Possible_Terrorism_Warfare – Page 1062 – I wish I had more to offer

GM president dashes hopes of future Volt, says no more hybrids

2019 Buick Velite 6 Electric
Following news in late November that General Motors would kill off the Chevrolet Volt, one of the pioneers of modern plug-in cars, a senior GM executive has hinted—strongly—that it won't be back.

On Friday, in the Q&A session after the company's investor conference, incoming company president Mark Reuss doused those hopes. In response to a question about building future hybrids, Reuss said, “Hybrids are just countermeasures to an ICE,” referring to an internal combustion engine.

DON'T MISS: Cadillac to become “lead electric vehicle brand” for GM to rival Tesla (Updated)

Following a wide-ranging conference call focused on the company's investment priorities, Reuss continued, “You can't spend money to force the customer to carry around extra stuff they may not need.”

That sounds like a direct reference to a range-extending engine, when electric power and faster charging could accomplish the same.

“Or, you can spend your money on getting the real answer, which is providing the customer a zero emissions, sustainable, affordable solution,” Reuss added.

READ THIS: GM to kill Chevy Volt production in 2019 (Updated)

Fans were hopeful that the company planned to replace it with another plug-in hybrid with similar technology based on GM's Voltec system, in which it invested most of a billion dollars a dozen or so years ago.

However the message could hardly be clearer, that GM plans on focusing on pure battery electric cars in the future, and not “waste” resources building plug-in hybrids.
Hopes for a replacement for the Volt that might be somewhat larger—perhaps a crossover or something with more rear-seat room—sound likely to go unfulfilled, despite the fact that GM is planning to introduce exactly such a car in China this year: the Buick Velite 6 plug-in hybrid. The Velite 6 is also expected to have a fully-electric option when it goes on sale.

CHECK OUT: Buick Velite 6 for China previews new GM approach to electric cars

GM's new strategy was supported by the headline announcement that the company will focus its next electric efforts under the much more expensive Cadillac brand. Clearly, GM is feeling the heat from Tesla, which started with a strategy of amortizing its investments in building new battery supplies by selling cutting-edge luxury cars, not by relying on tax credits to try and sell a greater number of affordable cars to the masses.

The questions now are whether GM's move upmarket for its electric models will come just as more mainstream buyers, with lower budgets, begin shopping for electric cars, and whether electric-car charging infrastructure has reached a state in which those mainstream buyers don't need to be worried about range—and comforted by having an “extra” gas engine, just in case.

Elon Musk Is Giving My Generation Its Future Back. Let’s Not Lose It Again.

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Published on January 13th, 2019 |

by Jennifer Sensiba

Elon Musk Is Giving My Generation Its Future Back. Let’s Not Lose It Again.

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January 13th, 2019 by Jennifer Sensiba

Like many, I’ve been watching the developments in Boca Chica, Texas, with great interest. SpaceX, one of Elon Musk’s companies, is building the “Starship Hopper,” a shorter and simpler version of a spacecraft that could revolutionize space travel. Seeing images of the mostly complete test vehicle, clad in shiny stainless steel, makes me feel like a kid again.

These are exciting times to be alive. We are at the beginning stages of the electric car revolution. We have access to much of the knowledge of our species at our fingertips. Rockets are being launched, and they mostly return to the ground for the next adventure. There’s serious talk of going back to the moon, then to Mars, and beyond. But much of this seemed like it might not really happen just a few years ago.

While I can’t speak for other generations, I can speak for at least part of mine. I was born in the first half of the 1980s. Growing up, we saw all sorts of marvelous futures depicted in fiction and in speculative non-fiction. The Shuttle program ran through my childhood, and the Apollo program wasn’t such a distant memory for others in the family. Electric vehicles, flying cars, AI, and laser guns … all were shown to be normal at some point in the early 21st century. Perhaps the most precise predictions came from the second Back to the Future film, depicting a high-tech 2015, complete with toy hoverboards for children.

As a kid, I also saw the dystopian fiction and non-fictional predictions for a possible depressing future. Environmental collapse, authoritarian regimes, and technology that serves to enslave or kill us rather than empower us, were common in many films. The Terminator might hunt us down, or maybe we’d become human batteries unknowingly living in a simulation. There was plenty of fear for the future as well — but the common element still remained: massive technological achievement, for better or worse.

While we didn’t see a massively dystopian future, we didn’t get the amazing future that the good or bad films and books presented. Instead of getting missions to Mars and beyond, we watched the Shuttle program go through a disaster, run some more missions, and then come to an end — with nothing to replace it! The electric car was off to a promising start, but later killed off. We saw the horror of the 9/11 attacks followed by the PATRIOT Act, and what seems to be an endless War on Terror. Government got caught spying on countless citizens. We’ve seen racial strife, environmental disaster, and drug addiction epidemics.

It wasn’t all bad, though. We got much better computers. We got smartphones. The electric car was dead, but we got better, more efficient gas cars, both hybrid and not. We got semi-intelligent assistants like Siri and Alexa. But we still sometimes feel cheated. There are no deep space missions to follow. No space outposts on other celestial bodies. Until only relatively recently, there were no electric cars and there are still no real flying cars.

I may sound like a total fangirl saying this, but bear with me: Elon Musk is giving us our future back.

Singlehandedly? Of course not. But without competition from Tesla, none of the other manufacturers would have bothered at all with electric vehicles. We still don’t have a flying car like the movies on the horizon, but it’s looking more and more like the next Roadster might be able to do “short hops” with the SpaceX thruster package, so we may yet see the flying cars we were supposed to have.

Nobody else was bothering to try to reuse rockets like SpaceX, and nobody else is ambitiously pursuing anything as amazing as the Starship. While we still aren’t seeing faster than light travel, we have a strong possibility of going anywhere in the world in around 30 minutes. In our lifetimes, we may actually see colonies on the moon, Mars, and perhaps the moons of Jupiter.

I could go on all day, but I’ll try to be short. He’s also working hard on artificial intelligence (and keeping it safe for us), underground transportation, brain-computer interfaces, and broadband internet for the entire planet.

My generation watched our hopes and dreams go from looking promising, to looking like they weren’t going to happen in our lifetimes, and then come back again. For this, we largely have Elon Musk and his teams of hard workers to thank.

I know Elon Musk isn’t perfect, but we’d be fools to take him and his companies for granted. If we do, other countries might not. From what I’ve read, Musk chose to move from his native country of South Africa to the United States because it seemed like the most innovative and successful place to chase his dreams.

However, we all know that there are entrenched interests who would like to see him fall, and wouldn’t mind quickly extending society’s foot in his path to make it happen. There are people who stand to make billions if the electric car revolution collapses. Others would love to replace SpaceX with more expensive “solutions” that enrich them and theirs at everybody’s expense. I’m not saying Musk deserves a free pass to do whatever he wants in life with no consequences, but I am saying that we need to make sure he continues to get the same freedom of opportunity that we all are theoretically supposed to get in the United States.

Musk wouldn’t be the first innovator this happened to. A quick (and cartoonish) look at the interactions of Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison is quite instructive.

If we allow these entrenched interests to corrupt our institutions and weaponize them against innovators like Elon Musk, it probably won’t hurt him greatly in the long run, but it would probably rob us, again, of the amazing future we could have had. At the very minimum, it would be a loss for the United States and a gain for another country that knows the value of who we were throwing away. Even China, with its much more authoritarian government, knows to appreciate Musk. It was not only unusually flexible with him to break ground on a factory, but offered him a permanent resident card — a privilege not extended to many foreigners without family ties to the country.

If we fail to see what we have until it’s gone, somebody else will not. That would be a sad day not only for my generation, but for my children and theirs. We need to appreciate the innovators we have among us, flaws and all, if we want to truly be great in the long run.

About the Author

Jennifer Sensiba Jennifer Sensiba is a long time efficient vehicle enthusiast, writer, and photographer. She grew up around a transmission shop, and has been experimenting with vehicle efficiency since she was 16 and drove a Pontiac Fiero. She likes to explore the Southwest US with her partner, kids, and animals.

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Siren’s Call: A talk with Michael Moorcock – Los Angeles Times

Where do you begin with Michael Moorcock? His career and background range as far and wide as his characters do across the multiverse. Novelist, short story writer, editor (of New Worlds and other publications), journalist, musician — and, in the case of this column, a very gracious interviewee. His detailed answers below, like those found… Continue reading Siren’s Call: A talk with Michael Moorcock – Los Angeles Times

RAM Trucks wants a bigger piece of hot heavy-duty trucks with new Detroit debut

Source: Ram
2019 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty Limited Crew Cab Dually

RAM Trucks has stolen the limelight with its 1500 pickup truck in the eyes of many auto industry watchers. Now it wants to spread a bit of that magic out to larger work pickups.

Fiat Chrysler released an updated lineup of heavy-duty pickups at the Detroit auto show on Monday.

With the new models, RAM is aiming at truck buyers who want to use the truck for work, but also want nice interiors and features that make the truck usable as a family or recreational vehicle on the weekend.

While the trucks have serious towing capability and payload capacity, RAM is also outfitting them with features designed to make the ride as pleasant as possible for drivers. Cabins are equipped with active noise cancellation, anti-vibration devices and acoustic glass.

The truck maker also says it has exclusive rear air suspension that has a special driver-activated Bed Lowering mode, a normal mode for driving with a payload in the bed and a Trailer-Tow Mode.

The introduction of the new vehicles is another shot fired in the ongoing battle between the three big American truck makers.

U.S. truck sales, especially full-size truck sales are dominated by the three American manufacturers: Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. RAM has historically come in third place in sales, behind Ford and GM.

But bold design choices and upscale, feature-rich interiors have earned RAM's light duty full-size line, the RAM 1500, has praise from critics and a jump in sales.

“It's all part of the truck wars,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader, a website that connects car buyers and sellers.

Commercial and work-focused trucks and vans were extremely good in 2018, she said. Sales defied Autotrader forecasts by rising instead of falling, in large part because tax reform provided a benefit for businesses to buy vehicles.

“If you looked at the commercial van segment, that was up,” she said. “Big trucks were up. Ford has done very well with its Super Duty trucks. So Ram is looking at doing just as well. And GM is coming out with a new Silverado medium duty and heavy duty this year. So it's the war of the big trucks this year.”

China car sales hit reverse for first time since 1990s

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Car makers in China will face more fierce competition this year, after a tough 2018 when the world’s biggest auto market contracted for the first time in more than two decades, the country’s top auto industry association said on Monday. FILE PHOTO: Newly manufactured cars are seen at the automobile terminal in… Continue reading China car sales hit reverse for first time since 1990s

Loyal trophy collector

*/ ]]> Opel endurance runner: Kai-Uwe Wehrheim drives for decades Opel. His current trophy is the Vectra C. “Instead of using a company car, I prefer to use my Vectra. I’ve been able to rely on that for years. “ – Kai-Uwe Wehrheim – owner of the kilometer hero The community Heidenrod extends in 19… Continue reading Loyal trophy collector

Tesla Downplays Self-Driving Mode, And That’s A Good Thing [Opinion]

The Tesla automobile had two jobs when it was launched: First, it would finally and formally usher in the era of the electric car. No more false starts. No more wondering who killed the electric car. With the introduction of Tesla Motors, the electric car was here to stay.

The other job was to introduce the self-driving car. While this was never intended to become an immediate reality, it was the official first step toward a near-future where cars would drive themselves. Tesla has succeeded in the first goal. Thanks largely to Elon Musk, electric cars are for real. The second goal, not so much.

According to the Verge, “Tesla stopped promoting the ‘Full Self-Driving’ option for its cars.”

“Tesla has pulled a long-standing promise of a “Full Self-Driving” option for its cars from the order page on the company’s website.

Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, said on Twitter that the option will be temporarily available “off menu,” much like Animal Style fries at an In-N-Out burger joint. It will quickly leave the secret menu, though, and won’t come back until the company is ready to roll it out. The Full Self-Driving option was “causing too much confusion” for customers to justify keeping it front and center, he said. The company declined to comment.”

One gets the impression Musk is still not taking the matter seriously enough. This is an issue of safety. Lives are on the line, and at least one has been lost. This is not something to be compared to an item on a fast-food menu.

Just last year, CNBC reported on a man dying in a car crash while depending on Tesla Autopilot. The article is quick to point out that the man received a number of warnings to keep his hands on the wheel, something he failed to do. But that is ultimately not the point. The man died because of confusion. He was sold a dream of a car driving itself and died because he believed it.

At the current stage of technology, it is irresponsible to sell a car with the promise of a Full Self-Driving mode, or something that currently bills itself as autopilot. Airplanes have autopilot. That is fitting because planes really can fly themselves. Cars cannot drive themselves except in very limited circumstances.

The German Government has asked Tesla to stop calling its features “Autopilot.” While that is unlikely to happen without regulation, at least Musk is being a bit more conservative about what he promises.

As a PSA, consumers need to understand that regardless of the car you own and the features it boasts, no car is even close to being able to drive itself. Licensed and attentive drivers are still a requirement.

GM plans to challenge Tesla with Cadillac as its lead electric vehicle brand

GM will position Cadillac as their lead EV brand in a mission to catch up to Tesla in the US electric vehicle market, according to sources talking to Reuters. They report that GM will announce these plans to investors on Friday. They are expected to announce that a Cadillac vehicle will be the first car made… Continue reading GM plans to challenge Tesla with Cadillac as its lead electric vehicle brand

Bell’s air taxi of the future aims to ferry Uber riders by 2023

While Elon Musk’s Boring Company hopes to ease traffic congestion by burrowing under the cities of tomorrow, Uber and Bell Aerospace are taking to the skies. At CES 2019 in Las Vegas, Bell revealed the latest iteration of its Nexus VTOL aircraft, which is being developed as the preferred platform for Uber’s Elevate air taxi… Continue reading Bell’s air taxi of the future aims to ferry Uber riders by 2023

India: Ola’s valuation skyrockets to $5.7b after fresh funding from Steadview

January 10, 2019 Ola has regained its number two ranking in the pecking order of India’s most valuable startups, after securing $74 million in fresh funding from existing investor Steadview Capital in its latest funding round, which valued India’s leading cab-hailing service at roughly $5.7 billion. Ola, which has been in talks to raise at… Continue reading India: Ola’s valuation skyrockets to $5.7b after fresh funding from Steadview