Jim Glickenhaus challenges Elon Musk to a Cybertruck showdown in the Baja 1000
He wants to prove hydrogen fuel cells aren’t as dumb as Musk claims
Jim Glickenhaus has challenged Elon Musk to race in the 2023 edition of the Baja 1000. Posted on social media, the duel invitation aims to prove the merits of hydrogen-electric technology.
“You have said that hydrogen technology is ‘mind-bogglingly stupid.’ You’ve also mentioned that the Baja 1000 would be a great test for your Cybertruck. We say bring it,” wrote Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus on Instagram.
Tesla boss Musk made the comments referenced by Glickenhaus in 2019. He called fuel cells “fool cells,” added that the technology is “a load of rubbish,” and concluded that “success is simply not possible.” Musk became one of the richest people in the world by selling battery electric cars, so his stance on hydrogen is not entirely surprising.
Glickenhaus evidently stands on the pro-hydrogen side of the industry, among manufacturers like Toyota, BMW, Hyundai, and Ineos. Although his company primarily builds race cars powered by gasoline, he predicted that a hydrogen-electric variant of the Boot (pictured) could finish the 1,000-mile Baja without stopping to refuel, a feat that would give the team a big time advantage over its rivals. In comparison, the top-of-the-line Cybertruck will allegedly offer a 500-plus-mile range, so it would need to stop and charge at least once to finish the race.
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Ford F-250 SuperCrew Six-Passenger Driveway Test | Send in the clones!
Checking out the space and storage of the Super Duty crew cab
We rigorously tested the revised 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty back in January or, if you prefer, “the before times.” We towed a 12,000-pound trailer up a mountain in Arizona with an F-350 equipped with the new 6.7-liter PowerStroke diesel V8 and its 1,050 pound-feet of torque. We tackled some gnarly terrain off-road in the new F-250 Tremor. We also managed to get into as many variations are possible, including those with the also-new 7.3-liter gasoline V8.
Ah, but there was one version we didn’t test: a SuperCrew with the available six-passenger cabin. You know, the one with the front middle seat. So, it was with great interest when such a cabin showed up in front of my house in all its gigantic, towering glory. Of course, towing a 12,000-pound trailer in January 2020 is much easier than finding two other people to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with in December 2020, so I had to get creative. Thankfully, the cloning process was less painful than I expected.
So here is the front bench seat. The middle bit is fixed rather than being locked to the passenger side in a 60/40 arrangement as was often the case in recent(ish) six-passenger cars. This means that both driver and passenger can enjoy the benefits for eight-way power adjustment and a comfy bucket seat. It also equals more shoulder room since you can at least motor the passenger seat all the way back and allow the guy in the middle to sit comfortably forward and avoid literally rubbing elbows. Being in a truck that’s nearly 7 feet wide sure helps, too.
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Chevrolet will preview electrified Silverado-like truck at CES 2021
Mary Barra will give the opening keynote
After abandoning its fight against California’s lawmakers, General Motors is shifting its electrification offensive into high gear. CEO Mary Barra will give the opening keynote address at the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which will be held online, and Chevrolet will provide a peek at its electrified pickup during the event.
Insiders familiar with the carmaker’s plans told Bloomberg that Barra’s address will highlight ways that electrification can improve the environment and society in general. General Motors president Mark Reuss will speak, too, and his remarks will be followed by a video that will highlight several future products, including what the sources referred to as “a plug-in Chevrolet pickup, some Cadillac models, and vehicles for other brands.”
These comments ask more questions than they answer, because plug-in means many things in this context. Chevrolet’s electric Bolt is a plug-in vehicle, as is the upcoming GMC Hummer, but the plug-in hybrid Jeep Wrangler 4xe is one, too, and it’s clearly not all-electric. It’s often been assumed that Chevrolet’s upcoming electrified truck will be electric, but it might arrive with a hybrid powertrain or a gasoline-powered range extender. Chevrolet could also follow Ford’s lead and plant a stake in both the hybrid and the electric pickup segments.