Drew Dowdell
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Everything posted by Drew Dowdell
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Huge differences in visibility.
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UP: BNSF: NS:
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No no... not UP, those are BNSF and NS.
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Cadillac News: Cadillac Faces A Conundrum With the Escalade
Drew Dowdell replied to William Maley's topic in Cadillac
I most likely see this as the preamble to moving the Escalade off a body-on-frame platform and not sharing it with the others. -
So now that we have the Tesla talk out of the way (ahem), here is an example of why the Hybrid matters. I have a co-worker who drives the 2008-2011 Malibu. Loves the car, but it has 170k on it. I helped him pick it out when he bought it new a few years back. He claims to "only" do 20k a year on his car, but clearly that is a bit low. Ever since he saw the new Malibu, he's been itching to trade into it. He loves the look. I've suggested other alternatives as well (Subaru Legacy, he lives way north of the city in the snowy area), but he keeps coming back to the Malibu. He went and looked at a new LTZ 2.0T for $32k over the weekend that just came in to his local dealer. He likes it, but he doesn't care about speed, just fuel economy. He has a very long commute that starts in traffic, then open freeway, then back to traffic again. I let him know this base price of the new Malibu and the MPGs. $28k is right in his target price, so if he can wait till they get on the market, he'll probably buy one, otherwise he'll end up in the 1.5T. Does it make absolute financial sense for him to go with the Hybrid? No, but then most car purchases don't. There are just going to be people the like the car and want to get the best fuel economy period.
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On the Model-X, if they wanted to do that other stuff with Gull Wing doors and Zombie defense mode, wait till the "normal" cars are already rolling down the line... get the bread and butter money makers out on the market FIRST and then do the crazy stuff.
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It's the fall that'll kill ya.
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The Avenger Journey still sells decent, and just a year or two ago was over 100k units a year... so it's competing with something. It's CR-V/Nox priced but with a third row for tiny tots, and it actually comes with a V6 which the CR-V/Rogue/RAV-4 do not. So it has its place. I don't think Encore sales and Renegade sales are very interchangeable. While both vehicles are in the same size class, they appeal to very different types of consumer. I would expect a Chrysler CUV of that size to appeal to an Encore consumer rather than a Renegade consumer.
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You're forgetting the Journey. But yes, I think a lux version of the Cherokee would be a nice Chrysler. It's just that the small CUVs are the hottest new segment right now, so get in while they can with an Encore/Trax car. Easier to win customers when the segment is new. In the CR-V segment, people just turn in their CR-V and lease another without thinking.
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On the supercharger thing - He should have just upped the cost of the car to cover the fee.. Yes it costs money, but making a separate transaction means it can't be rolled into lease payments/financing. It's not that it matters though, so few bought those low end models anyway.
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Gull Wing Doors - how many months/years of delay due to this single feature? Not allowing early adopters of the lower end models access to the supercharger network without an additional $10k fee for a software update. Picking fights with state legislatures and regulators instead of trying to work with them. Over promising on the battery swap idea and then under delivering (one battery swap location, never open) Some of the early model product mix wasn't very good, the low end models were price leaders that no one wanted to buy (obviously why they were canceled) Spending money to develop the zombie mode chemical warfare resistance stuff.... that was money poorly spent. Spending money developing ludicrous speed rather than greater range.
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Cadillac News: Cadillac Faces A Conundrum With the Escalade
Drew Dowdell replied to William Maley's topic in Cadillac
Oh you're moving the goal posts again? First your issue was that Cadillac was using a Chevy platform... now that Cadillac gets platforms first and then lets the other brands in a few years later, that's still a problem? You love to cite the 3-series as the biggest seller in its class.... that's the reason Cadillac wants to build lightweight world class chassis with 4-cylinder turbos. If you're referring to the CT6, there are no less than 4 other powertrains for the CT6 in production or on the way soon. -
I don't think they need Fiat or Alfa.... but as long as Serg is at the helm, those two brands are untouchable. Chrysler (the brand) is a lot healthier than you give them credit for SMK. They might even outsell the entire VW brand in the US this year... and with only 3 vehicles in their lineup. Chrysler needs to be Buick but with a broader range of product. Premium cars without going all the way to Cadillac/Benz level. They are so close to being able to do this with the cars they have now.... better interiors and upgraded powertrains would be all it takes. Dodge can handle the family car business. Ram and Jeep have their respective niches. Let Maserati handle the luxury end as it has more brand recognition than Alfa.
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No.. not just what he has said... I'm pretty certain that a number of the questionable product decisions Tesla has made originate from the CEO's chair. A lot of good decisions come from that chair too... but the bad ones are ones that potentially put the company at when it doesn't have to be like that.... ... and that's just douchey.
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Cadillac News: Cadillac Faces A Conundrum With the Escalade
Drew Dowdell replied to William Maley's topic in Cadillac
The XT5 is on an all new platform, and for now it is unique to Cadillac. -
We've all seen car crash tests, so here is a video of locomotive crash tests. Turn your volume down if you don't wish to hear cheesy disco music These locomotive crash tests were performed in the 1980s after a series of fatal (to the engineer) crashes. The DOT wanted to see how different cab designs reacted in various crash scenarios. They were also testing for something called "climbing"... that is when the impacting vehicle climbs up and over the impacted vehicle. one of the results of these tests where the "safety cabs" we see on virtually all modern freight locomotives. Apparently it made such a difference to the safety of the crew, that when older locomotives go in for a major rebuild, they have their cabs converted to the new style. A comfort cab loco: A Spartan Cab loco
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EnergyDrinks can be very addictive if you use them too much. They can put you into a cycle where you need them to function. This applies to coffee as well, but at a lower level.
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Elon is a gigantic douche.... I like Tesla but can acknowledge that fact. In fact, I think Elon is probably Tesla's biggest liability, period..... but that doesn't mean I want the whole company to fail just to punish him. The CEO of Uber is a gigantic douche too, but I still use the service.
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Okay people... enough with the personal back and forth...
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Cadillac News: Cadillac Faces A Conundrum With the Escalade
Drew Dowdell replied to William Maley's topic in Cadillac
Minus the Bolt battery pack, that's called the Cadillac PHEV system. Coming to a Cadillac CT6 near you. -
Cadillac News: Cadillac Faces A Conundrum With the Escalade
Drew Dowdell replied to William Maley's topic in Cadillac
Oh good, Johan is going to start tinkering with the Escalade formula.... no way ANYTHING could go wrong there. BTW, NONE of the competition is particularly nimble either in spite of being smaller. I've always found the GM SUVs to drive smaller than they really are. And really, they are selling every Escalade they can build for $20k more than they sold the last one. That's what is called a success. If Johan wants to sell it in other markets, give it a decent diesel or a PHEV or both. -
Yes. They already have the "rugged" version in the Renegade. There is the Italian connection in the 500x. But I couldn't sell either of them to my partner as he likes the more luxury feel of the Encore. It would be a good fit for Chrysler I think and it is the hottest growth segment right now.
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A Chrysler 100 as an Encore/Trax competitor leaning on the luxury side of things rather than the Off-Road side like the Renegade would probably be a better move than a Chrysler Dart.
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It's the commoditization that Serg wishes he had.
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So how do you explain that in 2014, US sales of Hybrids were a combined total of 507,272 sold. Here is the official GOV link showing Hybrid sales all the way back to 1999 when only 17 were sold. 2000 9,350 were sold, 20,282 in 2001 were sold. I am sure an auto maker would love to have that large sales increase for a model. Now over half a million units sold in 2014. http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_19.html Notice that from 1999 to 2003 this was I believe all Toyota, no one else. Then in 2004 you have domestic and imports listed. Honda would have to be in that 1999 - 2003 total as well.... they actually beat Toyota to market with a Hybrid very slightly.
