The case for the defence.

I may have mentioned once or twice that I can't be doing with SUVs.

And people who like cars and driving tend to agree with me.

So what is Steve Walker, Head of Digital Content, at Auto Express, doing defending the stupid things?

Is he a website geek rather than a car geek?

His bio states that he has "been a motoring journalist, road tester and editor for over 20 years" so maybe not.

He gives several reasons why SUVs are extremely popular with the buying public, specifically:

• tough looks
• higher seating position that makes it easier to get in and see out
• outdoorsy image

His words not mine.

I get the easy access angle for those of an arthritic nature.

But I certainly wouldn't call a Ford Puma "tough-looking."

In fact, don't get me started on Ford prostituting their former glories by naming SUVs after them:

• Puma
• Capri
• Mustang
• Kuga/Cougar

Back to Steve though, and for all his words, at no point does he say that HE likes SUVs.

Despite this, his article does have a pro-SUV feeling and imply a preference for them so I expected a backlash in the comments.

It is now 7pm British Summer Time and there are only 10 comments.

Three of them are from either a Chinese bot or a Chinese moron using AI.  There is a comment about the Ford Fiesta and a reply stating that they don't make them any more and the final 5 comments are a pointless argument that doesn't really go anywhere.

Meanwhile, I think SUVs don't handle properly and they all look  alike:

So there.

Cool Grannies

 

Now that to me is the coolest type of Granny.

Not that exact model, but the Ford Granada in general.

But, according to Car+Driver, an old lady in Japan is the coolest Granny "on the planet".

She is admittedly cool, having just given up her licence due to age and selling her car to Mazda.

Her car being a third-generation Mazda RX-7.

But if we are talking about motoring grannies, how about this one on the BBC News site today?

Now, the article doesn't actually say if she is a granny, just that she has sons.  But she looks somewhere around my age and I'm well old enough to be a grandparent.

And just off the top of my head, what about Michele Mouton?  she is 73 and has at least one daughter so it's quite liable that she is enjoying granny status.

Meanwhile if you want uncool grannies, apparently crocheting covers for supercars is a thing...

Actually it isn't - it's people messing about with AI - but just in case any actual grannies are reading this...

...NOT A GOOD LOOK.

Also Not A1

Unlike Monday's story, this is not about the A1.

Although it does involve cameras.

But not BBC ones.

No, this is about AI - which depending on your font, will look like A1.

This is about the Auto Express story about old enemies Devon and Cornwall (scone debate anyone?) getting together to use AI to view camera footage and catch drivers using mobile phones illegally.

I'm all for this - mainly because I never use a hand-held mobile phone while driving.

Now I just need a motoring story in a day or two about someone called Al.

Slowing down electric cars

This isn't a story about regenerative braking.

I don't seem to quote many Autoguide stories these days - maybe because they don't put out as many as the other sites I like.  But here's one that is quite interesting for its contents AND for it in itself.

It is written by "AutoGuide.com News Staff" rather than by an individual.

And that is probably because "This article was co-written using AI and was then heavily edited and optimized by our editorial team."  Sounds like more effort than usual to create an article and that the longer term plan will be to do away with the editorial team once the AI has learnt to do the job properly.

Maybe I should look into AI for my blog.  And then if someone else could develop an AI to read my Blog, it could save everyone a load of time.

Anyway, the article is titled,

Ford Kills Key EV Program

What!?  Ford are stopping EV production!?

Well they can stop that one for a start - how dare they call that a Mustang!?

No, the key word there is "key".  The Key EV Program was one whereby US Ford dealers were told to invest huge sums of money to be certified, and therefore permitted, to sell EVs.

Somebody has noticed that EV sales have significantly slowed down and, meanwhile, unhappy dealers were starting lawsuits against the program.

Even governments are noticing that plans to outlaw all petrol & diesel only cars by 2040 may be ambitious.  Perhaps the advent of solid state batteries (circa 2028) will help but there are too many uncertainties that need to become certainties in the next 16 years.  

Now, I just need to end this piece in a succinct and amusing way - how do you log into ChatGPT?

Slim Shady

I really like this idea from Bosch that Autocar are reporting on.  It's a sun visor that you can see through - but it still works because where the sunlight hits your eyes there are some hexagonal sunglasses-type panels.

AI technology uses a driver-facing camera to work out where your eyes are and where the sun is shining.  It then switches on the LED hexagons in between.

Seems a bit unfair on the photons that have just travelled 93 Million miles to get there.

And I'm sure with a bit of re-programming, the woman above could be made to look like the man below: