#Low Hummer Panic Calls

[musicposting]

Panic Calls - Low Hummer

[spotify]

[netscapenavigator-official]

Fuck the Cybertruck, Fuck Tesla, and Fuck Elon Musk, but has loads of misinformation in it.

First of all, the Cybertruck has side mirrors. So the whole “can’t check your sides” is BS. America, unlike Europe, doesn’t allow for vehicles to have camera’s in place of mirrors. As a result, unlike Europe, no American-spec vehicle is currently being sold without them. You are right about the rear view mirror, though. The Cybertruck has one (as mandated by law), but it’s entirely useless due to the vehicle’s motorized tonneau cover, tiny rear windshield, and non-flat bed sides. So, while you can use the rear-view mirror, most drivers are unlikely to because of just how useless it is. However, as much as I think it’s a stupid idea, the Cybertruck isn’t alone in this idea, either. Volvo is about to start making the Polestar 4: A vehicle which won’t even have a rear windshield and will use cameras instead of glass… Hyundai also sells an Ioniq 5 with optional Camera Mirrors, in Europe. So, while I agree it’s stupid, this isn’t a Tesla-exclusive issue. It’s just (unfortunately) where the auto market is trying to go. Tesla isn’t as bleeding-edge as a lot of people think. In fact, in the EV space, most people are pretty aware that they’ve lost their edge in almost every aspect.

Secondly, saying “everything is steer-by-wire” is not only wrong, but it’s blatant fear mongering. ALL modern cars, for basically the last two decades, have computerized throttle pedals. The Cybertruck is not special because it has a digital accelerator. Not only do gas powered cars have these, but it’s literally impossible for a modern electric car to not have one because there’s no physical way to tell electrons to exit the battery and enter the motor, unlike in a gas car where you can just open a flap more and make the engine run faster. You’re also wrong in the assumption that the Cybertruck has a digital brake pedal. No it does not. I cannot find any proof of this aside from fanboy’s speculating. The closest mention of proof I found was the Cybertruck forum where someone debunks this by mentioning that the Cybtertruck does not meet Brembo’s requirements. Therefore (at the very least) the front two calipers are still physical. However, a more valid concern of the Cybertruck’s brake system is that, according to every single reviewer I’ve watched, this thing is dangerously underbraked for its size, weight, and performance. Apparently, Tesla thought they could get away with some part’s bin brakes and didn’t realize that’d be an issue for a 7,000 lb truck that can do 0-60 faster than most modern sports cars.

Thirdly, steer-by-wire does not allow for each wheel to be independently controlled. I don’t know about the rear wheels (which we’ll get to in a minute), but I know for a fact that the front wheels use a run-of-the-mill steering rack. The difference is that instead of a mechanical linkages controlling them, a small electric motor does. The wheels themselves are still linked together, meaning they have to turn in the same direction, the same amount.

Fourthly, if you meant the front and rear wheels can potentially turn in opposite directions, then you’re right. That’s literally how four-wheel-steering works. At high speeds, the front and rear wheels turn together to make the car corner sharper. At low speeds, they turn opposite to enable the tighter turning circle you mentioned. Some four-wheel-steering systems even allow for parallel turning at low speeds. General Motors did in the Hummer EV. They called it “Crab Walk Mode,” and it was advertised as an off-roading feature.

Fifthly, the panic and fear around four-wheel-steering is bullshit. While it’s uncommon on regular cars, it’s very common on luxury cars because, as I said, it allows cars to corner sharper at high speeds and turn tighter at low speeds without actually needing to downsize or reduce weight. In fact, the first four-wheel-steering system was introduced all the way back on the 1987 Honda Prelude. These systems aren’t new, and they’re far more tried and tested than most think.

Finally, Toyota’s (Lexus’s) steer-by-wire system does not have physical linkages as backup. They just put more electric motors as redundancy. They have the exact same, 100% digital steering system as the Cybertruck. I’m not saying this is good. In fact, I quite think it’s a shit idea, but what Tesla has done with their steer-by-wire system is nothing out of the ordinary, and according to plenty of automakers announcing upcoming plans, it’s due to become the norm with these systems.

I’m sorry if this came off as rant-y or aggressive. The Tesla Cybertruck is a vehicle that’s stupid and dangerous in plenty of ways, but let’s at least make sure the things we’re calling it out on are the actual problems.

Watch a Cybertruck break in real time, less than a mile after the guy acquires it. Founders Edition totally worth $120K, right?

[parkerbombshell]

Pulsebeat 284

Mondays 3pm EST bombshellradio.com Pulsebeat a new release based punk, alt. whatever show out of Abingdon, Oxfordshire broadcasting Mondays 3pm EST bombshellradio.com   #Punk #Powerpop   Pulsebeat 284 A1       1 John (timestwo) - Theme New Bond Junior 2 Teen Mortgage - Tuning In 3 Romero - Happy Hour 4 Civic - End Of The Line 5 Witch Fever - Snare 6 Horace Andy - Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City 7 Martha - Total Cancellation Of The Future 8 Hammered Hulls - Staggering Genius  9 Bear Away - Wake Up and Smell The Floor 10 Low Hummer - Panic Calls  11 Low - Fear 12 Iggy Pop - Frenzy 13 The Damned - 13th Floor Vendetta (live) 14 Guided By Voices - Instinct Dwelling 15 Adulkt Life - Ants & Lions  16 OFF! - Circuitry's  God 17 Nervous Eaters - End Of The World Girl 18 Continental Lovers - Dale Arden 19 Robert Gordon, Link Wray  - The Way I Walk Read the full article

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Audio: Hull's Low Hummer Shares Incisive "Panic Calls"

New Audio: Hull's Low Hummer Shares Incisive "Panic Calls" @dttrlabel @heygroover @romainpalmieri @DorianPerron @HummerLow

Hull, UK-based post-punk act Low Hummer — Daniel, Aimee, Steph, Jack, John, and Joe — can trace their origins through the individual members’ connections to their hometown’s DIY scene. After meeting and bonding over mutual interests, the sextet quickly established a regular rehearsal home at DIY venue The New Adelphi Club, where they were able to develop and hone a danceable take on post-punk…

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Ghosts’ Journey: (Part 1) Wooden Dolls

The game does NOT convey the true horror of Black Swan Bay.... Feel free to refer to this as a lore post. @rurifangirl by request

You arrive at the Takamagahara at around 3am, soaked to the bone and disheveled.  The rain was still falling, though it had let up somewhat. You're shocked to hear the voices of the four men immediately after you open the door.

"MC! You're okay!" Lu Mingfei's greeting was full of joyful relief. "I'm so glad. I saw you fall from the tower and…"

"MC!" At the same time he spoke, Caesar’s haughty voice was like a trumpet. "There you are! I was considering sending out a search party for you!"

Chu Zihang’s voice was one of quiet amazement.  "You made it!"

"It's the woman of the hour!" Fingel raised his glass.

The Nightclub was already closed. The floor was empty and the lights were out save those illuminating the bar. They were all still drinking. An open bottle of whiskey was next to them and half filled glasses of ice were stationed by each of them. They were dry so they must have been here for a bit, but they seemed to be waiting for you!

It was the surprise party you didn't know you needed. The night had started with a bugged conversation with Bondarev and Herzog, two men you'd be happy to kill, and ended, once again, fighting hordes of Deadpool.

You brush your hair back and smile, resting one hand on your hip.  "Is this MC Romance Contest season two?" You approach the bar. "Thanks for leaving the rope there for me to get down." You nodded to Fingel and straightened your shirt. "Ms. Yabuki's ok as well." Then you freeze. "What are you wearing?" 

Fingel was dressed in a suit that sparkled silver in the dim neon lights! He looked like a bowl of glitter had gained sentience. "Do you like it?"

You pause, recalling Ruri's polite treatment of Fingel's performing career. "I … can definitely see you better!"

Caesar waves you over to a stool between him and Chu Zihang and pours you a glass from the bottle of whiskey. "Sorry it took so long. I was extra careful to be sure I wasn't followed." You say.

Chu Zihang nods. "Wise. But likely unneeded. The Hydra have their hands full cleaning up the mess under the Tokyo Tower and thinking of ways to explain this disaster."

You raise your glass to your lips and sip. Your smile remains but it's as bitter as the whiskey in your hands. "You don't realize how much Bondarev wants me dead. He was trying to entrap me in that tower the whole time we were fighting deadpool. It's some dedication. "

"Then we have good news! Sources within Hydra say Tachibana is dead! So you can rest easy there!" Fingel strikes his superman pose, puffing out chest and displaying the wiry hairs that peeked out of his low cut collar.

You freeze and fix Fingel with a cold stare of denial. Your mind races. “Bondarev is dead? No…"

"It's true!" As Fingel speaks he pantomimes the scene. "There were deadpool in the underground garage! Chisei was driving in Tachibana's Mercedes alone but the exit ramp was slicked with oil by the Devil Clan! Tachibana used Chisei's Hummer to push him up the ramp, but he was too wounded to continue himself so he set the ramp and the car ablaze and burned to death inside to kill the beasts! It was quite the noble sacrifice of a father for a son." Fingel sighed dramatically. 

Your frown deepens, unimpressed. "Yeah, that's how I know it's bullshit. That man doesn't sacrifice himself for anyone. Period. He wants to disappear."

Fingel deflated.

"Why?" Lu Mingfei is shocked. 

You look at him, you snarl like a dog, barking low in its growl. "To chase me! I knew it! He wasn’t going to let me go! I am a witness! I am strong. I understand him on a deep level! I have to die. He will chase me to the end. The only reason I didn't kill him on that tower was because Chisei would have snapped me in half!"

Fingel stares wide eyed at you. Caesar and Chu Zihang exchange glances from either side of you.

"You should have seen him there,  acting sorry and repentant. 'Oh, what I did was wrong. I can never be redeemed!'" You clasp your hands over your heart and roll your eyes to the heavens. Then you point your finger to the table. "He's got Chisei hypnotized, thinking he's somehow a murderer but actually really good at heart! And now that he's dead in a sacrificial manner, Chisei may never be convinced otherwise! It's absolutely genius." 

You sip your glass and tilt your head. "I can't leave this place. Hell, he might already know I'm here. I didn't see anyone tailing me but maybe he already knows and is cutting Hydra attachments so he can tie up loose ends like me before resurrecting the White King. I did the right thing by coming here late… but was it enough?" You calm your smile and Caesar offers you a cigarette.  You wave him away. "I'm good. Where's Ruri? Has anyone heard from him?"

Caesar tucked the cigarette back into the carton. "That's what we were waiting to discuss. We searched the area where Ruri Kazama disappeared on the glider and found the King General trying to drag him into a black Maybach car."

You had been about to sip the whiskey again but nearly dropped the glass, spilling some of it on the table. "What? But I saw him get cut to pieces! His head was cut off. No one could survive that!"

You look between Caesar and Chu Zihang and Lu Mingfei, but they all had the same serious expression. 

Chu Zihang smoothly cleaned up your mess with a napkin in silence.

"He is alive. We all saw him standing next to the car. His eyes were red and gold. Like a Dragon King." Lu Mingfei said quietly. 

Caesar murmured, his eyes dull. "Or maybe some sort of spirit."

Chu Zihang seems equally discouraged, tossing the napkin in a waste bin with characteristic accuracy.  "My mind doesn't accept a belief in things like ghosts. But I can't come up with an explanation.  There have been many things I have seen in Japan that defy explanation.  But this…"

A heavy silence descended over the five of you.

"So Herzog… and Bondarev got away?" You ask. They all nodded. It was undeniable.  You just had to accept it.

Your mouth has gone dry and you lick your lips, feeling sick to your stomach. "Is Ruri ok?" 

"We got to him in time. He wasn't physically hurt. But Herzog used some mind control method to stop the man from fighting back. A clapper sound." Caesar said. “Like a banging of two sticks together.”

At the words ‘clapper sound’, you understand and hear it in your head. That hollow tapping of two pieces of wood, like a loud metronome. It grows louder and louder and fills your head.  Your eyes go wide and dull as though the bright and vibrant soul behind them had fled to hide.

You remembered yourself as a child playing a game of soccer.  The score was close. You were tearing across the grass and looked over at Anton. He was growing more handsome by the day and his smile was particularly warm to you today. You swiped the ball with your foot to pass it to him and, as you did, you heard it. 

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The soccer ball rolled past Anton and collided with the fence. Anton stood straight and stiff, eyes rolled back. The sound of children at play instantly cut off, like someone had muted a television set. All the children in the field stood like wooden dolls. You were the only one alive. 

A nurse loomed in the gate with the blocks of wood, staring at you with black cold eyes.

This was not the first flashback you’d had of Black Swan Bay. The first one occurred in Genji Heavy Industries, when Caesar in disguise was confronted by a furious Nanami Sakurai. She struck him across the face. The sound of it sent you back to a memory of you accidentally breaking dishes and being struck like that. In that sudden surge of panic, you had grabbed Caesar's hand and hurried out of the elevator until he stopped you.

He described you as a ‘scared rabbit’.

It wasn’t Herzog you feared. You didn’t fear the beatings or the solitary confinement or the painful needles. You feared the black-eyed nurses you worked with every single day. A single bad report, a single stroke of a pen, they could send you away in the dark medical room and turn you into a wooden doll!

So in the field, you stiffen your arms and dull your eyes. You march to the designated spot in line and place your hands on the shoulders of the doll-like child in front of you. Another doll-like child put her hands on your shoulders. They check the cloth cuffs of the children one by one as they exit the playground. You’re wearing a cloth cuff.

You were child number 21....

“Easy, I think she’s coming out of it.” The voice sounded far away. “MC you’re having a flashback. Take a deep breath.”

Just like the flashback in Genji Heavy Industries, the dream was gone as soon as it came. You’re gasping uncontrollably. You weren’t in Black Swan Harbor. You weren’t standing before the dark eyed nurse who could take your soul away!

You were just in the Takamagahara Nightclub. There was no one but Caesar and Chu Zihang, Lu Mingfei and Fingel.

“Easy.” Chu Zihang’s voice was gentle.

Fingel was frozen like a statue in a state of shock. Lu Mingfei only looked concerned. “MC are you okay?”

Your breathing slows and you start to feel embarrassed. Your mind comes back to you but you can’t remember what the subject of the conversation was. You realize that you’re shaking and sweating. You clasp your hands tightly and squeeze hard, letting the pain repress the emotion. It was the only way you knew how to stuff everything back in the box where it had spilled out. “I’m sorry. Just … give me a minute.”

Caesar’s eyes lift to Chu Zihang’s. “We actually considered calling a psychiatrist for Ruri Kazama but I'm thinking we need one for you too.”

You nod, responding to Caesar but talking to yourself. “That’s right. We were talking about Ruri. Herzog’s mind control. I… I forgot.”

Caesar reached out and you closed the gap between his hand and yours. You’d squeezed so hard you’d bruised yourself with your own fingerprints. “We just need to know how it works.” Caesar said.

“Right.” You take another deep breath. “Almost all the children in Black Swan Bay had their heads cut at a very young age. The children all had a brain surgery that made them susceptible to the sound. The last one I remember getting it was Vera. The nurses couldn’t deal with her stutter. They would beat her and try to make her talk well. They just got sick of it. One morning, I woke up and she had the bandages wrapped around her head. She still stuttered, but if the nurses tapped the woodblock she spoke without the stutter, so it was easy for them.”

Fingel’s hand was over his mouth and Lu Mingfei’s look of horror was not a farce. Unlike Chu Zihang and Caesar Gattuso who had discussed Black Swan Harbor with Ruri Kazama before, this was their first initiation to the nightmare that was your world as a child.

“Did you have this surgery?” Caesar gently asked.

“No. I was lucky because I made Dr. Herzog laugh. I was still… in the pediatric creche… area?” You struggled to find words because you only experienced that time in Russian. “They kept this iron bar cover over the beds at night so you couldn’t get up. One day, I lost a tooth. I hid the tooth in my mouth all day until the nurse came to shut the beds over us at night. Then I shoved the tooth in the latch. She was in a hurry, so she didn’t realize it hadn’t locked all the way.”

“I was able to climb out of my crib. All the children either were too young to be able to escape or had their heads cut and were recovering at that time, so… no one was watching. I got out into the hallway and everything was dark. But Dr. Herzog was there, smoking a cigar. I didn’t know I was scared of him. So I just said… Hi! Are you … are you Santa?”

You suddenly cover your face with your hands when you remember his smile. His laughter. He laughed so much. You laughed too, something you’d never done. It felt good to laugh. Your mind was flooded with happy feelings. After that, you were favored. Even if the nurses had a complaint he would wave it away. Herzog didn’t cut your brain because he thought you were funny. 

Even now, you’re laughing, you’re laughing low, almost like sobs, but you’re smiling. You know you shouldn’t laugh. This is terrible. It’s horrible. Horrific. But you’re laughing. Santa... are you Santa? The words echoed in your head. Absolutely hilarious.

“We should stop. We got our answer.” Chu Zihang said quietly.

You smell the scent of cigarettes and it buoy’s you back to reality. You rub your hands dry on your pants. “If he can control Ruri with the woodblock then his brain has been cut.”

Your voice is dull and  your eyes empty.

No one said anything for a long time. 

“Can I go see him?” You finally ask.

They had arranged for Ruri Kazama to sleep in the most secluded bedroom at the end of the hallway, just a wall away from the luxurious bathroom where they had been temporarily housed. He wasn’t dressed in his costume any more, but wore a simple cotton white shirt and straight cotton pants. A pair of comfortable gray sneakers rested by the door. He was once a devil of great evil, with strength comparable to the emperor Chisei, not yielding to anyone, ferociously trying to assassinate Herzog, but now his power and iron-like will have been taken away. He was a wooden doll staring at the roof in the dark room, his eyes blinking gently at long intervals, his gaze unfocused.

The pain is so intense you want to scream, but you can’t. This hurt. It hurt worse than Chance’s death because this was a fate worse than death. The evil of the nurses had reached out their skeletal pale hands from Black Swan and seized the soul of Ruri Kazama before you even had the chance to know him. You staggered to his bedside and collapsed to your knees. You grip your hands in your hair and tears rolled down your face. They were heavy, large enough to tickle your nose, like the tropical rain that was falling out of the sky. But you didn’t move and you didn’t make a sound. You grit your teeth and hold it in.

Eventually, Caesar comes to check on you. “Hey, you should get changed before you catch cold.”

“I don’t want to leave him.” Your voice is broken and sad in the dark. He would see you kneeling on a floor that was speckled with the dark marks under your face.

Caesar left for a moment and after a few minutes returned with a towel and a pair of pajamas. Then he closed the door again. You dry yourself off as best you can and change. You don’t care that Ruri’s right in front of you. He won’t remember anything.

Even as you climb into the bed under the warm and soft quilt, he doesn’t move until your cold body presses against his warm skin and your cold hands touch his face. It’s a shiver reaction and a slight gasp. Such basic, physical responses are all a soulless Black Swan Bay child could manage after all. Holding him was like holding a teddy bear. An inanimate thing. “Ruri...” You whisper, knowing he wouldn’t hear or be able to answer you.

Anton died in this state. You told people that Anton was shot in front of you by the man you viewed as your father. But really, his soul had left before that. Herzog approached the boy in the wheelchair and banged the woodblock. Anton’s hollow eyes lit up with a faint golden glow under them. He slowly turned his head to look at Bondarev, like a cold-blooded animal examining its prey.

[omnomsauruswrites]

Angel of Death Chp 17

Pairing: Veteran!Bucky x medic!reader

Summary: How many times can you save a life?

Warnings: Depression, PTSD, flashbacks, suicidal attempt.

Masterlist

The autumn sun hung low for 5 p.m. Days would soon be getting shorter. She wore shorts and a tank top despite the slight chill. It was the first afternoon run group for Team Red, White and Blue at their building and she had promised to show. Of course, that had been before the subpoena. But she couldn’t not show. She had been absent from classes for about two weeks and she knew it was being noticed by staff and patrons.

She greeted some of her clients, who came to talk to her, catching up with them. Her eyes scanned the crowd, coming across Clint, Steve and Bucky. They hadn’t noticed her yet; she was hoping they wouldn’t. Then again, they would soon enough because she was to give a speech before they started. The group leader, Wes, waved her over, as he began his greeting, thanking her and the program for allowing them to start this new group and how he hoped that the group would be successful. He turned it over to her after and she began, “I’m so happy that you all came out today. I know Wes is truly excited about starting this and I hope that you all come back next week and the following. Let’s make this a strong program.”

There was cheering and she smiled softly before Wes explained the route to everyone. She felt eyes on her as she turned, noticing Clint signing to her. She signed a hello and a we’ll talk later. He nodded.

“After this is over, I hope Stark gives us a R&R.”

The helicopter was loud and she could barely hear him. She smiled, “You think he’s going to do that?”

“I think after sending us on this goose chase he might.”

“Come on Rhodey, the only way we are getting R&R is as if we find bin Laden himself,” she stated.

“Maybe that’s what we are doing.”

“If that’s what we are doing, you wouldn’t need a medic,” she explained.

“Yeah, I don’t get that one either.”

“Coming in for landing,” a voice cut in.

“OK, kiddo, hopefully we won’t need you,” Rhodey commented. “Stay here until we call you, got it? Stark will murder me if you get hurt,”

“Think that’s the other way around.”

Her vision started to blur, the autumn sun turned black. She heard her heart beat in her ears, but that wasn’t right. She shouldn’t be hearing her heart beat, then it transitioned into the sound of helicopter blades. She swallowed, telling herself not to panic. Why was she hearing a chopper? She glanced around, where was she? Her fists clenched, as she passed a taxi. “Be safe,” a voice said.

She stumbled, faltering into the City street and then arm was tightly around her waist. She heard words, but they were mumbled. She saw the explosion, she jolted forward, but the arm wouldn’t let her go. It pulled her backwards. “No, No, No,” she cried out. “Rhodey!”

The arm held her, as she tried to get away. Then she heard it, “Y/n, honey…” a voice called. “It’s a flashback.”

She closed her eyes, breathing harshly. Her chest was tight like a vice. “Need you to breath, sweetheart,” the voice ordered. “Deep breaths.”

Her hand went to the arm around her, gripping it tightly. It was solid. “Where are you?” the voiced asked.

“Syria.”

“Syria happened a few years ago, y/n.”

She opened her eyes, her vision coming back to her with Clint in front of her. Her hand loosened around the one wound around her, noticing now that it was metal. She swallowed. Bucky. She tried not to panic again. “Where are you?” Clint asked again.

“The City.”

“Good. What day is it?”

“October….,” she hesitated, what day was it? “October 20?”        

He nodded. “Do you know who’s holding you?”

She nodded. Clint waited for her to answer in words, but she just stared at him. “Who’s holding you?” he asked.

“Bucky.”

“That’s right.”

She rested her head against his firm chest. Her legs were weak and the only thing keeping her standing was his arm around her waist. She felt Bucky’s breath rustle her hair. She hadn’t expected this to be their first meeting since she got home. Didn’t expect him to see her have a flashback. “I got you, doll,” he whispered for her ears only.

She nodded, closing her eyes again. “Why don’t we get you home? or food? When’s the last time you ate?” Clint offered.

It had been days since she had eaten full meals, it’s probably why she felt as weak as she was. Flashbacks and attacks took a lot out a person, but took more out of you if you were already stressed. She shrugged, answering meant another lecture and that’s not what she wanted, so she pulled away from Bucky. However, she stumbled and he caught her, swinging her arm around his shoulder and picked her up. ‘I’ll carry you home, doll.”

She looked at him. His hair was in a bun, like it usually was, when they ran. He looked worn down, his eyes held nothing but worry. Her finger moved some hair off his face and behind his ear. “Clint and I can get a cab,” she told him.

“I’d rather..” he began, holding her tightly.

Clint cut in, “She’s right, we can take a cab, Bucky. I’ll take it from here.”

He gently placed her back on the ground, he hesitated to let her go. She smiled softly at him. “Thank you,” she whispered before turning to Clint and taking his hand.

The convoy was in front of him and then it was up in flames. It was seconds before his skidded to a stop and he was running out. “MERCY!” he yelled. “MERCY!”

He ran towards the smoke and the fire. The hummer is a mangled mess of metal. It’s twisted and deformed. “Mercy?!” he called.

There’s no sound except for the roaring fire of the engine and burning parts. “MERCY!”

He jolted up in bed. He gasped for air. The nightmare felt so real, the heat of the roaring fire, the sand, the heartache. He closed his eyes and swiped the sweat off his brow. He knew the nightmare was because he saw y/n fall into the street in front of the taxi. She had fought him, screaming for her friend who had died in the explosion in Syria. His heart had broken in that moment, realizing how much of a burden she still carried for the Ranger team that had died. He realized that maybe she was still carrying the weight of Sam, too.

He wanted to tell her that she wasn’t to blame for Sam. That’s why he had gone to her apartment late the night before only to have Clint open the door. “She’s asleep,” he explained to Bucky in the hallway. “She hasn’t been sleeping or eating.”

Bucky had nodded, still staring at the closed door to her apartment, wanting entrance. “I know you want to see her. She won’t admit to wanting to see you, too, but I know she does. But she needs a little bit more time,” Clint expanded.

“I just want her…”

“I know man. Me too. I got this right now. She’s going to need a friend Friday night, I’m bartending. Can you watch out for her?”

Bucky’s blue eyes met Clint’s. “Yeah, I can do that.”

Clint clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll let you know how she is in the morning.”

That had only been 5 hours ago and still too early for Clint to text him. He sighed. His mind went back to holding her on the sidewalk. Once she had learned it was him who was holding her, she relaxed. She hadn’t fought him like he thought she would. Maybe he still had a chance.

She sat alone at her booth on Friday night. She had an Army Ranger hat on, dressed casually. The brim was pulled down so that no one saw her eyes. She didn’t have a book, just seven name plates, each with their own shot.

Bucky’s heart broke, as he realized what the seven nameplates and seven shots meant. It now made sense why Clint had asked him to watch her tonight.

NOTE: If you live in a city with Red, White and Blue and are military or a veteran or a caring member of society, I highly suggest giving the group a try. I miss it. 

@scuzmunkie @cari105 @soldierplum @muggleluna @valkyrieofsmut @coal000 @xxashy999xx @wishingforahome @lokissoul @infinitycaprogers @randomfandompenguin @verygraphicink  @givemethatgold @marvelausmylife  @keldachick @slender--spirit @chook007 @ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes @jessieray98 @purely-imagines-and-fantasies @catsandbooksinafarawayplace @existingovertherainbow @calwitch @flashfanfics @creepshowzombae @everythingisoverrated @marvelausmylife @ex-bookjunky @winchesterswantmypie @ven9eance6661 @crownofmanga @38leticia @dracris33 @ladylovelyfan @mypage-myfandoms @everything-is-awesomesauce @jamiedr

[componentplanet]

GM Plots an EV Comeback Inside Its Secretive Battery Lab

WARREN, Michigan – If General Motors is to successfully challenge Tesla for supremacy in EVs, the battle starts with better battery technology. Research, prototyping, and testing take place here at the company’s Global Battery Systems Lab 20 miles north of Detroit. They’ll go into new GM EVs late this year or in 2021, and the batteries will have their own name: Ultium.

“We’re trying to wear out the [test] batteries,” says Douglas Drauch, lead engineer at the battery lab. GM has the largest battery test lab of any automaker anywhere. This one has been expanded to 100,000 square feet – the size of a Home Depot or a big Walmart – inside the Estes Engineering Center on the 710-acre GM Technical Center, which has 38 buildings. Designed in the 1950s by architect Eero Saarinen, most visitors won’t get past the outer lobbies. From time to time, GM brings in editors and analysts, as long as they leave their cameras behind. (The photos here are GM’s.)

The cold chamber at the GM Battery Lab in Warren, Michigan, 20 miles north of Detroit.

Shakers and Environmental Chambers

GM is working with LG Chem on a new generation of lithium-ion batteries and housings, with new battery modules. The first EV battery design, circa 2010 was a T-shape used in the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. It took up the space between the seats that would have been the transmission tunnel, as well as under the back seat.

With the Chevrolet Bolt EV, GM switched to a rectangular flat pack, or slice, that formed the bottom of the car (suitably protected from road hazards), with a bump that fit under the rear seat. Internally it’s called BEV2 (main photo) and has 288 cells. On the Bolt EV, it had an EPA range of 238 miles for the 2017-2019 models; tweaks got it up to 259 miles for the 2020 Bolt. The next-generation Bolt is now slated for introduction in 2021 as a 2022 model.

GM’s new BEV3, or Ultium, battery. It can be sized from 50 to 200 kWh. GM says the JV with LG Chem will drive the cost below $100/kWh

Next-Gen Battery: Ultium

Last month, GM CEO Mary Barra unveiled the latest lithium-ion battery technology, gave it a name, and said it will use a proprietary low-cobalt-content lithium-ion chemistry. “Our team accepted the challenge to transform product development at GM and position our company for an all-electric future,” Barra said. “What we have done is build a multi-brand, multi-segment EV strategy with economies of scale that rival our full-size truck business with much less complexity and even more flexibility.”

GM president Mark Reuss added, “Thousands of GM scientists, engineers and designers are working to execute a historic reinvention of the company. They are on the cusp of delivering a profitable EV business that can satisfy millions of customers.” And GM in a statement said, “The strategy [allows GM] to grow the company’s electric vehicle (EV) sales quickly, efficiently and profitably. … They will allow the company to compete for nearly every customer in the market today, whether they are looking for affordable transportation, a luxury experience, work trucks, or a high-performance machine.” (Talk about buzzword bingo day.)

The coming third-generation battery – Ultium / BEV3, the type now in testing – will also be a rectangular slice that can be wider and thinner for cars that won’t be as high as the Bolt EV. It will be modular, allowing six, eight, 10, 12, or 24 packs of pouch-type cells that can be packaged vertically or horizontally. Some BEV3 batteries will output 400 volts and support 150-kW DC fast charging. Larger 800-volt packs will use 350-kW chargers DC fast chargers. The DC fast chargers are for public stations; you’d need 10-20 times the power coming into a typical residence to make fast charging work in your own garage. For home use, you’d want a 240-volt Level 2 charger ($400-$600 plus installation); as a fallback, a 120-volt outlet would recharge, but it might take a day.

GM engineers with a battery pack for the Chevrolet Volt, circa 2010.

Shakers and Environmental Chambers

The test equipment, for the most part, looks non-descript: big blue metal cabinets with conduits for power or data cables stretching up to the ceiling.

The battery lab has 19 600-kilowatt (600,000 watts each) battery cyclers programmed to simulate city and highway driving, waiting in traffic on hot days, regenerating power going down hills or braking, and dealing with potential power surges back into the battery under panic braking or an instantaneous high-draw if a slipping tire on ice suddenly finds traction on a dry patch. If all the battery cyclers are in use, they can draw as much power as all the residents of Warren, population 135,000.

There are other cabinets set up as environmental chambers that can place the batteries in the desert, an arctic city (temps can be set as low as minus 90 degrees Fahrenheit), or a monsoon climate.

Finally, there are shaker tables that emulate the increasingly rough roads of US highway infrastructure, or off-road trails.

There’s also testing on how the batteries perform in a second life: If they’re too worn to be used in a car, they’re still good enough to provide backup power in a home or business.

A prototype Cadillac EV, the Lyric, that will implement GM’s new electrical-vehicle architecture. GM also announced a collaboration with EVgo, ChargePoint, and Greenlots “to establish the largest collective EV-charging network in the United States with access to more than 31,000 charging ports.” It was to have been unveiled April 2; that was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Manufacturing in Lordstown, Hamtramck

Every US-flagged automaker takes flack from politicians and unions about closed plants and laid-off workers. In GM’s case, EV and battery manufacturing will bring GM back to one factory town and repurpose an existing plant.

GM had closed the Lordstown, Ohio, plant that had produced the now-defunct Chevrolet Cruze and employed 4,000 workers. It was sold to Lordstown Motors, a startup that plans to build EVs there, but with fewer workers. President Trump had criticized GM for closing it. Separately, GM is converting the Hamtramck plant on the border of Detroit to an EV-only assembly facility. It had been building the Chevrolet Impala, arguably the best big sedan GM ever built, but sedans are out of favor, the aging Impala was losing sales, and production is ending.

In their best years, neither the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid nor the Bolt EV topped 25,000 sales. Tesla Model S sold more than 50,000 units in its first three years. The Model 3 averaged 150,000 sales for the last two years.

Playing Catch-Up to the Mouse That Roared

Reality check time: General Motors was the world’s largest automaker for much of the 20th century. At the peak of its market dominance, in 1962, GM had 51 percent of the US market. Fast forward to the 21st century, and it was just 17 percent in 2019. On EVs, the General was clobbered by Tesla in the last decade. As the chart above shows, neither the Volt plug-in hybrid nor the all-electric Bolt EV ever sold more than 25,000 units a year, while every year since 2015 there’s been a Tesla model with at least 50,000 sales. Last year, the midsize Model 3 outsold the Bolt EV 10 to one.

This just shows how the market for electrified vehicles – PHEVs and EVs, but not hybrids – while small at less than 2 percent of sales, has gone Tesla’s way. Thus the need for GM to play catch-up, including – especially – on battery technology. GM says the Ultium batteries and vehicle architectures will allow ranges up to 400 miles, 0-60 mph acceleration as low as 3.0 seconds, and motor placement for front-drive, rear-drive, all-wheel-drive, or performance all-wheel-drive architectures. GM says it plans 19 battery/drive unit configurations initially; in comparison, it has 550 combustion engine powertrain configurations now.

The grille of the GMC Hummer EV, slated to be announced this year and go on sale in 2021 as a 2022 model with up to three motors and 1,000 hp.

Race to Deliver the First Electric Pickup

One of the reasons GM’s battery lab is so important is GM would like to be first, best, or both with an electric pickup truck. GM has resurrected the nameplate of the earth-trampling, 10 mpg Hummer of the early 2000s. Now, it’s on an electric-only pickup truck under the GMC brand, with one to three motors and up to 1,000 hp. All dates are subject to change, but before the world changed in the wake of the coronavirus, it looked as if the Hummer was to be introduced this spring, and ship in 2021 as a 2022 model. In a February analyst meeting, GM president Mark Reuss hinted the Hummer could be the first to market.

Meanwhile, there are many others with plans for electric pickups, a market that currently has zero sales:

Tesla Cybertruck is best-known because it’s a Tesla, which is the gold standard for EVs that sell, and Tesla of late has been hitting planned ship dates. There’s talk that the wedge-shape design will need a redesign. Tesla said as much in an April 1 announcement, which was unsettling news: Was this an April Fools’ joke? Was a redesign necessary and Tesla was using the date as a double-fake? For sure, there will have to be some mods from the design unveiled last fall (the one where Elon Musk tossed a metal ball at the shatterproof and the window, of course, shattered) to meet bumper-impact regs around the world.

Rivan R1T is the pickup half of a startup venture (there’s also an R1S SUV) that is highly regarded, with a half-billion of Ford money invested and a management team that is young but normal (as opposed to some tech startups). Amazon and others have invested, too, and as of the beginning of 2020 Rivian had raised $2.2 billion with an estimated value of $5 billion-plus. Analysts believe Rivian will be a survivor, in part because it’s licensing its expertise to others, including Ford.

Ford F150 is the best-selling pickup truck, with the F Series closing in on 1 million sales a year. In 2018 Ford said it would bring 16 battery-electric vehicles (which could be hybrids) to market, starting with an all-electric crossover (the Mustang Mach-E). Ford initially planned a hybrid F150, but then last year said it would bring out an all-electric F150 in 2022.

Bollinger B2 has been self-financed by CEO Robert Bollinger. The company moved from upstate New York to Michigan and also plans an SUV, with initial deliveries said to be in 2021. They’ll be priced at about $125,000. Prototypes have been at auto shows for a year now.

Nikola Badger was announced in February, but as a concept, meaning one or two stages removed from production. The specs (sometimes specs can be pronounced “promises”) call for 300 miles on battery, 600 miles total including a hydrogen fuel cell, a supercapacitor for launch assist, and the ability to climb a 50-degree grade (for the few drivers who wouldn’t panic trying it). Nikola is better known for the hydrogen fuel cell sleeper semi-truck under development.

Lordstown (Ohio) Motors Endurance has been shown on video but not yet announced; that was scheduled for the now-canceled North American (Detroit) International Auto Show in June.

A Chevrolet Bolt EV cutaway with the current BEV2 battery design. The next-gen Bolt has been reset for a 2021 announcement and ship date.

How Big Will the EV Market Be?

In 2019, about 3 million pickups were sold out of 17 million vehicles. Nobody knows the size of the EV pickup market initially, or how badly EV range suffers under a heavy load (Tesla owners have known range tanks when a Model S or Model X tows a trailer), or if buyers are willing to pay extra to get the large batteries that allow 300 t0 400 miles of range on pickups.

As for the market for all plug-in vehicles – battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids – the final 2019 US sales numbers for light vehicles amount to combustion-engine-only cars, 98.1 percent of the market, BEVs and PHEVs 1.9 percent.

There is some hope – among environmentalists, at least – that Americans, in the wake of the coronavirus slowdown, will appreciate the cleaner skies in major cities and adopt plug-in vehicles to keep the air clear and clean. GM’s battery R&D is for its worldwide markets, not just the US, and it may find more traction outside the US. Depending on how many people and businesses have money to spend on new cars in the next year.

At the Ultium rollout, GM cited forecasters who called for EV volumes to double between 2025 and 2030 to 3 million units annually – one in six vehicles sold – and added its belief the numbers could be “materially higher.”

Now read:

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Tesla Begins Shipping Model Y Electric Vehicles 6 Months Early

Tesla Teardown Scares Competitors: ‘We Cannot Do This’

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/309283-gm-plots-an-ev-comeback-inside-its-secretive-battery-lab from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/04/gm-plots-ev-comeback-inside-its.html

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The British are Coming #588

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