Stick a Fork in the US Auto Industry

It's Ford.

Whaddyagunnado?

I think the harder thing will be proving this is out of line with other hybrids. IIRC nearly twice as many hybrids ultimately die from engine or battery fires (6.something%) as ICE vehicles (3.something%), which is itself closer to 3x the rate of battery fires in BEVs (1.something%).

But this is cheaper.

Californians Can Lease A Toyota bZ4X For Less Than A Camry Hybrid

Sure, they can lose a wheel every now and then. But you know this guy?



He lived. This was in the 1920s, when even blood typing, let alone antibiotics, and sophisticated surgical methods, weren't really a thing. A bZfX probably has so many airbags in it that, if it rolled over because it lost a wheel, the experience would be like this.

The Fiesta is hot trash. I rented a brand new one a few years ago, and I didn't realize until I was a quarter of the way through the trip, that the transmission was fucking broken.

This reminds me of two things. The first is a Lewis Black routine about a rental car he had that got stolen with him pointing out that the car wasn't a "joy" to drive because turning off the AC was like engaging the turbo. The second is that I used to work with a really creepy guy who drove a Fiesta and we always referred to it as a Fajita.

How was the car even driving on a broken transmission?

I knew something was up as soon as I got on the freeway. It took a minute to realize that the transmission wasn't shifting properly. As soon as I got to my intended destination, I took it to Enterprise and they gave me a brand new Toyota Highlander.

A festiva is a standard transmission that is easily jimmied into getting somewhere is the transmission is fucked. It is something you can do with standard transmissions you can't as easily with an automatic. Then again I have driven automatics in 4wd and reverse to avoid tow charges.

I wonder if that's what's causing this issue:

New Ford F-150 Trucks Are Blasting Ear-Piercing Static Through Their Speakers

https://x.com/uaw/status/1695087426035650874?s=46&t=iYW3foyqIA6Tn8VWwn3nwQ

Get ready for a lot of hand-wringing, sniveling and whining from a lot of really rich people that the people who make the products that make their money are "demanding" too much money.

Still, better than country music.

The Electric Mini Countryman Will Produce Over 300 HP

You'll want to respawn near one, then.

Too bad they made it look so damn ugly because the Countryman has always been underpowered for its size.

American EV Buyers More Likely To Want Cars, Than Electric Pickup Trucks

You Can Buy A $1,600 Sound System To Make Your Mach-E Sound Like A Real Mustang

I'll buy one if, and only if, it includes a sound profile for the "cars" in The Jetsons.

Sound profile wishlist:

- Various sci-fi vehicles
- All the normal car sounds, but with pitch shift controls of at least half an octave in either direction
- Various real vehicles, including race cars, semi trucks, fighter jets, cargo barges...
- A really shitty car, with belt squeals, backfires, misfires, and maybe a rod knock.
- A guy making car noises with his mouth
- Same as previous, but the guy is Michael Winslow.

It is a good thing I will never see one of these fuckers at a gas station because I would beat the fucker to death. However, I am making an exception for the road rage demon inside that if I see this sort of thing on the road I will kill it. This is a step to far and whatever is driving it needs to fucking die.

This I do find acceptable. That would hit my geek spot and the road rage demon would be trampled by m,y squeeing fangirl.

However, I am not sure which is worse. Me chasing you trying to kill you, or me chasing you trying to glomp the fuck out of you.

stop making this shit sound cool.

oh, and you missed warp drive hum, and to infinity and beyond sound that plays annoyingly every time you start off from a stop.

Oh, and a "not so fast giant tomato" sound from vegitales that plays every time you cut someone off.

GM Will Pay You $1,400 To Cap Your Bolt’s Battery Instead Of Replacing It

Vinfast Wants To Sell The Cheapest EV In America At Under $20,000

I think that we’re at the point where pretty much everyone who really wants an EV has one. Now it’s a matter of people who need a new car being able to comparison shop EVs, hybrids and ice’s. Whether Vinfast will be the new Model T or the new Yugo…

Tired Of Waiting For Your Cybertruck? You Can Now Lease A Rivian R1T

I would avouid buying right now considering what I have been hearing from toyota about their battery technology coming down the pike. Maybe they are wrong, but 700 miles on a 10-15 minute charge seems like a game changer to me. Of course, that is if it is real.

GM Is Removing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto From Its Future Cars Over Safety Concerns

This is one of those rare times when you absolutely should read the comments on the article.

AT&T Partners With Rivian To Electrify Its Commercial Fleet

Amazon's supposed to be buying a bunch as well...