It seems that every week someone else proclaims the death of car culture. Perhaps they say the demise of all we love is due to electrification. Or maybe automation is to blame. Or it's just because kids these days don't know how to tune a carburetor.
We would argue that car culture is not just surviving: it's thriving. Exciting new automotive technologies--and the groundbreaking business models behind them--will attract new demographics of car people. The Rivian R1T will enable an entirely new generation of wilderness adventurers to explore offroading, guilt-free. The Tesla Cybertruck is the first of many jaw-dropping prototypes offered by a small company then crowdsourced by the consumers. The Lordstown Endurance heralds the era of the bulletproof electric drivetrain opened up for modification by a brand new breed of motorhead.
The only way to kill car culture once and for all is to turn our backs on innovation. For a century, hotrodders and customizers have proven to be their generation's standard-bearers as we march into the future. Now, with change so desperately needed, the innovative spirit that is car culture must lead the charge once more.
Sustainable Offroading Adventure
Each generation takes environmental stewardship more seriously than the last. Many young outdoor-enthusiasts hesitate to explore offroading due to air pollution, noise pollution, or the cultural stigma attached to both. Rivian has tailored its mission statement for this new demographic. Rivian holds that it is our very instinct to explore the unknown that will lead to the innovation necessary to solve climate change. The company claims that by investing in the 2021 Rivian R1T and other sustainable offroading technology, we can enjoy the wilderness while ensuring its protection. Rivian's motto, "Keep the world adventurous forever," has inspired many who might not otherwise be car people and driven 30,000 pre-orders. Unlikely brand ambassadors include outdoor photographer Ben Moon and free-soloist Alex Honnold.
Instant torque at any speed enables electric offroaders to accomplish more than any internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. Electric vehicles (EVs) with multiple engines offer adaptive all-wheel-drive without weighty differentials, as well as built-in backup engines. With fewer moving parts than internal combustion vehicles, electric offroaders will prove more reliable and more straightforward to modify and lift. With no need for air, there's no end to the water-fording capabilities of non-combustion vehicles. Finally, solar panels built into electric trucks or erected at offroading destinations could give them nearly unlimited range. In the end, electric trucks will be better at offroading than ICE trucks. Drivers attracted to Rivian's offer of sustainable exploration will likely become offroading enthusiasts for life.
Inspiring Design For The Masses
The saddest stories in automotive history are the beloved prototypes that never made it to production. Most any car person will tell you about the one that got away: the prototype they fell for, and they would have raced out to buy, but that never went into production. It doesn't matter if your thing is a BMW pickup, a 4-cylinder fox-body, or a retro-looking modern Grand Prix racer: a tease like that can break your heart.
The automotive industry was shocked when Elon Musk unveiled the polarizing Tesla Cybertruck. Some critics called him brave. Others insisted he was crazy. But it seems Musk had a plan. According to Road and Track, Musk said, "If it turns out nobody wants to buy a weird-looking truck, we'll build a normal truck, no problem." But with 535,000 Cybertruck reservations in three-months, you better believe Tesla is tooling-up its Texas factory to begin mass-producing a "weird-looking" truck.
Forbes predicts crowdfunding is the future of investing. When pre-ordering becomes standard-practice for dramatic prototypes, any vehicle with enough interest will go into production. The Cybertruck demonstrated a market for 1980s style retro-futuristic electric offroaders. Next, will we see a 1950s retro-futuristic sportscar? A 1920s-style convertible? A steampunk motorcycle? Only time will tell. A future of bolder design means drivers with more diverse tastes can enjoy self-expression through their vehicles.
Infinitely Modifiable Bulletproof Drivetrains
Lordstown's no-nonsense Endurance features four in-wheel hub motors and does away with the industry-standard independent rear suspension. The resulting truck has fewer moving parts than any automobile on the road. Lordstown predicts that driving its 600 horsepower electric pickup 50,000 miles a year for eight years will only incur $2,880 in maintenance costs. And they are backing each truck with an 8-year battery and motor warranty. Lordstown is targeting its Endurance at commercial fleet operators who are hyper-aware of their vehicles' total cost of ownership. But as the industry perfects electric drivetrains, million-mile vehicles will become commonplace. Such extreme reliability will win over the do-it-yourself crowd.
As fans of the legendary first-generation Cummins know, durability--even if engineered for industrial applications--leaves room to tune for power and performance. Manufacturers of ICE vehicles--beholden to EPA guidelines--must make their cars and trucks as difficult to tune for power as possible. EV manufacturers are subject to no such guidelines. Infinitely modifiable EVs will be available as soon as consumers request them.
Lordstown is also pioneering a telematics system to offer commercial owners a rich stream of data for each vehicle in their fleet. The proliferation of sensors in EV drivetrains will give hotrodders and other modifiers unprecedented real-time feedback. For hotrod culture, this is an exciting new chapter, full of potential.
The Golden Age Of Car Culture
The Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck, Lordstown Endurance, and other exciting EVs will inspire a new breed of motorheads. This next-generation of car culture will support independent car companies by crowdfunding a wide array of prototypes. They will bond over brand new hobbies, such as sustainable offroading. They will modify their EVs, hot-rodding the powertrains or crafting wild new bodies for their durable skateboard chassis.
Innovation is our greatest sustainable resource. Car culture has always been a nexus of innovation, our vehicles igniting our imaginations and driving us to learn and do more. Just as new technologies will expand and inspire the motorhead community, it is this community that will fuel change.
The future is bright because the golden age of car culture is dawning.
Sources: Rivian, Lordstown Motors, Forbes, Road and Track, Blake Herrschaft, Advance Auto Parts, TorqueCars.com