Relaunching the YouTube channel, rolling in the Rolls-Royce Spectre, and more EV myths
Likes, subscriptions, and good vibes definitely appreciated
Hello everyone, good morning to you from my home in New York. I'm enjoying one last day here before kicking off what will be an epic globe-trotting adventure that'll have me zinging to Texas, then off to Italy, Japan, Germany, Austria, and California over the next four weeks.
Yeah, phew. The good news is I'll do my best to take y'all with me through pieces for a lot of great places, so stay tuned for the links.
Anyhow, on with this week's highlights.
Rolls-Royce’s Specter is the Best EV
I love many things about electric cars, but when a car is designed to truly capitalize on the unique attributes that electrification provides, in my eye, it ascends to something special. I'm talking about the cargo tunnel on the Rivian R1T or the giant frunk on the F-150 Lightning, things you can’t do with a traditional, gas-burning car.
With the Spectre, Rolls-Royce engineers went out of their way to create an other-worldly acoustic landscape, really leaning into the hushed, refined drive character afforded by electrification. The result? My favorite EV of the moment.
You can read my words over at The Verge, or for the first time, you can watch me gush about the Spectre on my YouTube channel. Yes, the channel's been there for ages, but I'm going to try to start posting there more frequently. This is, weirdly, a very nervous thing for me. I’ve of course done a million videos for a million outlets over the years, but for some reason filming myself just dials up the pressure to new heights. I share this with trepidation.
Anyhow, your views, likes, and subscribes would be hugely appreciated.
Can AI fix broken chargers?
Charging can certainly be the most frustrating aspect of EV ownership, made doubly so when you spot that one unused charger in the lot, back your car in just perfectly and realize the damned thing isn't working. ChargePoint has deployed a new, AI-backed system that makes finding and fixing issues much easier. Here’s to fewer angry calls with customer service while standing in parking lots.
ICE cars to consider if you're not ready for an EV
I've been blathering on a lot about EVs this time. You’re probably used to that by now, but while I think the things are great, I also realize that they're not for everybody. Did you have your eye on a certain EV but aren't ready to take the electrified plunge? Here's a fun list I did for Car and Driver on the best gas-powered considerations.
Are EVs really more expensive to run?
No, of course they aren't, and you knew that, but certain publications would have you believe otherwise. I did the math, and while there are some situations in which an electric car can be more expensive to run, most folks will find per-mile running costs substantially lower in EVs than anything that burns fossil fuels.
I can't thank everyone enough for their continued support, and I hope you all have wonderful weeks wherever your own travels take you.