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rjzimmerman · 6 years

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Go with the Glow. Makers of the Rivian R1T pickup claim it will get 400 miles of range per charge and produce 750 hp. PHOTO: RIVIAN

This is exciting, whether you’re a car nut or someone who wants us to move from point A to point B without emitting greenhouse gases. I’ve got an internal combustion engine car (Infiniti M45) with about 90,000 miles. I decided a couple of years ago to hang on to this car until the new Volkswagen ID Buzz is released for sale, and then jump right into one.......MINE! 300 miles of range on a charge, 369 hp, 0 to 60 in 5 seconds, over 50 internal layouts......I can be an old man driving a Jetsons car that was originally designed in the 50′s and owned by hippies in the 60′s. Perfect.

And you know what’s so freaking sad about this? The marmalade asshole in the White House and his republican enablers in the Senate are forcing the US to play on the sidelines of the electric vehicle revolution, while the car companies in Europe and Asia develop all the fun stuff. We have Tesla and the new boy in town, Rivian, but think of what the two of them (plus Ford and GM) could do if we had a federal legislative program and a federal policy encouraging the development of electric vehicles.

And oh, by the way, the Rivian will be manufactured, at least initially, in an old Mitsubishi plant in Normal, Illinois. Score one (finally!) for Illinois.

Excerpt from this Wall Street Journal article, written by its car guy, Dan Neal:

We are living through the S-curve of EV adoption. The total number of EVs on global roads surpassed 3 million in 2018, a 50% increase over 2016, according to the IEA. In November Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling small/midsize luxury sedan in the U.S; and Model S sales (26,700, year to date) outsold Mercedes-Benz S Class, BMW 6- and 7-Series, and Audi A8 combined, according to industry-tracker goodcarbadcar.net.

During the reasonable service life of any vehicle I buy today, I expect the demand for IC-powered vehicles will drop to practically zero, equivalent to the current market penetration of flip phones. No one will want them and there will be nowhere to get them fixed; by that time widespread fleet electrification will have cratered traditional dealerships that depend on service dollars to survive.

I’m not missing anything staying out of the car market. The twilight of the IC engine is pretty awful, actually. All the technical gymnastics to reduce consumption and emissions from IC engines—stop-start, cylinder deactivation, CVT transmissions, high-strung turbos hooked up to small displacement motors—it all feels junky and compromising.

The greatest offenders are also the most complex, like Volvo’s T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain, with electric motors, CVT, batteries, power inverter and a supercharged/turbocharged 2.0-liter engine thrashing away at one another, all so it can eke out a few miles of EV range. The steady improvement in lithium-ion batteries’ energy and power-density over cost will render the latest plug-in hybrids comically superfluous in a matter of years.

Internal combustion isn’t going to get any better. Last year the chief financial officer for Continental, the Tier 1 global automotive supplier, lit up the chat rooms with his prediction that IC development at the German carmakers will effectively end by 2023.

Mine: (Check out the squinty-eyed smug smile look. Oh, yes, mine.)

#internal combusion #electric vehicles

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beaflower77 · 7 years

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You Can Never Tell

An original fiction for @amagifu Hope you like it.

Boromir grabbed tightly his brother’s sleeve. And held him fast. “Do not let Father hear of this brother! He will be greatly against it.” Trying in vain not to dismiss his beloved brother, but adding with just as much upset, “He will be greatly affected Boromir. If he finds out. I am afraid. Father will not just let this slip by. Or let go without punishment.” Faramir had a great fear of his father, for Denethor was most harsh with him, over his favored Boromir.

“Lord Boromir.,” came forth from one of his trusted men. “The distributor pump has been installed and the mechanism is functioning properly now.” Boromir broadly smiled at Faramir. Slapping lovingly his brother over the shoulder and arm, he at once forgot about their father, “Come brother. Not to worry. Let us see what has finally come from our little devise.” Pushing, prodding Faramir along, “Look Faramir. What do you make of it now? It is greatly improved, I should say.” Boromir was most proud.

The mechanism was roughly the size of a child’s chair. Dark, oiled, mechanical pieces fit together in various places, leaving the viewers transfixed. The brothers’ trusted soldiers gathered round inspecting it from all sides and angles. “My Lord Boromir,” explained the original inventor. “All filters are necessary for the transfer into the pump, on this side, for the retrieval, into the mug on this side, here. Now.,” as he calmly continued to explain, “As the pressure builds, the flow of liquid begins. Single droplets form and gradually increase, causing a build up of the proffered liquid. However,” he interjected, with a swish, a swirl of a finger, “A build up of spray can occur, near the end of transfer, not unlike a small, weak dribble, if the transfer is not properly conducted.” Faramir smiled with a revealing blush, causing Boromir to do him a double take. “Keep it to yourself Faramir.,” Boromir whispered.

Presenting Faramir a perfect cup of steaming hot liquid, the inventor smiled, bowed lowly before both Boromir and Faramir. Standing, straightening himself, smiling most grandly, “Coffee, my Lords! Please.,” he said. “Drink. And see for yourself if that is not the most delicious, gratifying taste of coffee.”

As both Faramir and Boromir enjoyed the taste from the steaming, shared mug, they overheard a loud, obnoxious bellowing from round the courtyard. “Where is it?! Where has my new invention been taken?!” The cringing, scattering of soldiers and brothers alike began as Denethor steamed past them all, settling his hands, arms round the prized coffee mechanism. “Who has taken this prized possession from my throne room?! Who dared?!”

As the coffee inventor tried placating Denethor, Boromir’s trusted main soldier noted in hushed tones, “Did not know your Father even enjoyed coffee, Captain.” Faramir shrugged, cringed, while Boromir lifted part of his mouth, half in distaste, half in surrender, “You can never tell.”

Both brothers felt the need to quickly remove themselves for the better part of the day.

#Boromir And Faramir Fic #Credit Goes To Internal Combusion Engines By Edward F. Obert #Original Fiction #@myrtleloamsdown

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