Don’t need high beltlines and thick A, B, and C pillars. Cars are safe enough and the law of diminishing returns has kicked in. At some point, excellent outward visibility is as important as rollover roof crush standards, etc.

Is there charging at work? If so, you could do a bulk of your miles on electric power.

Perfect for this. Also, if there is a 120V outlet in good shape at the lakehouse, you can easily charge there with the charging cord that comes with the Jeep.

This.

Then a plug-in hybrid is for times like this. It’s didn’t get much attention, but CARB’s recent update to the ZEV mandate allows for 20% plug-in hybrids, as long as they are “strong” and have a 50 mile range.

Strong plug-in hybrids have big electric motors and basically function like a battery-electric, including…

This. “Charge where you park.” Exactly this. And cars sit parked 20+ hours/day (not all, obviously).

Started restoring a speedometer assembly from a 1947 Willys “Stordor” van:

This. 

Water fording? What about rain showers?

Companies were tempted to go SPAC. It’s an easy way to go public... until said company needs to actually do something.

That may be true. Also the financial incentives for the utilities to build out the supporting infrastructure are likely different for the provincial-owned utilities in Canada and the investor-owned ones in the U.S. There are big incentives (and patient capital) in the U.S.

Exactly this.

Counterpoint from that liberal greenie mag called Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2022/08/01/electric-car-batteries-lasting-longer-than-predicted-delays-recycling-programs/amp/

Uh, San Francisco resident here. Car theft is very low. Car break-ins however are extremely high.* Wise car drivers leave nothing on the inside while parked. Not charging cables. Not Kleenex box. Nothing. The standard MO is for the thieves to pull up in a car with fake paper plates, hop out, scan the car, and break…

The Senate Bill also includes a subdivision “requiring the commissioner [of motor vehicles] to issue regulations for vehicles over 3,000 pounds to limit blind spots and establish standards regarding direct visibility of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users from the driver’s position, by reducing to…

This. So. Much. This.

So rollover standards increase, meaning A, B, and C pillars get bigger.

Yeah, and it’s been interesting on a few product launches over the past few years (e.g. Ford Escape, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Grand Wagoneer), that the marketing materials touts bigger windows/better outward visibility. The Chevy Camaro is still available for those who prefer the cocoon-effect.

1st: People died and that is horrific. However, this is how we end up with A, B, and C pillars the size of utility poles and beltlines up to our eyebrows. In the current standards, there doesn’t seem to be a sanity check on crash standards versus (the lack of) outward visibility/blind spots.

You’re right about the poor fuel economy. Isn’t Jeep going to announce specifics of the PHEV versions of this later this summer?