Quick Shifts

Each week I bring you the top stories in the auto industry along with my commentary or sometimes amusing thoughts about the craziness that goes on in the world of cars. 

Stories You'll Find Today

• The $500 Plastic Tub Ford Thinks You Need
• Nothing Funny Here: Laughing Gas and a Wrecked SUV
• Radar Gun Discovers Much More Than Speed
• When the Cop Drone Becomes the Distractor, Everyone Loses

The $500 Plastic Tub Ford Thinks You Need. Ford apparently looked at the Mustang Mach-E and thought, “You know what owners are getting for free? Air under the hood.” According to MotorBiscuit, the once-standard frunk — that little molded plastic tub EV drivers love to show off — may now require opting in. That’s right, we’ve officially reached the point where empty space is a feature. The frunk was never a five-star luxury amenity. It’s a bin with a drain plug. You toss in charging cables, a backpack, maybe some ice and beverages if you’re feeling ambitious. But in the EV world, it’s also part of the cool factor. “Look, no engine!” is usually followed by someone lifting the hood like they’re revealing a magic trick. Now that magic trick may come with a line item. The reasoning reportedly centers on cost control and the fact that not everyone uses it. By that logic, we should probably delete rear seats because some people drive alone, and maybe climate control becomes optional if enough owners prefer fresh air. EV buyers have been conditioned to expect frunks. It’s part of the pitch: pay more upfront, get clever packaging and futuristic perks. Charging extra for it feels like buying a house and being told attic access is part of the Premium Storage Experience Package. Is it catastrophic? No. Is it peak bean-counter energy? Absolutely. Somewhere, an accountant just monetized oxygen, and Mach-E shoppers now get to decide if that little plastic tub is worth one more checked box.

Nothing Funny Here: Laughing Gas and a Wrecked SUV. Authorities responding to a wrecked SUV got more than twisted sheet metal when they arrived on scene. Officers found the driver trapped inside the damaged vehicle — and allegedly inhaling laughing gas while waiting to be extricated. Yes, while first responders were assessing the crash and working the scene, the driver was reportedly continuing to huff nitrous oxide. You can’t make this stuff up, although apparently you can breathe it in. Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is legally used in medical and dental settings, but recreational inhalation has become an ongoing issue for law enforcement across the country. It produces a brief euphoric effect, along with dizziness and impaired judgment, which are not exactly ideal co-pilots when you’re operating two tons of SUV. Authorities say the crash left the vehicle significantly damaged and the driver stuck inside, though details about injuries were limited. What is clear is that inhaling laughing gas at the scene of your own accident is not the kind of roadside composure most driver’s ed instructors had in mind. Law enforcement has repeatedly warned that misuse of nitrous oxide can lead to serious health risks, including oxygen deprivation and loss of consciousness — outcomes that pair poorly with steering wheels. The incident serves as yet another reminder that impaired driving doesn’t always come in a bottle labeled whiskey. Sometimes it comes in a small metal canister with a balloon attached. And while the name “laughing gas” suggests comedy, there was nothing particularly funny about a wrecked SUV, emergency responders on scene, and a driver allegedly still chasing a buzz instead of, say, reconsidering life choices.

Radar Gun Discovers Much More Than Speed. Police didn’t need a drug dog for this one, they just needed a radar gun. A driver ripping through a 35 mph zone at 60 mph managed to turn a routine speeding stop into a full-blown felony highlight reel. Officers say the driver was allegedly transporting a sizeable amount of cocaine and oxycodone while also driving on a suspended license, because apparently if you’re going to ignore one law, you might as well collect the whole set. The speeding alone was enough to get attention, but pairing it with drug trafficking and no legal right to be behind the wheel is the kind of bold strategy that guarantees flashing lights in your rearview mirror. Law enforcement didn’t have to connect many dots here; the driver reportedly connected them all on his own. It’s a reminder that when you’re allegedly hauling illegal narcotics, blending in is generally a better life choice than auditioning for Fast & Furious: Probation Violation. Instead, this became a master class in how to escalate a traffic ticket into something that requires handcuffs and a court date. Speeding is expensive. Felony drug charges are more expensive. And driving on a suspended license while doing both suggests long-term planning may not have been heavily involved. Some criminals mastermind elaborate schemes. Others just floor it in a school zone and let destiny handle the rest.

When the Cop Drone Becomes the Distractor, Everyone Loses. A recent story out of Kingston, Ontario reads like a cautionary tale for people who think a creepy police drone hovering over their car is the perfect Instagram moment. According to reports, a woman stopped at a red light noticed a drone eyeballing her vehicle, so she did exactly what any rational human would do — took a couple of photos of the flying gadget — and then continued when the light turned green. Except Kingston police didn’t see her as a modern-day Big Brother critic; they saw a distracted driver and promptly slapped her with a distracted-driving ticket, complete with a roughly $615 fine, demerit points, and the possibility of a short license suspension. Yes, the police used a drone to catch people allegedly using their phones while driving, then cited her for using her phone because she photographed the very drone that was causing the distraction in the first place. It’s like setting a mousetrap and fining the mouse for not reading the warning label. The woman pushed back, calling the whole thing entrapment and saying the drone’s presence was unsettling enough to warrant documenting it. Public pushback grew, a constitutional rights group got involved questioning whether drones zooming in on motorists violates reasonable search protections, and prosecutors ultimately dropped her charge and at least one other similar ticket without explanation. After that backlash, local police reportedly announced they aren’t using drones that way anymore, though it took a handful of dismissed cases for someone to realize this enforcement tactic might not be the greatest idea. Distracted driving is a serious issue, but when the distraction is a hovering robot eye, it’s hard not to wonder who’s really causing the problem.

Photo: Ford.