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Category: transportation – Page 403

Musk tweet knocks $14bn off Tesla market value

Elon Musk tweeted a complaint about Tesla’s share price that wiped $14bn off the company’s stock market value on Friday morning.

The seven-word tweet was the latest controversial outburst from the outspoken chief executive, whose outpourings on Twitter have landed him in hot water before. An incorrect claim in the middle of 2018 that he was close to a buyout of Tesla led to a complaint from the US Department of Justice and a settlement that involved Mr Musk agreeing not to issue market-moving tweets in future without first clearing them with his company’s legal department.

Tesla did not immediately confirm whether Mr Musk’s tweet had been given legal clearance, and did not respond to a question about whether the company currently has a general counsel. Tesla lost three general counsels last year, one of them quitting after only two months.

‘Hydrogen-On-Tap’ Device Turns Trucks Into Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

A cherry-red pickup truck in Carmel, Indiana runs on hydrogen without carrying any fuel cells. The engineer who developed this “hydrogen-on-tap” system hopes it can someday power cargo trucks and cruise ships worldwide.

The city of Carmel, Ind., has trucks for plowing snow, salting streets, and carrying landscaping equipment. But one cherry-red pickup can do something no other vehicle can: produce its own hydrogen.

A 45-kilogram metal box sits in the bed of the work truck. When a driver starts the engine, the device automatically begins concocting the colorless, odorless gas, which feeds into the engine’s intake manifold. This prevents the truck from guzzling gasoline until the hydrogen supply runs out. The pickup has no fuel cell module, a standard component in most hydrogen vehicles. No high-pressure storage tanks or refueling pumps are needed, either.

Instead, the “hydrogen-on-tap” device contains six stainless steel canisters. Each contains a 113-gram button of an aluminum and gallium alloy. A small amount of water drips onto the buttons, causing a chemical reaction that splits the oxygen and hydrogen contained in the water. The hydrogen releases, and the rest turns into aluminum oxide, a waste product that can be recycled to create more buttons. Back in the garage, the driver can replace spent canisters with news ones to replenish the hydrogen supply.

Tesla confirms self-driving as a subscription service but brace yourself for the price

Tesla has confirmed that it will offer its Full Self-Driving package (FSD) as a subscription service, but you should brace yourself for the price.

We reported earlier this week that Tesla is working on a pay-as-you-go subscription for its self-driving package based on some code that leaked in Tesla’s in-app purchase system.

During a conference call following Tesla’s Q1 2020 results, CEO Elon Musk and CFO Zachary Kirkhorn that Tesla plans to offer the package as a subscription service by the end of the year.

Apple steering towards smart automobile windows

A recent patent filing offers a window into future forays by Apple into automotive design. Apple is exploring artificial intelligence systems that will enable future motorists to enjoy windows that continuously change characteristics as they drive.

Titled “Systems with adjustable windows,” U.S. Patent No. 10,625,580 envisions glass components that control light, reflection and heat conductance based on both user preference and sensory input.

The would contain multiple adjustable layers sandwiched between two panes of glass that could perform such functions as keeping a cool interior, providing privacy to occupants, allowing viewing through haze and blocking harmful sunlight radiation.

Tesla owners are falling in love with driving, and they have the miles to prove it

A recent analysis from a UK-based firm has determined that Tesla owners love to drive their vehicles, so much so that they actually rack up the most miles per year among specific car brands. This is a notable observation, and one that bodes well for the personal transportation industry as a whole.

Before the ongoing lockdown in the country, the RAC Foundation conducted an analysis of the Ministry of Transportation’s (MOT) data. According to the data presented, British car owners drive just a little bit over 10,000 miles per year on average during the first three years of vehicle ownership. A closer look into the data shows that this average is partly caused by the annual mileage of diesel and gas drivers.

On their own, diesel drivers average 12,496 miles annually during the first three years of ownership. This contrasts significantly with the figures from drivers of gasoline-powered cars, who average just 7,490 miles per year. This discrepancy is not that surprising, partly since diesel is usually much cheaper than gasoline, making them ideal for long trips. What is surprising is the data that came out from EV drivers.

Next-generation batteries take major step toward commercial viability

Lithium-sulfur batteries have been hailed as the next big step in battery technology, promising significantly longer use for everything from cellphones to electric vehicles on a single charge, while being more environmentally sustainable to produce than current lithium-ion batteries. However, these batteries don’t last as long as their lithium-ion counterparts, degrading over time.

A group of researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin has found a way to stabilize one of the most challenging parts of -sulfur batteries, bringing the technology closer to becoming commercially viable. The team’s findings, published today in Joule, show that creating an artificial layer containing tellurium, inside the battery in-situ, on top of lithium metal, can make it last four times longer.

“Sulfur is abundant and environmentally benign with no supply chain issues in the U.S.,” said Arumugam Manthiram, a professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Texas Materials Institute. “But there are engineering challenges. We’ve reduced a problem to extend the cycle life of these batteries.”

Did US Navy patent a functional fusion device?

The US Patent Office has issued a patent for a Plasma Compression Fusion Device to Salvatore Pais, of Calloway MD. The patent assignee is the United States of American as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Patuxent River MD.

The news of this patent issuance has produced a minor buzz that might turn into a cacophony or a flurry of excitement about ships, submarines and perhaps even aircraft powered by high powered, compact devices using a “virtually unlimited” fuel source.

I suspect many of the articles that might be written will gush about how these fusion devices will be far superior to conventional atomic fission devices because they will not produce radioactive waste products. [Right.].

Tesla says cars can automatically stop for traffic lights

After testing on public roads, Tesla is rolling out a new feature of its partially automated driving system designed to spot stop signs and traffic signals.

The update of the electric car company’s cruise control and auto-steer systems is a step toward CEO Elon Musk’s pledge to convert cars to fully self-driving vehicles later this year.

But it also runs contrary to recommendations from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board that include limiting where Tesla’s Autopilot driving system can operate because it has failed to spot and react to hazards in at least three fatal crashes.