Vroom!

Behold: The Fastest Car in The World That You’ve Never Heard Of

This is an extreme example of the "throttle" response EV drivers get. 

The video of the test run on a track in Germany is remarkable....

Darth Vader Edition

Not mine.

It's a loaner.

The Ford dealership had to keep our Mach E overnight for a sleepover to replace its software brain.

Long story short - a big brain dump.

This is a model year newer and at 0 - 60 in 3.9 seconds still blows the doors off most piston-powered sports cars.

At least off the line.

Black livery has a Darth Vader menacing vibe.  It looks real cool.  It tempts to lure you to the dark side. Nevertheless, having  been down this path early in my life - no f’ing way. 

No black car!

By the time I got home from Green Bay this Mustang was coated in a uniform layer of flyover country dust…..

Squeegee

One of my pals purchased this for me.

A new squeegee.

You're probably thinking:  What the hell for?

It's for the electric sports car in the background.  My Ford Mustang Mach E, Premium AWD, Extended Range, Battery Electric Vehicle.  Because I no longer visit a gas station and clean the glass while filling my tank I now perform this task at home.  Yes, I have to fill a bucket with warm soapy water the scrub the bugs off the glass.

Rated at 346 horsepower and 428 pounds-feet of torque, when you stomp on the gas (a figure of speech) on this blue rocket and accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in 3.9 seconds you squash a lot more bugs.  

This will also come in handy during the winter.

 

Remember The Old Electric Car?

 

In keeping with the electric vehicle theme there is this.

1909 Fritchle Electric Car. 100 miles on one charge. 

Low Price of $2000.

That is the equivalent of $69,000 in 2024 dollars.

Nobody Drives A Green Sports Car

This piece of click bait has been floating around social media.....

I have no solar panels or a wind turbine.

I get my power from the grid like most everyone else - 89% of which in Wisconsin is generated by burning fossil fuels.  I did plant 40,000 trees decades ago; consequently my carbon foot print is likely smaller than most folks.  My conscience is clear.

My daily ride is a Ford Mustang Mach-E. I love the advanced driving technology and performance capabilities. My AWD Premium with extended range battery is rated at 346 hp and 428 pounds-feet of torque.   0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds is likely faster than most folks.

GM’s Corvette E-Ray has a 495 hp mid-engine set-up and an electric motor that sends 160 hp to the front wheels for an unfair advantage of 655 hp and 0-60 in 2.5 seconds.

Luring buyers to an electrified Vette or a racy EV isn’t a green pitch.  Nobody calls these “environmentally friendly” sports cars. They’re purchased because consumers are looking for performance, innovation or value.

A fully electrified Corvette is the next frontier. Porsche has plans to replace their Boxster and Cayman ICE models with EVs next year and Ferrari expects release of its first EV in 2026.

Daniel Pund, editor in-chief of Road & Track magazine, put it best; “many consumers previously drawn to fast, fashionable cars have shifted to luxury sport-utility vehicles or electric vehicles.”

And yes, they're expensive.  Get over it.

Saving The Planet

Earlier this year, and 2200 miles ago, we took delivery of a battery electric vehicle - a BEV.  It is a Ford Mustang Mach-E; a sporty number that is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 in about 3.9 seconds.  If it weren't for all of the driver assist features you could rack-up some serious speeding violations in reasonably short order.  

Hands Free Driving

That aside, my acquisition of this vehicle is not going to save the planet.  Why is that you ask?  It's a consequence of my reliance on the grid.  Without a solar array or wind generator I get my electricity the same way most of my readers do - from the power company.  And the brutal, honest truth is only about 11% of the electricity generated in Wisconsin is from renewable sources.  The remaining 89% is generated by the burning of fossil fuels. 

It should come as no surprise that according to a report issued by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) that this year's most environmentally friendly automobile is the plug-in hybrid electric Toyota Prius Prime SE.  This vehicle can travel up to 44 miles on a battery charge before switching to hybrid mode.  When you factor-in the carbon emissions from both manufacturing and daily operation you have a winning combination.

And while the sale of BEVs continues to rise, the pace of growth has softened a bit as consumer tastes for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) also grows slightly faster.  As a long time shareholder this likely explains the run-up in share value as Toyota Motor has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the popularity of plug-in hybrid vehicles.  (ADR ticker TM).

So, is the EV dead on arrival?  I don't think so.  For a segment of the marketplace such as commuters who want a second vehicle and those who can afford them; an EV remains a solid choice.  Speaking for myself, it is near optimal for local use easily making a round trip to Green Bay, Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Sister Bay.  With a Level Two charger in the attached garage I plug it in before going to bed and it charges overnight during off-peak hours.  As a daily ride an EV is sublime.  Would I drive it to the Gulf Coast to visit the grand kids?  With some planning I could.  Yet the notion is unappealing as the Honda Odyssey minivan is a more practical choice.

Another interesting thing I've learned is that adopters of a battery electric vehicle rarely go back and replace it with an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV).  I suspect that battery technology, and consequently range, will continue to evolve.  The price point will likely also move with the export of mass-produced, lower cost EVs from China.  An unknown factor is Donald Trump.  Demonstrably hostile to electric vehicles if he wins reelection this fall I suspect that the sale of BEVs will suffer.

Meanwhile, the sale of BEV and PHEV units will likely continue to rise as automobile manufacturers seek to improve the fuel efficiency of their fleets.  Ford, Kia and Toyota are going to continue to expand their selection of hybrid options to appeal to consumers who are not quite ready for a fully electric vehicle.  

In conclusion, is an electric vehicle or a hybrid better for the environment and save the planet?  The answer is complicated because battery manufacturing is a dirty business.  There are plenty of carbon inputs in the assembly of both.  And where I live the grid doesn't offer much in the way of renewable energy.  Factors such as range anxiety, personal preference, daily use, attraction to new technology and affordability probably play an outsize role.  I like my Mustang Mach E more than I enjoyed driving the 5.0L fire-breathing Mustang I owned between marriages.  It's a fast and sporty drive and other than my neighbors who drive Chevy Corvettes or race on the local dirt tracks I have one of the fastest rides in my small community and virtually none of the maintenance.  Besides, our family presently owns three additional ICEVs, a 4-wheeler and side-by-side powered by gasoline, a diesel tractor and a boat with a couple of two-cycle motors.

Bottom line, I'm not saving the planet. Big deal; so what.  Now, get off my damn lawn...

Old School Transportation

I've ridden all manner of public transportation over my lifetime - both here and abroad.  On our road trip MATA (Memphis Area Transit Authority) served-up a real treat.  

Old school vintage trolley cars.

Some background first.  The Memphis Street Railway was created in 1895 as a consequence of the merger of three other smaller rail systems.  Albert Billings of Chicago, bought the company for over $2,000,000, placed electric power on the roads and the company became a great success.  In its heyday the interurban operated nearly 77 miles of track - most of it double-track.  Memphis, then only 44 square miles, could be traversed easily with frequent service to within blocks of any corner in the city.  Fares included a free transfer.

Similar to the evolution of urban transit in other cities streetcars were phased-out in 1947 to be replaced with electric trolleybuses (trackless trolleys).  By 1960 diesel buses displaced the trackless trolleys and in 1961 the transit authority became publicly-owned.   

Fast-forward to modern times.  

Originally proposed as a line along the Mississippi Riverfront the Memphis City Council voted in January 1990 to build the 2.5-mile $33 million Main Street route.  Construction commenced in 1991 however longer-than-anticipated restoration of the vintage streetcars delayed the opening of the line until spring 1993.  The MATA trolley network nowadays operates three routes (Madison Avenue Line, Riverfront Loop and Main Street Line) on ten miles of track.  

If you're a tourist like me a $2 daily fare includes unlimited transfers and easy access to midtown Memphis.  The Riverfront loop allows you to take-in some spectacular Mississippi views.

About the vintage trolleys.

Just about all of the trolleys in use are restored, vintage streetcars.  The first three cars placed in operation were from Porto, Portugal and are Car 187, circa 1927; Car 194, circa 1935; and Car 204, circa 1940. The cars were restored by Memphis company Kerns-Wilcheck Associates with three additional ex-Porto cars (156, 164 and 180) joining the fleet.  

These trolleys are replete with varnished wood, polished brass and pneumatic controls operated by compressed air right down to the bells and whistles.

The fleet has expanded over the years with reconditioned care sourced from as far as Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Melbourne, Australia. Milwaukee may have The Hop but the Memphis trolleys have real class.  

Memphis wears this style well for a thoughtfully redeveloped old school entertainment district.

 

Carbon Neutral

Admittedly, this is classic, juvenile, 6th grade boy, bathroom humor - but it is funny.  And you know me, I'm all about living sustainably in a carbon-neutral world.....

 

Milestone

In keeping with our family tradition of driving our vehicles until the wheels fall-off the Honda CRV is now a centenarian.

Take it in Trade?

 click on the inage to enlarge

Jill and I encountered this along the side of the road near Institute over the weekend.  A 1978 Volkswagen Westfalia model campmobile.  This bus is similar to the 1969 that I drove for a number of years but it sports fuel injection and hydraulic lifters.

I spoke with the seller and asked if he'd be interested in doing a swap - and taking a 1968 Pontiac LeMans convertible in exchange.  We're both in the same price range - although he's a bit on the low side.  If I had to hazard a guess the German-built boxer motor at 93,000 miles is tired and could probably use a rebuild.

I haven't heard back from him.

Sure would like to scratch the VW itch again... 

Electric Autonomy

With each trip to Paris I am reminded of the ubiquitous personal electric vehicle.

And it’s not limited to just these Autolib' self-service electric cars.  Improved motor and battery technologies along with stronger lightweight composite materials have resulted in everything from personal single wheel Segways, skateboards, scooters, bicycles and full-size buses.

The technology of electric transportation continues to advance by leaps and bounds and if you tie-it-in with the futuristic plans for the Ubers and Lyfts to bring safe, autonomous ride services to market – like me you’ll probably begin to marvel of the possibilities of no longer needing an automobile powered with an internal combustion engine.

Of course, there are the obvious obstacles such as our existing transportation infrastructure, the wide-open spaces of the US and consumer tastes – but for densely-populated urban centers like Paris the notion isn’t as far-fetched as you might think.

Stay tuned.  

In the meantime you can learn more about Autolib' here.

Train à Grande Vitesse

Shortened to TGV translates as:  "high-speed train" - is France's high speed rail service with the national rail operator SNCF - Société nationale des chemins de fer français (French National Railway Company).

Conceived in the 1970s - today the TGV holds the world speed record for conventional railway trains - reaching 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph).

Nowadays, SNCF transports more than 100 million passengers per year.  In 2010 SNCF was ranked 214th globally on the Fortune Global 500 list.  It is the main business of the SNCF group and in 2014 employed 245,763 people and had €27.2 billion of sales in 120 countries.

Last week Braumeister and our wives rode the TGV from Paris to Reims (and back). Brau estimated the speed at around 110 MPH (give or take).  My guess is closer to 200 mph.  Smooth ride too...