There was an interview recently where they were talking about Chrysler and apparently they have no plans to do away with the brand. New Pacifica comes out in 2026 and there are some other new models in the works.

 

Over 17 million EVs sold in 2024 - Record Year

Snapshot electric vehicle sales in 2024 vs 2023

• Global: 17.1 million, +25%
• China: 11 million, +40%
• EU & EFTA & UK: 3.0 million, -3%
• USA & Canada: 1.8 million, +9%
• Rest of World: 1.3 million, +27%

https://rhomotion.com/news/over-17-m...4-record-year/

 

China rules EVs. Wow.

I think it would be interesting to know the battery size and what the size of the majority of battery sizes are in China compared to North America. My guess is short range EVs dominate mainland China sales figures.

 

This last ice and snow storm was the first real winter test for my EQS, and I have to say, I was impressed. We're talking a nearly 6,000-pound sedan, but it felt incredibly planted and stable. I was navigating some seriously icy patches, the kind that makes your stomach drop, and the EQS didn't even flinch. There were a few times when I hit some black ice and could feel the 4MATIC system instantly adjust, keeping the car perfectly under control. Some of these other drivers, though, were giving me flashbacks to the Jamaican bobsled team—more enthusiasm than control, fishtailing all over the place, slaloming when they should have been braking. It was like watching a live-action game of human pinball out there, and not in a good way. Thankfully, the EQS just powered through it all. The weight, the 4MATIC system, the intelligent power distribution—it all works together beautifully. It's a beast, but a surprisingly nimble one—like a sumo wrestler performing Swan Lake in a tutu. Graceful, powerful, and definitely unexpected. This thing doesn't just handle the snow; it waltzes with it.

Perceptions of the EQS versus the true nature of the EQS!

 

That is pretty cool to hear. Can you lock the EQS 4WD so the torque split is perfectly even?





https://financialpost.com/commoditie...ate-rebate-cut


I am a little surprised this expired (no idea that there was a sunset date). In some provinces the subsidy is $12,500

 

Not possible unless you wanted to cap its power output. Each axle has an independent motor, and the rear makes 2.5x as much peak torque as the front.

But also not relevant/useful in a multi-motor EV, where the amount of torque delivered to each axle or even wheel (depending on design) can be precisely and instantaneously controlled.

 

I believe on a GMC Hummer you can lock the front and the rear to split the torque perfectly even. Ford Lightning just the rear. Not sure about the upcoming G wagon EV. Otherwise everyone else is full time all wheel drive.

 

My point is, you're thinking about it the wrong way. That capability is important when there's a big lump up front generating all the power that is incapable of changing its torque output quickly, and then you have a complex mechanical network of gearsets and driveshafts distributing the power. There are a lot of tradeoffs, and one of the workarounds to ensure there's "some" torque at every wheel is to start locking stuff up.

When you have a motor directly driving the axle (or wheel), a much (or all) of that complexity is gone, and increasing/decreasing torque is an instantaneous action of increasing or decreasing current. Much more precise control than has been possible previously. So workarounds become less important. When you get to 4-motor setups, "locking" is 100% downside with zero upside.

The EQS is not full-time AWD. It is RWD unless the front motor is needed. However, unlike a mechanical system, that motor can be put into action in hundredths of a second. The G Wagon is a 4 motor setup. Each individual wheel has its own discrete power source. This is FAR better for offroad traction than a traditional locked 4x4 setup. To take it to extreme, not only can the torque at each wheel be precisely controlled to exactly what is needed, target wheel speed or even direction can vary widely from one wheel to another. That's how the tank turn feature works. Some wheels spin forward, some backward.

The Hummer EV is a 3-motor setup (2 rear, 1 front). It has "lockers", but the reviews I've read have said engaging them provides no offroad traction benefit whatsoever. The buttons are really only there to satisfy old-school purists who still think "an offroader needs lockers", even in cases where that's no longer true. Which would also explain why offroad mode invokes fake engine noises that cannot be disabled.

 

The Hummer EV has a mechanical locking differential at the front and the rear is dual motor which uses software to lock the rear.

If all four tires have perfect locked equal power, then there is a benefit off road. There is no debate to that

 

That could be a very bad assumption. I know more about Tesla than you think. But I guess if someone has not experienced other traditional infotainments, it's hard to accept that Tesla's is nothing special. The same thing many say Tesla's seats/suspension are comfortable. It's all relative.
Some do but still give you the option to buy a spare. I can't be a 100% sure but I'm pretty sure I read you said you had a flat and glad yours were run flat? Of course it's no big deal until it happens. Yeah right, buy a spare to throw it in the trunk. Would you put a full sized tire in your trunk for your trips? I doubt it. But sure it doesn't bother you. So it doesn't matter.
Via update, MY has RCTA and blind spot monitor. The new MY now has front camera so I think they will update their 360 view to make it look normal. They must have had obstacles making their vision version work.
You quoted a lot of nice features from the new model 3 but...
I totally understand and of course....
but I was giving my honest unbiased observation. And some do.

 

No, I had two flat tires in the Pacifica, so a spare wouldn't have helped me. Then I did have a flat on the Mercedes (I ditch the run flats) which was a sidewall tear, run flats wouldn't have helped me. In 25+ years of driving though those are the only times (plus one other a long time ago) where I had a flat that stranded me somewhere. One of those times with the two flats I still would have been stranded. So 2 times in 26 years of driving and the huge amount of miles we drive, thats pretty unusual and no I really don't worry about it.

As for buying a spare, there are companies that sell a spare kit like this:

https://modernspare.com

https://ezsparewheel.com/

Where its all one kit in a bag, yeah I would throw that in the trunk for a long road trip for sure.

 

If the alternative is "one wheel spins while no others get power" because there's only a single source of power that has to be distributed, then I agree with you. But with absolute direct control over each wheel, it's not only debatable, it's flat out wrong. Knowing exactly how much torque each wheel can deliver without breaking traction (this can be trivially measured based on current draw), and never exceeding that with any wheel allows you to maximize the amount of torque that can be utilized.

 

ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES REPORT — Q4 2024 by KBB

Not surprising to see Tesla at #1 by a wide margin.
Hyundai Automotive Group came in second from the combined sales of Hyundai/Kia/Genesis
Ioniq 5 is the top seller for HMG
Surprised that Model S and Model X are outsold by the Cybertruck
Ford Mach-E is the best selling non-Tesla
I didn't see #s for the Polestar. Based on what I see on the road everyday, I thought they'll be at least mentioned

 

I think Hyundai is going to continue to take the second largest share of EV sales, Ioniq 5 is a pretty amazing car. When our Ioniq 5 lease expires this July, I would have gladly gotten my wife another one, I just don't want to get another lease. Plus, she does way too many miles, she is already at 17,402, and the limit is 20k...and it's only mid January.

Nothing surprises me about the Cyber Truck anymore

 

surprised the mach-e is best selling non-tesla ev.