Aug 25, 2025
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Why the Skoda Yeti is better than most modern cars – review
Why am I reviewing a car that came out 14 years ago? Because it’s a Skoda Yeti and it’s bloomin' awesome, that’s why. The Yeti has a special place in my driving history for reasons we’ll get onto, but it was popular in the pre-YouTube era, so I’m just trying to bring this car’s greatness into the 2020s. Really enjoyed making this video - please drop us a like if you… liked it!(..)
P.S. Yes, the Škoda Yeti was one of the last pretty good ICE vehicles that was meant to be driven and not break the bank account. For example, I found today one 2013 1.6 liter Škoda Yeti diesel for sale on the car market today with 338,182 km (208,754 miles) on the odometer and the owner will not sell it for less than 7470 EUR. In the local car market in Latvia, you can find quite a few Škoda Yetis with over 200,000 miles on odometer. People like to drive them a lot...In the used car market, it is quite easy to spot good car models that serve well and that the first owners want to keep longer to drive long distances...!
Nowadays, it is no longer possible to buy anything equally good for such a small amount of money. To be honest, many modern ICE vehicles are quite flimsy and badly unreliable. They already start to deteriorate as soon as you look at them more closely...
Is Tesla the new iPhone?
Benedict Evans just published a great post on his blog about “Tesla, software and disruption.” I recommend a full read. In it, he tries to answer whether Tesla is really “the new iPhone” and if it will be as disruptive to the car landscape as some/many people think.
In his line of thinking, electric (as opposed to an ICE vehicle) feels a lot more like a sustaining innovation, rather than a disruptive innovation. In other words, it something that incumbents will be able to incorporate. So it will not change the “basis of competition.”
The more critical aspect is instead autonomy. Here are two snippets from the piece:
All of this takes us to autonomy. Electric is compelling but will probably be a commodity, whereas Tesla’s improvements on top of electric may not be commodities but are not necessarily decisive. Autonomy changes the world in profound ways (I wrote about this here), and it’s a fundamentally new technology that doesn’t look at all like a commodity. And Tesla is doing this, too. Sort of.
In this competition, Tesla’s thesis is that the data it can collect from its cars will give it a crucial advantage. The only reason that anyone is interested in autonomy today is that the emergence of machine learning (ML) in the last 5 years probably gives us a way to make it work. Machine learning, in turn, is about extracting patterns from large amounts of data, and then matching things against those patterns. So how much data do you have?
But even if we are to all agree that autonomy is the “disruptive innovation”, it is not yet clear who will get there first. Maybe it is Tesla. Maybe it is Waymo. Regardless, many or most people seem to agree that it will arrive in 202x.
Image: Tesla
ICE and CBP vans look nearly identical to ordinary cop cars.
ICE/CBP cars:
ICE/CBP cars often say "Border Patrol" or "Homeland Security" on the side. Sometimes the cars are unmarked and just look like civillian cars
Non-ICE/CBP cars:
Non-ICE/CBP cars often have the agency/police department on the side in big, bold letters.
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
The Automotive HVAC market is projected to reach $86.1 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.4% fueled by rising demand for comfort featur
Nissan cancels new models; cuts thousands of U.S. jobs, slash production 25%
P.S. Breaking news, but no surprises here! The arrogance against innovation and CVT transmission doomed NISSAN sales not just in the U.S... Unfortunately, NISSAN will not be the only brand of former "Western" car manufacturers that will cease to exist by 2030
How does a powertrain work?
The powertrain in a vehicle is the system responsible for generating power and delivering it to the wheels to propel the vehicle forward. The operation of a powertrain can vary depending on whether the vehicle is powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE) or an electric motor (in the case of electric vehicles). Here's a general overview of how a powertrain works in both types of vehicles:
Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Vehicle - Combustion Process: In an ICE vehicle, the powertrain starts with the combustion process in the engine. Fuel (gasoline or diesel) mixes with air in the combustion chamber and is ignited by spark plugs (in gasoline engines) or compression (in diesel engines).
Power Generation: The combustion process generates energy in the form of mechanical power, causing pistons to move up and down within the cylinders of the engine. This motion drives the crankshaft, converting linear motion into rotational motion.
Transmission: The rotational motion from the crankshaft is transmitted to the transmission, which consists of gears that allow the driver to select different ratios (speeds). This enables the engine to operate efficiently across a range of vehicle speeds.
Drivetrain: The transmission sends power to the drivetrain components, including the driveshaft, differential, and axles, which transfer power to the wheels. The differential allows the wheels to rotate at different speeds, enabling smooth turns.
Wheel Movement: The power transmitted through the drivetrain causes the wheels to rotate, propelling the vehicle forward or backward depending on the gear selection and throttle input from the driver.
Electric Vehicle (EV) -
Battery Pack: The primary source of power for the EV, storing electricity in chemical form.Powers the electric motor and provides electricity for all electronic devices within the EV.
Battery Management System (BMS): Monitors battery cell conditions, including voltage, current, temperature, and state of charge (SoC).It protects the battery against overcharging, deep discharging, and overheating and helps balance the charge across cells. Ensures optimal performance and longevity of the battery by regulating its environment.
Inverter: Converts DC from the battery pack into AC to drive the electric motor.Adjusts the frequency and amplitude of the AC output to control the motor’s speed and torque. Critical for translating electrical energy into mechanical energy efficiently.
Onboard Charger: Facilitates the conversion of external AC (from the grid) to DC to charge the battery pack. Integrated within the vehicle, allowing for charging from standard electrical outlets or specialized EV charging stations. Manages charging rate based on battery status to ensure safe and efficient charging.
DC-DC Converter: Steps down the high-voltage DC from the battery pack to the lower-voltage DC needed for the vehicle's auxiliary systems, such as lighting, infotainment, and climate control. Ensures compatibility between the high-voltage battery system and low-voltage electronic components.
Electric Motor: Converts electrical energy into mechanical energy to propel the vehicle. It can be of various types, such as induction motors or permanent magnet synchronous motors, each offering different efficiencies and characteristics. Typically provides instant torque, resulting in rapid acceleration.
Vehicle Control Unit (VCU): The central computer or electronic control unit (ECU) that governs the EV's systems. Processes inputs from the vehicle’s sensors and driver inputs to manage power delivery, regenerative braking, and vehicle dynamics. Ensures optimal performance, energy efficiency, and safety.
Power Distribution Unit (PDU): Manages electrical power distribution from the battery to the EV’s various systems. Ensures that components such as the electric motor, onboard charger, and DC-DC converter receive the power they need to operate efficiently. Protects the vehicle's electrical systems by regulating current flow and preventing electrical faults.
In both ICE vehicles and EVs, the powertrain's components work together to convert energy into motion, enabling the vehicle to move efficiently and effectively. However, the specific technologies and processes involved differ significantly between the two propulsion systems.
Ford FIRES nearly 70% of EV plant workers, ramping up ICE production
P.S. There is no reason to worry: legacy automakers, including Ford, are quite insignificant in the new electric car technology market...! Moreover, in Europe, Ford is a stagnant and rather slowly dying brand...