The Canadian Electric Vehicle thread

[travis3000]

Originally Posted by vanatox

Same for me. The product is not perfect but i am super satisfied. And no other brand doing EVs is perfect.

People love to hate Tesla. I've noticed that. It's like Apple in that regard. They have a big fan club but they also have the anti fan clubs haha.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by travis3000

People love to hate Tesla. I've noticed that. It's like Apple in that regard. They have a big fan club but they also have the anti fan clubs haha.

I think most people have difficulty separating the Tesla product itself from Musk. That, and they don't like the disruption to the automotive industry and fossil fuels. In a way, Tesla is the poster child for the movement towards clean energy.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by logan5

Micro vehicles like the Nimbus 1 make so much sense for city dwellers. It has swappable batteries that can be charged in your home using a regular wall outlet. I think if something like these get down to around 5 or 6 thousand dollars, it would be an affordable option for people who normally take transit.

Electra Meccanicca tried to build and sell something similar. They were priced around $12-13k though, and not succeeding. They are low to the ground and I imagine you feel pretty vulnerable on the road.

[urbandreamer]

VW iD7 unveiled: very dull, awkward and should've been a proper sedan not hatchback.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

VW iD7 unveiled: very dull, awkward and should've been a proper sedan not hatchback.

Looks like it splits the Model 3 and the Model S in terms of size, being roughly in the middle. Probably Passat/Camry/Accord sized. Looks fairly tall too, almost lifted, like the Toyota Crown although not quite as much. Should mean it's roomy inside.

[Jaws]

Originally Posted by whatnext

How long did you have to wait for it?

I got lucky. Ordered Feb 22 and delivered Apr 15. The Canadian cars are coming from Korea and the US cars are being produced in Alabama. The build sticker on mine shows it was manufactured in February.

So far very happy with the car. The build quality is right up there with the Q7 parked next to it and it's very refined. I didn't even have to wait to break it in like it would have to with an ICE car - and it can light up the tires on dry pavement. Getting about 19 kWh/100 km so far, which is fine.

[theman23]

It’s probably the least ugly BEV sedan coming to North America, but that isn’t saying much. It’s just OK.
It’s their next gen Arteon essentially, but my guess is it’ll be priced close to German luxury sedans like the 5 series and E class.At that price range I would expect better design.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by travis3000

People love to hate Tesla. I've noticed that. It's like Apple in that regard. They have a big fan club but they also have the anti fan clubs haha.

Probably because Elon Musk is such a colossal Douchebag.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by travis3000

People love to hate Tesla. I've noticed that. It's like Apple in that regard. They have a big fan club but they also have the anti fan clubs haha.

I think that's actually a good comparison and one that I've made before. I think it's that they both drape themselves in the aesthetic of high tech innovation and they have both been innovative in many ways. But both come across as selling an idealized image and a lifestyle more than a practical product. Apple is known for having devices that are stylish and reliable, but also expensive and highly proprietary with little cross compatibility. They have a reputation for wanting to control everything with devices being locked down preventing users from unlocking, customizing, or repairing their devices. And Tesla is kind of known for similar things. Pretty but pricey, high tech, but overly proprietary. And with Apple, they're known for often being too expensive compared to their device specs, while Tesla is known for being too expensive compared to their build quality. Even down to not using a common charging standard which is reminiscent to Apple and its lightning cables.

Personally, while I don't hate Tesla, I would never buy a Tesla. Partly because of the issues I mentioned (they just aren't my aesthetic), and partly the association with Musk. Not surprisingly, I have never and would never buy an Apple device either. Though not anything to do with Cook or Jobs.

[urbandreamer]

I bought a Tesla Model 3 Matchbox toy 5 year's ago; tonight I randomly bought a Rivian R1T Matchbox. Like TSLA in 2018, maybe it's time to buy RIVN.

The new MG Cyberster (cringe name) looks good.

[homebucket]

Not sure what GM is thinking here.

GM Will Not Include Apple CarPlay on Future EV Models
GM says the move is meant to better integrate navigation and generate subscription revenue.
BY BRIAN SILVESTRO
APR 3, 2023

General Motors is planning to drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from its electric vehicles going forward, starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, Reuters reports.

Instead, GM will pivot to an in-house infotainment system developed with help from Google, Reuters says. The American carmaker has reportedly been working with the Silicon Valley powerhouse since 2019 to design a software architecture that more tightly integrates infotainment with things like navigation and other vehicle systems, such as GM's Super Cruise driving assistance system.

"We have a lot of new driver assistance features coming that are more tightly coupled with navigation," Mike Hichme, GM's director of digital cockpit experience, told Reuters. "We don’t want to design these features in a way that are dependent on person having a cellphone."

There's also the service fee aspect of it all.

"We do believe there are subscription revenue opportunities for us," chief digital officer Edward Kummer told Reuters. The company plans to rake in over $20 billion in subscription revenue annually by 2030.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a4...apple-carplay/

Customers consider Toyota, Ford vehicles after GM announces Apple CarPlay phaseout
Jamie L. LaReau and Phoebe Wall Howard
Detroit Free Press

Will Lindley says he is ready to make the family's next ride an electric vehicle and had hoped to buy it from General Motors. After all, his wife has been happy with her 2016 Cadillac SRX. But when they heard that GM intends to phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on its future EVs, that was a deal breaker.

Lindley and others want the option the technology offers, which is to project their iPhone’s screen onto their vehicle’s infotainment display for everything from accessing contacts to apps. Instead, GM will offer a built-in Google-powered infotainment experience on its future EVs that offers versions of Google Maps, Google Assistant, Spotify, and more.

So, Lindley said, now he's considering the all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E built by GM's crosstown rival.

...

Some say GM wants to create new revenue streams by selling subscriptions to certain features on the GM-built infotainment systems, plus gather data on how consumers use their EVs.

"GM is looking to monetize more software and services within its vehicles and is taking a page out of Tesla’s playbook," Dan Ives, managing director and senior equity research analyst at Wedbush Securities, told the Free Press.

...

Critics note the new system will provide GM with information on customers' driving, listening, and charging habits.

The data collected could influence future subscription products for GM, something many automakers are looking to do as a way to make money beyond just selling cars. For example, last summer luxury automaker BMW started selling some new eye-popping subscription-based services in various countries, included charging drivers $18 a month for heated seats and $10 per month for a heated steering wheel, features that critics argued should be standard.

In December, Alan Wexler, GM's senior vice president of strategy and innovation, told Wall Street investors that the company has no intention of charging its customers for such features. But, Wexler said, GM is certain that vehicle software, and the microtransactions it will allow, such as paying for cloud-based services, will be the bigger business for it in the future.

When asked about GM's future plans to monetize features through the system, Cusinato said, "We are guided by our desire to make the EV customer experience a differentiator in the future and the goal of building on, not stepping back, the benefits Apple CarPlay and Android Auto introduced years ago. We are not expecting customers to pay for basic connectivity. All 2024 Chevy Blazer EVs in the U.S. will come with standard connectivity that allows easy access to Google Maps and Google Assistant, at no additional cost, for eight years."

That does not convince Lindley, who said he believes eventually there will be fees, "They’re looking at pure dollar signs. To keep the navigation on the car, you’re going to have to pay GM a monthly fee. For my bet, it’s a money grab and if they can generate additional revenue, then more power to them. They’re doing what they have to do for the shareholders. But I don’t have to be a part of it."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...t/11664653002/

[urbandreamer]

Polestar 4 looks cool, no rear window like a van. Dozens of new cars unveiled in China wow. Interesting the new Lincoln Nautilus will be made in China and shipped to NA.

Does anyone actually use Apple Carplay/Android Auto? I just keep Google Maps navigation on my phone and stream BBC Radio 1.

[homebucket]

I'm curious what the Tesla owners here think about this. Tesla probably is not the only car company doing this, at least the ones that have cameras on board or pointing outwards. Would not be surprised if other home smart devices are also continuously monitoring and recording as well.

Is this something you accept as simply the new era of having smart devices and cameras/sensors on everything? Or are you going to take steps to add a layer of security. I imagine it'd be inconvenient to apply and remove painters tape on all the cameras every time you enter/exit the vehicle. Maybe companies can look into adding a feature where you can press a button to cover all the cameras with lens caps.

Tesla Employees Using Vehicle Cameras to Spy on ‘Private Scenes;’ Owners Suing
by Henry Cesari Published on April 13, 2023

In a shocking reveal, nine retired Tesla employees shared how common it is for employees to misuse vehicle cameras to spy on customers. Employees use Tesla’s internal messaging app to share the content of “really intimate things,” sometimes even turning images into memes for their amusement. A California man is suing the company–on behalf of all Tesla owners–over this practice.

Do Tesla vehicles spy on you?
Tesla vehicles have many cameras. Unlike some competitors that use radar-like lidar systems for self-driving, autonomous Teslas still use an array of traditional cameras. The onboard computer analyzes the multiple videos taken in realtime. This means many Tesla vehicles have eight or more cameras pointing in all directions. Teslas also have a cabin camera that monitors inattentive drivers.

Many Tesla owners park their vehicles inside their garages or directly next to their homes to connect to a charger. What these owners don’t know is that employees at Tesla regularly access the vehicle’s cameras, even saving still images and videos.

European privacy regulators demanded to know about the Tesla vehicle cameras’ default settings. The company revealed that the cameras film continuously while driving and charging and save the most recent hour of footage even after the owner turned off their car or SUV–according to The Wall Street Journal. Tesla admits its employees can access the footage for “communication, fulfillment of services, and enhancement of Tesla vehicle driving systems,” according to Arts Technica.

The automaker insists that all of this footage is completely “anonymous.” But the photos and videos include a precise GPS location, often the vehicle owner’s home address.

A group of former employees blew the whistle on a range of abuses of this privilege between 2019 and 2022. Unscrupulous employees shared content, including “private scenes” they found amusing, via direct messages or group chats on the company-wide messaging app.

Tesla whistle-blowers: recording and sharing ‘scenes of intimacy’
Reuters interviewed nine former Tesla employees who confirmed a disturbing practice at the electric vehicle startup: ridiculing customers’ private moments captured by the vehicles’ security cameras and sharing them in the company’s internal messaging platform’s chat rooms.

What kind of photos and videos are Tesla employees sharing? One former employee revealed that the shared content includes “scandalous stuff,” such as “certain pieces of laundry” and “sexual wellness items.” The content they viewed even included “scenes of intimacy.” The employee called these moments “private scenes of life that we really were privy to because the car was charging.”

Another recent Tesla employee expanded on why the practice did not sit well with them: “I’m bothered by it because the people who buy the car, I don’t think they know that their privacy is, like, not respected… We could see them doing laundry and really intimate things. We could see their kids.”

Some of the images shared in Tesla employee chat rooms included full nudity. Others depicted car crashes and road rage, which, it might be argued, were necessary for the “enhancement of Tesla vehicle driving systems.” But even some crash videos were abused.

For example, when a Tesla hit a child riding a bike, a video of the child flying through the air went viral among employees. They shared it in private one-on-one chats “like wildfire,” according to another ex-employee.

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/tesla-e...-owners-suing/

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Polestar 4 looks cool, no rear window like a van. Dozens of new cars unveiled in China wow. Interesting the new Lincoln Nautilus will be made in China and shipped to NA.

Does anyone actually use Apple Carplay/Android Auto? I just keep Google Maps navigation on my phone and stream BBC Radio 1.

According to Edmunds:

A driver's ability to display their phone's screen on a car's infotainment screen through CarPlay or Android Auto is something shoppers care about, said Ivan Drury, director of insights at car shopping site Edmunds.com.

Based on shopper data in which people can select search filters when looking for new and used cars on Edmunds, Drury said the findings showed, "Nearly half of consumers putting connectivity on their must haves will be concerned about those functions from Apple and Android."

Even for shoppers of used vehicles, Drury said the numbers of shoppers wanting the technologies are similar to those shopping for new cars. Drury said the reason the technology is so popular among car buyers is because it is familiar and people like consistency.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...t/11664653002/

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Does anyone actually use Apple Carplay/Android Auto? I just keep Google Maps navigation on my phone and stream BBC Radio 1.

AA is actually quite useful, especially with the recent updates where split-screen display was introduced. Voice control works well and, more importantly, here in BC they're quite strict about distracted driving.

[urbandreamer]

I want an electric car with no touch screens or digital displays. Something like a c.1993 Honda Civic/Accord or BMW 3 series was perfect. Rotary HVAC volume controls, round speedometer/temp dials, maybe I'd tolerate a digital heads-up display for a driver assistant (that can be turned off.) Just include 2-3 USB-C outlets, preferably on the left/centre/right near the vents. And possibly room to install my own LTE-enabled tablet in the center console. There's no reason for car manufacturers to be in the software UX biz, since most get them wrong.

600km cold weather range, 4 seater hatchback for $15,000.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by homebucket

I'm curious what the Tesla owners here think about this. Tesla probably is not the only car company doing this, at least the ones that have cameras on board or pointing outwards. Would not be surprised if other home smart devices are also continuously monitoring and recording as well.

Is this something you accept as simply the new era of having smart devices and cameras/sensors on everything? Or are you going to take steps to add a layer of security. I imagine it'd be inconvenient to apply and remove painters tape on all the cameras every time you enter/exit the vehicle. Maybe companies can look into adding a feature where you can press a button to cover all the cameras with lens caps.



https://www.motorbiscuit.com/tesla-e...-owners-suing/

This stuff is extremely common in today's consumer products. You have to go out of your way to find products that don't spy on you.

I barely drive, and my vehicle is 15 years old. I would not buy an EV with today's offerings. I'd wait for someone to put out a "dumb" EV.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

I want an electric car with no touch screens or digital displays. Something like a c.1993 Honda Civic/Accord or BMW 3 series was perfect. Rotary HVAC volume controls, round speedometer/temp dials, maybe I'd tolerate a digital heads-up display for a driver assistant (that can be turned off.) Just include 2-3 USB-C outlets, preferably on the left/centre/right near the vents. And possibly room to install my own LTE-enabled tablet in the center console. There's no reason for car manufacturers to be in the software UX biz, since most get them wrong.

I couldn't agree more.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

I want an electric car with no touch screens or digital displays. Something like a c.1993 Honda Civic/Accord or BMW 3 series was perfect. Rotary HVAC volume controls, round speedometer/temp dials, maybe I'd tolerate a digital heads-up display for a driver assistant (that can be turned off.) Just include 2-3 USB-C outlets, preferably on the left/centre/right near the vents. And possibly room to install my own LTE-enabled tablet in the center console. There's no reason for car manufacturers to be in the software UX biz, since most get them wrong.

600km cold weather range, 4 seater hatchback for $15,000.

Agreed. It'd also be a lot cheaper.

Just an EV powertrain with basic button based (not on a touch screen or touch "button") HVAC, but with a reasonably sized touchscreen for Apple CarPlay so I can load my Waze and Spotify. Backup camera, which I think is required. Maybe blind spot monitoring light on the side mirrors. And basic cruise control. No need for self-steer, self-park, lane centering, self-driving, etc.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by travis3000

People love to hate Tesla. I've noticed that. It's like Apple in that regard. They have a big fan club but they also have the anti fan clubs haha.

I find Tesla to be almost as polarizing as politics. You are a disciple of the company, or you would like nothing more than to see it crash into a smoldering pile.

I'm split on it, in reality. On one hand Musk is a gifted idiot, a repulsive human being. On the other hand Tesla seems to be at the top of the EV game. FWIW, I don't get all glassy-eyed over the latest over the top tech innovations, but I do value solid, reliable transportation that does what it's supposed to do right.

I still have some skepticism about build quality/corrosion resistance/body engineering, but I'm not in the market yet, so I have the luxury of seeing how it all plays out. On a personal side, I'm not a fan of the face of the company and would tend to not want to support that aspect of it.

On the topic, though, I noticed that if anybody criticizes or expresses doubt about anything related to Tesla, the general take seems to place you in the category of Tesla-hater, even if it's just one aspect that you are criticizing. It's an interesting dynamic, if nothing else.