Never Stop Driving #77: Cyberpod
In less than 48 hours, over three million people watched Hagerty’s latest YouTube video—a record for one of our productions. Three things combined for cinematic gold: host Jason Cammisa, the production crew, and Tesla’s outlandish Cybertruck. Cammisa used his uncommon and early access to properly explain why Tesla’s latest vehicle is more compelling for the new technology underneath its stainless steel skin than for its adolescent styling.
I’m going to eat a little crow here and change my opinion on the Cybertruck. It’s clear that a bunch of talented and sharp engineers were given free rein to devise innovative solutions. While I primarily love cars for how they drive, I’m a sucker for clever engineering and the people behind it. The Cybertruck is the best recent example of smart engineering since the engine in the Corvette Z06.
Meeting and interacting with car-company engineers and designers has been an unexpected perk of my strange career. My Hagerty Media colleagues and I have scores of stories about our years spent in and around the automotive industry, which is one reason I’ve just launched a podcast version of this newsletter: To bring you more in audio format.
The Never Stop Driving podcast is available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube. Like this newsletter, the pod is free to everyone because one of Hagerty’s goals is to spread car passion. On the show, we’ll cover a wide range of automotive topics, including interviews with the most interesting people in the car world. I expect it to evolve over time, so your feedback is welcome. Please give it a listen and help us spread the word with a positive rating.
December is turning out to be an exceedingly vibrant month for car fans and Hagerty Media. In addition to the above, Barn Find Hunter Tom Cotter showcased a stash of some 40 cars and Larry Chen went to the Toyota factory to see the first Lexus GX550, which will also be sold as the new Toyota Land Cruiser, roll off the line. As a former Land Cruiser owner, I can’t wait to drive the new one. This Monday, December 11, we’re also posting the 2024 Bull Market—our seventh annual roundup of cars our data team predicts will rise in value. Bull Market helps us show folks how cost effective it can be to own a classic car, and we’ve had a terrific track record. Check out the year-over-year results from last year’s list here.
The holiday present I’m most anticipating is the upcoming Ferrari movie. It debuts in theaters on December 25 and a review by someone I trust, The Wall Street Journal’s Dan Neil, suggests the filmmakers properly presented the supremely compelling tale of Enzo Ferrari. Watch the trailer and tell me your heart rate didn’t jump. I’m currently negotiating with my wife and family to go see it Christmas Day or at least go by myself. I’m hoping that Patrick Dempsey’s role in the film helps convince them to spend the evening with Dad in the theater. We recently interviewed Dempsey for behind-the-scenes color.
Be sure to frequently visit and bookmark Hagerty Media where we’re constantly publishing new material to entertain and inform you. Do the same to our YouTube channel and explore the back catalog. We hope you enjoy all that we produce.
Never Stop Driving!
Larry
P.S.: Your feedback is very welcome. Comment below!
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Sorry but the Tesla truck is just a party trick. Sure it is fast but do you really need a truck that fast? It is ugly and not practical.
They should have focused more on range, towing and cost. Anyone can make a $100K 11 Second truck. Now make one that has more range while towing than a gas truck and as long as it runs 14’s, charges full in 15 min and cost $50K we are all happy.
But don’t try to con me that this is the future when it does not meet the needs of the present.
15 Min recharge is completely impractical.
The cable size necessary to support that power delivery of just 100 kWh, is massive.
Imagine a 700 Amps, at 600 Volts (DC fast charger) for 1/4 hour.
Yes with todays tech but the goal is to sone day charge in the time to fill a tank.
You are looking at today the industry is looking planning for the future and what customers will want or expect.
The moon was out of reach till they invested in getting there. What they gained in tech moved us to where we are today.
There is no mention of towing capacity, weather it is capable of towing a size camper or hailing a load, which is the main reason most people purchase a truck for.
Where I live most trucks are crew cab 4×4 with a cap or tonneau cover. They have 1-3 booster seats or car seats in some combo and mostly go to grocery stores, schools and soccer practice.
Now there is a lot of trucks where I live, and many of them do truck work such as being full of contractor tools. Those trucks are vastly outnumbered by those used as station wagons/family sedans. Only some of the family trucks do any towing or hauling of loads.
So the Tesla can maybe work for some of those people. Seems impractical on many levels to the contractor set. Rear headroom looks suspect, but that gets glossed over in the few reviews I have read. I guess if your kids are short…
Fast charging in non-gas already exists: hydrogen. But it looks like that is going to be heavy vehicle/industrial applications.
EV, to really win over masses, will need battery improvements that boost range/reduce charging significantly. What works in a single family dwelling in an-upper class household in California may not translate to other scenarios.
Toyota’s point that hybrid can do the commuting in EV mode while removing the range/cold/towing anxiety remains the winning argument to me. The Prius model wins the commuting scenario –not sure they’ve ramped it up into the truck world enough to make a difference yet?
Although I’m convinced EVs are the future, I can’t shake the memories of growing up in South Dakota, with the state’s brutal winters, and my parents having to brave the cold to “plug the car in” at night to boost the chances of it starting the next morning. The images of an EV charging in an uncluttered, climate-controlled garage are compelling; but, really, how many of us even park our cars in a garage? Or, how many of us don’t even have a garage? Are we again going to see extension cords strewn across snowbanks, now in the service of charging our EVs?
We’ll get there… but, it will be harder than it looks.
I’d prefer something shorter, maybe 15 minutes, and more focused. This hour-long, rambling podcast just doesn’t work for me.
Ahh drat. Thanks for the feedback Craig!
Sorry Larry, your “Gold Standard” video host’s style is more irritating than informative to this reader. I’m not looking for cute, clever, and self-congratulation…just the facts ma’am. 🤷🏻♂️
Got it. I hope are our alternatives are more to your liking. Thanks for giving it a try.