Man, this console gen's gotta be the wildest yet. They're already chattin' about droppin' the next one, and it feels like the PS5 and Xbox SX barely got any big-time games. What's up with that?
You only need about 35 hp to keep a 4000lb car cruising at 70 mph. The idea? Run the powertrain totally on battery, then toss in a 50 or 70 hp engine just to charge it up.
It's flipping the hybrid script: instead of using electric for low demand and gas for more juice, it's electric for the main power and gas just for the battery.
This puts the heavy lifting on the 90% efficient powertrain and eases up on the super inefficient 25% one.
> Toyota should've been all over this back in 2015.
METI (the Japanese Ministry that develops Japan's R&D strategy) is hesitant about using lithium ion battery technology due to lithium dependency issues and memories about the impact the 1970s oil shock had on Japan [0][1], along with IP issues.
This is why Japan has been pushing it's domestic champions to research Hydrogen Fuel Cells [2] and solid state batteries [3]
This is also the strategy that Toyota adopted [4][5].
Seawater based lithium extraction is very cost inefficient as it's basically just electrolysis.
This means the only options long term are Hydrogen and Sodium Solid State.
I'd recommend reading the Japanese government docs and presentations I linked above as they explain why Japan and it's companies are doing what they are doing.
Lohner–Porsche is a term encompassing several electric vehicles designed by Ferdinand Porsche and manufactured at Lohner-Werke in the early 1900s. They include the first hybrid electric vehicle and the first commercial hub motor car. The hybrid "Mixed" or "Mixte" racecars are powered by a gasoline engine which drives four electric motors, one in each wheel hub. The battery-powered "Touring" or "Chaise" commercial cars utilize only two front-wheel hub motors.
Yeah, I’m fairly sure the “range extender” (engine) component was optional, not sure what the take rate was. A small percentage of an already infrequently-purchased car.
Honestly, the same craft that wiped everyone out had done okay before it bombed. Just one good dive doesn’t prove it’s all safe. But real talk, that dude was slammed by everyone and warned by pros for cutting corners. Might not be the whole industry that’s sketchy, you know? Sounds more like these wild cowboy types who ignore the rules are the real danger.
Imagine it helping people with Autism and ADHD! ADHD people have hard time listening to 1 person because part of the brain tries to listen to all other conversations going around.
I have high octane AD[H]D and as my hearing "goes" so does my ability to listen to people with noise around. For at least 12 years i've had to warn my wife and children if they're not facing me when they talk i can't hear them - but i was recently let in on the fact that other people consider them mumblers, so. I have a heard time hearing most people on the phone, especially call centers.
Prior to what i would describe as idiotic practices in my 20s and 30s, i could focus rapt attention on as few or as many people as required in nearly any situation, parties, bars, whatever. Music venues obviously not, but looking at someone and talking loudly near their ear (vice versa) worked fine.
My hearing issues are similar to my FIL's, who is 50% deaf in one ear and 95%+ in the other. if you're sittin on the wrong side, you're getting a lot of smiles and nods, because "eh?" gets old. real. fast. However, i can hear a raccoon messing around outside, and no one else seems to hear it; also a phone notification going off in the next room, as examples. my hearing "feels" fine, except in the very specific circumstance of human speech recognition. I also have tinnitus sometimes - it comes and goes, and if i concentrate i can focus it to the point of wincing, sometimes.
interestingly i have to turn down the master volume of games when i am voice chatting. any amount of noise from the game will interfere with my ability to process people speaking, especially if the game has a lot of talking. Additionally, i cannot watch any tv or film produced after about 2000 or so without subtitles, regardless of how fancy the "5.1 surround" center channel DSP is.
sorry for rambling, i suppose i don't think ADHD has anything to do with my hearing loss or issue; I should have worn hearing protection more when i was younger and i'm not regretting it much now, but when i can't hear music i enjoy i'll be pretty sad about that.
> suppose i don't think ADHD has anything to do with my hearing loss or issue;
I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss that as a potential factor, auditory processing issues are known to something that can be connected to ADHD in some people. (Also mentioned by a few other people in the comments.)
> Additionally, i cannot watch any tv or film produced after about 2000 or so without subtitles, regardless of how fancy the "5.1 surround" center channel DSP is.
IMO that's potentially more because audio engineers for home movie releases are... ok, well, let's just say, "have different opinions on how to mix audio with dialogue than me". :) It's a very common compliant.
> I should have worn hearing protection more when i was younger
Shouldn't we all? :) Still worth trying to protect what you have now--I've used the "Etymotic" brand ear plugs mentioned elsewhere in the comments which are intended to more evenly reduce sound levels without just "muffling" everything.
> but when i can't hear music i enjoy i'll be pretty sad about that.
I use active muffs if i need to hear, and howard leight earplugs and plain howard leight muffs contemporaneously for exploding things. A skeet shooting film grip recommended this after (nearly?) having her eardrum broken by a long tube hitting a tower leg on a set next to her head. Specifically the brand, but also the doubling up if there's guaranteed risk of loud noises.
active muffs are so nice i regret waiting a decade to actually buy some. I'll check out the etymotic e*20** at some point, although i'm hesitant about how useful they'll actually be relative to active muffs.
It is just a proof of concept, but they released the source code so others can build on it. Hopefully someone will create something cool, but not charge a ridiculous markup.
I'm so glad I missed the social media frenzy.