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Drew Dowdell

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Everything posted by Drew Dowdell

  1. Drew Dowdell
    I toggled some other things off on your account. Let me know if it stops.
  2. Drew Dowdell
    Still a month away, but already getting ready for Detroit auto show.... and the paperwork for Chicago Auto Show in February came yesterday.
  3. Drew Dowdell
    Yeah, the diesel option came to mind. A quick local search showed a bunch of PHEVs available in the area too which also intrigues me. My driving is strange, I don't do a lot of driving around town, but then I'll go on long distance trips driving to DC for family or NYC for work. I'll also often do PIT-DC-NYC-PIT. So on a month I don't travel, I could put less than 500 miles on the car, but a month that I do travel could be 2,000+. I would like to drive to Florida more often to visit my parents and take a motorcycle with me, hence the need for the tongue weight rating.
  4. Drew Dowdell
    The X5 is an interesting idea... I'll have to look up the tongue weight rating. It should be minimum of 595 which could just squeak me in.
  5. Drew Dowdell
    It may have the worst fuel economy numbers, but it is also the only one I can think of that comes with a V6 and not a blasted 4-cylinder lagger turbo. The only other V6 option I can think of is the Journey with its 3.6, but we just won't go there.
  6. Drew Dowdell
    It's a 127k... and if it wasn't so damn expensive ($900) to replace the starter on it, it would be making its 3rd flatbed trip this year. But I can't see sinking $900 into a car that I might only get $4500 from in full working order. So I'm ordering the parts, I've had help pushing it into the garage, and I'll start to dig this weekend. It's a 4-cylinder with the starter under the f-ing intake manifold like it's a Northstar or something. $200 part, $700 labor.
  7. Drew Dowdell
    Balth, you're only thinking about profitability right now. GM, Porsche, Volvo have all said that they expect their next round of EVs to be profitable. The tax credit helps tide over sales until that point. In that regard, the tax credit is doing exactly what it set out to do... prime the pump of EV infrastructure from the supply side. With all of the investment to ramp up production of electrified vehicles, the unit costs for manufacturers will come down. It took those subsidies to bring residential solar to the the point where it was on par with fossil fuel generation and the same is taking shape for EVs. Just a few more years and it will be there.
  8. Drew Dowdell
    I'm not sure when I want to pull the trigger either. We're in another weird spot in life where 2018 could bring some big changes. I don't think my choice in my next vehicle will change, but the "when" could change. That said, the Honda is dead again.... it has GOT to go! Actually, usually a high tow rating means adding things like air suspension.... that least it is that way on the Grand Cherokee and Durango. The GC turns into a total puff ride with the air suspension.
  9. Drew Dowdell
    Not all of them need to be together, and one or two of those things missing does not mean a competitor isn't as good. Having a belt driven alternator AND a crank mounted electric motor seems like an excess to me. Honda IMA didn't have an alternator, the crank mounted motor recharged the 12-volt battery. Both the Honda IMA and GM eAssist used their electric motors as starters, but also had conventional starters as backup. Electric driven water pumps are a common thing these days... having it is like bragging that you have direct injection in your car. All modern hybrids have electric A/C. I can't see jumping up and down with excitement over a new MB engine that has tech from a 2008 Malibu. In some cases, other manufacturers will achieve a similar result with different methods. 1. The RX hybrid's electric motors are only connected to the rear wheels and operate completely independently from the gasoline motor. Does that make the RX less advanced than this eAssist Benz? I wouldn't say so. 2. GM puts their electric assist only as a belt alternator-starter in the Silverado eAssist. It contributes 13 hp versus Mercedes' 18hp, but otherwise achieves the same effect. The CT6 has two 100hp motors in the transmission. 3. Volvo uses a supercharger and turbocharger in tandem on their hybrid. This means the boost is instant much like what MB is going for with the electric turbo. Aside from the electric turbo, various combinations of these technologies can be found on any number of electrified vehicles. Off the top of my head: Honda, Toyota, GM, FCA, BMW, Nissan, Ford, Kia, and Hyundai all have them. Is any one combination superior? Well, vote with your dollars... but there is nothing about the MB that is revolutionary.
  10. Drew Dowdell
    The New Armada meets the criteria, I drove it back in October at a press event. The thing I don't like about it is the infotainment system is utter rubbish for a 2017 vehicle. I know that wasn't on my list of criteria, but it's a big enough issue to make me not like the car.
  11. Drew Dowdell
    I wonder how cushie the new Navi will be. I haven't driven a Sequioa in eons.... Durango is probably at minimum cush level. I get them regularly as rentals and they're on my radar because Hemi..... But I like the GC better
  12. Drew Dowdell
    Everyone is going to led light pipe accent lighting these days. Buick actually started on that with the second generation Enclave tail lights.
  13. Drew Dowdell
    You realize that everything in that list has been done? "Crank mounted electric motor" = Honda Integrated Motor Assist Belt driven alternator / starter = GM eAssist Electric driven water pump = every GM Ecotec from the second generation on... Plus I'm sure others Electric driven A/C = any second generation full hybrid Inline 6 = @balthazar what year was that? The only thing innovative is the electric turbo.
  14. Drew Dowdell
    Well you have to think on a macro scale. $20 million is less than a penny of your taxes. But the investment by those companies represents billions in payroll and high paying jobs. More jobs in the US means higher pay on average (usually). Having just a slightly tighter job market means you get more than your penny back in better wages.
  15. Drew Dowdell
    The already limited demand for EVs dries up, no longer a reason to invest. When EV tax credit in Georgia ended, sales there cratered. If you need an existing example, when many state tax credits for residential solar power dried up, the US solar manufacturing and installation industry cratered and now most solar panels and solar development is done in China. Since China and Europe are continuing to push for EVs, I would expect all R&D to move there.... along with all of the peripheral development on batteries.
  16. Drew Dowdell
    Yeah, save $20 million (or 6 POTUS Golf trips) a year in taxpayer money , potentially lose billions in EV development and investment. There is a phrase for cutting this tax credit.... it is called being "Penny wise and Pound Foolish"
  17. Drew Dowdell
    More information about "Pepsi, Walmart, JB Hunt place orders for Tesla Semi"
    PepsiCo has placed a pre-order for 100 of Tesla's recently released Semi-Truck. Wal-Mart, J.B. Hunt, and Sysco have also placed orders. Reuters tallies the total so far at 285 units. Tesla was initially asking for a $5,000 reservation fee, but has since increased that to $20,000. Pepsico plans on using the trucks for lighter snack items and fixed routes between distribution centers. An order of 100 trucks represents about 1% of Pepsi's 10,000 strong fleet. Over 260,000 conventional semi-trucks are produced each year. The Tesla Semi has a promised range of 500 miles with 80,000 lbs at 65 mph. Promised performance increases over a conventional diesel include the ability to maintain 65 mph up a 5% grade versus 45 mph for the typical diesel, and an unladen 0-60 time of just 5 seconds and 20 seconds with an 80,000 lb. load. The Tesla Semi will go into production in 2019, but test mules have already been spotted in the wild.
  18. Drew Dowdell
    PepsiCo has placed a pre-order for 100 of Tesla's recently released Semi-Truck. Wal-Mart, J.B. Hunt, and Sysco have also placed orders. Reuters tallies the total so far at 285 units. Tesla was initially asking for a $5,000 reservation fee, but has since increased that to $20,000. Pepsico plans on using the trucks for lighter snack items and fixed routes between distribution centers. An order of 100 trucks represents about 1% of Pepsi's 10,000 strong fleet. Over 260,000 conventional semi-trucks are produced each year. The Tesla Semi has a promised range of 500 miles with 80,000 lbs at 65 mph. Promised performance increases over a conventional diesel include the ability to maintain 65 mph up a 5% grade versus 45 mph for the typical diesel, and an unladen 0-60 time of just 5 seconds and 20 seconds with an 80,000 lb. load. The Tesla Semi will go into production in 2019, but test mules have already been spotted in the wild. View full article
  19. Drew Dowdell
    More information about "EV Tax Credit Survives Tax Bill Reconciliation"
    As lawmakers continue to work on comprehensive tax reform, one item related to the automotive industry on the table was the tax credit for electric vehicles. The credit, which can be up to $7,500, was dropped in the House version of the bill but kept in the Senate version. The credit was started in 2009 as part of the economic stimulus package as a way to encourage investment by auto manufacturers in the development of electric powered or assisted vehicles. The the current version of the bill in reconciliation keeps the credit. Analysts estimate that scrapping the credit would save $200 million over the next 10 years. The credit is capped at 200,000 qualifying vehicle per manufacturer, which no automaker has yet reached. Most manufacturers have announced billions of dollars in investment for sweeping changes to their lineups with many models gaining plug-in hybrid variants over the next 5 to 7 years. Related: GM Launching 20 EVs by 2023
  20. Drew Dowdell
    As lawmakers continue to work on comprehensive tax reform, one item related to the automotive industry on the table was the tax credit for electric vehicles. The credit, which can be up to $7,500, was dropped in the House version of the bill but kept in the Senate version. The credit was started in 2009 as part of the economic stimulus package as a way to encourage investment by auto manufacturers in the development of electric powered or assisted vehicles. The the current version of the bill in reconciliation keeps the credit. Analysts estimate that scrapping the credit would save $200 million over the next 10 years. The credit is capped at 200,000 qualifying vehicle per manufacturer, which no automaker has yet reached. Most manufacturers have announced billions of dollars in investment for sweeping changes to their lineups with many models gaining plug-in hybrid variants over the next 5 to 7 years. Related: GM Launching 20 EVs by 2023 View full article
  21. Drew Dowdell
    that is a fantastic looking car!
  22. Drew Dowdell
    That is a prediction that quite a few analysts have made. It doesn't work as well in FWD applications, but for RWD and trucks, it could be the next big thing. If there was any time for GM to bring back the I6/I5/I4 Atlas engines, now is the time. They had great torque delivery for the day. They would be great turbocharged.
  23. Drew Dowdell
    Full-size family sedans have been on the ropes lately. The Hyundai Azera has been canceled. There is no planned replacement for the Ford Taurus. The Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 both have uncertain futures. Toyota however is about to put a pile of chips on the table with a fully redesigned 2019 Toyota Avalon. They released a teaser picture ahead of the January 15th release at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The picture, which only shows the front left corner of the car shows a very expressive look with a broad lower intake and a somewhat Lexus shaped grille. We expect the new Avalon to ride on a longer variant of the 2018 Toyota Camry platform that was released at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show. The new Camry platform shaved significant weight over the prior model and that will likely carry over to the new Avalon as well. That should make for some impressive performance numbers as the Avalon is already one of the lightest vehicles in the class. We will have more details and on-site reaction for you as we approach the full release of the 2019 Toyota Avalon at the Detroit Auto Show. View full article
  24. Drew Dowdell
    More information about "Detroit Preview: 2019 Toyota Avalon"
    Full-size family sedans have been on the ropes lately. The Hyundai Azera has been canceled. There is no planned replacement for the Ford Taurus. The Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 both have uncertain futures. Toyota however is about to put a pile of chips on the table with a fully redesigned 2019 Toyota Avalon. They released a teaser picture ahead of the January 15th release at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The picture, which only shows the front left corner of the car shows a very expressive look with a broad lower intake and a somewhat Lexus shaped grille. We expect the new Avalon to ride on a longer variant of the 2018 Toyota Camry platform that was released at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show. The new Camry platform shaved significant weight over the prior model and that will likely carry over to the new Avalon as well. That should make for some impressive performance numbers as the Avalon is already one of the lightest vehicles in the class. We will have more details and on-site reaction for you as we approach the full release of the 2019 Toyota Avalon at the Detroit Auto Show.
  25. Drew Dowdell
    True, going inline is a huge plus. It has my interest for that alone. I think it is great that MB is moving back in that direction. Most of my posting is in response to SMK getting kool-aid spittle all over the place about how wonderful the performance of this new engine is going to be.
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