don't know how much appeal there is for a huge, 3 ton sedan but I guess we will find out.

I imagine they'll come out with a turbo 4 version in a year or two for the fleet sale crowd, or a the 4XE powertrain for the police package to help drive some volume.  

I’m not sure it has the size for police duty. PDs prefer SUVs now just for the amount of crap they have to carry 

1 hour ago, surreal1272 said:

Powertrain variety aside (which is a smart move on the part if they can pull it off) this is just same basic look, on the outside, that has existed for over a decade now. Seeing it in person may alter my "meh" response to that but the first glance is just that for me. The inkeriror doesn't really hit all that great either. Sure, a step up from the current Charger interior but maybe something other than "Batman Black" in there would be nice lol. The price for the EV versions are going to be ridiculous though. Bank on it.

Makes me sad there isn’t going to be a 300c version though. Build this with luxury looks and trims and use the Genesis G80 as the benchmark for the interior….. and do not build poverty spec versions. It is not a Plymouth!!!

Putting it into perspective, even before the tax credit and the lease rebate, this makes a RWD Select Mach-E cheaper than a Chevy Blazer 3LT V6 FWD.  Likewise for an AWD Select and Blazer 3LT V6 AWD.

A Mach-E Premier AWD Extended Range is only $1,100 more, before rebates and credits, than a Chevy Blazer Premier V6 AWD.

Being first matters. Today, Dodge drew a line in the sand by reintroducing the Dodge Charger as the first electrified muscle car in both sedan and coupe forms.  Not just an electric vehicle, the Charger will be available as a multi-energy lineup, sporting both pure EV and gas powered options.

The Charger will keep its title as the world's most powerful muscle car, starting with the all-electric 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack with 670 horsepower and a 3.3 second 0-60 time. Also available will be an electric Dodge Charger Daytona R/T with 496 horsepower.  Daytona models also get a patented R-Wing pass-through to improve aerodynamic downforce. A Powershot feature allows a 40 horsepower boost for 15 seconds when activated, while the Fratzonic Chambered Exhausts gives the EV models the sound feedback Hellcat drivers are accustom to.

The patent-pending Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system for Charger Daytona models uses two passive radiators to create a unique exhaust profile with Hellcat levels of sound intensity that shatters the preconception of a typical quiet BEV and instead delivers a sound worthy of the Brotherhood of Muscle. Sound intensity is tied to higher performance, with a stealth sound mode also available. Distinct vehicle sounds assist in providing driver feedback, especially at the track and at elevated speeds, and enhance the immersive in-car feel.

Range for the Charger Daytona R/T is forecast at 317 miles while the Daytona Scat Pack should be rated for 260 miles. Both versions are capable of 350 kW charging and can replenished from 20 percent to 80 percent in just 27 minutes, or roughly 9.9 miles per minute for the Daytona R/T and 8.1 miles per minute for the Daytona Scat Pack.

For traditionalists, Dodge will also offer gas-powered options with the Dodge Charger SIXPACK H.O. powered by a high performance version of the 3.0-liter twin-turbo Hurricane 6-cylinder producing 550 horsepower while a SIXPACK S.O. version produces 420 horsepower.  All models of Charger feature all-wheel drive.

Unlike most other electric vehicles, the interior of the Charger Daytona maintains traditional lines while incorporating modern tech. The vehicle's dynamic, layered instrument panel and console theme are home to free-standing, wide-format 10.25-inch or available 16-inch cluster screens, with a 12.3-inch center display positioned in an angled center stack that provides a unique, sculpted interior with a modern technical feel. Linework and texture are evocative of the iconic 1968 Dodge Charger instrument panel, reproportioned in volumes that feel lighter and support the ideology of a thoroughly modern performance vehicle that only Dodge could build.

Race Options: The Charger is offering more options than ever to explore muscle car performance with new Donut and Drift Modes exclusive to the Daytona Scat Pack, the return of popular Launch Control and Line Lock and Dodge-exclusive race-prep options

• Donut Mode: Enables the vehicle to spin only the rear wheels and to rotate around either of the front wheels without intervention from the traction control system
• Drift Mode: The driver can select three levels of slip angle, and torque is rear-axle biased, using the front axle to help maintain slip angle. Front dampers become full soft and rear dampers go full stiff to enable an oversteer condition, and the traction control system allows for different wheel speed differentials without setting fault codes
• Line Lock: Gives the driver the ability to lock the front wheels, remove torque from the front axle and spin the rear tires to clean and warm up the tires before a launch event
• Launch Control: Provides optimal straight-line acceleration from a stationary start, with five selectable level of launch intensity
• Race Prep: The new Charger debuts Dodge-exclusive methods for race prep, for drag racing or track racing. With energy demand shorter in drag racing, the race prep system supports optimum energy output through a warmer battery. Track-racing needs require a longer energy drain which heats the battery, prompting the race prep system to achieve a colder start temperature, allowing more time for the battery to heat up and allowing for more track time. Race prep pages include information on the battery level, thermal level and the time remaining for the battery to achieve race readiness
• Performance Pages: Like recent Dodge performance vehicles, Performance Pages for the all-new Charger deliver info on key performance metrics such as timers, gauges, g-force, propulsion system information and more
• Body Structure: All-new Dodge Charger Daytona models achieve near perfect weight distribution between the two axles, improving vehicle handling and control, and an increase in overall rigidity of the body structure assists with performance and ride quality, minimizing cabin rattles and driveline vibrations

This next generation Charger is the first vehicle to debut Stellantis's new STLA-Large platform, a multi-energy platform capable of being electric powered, gas powered, or hybrid.

The all-electric coupe versions will go into production this summer with the four-door and gas powered models will start down the line at Dodge's Windsor Ontario Assembly at the beginning of 2025.

Related:
Electrified Muscle Car, Welcome Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept
Dodge Last Call of the Charger/Challenger 2023 product line revealed!
Next-Generation Dodge Challenger To Embrace Electrification

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46 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

This seems, at least, five years too early. 

I mean... is anyone going to notice? Jaguar sold like 8,000 cars in the US last year and 43,000 globally.  It sounds like they're building up a couple of years of inventory to cover it. I think even Alfa Romeo would laugh at that.

For comparison, they sold 280,000 Land Rover / Range Rover / Defenders globally.

Ford was early to the electric work van market with the E-Transit and quickly become the best selling electric van on the market, not just in the U.S., but Canada and Europe as well. According to Ford, E-Transit customers have saved over 3 million gallons of gasoline since the E-Transit went on the market in 2022.

For 2024, Ford has brought several welcome changes.  The most impactful is a range increase on the low-roof model from 126 miles per charge to 159 miles per charge.  This range increase comes from a new 89 kWh battery that replaces the 68 kWh version from last year. The additional power unlocks new electric solutions for the vehicle like refrigerated delivery.  This change represents a 26 percent increase for low-roof models and up to a 32 percent increase for high-roof versions.  Electric motor performance remains the same at 266 horsepower and 317 lb.-ft of torque. The entire E-Transit lineup has Ford Pro Power available, giving 2.4 kW of power to operate a laptop, power tools, or other equipment.

In addition to the larger range, the E-Transit can now charge faster with a peak rate of 176 kW. When connected to a DC-Fast charger with greater than a 180 kW capacity, the E-Transit can take on an estimated 67 miles of range in just 15 minutes. E-Transit also now has access to the Tesla SuperCharger network when paired with a complimentary NACS to CCS charging adapter from Ford. All previous E-Transit customers from model years 2022 and newer are eligible to receive one free NACS adapter per vin.  Drivers can charge seamlessly at Tesla SuperCharger stations with plug-and-charge. Charging sessions are billed directly through Ford's existing Ford Pro Public Charging network.  Only 250 kW Tesla SuperCharger stations can be used by Ford drivers, and their locations will show in the Ford BlueOval Charging app, but with 15,000+ eligible SuperCharger locations in addition to the 13,000 DC-Fast charging plugs already available, E-Transit drivers will have no problem locating a place to charge up. To request a complimentary NACS charger, existing E-Transit owners can use the BlueOval app or visit https://ford.com/FastChargingAdapter

The E-Transit is available in van, cutaway, and chassis cab models, with hundreds of upfitters available for customization.

The enhanced range 2024 E-Transit will open for orders in a few months, with the first deliveries expected later this year.  Similar to Ford cutting prices on the Ford Mustang Mach-E, pricing of the E-Transit starts at $51,095, a $400 reduction over the 2023 model, with possible tax credits of up to $7,500 per vehicle.

Related:
Ford Offering Free Tesla Charger Adapter to Ford Lightning and Mach-E Owners
US Postal Service Buys 9,000+ Ford E-Transits
Ford EV Access to Tesla Supercharging Opens
Ford Slashes Ford Mach-E Price

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In February of 2021, Jaguar announced that it would become an all-electric brand by 2025, a feat that, if achieved, would make it the first legacy brand to make that transition.  Later this year, the last three gas-powered Jaguar models (E-Pace, F-Pace, and XF Sedan) will end production well before the electric replacements are ready.  Jaguar is building up some inventory to carry it through the production crunch, but it is only able to do that because the brand's sales have fallen from 179,000 units in 2017 to 43,000 units globally.

The first of three new EVs arrives in mid-2025 with a followup model later that year and the final of the trio in 2026. All three will be based on Jaguar's new JEA (Jaguar Electric Architecture) platform, unrelated to the current Jaguar I-Pace. Starting with a high-dollar grand touring sedan, Jaguar intends to take aim at competitors like the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT.  And while Jaguar does claim the new four-door GT will be the most powerful Jaguar ever (that crown is currently held by the top F-type with 575 horsepower), they are aiming for a more generous range than the direct competition with 430 miles on the WLTP test or roughly 400 miles when the EPA gets their hands on it.

Unfortunately, the full-size Jaguar XJ has been killed again before it got resurrected. When the gasoline XJ went out of production, Jaguar said the XJ would return as an EV, but that plan was scuttled back in 2021 and no XJ is forthcoming.

By the end of the year, even the I-Pace crossover will end production, potentially leaving Jaguar with zero vehicles in production if there are delays with the four-door GT. The I-Pace never made a mark on the market with a $73,000+ starting price and a 246 mile range.

Related:
Jaguar I-Pace Gets More Range From Software Update
Rumorpile: F-Type Could Offer An Electric Powertrain
 

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 During the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, Hyundai displayed their SEVEN concept, a highly futuristic three-row EV roughly the size of the company's Palisade.  It was assumed at the time that when this vehicle came to market in production form, it would wear the Ioniq 7 nameplate.  A recent report to Automotive News (subscription required) has said that the name will now change to Ioniq 9 to better align with Kia's EV9 SUV and also give space below for additional Ioniq models to come. Hyundai is busy making Ioniq into its own brand, with several vehicles planned in the coming years, including some Hyundai Ioniq trucks.

The Ioniq 9 is expected to break cover in June this year and Hyundai hopes to mirror the out of the barn success of the Kia EV9 that it shares a platform with.  Like the Kia EV9 range, we can expect the Ioniq 9 to have a similar 230 mile base range, up to a 304 mile long-range RWD model, and all-wheel drive models landing with about 270 miles - 280 miles of range.

Related:
All-Electric IONIQ-6 Streamliner Sedan is Unveiled
2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Kicks Off A New Sub-Brand
Hyundai's Ioniq 5 N Is Only 2.6 Seconds Slower Than the BMW M2 CS At The Nürburgring
 

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