Has Mercedes seen the light on fuel cells?

Mercedes F-Cell
Credit: Wikipedia

Fuel cells are one third as efficient as lithium ion batteries. In practice, used to drive a car, they yield poor acceleration.¹ These problems appear to be fundamental to the physics & chemistry of fuel cells. Or as hydrogen proponent David Wenger, CEO of Wegner Engineering, which developed the hydrogen fuel cell powertrain for the Mercedes F-Cell hatchback put it, “In total, the results are sobering, sadly. That really hurts.”^2,3

Elon Musk understands fuel cells too:



Digital Trends – “Elon Musk on hydrogen fuel-cell cars: ‘I just think that they are extremely silly’”, http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/elon-musk-says-fcvs-are-extremely-silly/

In light of the above, the apparent enthusiasm of some car makers for that technology is puzzling. Mercedes, though is showing signs of having seen the light:

Green Car Reports – “Did Mercedes turn its back on hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles?”, http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1109713_did-mercedes-turn-its-back-on-hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicles

Car Advice – “Mercedes-Benz fuel-cell future uncertain”
https://www.caradvice.com.au/513308/mercedes-benz-fuel-cell-future-uncertain/

Gas2 – “Mercedes Says It Will Not Pursue Fuel Cell Development For Its Cars”
http://gas2.org/2017/03/31/mercedes-will-not-pursue-fuel-cell-development/
__________

¹ HitchHiker’s Guide 2 Tech: “Can fuel cells compete with batteries?”, https://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2016/01/can-fuel-cells-compete-with-batteries.html

² Green Car Reports: “Did Mercedes turn its back on hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles?”, https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1109713_did-mercedes-turn-its-back-on-hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicles

³ Wegner Engineering: “Engineering Office – Wenger Engineering GmbH”, https://www.wenger-engineering.de/en/engineering-office/

/ Wenger Engineering GmbH Elon Musk hydrogen fuel-cell cars Mercedes-Benz Mercedes Benz F-Cell compress liquefy hydrogen compress extremely high pressure liquefy large global automakers research multiple technologies future powertrains German automakers plug-in electric cars zero-emission vehicles hydrogen fuel cells networks of fueling stations supply pure hydrogen high pressures Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler research vehicles powered by hydrogen partnered with Ford and Nissan research and development R&D hydrogen fuel-cell technologies high costs vehicles production volume production Mercedes powered fuel cell adapted GLC crossover utility hydrogen fuel cell electric drive motor plug-in battery pack grid electricity plug-in hybrid range extender hydrogen fuel cell planned battery-electric vehicle David Wenger German hydrogen proponent driver Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell small Mercedes hatchback powered by a hydrogen fuel cell trade H2-International results are sobering short range between refueling stops reliability fueling network phone app show real-time status of each station Mercedes negative future cars powered by hydrogen Mercedes Benz Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche industry conference fuel cells battery costs declining rapidly hydrogen production remains very costly reserved to fleet operators only will not be practical for consumer sale until the price of hydrogen fuel falls considerably widespread and cheap renewable energy /

Elon Musk tweets Tesla semi & pickup truck

Artist's impression
Credit: Twitter

Semi

Tesla Semi truck unveil set for September. Team has done an amazing job. Seriously next level.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 13, 2017

Electric semi has long been in the too hard basket:
● road-freight is low-margin

● making a profit depends on keeping the vehicle moving, which makes long charging times a problem

● battery size & weight is less of a barrier in a such a big vehicle
● battery price remains a problem

● energy & maintenance costs will be significantly lower than internal combustion

● battery swapping has been demonstrated,¹ but hasn’t taken off for electric cars – perhaps in this application, high utilization in freight centres may make it viable

● short-haul may be the best application for battery-electric prime movers, at least initially

Teslarati – “Tesla Semi-truck: What will be the ROI & is it worth it?”
https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-semi-truck-return-investment-roi/

Wired – “Unlike Hyperloop, Elon Musk’s Electric Big-Rig Actually Makes Sense”
https://www.wired.com/2017/04/tesla-electric-truck/

Pickup truck

@NoahMagel Pickup truck unveil in 18 to 24 months

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 13, 2017

__________

¹ HitchHiker’s Guide 2 Tech: “Demonstration of Tesla Model S battery swap today – video – update”, https://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2013/06/demonstration-of-tesla-model-s-battery.html

/ Tesla semi-truck semi truck semi trailer truck prime mover tractor ROI return on investment battery cell lithium ion LiIon charge recharge battery swap battery swapping station Supercharger Elon Musk Tesla Semi reinvention entire industry Tesla truck program Jerome Guillen history with Daimler specifically Freightliner large Class 8 semi-trucks Tesla how far tractor-trailer tractor trailer operations two basic types of freight moving short-haul long-haul short haul long haul types of freight hauling return on investment ROI battery-electric rig Tesla unveil equipment current paradigms in tractor-trailer freight hauling battery electric vehicle BEV trucking industry freight moved United States commercial truck U.S. Department of Transportation USDOT moved by trucks agricultural products pharmaceuticals goods moved highways surface roads nationally trucking industry change technology improves freight hauling Internet faster communications traditional consignee-broker-hauler paradigm goods haul contacted freight broker contracted freight hauler move the goods skimming percentage off the top connection middleman cut out trucking trucking companies having load brokers on staff electronics and global positioning changed how trucks operate computers more efficiently organizing load and truck movements minimize empty movement USDOT truck movement pulling an empty trailer freight drop-off point drops exponentially networks of computers get more efficient organizing trucking trucking companies consolidate larger fleets longer average trip load delivery tractor-trailer faster truck’s ROI owner shorter hauls higher per-mile maintenance costs longer hauls cost of fuel equipment maintenance costs engine fuel higher with shorter distances how often brakes are used time spent not working idling or sitting higher incidences of accidents short-haul operations are less than ideal roads breakdown flat tire hours wasted waiting for repair potential ROI short-haul long-haul Tesla electric semi-trucks short haul short-haul operations tractor-trailer shipments moving 250 miles or less long-haul long haul types of shipments more than 250 miles large Class 8 semi-trucks pulling freight overlap between short-haul and long-haul shipments distribution location reassembled for longer distance hauling short-haul diversity grain stones to specialized equipment trucks day cabs no sleeper unit attached driver rest quarters when not at the wheel electrified Class 8 vehicles short-haul category battery-electric hydrogen fuel cell hybrid yard dogs moving trailers around a dock area portage trucks moving containers and freight out of port to staging areas local distribution centers local area urban and suburban delivery vehicles large push in California to make all port vehicles including container-moving trucks zero-emissions good news for battery-electric truck makers USDOT, about half of all shipments by value moved less than 250 miles weight being moved around the country bad news segment less is paid per ton freight to be moved American Transportation Research Institute segment 25 percent trucks on the road equipment age higher in this category trucks being used for more years fewer miles compared to long-haul trucks cost maintenance most expensive items tractor-trailer short or long-haul fuel driver wages benefits truck-trailer lease payments insurance most conventional operations short haul or long haul maintenance six percent higher in short-haul operations compared to long-haul insurance usually a bit higher assume battery-electric semi-truck higher price tag diesel-powered counterpart averages about $150,000 new up-front costs will be at least 50 percent higher expense of the batteries Morgan Stanley report on electric and autonomous trucking $75,000 for 500 kWh of battery storage roughly 150 miles range fully loaded 80,000 pound semi-truck current lithium crunch economies of scale more than half the Tesla Semi’s cost would be in batteries larger up-front price tag returned with fuel savings long term view /

Apple has a permit to test self driving cars in California

Apple’s existing automotive tech – Apple Car Play
Credit: Pinterest

Speculation & hints about an Apple car, or self driving tech, has been around for a period of years.^1,2 Application for, & granting of an, “Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit”, puts Apples's participation in autonomous driving tech beyond reasonable doubt.

Boy Genius Report – “Apple just got a permit to test driverless cars in California”
http://bgr.com/2017/04/14/apple-car-driverless-permit-california/

Sydney Morning Herald – “Apple is going to test self-driving cars”
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/apple-is-going-to-test-selfdriving-cars-20170414-gvlf7l.html
__________

¹ HitchHiker’s Guide 2 Tech: “Will Apple build an electric vehicle?”, https://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2015/02/will-apple-build-electric-vehicle.html

² HitchHiker’s Guide 2 Tech: “Apple car — much speculation — now some documentation”, https://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2015/08/apple-car-much-speculation-now-some.html
/ Apple test self-driving cars months of speculation Apple developing automotive technology Apple self-driving cars obtaining test permit from California regulators permit allows Apple begin testing up to three 2015 Lexus SUVs similar Google uses autonomous cars obtaining clearance California's Department of Motor Vehicles Apple serious about pushing forward self-driving technology reports scaling back its ambitions California's DMV disclosed permit website Friday several dozen other companies testing self-driving technology including BMW Ford Honda Nissan Uber others other companies Apple's test vehicles human drivers behind the wheel public roads California regulations speculation Apple automotive project Apple keeping a tight lid on its plans project open secret Apple ambiguity development project effort project Apple Car iCar Project Titan producing driveable vehicles Apple focusing on software control a car upgrade car injecting autonomous capabilities reports Apple's new vehicle powered battery-electric technology 2015 hiring spree Apple automotive engineers prompted rumours new hires companies Ford Tesla also researching self-driving technology many team reportedly left or been reassigned strategic shift focus on software self-driving technology permit unclear specific aspect Apple is working on Apple declined to comment public remarks submitted to federal highway authorities November research into automation many potential applications for these technologies future of transportation work with NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration best practices for the industry Apple wrote National Highway Traffic Safety Administration permit Apple increasingly competitive race build world's first mainstream self-driving car General Motors plans expand self-driving autos unit 1100 additional jobs $US14 million $Au18.5 million $A18.5 million investment Ford investing $US1 billion artificial intelligence company called Argo AI self-driving technology potential reshape how people work play commute proponents automating vehicles will help reduce congestion prevent crashes caused by human error according federal statistics account for 95 per cent all accidents analysts Apple accelerate arrival fully autonomous car to the market Apple autonomous vehicle game Rebecca Lindland executive analyst Kelley Blue Book Apple entry into self-driving push the industry provide product safer more secure even faster timeline several automakers technology hardware firms software companies applied test cars California's autonomous car program California Department of Motor Vehicles companies test vehicles provide evidence train qualified employee drivers insure their cars will be liable for any damage incurred during tests required submit regular reports outlining any accidents testing times that drivers turn off a vehicle's autonomous systems during a test automotive space CarPlay interface allows drivers to connect their vehicles with their iPhones market in-car infotainment increasingly common in consumer automobiles /

MacBook refurb – initial impressions from an enthusiastic new owner

MacBook connected to 29 inch monitor
Credit: The Gadgeteer

Laptop computers have a number of disadvantages compared to desktop equivalents. To a greater or lesser extent, these include:
● smaller screen

● smaller keyboard – keys themselves are not necessarily smaller, or closer together, but numeric keypad – almost never

● less powerful processor
● overheating
● easier to steal
● less bang for the buck

Despite all of these disadvantages, laptops are very popular. This popularity revolves around their portability. Amongst the most portable is Apple's MacBook 12 inch:^1,2
● weight similar to a tablet – great choice if portability is at a premium
● 12 inch retina screen

● plenty of power for the tasks most people use a computer for – email, browsing, video, word processing

Below is a review from a new owner who wanted a computer for travel, but is now thinking about selling her MacBook Pro:

The Gadgeteer – “Julie’s gadget diary – I have finally found my perfect travel computer”
http://the-gadgeteer.com/2017/04/10/julies-gadget-diary-i-have-finally-found-my-perfect-travel-computer/
__________

¹ “New MacBook 12 inch”, https://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2015/03/new-macbook-12.html

² “Apple MacBook 2016 – what’s changed & what hasn’t”, https://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2016/04/apple-macbook-2016-whats-changed-what.html / subtle differences updated 12 inch MacBook just released original version benchmarks performance 5th Generation Broadwell processor MacBook 6th Generation Skylake chip early benchmarks Geekbench 3 benchmark new Skylake 1.2GHz Core m5 powered MacBook last year’s 1.1GHz Broadwell 25 percent speed bump benchmarks difference in price 2016 MacBook new Intel HD Graphics 515 flash drive speeds benchmarks boost battery life subtle hour more battery life Apple's rating battery life DRAM RAM LPDDR3-1600 DRAM new MacBook LPDDR3-1866 DRAM new Rose Gold color colour chassis identical Retina display resolution same one USB-C port original 12-inch MacBook update MacBook 2 pounds 12 inches MacBook Air models 24 percent thinner 11 inch MacBook Air measuring 13.1mm thickness all-new keyboard full width new MacBook butterfly mechanism better much more precise typing experience individual LED lighting for each key device that little bit thinner 12-inch screen Retina display family 2304 x 1440 resolution consumes 30 percent less power touchpad four force sensors one in each corner click feel managed by software pressure sensitivity pressing harder fast-forward QuickTime make a video play faster Force Click new USB Type-C connector upgraded reversible USB internal redesign logic board 67 percent smaller previous generations most dense densest no fan required computer Intel Core M Broadwell CPU battery life nine hours web browsing 10 hours movie playback new MacBook silver space gray stunning gold shipping begins April 10th most energy-efficient notebook laptop EPA US Environmental Protection Agency MacBook no extra name /

When is Easter?

Credit: Android Central

Have you noticed
● Easter is on a different weekend each year
● there’s often a full moon just before Easter

● there was a full moon on Tuesday of this week (11 April)

● Easter is this weekend?

When is Easter? – simple answer
Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon on, or after, 21 March each year. Other days of Easter are positioned around the date of Easter Sunday – Easter Friday (Good Friday etc.) is two days before – Easter Monday the day after, etc.

Applying this rule to 2017
● 12 March was a full moon

● next full moon (i.e. first on, or after, 21 March) was on Tuesday 11 April

● so Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after 11 April – Sunday 16 April 2017

Earliest possible Easter Sunday
“In 1818, as a paschal full moon fell on Saturday March 21 (the Spring Equinox), Easter was the following day – Sunday March 22 – the earliest date possible. It will not fall on this date again until 2285, a span of 467 years.” – Wikepedia¹

Latest possible Easter Sunday
“In 1943 a full moon fell on Saturday March 20. As this was before the Equinox the next full moon, which fell on Sunday April 18, determined the date of Easter – the following Sunday, April 25. It will not fall on this date again until 2038, a span of 95 years.” – Wikepedia²

When is Easter? – complex answer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiastical_full_moon
__________

¹ Wikipedia: “Ecclesiastical full moon”, “Earliest Easter”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiastical_full_moon#Earliest_Easter

² Wikipedia: “Ecclesiastical full moon”, “Latest Easter”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiastical_full_moon#Latest_Easter / ecclesiastical full moon 14th day ecclesiastical lunar month ecclesiastical moon) ecclesiastical lunar calendar ecclesiastical lunar calendar spans the year lunar months 30 29 days approximate observed phases of the moon true synodic month length vary 29.27 29.83 days moment of astronomical opposition 14.75 days after the previous conjunction sun moon 28 days lunar month ecclesiastical full moons Gregorian lunar calendar dates of astronomical opposition day beginning midnight at 0 degrees longitude within a day or so astronomical opposition single moment entire earth hour and day opposition measured having taken place vary with longitude ecclesiastical calendar 14th day of the lunar month reckoned in local time considered day of the full moon at each longitude schematic lunar calendars get out of step with the moon checking their performance compare variation astronomical new moon standard time of 6 A.M. last day of a 30 day month 6 P.M. end of day last day of a 29 day month medieval period age of the ecclesiastical moon announced daily office of Prime reading of the martyrology Book of Common Prayer Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America dates paschal full moons 19 years Gregorian Easter cycle Golden Number date in March or April paschal full moon falls year of the cycle practice some editions Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England /

There’s a hunger for the truth in news reporting

Credit: Mediaite

Three days ago, I posted this:

Google fights fake news with “Fact Check” tag

Result, more page views than the previous 3 posts together, & the post with the fourth highest number of page views in 6 years. There really is a hunger for the truth.

In the face of recent world events, that's the best news this year.

Since you've read this far, it probably includes you – & you'll probably be interested in this:

FactCheck.org – “How to Spot Fake News”
https://www.factcheck.org/2016/11/how-to-spot-fake-news/ / How to Spot Fake News fake news nothing new bogus stories can reach more people more quickly via social media viral emails Facebook Google crack down fake news sites restricting their ability garner ad revenue dissipate malarkey online news consumers best defense defence spread of misinformation passed along online complete fiction Snopes.com exposing false viral claims fabricated messages distortions containing bits of truth founder David Mikkelson fake news category fictions fabrications comprise fake news subset larger bad news phenomenon shoddy unresearched error-filled error filled deliberately misleading reporting disservice to everyone viral claims aren’t news fiction satire efforts to fool readers encouraged readers skeptical of viral claims delete chain email Ask FactCheck feature answer readers’ questions viral emails social media memes made-up email windfall tax malicious fabrication fake news in today’s parlance rid inboxes garbage red flags Key Characteristics of Bogusness clear tip-offs chain email wasn’t legitimate anonymous author excessive exclamation points capital letters misspellings entreaties This is NOT a hoax links sourcing does not support completely contradicts claims being made fake stories completely made-up news grown more sophisticated site designed to look like legitimate news organization organisation easy to figure out what’s real and what’s imaginary armed with some critical thinking fact-checking tools of the trade how to spot a fake consider the source fact-checked fake news not the actual URL fantasy news website a gmail address debunked claim site most of what it publishes is fiction fantasy news satire warning bogus headline Donald Trump for President information on its mission staff members physical location legitimate news organization organisation site debunked by fact-checking organizations organisations Snopes.com viral claims online rumors maintains list known fake news websites read beyond the headline provocative headline pass along the shocking information legitimate news stories headline doesn’t always tell the whole story fake news particularly efforts to be satirical several revealing signs in the text viral rumor rumour read the full story check the author tell-tale sign of a fake story byline Peabody award Pulitzer Prize bio bogus story byline Darius Rubics bogus stories official sources source doesn’t back up the claim viral claim crime statistics murder statistics retweeted tweet Twitter from sources that are very credible FBI crime data is publicly available supposed source data fake news story satirical site surprise announcement surprise announcement garner media coverage website Google Snopes.com article fake news check the date false stories completely fake distortions of real events mendacious claims legitimate news story twist what it says claim that something that happened long ago is related to current events many inquiries from readers Trump’s election blog items that quoted from evidence check the support for claims deceptive website credit CNN bogus headline deception involves copyright infringement article distorted Trump took credit deserved no credit some kind of joke satire clearly labeled as such satirical news column Borowitz Report not everyone gets the jokes satirical columns suspected the details were far-fetched more debatable forms of satire online hoaxer Paul Horner fact a fake piece after the election hoaxes helped the campaign satire fake news designed to encourage clicks generate money ad revenue makes a living off his posts nobody fact-checks anything anymore check your biases confirmation bias confirms their beliefs take a moment to check it out express doubt in the outrageous skepticism is justified debunked claims resurgence of a fake quote since the election viral image circulated archives public relations representative quote interview fake meme Instagram quote is fake consult the experts debunking takes time FactCheck.org Snopes.com Washington Post Fact Checker PolitiFact.com fact-checked fact checked viral claim pop up in your news feed FactCheck.org fact-checkers Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg principles underpin more accurate news ecosystem News Feed readers remain the first line of defense against fake news Viral Spiral page Ask FactChecks claim investigate factcheck.org /

Tesla Model 3 instruments in front of the driver – definitely not happening

Tesla Model 3 interior as seen at the reveal event – notice centre screen & absence of any instruments in front of the driver. Notice too, the zero in the top left of the centre screen, which is a speed display.
Credit: @steve_cars/Twitter

Since the Tesla Model 3 reveal, there has been speculation about the 15" landscape centre screen & the possibility of other instruments in the production vehicle. One popular suggestion has been a head up display (HUD). With the benefit of hindsight, the engineer driving the prototype in my post about the Model 3 reveal was committed to the advantages of the centre screen & eliminating instruments in front of the driver.¹

Recently, Elon Musk placed it beyond doubt in a Twitter exchange:

@nickg_uk No

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2017

@nickg_uk @chouky02 You won't care

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2017

@nickg_uk @chouky02 No

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2017

“You won’t care”? – Elon Musk makes it clear that it doesn’t mean a HUD, but it does imply something in the user interface that will overcome objections to the absence of a speed display in front of the driver.

If, as the owner of a production Model 3, you do care, there are many existing add-on HUDs, including:

“15 Best Head-Up Displays (HUD)”
http://www.crookedbrains.net/2016/04/best-head-up-displays.html
__________

¹ HitchHiker's Guide 2 Tech: “Tesla Model 3 event (video)”, https://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2016/04/tesla-model-3-event.html

/ Tesla Model 3 interior reveal event centre screen absence of any instruments in front of the driver speed display top left of the centre screen speed display Tesla Model 3 reveal speculation 15" 15 inch landscape centre screen center screen other instruments production vehicle popular suggestion head up display HUD engineer driving the prototype my post about Model 3 reveal committed to the advantages of the centre screen eliminating instruments in front of the driver Elon Musk placed it beyond doubt Twitter exchange battery electric car electric vehicle EV battery electric vehicle BEV lithium ion battery LiIon charge /