[Technology] The Future of Motoring (fill your boots Stat) and other things too

[Greg Bobkin]

Exactly, also when does the electric lorry make its appearance?

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Last year (Tesla, Ford, DAF, Volvo to name just four). Albeit a mixture of production and concepts.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

What's with all the *s?

A lot of truth in that list, but also a load of horseshit too – #10 and #29 being two of the most glaring ones...

 

[Brian Parsons]

Last year (Tesla, Ford, DAF, Volvo to name just four). Albeit a mixture of production and concepts.

I was being sarcastic, I am aware that they could happen, it's just the thought of one travelling say from Inverness to Dover and on to Europe. How many recharging stops etc. F1 still transport their cars in transporters in Europe and most of them have the ability to go from say Brackley ( Mercedes F1 ) to Monza in one go.......

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[zefarelly]

Until the battery issue is resolved the internal combustion engine will continue to be relevant, they are extremely efficient these days.

Lithium may well be plentiful for another 20 years or so, but ther's no current recycling capability. Not something I know much about. Nuclear is not the future (hopefully) harnessing natures energy must be the future, but power storage remains the key.

Says me who did 600 miles thrashing a 2 stroke 50 year old Lambretta last weekend.

 

[GOM]

Uber is no long-term disrupter; it lost $5 billion last quarter, its share price is heading ever south and has never turned a profit. It won't last another five years.

Was just about to point that out. And they're a proper scumbag company. Have never used them.

They said that about Amazon too.

it took Amazon more than 14 years—58 quarters after its May 1997 initial public offering—to make, cumulatively, as much profit as it produced in the latest quarter alone.

'Amazon consistently lost money for its first several years as a public company. It first reported a quarterly profit in the fourth quarter of 2001 and, at $5 million, it barely counted.'

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Why aren't cars made form Voltaic cells so they help to recharge whilst driving

 

[darkwolf666]

It's the end of the world as we know it [emoji444][emoji445]

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And Lenny Bruce is not afraid...

 

[beorhthelm]

Why aren't cars made form Voltaic cells so they help to recharge whilst driving

not enough power in the surface area available. there a few experimental vehicles that have done experimental runs, super lightweight running in the desert, not scaleable to real world use. the battery problem is basic physics (as i understand it), they are chemical stores of electrical power and you can only get so much per kilo. then there is technical problems of recharge/discharge rates, the faster the hotter and more unstable the store and electrodes become. unstable, broken electrodes can lead to sparks, leads to fire. i know petrol is a fire risk too, but its a more manageable risk.

 

[Braggfan]

Can't wait. Maybe there is some hope for humanity after all.

 

[LamieRobertson]

If they can split the atom, shirly they can crack a battery.

Battery technology is improving all the time....as an aside i now use battery operated equipment (garden and grounds maintenance) more than i do petrol driven...and the batteries are getting better each year.

As another aside ...wasn’t it yesterday that the government said £2.5 million has been earmarked for 1000 recharging points in towns ..cities etc...how serious are they?

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I was being sarcastic, I am aware that they could happen, it's just the thought of one travelling say from Inverness to Dover and on to Europe. How many recharging stops etc. F1 still transport their cars in transporters in Europe and most of them have the ability to go from say Brackley ( Mercedes F1 ) to Monza in one go.......

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Sarcastic or not, the point still stands that they are here now! DAF, MAN and Renault Trucks already have urban trucks running around all over European towns and cities and for the long-haul work, details of the latest Freightliner EV has just been released: https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/new...tliner-semi-trucks/?__twitter_impression=true

I'm not sure the drivers' hours rules would allow the F1 truck's journey to be done in one hit – drivers would have to have their required breaks – which would allow enough time for a fast charge in an electric truck. It's definitely work in progress (and the EV ranges will probably play havoc with the fleet manager's schedules), but they are getting there...

 

[Gwylan]

They said Amazon wouldn't last when it was losing billions for years ..... twas always the plan though as it is with Uber.

They said that about Amazon too.

it took Amazon more than 14 years—58 quarters after its May 1997 initial public offering—to make, cumulatively, as much profit as it produced in the latest quarter alone.

'Amazon consistently lost money for its first several years as a public company. It first reported a quarterly profit in the fourth quarter of 2001 and, at $5 million, it barely counted.'

There's no comparison between Amazon and Uber. For a start, Amazon's business model is based on low margins and high revenues - its profits are never massive (at least not for a company of its size).

Secondly, Amazon's share price didn't dip below its IPO price. Uber's price has scarcely risen since launch.

But most markedly of all, Amazon's worst loss was just over $5 milliion, Uber lost $5 billion last quarter. As you say, Amazon didn't show a quarterly profit until 2001, seven years after launch. Uber has returned a profit yet, nine years after launch ... and is not expected to for some time (if ever).

On top of that, Uber has had an almost endless number of legal battles - on passenger safety, on employment practices, on data compliance, on transport regulation, on taxation, and journalist harrassment. Amazon has been trading relatively unsullied. Uber has also had to replace its CEO as a result of one of these legal issues, Amazon has had the same CEO for more than 20 years.

There's a good piece here, comparing the two.

 

[GOM]

........ Amazon has been trading relatively unsullied......

some may dispute that.

 

[Hamilton]

So where is all this extra electricity going to come from. Renewables won't be able to meet the demand.

Nuclear?

But they need to crack the battery problem first.

It's all about storage.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/feat...f-batteries-is-about-to-rewire-the-power-grid

And there is a battery on the way that will become a net contributor of energy top the grid. Don't ask me how.

 

[virtual22]

*26-This will change* our cities, because we will need 90-95% fewer cars. We can transform former parking spaces into green parks.

This is the part where I gave up.... like this would happen. Any space in a city will be consumed by towers/shops and restaurants or whatever is paying the most at the time. No way they are going to take prime real estate and stick a park up there which generates no profit.

 

[Hamilton]

There's no comparison between Amazon and Uber. For a start, Amazon's business model is based on low margins and high revenues - its profits are never massive (at least not for a company of its size).

Secondly, Amazon's share price didn't dip below its IPO price. Uber's price has scarcely risen since launch.

But most markedly of all, Amazon's worst loss was just over $5 milliion, Uber lost $5 billion last quarter. As you say, Amazon didn't show a quarterly profit until 2001, seven years after launch. Uber has returned a profit yet, nine years after launch ... and is not expected to for some time (if ever).

On top of that, Uber has had an almost endless number of legal battles - on passenger safety, on employment practices, on data compliance, on transport regulation, on taxation, and journalist harrassment. Amazon has been trading relatively unsullied. Uber has also had to replace its CEO as a result of one of these legal issues, Amazon has had the same CEO for more than 20 years.

There's a good piece here, comparing the two.

Agree. Uber can do one.

Paid our VAT bill this quarter. £91k going to the taxman to pay for schools and hospitals. Uber paid sod-all! That's why I'll never set foot in an Uber car. They've robbed us of cash that should go back into services and undermined employment rights for those earning the least. They are feeling a dog eat dog mentality while their executives swig champagne.

 

[Gwylan]

some may dispute that.

I said relatively. It's had its fair share of legal problems too but nothing like the extent that Uber has had

 

[beorhthelm]

It's all about storage.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/feat...f-batteries-is-about-to-rewire-the-power-grid

And there is a battery on the way that will become a net contributor of energy top the grid. Don't ask me how.

blue sky thinking from Tesla, far from being delivered at scale. doesnt solve many problems either, reliable generation of power (esp at high latitudes), time transfer of power, maintenance/replacement of batteries. a lot is based on hope that science will solve problems because it has done in the past, ignoring the disclaimer "past performance is not an indicator of future performance".

 

[Hamilton]

blue sky thinking from Tesla, far from being delivered at scale. doesnt solve many problems either, reliable generation of power (esp at high latitudes), time transfer of power, maintenance/replacement of batteries. a lot is based on hope that science will solve problems because it has done in the past, ignoring the disclaimer "past performance is not an indicator of future performance".

It's not all about Tesla. I'm not waiting on that self-publicist to save us. The answer are out there.

 

[Fungus]

I was being sarcastic, I am aware that they could happen, it's just the thought of one travelling say from Inverness to Dover and on to Europe. How many recharging stops etc. F1 still transport their cars in transporters in Europe and most of them have the ability to go from say Brackley ( Mercedes F1 ) to Monza in one go.......

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...swappable batteries?