Weaving their way through the heavy congestion that a very mixed topic load might create, RPM Podcasters Rich Taber and Peter Ciani smoothly navigate the discussion all the way from a stellar Philadelphia road trip in the 2020 Volvo V60 Cross Country T5 AWD to previewing the upcoming New York International Auto Show. Along the way they explore life up north for a week in the GMC Sierra 2500HD Denali Crew Cab, venture into the Green New Deal and rally behind Formula E racing. It’s a fun ride – have a listen.
Jaguar / Panasonic driver Mitch Evans ran away with the lead in the fourth Formula E contest of the 2019 – 2020 race season finishing well ahead of his nearest rival after a tumultuous afternoon at the Mexico City E-Prix that saw a slew of mishaps.
“I just want to thank the team for their work in between all the races.” ~ Mitch Evans
Photo: FIA Formula E
Bolting out of second position on the grid Evans managed to take the lead out of Turn 1 and never looked back, ultimately finishing just over four seconds ahead of his closest competitor, DS Techeetah’s Antonio Felix da Costa, while Nissan e.dams’ Sebastian Buemi nabbed points for third.
“It feels really sweet because Santiago was a tough one for us in terms of our race management but today we obviously showed we fixed all the problems, “noted Evans. “I just want to thank the team for their work in between all the races.”
Top Ten Finishes – Mexico City E-Prix Image Courtesy of FIA Formula E
A well worn expression in New England advises that if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute. In that respect, our Tech Talk commentator, Rick DeMeis could consider it a happy accident that he didn’t get a heap of snow in which to test drive the 2020 Honda CR-V even though the all-wheel drive Touring edition that was his ride-of-the-week is certainly well-suited for winter driving. Have a listen and he’ll fill you in on the details of this popular vehicle. It’s an easy side-step from there to his mentioning the half-dozen or so vehicles he put through the paces at the New England Motor Press Association Winter Vehicle Test Day before he drove off at the end of the day with the CR-V. This week’s episode continues with a survey from iseecars.com on the most popular vehicle colors followed by a host of informative space related news items . It’s a jam-packed journey, so “don’t forget your towel“.
Tech Talk is a weekly feature on KOWS 92.5 FM radio Newtopian Dream program hosted by RT Newt.
Ride of the Week:
2020 Honda CR-V Touring AWD
photos: Honda Media
Turbocharged 1.5L 4-cyl. Engine
190-hp; 179 lb-ft of Torque
Continuously Variable Transmission
27 City / 32 Highway / 29 Combined MPG
19-in. Alloy Wheels
LED Headlights w/ Auto-On/Off
Rain-Sensing Windshield Wipers
Hands-Free Access Power Tailgate
Roof Rails
Heated Steering Wheel
Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System
330-watt Premium Audio System w/ 9 Speakers
Wireless Phone Charger
Ambient Lighting
Driver Attention Monitor
5-star Safety Rating
$34,750 as Driven
Automotive News:
NEMPA Winter Vehicle Test Day Awards will be presented at the annual NEMPA Conference and Awards Dinner to be held at the MIT Media Center on Friday, May 15, 2020.
Most Popular Car Colors A study by iseecars.com examined over 9.4 million cars on the road to determine the popularity of each vehicle colornationally, by state, and by metro area.
NASA astronaut Christina Koch is pictured during a spacewalk on January 15, 2020. Photo credit: NASA
Solar Orbiter Heads Toward The Sun The Solar Orbiter begins a seven-year mission to observe the Sun and study the star’s affect on the space environment throughout the solar system. In addition, the spacecraft will provide images of the Sun’s poles.
Illustration of Solar Orbiter Showing Solar Arrays and Antennae. Image courtesy of European Space Agency
This week Rich and Peter discuss the upcoming New England Motor Press Association Winter Vehicle Test Day along with this week’s rides of the week, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and the Jeep Gladiator.
This week RPM Podcasters Rich Taber and Peter Ciani discuss the upcoming New England Motor Press Association Winter Vehicle Test Day along with their rides of the week – the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and the Jeep Gladiator.
Lots of mass for the money is how Tech Talk commentator Rick DeMeis describes the 7-passenger 2020 Toyota 4Runner in this week’s episode. But, there’s plenty of other good reasons to like the $49,905 4×4 Limited version of this popular SUV, not the least of which is its ability to hold value in the marketplace. Have a listen and be prepared to discover the inner workings of government safety ratings while you’re at it. Want more? Well, the plate is also filled with heaping helpings of technology news including the latest adventures in Musk enterprises, NASA’s research in building fungi structures on Mars, a plan from Rolls Royce to re-utilize old nuclear reactor sites, and a hybrid polar research vessel.
Tech Talk is a weekly feature on KOWS 92.5 FM radio Newtopian Dream program hosted by RT Newt.
photos: RPM News Weekly See our Photo Gallery for more pics.
7-Passenger Seating
Nautical Blue Metallic Exterior
Tan Leather Interior
270-hp 4.0L V6 w/ 278 lb-ft of Torque
5-Speed Automatic Transmission
16 City / 19 Highway / 17 Combined MPG
20-in. Alloy Wheels
Trailer Hitch
Hill Start & Downhill Assist Control
JBL 15-speaker Audio Sys. w/ Subwoofer
Android Auto / Apple CarPlay Integration
4-star Overall Safety Rating
Automotive News:
NHTSA Star Safety Ratings Update National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announces its plan to propose significant updates and upgrades to the New Car Assessment Program
A petri dish containing mycelia (white threads, here) growing in simulated Martian soil – aka Martian regolith. photo courtesy of NASA/Ames Research Center/Lynn Rothschild
The lifeboats have been installed on the RRS Sir David Attenborough as it nears final stages of construction. photo courtesy of Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)/British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
Likened to blasting off in a Saturn 5 rocket, acceleration in the 2020 Jaguar I-Pace gave Tech Talk commentator Rick DeMeis some memorable thrills. But, it was the complete package – minus a rear windshield wiper – that left the most lasting impression with this all-electric crossover. Whether it was the elegance of its well-equipped interior, its 200+mile driving range or the multitude of safety intervention technologies, the I-PACE made winter here in New England feel a bit less threatening. There’s more on the launchpad, though, including the gigantic price paid for the Bullitt Mustang, Tesla’s Shanghai mega-factory, the most popular vehicles state-by-state and more. Have a listen.
Tech Talk is a weekly feature on KOWS 92.5 FM radio Newtopian Dream program hosted by RT Newt.
tiled photos by RPM News Weekly See our Photo Gallery for more pics.
SPECIFICATIONS current as of 1/13/2020
JAGUAR I‑PACE S
TESLA MODEL X LONG RANGE
AUDI E-TRON PREMIUM PLUS
Base MSRP
$69,850
$84,990
$74,800
Destination & Handling
$1,025
$1,200
$995
Federal Tax Credit
− $7,500
− $0
− $7,500
Base Price w/ Tax Credit incl. Destination & Handling
$63,375
$86,190
$68,295
Coverage / Warranty
5 years / 60,000 miles w/ Elitecare
4 years / 50,000 miles
4 years / 50,000 miles
0–60 mph (seconds)
4.5
4.4
5.5 (with boost engaged)
Est. Range (miles)
234
328
204
Apple CarPlay® & Android Auto™
Standard
N/A
Standard
Park Assist
Standard
Optional
Standard
Leather Seats
Optional
N/A
Standard
Head-Up Display
Optional
N/A
N/A (available on other trim)
EPA estimated all-electric range in the I-PACE is 234 miles. Estimated mileage is 80 city / 72 highway / 76 combined MPGe, where MPGe is the EPA-equivalent measure of gasoline fuel efficiency for electric mode operation. Actual range and mileage will vary.
Federal tax credit ranges from $0 to $7,500. Actual savings may vary. Additional benefits may be available depending on location.
