- BYD seem to have fixed the Shark 6 traction control issues
Last year I tested a pre-production Shark 6, and found the brake traction control to be, well, terrible. It was slow acting, and when it did kick in, ineffective. Even worse the car didn’t distribute torque front/rear effectively, allowing one wheel without traction to spin whilst not sending torque (drive) to the three on the…
- What’s all this about Great Northern Brewing Co Beer and National Parks?
What happened? A social media campaign was mounted by 4WD TV to get Great Northern Beer to withdraw its support for extending or creating National Parks with the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife. To be clear, the idea was to buy private land for new national parks, not convert existing public land to national…
- Who can weigh my caravan/trailer in Australia? List of mobile weighbridge professionals
I have produced a lot of content explaining how towing works; what the weights are, what causes sway, offroad driving and much more. There’s also a calculator to give you an idea of likely weights for your rig. But nothing will replace careful measurement of your rig on a set of purpose-designed scales operated by…
- My new car
This is a support post to the video series about my new vehicle selection. Links, comments, clarifications and more. Part One NVES This scheme will slowly make any vehicle not a BEV more expensive. Unfortunately, there are not yet viable electric vehicles in all market segments, so for some buyers it’ll be a price increase…
- Why should you use cross-axle locking diffs for hill descents?
Locking differentials are often used for ascending hills, but they also have significant advantages when descending. Watch this video to find out why lockers can be used downhill, how, and their pros and cons.
- As a creator, I was pleasantly surprised by ATTN:
Few of us are on YouTube to get rich, and while there’s a notable few exceptions who have made millions out of social media videography, the reality for the vast majority is that YouTube is a passion which maybe pays something as a side hustle. Part of the reason for this paucity of income is…
- Electric Macan
Porsche have gone all-in on electrification for the next Macan with no petrol, range-extender or PHEV option, just a BEV. Given the typical Macan usage pattern I think that makes sense as given EV handles just as nicely, has plenty of range and is more practical. I don’t know if Macan buyers will agree though.…
- Why replacing your EV’s battery is no longer a concern
“But you’ll need to spend $20,000 on a new EV battery in five years!” The anti-EV crowd like to roll out the spectre of replacing an EV’s battery, which is of course hugely expensive, pointing out that’s not a cost ICE vehicle owners need worry about. All the best scare stories have a grain of…
- AusEV F-150 Lightning tow test
Australia now has a fully electric ute that is AWD, can carry nearly a tonne and tow four and half tonnes. It is the AusEV Ford F-150 Lightning and I’ve tow-tested it. Watch the video below, and I will add here clarifications and additional information as people have questions. But the Lightning is the same…
- Why a prime mover and trailer isn’t the same as a towcar and caravan
Caravan towing safety is becoming more and more of a problem; van makers consistently state weights which are lighter than the reality, and towcar makers overstate the ability of their cars to tow. And, van makers appear to pay abolsutely no attention to trailer dynamics beyond fitting shiny independent suspension and calling it good –…