Electric Vehicles: General topics

I can see that. Having to compete with EVs/hybrids having gobs of instant torque coming out of the twisties probably doesn't seem fair to them. Maybe having two classes is the solution.
It was more to do with track safety, you know cause EV's catch on fire all the time. Having proper resources to combat that costs too much, etc.
 
Working at a Ford dealership... do you have any thoughts/opinion about the Maverick?

Only vehicle they won't discount. But it is a great vehicle for what it is designed for: a grocery getter with a small bed. The hybrid gets like 40mpg and has some get up and go to it. The front seats are fairly comfortable, but I have only driven one about 70 miles in one stretch, so don't know how they would feel after 300 miles. But definitely get the power seats because they give you a better range of adjustment. My only real gripe would be the size of the backseat. It's small. Probably fine for kids, but wouldn't want to put an adult back there for very long.

Overall a nice vehicle.
 
Only vehicle they won't discount. But it is a great vehicle for what it is designed for: a grocery getter with a small bed. The hybrid gets like 40mpg and has some get up and go to it. The front seats are fairly comfortable, but I have only driven one about 70 miles in one stretch, so don't know how they would feel after 300 miles. But definitely get the power seats because they give you a better range of adjustment. My only real gripe would be the size of the backseat. It's small. Probably fine for kids, but wouldn't want to put an adult back there for very long.

Overall a nice vehicle.

Thanks! Today I don't need much truck. Mostly for moving things that won't fit or don't want to put into my wife's small hybrid SUV - like a cu-yard of mulch or landscape rocks, small furniture, etc. Also looks like I can get a few sheets of 4x8 plywood with them strapped in resting on the wheel wells.
 
like a cu-yard of mulch or landscape rocks, small furniture, etc. Also looks like I can get a few sheets of 4x8 plywood with them strapped in
These days, if you want shit like that, you order it. I want a 10' counter top, but it will not fit in my car, so I will probably order it. I got a refrigerator to replace my old one, and it turned out that having them take the old one away vs dealing with it myself was a wash, so I paid the extra to have them take it away. The delivery people were hispanics, and they were darn nice dudes.
 
These days, if you want shit like that, you order it. I want a 10' counter top, but it will not fit in my car, so I will probably order it. I got a refrigerator to replace my old one, and it turned out that having them take the old one away vs dealing with it myself was a wash, so I paid the extra to have them take it away. The delivery people were hispanics, and they were darn nice dudes.

I could... but I've always been hands-on with stuff like that. It's a feeling of satisfaction - and saving $ not having it delivered. A refrigerator is different.

We also like to cycle. Being able to easily/quickly put a couple of bikes in the back and drive somewhere for a ride is nice.
 
Apparently I missed the announcement of the next set of EVs that Toyobaru have in store a couple months ago.

2026 Toyota C-HR / Subaru Uncharted
2026 Toyota bz Woodland / Subaru Trailseeker

Like Nissan, it looks like they are doing dual ports: 1 J1772 for AC, and 1 NACS for DC. So simply replacing the CHAdeMO with NACS for North America. Also looks like they are going for ID.4 price range / capability for these, with more reasonable fast charging speeds and similar battery pack size. It feels like the C-HR/Uncharted is more a Toyota design, while the Woodland/Trailseeker is more Subaru. And the Trailseeker is aimed squarely at people like me who kept buying Outbacks. Enough that my curiosity is piqued... so long as the seats aren't as bad as the ones in the bz4x/Solterra. If only they had this available when I was looking at the ID.4...

The bz4x / Solterra is also getting a refresh to use the updated platform with better range (over 300mi on the FWD version).
 
Thanks! Today I don't need much truck. Mostly for moving things that won't fit or don't want to put into my wife's small hybrid SUV - like a cu-yard of mulch or landscape rocks, small furniture, etc. Also looks like I can get a few sheets of 4x8 plywood with them strapped in resting on the wheel wells.

Perfect for that.

As for the 4x8 sheets, they will fit as you noted on top of the wheel wells, but the tailgate can also be set at an angle to support the part sticking out the rear.
 
Ford up to something.


If that is the one we keep hearing about, it will be highly customizable. Basically no “packages”. Configure it exactly how you want it.

Interesting. I recently learned Ford is no longer making sedans for the US, other than the Mustang. They're clearly going all in on electric.

I always thought it was a mistake to drop the Taurus and Fusion, but they did.
 
As for the 4x8 sheets, they will fit as you noted on top of the wheel wells, but the tailgate can also be set at an angle to support the part sticking out the rear.

Thanx for the heads-up on that. Great feature. I just assumed the gate would need to lay flat. Or have the end of the 4x8 sheets resting on the top of the closed gate.

With the tailgate pressing against the sheet ends, I probably wouldn't need to strap them down. But maybe the sheets would rest on the top of the angled gate (assuming a 6' bed and a tailgate not high enough to hit the sheet edges)?
 
The bed is only 4.5’ on a Maverick. But here is how the tailgate looks when in position. There are tie-down points on the tailgate. They also double as a bottle opener. No joke. LOL.
 

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