While he didn’t uncover any truths to the legend of Bigfoot while spending a week driving around in the reimagined Bronco 4×4 with the optional Sasquatch Package, Tech Talk host Rick DeMeis did discover that Ford has created a fitting challenge to mainstream deep off-road competitors. Not only does this utility vehicle look the part with its front steel bash plates and black roof rails with crossbars, but it delivers the goods with its high-clearance suspension, position sensitive Bilstein shock absorbers and front and rear locking differentials. Have a listen for all the details. There’s more, too. This week Tech Talk offers up a digestible serving of worldwide technology tidbits that includes news from a Massachusetts startup of a carbon neutral tilt-rotor aircraft; information from NASA about a new alloy that’s designed to function at very high temperatures; research at UMichigan using ultrasound to destroy cancerous tumors; and a brief discussion on an Iron Beam high-power laser that can zap incoming missiles. Don’t worry, you won’t need a Flak suit for this one.
A weekly feature on KOWS 92.5 FM radio Newtopian Dream program hosted by RT Newt.
“Checking the Sasquatch box adds class-first 35-inch Goodyear® mud-terrain tires mounted to 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, Dana™ front and rear electronic locking axles with 4.7:1 final drive ratio, and high-clearance suspension with a nearly two-inch wider track, wider fender flares. The package also adds HOSS-tuned, long-travel Bilstein® position-sensitive dampers with end-stop control valves with increased ride height to help improve ground clearance.” ~ Ford Media
Following a two year hiatus, the New York International Auto Show kicked off last week with a smaller footprint, fewer manufacturers and a new focus on EVs. The Auto Show runs through Sunday, April 24 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City.
~ RPM News Weekly Photo by Peter Ciani ~
New-car shows have been around since the dawn of the automobile but the New York Auto show is, in fact, THE longest running, beginning in 1900. So, as you can imagine the NYIAS has seen – and survived – many ups and downs, from the Great Depression and World War II, to low points in the American auto industry and the arrival of Japanese imports.
When COVID shut everything down in 2020 and the Javits Center was turned into a makeshift hospital, it was the first time since WWII that the NY Auto Show was canceled. The show almost happened in 2021, but was canceled at the last minute out of caution due to the Delta variant. So, there remained some uncertainty that this 2022 Show would ever actually happen.
On top of COVID concerns – and with the auto industry still playing catch up because of it – the question one might ask is, “Do manufacturers really need a car show to sell vehicles right now?” More specifically, if Ford dealers are selling every Bronco they can get their hands on for thousands of dollars over MSRP and customers are waiting, does it really make sense to have some of them sitting on a car show floor?
RPM News Weekly Photos by Peter Ciani
Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan, Toyota, Subaru and Hyundai are back to answer those questions with their usual displays (perhaps with a few less cars on hand), while others like Stellantis had a much smaller showing, and brands like Mercedes-Benz, Honda and BMW didn’t show up at all.
Nevertheless, with so much empty space to fill, the absence of established brands has opened up opportunities for new and up and coming EV automakers. VinFast, a relatively new automaker from Vietnam, is a good example.
If you were compiling a list of countries with the most global EV automakers, Vietnam probably wouldn’t be the first place you would think of, yet here we are in 2022 and a Vietnamese automaker has a booth on the main show floor right between Subaru and Kia. And yes, legacy automakers should be worried, because from what we’ve seen and experienced so far, their models look mighty impressive.
RPM News Weekly Photo by Peter Ciani
Another EV startup INDI EV also has a presence at this year’s New York Auto Show with a good location, right up front near Toyota where a lot of showgoers will pass by. Granted their booth isn’t as large as VinFast’s, but they, too, have a good looking car with impressive all-electric range.
For comparison, when RPM News Weekly interviewed the folks from Lucid Motors back in 2017, their booth wasn’t in a prime spot on the main show floor, or on any show floor, they were down in the lower concourse next to a news stand.
RPM News Weekly Photo by Peter Ciani
Besides more exposure for new brands, EVs themselves are benefiting from the extra floor space. This year at NYIAS there are three indoor EV tracks. That’s one of the many benefits of an EV. If you run a bunch of them inside a building, you won’t kill anyone with emissions.
In addition to the large EV test track on the first level, Ford and Kia are also running their own EV tracks. The larger track, which is hosted by the auto show itself, offers ride-a-longs in some of the newest EVs on the market, including the VW ID.4 and the all new Nissan Aryia. You can also get a ride in pre-production models from VinFast and INDI EV.
Andre Hudson Head of Product Design Talks about the INDI One BEV. RPM News Weekly Photo by Peter Ciani
There were three EV vehicles in particular that RPM News Weekly wanted to get into for test rides – the new Nissan Aryia, the VinFast VF 8 and the INDI EV One. Unfortunately, because of time limitations, we could only ride two so we skipped the Nissan, knowing that we’ll get another opportunity to experience it in the not too distant future.
Our first ride was in the INDI EV One. Because this was a concept car, it wouldn’t be fair to give it a top-to-bottom review right now. I will give them props though – not many automakers have the guts to let the press folks and the general public ride in a pre-production car, let alone a prototype. My first impressions of the INDI One are that the powertrain seemed smooth and the interior layout was pretty cool. The dash follows the minimalist concept that was originally pioneered by Tesla, but in the INDI One, the passenger basically gets a full-on computer. This is right on brand for INDI EV, whose focus is on in-car entertainment and connectivity.
INDI EV One readies for another ride-along. RPM News Weekly Photo by Peter Ciani
Our next ride was in the VinFast VF 8. Not only does it look spectacular, but we were very impressed with the quality, and fit and finish on the inside.
Meanwhile, Ford is giving riders a taste of instantaneous EV torque with the F150 Lightning and KIA is offering rides in the impressive new EV6. We took rides in the F150 Lightning and Ford’s heritage-inspired 1978 Ford F100 that’s been re-fitted with a Mustang Mach E powertrain. That, my friends, was a pleasant surprise. Look for our drive impressions in an upcoming article.
RPM News Weekly Photo by Peter Ciani
In case you’re wondering, The 2022 NY Auto Show is not all BEVs all the time. Jeep is still offering ride-a-longs on their Camp Jeep obstacle course. However, we did notice that most of the Jeeps on hand were 4XE plug-in hybrid models, including the Grand Cherokee. This certainly offers show-goers a great way to see and experience how going green doesn’t affect the Jeep brand’s capability offroad. If anything, the quiet running and instant torque of the EV actually improves it.
RPM News Weekly Photo by Peter Ciani
After the ride-alongs- you might want to wander over to the Chevrolet booth for a look at the upcoming Silverado EV, which I personally think should have been called the Avalanche, or E-valanche (sorry, I’m not a marketing guy). On the other end of the spectrum, Chevrolet is also showing off the new 2023 Corvette Z06.
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It’s a funny thing, when the New York Auto Show got its start in 1900 automobiles were simply known as play things for the rich, and indeed they were. Now in 2022, as the future of the auto show as we know it is up in the air, the expression “play things for the rich” once again turns up, as a term some critics use to refer to Electric Vehicles. Hopefully history will repeat itself and in the year 2122 when EV tech has advanced to a level that we can’t currently imagine, a blog writer (still a thing in 2122?) will point to the boom of EV innovation that started in 2022 and the quaint old EV technology that was shown at the 2022 New York Auto Show.
EVs might just possibly save the car show as we know it thanks to their emissions free powertrains. With them, not only can manufacturers show you new models, but now they can take you for a quick zip around their booth. Could be that brands like Mercedes and Honda may end up regretting their handing the floor to the newcomers.
So, if you are heading out to the 2022 New York Auto Show, expect to see a little less from manufacturers, but also find that there are more opportunities to actually interact with the vehicles that are on hand. It’s one thing to sit in a car, but getting blasted down an indoor track in one is a whole new experience. And if you’re angrily shaking your gas-loving fist at the thought of an EV future, go for a launch in the new F150 Lightning. I’m pretty sure there aren’t any vehicles in its price range that can match its performance.
There’s been a lot of buzz about the Volkswagen I.D Buzz in the automotive press and on social media over the last few years. Now, the long-awaited all-electric family transporter finally makes the move from concept car to production ready show car at the 2022 New York International Auto Show.
The all-new, all-electric ID. Buzz rolled onto the 2022 New York Auto Show floor for a first hand view. Photo by Peter Ciani for RPM News Weekly
It’s no big secret that Volkswagen has been aiming to up its EV game, especially after the company’s embarrassing Dieselgate scandal. Just since 2015, the company has debuted numerous EV concepts, some pretty wild – like the ID. BUGGY, a modern day revival of the 1960’s favorite Manx dune buggy. And, some more grounded – like the sleek ID. VIZZION sports-sedan. Even so, long before the diesel controversy Volkswagen had been floating the idea of bringing back the classic VW Bus. That journey started with the Microbus concept shown at the 2001 Detroit Auto Show.
Although the Microbus concept was gas-powered, it pretty much laid the groundwork for the VW van’s long road to return, and would soon be followed by multiple concepts including the all-electric Bulli in 2005, the post Dieselgate era BUDD-e, and the current ID. BUZZ. Just considering that the idea for a modern VW bus has been around for so long without coming to fruition is astonishing, and while the concept has evolved a lot in 20 years the formula remains the same: tap into VW’s history while at the same time offering buyers a cool looking compact van with tons of versatility.
The idea for a modern-day VW bus has been around for over twenty years. Now, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz brings the concept to the U.S market for 2023. Photos courtesy of Volkswagen media.
It’s easy to understand why people might be skeptical of VW’s commitment to the ID. BUZZ. As noted, it has been over 20 years since they first started talking about it. Nevertheless, when spy shots of pre-production models out in the wild started turning up, I for one began to think, “Okay, maybe this time they will actually follow through with it.”
Battery pack assembly at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, TN facilities photo courtesy of Volkswagen media
Now we can put all of that waiting behind us. On April 15, Voklswagen will debut the production ready version for real and the public will finally get its chance to see the ID. BUZZ in the flesh… er, in the metal. Up until now, Volkswagen has released pictures of only the 5-passenger, 2-row version of the Buzz, but the U.S market will get a long wheelbase edition with three rows of seats.
While passenger versions of the ID. Buzz are cool, what I’m actually interested in is the ID. Cargo, which as the name suggests, is the commercial version of the ID. Buzz that’s aimed for businesses needing a compact, all-electric delivery vehicle.
Photos courtesy of Volkswagen Media
Sadly, word on the street is that we won’t see the cargo version here in the United States. That’s a shame. Last-Mile-Delivery is a prime space for EVs. Eliminating fleets of ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles from the LMD market will provide a tremendous benefit to worldwide efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Think of all the delivery vehicles idling and slow-rolling through your neighborhood. Now think how wonderful it would be if they were all quiet and emissions free.
In any case, here at RPM News Weekly, we are looking forward to experiencing the ID. Buzz in person, and hopefully Volkswagen plans to show the long wheelbase model. For the time being, Volkswagen has taken the production design out from under lock and key, so if you can’t make it to NYC for the Auto Show, check out the digital world premiere online.
European models ID. Buzz (five-seater) ID. Buzz Cargo (van, three seats in the front)
Important anticipated dates Start of European ID. Buzz Cargo production: first half of 2022 Start of European ID. Buzz production: first half of 2022 European launch (initial countries): third quarter of 2022 Start of advance sales in Europe (initial countries): May 2022 North American debut of long wheelbase: 2023 North American sales launch: 2024 Technical platform Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB)
External dimensions Width excluding wing mirrors: 1,985 mm (78.1 in) Height: ID. Buzz: 1937 mm (76.3 in) ID. Buzz Cargo: 1,938 mm (76.3 in) Length: 4,712 mm (185.5 in) Wheelbase: 2,988 mm (117.6 in) Load sill: ID. Buzz: 619 mm (24.4 in) ID. Buzz Cargo: 623 mm (24.5 in) Cargo space ID. Buzz: up to 1,121 liters (39.6 cu ft) ID. Buzz Cargo: 3.9 cubic meters (137.7 cu ft), room for two euro pallets
Drive system Type: all-electric rear-wheel drive Max. power: 150 kW (201 horsepower) Max. torque: 310 Nm (229 lb-ft) Battery capacity: 82 kWh gross, 77 kWh net AC charging power (alternating current): 11 kWh DC charging power (direct current) at fast-charging stations: up to 170 kWh Driving performance and turning circle Top speed: 145 km/h, electronically limited (90 mph) Driving range: to follow at a later date Turning circle: just over 11 meters (36.4 ft)
Sustainability Zero-tailpipe emission electric drive system Leather replaced by non-animal material Use of partial recycled materials in seat covers, floor coverings, roof liner
Production site Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ main plant in Hannover, Germany
Colors Non-metallic: ‘Candy White’ Metallic: ‘Mono Silver’, ‘Lime Yellow’, ‘Starlight Blue’, ‘Energetic Orange’ and ‘Bay Leaf Green’ Pearl-effect: ‘Deep Black’ Two-tone: ‘Candy White’ in combination with ‘Lime Yellow’, ‘Starlight Blue’, ‘Energetic Orange’ or ‘Bay Leaf Green’
A weekly feature on KOWS 92.5 FM radio Newtopian Dream program hosted by RT Newt. 
