AD #3251 – Tesla FSD Recall; Rivian Fights Battery Supplier Samsung; Luxurious Toyota Tundra Capstone Review
February 1st, 2022 at 11:49am
Listen to “AD #3251 – Tesla FSD Recall; Rivian Fights Battery Supplier Samsung; Luxurious Toyota Tundra Capstone Review” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 10:20
0:07 Gen Z Nicknames Cars More Than Baby Boomers Do
0:50 Tesla FSD Recall
1:49 Rivian Fights Battery Supplier Samsung
2:38 Porsche Improving Online Car Sales
4:06 Luxurious Toyota Tundra Review
6:13 AAA Tests Driver Monitoring Systems for Semi-Autonomous Driving
7:20 Magna Supplies eDrive System for VW Group’s MEB Platform
8:28 Best to Worst EV Charging Networks
9:14 India Wants Battery Swapping Too!
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
GEN Z MORE LIKELY TO NICKNAME CAR
Hey, aren’t older people supposed to like their cars more than the little kiddos? There was once a time that was said about Millennials, but now we’re the biggest car buying group of any generation. And here’s an interesting data point we ran across in a WardsAuto interview with Ford Futurist Sheryl Connelly. She cites a survey that indicates 50% of Gen Z (age 18 to 24) give their vehicle a nickname, while only 20% of Baby Boomers (late-50’s to mid-70’s) do the same thing. We agree with Connelly who says “it’s an interesting difference,” but why do you think there’s such a big difference? And also let us know any nicknames for your car.
TESLA RECALLS FSD FOR NOT STOPPING AT STOP SIGNS
Tesla is under the gun over safety concerns involving its Full-Self-Driving system. And now it’s being forced to recall nearly 54,000 vehicles in the U.S. because FSD allows cars to roll through stop signs without coming to a full stop. NHTSA says Tesla agreed to perform an over-the-air update to disable that function, which only works when the vehicle is traveling below 5.6 MPH and no other cars, pedestrians or bicyclists are near the intersection. Tesla says it’s not aware of any warranty claims, crashes, injuries or fatalities involving the recall. Here’s our Autoline Insight. Too bad NHTSA is being so picky. Coming to a complete stop when there’s no need to, wastes battery power in EVs and wastes gasoline in ICEs. We think Tesla got it right. And besides, do any of you come to a complete stop when there’s no one around?
RIVIAN FIGHTS BATTERY SUPPLIER SAMSUNG
Rivian already delayed production of its truck and SUV with big battery packs. And now it’s arguing with its battery supplier, Samsung SDI. They were going to form a joint venture in the U.S. to produce battery cells, but the talks fell apart. The Elec reports that Rivian took longer than expected to ramp up production. That was one issue. And Rivian made demands that Samsung was unwilling to agree to. Rivian wanted Samsung to transfer its battery making technology, it wanted rights to inspect battery plants, and it didn’t guarantee how many batteries it would buy. So now Rivian is going to have to find a new partner. And we’ve got to believe there’s a lot more to this story that hasn’t come out yet.
PORSCHE IMPROVING ONLINE CAR SALES
COVID lockdowns really seemed to shine a light on the ease of online car sales and there’s a greater push than ever from traditional automakers to adopt the practice. For example, Porsche says it now has 26 markets around the world where its vehicles can be ordered online and 94% of dealers list their new and used vehicles in a digital marketplace. Last year around 5,800 Porsche vehicles were sold online, three times higher than 2020. What’s more, about 110,000 leads were generated online in 2021, an increase of 61%. But it’s still a slow transition for Porsche, at least right now. While it sold about 5,800 vehicles online, it delivered nearly 302,000 worldwide last year.
LUXURIOUS TOYOTA TUNDRA CAPSTONE REVIEW
Toyota got into the full size pickup segment in 1999. Even so, it really hasn’t cracked the code on how to compete with the BIG GUNS. Last year it sold 82,000 Tundras, compared to the 656,000 F-Series that Ford sold. So to try and boost sales, Toyota is expanding the lineup. This is the new, top-of-the-line, luxury trim called Capstone. Toyota is positioning this as a luxury vehicle. And that’s reflected in the price, the hybrid version starts at $73,500. That includes air suspension, acoustic glass, standard 22-inch wheels and a 10-inch head-up display. The interior is well appointed and has an upscale feel, however we feel it falls short of a Ram 1500, which to us, has the best interior of all the big pickups. The hybrid, called i-FORCE MAX, is a 3.5L V6 mated to a ten-speed automatic. Toyota’s other hybrids use a two electric motor set-up. However, for the first time, Toyota is using a single motor for the Tundra. That’s because it couldn’t get continuous full torque out of the two-motor system and we all know how important torque is for a big truck owner. The hybrid cranks out 437 horsepower and 583 lb.-ft. of torque. 4×2 models get an estimated 22 MPG combined while 4×4 models get one less. We got to drive the hybrid off-road in a TRD Pro and it was more than capable. Since a diesel is not offered, Toyota engineers worked to match the hybrid’s torque curve with a diesel, so it has good instant low-end torque, which was needed for the Airstream trailer we got to tow. Toyota says it expects the hybrid to make-up 25% of the Tundra mix. We really liked the truck, so we think that’s possible. Now we’ll just have to see if it has the right combination to boost sales.
AAA RATES DRIVER MONITORING SYSTEMS FOR SEMI-AUTONOMOUS DRIVING
Subaru and Cadillac are the best. Tesla and Hyundai are the worst. Those are the results of a study by the AAA of driver monitoring systems for semi-autonomous driving. The AAA tested a Subaru Forester, a Cadillac Escalade, a Hyundai Santa Fe and a Tesla Model 3 to see how well they kept drivers engaged. Both the Subaru and Cadillac use a camera to monitor what the driver is doing. Hyundai and Tesla only use steering wheel sensors. The AAA found that the camera-based systems alerted drivers 50 seconds sooner that they needed to pay attention to traffic and their surroundings. In fact it found that the camera systems kept drivers engaged five times more than the steering wheel systems.
MAGNA SUPPLIES EV MOTOR PACKAGE TO VW
Automakers like to make it sound like they make everything on their cars. But we know they rely heavily on suppliers for much of their innovation and technology. So it’s no surprise to learn that the secondary motors on the all wheel drive versions of VW’s ID.4 come from Magna and its joint venture partner HASCO. In fact, Magna and HASCO supply all of the secondary motors for Volkswagen Group’s all-wheel drive MEB models with power greater than 185kW. The package you see here includes the induction electric motor, an integrated single-speed gearbox, a high-voltage inverter and the corresponding software and controls. While Magna didn’t tell us about the cost, other sources tell Autoline that you can buy a package like this for less than the cost of a naturally-aspirated, 4-cylinder engine. And that doesn’t include the cost of the transmission or electronic controls for the engine. So, that gives you a bit of an idea of how much cheaper some EV components are compared to their internal combustion counterparts.
STUDY SAYS TESLA DOESN’T HAVE BEST CHARGING NETWORK
Who’s got the best EV charging network in the U.S.? Well, guess what? It’s not Tesla. That’s according to a study by Umlaut, the engineering firm that’s now part of Accenture. It randomly tested EV chargers in 7 states. And it tested them all, including Electrify America, Tesla, Charge Point, EVgo, Greenlots, Blink and EVconnect. And it ranked them in exactly that order. Umlaut tested the chargers, the charging apps from these companies, and whether the charging stations had nearby places to eat or use the bathroom. They used a Tesla Model 3 and a Mustang Mach E. And overall, it says public charging stations are getting better and better.
INDIA WANTS BATTERY SWAPPING SYSTEM
Speaking of EV charging, well sort of, Reuters reports that India will introduce a new policy for battery swapping in the country. It hopes the move will boost sales of electric vehicles, which will help India reach its goal to cut carbon emissions up to 35% by 2030. And the reasons it’s focused on battery swapping are because of space constraints in urban areas and an insufficient charging infrastructure. Several companies, including Honda, have shown and tested electric motorbikes and small vehicles, like tuk-tuks, with swappable battery systems.
And that’s a wrap for today. Thanks for joining us and we’ll be right back here again tomorrow.
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Comments (53)
February 1st, 2022 at 12:03 pm
“…Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid is the only hybrid in the full-size truck segment. Compared with comparable, non-hybrid models, it delivers 33-percent greater city fuel economy and a 23.5-percent improvement in overall fuel economy, all with the capability customers want in full-size truck – including a 6,100-pound (2,767 kg) trailering capacity.
Estimated fuel economy for both 2WD and 4WD models is 20 mpg in the city and 23 on the highway….” GM Media with a larger 300-volt battery and 6.0l V8 circa 2012!
February 1st, 2022 at 12:04 pm
I’ve only ever named one car, a baby blue 1964 Dodge Dart that I had into the ’80s, when it died of road salt cancer. Its name was Old Blue.
February 1st, 2022 at 12:11 pm
I’ve only named one car also. Like Kit it is also named “old blue”. It is blue and 35 years old and thus the name. Probably should find another name, but this one has stuck in the family.
February 1st, 2022 at 12:36 pm
With respect to the Tesla “FSD” system and its programming to allow slow rolling through a stop, I think you’re giving Tesla too much leeway to skirt the law. The FSD system is still a Beta development. Corner-cutting should not be allowed now and probably not later. The systems capability to faultlessly detect cross traffic, pedestrians, dog walkers and other potential elements in the right-of-way is unproven. Would you step in front of a Tesla that was slowing as it approached a cross-walk with a stop sign?
February 1st, 2022 at 12:42 pm
My son, who is Gen Z, named my Tesla Felix.
February 1st, 2022 at 12:48 pm
I don’t remember ever naming any of my personal vehicles but we did have a nickname for the School bus. Once my older brother was driving it was often said: Please don’t make us ride the big cheeze. We did use the nicknames widely given to manufacturers names. “Stang” for Mustang and “The Goat” for the GTO and poor mans vette for the Chevette.
February 1st, 2022 at 1:18 pm
So, because many drivers do not obey the law, we should start creating vehicles that do not also? Perhaps it would be better to create vehicles that reinforce good driving habits rather than encouraging us to drive our “manual” vehicles in an unlawful manner. After all, even if our self-driving vehicles can see potential obstructions in all weather and at night, we can’t.
February 1st, 2022 at 1:19 pm
I read the Tundra review but was disappointed that most of the lengthy paragraph was listing stats we already know, and barely three words in it referred to your own actual driving experience.
I noticed some posts about drivers giving their car names. I don’t think we had a nickname for our first car ever, or the first car I bought for myself (a 79 Dasher Wagon manual). When I got a 5-sp manual Pontiac with a brazilian 1.8 lt engine, rated at a then EPA optimistic 46 highway (I had to drive 55 with 2 extra psi on the tires to get even 42), I called it “glider”. I don’t think I named the Accord Coupe manual 1990 anything. When I got the “magnificent 7″ 1998 740il, a multi-talented flagship luxury car, I called it “The Decathlete”. Great at everything except city MPG in the winter (barely double digits with the short distances, cold starts, and spirited driving, but who would care). My girlfriend, when I asked her what she thought about it (she had just bought a 5-door 5-sp Corolla hatch made in the UK for 17k euros) told me it looked like those ‘cars in the movies’ (implying lifestyles of the rich and famous)
The current E 320 Diesels (an 07 and an 08) I don’t call any specific names, but the one in MI is like the perfect housewife, good at everything and 100% reliable, and pretty good looking too, the 08 overseas is a more glitzy version with its bright white paint and the silver on white fancy trim on the door handles etc, and the excellent wooden steering wheel.
February 1st, 2022 at 1:20 pm
My wife actually named my 91 GMC Syclone.
She calls it Monster, I’m sure most of you know why.
I will have to try your rolling stop sign argument with the cop that pulls me over.
I’ll let you know if it works, or you pay the ticket.
February 1st, 2022 at 1:26 pm
7 if you don’t manually disengage it, regular adaptive cruise control, like on my Toyota, will automatically run stop signs, even if the car in front stops.
February 1st, 2022 at 1:31 pm
Does anyone know the mpg ratings of the Tundra hybrid? They are not on the EPA site yet.
February 1st, 2022 at 1:37 pm
In yesterday’s show there was an after hours post by Kit referring to the “depression” under the previous administration. When Lambo, rightfully astounded, took him to task, Kit gave the lame excuse that it was a joke. Leaving aside that this excuse has been given to me several times, by people 9 of 10 of whom are females, when I point out that astrology and horoscopes are nonsense and a waste of time (and they say that they just waste their time on them for ‘fun’), and leaving aside that any person who read this who actually Lived during the REAL Depression, the FDR 1933-1941 depression that none of his idiotic New Deal policies made any easier, but only the huge war production in 41-45 finally put an end to it), leaving all the above aside, I don’t believe it was a joke for one minute.
So first, let’s be serious, and give the definition of a depression vs a mere recession.
A recession is a normal occurence in every economic cycle, and is precisely defined as ‘at least two consequtive negative GDP growth Quarters’.
A Depression is far more fare and far more disastrous and is defined as several YEARS of the above.
I then got curious to see how my investments (these are not any of my 401 and 403Ks or IRAs but my taxable investments. The retirement ones should have done similarly, consisting of the same more or less mutual funds, or better.)
So I cut and paste from my Summary page at Fidelity.com:
2017: $2,482,467
2018: $3,056,035, up 23.1% for the year.
2019: $3,717, 286, up 21.64%
2020: $4,470,k504, up 20.26%
2021: $5,173,613, up 15.73% (I had to deal with the new econ illiterate admin since late Jan, what do you expect?)
Note that I am a ‘buy and hold’ investor, not a player or day trader, the above has ZERO stocks, 80% stock and 20% bond mutual funds. And historically stocks return 11% over almost 200 years, a VAST amount of facts, ie historical data.
Some “recession”, much less “Depression”!
Unfortunately these funds are obliged to distribute cap gains and dividends and we have to pay taxes on these every year, even though I have ALREADY paid a high income tax on the $ I invested.
Note the huge LIE by the despicable Warren Buffet when he claimed he pays less taxes than his secretary. He never did. he paid high taxes once, when he made the $ he invested, and then he pays AGAIN, cap gains and div taxes, when his investments have gains. His secretary paid low income taxes only ONCE.
So in my case these cap gains and divs were (and every year I had to send a big fat additional tax check to the IRS AND MI for this)
2017: $179,520
2018: $230,918
2019: $214,563
2020: $140,140
2021: $396,943.
And compare with the last year of the Obama admin
2016: $50,986. I did not leave out a zero.
Oh and BTW, in my case, and the case of academics in general, the 2018 Tax “cut” was not a cut, because the new tax law forbid us to claim our business expenses as deductions. This is why in 2018 I founded a company (LLC) to be still able to do what I should be allowed to do. Fortunately in MI (unlike in CA which is 10 times the cost) it cost me only $150 to found the company and only $25 a year to renew the license or whatever.
February 1st, 2022 at 1:38 pm
I also had a car I called ‘blue’; not ole blue even though she was used when I bought her. My first car I named ‘reefer’ (no I didn’t smoke dope); her color was reef turquoise. A couple of others, and a lot of the time, it was just preceded with a “the”, i.e., the vette, the caddy, the wagon, etc.
The Tundra is finally up to par with the others out there; not exceeding in anything, just on-par. Kind of like the Frontier’s new model; not better but in the same league (and that’s a pity).
And with Rivian: now is not the time to be picking fights with your battery manufacturer; the field is not exactly awash in capacity at the moment of foreseeable future.
February 1st, 2022 at 1:48 pm
We are supposed to have a winter storm starting with rain later this afternoon and continuing overnight with 15″ snow, and lasting into Thu. So I need to go do some shopping (groceries) and then take my 90-min walk along the riverfront park today, since I doubt I’ll do it the next 2 days.
Groceries reminded me of inflation. This and my previous post are 100% economics, not politics, that we are supposed by some unwritten law to avoid here.
The official inflation number of 7%, even tho it still is a 40 year high, is a JOKE. The REAL inflation, esp for the average Joe buying groceries, is FAR higher. Iknow because I do it every week and can compare.
gas prices, up by far more than 7%, have resulted in far higher prices of every item that needs to be transported to be sold.
Healthy foods like fruit, which I buy every week, are THRU THE ROOF. How can it be that a state like MI, which has its own plentiful apples, has such RIDICULOUS prices for them? I used to pay $1.50 for a 3 lb bag, now it’s $2 a a pound!!
Milk and Egg prices have also soared.
Unhealthy but popular foods are also at ridiculous heights. I use very little bacon (I have 2 eggs and a slice or two fried only on Sunday morning, the rest of the time I only eat boiled eggs and no bacon). I used to get apound of bacon at $2.50-3 max. now it is TWICE that. the lowest I could find last week was $4.19 at Aldi.
Inflation obviously does NOT hurt people like myself, I just don’t like to pay the higher prices, BUT it really hurts the POOR and those on Fixed incomes.
You can draw the obvious conclusions. I got to go.
February 1st, 2022 at 1:50 pm
12 Why don’t you just STFU, and keep your politics off this site. You say “Kit gave the lame excuse that it was a joke.” Well, it was a joke. My parents lived through the depression of the ’30s, and I well know what they went through, and that what we saw in 2020 was not a depression. Jeez…
February 1st, 2022 at 1:57 pm
Lots of countries, such as New Zealand, don’t use many stop signs. I believe I have read that Yield signs are actually safer. This focus on coming to a full stop is false safety. Change the signs then we all can legally roll through empty intersections.
We named our 2017 Bolt ‘Jouley’. Still waiting for the battery fix so I call it ‘EverNotReady’ now.
February 1st, 2022 at 2:06 pm
16 Where I grew up, and still spend summers in Indiana, they love 4 way stops. There are few places in my county where you can drive more than a mile without one. What a waste of fuel and brakes.
February 1st, 2022 at 2:28 pm
16) I think roundabouts make more sense than a 4-way yield. Those are becoming more popular in my area and I like them. People don’t really know yet how to drive around them properly but they work well enough. The biggest benefit is that if there was ever an accident, which there usually never is, the impacts are light along the sides of the car. Basically a light glancing blow with near zero injury. 4-way intersection accidents result in the front end of one vehicle slamming into the side of another vehicle typically with a resultant injury; sometimes serious. Traffic incidents have reduced dramatically in my area everywhere a round-a-bout has been used.
February 1st, 2022 at 2:35 pm
18 I like roundabouts, but a lot of people don’t, I think because they are a “new thing” in Indiana and Florida, and people aren’t used to them. A downside of roundabouts, is that they take a lot of real estate. Some places, that doesn’t matter much, but many places it does.
February 1st, 2022 at 2:36 pm
STOP means STOP! Geez!
February 1st, 2022 at 2:50 pm
17. I live in a small city 20k in Ontario Canada and 4 way stops are a problem here. Everyone glides up to them slowly, worried they won’t be able to tell who gets to go. Then they all sit there for a number of seconds. Then they start waving to other cars that they can go first. It would be amusing if you have the time for it. In general conversation with people, they all say they won’t take such and such a road because there is a 4 way stop and they don’t have the time.
18. Roundabouts work well when traffic isn’t too heavy, then stop lights work better. I spent over an hour working through a chain of roundabouts one morning rushhour in Hamilton New Zealand. I would have been so happy for some lights instead.
February 1st, 2022 at 2:54 pm
What a shock to find here are no STOP signs in the UK.Every intersection is considered a roundabout. From Cornwall (southwest) to Dover ( southeast)and from the English Channel to North of Liverpool I found only one solitary stop sign in the entire country. The European drivers are scrupulous in their lane discipline but rarely stop at intersections.
North A.erican culture has identified two false causes of collisions:
Speed
1.
February 1st, 2022 at 2:57 pm
Cont’d
2 Failure to STOP
Both are largely irrelevant.
Yield right-of-way is much better and safer than STOP
You can travel quite quickly – and safely – if you observe the other rules of the road
February 1st, 2022 at 3:02 pm
When I took my drivers test if you did a rolling stop you failed the test period Stop is Stop not slow or yield
February 1st, 2022 at 3:05 pm
23 Only if you know how to drive. We specialize in tailgating, not knowing how to pass, and texting. It’s taken over from lighting cigarettes as something to do while driving.
February 1st, 2022 at 3:08 pm
My ’66 VW dune buggy is Blinky, the name just sounded like a 60s beachy name, and it looks like a Blinky. When we were little, we named some of the cars, but other than Blinky, we don’t really do that now.
I am also a fan of roundabouts, and they are popping up around here. I am surprised how well everyone has adapted to them. I also agree about the wasteful stopping, and always have. The “proper stop” as the police have told me, is to come to a complete stop so the vehicle body is no longer moving, but I really hate to waste the kinetic energy, especially if no one is coming. Its not about being in a hurry, I don’t mind driving slow, just wasting energy. Once we have V2V and autonomous driving, that should be the first priority; no vehicle should have to come to a complete stop as long as they are working together.
For about the last 10 years or so, buying milk for my boys has been about 1.99-2.29 (still is), most all our groceries at Kroger have remained the same; half & half, coffee, cereal, eggs, spinach, bread, soup, sparkling/seltzer water, beer, cat food, ice cream. I do use the app and get the e-coupons and stock up on some items we often use when they are cheaper. The meat has gotten outrageous and the apples are 4.29, but we just do with less of those. Gas has increased here, but since it has stayed around $2 for a long time, I’m not surprised. Maybe higher gas prices will motivate some to switch to EVs.
February 1st, 2022 at 3:10 pm
13 It sounds like the Tundra is “up to par,” but it still has fewer choices than the Ford, Chevy, and Dodge. So far, it looks like there is only one powertrain, the turbo V6/10-speed auto. There is no real info about the hybrid. It is not shown either on the EPA site, or in the Toyota “build and price” tool. There is more choice of body style than with the smaller trucks, though, two different four door bodies, and two different bed lengths for each.
There are a bunch of packages listed on the Toyota site, and 5 trim levels. Might they let customers order them, unlike with Camry, Highlander, and Sienna?
February 1st, 2022 at 3:16 pm
16,19 I grew up out in the country in Southern Michigan and most intersections were two way stops. Most have been converted to 4 way stops even though traffic isn’t really any heavier. What used to take 5 minutes now takes twice as long with all the stops and no one around.
Then to make it even more frustrating people will sit at the intersection as you approach from 500 feet away. Wait until you have come to a complete stop before going or wave for you to go.
February 1st, 2022 at 3:17 pm
Do I come to a complete stop at stop signs? Yea pretty much. Especially after I’ve been almost hit many times while jogging at stop signs. Stopping doesn’t necessarily eliminate the problem of people not seeing pedestrians but it helps a lot I think. I’m not known for paying attention to very many speed limits but intersections are where most collisions happen. That’s not the place to be in a hurry.
Do I name my vehicles? No, like other nicknames they have to be earned.
February 1st, 2022 at 3:19 pm
@28 – I would agree 4 way stop signs are there because of the safety nazis and are over used in NA.
February 1st, 2022 at 3:19 pm
24 You’d fail the test for not stopping at a stop sign when I took it too, but that was a long time ago, 1962. Also, you would get “warned” if you didn’t stop behind the “stop behind” line at intersections that had them. In Florida, many drivers seem to think those foot-wide white lines are to park your rear wheels on, not to stop behind, and that cross walks at intersections with stop lights are to put your front wheels in the center of.
February 1st, 2022 at 3:21 pm
@31 I got deducted a couple points in my test because my front bumper was over the line a little at a stop sign
February 1st, 2022 at 3:23 pm
28 When I first started driving, there were a lot more two way stops, but if there was a nasty crash within a hundred miles, especially a fatality, from someone running a stop sign, a few more 4 way stops would replace two way stops. Now, there are almost no two way stops on the county roads.
February 1st, 2022 at 3:24 pm
32 They must not do that any more, at least most places in the US.
February 1st, 2022 at 3:52 pm
I’ve never given any car a name. But in the century before last, the world’s then-fastest, a Belgian electric, went by the name “Never Content”. Ta-dah:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Jamais_Contente
Roundabouts began multiplying in central Europe about a generation ago. I think there’s even one in the vicinity with some traffic lights, though I can’t recall the flow control methodology.
February 1st, 2022 at 4:07 pm
Cruise has opened up their autonomous Bolts operating in San Francisco to the public, albeit in a very limited manner. Company video:
https://youtu.be/Pa6uCew5TWs
I remember being inordinately impressed by their cars navigating the streets some years ago. Clearly, this is a significant leap.
February 1st, 2022 at 4:22 pm
35 The body looks aerodynamic, but the rest, not so much. I assume it used lead-acid battwries, but I think nickel-iron batteries may have existed then.
February 1st, 2022 at 4:50 pm
Stop signs mean come to a complete stop, yes in 1962 you failed your drivers test for rolling through any stop sign. And our local police in Center Vally loved to give us kids rolling through a stop sign tickets. They had 413 Dodges and you could not out run them!!! Just check I owned 18 autos and never name any of them, but in Allentown, Pa. we had many people that cruised up and down the streets and some had names on their front car fenders, like Topsy part I or Topsy part II etc, the band was Cozy Cole, yea I know. they were a pair of identical cherry 57 Chevys. sweet
February 1st, 2022 at 4:52 pm
3 of my cars have had nick names. I am 68 years old. 1981 Alfa Romeo Giulietta was called Alf. 1990 Nissan Maxima was called Max. 1998 Lexus GS300 was and still is called Lex. None of my pre-owned cars have had nick names. Lex shares a garage with a 2003 Toyota Camry V6, which doesn’t have a nickname. The Camry was purchased from my sister when she had to stop driving due to ill health.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:02 pm
Self Driving cars, when I see the photos in AD of someone sitting in the drivers seat with their hands on their laps, I think DUH, On I-95 at 75 mph, I would much rather be driving with my hands on the wheel and thinking about whats going on in front of me. Its called driving. Now when they take away my driver licence because I am really old, It will be great to walk out to my POD in the driveway , sit in and tell SIRI “drive me to Wegmans” or where ever
February 1st, 2022 at 9:45 pm
Boy did you get the rolling stop wrong. It’s against the law. Period. Just because so many roll thru stops does not make it right. And yes, I make complete stops and it’s fun to see the reaction of the idiots behind me.
February 2nd, 2022 at 3:27 am
37 Kit – It used lead-acid batteries. Going a tad over 100 kph must have been challenging for the driver!
Incidentally, the sum total of 12V batteries going into cars was about equal in capacity to the amount going into EVs either in ’20 or ’21 (from memory and my own estimates).
I find it funny when some people propose that industrial economies don’t know how to process organic solvents correctly.
40 Cole – I prefer to always do my own driving, but I think safety in general may actually improve with more autonomous vehicles on the roads. And many people will benefit significantly from cheaper, ubiquitous mobility.
February 2nd, 2022 at 5:25 am
My brother names all his vehicles, but I’ve only done that for a couple. When I got out of the Army and decided to go back to college, my dad sold his yellow ’62 Plymouth station wagon to me for whatever I could get for my ’60 Valiant wagon. The Plymouth had the “Euro Look”, i.e., ugly. I worked part time at my buddy’s Texaco station and it became a parts truck and car starter, because it was reliable. A couple of the other guys he employed called it the “Yellow Banana” and the name stuck. Once out of college, I had a series of company cars. First was a clumsy ’70 Ford 500 I called “The Boat” or, sometimes, “The Barge.” Later, I had a ’85 Lumina that often refused to start, particularly after the tank was filled, especially after 5 PM. It was so unreliable, I called it “The Lemona”. My boss told me to carry a gallon of gas. I told him the tank was nearly full every time. He said, “No, don’t put it in the tank. Pour it over the car and light it!” It was replaced by an ’86 Lumina that was very reliable. Only vehicle we’ve named since is my sub-compact John Deere 1025-R tractor. We’re original thinkers, so we call it “Johnny R” or, simply, “JR.”
February 2nd, 2022 at 6:45 am
42, probably could have fixed your “Lemona” with a purge valve (EVAP system).
February 2nd, 2022 at 7:55 am
42 Plymouth and Dodge had some, uh, interesting styling in 1962, and even more so in ’61. I remember the ’61 Plymouth using what looked magnetic flashlights stuck on the side for tail lights.
https://www.google.com/search?q=1961+plymouth+belvedere&rlz=1C1CHBH_enUS922US922&sxsrf=APq-WBvCzNHmBtIchIr-ZpkSoQMqHc7nXA:1643806204131&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&vet=1&fir=H8EJs2vlMytPvM%252Cph-FNkgvU-U54M%252C_%253BF03XV1G-rUM95M%252Ci1fhEC-I5XihtM%252C_%253B2BCu-bRJCMXLZM%252CMvd9atx-6Dd61M%252C_%253BQFOVlTT8N0nXcM%252CNZxj_hxSy4mAuM%252C_%253BOHE6aZwXvlQhWM%252CNZxj_hxSy4mAuM%252C_%253B5TnyYexrLGjWWM%252CzcK1D6zIgl9XWM%252C_%253B8Zi1fgwFuVzwvM%252Cud6JVMJnVE-noM%252C_%253BgSt9OrDenWbQqM%252CNZxj_hxSy4mAuM%252C_%253BrgdJp_T5ziHceM%252Cph-FNkgvU-U54M%252C_%253B9ahJVPGIbuYikM%252CP39SVaA06zonJM%252C_%253BwxlDyDCoa4_a9M%252CyKwCCzvBkZFh9M%252C_%253B2QwgYVVEUqX_jM%252C5x7HeY8az2RhGM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kTfxypWD_rj8AgAt9jyJIJ3zO-NaQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJr4Gnh-H1AhWtVTABHSdnBscQ9QF6BAgMEAE#imgrc=QFOVlTT8N0nXcM
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:02 am
41 I can imagine that the steering of Never Content might not have been too precise.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:37 am
15 Kit BTW I didn’t feel I took you to task Monday and also prefer to leave out the politics. I know some articles here blur the lines as government incentives and regulations that administrations put forth do affect the auto industry. I was perfectly content with your response. I have no issue with hearing difference of opinions and even friendly debate, but I also prefer opinions presented as facts to be supported by facts. But I think you and many other here get that. Have a great day!
February 2nd, 2022 at 10:04 am
47 Tnx
February 2nd, 2022 at 11:31 am
32, Re: stop line, when I took my driving test, I was deducted some points for not being able to SEE the line after my complete stop. I had studied the driving manual and knew that was the correct way to stop (seeing the line), but being 6’2”, I COULD see it, but the cop riding along was about 5’2” and couldn’t see it! He didn’t like the young kid telling him he was just too short.
February 2nd, 2022 at 2:35 pm
STOP means STOP – PERIOD!! I’m not going to argue the “stop sign” vs “yield sign” because there are a lot of good talking points for each. But IF a stop sign is present, you stop! When I was learning to drive back in the early 70′s with my dad sitting beside me, you only ran or rolled through one stop sign. When that happened you got slapped up along side the head and told “STOP MEANS STOP!” Still holds true – and Sean, I can’t believe you think rolling stops under any condition are okay – I didn’t think anything could ever overshadow your arrogance, but your ignorance of traffic laws seemed to do the trick!
February 3rd, 2022 at 8:38 am
Stop only means STOP if she doesn’t like where you’re touching her. In vehicles, its only a suggestion unless law enforcement is nearby. In fact, any stop sign that has a white outline, that is there to indicate that the stop is OPTIONAL.
Looks like we hit a nerve here. Keep up the good work, Sean.
February 3rd, 2022 at 1:16 pm
#51 – you are just as ignorant of traffic laws as Sean. Turn in your keys!
https://thenewswheel.com/are-stop-signs-with-white-borders-optional/
February 3rd, 2022 at 1:45 pm
Keys? You still use keys?!? I just have a transmitter and a phone app.
I am glad to see the debate is still going as to the effectiveness of the optional white striped stop signs. That website was well written though. I appreciated the author’s tongue-in-cheek writing style.