Trucks are getting more luxurious, more popular — and even going electric:
Autos that will light up the Green New Deal
SLIPPING away from the St. Pat’s for All parade in Queens last month was a bad look for US Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez. She quickly hopped into a luxe, gas-guzzling SUV for the jaunt home, ignoring the 7 train back to her neighborhood.
“Living in the world as it is isn’t an argument against working towards a better future,” she tweeted without much punctuation.
Yet the restrictive Green New Deal promoted by Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx, Queens) would slay gas-guzzling serpents, so it may be time to revamp her ground game with new or forthcoming electric vehicles that make hard left turns, spoil occupants in secret luxury and emit fewer poisons.
2019 Nissan Leaf Plus
The Nissan Leaf entered showrooms in 2010 amid grand forecasts of 150,000 US annual sales. With government incentives, sales have totaled 140,000 here — in nine years — and 400,000 worldwide. Baffled dealerships rarely stock Leafs. The Leaf Plus ($37,445 to $43,445) addresses prior feebleness with a zappier battery pack and snappier charging. Range reaches 226 miles. The Plus dashes from 0 to 60 mph in 7 seconds and smashes the sound barrier at 98 mph. On the road, the hatchback feels solid and substantial, and it’s quiet. Trim levels are S, SV, and SL. With its standard self-driving features, the SL is like an actress playing out a script. Sound familiar? The big negative is the poorly designed cargo area. (Nobody is designing for the representative in a gown, OK?) And lacking premium emblems, the Plus just doesn’t say “14th District Winner.”
2021 Tesla Model Y
In March, Tesla introduced the Model Y. The compact crossover SUV shares underpinnings with the brand’s Model 3 sedan. Deliveries start in about 18 months. For better or worse, like a dolphin compared to a whale, the Y looks like a downscaled Model X. Perhaps it’s cuter, but who puts a picture of it on the wall? The basic rear-wheel-drive Standard Range starts at $40,200. The Long Range does 300 miles, Throgs Neck, LI to Trenton, NJ and back with change, for $48,200. Another $4,000 gets the second electric motor and all-wheel drive. Top-of-the-line Performance ($61,200) must be thinking of Indy because 0 to 60 mph is 3.5 seconds, top speed as high as 150 mph. The standard panoramic roof and 15-inch tablet like Moses would expect are very appealing. Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capability are available to make the Y a minion. Assuming her 2020 re-election, it’s easy to see Ocasio-Cortez in one, especially with chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti at the wheel, like, every other day.
2021 Rivian R1T
Armored with a nose guard and light bar, the Rivian R1T should patrol Long Island City for Amazon HQ2 holdouts. To be built in Illinois by Michigan-based Rivian Motors, this luxurious five-passenger pickup ($69,000) has it all. That means 0 to 60 mph in around three seconds, 300 to 400 miles of range depending on battery pack, and up to 11,000 pounds of towing. Four motors, one near each wheel, ensure precise driving. A sport suspension gives great ride and handling. Thanks to air springs, the R1T drops low for easy loading but rises to defy Pelosi-like obstacles. A curious feature is the gear tunnel, a body-width cavity between passenger compartment and cargo bed — just the thing for stashing zany Political Action Committee documents.
Aston Martin Rapide E
The Aston Martin Rapide E has a role in the next James Bond movie, though you won’t be able to see this car at the New York auto show. However, nothing is better for slipping into a world-dominator’s compound than this 155-mph torpedo, especially since only 155 will be made. Thriller plot preview: Double-agent OcasioCortez summons a Rapide E for a capital soiree but forgets about the need for recharging on the way to Washington. Bond swoops in to the rescue.
Cruise AV
Chevrolet had the 2011 Volt, an extended-range plug-in hybrid. Then they had a better idea and brought out the full-electric 2017 Bolt EV, which sells about as well as ice cream in Antarctica. Meanwhile, General Motors bought Cruise Automation, a self-driving outfit, and made it a subsidiary. So the full-robot Bolt EV is called Cruise AV, as in autonomous vehicle. It has no steering wheel or pedals, but they say it drives like a DIVCO milk truck. It’s now in low-volume production. Don’t bother looking for it at dealerships — the Cruise AV’s first fleet duty is delivering order-out meals in San Francisco. Perhaps OcasioCortez will reserve a Cruise AV for the 2020 St. Pat’s for All parade where she wears no seatbelt, leaving hands free to dispense MetroCards to the masses.