novanglus

...I just told you why, Sec. 179 of the Internal Revenue Code. To qualify for a 179 equipment deduction, it has to have a 6ft bed, period. 4’7” will not qualify. So Rivian is out. As you start getting up in the income bracket, you need to shelter it. Part of that is by expensing your daily driver. You can’t do that in your grocery getter 5’ bed vehicle. You’ll need something bigger. Why do you think Ford has no problem moving $70-80k luxed out 250s & 350s? They’re write offs (and I know several guys who have bought them for that reason). The Bollinger B2 will qualify. The Rivian won’t. If a guy needs to shelter income, wants a truck, but wants an EV, right now he has 1 choice. There might be more later. The Rivian is still badass and I’d love to own one (the SUV), but honestly, the Bollinger is the only game. I hope Ford keeps that in mind when bringing their EV truck to market.

Yet, somehow those supercab and regular cab trucks are at the lumberyard. They must be aftermarket conversions. (I’ve spend decades in construction/farm/contracting; the only guy in a 5.5” is the owner). I don’t doubt there are plenty of mall trucks out there, but no one uses mall trucks for contracting unless they are pulling a construction trailer. And, I just checked our inventory and show 100+ 6.5‘ and 8’ beds within 20miles of where I live, so my experience around here doesn’t match yours.

I’d wager that is a made up on the spot statistic. No HD truck comes with a 5.5’ bed, period. Only one super cab comes with a 5.5’ bed, the Raptor, and no reg cab comes with a 5.5’ bed. If you expect me to believe 75% of F-Series sales are F150 crew cab short beds, I’ll need some proof. Note: Bollinger is not competing against half tons, it is a Class 3 10,000lb+ GVWR truck, unlike the Rivian, that doesn’t even qualify as a Sec 179 with that 4’7” bed.

..not well. I have hauled a lot of lumber in my day, and hauling it in a compact truck is far from ideal. (Owned several F150/250s, Rangers, and B4000s).

...someone who can afford it. The top-line Rivian won’t be much cheaper. You aren’t getting 180kWh of battery for less than $100k. So, the price isn’t that different, but one is far more useful as a truck. Hell, the B1 SUV probably has the same size “bed” as the Rivian (looked it up, it does 49” x 61” vs unknown x 55”), and it is an SUV (and looks awesome). They're definitely aimed at different customers. Me, I want my EV truck to be an actual truck, which is why I would never buy anything with a 5-5.5ft bed. Hell, you couldn’t fit a weed eater in a 5.5ft bed. Like I said, I think the Rivian is cool as hell, but it really doesn’t fit in the truck category (a 55” bed is 4’ 7”, that is silly small, by comparison a Fridgeline is 49” x 60”).

As much as I like the Rivian, it is as much a truck as a Honda Fridgeline. I’d really call it a “lifestyle vehicle.” The Bollinger B2, otoh, is actually a truck. Let me know when that Rivian can haul 8ft sheet goods.

I’d be surprised if the Tesla didn’t have a fully covered bed. I’m betting it is a lot like that GMC that had the retractable roof, only much longer. There are some nice retractable tonneau covers. I don’t know why you couldn’t do that for the whole top. Aero is super important for range. I can’t imagine it will have a standard pickup look. I think Elon alluded to this when he said it would like a cyberpunk APC. It won’t appeal to a wide swath of conventional truck buyers. But to those that like it, they will really love it and absolutely have to have one. That will be enough to keep Tesla happy.

If it is like every other charger out there, there will be a direct wire version, where the wires terminate into a screw down terminal or a plug. Obviously direct wire will give you better amperage options. I had a 14-50 plug put in right next to the panel. That makes it agnostic. I can plug in our J1772 or Tesla charger and then can simply take either with us when/if we move.

...but that is an issue about what to do with the extra power and efficiency. My Garmin watch is an unbelievably powerful computer on my wrist. That wasn’t possible 5 years ago. And 10 years from now, we don’t know how that extra power, efficiency, and compactness will be applied by people with bigger ideas. Garmin just rolled out a new autolander for general aviation airplanes. Yes, that is an easier problem to solve than driving, but it is a new lifesaving advancement in tech. We will see more. Thats what I mean about predicting the future of tech. If one man was so knowledgeable he could tell you what can or can’t work, he’d be the most sought after guy on the planet. Woz, peace be upon him, is not that man. You can’t know the depth of all problems and their potential solutions.

Ehh. People who predict future tech are always wrong. Just a matter of computation. When I was a young man, the Cray was a liquid cooled multi million dollar computer the size of a small car and had a 360kW power draw. Now it costs a few hundred bucks and you carry it around with you in your pocket and it runs for hours on a 2,700mAh battery. 25 years is an eternity in tech years.

Eek. I never would want to do 600mi hops. I’ve driven 1300mi in a day before, but I didn’t like it...and would never want to duplicate it again. Ugh. My sciatic nerve might go on permanent strike. We did put about 600mi on the Model 3 one weekend and it was no big deal, though it does require more judicious use of the go pedal and a little planning. EVs are still a good ways from the simplicity of filling up at a gas station wherever.

I like the looks of the line-drawing. If the actual car is that rakish, I’ll be putting a deposit on one immediately. Looks like a version of a Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, but $100,000 cheaper.

...I look forward to your posts about how awesome the Mach-E is.

...get used to driving one then go back to an ICE. They are obnoxiously sluggish in comparison. I’m just being honest. Buy one, don’t buy one. I honestly don’t care.

...I own a plug-in hybrid. A good one. A sporty one. One that does a 105mph 1/4 mile. A CT6. It can’t hold a candle to my 3 in any measure but rear seat room and high speed cruise range. If you want to drive 300mi at 90mph, the Caddy will do it. Other than that, dynamically it doesn’t hold a candle to the 3. You know, I didn’t wake up yesterday being a car fan. I’ve been a car fan for a very long time. And, as a long time fan I’ll tell you, BEVs are the next gen. ICE cars are obnoxiously sluggish in comparison and hybrids do nothing but make the input lag even worse.

...I’ve been a Ford owner for decades. I’m more of an EV fan than Tesla fan and would love Ford to get in the game and have been bitching about their sluggishness. So, don’t mistake the superiority of EV for superiority of brand. Ford’s Mach will outrun just about everything else they make and still cost almost nothing to run, with little maintenance, and far fewer repairs...because the tech is superior. Lets look at the economics, I’ll use mine because I know them: 1000mi/mo. Avg: 300Wh/mi. $.10/kWh utility cost. = 300kWh of juice = $30. 1000mi/mo. Avg: 20mpg $2.40gal = 50gal = $120. And that first car would still mop the floor with the second in performance. It is a new day. You can have your cake and eat it too, now. So, I hope you’ll line up and support Ford with the Mach. I hope you won’t go around trashing EVs because you’re scared of change. I’m looking forward to the Mach and might even have on sitting next to the M3P in the garage. I hope you have a pleasant day.

...thanks! I love mine, especially when I’m wiping grins off Mustang drivers’ faces! It’s cheap good clean fun!

I suggest you drive a M3P first. It isnt a Model S. It handles track duty fine. Seriously, people need to get over their prejudice about them. Back in my day, when a new cool car came out we went to the dealership and drove it. I’ve given rides to or let drive over 2 dozen people in mine, and every one comes away stunned at how well it drives and performs. Tesla is the first American car company to really stick it to the Germans. You should be happy.

...come on, don’t start building straw men. If Ford made the Model 3 Performance, every Ford fan would be singing its praises. It is an amazing car. It has its shortcomings, I know, I own one, but so does every car. I am looking forward to seeing the Mach and having another American made EV in the family is a real possibility. The only question is Model Y or Mach E. Ultimately that is up to Ford’s execution.

...don’t tell Ford. They built a Mustang GT, GT350, GT500, a High Performance Edition, Performance Pack, Level 2 Performance Pack, and a Bullitt, Focus RS, Focus ST, Fiesta ST, Explorer ST, a Edge ST, and Raptor all for chest thumpers.

...1-switched reluctance, partial permanent magnet motor and 1-AC, actually, on the 3P.

... well, I drive a 300mi range AWD performance sedan that goes from 0-60 in 3.2s that only cost $56k. As far as I know, Tesla is the only one currently making anything remotely close to that. Porsche will, for only $100k more...next year...except for the range. Tesla deserves a little respect in that regard.

If that’s the case, it didn’t do much. Tesla is 162-163, I think Porsche claims the same for theirs, though someone claimed to hit 167 on the autobahn, but I don’t know if that was real or down-hill wind at the back and speedo error. Tesla claims 250+ for the Roadster. I don’t know how they’re planning on hitting that. It would have to have a transmission.

I don’t see any exhaust routing. The front wheelhouse also looks odd. Could be one of the two EV CUVs(presumably Edge/Nautilus) Ford is developing.

...I essentially drive one foot in mine. It becomes very natural after a day or two behind the wheel. Really maxes out the regen.