It's another electric-only episode of Rambling About Cars as Bruce and Smith welcome special guest Kyle Conner. You've likely seen Kyle's content at InsideEVs; he's been driving all kinds of electric cars in recent months, and he joins the ramble with some interesting hot takes to dish out.
Before getting to those cars, there's some significant EV-related news to discuss. Ford made waves by announcing a split into two divisions: Ford Model e and Ford Blue. In essence, this divides the company's operations into electric vehicles and internal combustion vehicles. Though separate, both divisions still exist under a unified Ford, thus quelling rumors about an all-new EV-focused Ford company. Stellantis also shared plans for the future in an initiative called Dare Forward 2030, in which 100 percent of its passenger vehicles in Europe and 50 percent in the United States will be electric only.
Not to be outdone, Rivian announced new dual-motor options and smaller batteries for its R1T and R1S models. However, that was overshadowed by a significant price increase for the quad-motor models, and not just on new orders. The EV startup ruffled some feathers by saying the increase also applied to reservation holders, but just hours after Bruce, Smith, and Conner's tirade about the decision, Rivian backtracked on pricing. Apparently, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe taps the Rambling About Cars recording feed to get our automotive advice before the rest of the world does. We're okay with that.
Gallery: Rivian R1T
With news out of the way, Conner regales the Chris's with his recent EV experiences. He's currently driving a Mercedes-Benz EQS which he loves to drive but hates to look at. Other recent EV experiences include the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Volkswagen ID.4, an electric truck prototype with Magna tech, and he also enjoyed massive powerslides in an older Tesla Model S prototype on a snowy test track in Upper Michigan.
Big skids in an older prototype 3 motor Model S - thanks for filming @mrkylefield pic.twitter.com/II1Px2uJ20
— Kyle Conner (@itskyleconner) February 16, 2022
Speaking of snow, Conner offers a deep dive into just how well electric cars work in cold temperatures. Do you really lose half your range as some suggest? Not at all. But with years of experience driving EVs in all conditions, he does offer some surprising insight into cold-weather charging.
Would you drive an electric car through winter? Would you drive an electric car at all? What do you think about all the fake sounds automakers are trying to push with EVs? You know the drill – drop a comment below, comment on our YouTube video, or send an email to podcast@motor1.com. We are always listening and we love to respond.
Rambling About Cars Preview
Speaking of comments and responding, Bruce and Smith are rambling without a guest next week! It's time for some old-school chat with off-the-rails fun, cheap car challenges, and we want you to be a part of it. Got a challenge in mind? Got something you absolutely need to talk about? Send us your ideas, your topics, or heck, send us your preferred cheap car champion. We'll incorporate it into the show.
Where To Listen
In addition to our YouTube channel, you can still catch us on your favorite streaming audio channel every Friday as always. You'll find Rambling About Cars on every major podcast platform including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Please like, follow, and comment because it exposes the show to more car crazy enthusiasts. And the more enthusiasts that join us on this automotive odyssey, the better.
