GM Doesn't Want The Ford Bronco To Have All The Fun

[Chief1301]

Here is a good video about electric towing:

Great information in that video! Thanks for posting it. Why would any manufacturer build a battery powered truck with the current battery technology? It doesn't make sense! Maybe some day? But not today!

Sponsored

 

[BroncoMike]

Yeah, some of them excellerate pretty quick, but the day an electric car beats a Top Fuel Dragster down a 1000' strip... Maybe then I'll take notice. ?

You won't have to wait long.

https://www.slashgear.com/top-ev-ra...agster-is-the-future-of-drag-racing-09616076/

 

[Incognito]

Sadly, the Detroit automaker didn't provide any further details about its upcoming off-road expansion. However, one model that's reportedly in the works is an off-road-focused version of the Chevrolet Silverado.

A bare bones vehicle that will have a +$35,000 entry price is GM's answer to the Bronco and Wranger???!!!???!

Easy prediction, whatever GM brings to market at that kind of opening MSRP will struggle to stay in production after the initial hype wears off.

 

[Buckin Bronco]

I don't think electric SUVs would handle water crossings very well.

 

[Hoofnmouth]

Electric vehicles have no soul. And their not saving the planet. It's a crock! 90% of electrical power is generated by Diesel Generators. Just because your not emitting exhaust from the vehicle, doesn't mean that hundreds of miles away, Diesel Generators are emitting exhaust into the atmosphere. How is that saving the planet? What about the elements, minerals and metals that are mined and stripped from the earth to make the necessary batteries? A significant amount of these elements are not recyclable. Not to mention the terrible working condition, and child labor used to mine these elements. The internal combustion engine has made huge improvements in reducing emissions and increasing efficiency. The whole push to electric vehicles is surprising to me. Maybe some day electric vehicles will be a great thing? But their really not a great thing right now.

I wasnt a big fan of elect stuff but after building 20 or so 1000w ebikes i thought about the advantages low maint,hi torque ect i would never own just elect car that would be like painting yourself into a corner.
I myself love ice engines they do have a soul all those little parts working in symphony is awesome and the sound is theraputic to me.
Theres a cheesy movie called the last race with lee majors and burgess meridith watch it it was made in the 70s i think and its so telling of modern day.

 

[Hoofnmouth]

Sorry" the last chase."

 

[XirallicBolts]

To be fair~~~~ one big diesel engine charging 1,000 electric cars is cleaner and more efficient than 1,000 small engines powering 1,000 cars.

Agreed about how toxic the battery mining is though.

I read a comment elsewhere saying "Ford should've made a fully electric Bronco and been the leader in electrifying for others to follow!" I'm glad someone else here mentioned that you can't just bring a jerrycan full of batteries on the trail. I don't recall seeing any outlets in the "out west" promo shots.

Electric cars, including Hummer, will always be a huge compromise. If I need to tow a camper in below-0 temps, no electric vehicle will get me very far. Battery technology just isn't there. Outside major cities, you have to earmark a good chunk of range just to get to a public charging station.

Now if we get electric cars with their own little power plants, Mr. Fusion style, then we might be in business.

 

[Blitzinger]

Says they’re looking to rival rivian. Good-f%£~*^%!-luck
Rivian can be seen in Long Way Up on Apple TV+ going from tip of South America to LA and looks incredible. And that’s just a prototype. The data they’re collecting is going to be invaluable to further production units.

 

[BroncoTRDPro]

As a Hummer H3 owner, I think the Hummer brand came out strong in the beginning, became hated/a joke, was eliminated, and now has had a rebound. Just look at certain used Hummer prices: H1s, H3Ts, H3 Alphas, and the 6.2L H2s. I would consider a Hummer SUV EV but not when it will be 30K more than an equivalent Bronco or Wrangler.

 

[tokyo]

Electric vehicles have no soul. And their not saving the planet. It's a crock! 90% of electrical power is generated by Diesel Generators. Just because your not emitting exhaust from the vehicle, doesn't mean that hundreds of miles away, Diesel Generators are emitting exhaust into the atmosphere. How is that saving the planet? What about the elements, minerals and metals that are mined and stripped from the earth to make the necessary batteries? A significant amount of these elements are not recyclable. Not to mention the terrible working condition, and child labor used to mine these elements. The internal combustion engine has made huge improvements in reducing emissions and increasing efficiency. The whole push to electric vehicles is surprising to me. Maybe some day electric vehicles will be a great thing? But their really not a great thing right now.

If you read my post carefully you will notice I said nothing about saving the planet. I do not love electric vehicles because they do or they don't.

I love them because of the instant torque and nearly zero maintenance.

It is a love based purely on performance. I would love them even if they took more resources and ruined the planet. The same reason I love a big burly V8 or my current twin turbo V6. It feels good to drive.

I was a skeptic on both electric and turbos. So I did what I would expect most people who really love performance would do .. I went and drove them for myself to make up my mind.

I highly recommend any other skeptics do the same.

Performance is performance no matter how it is achieved.

 

[TJ Freestone]

I think I’ve seen similar articles posted several time.

Doesn’t really matter GM botched the hell out of the blazer and an Electric pickup is not going to save them. I can’t imagine who they plan to market it to.

I have owned and driven a lot of GM in the past. Never again as GM can't get out of their own way. They should only fear themselves!

 

[DC9atnight]

I love love love electric. I bought a cheap electric car used just to try it out and love it. Also have an electric mtn bike I built that is so fun. I test rode Zero bikes and the new Harley Livewire and loved them both.

If your sphere of movement within the day is within the battery range It makes perfect sense. I reset my tripmeter everyday for a couple weeks on my ICE car before I bought my electric car just to see how much I drive everyday.. I had no idea. Turns out 90% of days are <50 miles for me.

It is so cool to wake up everyday with a full tank and pretty much zero maintenance but.. the biggest addiction is instant torque with no shifts. Just quiet uninterrupted seamless power..

Electric makes a lot of sense for 4x4 applications as well I think.. except the elephant in the room.. range. The beauty of a 4x4 is exploring wherever wanderlust takes you. Range anxiety takes the fun out of adventure. Everything else about electric would be sweet for off-road.

So until range is 1,200 miles.. A plug in with range extender, like the BMW i3 would be perfect.

The gives the advantages of a full electric drivetrain that can be plugged in and run electric for weekdays around town and all the <50 miles/day stuff. But on the weekend put gas in the range extender ICE and go explore to hearts content. I see so much more wildlife on my electric mtn bike than I did on my dirtbikes because its so quiet. Electric range of a 4x4 could be saved for those occasions. The Volt can do it currently..

So yeah I think an all electric Hummer pickup is still going to be a tough sell for a few years to general public.. but if Chevy put the Volt drivetrain in a 4x4 configuration in an H3 revival with removal top and doors.. that could be seriously cool.

You seem both smart and sensible with an open mind. How did you accidentally wander in to this forum? But enough about electric shmetric, how do you feel about V8s, 4” lift kits and 37” tires for a little more aggressive stance for my daily driver?

 

[TJ Freestone]

You seem both smart and sensible with an open mind. How did you accidentally wander in to this forum? But enough about electric shmetric, how do you feel about V8s, 4” lift kits and 37” tires for a little more aggressive stance for my daily driver?

I am so excited about Bronco that I wander all over 6g just looking. I am an X-Chevy guy who is fully Ford now. GM quit trying to build trouble free products 20 years ago and then expected customers to pay for their apathy. We will all be seeing more electrics in our vehicles as the biggest maintenance item is the tires. The engines can run 1 million miles. When Ford mechanics are interviewed they all liked V8's and yet properly maintained Eco-boost engines hold up very well. Having said that 3 things need to be addressed. Regular oil changes, no I really mean it. I heard Ford has come out with a new oil designed for Eco-boost and you may want to install an aftermarket catch can. I am a Fleet Manager with a 132 Fords and we have done un-necessary engine work on our F 150's at about 70K because of the above mentioned. Another Manager where I work drives a Raptor as a daily driver. He can do what he wants but what a joke and he is about 5'6" also. I drive what ever I want. I drove a 2019 Ranger for 10 months last year. I thought the 2.3 was awesome. How will it be in Bronco? I don't know, but I am willing to try it. I will be getting a lower optioned Bronco next summer and it will not be my forever Bronco. It will be my test drive to get what I really want in 2022 or 2023. The truth, be honest with your self and your real use. I grew up on a farm and we really needed a 4-wheel drive truck as a daily driver. I am too practical to get a Sasquatch as a daily driver and if you do, I think you should go check your ego!

 

[tokyo]

You seem both smart and sensible with an open mind. How did you accidentally wander in to this forum? But enough about electric shmetric, how do you feel about V8s, 4” lift kits and 37” tires for a little more aggressive stance for my daily driver?

Haha, I love V8's. I have had at least one in the driveway ever since my '68 firebird I drove in high school in the 80's until I just recently got rid of my last V8 to buy my 2.7ecoboost.

Sacrilege I know.. but I sold a manual trans V8 for a 2.7 A10. Throw the chairs

I have had jeeps and trucks with 2"~6" lifts and 33"-37" tires, from a 2-door JK to a Ram Megacab and they definitely look the business but for daily driver I think 33's on a 2-door are the sweet spot for me. Plenty of off-road capability for what I do and still good acceleration and usability around town.

Now to contradict myself.. I think the 4-door stance looks better with 35's

 

[omega145]

More competition is good for Jeep/Ford. The Hummer EV is impressive but 100K in price and 9K pounds in weight doesn't seem like the smartest choice as a daily driver. I'd love to see something like the Colorado ZR2 with removable top/doors.

Sponsored