[raydan]

The first time I flew was with my mom when I was about 2 years old... they had propellers back then.

[herbie]

Best flight I ever had was on a TurboBeaver from Vancouver Island to central BC. Fun.

But speaking of EVs, who in their right mind plans to buy a V8 15 years from now? Honestly, you should already be thinking EV for buzzing around town and an SUV for family trips.

[DrCaleb]

raydan raydan:

The first time I flew was with my mom when I was about 2 years old... they had propellers back then.

There are propellers still. The Bombardier Q400 and DeHavilland Dash-8 are regular work horses for provincial travel.

Loud, but the land like a cloud.

[DrCaleb]

herbie herbie:

But speaking of EVs, who in their right mind plans to buy a V8 15 years from now? Honestly, you should already be thinking EV for buzzing around town and an SUV for family trips.

GM already announced kits to retrofit a EV battery and motor in place of their regular engine blocks and gas tanks. There are models that fit everything from a Cavalier to a GMC 1500 pickup including a transfer case for 4WD.

[herbie]

OMG my plastic and stainless steel Saturn could go on forever!
If that Honda V6 ever does wear out.

[DrCaleb]

I'd put one in one of the 'new' DeLorean's being made out of the originally manufactured parts still in Ireland.

The 351 Windsors' they came with weren't that great.

[bootlegga]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

bootlegga bootlegga:

I believe that once range and size gets a bit better,

Evs have plenty of range for the average daily commuter.

They don't need 700km ranges for the once in a decade mythical 'family trip'. Most people only drive 60km round trip in a day.

Note that I said range AND size, and if I only used my minivan for commuting, you'd be correct. However, pre-COVID, we drove all over western Canada (BC, Lake country in SK, Winnipeg, Waterton, etc.) for trips about once per month, and the until range and size gets better, I won't be buying an EV.

And there is no EV currently on the market that I'm aware of that can fit more than 4 people comfortably...it's certainly not possible to fit three child seats in the back of any sedan, EV or ICE, nevermind including the camping gear for family of five.

It's not that I don't want one, but if I can't get an EV minivan or third row SUV with a longer range than 500 KM, it's not economical for me to buy one, as I'd need to still own an ICE vehicle for those trips.

Hopefully by the time someone builds a larger EV, companies will have built hundreds more superchargers along our highway network so I don't have to stop and wait for a couple hours to recharge on my long weekend trips.

Maybe someday we'll have rest stops with restaurants and several dozen superchargers, kind of like how there are half a dozen gas stations in Gasoline Alley in Red Deer.

But until I see longer range and larger EV vehicles, I won't be even considering purchasing one.

[DrCaleb]

With Ford announcing the F-150 and "Mustang" EV, and with the US government going to fleet wide EV - it won't be long till that EV Minivan is out. There are already panel vans for UPS and the USPS in the pipe.

[herbie]

Tesla now offering 660 Km range.
But as you point out, buyers want SUVs. Plus we;re dealing with idiot makers that are pushing to cancel Caravans and force us into Pacificas at twice the price.

[bootlegga]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

With Ford announcing the F-150 and "Mustang" EV, and with the US government going to fleet wide EV - it won't be long till that EV Minivan is out. There are already panel vans for UPS and the USPS in the pipe.

Except Ford killed off their minivan line years ago. The only option I see now is the Pacifica hybrid, which is almost as expensive as a huge SUV like a Highlander or Traverse.

herbie herbie:

Tesla now offering 660 Km range.
But as you point out, buyers want SUVs. Plus we;re dealing with idiot makers that are pushing to cancel Caravans and force us into Pacificas at twice the price.

Not quite twice the price, but certainly a lot more. The dealer I bought my Caravan called me a week ago telling me that the 2020 is the last year of the Caravan if I want to upgrade to a newer model.

A new Caravan starts at $33K, while Pacifica starts at $46K (although you can get a hybrid Pacifica starting at $55K).

[DrCaleb]

bootlegga bootlegga:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

With Ford announcing the F-150 and "Mustang" EV, and with the US government going to fleet wide EV - it won't be long till that EV Minivan is out. There are already panel vans for UPS and the USPS in the pipe.

Except Ford killed off their minivan line years ago. The only option I see now is the Pacifica hybrid, which is almost as expensive as a huge SUV like a Highlander or Traverse.

Everyone has killed off their minivan lines. People either want SUVs or trucks. They still have their lines of large and medium panel vans, so hope isn't lost they could revive the Windstar line. They still own a good chunk of Mazda, and the MPV is a fine car.

Personally, I detest the idea of a 4 door "Mustang". It should be part of the Focus line.

[bootlegga]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

bootlegga bootlegga:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

With Ford announcing the F-150 and "Mustang" EV, and with the US government going to fleet wide EV - it won't be long till that EV Minivan is out. There are already panel vans for UPS and the USPS in the pipe.

Except Ford killed off their minivan line years ago. The only option I see now is the Pacifica hybrid, which is almost as expensive as a huge SUV like a Highlander or Traverse.

Everyone has killed off their minivan lines. People either want SUVs or trucks. They still have their lines of large and medium panel vans, so hope isn't lost they could revive the Windstar line. They still own a good chunk of Mazda, and the MPV is a fine car.

Personally, I detest the idea of a 4 door "Mustang". It should be part of the Focus line.

I wouldn't say everyone; Toyota, Honda, Kia, Nissan and Dodge still sell minivans.

I know people think they suck and have a crappy image, but they are incredibly utilitarian and can a lot more than people give them credit for. IMHO, they are a necessity for any family with more than one young child, and even then, they are still vastly better for small families than most small cars or SUVs. Whether it's camping, a day trip to the beach, shopping, going to school, carpooling, hauling cargo or half a dozen other tasks, they are excellent vehicles.

[DrCaleb]

$1:

Chevrolet gives the Bolt EV a facelift, a stretch, and a price cut

There are new front seats, and the 2022 Bolt EV starts at $31,995.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2021/02/ch ... price-cut/

[CDN_PATRIOT]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Everyone has killed off their minivan lines.

Toyota still produces the Sienna, Dodge/Cryco still produces the Caravan, and there are a couple others.

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

People either want SUVs or trucks.

That's a blanket statement. A lot of people still like small to mid-size cars with excellent fuel economy and comfort. I myself won't drive anything but a mid-size car, as I detest SUVs with a passion. I already have owned a truck in the past (Ranger), and thought about another if it wasn't for the fact that I'm done with North American vehicles in favour of European.

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Personally, I detest the idea of a 4 door "Mustang". It should be part of the Focus line.

Agree. Ford shouldn't even have called it a 'Mustang', as it has little to do with it. I saw it premiere here in Canada at last February's auto show, and not many people had much good to say about it. Add in the fact that Ford is having issues selling any of their new Bronco models (don't even get me started how they ruined it!), and it's no wonder they're having issues right now.

SUVs are for soccer moms and young people who don't know any better and don't do enough research on vehicles in the first place. One of their friends gets one, they get one, or they let their cell phones tell them.

Cars still more than have a place in this world. No automaker in their right mind gets rid of midsize cars. As much as it pains me to say this, Tesla was smart to bring out a mid-size sedan as one of their models.

-J.

[DrCaleb]

CDN_PATRIOT CDN_PATRIOT:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Everyone has killed off their minivan lines.

Toyota still produces the Sienna, Dodge/Cryco still produces the Caravan, and there are a couple others.

Toyota won't be refreshing the Sienna line, and Dodge killed the Caravan for 2021.

I know many people like them, and I have driven them as work vehicles. But they just don't sell.

CDN_PATRIOT CDN_PATRIOT:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

People either want SUVs or trucks.

That's a blanket statement. A lot of people still like small to mid-size cars with excellent fuel economy and comfort. I myself won't drive anything but a mid-size car, as I detest SUVs with a passion. I already have owned a truck in the past (Ranger), and thought about another if it wasn't for the fact that I'm done with North American vehicles in favour of European.

My summer car is a Ford Focus. And Europe is a different market than North America. Most European cities were built when horses ruled the transportation field, so not a lot of room for cars. And the population is so much denser too.

It might be a blanket statement, but next time you stop at a light, notice the proportion of your VW and other mid sized cars to the trucks and SUVs stopped there. I have stopped at lights where every single vehicle out of 20 or so was an F-150, except one.

But I need a truck to pull my race cars. If I get rid of them, I will likely still need a truck to maintain my acreage. You just can't haul dirt in a minivan.

CDN_PATRIOT CDN_PATRIOT:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Personally, I detest the idea of a 4 door "Mustang". It should be part of the Focus line.

Add in the fact that Ford is having issues selling any of their new Bronco models (don't even get me started how they ruined it!), and it's no wonder they're having issues right now.

Don't even get me started there. My buddie's dad had Broncos from the late 60s to the 80's. That was a Bronco.