The Chevy Montana Fails to Answer the Ford Maverick’s Call

by Gabrielle DeSantis

New mini pickup trucks are flooding the market like the 2022 Ford Maverick and 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. It may make you wonder why Chevrolet isn’t getting into the game. But it might be, with the Chevy Montana. 

The Chevy Montana won’t live up to the Ford Maverick 

Chevy Montana teaser | Chevy

It’s no secret that auto manufacturers make different vehicles to sell in markets all over the world. For example, the Mazda BT-50 is a compact truck that we can’t have in the United States. The Chevy Montana serves as another example too. 

But now, more significant changes are on the horizon for the Montana. It excelled as a popular two-door front-drive truck in Brazil, offering tons of utility. But it was a little too small and lacked too much versatility for the American market. 

But teaser images reveal a larger truck that would be much more appealing in the United States. It looks like the new Chevrolet Montana is becoming a four-door truck with a similar shape to the Honda Ridgeline. 

Why won’t the Montana rival the Maverick? 

The Chevy Montana won’t have the opportunity to compete against the Ford Maverick because it won’t be offered in America. The new unibody pickup truck will be built on the GM GEM platform. This platform is designed for emerging markets and not North America. 

The GEM platform underpins various models developed at the SAIC-GM joint venture in China and Latin America. GM says the Montana will be built in Brazil for domestic consumption. It will be available in neighboring countries too. 

Lower-cost platforms are produced at lower costs for localized markets. Using a North American platform and exporting it would make it more expensive to produce. This may indicate that the truck may have cheaper equipment that won’t be able to match the Maverick’s performance. 

The current Montana costs about $12,300. It has a 1.4-liter engine with 99-hp and 94 lb-ft of torque. The 2022 Ford Maverick is the cheapest truck in America, and it starts at about $19,995. It has a standard 2.5-liter inline-four engine with an electric motor that provides 191 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. 

With the Maverick, you can upgrade to the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine for 250 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. The Maverick can tow up to 4,000 lbs, and the Montana can carry up to 1,687 lbs. But we don’t know how much stronger the new Montana will be yet. 

Where is Chevy’s answer to the Maverick? 

The 2020 Chevy Montana on display in a factory
2020 Chevy Montana | Chevrolet

If the Chevy Montana isn’t the option that will rival the Ford Maverick, then what is? We had a glimmer of hope when we heard that the GMC Syclone is returning, but it takes things to an entirely different level. 

The 2021 GMC Syclone is a new super truck that could outrace the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX. It has a 5.3-liter V8 L83 engine that cranks out 750 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. But unlike the TRX, this truck is built for racing. 

Both Chevy and Ram are currently playing catch-up to the Ford F-150 Lightning, so it’s unclear if either brand will come up with something to rival the Ford Maverick. But we will keep watching for new information.

RELATED: The Ford Maverick Squashes Bronco Pickup Truck Dreams

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The Least Expensive Lucid Air Trims Won’t Even Be Available This Year

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Lucid Air electric vehicle is getting ready to hit the market soon, and surprisingly, it’s not trying to compete with Tesla. Instead, the automaker plans to set its sights on Mercedes-Benz. However, it needs to release its trim models first. 

What can we expect with the Lucid Air Pure?

Lucid Air | Lucid

The wait had been long since the announcement about five years ago. Which trims will be released this year? Which ones do we have to wait another year for?

According to MotorTrend, the Air Pure is the base model of the group of Lucid vehicles coming to dealerships within the next year. It’s expected to come as the cheapest option with a price tag of $77,400. It also qualifies for the $7,500 tax credit for new electric vehicles, which would bring the starting price down to $69,900. 

You get one electric motor in the rear that produces 480 hp and is expected to go approximately 406 miles on a single charge for that price. The manufacturer also reports that you can add another 300 miles in about 20 minutes if you use a 900-volt fast charger. 

Compared to Tesla, this model is expected to have a further driving range than what you get from all models of Elon Musk’s iconic electric vehicle. It’s also said to come with the perfect balance of performance and comfort, as well as its long driving range. However, this model isn’t expected to show up until 2022. 

What will the Lucid Air Touring offer?

Next up in the Lucid lineup is the Air Touring model, which reportedly costs $95,000 before the tax credit. For that price, you get two motors, one driving the front and the other driving the rear wheels. They will generate a combined 620 hp. 

The driving range is the same as the Air Pure, which is 406 miles with 19-inch wheels. If you opt for 21-inch wheels, the numbers drop. 

The acceleration time is estimated to be 2.7 seconds for a 0 to 60 mph run. That’s a bit slower than the Porsche Taycan Turbo S model, which can do it in 2.4 seconds. At a speed of 123 mph, the quarter-mile run brings a time of 11.3 seconds, closer to the Porsche model doing the same run in 11 seconds, going 123.4 mph. Like the Air Pure, the Air Touring won’t be available until 2022 or possibly late 2021. 

What about the two most expensive models?

Last we heard, the Lucid Grand Touring and the Dream Edition would be released into the market around the second to the third quarter of 2021. Is that set in stone? No. Lucid Air has seen setbacks already since the vehicle was announced in 2016. 

The Lucid Air Grand Touring is the second most expensive model in the lineup. At $139,000, the Grand Touring promises 800 hp from its two motors combined and should offer a driving range of 517 miles. 

The Lucid Air Dream Edition is the most expensive model in the lineup. It will offer a dual-motor setup, which can produce a total of 1,080 hp and give you a 2.5 second acceleration time. That makes it the most powerful model as well. 

The two most inexpensive trims aren’t expected to come out until next year, so you’ll have a bit of a wait. However, if you’re willing to shell out more money, you can snag one of the more expensive trims sometime later this year. 

RELATED: The Otherworldly Lucid Air Interior Features Incredible Technology

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Is Tesla the Only Car You Can Buy With Bitcoin?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

As everyone knows by now, Tesla is not an ordinary automaker. Led by innovator Elon Musk, the groundbreaking company seems to play by its own set of rules. From battery-powered cars to SpaceX rocket launches, Musk enjoys exploring new territories. Earlier this year, Tesla became the first car manufacturer to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment when purchasing a new vehicle.

However, Tesla is no longer the only game in town when it comes to digital currency. Several other companies now allow consumers to buy many different car brands and models from dealerships across the country using bitcoin.

Why Tesla is demanding clean energy

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency | Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Last month, in a surprise move, Musk announced Tesla was no longer accepting Bitcoin for vehicle purchases. According to RoadShow by CNET, Tesla “suspended its policy of trading the Bitcoin it already has until the currency transitions to a more efficient, sustainable energy source.”

Musk is an advocate for the reduction of fossil fuel use in the automotive industry. He claims Bitcoin mining utilizes coal energy, which is “the worst emissions of any fuel.” Climate scientists concurred, claiming the cryptocurrency’s popularity is creating a newfound demand for electricity. The Bitcoin mining process involves complex mathematical equations used to solve currency computations.

Researchers believe the increased demand for electricity will create excessive carbon emissions. In a tweet, Musk said, “Cryptocurrency is a good idea on many levels, and we believe it has a promising future, but this cannot come at great cost to the environment.” Therefore, Tesla will no longer sell Bitcoin until “mining transitions to more sustainable energy.” They are also looking into other forms of digital currency that will not exploit fossil fuels and will utilize sustainable energy sources.

Tesla is not the only car you can buy with Bitcoin

Auto Coin Cars have a vast dealership network in the United Kingdom. They recently started offering online vehicle purchases using Bitcoin as a form of payment. The company offers everything from a standard Ford economy model to a high-end luxury Lamborghini sports car. They claim purchasing a vehicle with cryptocurrency is similar to a conventional car buying experience, saying, “The only real difference is which wallet your money is coming out of.”

The company’s online service simplifies the car buying experience by suggesting that consumers browse the extensive selection to find their new dream car. The next step is to set up a test drive if desired, make a deposit, and purchase the vehicle.

It is unclear if Auto Coin Cars are following Musk’s lead, but recently they temporarily stopped accepting Bitcoin for new vehicle purchases. The website states, “Crypto transactions are currently not available. We are working hard to get these back online.”

Buying a car using cryptocurrency

Car and Driver reported that Post Oak Motor Cars, a luxury car dealership in Houston, Texas, is currently accepting cryptocurrency, saying they have already sold 17 high-end automobiles using Bitcoin. On the dealership’s website, a 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost is selling for $419,125. However, a spinning gold coin alerts potential buyers that cryptocurrency owners have the option of “a new way of buying their luxury automobiles.”

A Kia dealer in Alabama, Carriage Auto Group, is also getting in on the digital currency trend. The only catch is consumers must use cryptocurrency to pay for the entire price of the car, including tax, tag, and title. Additionally, due to this process, financing options are not available. The website states, “we have watched the development of the currency closely, and we are now ready to accept payments for vehicles in Bitcoin.”

The car dealer explained, “Bitcoin is an open-source person-to-person electronic tender that uses cryptography to have secure and transparent transactions. Many precautions are in place to prevent double-spending, and money transfers are impossible to duplicate.”

Car and Driver predict Tesla will once again accept Bitcoin when mining becomes more environmentally friendly, having said, “cryptocurrency will become a medium of exchange there again sooner or later.”

RELATED: Elon Musk Wrecked a $1 Million Car That Wasn’t Insured

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Why Do Many Electric Vehicle Owners Switch Back to a Gas-Powered Car?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Owning an electric car has its strengths and its weaknesses. On one hand, you’re saving the environment and don’t need to pay for gas. While on the other hand, you have to figure out where and when to charge in order to curtail any range anxiety. Owning an electric car is a worthy endeavor, but why do so many EV owners end up switching back to gas-powered cars?

Owning an electric car has its perks

Tesla vehicles are plugged in and charging at a Supercharger rapid battery charging station. | (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).

For those that want to get into the alternative-fuel side of the market, owning an electric vehicle is more beneficial than owning a gas-powered one. Many EV owners will benefit from not having to purchase gas as they can charge the vehicle in their own home or out in the field on a public charger. Additionally, the cost to charge the car is far less than it costs to fill one up with gas on a monthly, or even weekly, basis.

Electric vehicles are also quieter and don’t pollute the environment, which is a huge positive. And, best of all, electric vehicles don’t require as much maintenance as gas-powered cars. There are even federal tax credits to take advantage of when purchasing one. So why would anyone want to stray away from owning an EV?

Charging an EV can be tough in some cases

A man plugs a charging cable into the filler neck of a VW ID.3 during a press tour of a charging park for electric cars outside Volkswagen's Transparent Factory.
Man charges Volkswagen ID.3 | Sebastian Kahnert/picture alliance via Getty Images

If you purchase any electric vehicles that are currently in the market – whether it’s a Tesla, a Nissan Leaf, or even a Chevy Bolt – it will come with a 110-volt charger. Most of the time, they come with 240-volt charger adapters as well so that you can hook the vehicle up to the 240-volt outlet in your garage if you have one. Or you can even get a Level 2 home charger installed in your garage for the most convenient way to charge the car.

However, according to Anthropocene, one in five electric vehicle owners end up switching back to a gas-powered car. They reported that a study conducted by researchers from U.C. Davis showed that the lack of easy access to a home charger was the main culprit. The study included a survey of 4,160 EV owners in California, of which 20% of them planned to back to a gas-powered vehicle.

The results found that those that planned to switch back were typically younger females that lived in smaller houses, had small earnings, and rented more, which meant they were less likely to live in a single-family house. Due to these stipulations, many of these EV owners felt that reverting to a gas-powered car would be a better choice.

Public charging and range anxiety isn’t as much of an issue

A newly manufactured gray Nissan Leaf electric vehicle is driven from the production line to be parked at the Nissan Motor Co. plant
The Nissan Leaf | Ian Forsyth/Bloomberg via Getty Images

While charging their cars at home is the main issue for many EV owners, the study also showed that public charging was that much of an issue. That’s surprising, considering most prospective EV buyers typically worry about having to charge the car in the wild. But if they can charge at home, then solves the issue.

If you happen to be in the market for an electric vehicle in the future, we recommend ensuring that you have a place to charge it at nighttime, like a garage or a house. If not, then you might want to skip the idea as owning a gas-powered one could be better for your daily life.

RELATED: The Best Electric Vehicle Chargers for Your Home

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