Americans and their SUVs: encounter with a Rivian driver.

[Cosmo Cruz]

I was charging next to a Rivian; first one I've seen . The driver asked me how I liked my Lucid. I never know how to answer, because I know it's just an opening to talk about their monster truck. He told me it was 7000 lbs. He told me it raises 9 inches and can traverse a meter of water. He told me it gets to 60 mph in 3 seconds and has 4 motors. He told me he never has and has no intention of going off road. He told me he doesn't have a home charger. He was saying something about choice in SUVs and I mentioned the Gravity with the caveat that it's HUGE. That's when he told me about the mass of his monster truck, and I ducked my head around the charger to see all of it. It's big. I guess if you and an entire oil well crew were traversing a roadless Louisianan swamp to get to work we'd need a vehicle like that (irony?). Are they were drilling for oil along the Philadelphia Main Line ? Wait, maybe he and 7 construction workers are building windfarms along the Brandywine River ... which floods about every three decades or so, so you might need 3 feet of freeboard that will get a construction crew to the job site and drag race the other trucks on lunch break. What is he doing with a vehicle like that?

Buying more and larger things is the capitalist solution to a meaningless life. We can leave all our crap for our children to clean-up...at least cleaning up our mess will give their lives meaning. That's my conclusion from the

When my father died we had to go thru 78 years of crap. When my son died we only had to go thru 40 years of crap. I'm at the traveling age (river cruses, etc.). It happens that our traveling companions are widows, with 4-bedroom colonial houses full of crap. Crap crap crap. We should start getting rid of the crap as soon as possible because we could die any second now. Believe me, it's not meaningful or fun to have to dispose of dead people's crap. We thought a ten yard dumpster would do to get rid of my son's crap. They sent us a 40 yard and we filled it with crap and had to order another. How do we expect to get to heaven, with all this crap weighing us down?

"The island of the tonal has to be swept clean and maintained clean. That's the only alternative that a warrior has. A clean island offers no resistance. It is as if there were nothing there."​

“All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. ... Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn't. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you.”​

I guess the Rivian driver was on his joyful path. Why could I not comprehend his 7000 pound joy ? What is wrong with me?

"Don't worry, be happy."

 

[Amster]

Cosmo, are you okay?

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

COP 28



From Wikipedia: "Bangladesh is predominantly rich fertile flat land. Most of it is less than 12 m (39 ft) above sea level, and it is estimated that about 10% of its land would be flooded if the sea level were to rise by 1 m (3.3 ft)
Rivian did their research. Three feet it is.

Rivians for every Bangladeshi ! If my hut was flooded and my crops drowned, I'd do whatever it takes to migrate.

how much oil does it take to make Earth ice - free ?

 

[EVTime]

Well that took an unexpected turn. Can't say I disagree though.

 

[Steveinarizona]

The Rivian is large. IMO the interior is also pretty barren looking.

I am also bothered by the continual increase in size of vehicles. When reviewing cars, Motor Trend even puts down size (meaning larger) as a "pro". To me, that would be a "con". We don't need such large vehicles. I come from the BMW world. A 2024 5 series is approximately the same size as a 2010 7 series!

 

[joec]

I gave up trying to argue with people decades ago. They kept telling me how their giant Escalades were “safer” and I kept telling them to go to the library and brush up on their basic physics.

That ship has sailed, unfortunately. My only hope is that advances in battery tech eventually make EVs lighter in general.

 

[xponents]

COP 28



From Wikipedia: "Bangladesh is predominantly rich fertile flat land. Most of it is less than 12 m (39 ft) above sea level, and it is estimated that about 10% of its land would be flooded if the sea level were to rise by 1 m (3.3 ft)
Rivian did their research. Three feet it is.

Rivians for every Bangladeshi ! If my hut was flooded and my crops drowned, I'd do whatever it takes to migrate.

how much oil does it take to make Earth ice - free ?

I'm confused

I gave up trying to argue with people decades ago. They kept telling me how their giant Escalades were “safer” and I kept telling them to go to the library and brush up on their basic physics.

That ship has sailed, unfortunately. My only hope is that advances in battery tech eventually make EVs lighter in general.

Exactly, right? Just because its bigger doesnt mean its safer, it means you are sitting in more weight which will make it less affected. There is a very important distinction between less affected and safer.

 

[hmp10]

Good grief. How did I miss this thread when it first started?

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

Cosmo, are you okay?

At a preK across the road a mother in an Escalade dropped off her toddler and then backed over him.

I guess I've never gotten over it.

 

[Steveinarizona]

That ship has sailed, unfortunately.

Nice pun!

 

[xponents]

Nice pun!

The only boats in the car industry are full size SUVs and Dodge Challengers, since you need a naval license for both.

 

[victoryroad]

Look Cos, people are very subjective about cars, and trucks, and if the market demands enormous trucks for local grocery shopping or Home Depot runs that is what manufacturers will make. Although true throughout the country, in Colorado there are many double-wide diesels with extremely loud exhausts as well as oversized pickup trucks mostly Ford or Ram with tricked-out oversized wheels. Some appear to be work vehicles but most are probably not. To each his or her own.

I could not agree more that we do not need much of what we may have accumulated. As a young person, I had large homes with two-acre lots that were great for my three sons. As they went on their way I found that a maintenance-free one-floor condo on Boston Harbor was more than fine, as well as being 20 minutes from Logan Airport. My continued indulgence has been cars and the Air GT perfectly meets my needs for driving excellence, safety, design, and space. I no longer do closed-circuit driving so the AGT is all that I need.

 

[Amster]

I'm confused

Exactly, right? Just because its bigger doesnt mean its safer, it means you are sitting in more weight which will make it less affected. There is a very important distinction between less affected and safer.

For a year or two, way back before giant SUVs became popular, I drove around San Diego in a MG Midget. I could be wrong, but I think it's the tiniest car ever produced. But it was bult really solid, at least the outer surfaces and bumpers. I was rear ended in it by a much larger vehicle and had no injuries at all, didn't even have car damage.

 

[xponents]

For a year or two, way back before giant SUVs became popular, I drove around San Diego in a MG Midget. I could be wrong, but I think it's the tiniest car ever produced. But it was bult really solid, at least the outer surfaces and bumpers. I was rear ended in it by a much larger vehicle and had no injuries at all, didn't even have car damage.

As @CraZ8 will tell you, it is not even close to the tiniest car produced! Then again, that depends on the definition of a car..

And I completely agree with you. The weight of a car does not matter as much as the actual safety of it does, although it plays a factor. Even then though, a Hummer EV hitting a Miata would have terrible consequences. What car were you rear ended by, if you can remember?

 

[Amster]

As @CraZ8 will tell you, it is not even close to the tiniest car produced! Then again, that depends on the definition of a car.. View attachment 18279

And I completely agree with you. The weight of a car does not matter as much as the actual safety of it does, although it plays a factor. Even then though, a Hummer EV hitting a Miata would have terrible consequences. What car were you rear ended by, if you can remember?

Is that a street/freeway legal car? It doesn't look like it. I don't remember what it was, this happened over 40 years ago. All I remember is driving away from the accident while the cops were having the other driver walk a straight line and doing other DUI tests that he didn't look happy about.

 

[hmp10]

Look Cos, people are very subjective about cars, and trucks, and if the market demands enormous trucks for local grocery shopping or Home Depot runs that is what manufacturers will make. Although true throughout the country, in Colorado there are many double-wide diesels with extremely loud exhausts as well as oversized pickup trucks mostly Ford or Ram with tricked-out oversized wheels. Some appear to be work vehicles but most are probably not. To each his or her own.

EPA regulations actually encourage building ever-larger SUVs and pickup trucks:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-emissions-suvs-size-explainer-idUSKBN21D1KK/

As SUVs and pickup trucks continue to grow in size, we are finding it harder and harder to navigate through and park in lots that had spaces marked out even a few years ago. I used to seek travel lanes where the view was not blocked by commercial trucks or trailers. Now I am confronted with the near-impossible task of finding lanes that are not occupied by standard pickups and SUVs, as they block the view so far ahead. We see more and more driveways filled with SUVs and pickups that will not fit into the houses' garages.

We were leaving a restaurant a couple of weeks back that had a Dodge Ram pickup parked right in front of the exit doors. As we passed by it, I noticed its hood was at the shoulder height of my 6'1" companion. It would not be possible to clean the windshield of that truck without using a step ladder. These monster hoods are actually causing an increase in the number of people, especially children, killed because forward vision is blocked so far ahead of the vehicle:

America's cars and trucks are getting bigger, and so are their blind zones. Kids are paying the price.

Every year, many kids get hit and die when their parents can’t see them in their front blind zones. A senator wants to pass a law requiring safety features to prevent these accidents.

www.nbcnews.com

I've filled up two carts to overflowing more than once at Costco and my local grocery store. I have never needed a vehicle approaching the size of an Escalade or a Ford 150 to get my stockpile home. And I've never bought anything at Home Depot or Lowe's that would fit in a gargantuan SUV but would not fit in my considerably less massive Honda minivan.

 

[Amster]

At a preK across the road a mother in an Escalade dropped off her toddler and then backed over him.

I guess I've never gotten over it.

That's just so awful. I can't imagine watching that. I'd bet that the mother never got over it either.

 

[stratus]

Good grief. How did I miss this thread when it first started?

I just noticed it too; better late than never.

 

[Steveinarizona]

EPA regulations actually encourage building ever-larger SUVs and pickup trucks:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-emissions-suvs-size-explainer-idUSKBN21D1KK/

As SUVs and pickup trucks continue to grow in size, we are finding it harder and harder to navigate through and park in lots that had spaces marked out even a few years ago. I used to seek travel lanes where the view was not blocked by commercial trucks or trailers. Now I am confronted with the near-impossible task of finding lanes that are not occupied by standard pickups and SUVs, as they block the view so far ahead. We see more and more driveways filled with SUVs and pickups that will not fit into the houses' garages.

We were leaving a restaurant a couple of weeks back that had a Dodge Ram pickup parked right in front of the exit doors. As we passed by it, I noticed its hood was at the shoulder height of my 6'1" companion. It would not be possible to clean the windshield of that truck without using a step ladder. These monster hoods are actually causing an increase in the number of people, especially children, killed because forward vision is blocked so far ahead of the vehicle:

America's cars and trucks are getting bigger, and so are their blind zones. Kids are paying the price.

Every year, many kids get hit and die when their parents can’t see them in their front blind zones. A senator wants to pass a law requiring safety features to prevent these accidents.

www.nbcnews.com

I've filled up two carts to overflowing more than once at Costco and my local grocery store. I have never needed a vehicle approaching the size of an Escalade or a Ford 150 to get my stockpile home. And I've never bought anything at Home Depot or Lowe's that would fit in a gargantuan SUV but would not fit in my considerably less massive Honda minivan.

Unfortunately, I agree. And it is not only customers. Manufacturers keep increasing the size of its vehicles. So a compact car today is the same size as a mid size car from twenty years ago (E.g., a BMW 5 series car in 2003 was 188" X 71" while a 3 series car in 2023 is 186" X 72"). As Howard Beale said: "I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore".

 

[hmp10]

Unfortunately, I agree. And it is not only customers. Manufacturers keep increasing the size of its vehicles. So a compact car today is the same size as a mid size car from twenty years ago (E.g., a BMW 5 series car in 2003 was 188" X 71" while a 3 series car in 2023 is 186" X 72"). As Howard Beale said: "I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore".

The new BMW i5 is larger than the 7 Series BMW of the Chris Bangle era and, despite being an EV, has a smaller interior cabin. It leaves me wondering whether the profusion of gargantuan SUVs and pickups is not influencing the size of sedans. As it's the exteriors growing more than the interiors of some of these cars, it doesn't seem to be about engineering more cabin space for passengers but about creating more visual road presence.

One of the things most unique about Lucid's approach to automotive engineering is its focus on efficient packaging and cabin space. I still seldom climb into our Air without thinking about how roomy it is compared to the Tesla Model S of almost identical exterior dimensions sitting next to it in our garage. I can't wait to park a new Gravity next to our Honda Odyssey minivan to get a read on that situation.