Lifeboat Foundation

We have just checked the Tesla estimated delivery times (for new orders) of all four electric car models available in the U.S.

There are some interesting findings, as the hectic extension of delivery times has slowed down, and in some cases, even stopped or reversed. The prices have also remained unchanged since November 12.

Let’s start with the Model 3. The queue for the entry-level RWD version with an LFP battery appears to decrease as the estimated delivery time is the same as over one and a half months ago (June or October, depending on the wheel option). The Long Range AWD and Performance versions moved up a bit — to March and February. As we can see, the higher price/higher margin versions are prioritized (it will be common for all models).

Let there be darkness.

That is the potential catchphrase for those that are concerned about nighttime light pollution.

More formerly known as Artificial Light At Night (ALAN), there is an ongoing bruhaha that our modern way of living is generating way too much light during the evening darkness. It is an ongoing issue and the amount of such pollution is likely to keep on increasing due to further industrialization and expansion of societies into additional geographical areas.

Continue reading “Be Resolute To Reduce That Nighttime Artificial Light Pollution, Which AI Self-Driving Cars Can Help Solve (But Doing So Will Be Tricky)” »

Tesla Inc. delivered 308,600 vehicles worldwide in the fourth quarter, smashing the previous record for the electric-car maker and setting a capstone on a year in which the company joined the exclusive $1 trillion market valuation club.

Rather than waiting for multiple crashes to happen at a location before intervening to improve road safety, a new study suggests we can identify dangerous areas proactively — by measuring cyclist stress levels as they navigate city streets.

The challenge: When designing a city’s transportation infrastructure, urban planners must balance the needs of drivers with the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. This is often done through surveys of local residents and best practices learned over time.

This process doesn’t always get it right, though, so sometimes cities have to install safety improvements, such as crosswalks, bike lanes, or stop lights, at dangerous intersections or stretches of road.

China has cheap labour and huge market so still EV companies will invest in China.

BEIJING, Jan 1 (Reuters) — China will cut subsidies on new energy vehicles (NEVs), such as electric cars, by 30% in 2022 and withdraw them altogether at the end of the year, the Finance Ministry said on its website on Friday.

The ministry had said in April 2020 that NEV subsidies would be cut from 2020 to 2022 by 10%, 20% and 30%, respectively.

Continue reading “China to cut new energy vehicle subsidies” »

Imagine a future where living in close quarters will be the norm, and so will the vehicles in about five decades from now reflect that societal bond. The Arrival Chemie is a true example of a minimalist future that will revolve around simplicity, function and of course human bond!

Automotive design is going through a metamorphosis stage wherein the gradual shift to an eco-friendly set of wheels is becoming the priority of manufacturers and consumers alike. This shift in perception has had a domino effect in the basic design of vehicles since the propulsion mechanisms and their placement in the vehicle have changed. This gives more freedom to experiment with the interior as well as exterior form. More emphasis is now on the comfort and lounging experience while traversing from point A to B. While on the exterior the multifunctional approach takes precedence.

The future of lidar is uncertain unless, as Voyant hopes to do, its price and size are reduced to fractions of their current values. As long as lidars are sandwich-sized devices that cost thousands, they won’t be ubiquitous — so Voyant has raised some cash to bring its smaller, cheaper, more easily manufactured, yet still highly capable lidar to production.

When I wrote up the company’s seed round back in 2019, the goal was more or less to shrink lidar down from sandwich to fingernail size using silicon photonics. But the real challenge faced by nearly every lidar company is getting the price down. Between a strong laser, capable receptor and a mechanical or optical means of directing the beam, it just isn’t easy making something cheap enough that, like an LED or touchscreen, you can easily put several of them in a vehicle that costs less than $30,000.

CEO Peter Stern joined the company just as COVID was getting started, and they were looking for a way to turn a promising prototype developed by co-founders Chris Phare and Steven Miller into a working and marketable product. After going back to basics they ended up with a photonics-based frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) system (just go with it for now) that could be manufactured at existing commercial fabs.

The autonomous-driving tech company said it successfully completed a test run of a robotic semi in Arizona highway that was the world’s first on public roads without humans in the cab.

Circa 2008

Japanese scientists and origami masters hope to launch a paper airplane from space and learn from its trip back to Earth.