Electric car thread

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Originally Posted by frorider

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a3...buzz-revealed/

So the actual VW Buzz looks ok compared to that weirdly wrapped version last week. At least the short WB version Europe gets. But



Bizarre decision by VW.

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I'd guess it has to do with which charger company VW Europe and VW North America are partnering with to sell the vehicle. Vehicle-To-Grid is coming along in the US, and could still be possible for some/many buyers, but it depends on your charger and your utility. V2G was a big sell from Thomas/Freightliner guys when I bought the EV bus (240kW of battery) last fall, but our [very progressive] utility is still a few years out from being able to actualize it on their market.

Got a ride in a Rivian today. Holy shit is that thing fast. It has really cool tech to change driving modes and clearance, etc. Attachment 413661Attachment 413662Attachment 413663

I've had my KiaEV6 now for just over two months, and it is by far the best car I've ever owned. I'll never buy another ICE vehicle just based on performance and ease of charging at home alone.

We drove from central Wyoming to LA a month after getting the car and the trip was awesome. Once we got out of WY there were plenty of high speed chargers and charging only added a little time to our trip.

I'd highly recommend an EV6 or the other new EVs on the market today.

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Originally Posted by WMD

Got a ride in a Rivian today. Holy shit is that thing fast. It has really cool tech to change driving modes and clearance, etc. Attachment 413661Attachment 413662Attachment 413663

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It may have cool tech and be fast but having seen one IRL yesterday I will say that it may just be the ugliest vehicle to have made it beyond some designers sketchbook in the last 30 yrs. Those headlights are comically stupid. Even my wife and kid who just do not notice cars thought it was hideous.

And the aerodynamics do not appear to be much better than the brick fronted ICE trucks we are all accustomed to.

And the bed?? I could google it but it looked to be about 4’, maybe 4.5’ long. WTF, whats the point?


And this coming from an EV fan who owns one, will buy another soon and may never buy another ICE vehicle.

A friend has one and people I’ve asked like the Rivian front end—it’s clean and simple not like those fugly Chevys. The bed length is ridiculously short, but that’s to enable the large crew cab that fat ass Americans demand for their mall crawling. Drag coefficient is 0.30, lower than any full-size truck that I’m aware of.

If there was an extended cab version with a useful bed length I’d be tempted.

The Rivian bed is incredibly short but when the tailgate is down it looks like it could carry a sheet of plywood. The interior is actually small for an American pickup truck. I think it may be too small for most US truck owners.

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Originally Posted by WMD

The Rivian bed is incredibly short but when the tailgate is down it looks like it could carry a sheet of plywood. The interior is actually small for an American pickup truck. I think it may be too small for most US truck owners.

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Saw one in the wild the other day. I was intrigued until I realized I wouldnt be able to carry skis locked in the bed. Dumb.

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Attachment 414250
I took a monorail to Vegasloop, it was like a Sci-Fi movie at slow speeds. I thought the Teslas were on tracks without drivers going very, very fast but it's just some dude driving you 35mph in the tunnel, ha. Gimmicky for sure.

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Originally Posted by Dshack89

Saw one in the wild the other day. I was intrigued until I realized I wouldnt be able to carry skis locked in the bed. Dumb.

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There is a pass through area in front of the bed but behind the backseat that might be long enough for skis. Would be a great place to carry them if it's long enough. The truck is nearly 208 cm wide so it should fit skis just fine.

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The gear tunnel is obviously shorter than the truck width, but I was curious how much so I googled it:

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The tunnel is 65 inches long, 18.1 inches wide, and 20.3 inches high

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65 inches = 165 cm. Could probably squeeze some 170s in there.

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Originally Posted by dcpnz

It may have cool tech and be fast but having seen one IRL yesterday I will say that it may just be the ugliest vehicle to have made it beyond some designers sketchbook in the last 30 yrs

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The Pontiac Aztek would like to have a word.

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Originally Posted by frorider

The gear tunnel is obviously shorter than the truck width, but I was curious how much so I googled it:



65 inches = 165 cm. Could probably squeeze some 170s in there.

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Ah damn. I was hoping it could hold some real skis.

I don't mind the looks. I think people will be pretty used to them when there are thousands on the roads in a few years. The Rivian is a pretty capable vehicle and I'll probably buy one in the next few years when they are mass produced and maybe cheaper. It'll probably be a little more refined then. Hopefully with a longer bed, because yeah, I agree on that front, as a current short bed owner (Tacoma). If not I'll get a rack/box and be done with it though.

One weird thing that was pointed out in a review is that the spare is located in the bed of the truck. This means that if you get a flat and have a bed full of stuff, you've got to take it all out to get to the spare. If that stuff is not removable, like a camper or heavy shit, you are SOL. Or you just gotta mount the tire outside the truck somewhere.

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Originally Posted by Name Redacted

One weird thing that was pointed out in a review is that the spare is located in the bed of the truck. This means that if you get a flat and have a bed full of stuff, you've got to take it all out to get to the spare. If that stuff is not removable, like a camper or heavy shit, you are SOL. Or you just gotta mount the tire outside the truck somewhere.

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Ehhhhhhh better than no spare (Tesla)….


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Originally Posted by Name Redacted

I don't mind the looks. I think people will be pretty used to them when there are thousands on the roads in a few years. The Rivian is a pretty capable vehicle and I'll probably buy one in the next few years when they are mass produced and maybe cheaper. It'll probably be a little more refined then. Hopefully with a longer bed, because yeah, I agree on that front, as a current short bed owner (Tacoma). If not I'll get a rack/box and be done with it though.

One weird thing that was pointed out in a review is that the spare is located in the bed of the truck. This means that if you get a flat and have a bed full of stuff, you've got to take it all out to get to the spare. If that stuff is not removable, like a camper or heavy shit, you are SOL. Or you just gotta mount the tire outside the truck somewhere.

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As Nick says, better than no spare.

The Rivian I ride in is a loaner from Rivian to The Nature Conservancy for work at some WY preserves. The preserve manager who gave me a ride is basically a ranch manager and not a typical EV guy, but he said after driving the Rivian for a while he can't stand to drive his own Chevy truck anymore. He said the Rivian is just a far better vehicle all around.

He also got a flat the day after he gave me a ride and said he was pretty glad the Rivian came with a spare. He had a full size spare but apparently some come with smaller spares.

GOTOS rivian

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Originally Posted by nickwm21

Ehhhhhhh better than no spare (Tesla)….


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Somebody stole my spare while my truck was parked at the airport a few weeks ago, so yeah, I guess you are right... :cussing: Apparently that's a thing now.

Minivan, delivery van, and a truck. Some cool options by Canoo coming in the next few years.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a3...y5AUUhTdc4NELU

I saw 3 disabled Teslas yesterday that had blowouts from hitting potholes just sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow. Ya gotta have a spare...

I did not know Teslas did not have a spare. Wtf...bacon and an electric air compressor in the trunk. [emoji16]

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Originally Posted by gravitylover

I saw 3 disabled Teslas yesterday that had blowouts from hitting potholes just sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow. Ya gotta have a spare...

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Nobody driving a tesla knows how to change a tire.

FFS the disappearance of a spare tire began years ago…BMW etc. AAA says 30% of cars sold today have no spare. https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/artic...ing-spare-tire

There are biting criticisms of Teslas. This ain’t one of them.

I get it.

How often do you actually need to change a tire on the side of the road? Every 3-7 years maybe?

What percentage of adults actually know how to change a tire? ~60%

What percentage of Tesla/Merc/BMW drivers would rather wait for a service than change a spare themselves? ~90%

I’d still rather have a spare though…


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Originally Posted by nickwm21

I get it.

How often do you actually need to change a tire on the side of the road? Every 3-7 years maybe?

What percentage of adults actually know how to change a tire? ~60%

What percentage of Tesla/Merc/BMW drivers would rather wait for a service than change a spare themselves? ~90%

I’d still rather have a spare though…


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Our Sienna AWD came with run flats and no spare. Run flat options are too limiting, so replacements and snows have not been run flats. I’d prefer to have a spare, but I’ve willingly moved to carrying plugs and an inflator w/sealant.

One reason I got my Alltrack was the spare tire. The industry trend sucks for those of us who often drive in very remote places. But it’s an industry trend, not a Tesla issue per se.