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The Torsus Praetorian happens to be the latest creation of the heavy duty utility automaker. It’s an off-road bus capable of holding 35 people. Additionally, it can also handle a 33 degree incline and sift through seas of three feet in depth. This bus really is an impressive entry from Torsus. Being that the vehicle is most suitable for the end times. Answers are likely to lead to rugged trucks or surly SUVs. But in this case, the Torsus can handle a lot. This, for instance, is thanks to the heavy-duty MAN chassis. As well as the four-wheel drive. And who could forget about the six-cylinder engine? It’s engine-ous!

This Torsus vehicle is strong enough to haul folks through rough and tough environments. The Praetorian utilizes a 6.9 liter MAN D08 turbodiesel engine. With that type of strength in haul, there’s an ability to operate off of 286 horsepower and 849 pound-feet of torque. Combo that with a nine-speed ZF automatic transmission. Additionally, it’ll operate in rear-drive mode. Where the front-axle is capable enough to be engaged. Not to mention there are front differential locks. In which it restricts the front wheels’ steering angle. Torsus is claiming a 32 degree approach angle will work pretty well. With only 13.4 inches to be the minimum in ground clearance. Therefore, the maximum possible weight.

Torsus happens to be very happy with the Praetorian’s own A/C unit. It has even been testing well in environments such as the desert and the forest. It’s been on sale since 2018, and yet newer innovations in 2021 show off LED lighting. While also showing a power-operated door that incorporates pneumatic footsteps. The design of the Praetorian is seen as a vehicle destined for industrial and military usage. However you may feel about that, it’s looking like a pretty solid vehicle for the people to me.

When it comes to allowing the American people to pave their way across the USA, Ford knows how to do it best. And what happens to be the best way? In this case, Ford is doing the world right by allowing for a hands-free approach, literally, to be taken for autonomous driving. Let me explain. Ford has just announced BlueCruise. This is a hands-free highway navigational software that while bearing similarities to Tesla, could very well be better. The latest system in Ford’s EV take over is likely to be an optional, but suggestible over-the-air software update.

In recent findings, the Ford Mustang Mach-E had already come with the Ford Co-Pilot360. But with this hands-free update, the automaker is taking autonomy to the next level. They have made comparisons to Tesla Autopilot, “but with the advantage of offering a true hands-free driving experience while in Hands-Free Mode.” This is to say that BlueCruise is an SAE Level 2 driver-assist technology that won’t require the driver’s hands to stay in contact. Lest, the vehicle alerts the driver to do so. Besides other approaches, one other competitor being General Motors and their Super Cruise, BlueCruise allows the driver to be communicated with in a myriad of manners. For instance, there is text and blue lighting cues. The latter, being highly effective with those cursed with color blindness.

Ford has BlueCruise doing a copy-cat of Tesla Autopilot. In specific, with lane centering as well as adaptive cruise control. Ford does give off a hands-free driving experience “on prequalified sections of divided highways called Hands-Free Blue Zones.” BlueCruise allows there to be a driver-facing camera in order to monitor attention upon the roads ahead, in order to keep driving hands-free.

You can expect to see this hands-free software be a part of Mustang Mach-E and Ford F150 models later on through the year and over-the-air updates. So long as it is not electric, the fight still is not over.

Consumer electronics company Xiaomi Communications Co. appears to be the latest manufacturer entering the electric mobility race. The Beijing-based company is reportedly making plans to create Xiaomi brand EVs. The company will utilize a Chinese manufacturing facility owned by Great Wall Motors.

As it currently sits, Xiaomi is an electronics company based on an Internet of Things (IoT) platform. The manufacturer currently makes smartphones, mobile apps, laptops, home appliances, and even scooters. In recent years, however, the company has lost its leaderboard status for smartphone sales in China. Looking forward, it seeks new outlets to maintain its status as an international manufacturer.

In a report from Reuters, three people with direct knowledge of the matter have confirmed Xiaomi’s plans to make EVs. The Xiaomi branded EVs will be aimed at the mass market. This is a similar approach to the positioning of its current electronics products.

Furthermore, one person told Reuters that Great Wall Motors will offer consulting for the engineering process to speed up the project. That is in addition to offering manufacturing services to Xiaomi, a reported first for Great Wall.

Xiaomi EVs, brought to you by Great Wall Motors

Great Wall Motors is an established Chinese automaker and the largest provider of SUVs and pickup trucks in the country. While the manufacturer has over thirty years of auto making experience, it has just recently ventured into EVs.

In 2018, it unveiled the ORA R1, calling it one of the most affordable electric vehicles available. Then in 2019, Great Wall announced a partnership with BMW to produce electric Minis. Not much further electrification has taken place at Great Wall Motors since then, so a partnership with Xiaomi and its resources could make sense.

This move comes at a time when the line between tech conglomerates and auto manufacturers grows thinner, especially as EVs become connected IoT devices and rely more and more on software and electronics to properly function. Companies like Sony have already unveiled a concept EV, and a vehicle from Apple has long been rumored.

So far, neither Xiaomi nor Great Wall has confirmed any plans to make EVs together, although, one person close to the matter told Reuters that both companies could make official announcements as early as next week.

Canoo is an electric vehicle startup that certainly is getting creative with their pickup trucks. The vehicle itself has a cab-forward design placing the driver over the front wheels entirely. The Canoo has a flat front like a van does. There’s also way more room for cargo bed space without making the truck any larger. The Canoo truck is also 184 inches. Which is only a little bit longer than any Toyota Corolla. Not to mention it happens to be way shorter than the Tesla Cybertruck. The bed itself is about six inches shorter. The Canoo also has a cargo bed that can just slide out, with two feet in length to boot. The Canoo also has a snub-nosed body shape that is similar to trucks from the 1950s and 1960s.

When other similar models come to mind, we’re likely to think of the General Motors’ Corvair pickup, the Volkswagen Type 2 pickup or the Jeep Forward Control truck. Without the engine taking up so much space, there happens to be more space inside the truck, without the cargo bed. There’s also additional storage for the front undeneath the cab. The door happens to be able to fold down from the front with a capability as a work table. Similar to how people would usually use pickup tailgates.

Canoo and their pickup also are able to fold down the sides of the cargo bed for even simpler access.

The doors themselves can be usable as workbenches. Canoo is thinking the truck will make for upwards of 600 horsepower, while also giving off 550 pound feet of torque from two electric motors, which tends to be way more than a V8 Ford F-150. Canoo still plans to develop a joint effort for a new engineering platform alongside Hyundai Motor Company. Canoo has just recently gone through an SPAC merging. Which is rather fortunate for them.

This time of year, it’s long been something of a clarion call among truckers to their fellow drivers to work together to help prevent the kinds of pileups. While truckers can’t control the behavior of the four-wheelers around them, plenty drivers note, better hive-mind situational awareness could play a big part in reducing the severity of wrecks. That awareness is often based on timely info sharing obtained via one particularly hyper-local communication tool most have on board the truck.

““I was yelling on the radio … just before it took place telling you all to spread out because you have a broken-down semi on the shoulder and traffic is coming to a stop,” LeVan wrote in something of a message to his fellow drivers at the time. His CB warning got nary a response in the moment as he passed by. “Get with the program, drivers. There is no excuse for you not to have a CB.”

Among the “once in a while” respondents were a significant percentage of respondents (8 percent overall) who reported sharing road information but rarely hearing a response or reports from other drivers, perhaps more evidence of decline in CB use.

Reader Kenneth Williams has noted he believes “the biggest difference from the old days and now with a CB is in the 1970s there were fewer trucks on the road. And no way to just call for help if you needed help. Even pay phones were only in towns. As a trucker you were on your own, except for other truck drivers. So you made a lot of friends on the road.”

It’s been and remains in some respects an integral part of the the culture of the highway, from the days of impromptu meet-ups at truck stops (“CB coffee breaks,” by some accounts) and other parking lot gatherings to real friendships forged over the airwaves. This tool contributed mightily to quality of life for many.   

Along the way, Crawford tells the story of how he got his CB handle. (According to Crawford, like a good nickname, a CB handle meant to last is rarely something you give yourself.) It involves a wild horse named “Norman” from his days on a Colorado ranch decades ago. 

As for the present, too many seem to think that the CB is little more than a “prop from a silly movie from the 1970s,” Williams added. For the sake of safety, for camaraderie among drivers, among other things, he said, “truckers need to take back your lives and get rid of the negative talk on the CB. And when you stop at the truck stop, go meet your fellow drivers and make friends. I will see you out there.”

General Motors did the impossible! The unthinkable! The inconceivable! The absolutely best thing you can do as an automaker! Generate parts ahead of time with 3D Print software! By artificially recreating the parts necessary to showoff a prototype, GM essentially has come up with a genius replica of their Corvette C8!

3D Print technology is nothing new. Every day, it’s becoming more and more popular, with it’s relevance becoming more and more common. With that said, it’s a high likelihood that they’ll be the norm before long. The parts for the car in question have undergone a 3D Print process that in turn is also training robots ahead of time while working the assembly line. It’s quite genius actually!

But what’s the 3D Print story here with GM?

Beforehand, GM had been using 3D Print technology to develop new vehicles like the Corvette. But when the pandemic started getting bad, face shields were the only things in the way of a staff destined to get it done. That’s the spirit! Kevin Quinn, the Director of Additive Design and Manufacturing, believes that the only way people at work will work is if they’re comfortably safe enough to work with face shields. 3D Print technology is really the forefront of the future.

With that said, the mid-engine Corvette C8 had been built to be seen. It was nonoperational but still pretty cool considering that 75% of the parts have been made with this tech.

Sensors for these vehicles with driver assistance features are aiming towards the right mindset.

The team at work not only uses the parts to fit them in a road-ready vehicle, but they also do all they can to make the production line ready to build that vehicle.

GM has two facilities that they continue developing this technology at.

If you didn’t know any better, then you would be driving with gas, eating with gas, and passing with gas. That said, gas is slowly guzzling the Earth dry. And with that said, the Earth is guzzling away the obsession we’ve had with gas. Electric Vehicles – ever heard of them? – are taking over the transportation sector of the World in ways previously thought impossible. But believe it. EV culture is most likely here to stay. This is evident in a surge of companies in EV space getting major deals. Special-purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, are known full well as “blank check shell corporations with the intent to merge private companies together with the hopes of allowing for public trade without experiencing the traditional and complicated IPO process.

This strategy as it is can be witnessed as less prestigious than typical IPOs. Much worse than that, it’s even shadier. IPOs are historically comapnies in the early stages that have no real chance of survival than to take on a deal offered by the SPAC in question. Lately, in EV areas, Fisker, Nikola Motors and Lordstown Motors have gone through that route over 2020 alone in such crazy strides that many would probably find impossible. Lately, larger names and more experienced companies have been taking on SPAC deals as well. Companies like QuantumScape, Lion Electric and Arrival especially.

Which Two EV Companies Are Just Now Making The Leap?

Lucid and Proterra.

In Proterra’s case, they’ve been able to work out a SPAC deal with ArcLight Clean Transition Corporation. That deal is pretty intense with $415 million in PIPE Investments led by Daimler Trucks as well as Franklin Templeton. There are a couple of other companies in the deal that are trying to cash in on zero-emission buses, but I feel like the one running Funds and Accounts are all you need to notice. (P.S.: It’s BlackRock.)

With Lucid, these EV geniuses are going in at a value of $15 billion. The company hasn’t been able to deliver a vehicle yet but they did show the production version of the Air just last year, while alos completing construction of a new factory. So that’s cool, right?

Honda has filed three recalls with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this past week. The recalls cover just over 1.2 million cars.

Honda Recalls Vehicles For Various Issues

Honda will recall cars for failing power window switches that can lead to fires. In addition, to faulty body control modules and corroding driveshafts that may fail. This is according to the three separate filings.

Numerous vehicles are affected and there are three recalls. The first covers the 2002-06 Honda CR-V. The SUVs may feature failing power window switches. This is due to moisture entering the area of the SUV. If the wires dampen, they may melt or totally fail. As a result, there’s a chance of an interior fire. In fact, as of this past November, Honda said it’s aware of 23 reported fires. Moreover, there 87 other “incidents of thermal events” connected to the issue. 

Honda Service Centers

CR-V owners will need to bring their vehicles to a Honda service center. There the technician will inspect the wiring harness for damage. Then replace the master power window switch at no cost to owners. The company said there are a total of 268,655 SUVs may be at risk. On January 18th, mailed notices should be sent out.

Honda Accord, Hybrid and Insight

The 2018-2020 Accord, Accord Hybrid and the 2019-2020 Insight have recalls tackling the body control module failures. A host of vehicle malfunctions can occur due to a BCM software program. Drivers of the three cars may experience window wipers that don’t work. Also broken defrosters. As well as inoperable rearview cameras and exterior lights that won’t flick on. A software update for the cars is the fix. 713,233 cars were estimated by Honda that includes the defect and plans to send out notices went out on January 18th.

Corroded Driveshaft

The recalls include 210,000-car recall which consist of the 2013-2015 Acura ILX and ILX Hybrid, 2012 Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Fit.

Where road salt or other contaminants may corrode the driveshaft and cause them to fail. This is related to specific vehicles that reside in those states.

General Motors says it has changed its position to back the Trump administration’s fight to force California along with 12 other states. They will comply with the less stringent fuel-efficiency standards Trump’s EPA put into place in 2018. This would be for 2022 to 2025. It’s reported this move signals that GM expects President-elect Joe Biden to take a much different stance on emissions regulations. This will occur once Joe Biden’s presidency begins in January.

General Motors Hopes for a Way to Collaborate to Deliver an All-Electric Future

“We believe the ambitious electrification goals of the president-elect, California, and General Motors. They are connected together to address climate change by significantly reducing automobile emissions,” said Mary Barra. Barra reiterated this in a letter to environmental groups. Mary Barra is the GM CEO.

“We are positive that the Biden administration, California, and the U.S. auto industry, that support 10.3 million jobs, can as a result in collaboratively finding the pathway that will deliver an all-electric future.”

EPA Finds it Interesting the Changing Stances of Corporations

Moreover, other entities across the industry have had something to say about GM’s decision. Reportedly, the EPA only said it’s interesting to see the changing stances of corporations. Joe Biden said in a statement that it’s encouraging news to hear that GM will be working with his administration.

In fact, it’s a promising path forward on how industry, labor, government and environmental organizations can come together to tackle big problems. Then make vital progress on behalf of the American people, Biden said in a statement. It’s very important that GM has chosen to work with the Biden-Harris administration and California to advance these goals.

GM’s rival, Ford, is backing California and has done so since the beginning. Jim Farley, the new CEO, has commented on the decision on Twitter. He applauds GM for reversing the course on this critical issue. Farley said he is proud Bill Ford and Ford stood tall for environmental progress from the start putting principles over politics.

Firstly, or rather, fourthly, Germany sped into October with electric vehicles to boast back home about. Over 17.5% of their auto sales are absolutely seen as plugin electric vehicles. Talk about a blitzkrieg bop! This transition from the minor 3% share from the dismal yesteryead of 2019 defies damn near every expectation just about at the velocity of non-conformity.

To give this some context, let’s rewind back to value the importance of Germany and their win. Back in October 2019, this was coming in hot at a near-frightening 4.1% plugin as far as market shares are concerned.

BNEF, the most stubborn of all the auto industry psychics, had collectively thought that 6 months ago, Europe see only 3.75% of it’s original market share in 2020.

When in reality, Germany is the largest regional auto market in Europe.

And it’s not like the UK and the French are slacking behind or anything.

It’s just that the former predictions being 3.75% felt so ding-dang delusional from the current material.

So what does this mean for how Germany did with their electric vehicles this past month? For example, 17.5% of the share is actually made of 8.4% pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs) – dig that acronym – as well as the 9.1% plugin hybrids (PHEVs). Not to get too nerdy or anything, but you did ask in your mind.

Furthermore, BEV models that are worth to get excited over include the Renault ZOE. This modern marvel is shattering the record books with an amazing amount of sales. (At least 5,014 units, from 22% of the BEVs of Germany.) Year-to-date? In Germany, over 20,000 ZOEs have been sold. And plenty more, for sure.

I guess what I’m really trying to say is that Germany has it figured out, if they’re the fourth in the world. That means that they’re playing the long game. They’re choosing to mess up now and clean up immediately. So as to not raise a cautious eyebrow when really they can only come up with happy accidents. Or as they would say: Glückliche Unfälle!