Is it a case of Tesla executives taking flight with too much baggage, or of Rivian over-reaching for the brass ring? RPM News Weekly Podcast hosts Peter Ciani and Rich Taber take it all in as the EV wars suddenly drag down Main Street in not-so-quiet fashion. Have a listen, make a comment, and please be kind enough to subscribe here and on our YouTube Channel. You can also find the RPM News Weekly Podcast on Stitcher.com
“Cybertruck is designed to have the utility of a truck and the performance of a sports car. The vehicle is built to be durable, versatile and capable, with exceptional performance both on-road and off-road. Cybertruck will come in three variants: Single Motor Rear-Wheel Drive, Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive, and Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive.” ~ Tesla Media
Basking in the sumptuous grandeur of the all-new BMW 840i Gran Coupe this week, Tech Talk commentator Rick DeMeis discovers that luxury may come with a price that’s hard to swallow but also hard to complain about considering the near perfection of the drive. Tune in while he goes over the features and the numbers. Also, there’s plenty of other technology news including a tonneau bed cover made of solar panels and a robo-glove that’s earned “invention of the year” accolades.
A weekly feature on KOWS 92.5 FM radio Newtopian Dream program hosted by RT Newt.
Active Guard and Active Protection Automatic seat belt tensioning Automatic Closing of Windows Fatigue & Focus Alert Post-Crash Braking Frontal Collision Warning w/ City Collision Mitigation
Live Cockpit Professional w/ iDrive 7 incl. Apple CarPlay Compatibility
Tech Talk listeners can receive a discount on stylish, high quality face masks purchased from Needham, MA-based Rafi Nova. Just used the Code KOWSRADIO at checkout. Rafi Nova is a fair-trade and sustainable fashion brand. Find them at rafinova.com
Ordinarily, come summer, the New England Motor Press Association would stage their annual Ragtop Ramble whereby journalists and auto manufacturing reps jaunt from the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA up to Kennebunkport, Maine’s Colonial Inn in a spectacular assortment of convertibles, performance cars and other “crustaceous” (aka non-convertible) vehicles to enjoy a lobster dinner. This year, with the pandemic putting the kibosh on social gatherings, NEMPA switched gears and created a DIY road rally for members to get out into the open air and share their experiences in a vehicle of choice while gathering points by completing a series of challenges and posting them on social media. To keep things interesting, Ford Motor Co., Fiat Chrysler of America and convertible fabric maker Haatrz Corp. ponied up some sponsorship prizes. Naturally, RPM News podcast hosts Peter Ciani and Rich Taber would find this all to be a most worthy topic for discussion, especially the part where Ford posted a few exclusive videos for the event featuring the all-new Bronco and Mustang Mach 1. Have a listen to find out more. Oh, and btw, for the rally, Peter drove up to the White Mountains of New Hampshire in a Ford Super Duty F-350 Tremor with the monstrous new 7.3-liter engine and Rich cranked up the turbocharged MultiAir 1.4-liter engine in his 2013 Dodge Dart Limited, popped open the sunroof and headed out toward Cape Cod.
Right-sized for those buyers who want the convenience of an SUV with the versatility of compact truck, the 2020 Ford Ranger Super Crew proves to Tech Talk commentator Rick DeMeis that it is indeed a welcome addition to the Ford family of pickups, delivering both comfort and capability. Listen in to the full podcast for more details. Other news on tap this week includes a virtual road rally hosted by the New England Motor Press Association, an electric version of the classic AC Cobra, a SpaceX update, plastic eating crustaceans, Airbus auto-pilot testing and a Mach 3 airliner.
a weekly feature on KOWS 92.5 FM radio Newtopian Dream program hosted by RT Newt.
“Anchored by a high-strength steel frame and powered by a 2.3-liter EcoBoost® boasting 270 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft. of torque paired to an efficient 10-speed automatic, the all-new Ranger is available in either SuperCab or SuperCrew configuration. It can be optioned with 4×2 or 4×4, and comes in three trim levels – XL, XLT and Lariat. Stylish Black, classic Chrome and slick Sport Appearance Packages are available.” ~ Ford Media
Tech Talk listeners can receive a discount on stylish, high quality face masks purchased from Needham, MA-based Rafi Nova. Just used the Code KOWSRADIO at checkout. Rafi Nova is a fair-trade and sustainable fashion brand. Find them at rafinova.com
Balancing performance and range in a way that ensures the 2021 MINI Cooper SE all-electric vehicle doesn’t disappoint, this week’s Ride of the Week put Tech Talk commentator Rick DeMeis on notice that either he was going to have fun driving this car or he might as well just leave it parked in the driveway. Others may shout, “RANGE, RANGE, RANGE” while the MINI Cooper EV stays true to the essence of the brand’s unique DNA giving MINI lovers one more reason to get in gear and get happy. There’s also news in this week’s episode about the return of the Ford Bronco, Musk’s Boring Co. building a test track, an update from NASA on the Perseverance launch and innovative tech solutions such as carbonated cement and water-filled window glass.
a weekly feature on KOWS 92.5 FM radio Newtopian Dream program hosted by RT Newt.
Pre-production versions of the 2021 Bronco, shown here, include Bronco two-door in Cyber Orange Metallic Tri-Coat and Bronco four-door in Cactus Gray. photo courtesy of Ford media
Tech Talk listeners can receive a discount on stylish, high quality face masks purchased from Needham, MA-based Rafi Nova. Just used the Code KOWSRADIO at checkout. Rafi Nova is a fair-trade and sustainable fashion brand. Find them at rafinova.com
A Technology Tour de Force is the over-arching term Tech Talk commentator Rick DeMeis uses to describe the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid press vehicle he tested on a drive from the metro west suburbs of Boston to upstate New York and back. But, the week-long experience with the 5-passenger sedan was clearly more enjoyable than a detached, cold, hard look at the spec sheets. Have a listen to find out why. Rick then digs into a report from iseecars.com on the ups and downs and ups again of used car sales in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then it’s on to a study from Ford Motor Company that tries to answer the question, “Why do Americans love their trucks?” There’s also some discussion about SpaceX launches that could get too noisy for land-based operations and a bit about Virgin Galactic taking private citizens in orbit. Meanwhile on the medical front, smart bandages with built-in sensors and an upper body robot for stroke victims round out this week ‘s report.
a weekly feature on KOWS 92.5 FM radio Newtopian Dream program hosted by RT Newt.
Solar Roof System Hyundai Sonata Hybrid’s solar-panel roof directly charges the 12-volt and hybrid batteries and outputs 205 watts of electricity. This system has several benefits: • Mileage increases by about 2 miles per day • Helps prevent battery discharge from infotainment or HVAC systems when the car is off • Unique design cue ~ Hyundai Media
“We need to be far enough away so as not to bother heavily populated areas. The launch & landing are not subtle. But you could get within a few miles of the spaceport in a boat” ~
Tech Talk listeners can receive a discount on stylish, high quality face masks purchased from Needham, MA-based Rafi Nova. Just used the Code KOWSRADIO at checkout. Rafi Nova is a fair-trade and sustainable fashion brand. Find them at rafinova.com
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