audio and video,What Drives Us episode
#143 Is He Still Alive?
Danny calls in sick but Russell bravely soldiers on with Evan Fusco, Patrick Connor and Paul Guzyk at his side. The topics? Oh we got topics…
Another nail in the coffin for franchise dealers, well, not really but we wish…
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/06/costco-grows-to-become-a-leading-car-seller/index.htm
ADJUNCT story, Chevy dealer learns that by actually not pissing off everyone who asks, you can sell a lot of Volts…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098599_high-volume-chevy-volt-dealer-how-to-sell-successfully-lessons-learned
A follow up or continuation of a topic from last week, how branded telematics shove the manufacturer to the side…
http://www.businessinsider.com/raymond-james-apple-google-enemies-auto-industry-carplay-android-2015-6?utm_source=googleplaynewsstand&utm_medium=referral
EVs and resale value
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098663_used-electric-cars-which-hold-their-value-best-which-is-worst
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android, android auto, apple, carplay, Chevy, consumer reports, Eco, EV, evan fusco, featured, LE, Leaf, maximum bob, nissan, oeva, Patrick Connor, paul guzyk, russell frost, telematics, Tesla, Volt
2016 Toyota Mirai – Preview
– by Jon B
We live in an interesting time. A time where science and technology are at the forefront and in the automotive world, the leading edge in alternative fuel technology at the moment is electric vehicles with manufacturers like Nissan, Tesla, Ford and General Motors putting out their versions of what an electric car should be. Notably absent is the Japanese giant that is Toyota with a reincarnation of its RAV4 EV with battery technology borrowed from billionaire Elon Musk. It should’ve been a raging success – the combination of Toyota quality, durability and reliability and Tesla’s battery and motor technology. Alas, Mr. Toyoda has other plans and the release of the Mirai is an example of his vision of future.
Mira-what?
Me-rye. It’s Japanese for “future”. Toyota thinks that battery electric vehicles should be limited to the short distance, city driving (although Elon has proved otherwise) and suggests that fuel cell vehicles are what the public wants. Toyota suggests that those that are used to petrol-powered vehicles will warm up to fuel cell cars as the range and refuelling times are similar. Excuse me Toyoda-san, there’s the slight issue of actually having hydrogen stations where one can refuel in the first place. Nevertheless, the focus of the article is the Mirai and not a discussion of which form of fuel or energy the future should use.
Canada, Eco, elon musk, EV, first, Ford, fuel cell, future, h2, hybrid, hydrogen, LE, Leaf, LED, Lexus, mirai, Prius, review, Tesla, Toyota, Volt
audio and video,What Drives Us episode
#142 The Dynamic Duo Are Back
This week Danny and Russell tackle the news without a panel…
That’s Bolt™ with a “D”
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098530_chevy-bolt-ev-trademark-suspended-due-to-yamaha-conflict-by-u-s-patent-office
Because it’s all about the “moribund” platinum market (the following two stories are mostly just rewritten version of the reuters piece)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/29/platinum-miners-fuelcells-idUSL5N0YI2YW20150529
http://www.inautonews.com/platinum-sector-ready-to-reap-the-benefits-of-rising-fuel-cell-usage
http://www.iol.co.za/business/markets/commodities/electric-and-hybrid-cars-dash-platinum-hopes-1.1865680
It might have been easier (and more honest) to just call Elon an asshole and leave it at that
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150531-story.html#page=1
You can now buy H2 on the autobahn (insert Kraftwerk music here)
http://www.gasworld.com/autobahns-first-hydrogen-station-opens/2007508.article
Embedded infotainment and the danger to carmaker branding
http://www.autonews.com/article/20150601/OEM06/306019968/how-can-automakers-add-value-to-dashboard
Apparently EV patents aren’t worth shit because everyone is giving them away
http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewdepaula/2015/05/31/ford-follows-tesla-and-toyota-in-releasing-ev-patents/
The international business times tells you today what we told you months ago, ain’t no apple self driving goole car with tesla power train coming (please click here)
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mysterious-apple-vans-are-3d-mapping-app-not-self-driving-car-1503794
Cars are stupid but transportation planners are even stupider, err, dumber, sorry, stupid dumbheads
http://streetsblog.net/2015/05/28/the-23-lane-katy-freeway-a-monument-to-texas-transportation-futility/
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apple, Bolt, Chevrolet, Chevy, danny cooper, elon musk, EV, featured, first, Ford, h2, highways, hybrid, hydrogen, LE, Los Angeles Times, patents, platinum, russell frost, Tesla, Toyota, Volt
audio and video,What Drives Us episode
#141 A Different Kind of Sausage Fest
In which we learn that Evan’s favorite place to charge has a lot to do with pork sausage.
Danny is taking week off so Paul Guzyk, Evan Fusco and Patrick Connor keep Russell from getting in too much trouble this week.
Field of dreams…
http://www.autonews.com/article/20150525/OEM05/305259973/kansas-city-bids-to-become-ev-mecca
Tennessee to offer EV rebate
http://www.wcyb.com/news/Tenn-about-to-offer-electric-vehicle-rebates/33205286
Tesla traveling road show OR Elon in a box
http://www.treehugger.com/cars/tesla-has-mobile-foldable-container-store-will-tour-us-and-europe.html
Oxymoron, fuel cell park
http://rep-am.com/news/local/883630.txt
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Eco, EV, evan fusco, featured, fuel cell, LE, Patrick Connor, paul guzyk, Tesla
audio and video,What Drives Us episode
#140 Power Trio
This week Danny and Russell tackle the topics with the help of Patrick Connor.
It’s 2005 all over again, the return of the “does it make sense” math as applied only to alt cars…(Thanks Evan)
http://www.edmunds.com/about/press/hybrid-and-electric-vehicles-struggle-to-maintain-owner-loyalty-reports-edmundscom.html
Democratic state Rep. Senfronia Thompson criticized the company by saying that “it would have been wiser if Mr. Tesla had sat down with the car dealers first.”
http://fortune.com/2015/05/18/tesla-texas/
And then there’s this…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098276_ftc-calls-michigans-tesla-ban-protectionism-for-dealers
Why you should never read TIME, calling this link bait is being far too nice
http://time.com/3882476/tesla-consumer-reports/
repurposing versus recycling
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098326_used-toyota-hybrid-batteries-repurposed-at-yellowstone-national-park
And this, soon to be available through the Prius Chat Shop…
Installed 5 seconds ago and I already have a favorite new #Prius accessory. Magnetic shifter mount. Coming to PC Shop pic.twitter.com/dRsgGmKsPo
— PriusChat (@PriusChat) May 20, 2015
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batteries, EV, featured, first, hybrid, LE, link bait, Patrick Connor, Prius, Tesla, Toyota
audio and video,What Drives Us episode
#139 Running On Empty
Danny is out this week so Russell goes it solo but with a strong panel.
Cars that sit around, a lot. Get it? Cars. That sit around. A lot? Comedy gold peoples, comedy gold.
http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/blogs/10-models-the-car-lots-cant-give-away
Once again, the Auto Alliance proves it hates car buyers
http://www.autoblog.com/2015/04/20/automakers-gearheads-car-repairs/
What the hell was this dumbass thinking?
https://youtu.be/KIIrG7o1qCE
Speaking of dumbasses not thinking
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097855_the-new-fisker-is-live-original-karma-owners-get-most-support
R.I.P. Prius plug-in
http://insideevs.com/confirmed-toyota-prius-plug-production-ends-june/?utm_content=buffere509d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
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audio and video,Special Episode,What Drives Us episode
#138 Interviewing the Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Vehicle Team
A very special regular episode. We spend the entire show talking to Toyota’s Mirai team. Doug Coleman and Logan Grizzel, about the fuel cell vehicle and issues surrounding it. Danny and Russell are joined by Tony Schaefer, Patrick Connor, Evan Fusco and Chelsea Sexton.
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biogas, Chelsea Sexton, Doug Coleman, EV, evan fusco, FCV, featured, fuel cell, h2, hydrogen, LE, logan grizzel, mirai, Patrick Connor, tony schaefer, Toyota
audio and video,What Drives Us episode
#137 Wisdom From The Back End Of A Cow
Hosts Danny Cooper and Russell Frost are joined by Tony Schaefer, Evan Fusco and Patrick Connor to discuss…
The new Mirai commercial made for Toyota by Morgan Spurlock.
What success looks like…and what it means fro EV incentives
http://europe.autonews.com/article/20150421/ANE/150429967/norway-to-review-ev-subsidies-as-sales-soar
Meanwhile, in Oregon…
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/04/bill-that-would-give-3k-rebate-to-ev-buyers.html
SUV’s, Lies and Statistics
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/04/21/earth-day-electric-ev-hybrid-dissatisfied-suv/26121125/
Don’t forget that next week, April 29th at 9:00 p.m. EST you can hear directly from Toyota on the Mirai and the future of their FCV. See you next week!
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danny cooper, EV, evan fusco, FCV, featured, hybrid, LE, mirai, Patrick Connor, review, russell frost, tony schaefer, Toyota
#136 Surmounting Taxes
In celebration of tax week, Danny Cooper, Russell Frost, Evan Fusco, Patrick Connor and Paul Guzyk discuss…
Unicorns not being deployed fast enough in Japan
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/14/japan-hydrogen-idUSL4N0XB25F20150414
Battery swap scooter proposed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE6N8t-0OGg&feature=youtu.be
So are you a supporter of clean cars or of clean transportation? And if so, does spending money on cars versus trains make sense? While much of this op-ed makes little sense, there is a point here worth discussing.
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/04/07/funding-train-service-more-beneficial-than-vehicle-subsidies/25422253/
Let’s talk about the SparkEV
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097768_2016-chevrolet-spark-ev-to-be-sold-at-retail-in-canada
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Battery Swap, Canada, Chevrolet, danny cooper, EV, evan fusco, featured, hydrogen, LE, Patrick Connor, paul guzyk, russell frost
2015 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0L Trendline+ Test Drive
– by Jon B
“It’s premium German engineering at a price engineered to get you moving”. The tagline is certainly appropriate for the Jetta, with a starting price of Cdn$14,990. Canadians certainly responded as Volkswagen Canada moved 31,042 Jettas in 2014, which accounts for nearly 50% of its total sales. One may recall that the cost of entry into the Volkswagen family started in the low $20,000s less than a decade ago, so how did Volkswagen manage to drop the price substantially?
apple, Bolt, Canada, Eco, EV, first, german, hybrid, jetta, LE, LED, trendline, volkswagen