Recent posts
#1
The Mainstream Room / Re: Rode around in my cousin's...
Last post by 565 - May 04, 2024, 04:37:35 AMWell I did more research and it seems like these luxury MPVs are really exploding in China.
I think the Lexus LM kicked off the trend and everyone is trying to get in on the new trend. Unfortunately they all copied the Lexus LM in trying to have the largest and ugliest grill possible.
It seems like several have over 500hp, including this one packing 560hp
https://www.motor1.com/news/699935/voyah-dreamer-electric-mpv-video/amp/
Honestly for 65k, I'd love a 560hp plug in hybrid, super spacious luxurious van if it ever came to the states (but sadly likely never will).
#2
The Mainstream Room / Rode around in my cousin's new...
Last post by 565 - May 04, 2024, 03:01:31 AMSo my cousin got a new vehicle to replace his Cadillac ATS.
He told me he got a 7 passenger vehicle to ferry around his two kids and his parents around (as they take care of his kids).
My cousin lives in China, and apparently luxury minivans (MPVs) are a thing there.
Anyway he got a Chinese company Wey Gaoshan extended model.
I thought I was going to find it weird but ultimately lacking. I also expected it to be smaller than our good American focused Mini Vans.
First off this thing was HUGE. I looked up the specs afterwards and it's nearly 10 inches longer in wheelbase and overall length than a Sienna and 5 inches taller. It's marginally narrower, but it's very slab sided so all it's width translates into interior space.
And speaking of interior space, the inside was like an executive lounge compared to the children penalty box that our minivans are.
He drove us around in it and even with 5 adults in it the thing fucking MOVED OUT. Apparently it's packing 480hp and 565 ft lbs of torque from a plug in hybrid powertrain and a 38kw battery pack that gives it around 90 miles of EV only range, does 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds.
It's got a cooler/heater for food, trick massaging chilling reclining captain seats.
Honestly I've never been jealous of any of my friends or family's vehicles until now.
If this thing was available in the states I would absolutely buy the shit out of this thing. The grill is hideous but I wouldn't see it while sitting in one of those 2nd row chairs, I just need to find someone to drive me around in it.
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He told me he got a 7 passenger vehicle to ferry around his two kids and his parents around (as they take care of his kids).
My cousin lives in China, and apparently luxury minivans (MPVs) are a thing there.
Anyway he got a Chinese company Wey Gaoshan extended model.
I thought I was going to find it weird but ultimately lacking. I also expected it to be smaller than our good American focused Mini Vans.
First off this thing was HUGE. I looked up the specs afterwards and it's nearly 10 inches longer in wheelbase and overall length than a Sienna and 5 inches taller. It's marginally narrower, but it's very slab sided so all it's width translates into interior space.
And speaking of interior space, the inside was like an executive lounge compared to the children penalty box that our minivans are.
He drove us around in it and even with 5 adults in it the thing fucking MOVED OUT. Apparently it's packing 480hp and 565 ft lbs of torque from a plug in hybrid powertrain and a 38kw battery pack that gives it around 90 miles of EV only range, does 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds.
It's got a cooler/heater for food, trick massaging chilling reclining captain seats.
Honestly I've never been jealous of any of my friends or family's vehicles until now.
If this thing was available in the states I would absolutely buy the shit out of this thing. The grill is hideous but I wouldn't see it while sitting in one of those 2nd row chairs, I just need to find someone to drive me around in it.
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#3
⚡ Electric Power ⚡ / Re: Cybertruck
Last post by veeman - May 03, 2024, 05:05:48 PMhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2024/04/22/tesla-cybertruck-recall-electric-truck-sales/73416419007/
The Cybertruck recall showed that 3878 were sold since it came out in November. This compares with (1st quarter sales) 7743 Lightnings, 1688 Hummer EVs, and 2399 Rivian RIT pickup trucks.
It's very early in the production run.
Very hard to predict how it will play out in 2025. 100 thousand sales? Probably too expensive.
The Cybertruck recall showed that 3878 were sold since it came out in November. This compares with (1st quarter sales) 7743 Lightnings, 1688 Hummer EVs, and 2399 Rivian RIT pickup trucks.
It's very early in the production run.
Very hard to predict how it will play out in 2025. 100 thousand sales? Probably too expensive.
#4
⚡ Electric Power ⚡ / Re: Tesla
Last post by Laconian - May 03, 2024, 04:44:56 PM #5
⚡ Electric Power ⚡ / Re: Tesla
Last post by MrH - May 03, 2024, 12:42:54 PMQuote from: Laconian on May 03, 2024, 12:35:35 PMTheir R&D spend is much lower than other tech companies.
I think they just market themselves as tech in order to justify their ridiculous P/E.
95% of their revenue is from car sales. They're a car company. They want the ridiculous P/E of a tech company, but don't have any of the benefits of being a tech company (tiny COGs, quickly scalable, minimal capex required, etc).
#6
⚡ Electric Power ⚡ / Re: Tesla
Last post by Laconian - May 03, 2024, 12:35:35 PMTheir R&D spend is much lower than other tech companies.
I think they just market themselves as tech in order to justify their ridiculous P/E.
I think they just market themselves as tech in order to justify their ridiculous P/E.
#7
⚡ Electric Power ⚡ / Re: Tesla
Last post by Morris Minor - May 03, 2024, 11:32:31 AMQuote from: GoCougs on May 02, 2024, 06:03:25 PMI have zero experience in either automotive or autonomous driving (aka, AD) but have many years in the exact technologies used in AD for "autonomous" operation of factory automation and robotics - vision, LIDAR, algos, safety, process design, etc. It's been 15 years, and AD hasn't worked, AD doesn't work, and there is no known path by which AD will ever work. These are facts that I welcome others to challenge. The AD "investment" continues because Tesla, Google, Cruise, Zoox andComparing Tesla to automakers isn't really very useful IMO. It's more of a tech play than a metal bending operation. I mean sure, Tesla bends metal too but their hardware is mostly only interesting in demonstrating their early realization that EVs are laptops on wheels.Applehave astronomical market capitalizations a goodly portion of which is due to WtP rewarding them for chasing The Next Big Thing.
Tesla gets away with its Funny Business because of its laughable market valuation (about equal to ALL notable established automakers combined - GM + Ford + Toyota + Honda + VWAG + etc.). If Tesla had a market valuation in line with other automakers, it literally would have ceased to exist many moons ago. But WtP need to be chasin'! As the EV market continues its decline and AD divestment continues, we'll see how long WtP will put up with the chase. My bet is there's a bit of steam left in it yet however.
#8
⚡ Electric Power ⚡ / Re: Tesla
Last post by MrH - May 03, 2024, 07:38:11 AMQuote from: 565 on May 02, 2024, 04:55:08 PMEverything is impossible until someone goes and does it.
People with a shit ton more experience with automotive engineering and autonomous driving than anyone on this forum certainly think it is possible and profitable or else they would not be wasting their careers working on it.
Tesla risking it all to do something innovative is exactly in character with the company and the cornerstone of how they went from nothing in 2008 to the most valuable car company today (some automakers still had models barely warmed over from pre2008 until recently). Tesla went from making a handful of electric lotus elises in 2008 to producing the best selling vehicle of 2023. Tesla launched a direct to consumer sales model when many said it couldn't be done. They single handedly created a charging network that works while the rest of the industry was a dumpster fire. Their single large screen automotive interior design is rapidly being copied by the rest of the industry. However they got there by taking huge risks. They abandoned their successful niche sports car market to make the Model S, and then they risked it all again to make the Model 3 which almost bankrupted the company. Either way they kicked off the EV revolution, you'd have to be delusional to think that EVs would be where they are without Tesla. Prior to Tesla, every modern EV was some super eco shitbox or oddity.
Objectively speaking the Tesla story is the most incredible automotive rise in our lifetimes.
They are risking it again now on autonomous driving. Sure they might totally fail and go under, or they might actually pull it off and revolutionize the automotive industry again. Either way they wouldn't be Tesla if they didn't at least try.
The story is incredible, that's for sure. It's rife with fraud, and without it, none of what they accomplished would be possible. The ends don't justify the means. Did they engineer some incredible stuff and push the boundaries? Definitely. But their competitive advantage has always been risk tolerance. It's been good to have more of that in the industry, but not at the cost.
One day, Elon will step into your domain, and say something so incredibly idiotic, you'll realize this has been a ruse since day 1.
#9
The Mainstream Room / Re: 3-Kid Family Hauler - Sugg...
Last post by AutobahnSHO - May 03, 2024, 07:11:18 AMVery marginally related, I saw a 1992-1994 Chrysler minivan this morning. That was the gen2 which was mostly external facelift from the original minivan.
So quaint! So practical.
So quaint! So practical.
#10
⚡ Electric Power ⚡ / Re: Tesla
Last post by AutobahnSHO - May 03, 2024, 07:09:08 AMQuote from: giant_mtb on May 02, 2024, 07:48:35 PMNah, man. Company's fine. Just slimming down as production efficiency increased by 1,000%.
