AD #2914 – MC20 Won’t Help Maserati’s Turn Around; Production Lucid Air Finally Debuts; Toyota Highlander Goes Soft
September 10th, 2020 at 12:06pm
Listen to “AD #2914 – MC20 Won't Help Maserati's Turn Around; Production Lucid Air Finally Debuts; Toyota Highlander Goes Soft” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 11:28
0:07 Europe Considers Stricter Emission Standards
0:51 Hyundai Launches Hydrogen Ad Campaign
1:29 California Getting More Hydrogen Refueling Stations
2:42 Maserati Reveals MC20 Hyper Car
4:20 Mercedes Using Augmented Reality to Help Techs
5:18 Audi Introduces S Versions of the e-tron
6:33 Lucid Air Finally Debuts
9:29 Toyota Highlander Review
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
EUROPE COULD GET EVEN STRICTER EMISSION STANDARDS
Europe already has the most aggressive GHG emission standards in the world but some lawmakers in the European Parliament want to tighten them up more. Currently, the EU is targeting a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030. But members of the environment committee agreed to cut them by 60% instead. However, that number will likely be watered down, since two other parliament committees have agreed to a 55% cut and member states must agree to the deal as well. And not all are in favor of the 60% target. The full European Parliament votes on the law next month. Europe’s goal is to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
HYUNDAI LAUNCHES HYDROGEN AD CAMPAIGN
Scientists have been praising hydrogen as the fuel of the future, but that future always seems to be 10 years away. Hyundai wants to change that. It’s launching a global ad campaign called Hydrogen for You, which is abbreviated as the letter H, the number 2 and the letter U, or H2U. The company is hiring celebrity DJs, models, photographers and others who will drive around in Hyundai Nexo fuel cell cars and talk about their experience. It’s all about changing public perceptions of hydrogen and showing that it’s an alternative to using batteries.
CALIFORNIA GETTING MORE HYDROGEN REFUELING STATIONS
And in other fuel cell news, the California Energy Commission is awarding subsidies to expand hydrogen refueling stations in the state. Shell received a nearly $41 million grant, which still needs formal approval, to install hydrogen refueling equipment at 48 existing Shell gas stations, upgrade two current Shell Hydrogen stations as well as add light-duty fueling capability at a current heavy-duty truck hydrogen station. And as part of the deal, Toyota and Honda have agreed to sell more fuel cell vehicles in the state to support the new stations. However, the companies didn’t reveal how many more they plan to sell.
THE MC20 WON’T HELP MASERATI’S TURN AROUND
Maserati is in trouble. Last year it’s sales plummeted 45% and it lost 200 million euros. And that was before the pandemic hit. Now, it’s doing even worse. But the company has a plan to claw its way back to profitability. And part of that plan is launching the MC20, a beautiful mid-engine hyper car with spectacular specifications. Zero to 100 kilometers an hour in only 2.9 seconds. Zero to 200 km/h in only 8.8 seconds. A top speed of 201 miles an hour. That’s thanks to a 3-liter V6 that cranks out 630 horsepower and 538 pound feet of torque all going through an 8-speed DCT. With its carbon fiber monocoque it weighs about 340 pounds less than a C8 Corvette. Inside, it’s masterfully laid out, with beautiful appointments and contrasting colors that invite you to slip into the seats. And in a nod to the modern era there are two 10-inch screens and all the instrumentation is digital. So will the MC20 help Maserati get turned around? No, not on its own. It’s generating a ton of publicity and will polisih the brand image, but with an estimated $200,000 price tag, sales will be tiny. What will really help Maseratii is its next SUV, the Grecale, which will slot in below the Levante. And that should go on sale next spring.
MERCEDES USING AUGMENTED REALITY TO HELP TECHS
Mercedes is turning to augmented reality to help its mechanics fix cars. Called Mercedes-Benz Virtual Remote Support, onsite dealer technicians put on a pair of Hololens goggles to give them immediate, real-time support from Mercedes technical specialists anywhere in the country. Using Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, the remote tech can see exactly what the onsite tech is seeing. Both users can view detailed 3D images and holograms, see where changes need to be made, mark visual information, add documents, and insert arrows and circles, to highlight areas to focus on. Not only does the technology help speed up repairs, since techs are able to diagnose issues faster, it also helps keep employees safe by working remotely during the pandemic. Mercedes recently rolled out the technology to all of its dealers in the U.S.
AUDI INTRODUCES S VERSIONS OF THE E-TRON
Audi introduced the S versions of the e-tron and e-tron Sportback. They feature 3 electric motors, two at the rear axle and one at the front. Audi claims it’s the first mass-produced EV in the world with 3 motors. The vehicles move from 0 to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and have a top speed of 130 MPH. In S gear, which provides full boost performance for 8 seconds, the models can hit nearly 500 horsepower and more than 700 lb.-ft. of torque. The S versions are a bit wider than the standard e-tron models and they feature silver attachments at the front and rear as well as aluminum mirror housings. Pricing for the e-tron S starts at a little over 91,000 euros or close to $110,000 and the e-tron S Sportback costs 2,000 euros more. Both models are available in Europe this fall.
LUCID FINALLY DEBUTS PRODUCTION AIR SEDAN
Lucid Motors finally debuted its Air sedan yesterday. Since styling hasn’t changed much from the prototypes, let’s focus on other areas. And one thing that caught our eye is the unique clamshell design of the trunk and frunk, which create less seams on the car and allow for easier access. Also aiding access are rear doors that open to 90-degrees. Speaking of getting into the Air, the car activates a lighting sequence as you approach and presents the door handles. It recognizes each individual user through their smartphone, uses a camera that monitors the driver to confirm who they are and then sets preferences to that person. Once inside you may notice the huge glass roof, but if you sprung for the top infotainment setup, you’ll likely be drawn to the massive 34-inch screen that blends the instrument cluster and infotainment together. There’s also a lower screen that interacts with the upper screen. The upper screen shows basic information, while the lower allows users to go into more detail. And just in case drivers get too distracted with what’s happening on the screens, there’s a whole suite of driver assistance technologies, what Lucid calls DreamDrive. In all, the Air has 32 sensors and cameras and claims to be the first to combine high-res LIDAR and full-surround radar. Now let’s get to the numbers. Three power outputs are available; 620-horsepower, 800-horsepower and 1080. Thanks to a drag coefficient of 0.21 the Air has impressive range. The Touring model can go 406 miles, the Grand Touring goes up to 517 and the Dream Edition has 465 miles or 503 miles of range, depending on the tire size. The Dream Edition is actually a limited edition that will launch first in 2021 and will carry a price of about $170,000. Next comes the GT in the summer of 2021 at nearly $140,000, followed by the $95,000 Touring model and then comes the standard Air in 2022 at $80,000. Anyone interested in the Air can plunk down a $1,000 refundable deposit right now.
Autoline After Hours is back this afternoon and we’ll be talking about GM’s global product plans with Tim Herrick. He’s the one in charge of everything GM does that is not electric. But those are the vehicles that will generate the money GM needs to invest in electrics. This ought to be a fascinating discussion so join John and Gary as well as Stephanie Brinley from IHS Markit when we get going live at 3 pm eastern time.
TOYOTA’S HIGHLANDER GOES SOFT
The Toyota Highlander made a recent run through the Autoline Garage and it helped us understand why it’s Toyota’s fourth best selling model in the American market. While it wears an angry face, the 3-row Highlander now behaves more like a kitty cat. Everything about it is soft. The suspension is softly sprung and runs over rough roads with barely a ripple. The cabin is softly quiet. The interior features soft rounded edges on the instrument panel, the console, the seats and door panels. And all the surfaces are covered in soft padding. The front side windows are laminated to make the interior quieter and Toyota engineers took advantage of moving the Highlander onto the TNGA platform to tune out frequencies that can interfere with conversations. Meanwhile, under the skin, the Highlander is ready to rumble. There’s a hybrid version, but we drove the big 3.5 liter V6 that comes with an 8-speed automatic. With 295 horsepower and 263 foot pounds on tap it moves this bulky SUV around with ease and can tow a 5,000 pound trailer. The base Highlander is front drive, but there are two optional all-wheel-drive systems that you can choose from, while the hybrid version gets an electric motor on the rear axle to power the rear wheels. Toyota has stuffed the Highlander full of its safety and infotainment systems that are too numerous to list here. Of course, our Platinum edition tester came with everything and the $51,100 price tag reflects that.
That wraps up today’s show. Thanks for watching.
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Comments (50)
September 10th, 2020 at 12:32 pm
Wow, finally, a Toyota story.
Re the Hyrdogen BS: “FOOLS’ CELLS” as the Great Elon Musk so succintly described them. THere is no shortage of fools, both in the Automaker Community and in US State Governments, it seems.
September 10th, 2020 at 12:34 pm
The Augmented Reality for techs from M/B makes good sense. With models so complex and changing regularly it would be hard for the dealer tech to stay up to speed on the newer technologies. When a special problem occurs, and help would take lots of time in remedial training or even checking in the service manual, a savvy tech at M/B’s home location could probably (a lot of times) secure an answer thus saving the customer time away from his vehicle and a tech tied up with a problem vehicle slowing repairs for the whole shop.
September 10th, 2020 at 12:34 pm
PS I know very well what a “Levante” is (it’s not a plant or a perfume, but a WIND) but what the hell is a “Grecale”? Sounds like a Gremlin. AMC should sue, if it were still alive.
September 10th, 2020 at 12:35 pm
3 “The Levant” is also a broad geographical region.
September 10th, 2020 at 12:47 pm
Question: Is it the responsibility of State Government to create a refueling infrastructure for vehicles? NO, NO, NO!!!!
But that is exactly what California is doing with Hydrogen refueling stations for a few thousand vehicles. 99.9% of California voters do NOT know that their tax money is being wasted on this endeavor. But it get worse, since 95% of all the Hydrogen made is made by burning fossil fuels, its NOT green energy!
September 10th, 2020 at 1:12 pm
3) A quick google search reveals that Grecale in noun form is north-east wind.
September 10th, 2020 at 1:15 pm
The hybrid version of the Highlander should be pretty nice, for those who need that sort of vehicle. It gets about 2/3 the mpg of a Camry hybrid, both in CR’s tests and EPA numbers, really good for a CUV that size. The hybrid Highlander gets 46% better overall mpg in CR’s tests than the non-hybrid.
September 10th, 2020 at 1:25 pm
I don’t know how accurate the analysis is, but this article concludes that a fuel cell car is about half as efficient as a battery electric car, assuming the hydrogen is obtained by electrolyzing water.
https://theconversation.com/hydrogen-cars-wont-overtake-electric-vehicles-because-theyre-hampered-by-the-laws-of-science-139899
September 10th, 2020 at 1:38 pm
The all great Elon Musk should start getting a bit worried about Tesla’s future. Why? It’s obvious the major auto companies have been waiting years for better batteries while they sold their ICE. Those big companies knew they could build them, but why bother just to make a little or no money. The media and Wall Street tried hard to make you believe Elon Musk is some kind of genius and no company can touch his genius, and many still believes that. Well, prime time is just around the corner. Not only are they coming, but are coming with better technology. Take GM’s battery management system, just that in itself could be a game changer.
Good luck Tesla. You will need it since you will now have some real competition.
September 10th, 2020 at 1:53 pm
I cant help but feel that Hydrogen and even BEVs are being built simply because we can. There doesn’t seem to be a huge demand for them and the advantages are marginal at best.
California seems like the long lost uncle of the US states that has a gambling problem. The occasional win keeps them betting on long shots and financing all sorts of expensive endeavors. In a few years they will have gas stations, Diesel pumps, Natural gas, Hydrogen, and electric charging stations all over the state some of which is paid for by tax payers.
Its like the whole state is a R&D facility. Don’t worry about practicality or function or even if there is a long term viability in something. They are ready to finance it and gamble that it pays off. I guess someone has to.
September 10th, 2020 at 2:05 pm
10. The biggest reason people buy battery electric cars is that they “just like them.” I personally know two people who have bought them recently, a Model S and a Bolt. Liking EVs is why both bought the much different cars.
Even after 5 decades of serious emission controls, some California urban areas still have smog at times. That is part of the reason for their encouragement for vehicles that “get the emissions out of town.” Unless there are a lot of cars not working properly, though, the current smog is probably from sources other than cars.
September 10th, 2020 at 2:18 pm
I did a term paper on fuel cells and their future for my HS physics class. That was in 1965. Here we are 55 years later and…
September 10th, 2020 at 2:56 pm
12 I guess they still use fuel cells for some space cargo.
September 10th, 2020 at 2:58 pm
12) There are some real advantages to fuel cells, but nobody has been able to get around the cost. I wish that it could advance but I don’t see it happening in my lifetime.
September 10th, 2020 at 3:28 pm
Finally, a BEV company will sell a car with great technology and cutting edge screen capacity and capability that is actually integrated into the interior of the vehicle. The huge screen Tesla gives its owners looks like they got a great buy on leftover desktop screens and decided to just attach them to the interior of their cars any way they could. They appear to be a total afterthought. Thank you Lucid for providing an elegantly styled and high tech interior!
September 10th, 2020 at 3:50 pm
Only true of the failed, loser compliance BEVs. NOT ANY TESLAS.
September 10th, 2020 at 3:50 pm
Only true of the failed, loser compliance BEVs. NOT ANY TESLAS.
September 10th, 2020 at 3:55 pm
17 was in reply to 11. It is RIDICULOUS to equate the exhiliarating performance of any TESLA to the failed ugly LEAF or BOLT or all the other loser BEVs by other makers. Do not mention the $250k Taycan only a few will enjoy. TESLA has won this war and many here stick their heads DEEP in the sand and pretend it never happened. OVER A MILLION BEVS SOLD ALREADY, and a MILLION A YEAR or more in the future, ALL TESLAS.
September 10th, 2020 at 3:58 pm
15 you are hilarious. DId not know you are so enamored of SAUDI BEVs. Maybe you will call your’s OSAMA
The hate many here have aginst the ALL AMERICAN WINNER, the DOMINANT BEV Maker TESLA, is truly remarkable. I could understand why a GM Veteran would ENVY TEsla like hell, but all the others, why?
September 10th, 2020 at 4:13 pm
Nobody dares to comment about what I wrote on line 13 because it’s the truth and time will prove me correct. Mark my words.
September 10th, 2020 at 4:26 pm
19 I’m not enamored with any of the BEVs. I think they are all a fine niche vehicle. But nothing more than that. Certainly nothing against Tesla as they certainly are the leader. The only problem with being at the top is there is no where to do but down. So will Tesla remain on top? Maybe, but still, we are only talking about 2% of US sales. No matter how much Tesla pays you there is no denying what GM Vet said. As with lots of vehicles out there the screens appear to be afterthoughts and thrown on the dash without much effort to integrate. Tesla is learning that different is always better and that a few knobs and switches are still needed and that doing everything from a touch screen isn’t all its cracked up to be.
Larry you seem to let your love for Tesla blind you like the protesters in Portland. Anyone say the slightest criticism of Tesla and you flip out on them like they killed your 1st child or dog or whatever you have that you care about besides Tesla.
Get a little thicker skin dude and know that if someone dislikes Tesla its actually nothing personal with you. Well it wasn’t but maybe a little now as some people have noticed and probably enjoy getting a rise out of you. You make it pretty easy.
September 10th, 2020 at 4:26 pm
18. You really need to get a grip, “Larry,” These people both bought their cars, because the like EVs, even though the cars are substantially different. You are such an obnoxious fool, and need to get over yourself. I did not say in post 11 that a Bolt and Model S are the same. In fact, I specifically said that they are much different, but the people bought them instead of something else, because the like EVs.
September 10th, 2020 at 4:26 pm
18
The EV war has just started and Tesla will be the loser. Those high unrealistic Tesla stocks prices can drop like a rock. Your the one who’s keeping his head in the sand if you can not see it coming. Tesla has enjoyed over ten years w/o any competition and that’s about to end!!!!!!
September 10th, 2020 at 4:29 pm
Joe, I agree with you 100%. Larry wants to say Tesla has won the war. The truth is, they won the opening battle. So did the Germans in WWI and WWII, and look how that ended. Ford controlled more than half of the US market when they were building the Model T. Ten years later they were behind Chevrolet and GM and never closed the gap again. There are many more chapters in this book, and while Larry’s enthusiasm is admirable, it may prove to be misplaced in time.
September 10th, 2020 at 4:33 pm
20 I assume you meant #9 But yea I totally agree with you. Other manufacturers have realized that battery powered econoboxes are not going to sell. They need to be decent cars if they’re going to ask 50K+ for them. But as I said before this high end luxury BEV will limit their demographic even further. Sure someone will release a Model 3 fighter and that battle as yet to be seen. No doubt its coming though. I am still just very skeptical that BEVs will be able to take on much more than 10% of the US market without a huge breakthrough in battery tech. That could be any day.
September 10th, 2020 at 4:40 pm
19 – As usual, you are jumping to a lot of conclusions and making some interesting assumptions based out of a lack of information.
Can’t figure out why you think I would envy Tesla, . . . or why your caps lock button intermittently malfunctions.
September 10th, 2020 at 4:40 pm
15
I agree with you that the display on a Tesla looks like a computer screen which I think it is, and Elon must have had a great bargain on them.
Below is another great looking screen that’s 30″ an built like it was meant to be.
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2020/08/cadillac-lyriq-combines-technology-and-luxury-to-awaken-the-senses-video/
September 10th, 2020 at 4:48 pm
I agree. Cadillac certainly makes their share of mistakes, but they do a much nicer job of integrating their screens than many others.
September 10th, 2020 at 5:15 pm
28. I’ve read reviews on the CT5, and everyone seems to agree that the base powertrain is the big weakness, compared to the direct competition, 3 series and C-Class. I don’t know what is wrong, but the Cadillac is both slower and thirstier than the BMW and Benz, and most reviewers also find the powertrain less refined. Is GM’s turbo 4 not as good, is the gearing wrong, or what? It has plenty of transmission speeds, more than the competition.
September 10th, 2020 at 5:34 pm
@29: I test drove it last October in West Virginia at a conference. Drove it for half an hour on the freeway and curvy roads. Floored it several times. What a great vehicle. Great ride and handling, very good acceleration. Very refined interior with beautiful leather seats and great electronics. Phenomenal job by GM. Am not in the market for a sedan, but highly recommend it to anybody who is.
September 10th, 2020 at 6:11 pm
His caps lock malfunctions, just like Trump’s does.
September 10th, 2020 at 6:42 pm
From what I have read, the CT5 is a nice car but doesn’t handle as well as those compared. Acker’s impressions are probably more real for who has the intent to drive it like a race car.
The Lucid car is luxury at a high price and even the cheapest model can go a good distance even in winter with the heater on. But I have been thinking. All of these pricy EV’s have large rim sizes. If they are anything like my 245/40 R19’s, the selection is limited and 55K seems to be the biggest wear rating I could find. Given that EV’s are heavier, tires won’t last long. For those in a snow belt, 2 sets of tires is a must and mounting prices go as high as $20/tire if an extra set of hubs weren’t purchased.
Because they are so heavy, the added momentum should increase stopping distance in inclement weather.
There are a lot of things to consider when buying one of these!
September 10th, 2020 at 6:47 pm
30. Driving the CT5 in isolation, you wouldn’t notice that it is slower than a BMW 330i or the 2.0 turbo C-Class, and you wouldn’t know that it’s thirstier. I’m wondering if the GM 2.0 turbo is not tuned to take full advantage of premium gas, which compromises performance. I think the Cadillac is “premium gas recommended,” while the 330i and C whatever might be “premium required.” That’s just a guess about why the performance and mpg difference. The CT5 is ~200 pounds heavier than the Germans, but that’s only about 6%, and shouldn’t make much difference.
September 10th, 2020 at 6:48 pm
@32, just to be clear: I have only had an “intense test drive” with the CT5 and loved the product in every way. I did not have the competitors’ products there on site so I cannot compare with those.
September 10th, 2020 at 6:56 pm
34. I suspect I would really like the CT5 on a test drive. It would be much nicer, and somewhat quicker than my Camry. What I’d like, would be a CT5 with a Toyota hybrid powertrain. It would be a little slower, but use half as much gas than the 2.0 turbo.
September 10th, 2020 at 7:31 pm
34) Wm, I meant to say that you probably drove it like the car was intended and not a race car.
September 10th, 2020 at 9:38 pm
The local Cadillac dealer has a couple CT5s, both 4 cylinder, 4wd, one white and one black. They have a pretty, metallic red CT4, also 4wd. They have about 10 times as many SUVs as cars, though, which is where the market is. Most everything, except that CT4, is black, white, or one of several shades of grey. Is that what most people want? You’d think it would make sense for them to order some of them with color.
September 11th, 2020 at 8:14 am
“Most everything, except that CT4, is black, white, or one of several shades of grey. Is that what most people want? You’d think it would make sense for them to order some of them with color.”
It’s a self fulfilling prophecy, I think. Dealers order them because neutral colors won’t be a deal breaker. Like when we leased our truck, we ended up with a boring silver one because it had the towing setup we wanted. We tolerated the color, it wasn’t our preference.
And since 95% of vehicles in the US are bought off the lot, all the gray ones sell. So the dealer orders more…
September 11th, 2020 at 9:10 am
More, and overwhelming, evidence that the so called experts, who predicted a decline in auto sales, and myself, who predicted a huge decline in MASS TRANSIT and Airlines and Trains etc, and STRONG demand for cars and car miles driven:
The Demand for JET FUEL was down a WHOPPING 50% in the US. Ie, it COLLAPSED
“..Half of the usual demand for jet fuel in the US has evaporated as passengers continue to shun air travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic containment measures. The bought amount of jet fuel in the US – a key driver of oil demand – was just 0.94 million barrels per day in the week ending 28 August compared with 1.88 million barrels per day one year ago. The figures indicate that jet fuel will likely be the slowest oil product to recover…”
September 11th, 2020 at 9:15 am
39 You’d think that would make diesel fuel cheap, since diesel and jet fuel are about the same thing, but where I am, diesel is still about 40 cents a gallon more than regular gas.
September 11th, 2020 at 9:15 am
If and when I will decide to waste my money, regardless if my budget is $50k or $500k, and buy a new car from a dealer (or a Tesla store), it will NEVER be some POS the dealer has in the lot, AND it will NEVER be a horrible, 50 shades of grey and no color, interior.
I can tolerate gray and silver EXteriors much easier. In fact, my neighbor has an SL Merc with the metal retractrable top, looks new but must be pre-2006, with a brilliant silver exterior that is probably the BEST color for that vehicle.
September 11th, 2020 at 9:22 am
40 In MI, the price differential btw gas and diesel is not uniform, but varies widely from gas station to gas station, often just blocks away from each other. I always gas at the Kroger station next to my supermarket, because of the 40-50 cent discount, and by happy coincidence ot has a very small differential, while the Mobil station a block away has a 50c diff, and the Speedway 2 miles north of it has diesel cheaper than gas!
in my summer home fuel is much more expensive, but diesel has fallen significantly, down to almost 1 EUro/lt from 1.2-1.3 last summer. Gasoline also fell from an average of $1.65/lt to $1.40 or so.
September 11th, 2020 at 9:25 am
40 what do you mean ‘diesel and jet fuel are the same thing”???
September 11th, 2020 at 9:30 am
In the US, diesel fuel during the CV should be in good demand since many consumers are not driving their gas cars to the stores but order from AMazon and packages arrive in big diesel trucks (for most of the distance) and smaller gas, dieel and a few Electric smaller vans and trucks for the rest of the distance.
September 11th, 2020 at 9:44 am
43. I said that they are “about” the same thing, meaning that they are both, basically kerosene. The additives, or lack thereof are different, the the base is somewhat different, but not much. Here is a discussion of the finer points, and the down side of using jet fuel in diesel engines, even though they usually run on it.
https://generalaviationnews.com/2011/03/17/jet-a-versus-diesel-fuel/
September 11th, 2020 at 9:46 am
Diesel fuel and some jet fuel are very close resembling a kerosene basis hydrocarbon. While not the same, they are similar, and jet A will run in a diesel engine (in a pinch; but why would you other than as an academic exercise)
September 11th, 2020 at 9:47 am
43,45. Here’s more about it.
https://www.thedieselstop.com/threads/jet-a-vs-diesel.62296/
September 11th, 2020 at 10:28 am
Ι thought diesel was a heavy oil, almost like crude itself. There are many kinds of diesel fuel. Ships use some very heavy diesel fuels that look nothing like kerosene, which I thought was an even finer fuel than car gasoline. In fact one of the problems my first phD student wanted to study, but changed topic eventually because of lack of data, was the added vibrations as cargo ships would change over from the good diesel when they got out or in the port, to the worst, dirtiest heavy diesel which they used for the 1000s of miles they did on ‘cruise control’ crossing the ocean at a constant speed.
September 11th, 2020 at 10:35 am
48. Cargo ships with the huge engines with 3 and 4 foot bore use something referred to as “bunker oil,” very thick stuff that will barely flow at room temperature. Road going diesels, construction equipment, etc. use the stuff that is similar to jet fuel.
September 13th, 2020 at 8:18 pm
Looks like the Lucid Air may be everything it claimed to be. They set out to build an electric luxury vehicle and that is what it appears that they have done. While a Tesla may be an EV that sells at luxury car prices, it looks like Lucid has build an electric luxury vehicle. But man, that price? Yikes! I can see it challenging the S-Class, 7 Series, A8 and Model S, but that’s just the starting price. The Touring and Grand Touring’s pricing are competitive with Maybachs, Panameras and 9 Series! The Dream version, like the Taycan Turbo S, is knocking on the door of Bentleys, Aston Martins and vehicles of that ilk. Will its interior luxury appointments meet that kind of scrutiny, richness and attention to detail? It’s hard to imagine that it will. Thats not to say they won’t sell everyone that they make, though. The Big take away, is the range in a true luxury vehicle, IMHO. It seems that we were being lead to believe that, to get big EV mile numbers, customers would have to settle for light weight replacement materials. No real wood or leather, for they added too much weight to an already heavy vehicle. Alternative lighter fabrics and a new type of luxury experience was becoming the norm. The Air on the other hand, shows that, what most have become accustomed, these need not be thrust aside. Exciting time ahead.