CyberTruck gets a 'muscle electric' rival...
 

General Motors are planning to resurrect the once-big dog, the Hummer as an all-electric vehicle! GM will reveal at the Super Bowl in a GM/Hummer commercial with LA Laker's LeBron James. Once controversial for its ostentatious muscular & boxy design with horrible gas mileage, became the symbol of waste and often the target for ostracism, vandalism and jokes. GM-LG Chem collaboration on advanced battery technology plans to rival Tesla's CyberTruck in the larger 'muscle' electric truck market.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/05/gm-l...roduction.html

https://www.autonews.com/cars-concep...c-pickups-suvs

Cool!

...now to wait 2 years to see what comes.

"Hummer" actually makes a good name for an electric.

Unobtainium at GM
 

So,the H1 is Cd 0.70.The H2 is Cd 0.57,And the H3 is Cd 0.51,while the Cybertruck might come in at Cd 0.28.But because it's 'GM' building it,they've arranged some special exemption with Yahweh, enabling them to do an end-run around physics.
My advice to them would be,to get a hold of the ghost of Dr. Paul MacCready (easy for Yahweh) and have him walk them back through their own wind tunnel,for a dose of reality.The only way a HUMMER could compete with Cybertruck is for it to remain parked.They really do need to do something about the water supply in Michigan.

I would bet they just make it on the current Yukon with a different front end. GMC already has a new AT4 package that is pretty stout stuff for off road on the Yukon.

The only way anyone will compete with Cybertruck is to start with a clean sheet design - adapting any current design will result in DIY specs. Even then Tesla have their massive lead in batteries and electronics - just ask Porsche.

It's interesting that the Tri-CT will have a longer range than any 7-800hp ICE.

We'll see when everything is actually here and available. Comparing everyone's concepts is just imagining what will be. It's one thing to look at a general shape, but assigning such specific details people have to the Cybertruck is the only thing amazing to me about it.

clean sheet
 

The more I think about Cybertruck,the more I'm inclined to believe that,the only way to compete with it,would be to build a truck which looks very much like it.There are no magic tires for a rolling resistance advantage.There are no magic motors which will significantly outperform Tesla's.No word of energy density breakthroughs for range.
Presently,the GM Holden Commodore Ute is the lowest drag production 'truck' in the world,at Cd0.309.Cybertruck has a chance to come in around Cd 0.28.Aerodynamics is really the only thing left on the table.Tesla's shape is 'aerodynamics.' For any carmaker to achieve performance parity with Cybertruck, the laws of physics seems to mandate abandonment of styling,and finally surrender to function,after 94-years of dressmaking.

I'd love if the expense and bulk of batteries created a fundamental shift towards form following function. Our aesthetic tastes are malleable, so it is us that should change what we consider attractive based on the function of the thing rather than sacrifice function to our vanity.

shift
 

The other night on PBS Television, their business segment,'Making Sen$e',with Paul Solman touched on something called 'behavioral contagion.' In the episode,it had to do with a neighborhood in Ithaca,New York,where one member put solar PV on their home,and it ended with everyone in the neighborhood doing it.If trees in the yard prevented it,they would by into a local solar farm,and get their power from there.
The psychology was something like,the neighbor must know something I don't,and I want to look into that.It's happening a lot in New York.
A friend just took his sister for a Tesla-3 test drive in Phoenix.She's been basically terrified,and intimidated of computer-related technology.Her weakness though,was that she really likes acceleration,and after the test drive,she's now very impressed with BEVs,and is talking of buying a Model 3 come next fall.Her brother's been driving an EV for a while now,she's been receptive,and it only took the test drive to push her over the fence.That simple.I'm not in the demographic for buying a one new,but I'm saving for a used one.