Ten more days…are you feeling the spirit yet, readers? Are you filling up on the spirits? The Christmas season is in full swing at BangShift Mid-West. The parties are planned, the ingredients are being bought for the dinners, and we’re cleaning up as if Gunnery Sergeant Hartmann himself was going to inspect our accommodations. The whole house smells like fir tree and sugar cookies, and maybe a little bit of bourbon for the big guy to sip on in-between stops. Hey, maybe if I grease those wheels a bit, I can get something I actually asked for instead of yet another year of sighing before I return to my used car window shopping ways. Hopefully you’ve got your butt in gear for the rest of the year! Here’s this week’s Scrapple…enjoy!
1. Gonna PUMP YOU UP.
Audi is in the middle of a study involving workers at their Ingolstadt factory and the use of exoskeletons to assist them in overhead tasks. The idea is to see if the exoskeletons protect joints and reduce the stress upon their muscles. Understandably, the goal behind the exoskeleton experiment is to reduce costs related to worker health care, but there are other benefits too. Like mechanically assisted juggling sessions, super strong man competitions at lunch and more.
2. Shocking.
Jeep wants to become the “greenest SUV brand in the world”, according to Jeep global president Christian Meunièr. Oh, goody…be a friend to the planet as you blaze a new trail on it. Meanwhile, Ford is more than a little bit open to the idea of an all-electric Mustang coupe a’la the Mustang Lithium concept that was seen at SEMA 2019. Here’s a great question: why is it that every last OEM is suddenly embracing EV tech with open arms like it’s the answer to their prayers?
3. Color us surprised.
The entire 2020 Corvette Stingray production run is sold out. That’s 40,000 units. There’s hope after all.
4. Names are good. But how about utilizing your concept vehicle past, too?
Another bit of hopeful news: Cadillac will finally walk away from that moronic alphanumeric jumble and return to utilizing full, actual names. Classics like Eldorado, deVille and others could join up with Elmiraj, Escala and Provoq. Unfortunately, there is a hitch to this: the changeover will happen as Cadillac moves to ditch internal combustion engines once and for all. I quote Cadillac president Steve Carlisle: “We’ll exit the decade (the 2020s) as a battery-electric brand. It’s the end of the ICE age for Cadillac.”
5. DeLorean HD
We’re still waiting for the moment that Elon Musk finally hits us with the punchline regarding the Tesla Cybertruck’s styling, but as for the DeLorean meets Ferrari Modulo meets Robocop concept, it sounds like it’s going to be classified as a medium-duty due to it’s weight profile. Automotive News reported that Elon Musk sent a letter to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) asking them to install a requirement for Class 2b-3 trucks to have electric sales by 2024, instead of giving them an exception until 2027. That would mean the Cybertruck would suddenly have a one-up over the 3/4 ton models from Ford, FCA and GM…except that many don’t think that’s the case. A lot of the Tesla’s issues revolve around it’s weight, or expected weight.
The weight is the least of the Tesla truck’s issues. 1st it’s the only truck that makes the new Silverado look halfway decent. 2nd what’s the market? Fleet managers won’t bite due to the buy in. Ordinary truck users who actually use their trucks to tow and haul need more distance than the Tesla can provide. Urban elites already have the sleek Model S. They should have shot at Honda Ridgeline buyers. An EV Ridgeline with a few more innovative features and sleek styling would sell to the suburbanites going antiquing and gardening. Jeep doesn’t need an EV, they need to strike a deal with Suzuki to import the Jimny. Hell slap a Jeep grill on it, make the top removable and call it the CJ. Would sell at 20-30k all day long.