KayLeadfoot

No worries, boss. Not taken as mean or unfair.

Out of curiosity… what credential would make you trust an automotive journalist more? If it’s academic paper, I’m S.O.L.

The About Us, I didn’t realize folks would have a hard time finding it if it were in the header! What do I know about websites, right. But I can fix that, I’ll duplicate the About Us entry into the dropdown, that should clear up any confusion.

I’m not trying to win you over, that’s not really my bag… but you might find this interesting. I’ve had a couple folks, some with recognizable names, reach out to me through the website. The pitch is a little different each time, but they all seem to want to know my name, they share your view that it ISN’T Kay Leadfoot. I wonder why they’re so interested about that? Haha, I’m sure they wouldn’t publish it if I told them, they seem trustworthy… Some folks start with a more direct approach, and they just hit me with the threats from the word go, and THEN get to the “we’ll see you soon” part. I wonder what those two groups would do if one knew who I was, and the other WANTED to know?

Ain’t that funny? I tell jokes about cars, who cares who I am? Apparently, several folks care, some of them real ornery about it. It’s less funny when you think about the actual journalists who don’t have the same options… the wave after wave of threats probably has a chilling effect on their coverage, god knows what that does for a democracy in general if your press core is afraid to speak their mind and follow facts wherever they go in case some crazies come knocking.

Thanks for the feedback, by the by, it helps.

This just got suggested to me in my random feed and it delights me - thank you!

I just discovered… a scientist tested my findings! Well that’s real nice, we held up with statistically significant findings.

https://www.someweekendreading.blog/cybertruck-vs-pinto/

That’s more than 1 brake check per hour at the speed they were testing the system at.

I did, too!

https://media1.tenor.com/m/zJvexdmTjA4AAAAC/im-doing-my-part-serious.gif

Thanks Iceman. I loved your work in Top Gun.

I think you touch on something important here. Some folks say the sample size is too small, on a strict statistical basis. Automotive safety works on different scales, often fast-paced decisions are made about auto safety and we don’t wait around for “statistical significance” in an academically rigorous sense.

Ironically, the smallest production run of cars to receive a recall in the United States (that I could find) was… the Ford Pinto, because the accelerator pedal got stuck! That was its first year of production. All 26,000 were recalled 2 months after the model was released.

DOUBLE ironic… the smallest production run of pickup trucks to receive a recall in the United States (that I could find) was… the Tesla Cybertruck! ALSO because the accelerator pedal got stuck! All 4,000 were recalled a few months after deliveries started at scale, in the first full year of production.

Isn’t that funny? History doesn’t repeat itself, but it is basically a dirty limerick. And what an awful chapter of automotive history to repeat, our vehicles should be vastly safer in 2025 than they were in 1971.

Since I’m half-intelligent, I won’t pretend to understand most what you’re saying here.

I don’t think the article linked is nonsense, though. It certainly isn’t leftist anything, miss me with that.

But… importantly… There is a statistically correct way to complete the following sentence:

“The Tesla Cybertruck is ______ times more/less explosive than the Ford Pinto.”

If you disagree with my answer to that question, what is your answer? I showed my math, I even invite the readers to re-run the equation. If you re-run it, what do you come up with? I bet your answer will be informative and helpful to the conversation about EV safety, two elements that are the “sugar,” “spice,” and “everything nice” about good reporting.

Hey, boss… If you say my name and don’t knock on wood, I show up.

This place seems nice! I might post here in the future.

I do not hate EVs. Read my reviews of the Tesla Model 3, the new Dodge Charger EV, and the F-150 Lightning. If you don’t like to read, the TL;DR is that I very much like each vehicle. Like many pickup truck people, I specifically do not like the Cybertruck, but that’s because it’s a lousy vehicle.

You should keep an open mind - just because you disagree with me, doesn’t mean I have some unreasonable bias. I may have followed evidence to a different conclusion.

I do smile when Tesla fans ask me to announce my name. I already did! I’m Kay Leadfoot. You can learn more about me on my About page, which has definitely been there since Day 1. Unrelated to anything, please don’t call me dude.