So I’ve been obsessively reading about Shinto. The ancient animist religion of Japan and its “foundation” in Ise. A massive shrine complex in remote Mie Prefecture east of Osaka
Ise is, in myth and legend and religious fact, where the sun goddess Amaterasu came down and started Japan - and where she became the great grandmother of the first Japanese emperor
More cogently: “The Ise Shrine, known as Ise Jingū, is the most important Shinto shrine in Japan and has a deep historical connection with the Japanese imperial family. Its significance stems from being dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami, the Sun Goddess, who is considered the mythical ancestor of the Japanese imperial line.
Amaterasu is believed to be the direct progenitor of the imperial family, with the first emperor, Emperor Jimmu, considered her descendant. According to Shinto beliefs, the emperor of Japan is a living deity with divine ancestry tracing back to Amaterasu. This connection has been a cornerstone of the legitimacy of the imperial line throughout Japan’s history….
The Ise Shrine has been the spiritual center of Japan since ancient times, with its establishment traditionally attributed to the 4th century. The shrine is rebuilt every 20 years in a ceremony called shikinen sengu, which symbolizes the renewal of life and the continuity of the imperial family’s divine legacy
Members of the imperial family, particularly the emperor or his designated representatives, perform rituals at the Ise Shrine to honor Amaterasu…”
So I was just thinking WOW this is all amazing I’m basically visiting the sacred cradle of all Japan still embodied in its imperial family descended from the goddess who came here in about 6AD
And then the police politely said stop here and step aside for a procession and I saw this….
I saw the imperial princess - and appointed royal shamaness of Ise - and the only other person apart from the emperor who is allowed to gaze upon Amataseru’s holy mirror (the imperial regalia kept at use) walking from the shrine where she had just done the sacred rice offering ceremony - the most important ceremony of the year
She actually looks like Emperor Hirohito. Her grandfather
LOOK AT HER SHOES
My reaction to that is this:
How do they stay on her feet?!
Shoes which appear to be held on by sheer willpower (many women's shoes fall into this category, but also so do slippers) discomfit me disproportionately. I worry that should the person reverse, the shoes will stay where they are. And should the person need to break into a run, the shoes will fall off.
I cannot get past this basic facet of what I am seeing. Unless they are held on by string or something that I can't see. Even then - I don't like the shoes at all.
Like clogs?
There may be a tie, but by tensing the feet and toes I would think. Probably not designed for reversing or running.
If you want to be discomfited, take a look at some Chinese shoes for bound feet.
Catching up on the news, and on yesterday's accident vs collision topic, the death of Liam Payne sounds, based on reporting, more like a Darwin Award entry than an 'accident'.
It's always strange watching the protestations of media and friends to whitewash celebrity alkies and junkies.
We have the same about long-term violent criminal thugs who suddenly become "popular with everyone" or "would do anything to help anyone" or "the son every mum would love to have".
I suggest that far more good can come from such deaths if a modicum of honesty was present.
I have to admit, I’d never heard of Liam Payne, till now.
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
The first three items are going away, in the US, since Tesla won the US charging standards war. All the car companies are signing up to use their network.
The last one is about poor implementation. There is no reason that you need to do anything other than plug your car into a charger. The car chats to the charger and everything else. This is a demonstrated technology.
The carbon capture project was actually initiated under the last government.
I know very little about the merits or otherwise of it, but the Tories obviously thought it a good idea, at least until 4 July.
It is inevitable that there will be some areas that are extremely difficult to decarbonise, and carbon capture may well be a solution in these areas. But it is surely very much a last resort. Our efforts for now should be focussed on rolling out renewables (and possibly nuclear, but I have my doubts there) as quickly as possible and on demand management initiatives.
My feeling is that if we really believe this is an emergency, we should be trying all options. I'd be annoyed if this happened instead of public investment in nuclear or other potential solutions... but we shouldn't be afraid of govt taking risks which could have a big payoff.
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
EVs are expensive in the EU thanks to tariffs on Chinese EVs & the slow progress of EU car makers in making EVs in sufficient volume to push them out the door cheaply.
Worldwide, EV sales are up 30% year on year - basically China is churning them out at far lower prices & selling them everywhere they can, including inside China itself.
I'm coming round to tariffs. I know the concept of comparative advantage and the theory that they destroy wealth, but I see no reason to increase wealth globally if it decreases wealth locally. From your point I assume that EU manufacturers will slowly catch up to make EVs, and unless I'm missing something there isn't any mass manufacturers of EVs in the UK?
On a more general topic, what an absolute sewer Twitter/X has become under Musk.
In just over half an hour of perusing some most recent popular threads, I can see that it's almost overflowing with hatred, bile, and threats of violence, all completely unmoderated and unfiltered , and a critical time for the world to encourage a bit more moderation.There's literally thousands of unmoderated posts encouraging hatred and violence against black people, White people, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and almost everyone.
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
EV costs - along with battery costs - will fall quite rapidly over the rest of this decade. The fluctuation in demand from month to month isn't really relevant. There's no 'going back' to old fashioned internal combustion engines.
I am sure you are right but it is still the case the consumer prefers petrol to ev
Once the price crosses over for cheaper vehicles, then the preference will switch.
The big hurdles are the ever increasing insurance costs and their resale value
Don't worry about insurance costs. Labour are on the case.
She's setting up a "taskforce"
Something needs to be done. Look, this is something.
Catching up on the news, and on yesterday's accident vs collision topic, the death of Liam Payne sounds, based on reporting, more like a Darwin Award entry than an 'accident'.
It's always strange watching the protestations of media and friends to whitewash celebrity alkies and junkies.
We have the same about long-term violent criminal thugs who suddenly become "popular with everyone" or "would do anything to help anyone" or "the son every mum would love to have".
I suggest that far more good can come from such deaths if a modicum of honesty was present.
I have to admit, I’d never heard of Liam Payne, till now.
Me neither, and I will have entirely forgotten about him by this time tomorrow.
On a more general topic, what an absolute sewer Twitter/X has become under Musk.
In just over half an hour of perusing some most recent popular threads, I can see that it's almost overflowing with hatred, bile, and threats of violence, all completely unmoderated and unfiltered , and a critical time for the world to encourage a bit more moderation.There's literally thousands of unmoderated posts encouraging hatred and violence against black people, White people, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and almost everyone.
The new meaning of "blocked" is genuinely concerning to me.
So I’ve been obsessively reading about Shinto. The ancient animist religion of Japan and its “foundation” in Ise. A massive shrine complex in remote Mie Prefecture east of Osaka
Ise is, in myth and legend and religious fact, where the sun goddess Amaterasu came down and started Japan - and where she became the great grandmother of the first Japanese emperor
More cogently: “The Ise Shrine, known as Ise Jingū, is the most important Shinto shrine in Japan and has a deep historical connection with the Japanese imperial family. Its significance stems from being dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami, the Sun Goddess, who is considered the mythical ancestor of the Japanese imperial line.
Amaterasu is believed to be the direct progenitor of the imperial family, with the first emperor, Emperor Jimmu, considered her descendant. According to Shinto beliefs, the emperor of Japan is a living deity with divine ancestry tracing back to Amaterasu. This connection has been a cornerstone of the legitimacy of the imperial line throughout Japan’s history….
The Ise Shrine has been the spiritual center of Japan since ancient times, with its establishment traditionally attributed to the 4th century. The shrine is rebuilt every 20 years in a ceremony called shikinen sengu, which symbolizes the renewal of life and the continuity of the imperial family’s divine legacy
Members of the imperial family, particularly the emperor or his designated representatives, perform rituals at the Ise Shrine to honor Amaterasu…”
So I was just thinking WOW this is all amazing I’m basically visiting the sacred cradle of all Japan still embodied in its imperial family descended from the goddess who came here in about 6AD
And then the police politely said stop here and step aside for a procession and I saw this….
I saw the imperial princess - and appointed royal shamaness of Ise - and the only other person apart from the emperor who is allowed to gaze upon Amataseru’s holy mirror (the imperial regalia kept at use) walking from the shrine where she had just done the sacred rice offering ceremony - the most important ceremony of the year
She actually looks like Emperor Hirohito. Her grandfather
LOOK AT HER SHOES
My reaction to that is this:
How do they stay on her feet?!
Shoes which appear to be held on by sheer willpower (many women's shoes fall into this category, but also so do slippers) discomfit me disproportionately. I worry that should the person reverse, the shoes will stay where they are. And should the person need to break into a run, the shoes will fall off.
I cannot get past this basic facet of what I am seeing. Unless they are held on by string or something that I can't see. Even then - I don't like the shoes at all.
Like clogs?
There may be a tie, but by tensing the feet and toes I would think. Probably not designed for reversing or running.
If you want to be discomfited, take a look at some Chinese shoes for bound feet.
My photo quota:
*WINCE*
I never really understood how clogs stayed on, actually. Apart from those clogs with backs. Which stay on but look impossible to get your feet into.
An interesting suggestion I've come across - that synthetic fuel starts making sense when solar power drops below 12% of the cost of oil powered electricity generation. And that solar is approaching that now - in some markets.
Yes. The same with excess wind at windy times. There's already a whole bunch of essentially free wind energy available at peak wind times. If you can turn that excess renewable energy into a mix of aviation fuel and methane (easy to store long-term for that occasional fortnight in winter with no wind or solar) then you go a long way towards knocking the more troublesome corner cases in reaching a zero carbon future into shape.
Battery storage makes most sense when you can shift the energy from the middle of the day to the evening (for solar). It's a bit less useful for the timescales on which you want to shift wind energy, because if you do so on timescales of ~week, then you have about seven times fewer charge/discharge cycles to make money on. That's when synthetic fuels start to look interesting.
Synfuel might start to look interesting over the net decade, but it will be a global market, and the cheapest electricity by far will be solar, in places like S Arabia or Nevada. It's still a long was from cost competitive for using the excess wind capacity the government's currently paying around £1bn annually not to use.
On a more general topic, what an absolute sewer Twitter/X has become under Musk.
In just over half an hour of perusing some most recent popular threads, I can see that it's almost overflowing with hatred, bile, and threats of violence, all completely unmoderated and unfiltered , and a critical time for the world to encourage a bit more moderation.There's literally thousands of unmoderated posts encouraging hatred and violence against black people, White people, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and almost everyone.
It is not that bad for me but I do get alot of comment from US posters about how shit Kamala Harris is, now I am not a great fan of hers but clearly her Foxnews interview was not a disaster.
I don't care.
I have even had Katie Hopkins and Tommy Robinson. So had to block them.
I thought Twitter put stuff into your feed based on your interests and who you followed. The only politicians I follow are Kevan Jones and Luke Akehurst.
I preferred it when someone like Robin Askwith or George Layton dropped into my timeline with some nostalgic reminiscences about acting in the seventies.
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
EVs are expensive in the EU thanks to tariffs on Chinese EVs & the slow progress of EU car makers in making EVs in sufficient volume to push them out the door cheaply.
Worldwide, EV sales are up 30% year on year - basically China is churning them out at far lower prices & selling them everywhere they can, including inside China itself.
I'm coming round to tariffs. I know the concept of comparative advantage and the theory that they destroy wealth, but I see no reason to increase wealth globally if it decreases wealth locally. From your point I assume that EU manufacturers will slowly catch up to make EVs, and unless I'm missing something there isn't any mass manufacturers of EVs in the UK?
It's largely a matter of battery production. You need to create factories on a scale of square kilometres. Not talk about talking about talk.
If you want cheap EV - build the factories. If you don't want the factories, then you can have Chinese EVs or no cheap EVs.
Are the Brits really going to let this idea fall through, and hand the initiative to the two existing superpowers?
If the Americans get theirs working and delivered, the unit price drops very quickly and any new entrants face huge barriers to entry.
Don't worry, Labour are spending £22bn in carbon capture.
sobs quietly
The other day I spoke to a friend who works in the energy industry and is quite a lefty and he was scathing about Ed Miliband.
The competence of Chris Grayling and the ideological entrenchment of Jeremy Corbyn was how he was described.
Yup, he's a disaster, the guy I met in energy at the industry AI conference last week was scathing. He said he thinks the government will spend £50bn+ and we'll still get blackouts in the 2030s based on the new plan.
I am so glad we’ve got solar panels and a battery.
But do you have the full two-way inverter, so that the battery can power the house with the mains off?
The vast majority can’t, because of the switching circuits required.
Mine was going to cost an extra £800 and i thought, maybe foolishly, that ive only had about three power cuts in thirty years that lasted more than 1/2 an hour.
Yes - it's quite complex to do, at least partly because engineers working on fixing faults need to be totally protected against electricity being exported into it when it is supposed to be broken and needing to be mended.
Given the basic reliability of our grid, one strategy is to have a genny or ups and a subset of essential bits of electrical kit that's needed eg one double socket in the kitchen and some lights, plus a minimum required set of other things.
On a more general topic, what an absolute sewer Twitter/X has become under Musk.
In just over half an hour of perusing some most recent popular threads, I can see that it's almost overflowing with hatred, bile, and threats of violence, all completely unmoderated and unfiltered , and a critical time for the world to encourage a bit more moderation.There's literally thousands of unmoderated posts encouraging hatred and violence against black people, White people, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and almost everyone.
It is not that bad for me but I do get alot of comment from US posters about how shit Kamala Harris is, now I am not a great fan of hers but clearly her Foxnews interview was not a disaster.
I don't care.
I have even had Katie Hopkins and Tommy Robinson. So had to block them.
I thought Twitter put stuff into your feed based on your interests and who you followed. The only politicians I follow are Kevan Jones and Luke Akehurst.
I preferred it when someone like Robin Askwith or George Layton dropped into my timeline with some nostalgic reminiscences about acting in the seventies.
It's quite ironic that Musk was a big funder of the Bluesky Social project, which is slowly becoming a more serious alternative. Miles to go, though.
Cricket commentary always involves abusing stats rather than using stats. For example, cricinfo claims that this would be the second highest run chase ever in Tests in Pakistan.
Which is bollocks. It’d be the seventh (out of about a hundred, many of which had targets too low to be comparable).
It’s just that four of the six higher ones resulted in draws, but I somehow don’t think that’s on the cards here… (And, of course, getting to 328 wouldn’t result in a loss like Pakistan vs England in 2022)
On a more general topic, what an absolute sewer Twitter/X has become under Musk.
In just over half an hour of perusing some most recent popular threads, I can see that it's almost overflowing with hatred, bile, and threats of violence, all completely unmoderated and unfiltered , and a critical time for the world to encourage a bit more moderation.There's literally thousands of unmoderated posts encouraging hatred and violence against black people, White people, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and almost everyone.
It is not that bad for me but I do get alot of comment from US posters about how shit Kamala Harris is, now I am not a great fan of hers but clearly her Foxnews interview was not a disaster.
I don't care.
I have even had Katie Hopkins and Tommy Robinson. So had to block them.
I thought Twitter put stuff into your feed based on your interests and who you followed. The only politicians I follow are Kevan Jones and Luke Akehurst.
I preferred it when someone like Robin Askwith or George Layton dropped into my timeline with some nostalgic reminiscences about acting in the seventies.
It's quite ironic that Musk was a big funder of the Bluesky Social project, which is slowly becoming a more serious alternative. Miles to go, though.
I hadn't heard that, where are you getting it from? IIUC Bluesky started out as a Twitter project in the Jack Dorsey days, but they were already independent by the time Musk bought Twitter.
So I’ve been obsessively reading about Shinto. The ancient animist religion of Japan and its “foundation” in Ise. A massive shrine complex in remote Mie Prefecture east of Osaka
Ise is, in myth and legend and religious fact, where the sun goddess Amaterasu came down and started Japan - and where she became the great grandmother of the first Japanese emperor
More cogently: “The Ise Shrine, known as Ise Jingū, is the most important Shinto shrine in Japan and has a deep historical connection with the Japanese imperial family. Its significance stems from being dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami, the Sun Goddess, who is considered the mythical ancestor of the Japanese imperial line.
Amaterasu is believed to be the direct progenitor of the imperial family, with the first emperor, Emperor Jimmu, considered her descendant. According to Shinto beliefs, the emperor of Japan is a living deity with divine ancestry tracing back to Amaterasu. This connection has been a cornerstone of the legitimacy of the imperial line throughout Japan’s history….
The Ise Shrine has been the spiritual center of Japan since ancient times, with its establishment traditionally attributed to the 4th century. The shrine is rebuilt every 20 years in a ceremony called shikinen sengu, which symbolizes the renewal of life and the continuity of the imperial family’s divine legacy
Members of the imperial family, particularly the emperor or his designated representatives, perform rituals at the Ise Shrine to honor Amaterasu…”
So I was just thinking WOW this is all amazing I’m basically visiting the sacred cradle of all Japan still embodied in its imperial family descended from the goddess who came here in about 6AD
And then the police politely said stop here and step aside for a procession and I saw this….
I saw the imperial princess - and appointed royal shamaness of Ise - and the only other person apart from the emperor who is allowed to gaze upon Amataseru’s holy mirror (the imperial regalia kept at use) walking from the shrine where she had just done the sacred rice offering ceremony - the most important ceremony of the year
She actually looks like Emperor Hirohito. Her grandfather
LOOK AT HER SHOES
My reaction to that is this:
How do they stay on her feet?!
Shoes which appear to be held on by sheer willpower (many women's shoes fall into this category, but also so do slippers) discomfit me disproportionately. I worry that should the person reverse, the shoes will stay where they are. And should the person need to break into a run, the shoes will fall off.
I cannot get past this basic facet of what I am seeing. Unless they are held on by string or something that I can't see. Even then - I don't like the shoes at all.
Like clogs?
There may be a tie, but by tensing the feet and toes I would think. Probably not designed for reversing or running.
If you want to be discomfited, take a look at some Chinese shoes for bound feet.
My photo quota:
*WINCE*
I never really understood how clogs stayed on, actually. Apart from those clogs with backs. Which stay on but look impossible to get your feet into.
The carbon capture project was actually initiated under the last government.
I know very little about the merits or otherwise of it, but the Tories obviously thought it a good idea, at least until 4 July.
It is inevitable that there will be some areas that are extremely difficult to decarbonise, and carbon capture may well be a solution in these areas. But it is surely very much a last resort. Our efforts for now should be focussed on rolling out renewables (and possibly nuclear, but I have my doubts there) as quickly as possible and on demand management initiatives.
My feeling is that if we really believe this is an emergency, we should be trying all options. I'd be annoyed if this happened instead of public investment in nuclear or other potential solutions... but we shouldn't be afraid of govt taking risks which could have a big payoff.
The other point is that delay costs, a lot. If we'd decided earlier on nuclear and HS2, we might have saved £50bn. And be benefiting from them built.
You get what you browse in twitter and I love it, fully aware that, like the proverbial thai prostitute complaint thing, that I am responsible for most of what appears.
I follow Elon also and he says some very interesting stuff and has recently taken to showing clips of him 15 years ago forecasting things that are happening last week.
Very good.
Plus that Charlie whatsisname that goes to US campusus (campi?) and argues the toss with students about god and christianity and whatnot.
Cricket commentary always involves abusing stats rather than using stats. For example, cricinfo claims that this would be the second highest run chase ever in Tests in Pakistan.
Which is bollocks. It’d be the seventh (out of about a hundred, many of which had targets too low to be comparable).
It’s just that four of the six higher ones resulted in draws, but I somehow don’t think that’s on the cards here… (And, of course, getting to 328 wouldn’t result in a loss like Pakistan vs England in 2022)
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
For me, the key factor is convenience.
I have a diesel car and I know that it is there whenever I need it. The only small inconvenience is having to spend 5 mins in the petrol station once every 3-4 weeks (we're not big drivers now).
With an electric car, it just seems more hassle:
- the issue of having to wait at services for a recharge mid journey - having to faff about with charging at home - also the worry that the battery will degrade over time leading to more of the above.
So right now I wouldn't choose an electric car unless/until the refueling because as quick and easy as diesel
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
The first three items are going away, in the US, since Tesla won the US charging standards war. All the car companies are signing up to use their network.
The last one is about poor implementation. There is no reason that you need to do anything other than plug your car into a charger. The car chats to the charger and everything else. This is a demonstrated technology.
The trouble with charging EVs away from home is the phenomenonal cost. My local swanky charging station is at 69p/kw. At those prices, it's cheaper to drive a diesel, as well as more convenient (my old VW Passat does almost 1000 miles on a £100 full tank).
Which in turn brings one back to - the only people who have good use cases for EVs are those who mostly do short journeys and can charge at home (and ideally are also comfortable with complex electricity tariffs with variable pricing etc).
Which is why adoption rates are hitting a brick wall - those people who have a good use case have gone electric, everyone else is looking at it and realising the numbers don't add up for them yet.
The European Union has warned X that it may calculate fines against the social-media platform by including revenue from Elon Musk’s other businesses, including Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Neuralink Corp., an approach that would significantly increase the potential penalties for violating content moderation rules.
Cricket commentary always involves abusing stats rather than using stats. For example, cricinfo claims that this would be the second highest run chase ever in Tests in Pakistan.
Which is bollocks. It’d be the seventh (out of about a hundred, many of which had targets too low to be comparable).
It’s just that four of the six higher ones resulted in draws, but I somehow don’t think that’s on the cards here… (And, of course, getting to 328 wouldn’t result in a loss like Pakistan vs England in 2022)
Are the Brits really going to let this idea fall through, and hand the initiative to the two existing superpowers?
If the Americans get theirs working and delivered, the unit price drops very quickly and any new entrants face huge barriers to entry.
Don't worry, Labour are spending £22bn in carbon capture.
sobs quietly
The other day I spoke to a friend who works in the energy industry and is quite a lefty and he was scathing about Ed Miliband.
The competence of Chris Grayling and the ideological entrenchment of Jeremy Corbyn was how he was described.
Yup, he's a disaster, the guy I met in energy at the industry AI conference last week was scathing. He said he thinks the government will spend £50bn+ and we'll still get blackouts in the 2030s based on the new plan.
I am so glad we’ve got solar panels and a battery.
As usual, the unintended effects of other policies may save the politicians.
A minor rule change made smallish scale power storage very practical in planning terms. To the disgust of some Greens, a couple of ISO containers of storage isn't classed as a full power station.
So every solar farming type is wondering about buying some of these - https://www.tesla.com/megapack (or equivalent). Enough to shift the production in the day to nighttime.
So we may end up with a very robust, decentralised grid. With a huge, inbuilt, storage capacity.
I already shift my usage (about a 1,000kwh a month) to night time charging and day release of batteries. Saves me just under a couple of hundred pounds a month.
That's an interesting usage level. Could you elucidate?
My imports when I look at it is roughly 4kWh per day May-August. 12 kWh per day Nov-Feb, and 8kWh per day in the shoulder months. For ~2500 kWh/year of imported electricity. Usage is that plus internal use of generated power.
That is with gas for basic heating late Oct to mid March (went on last week, but most is now heat pump), cooking and one shower.
That is with a big set of solar, but no battery, and me on my own in a 4 bed/2 recep house. No electric car.
You get what you browse in twitter and I love it, fully aware that, like the proverbial thai prostitute complaint thing, that I am responsible for most of what appears...
That used to be true. It's now quite a lot less so, as the algos have changed.
The balance between content I'm interested in reading, and that which I really don't want to see, has changed massively in the last couple of months. And that's not just because politics is being talked about more because we're close to the US election.
You get what you browse in twitter and I love it, fully aware that, like the proverbial thai prostitute complaint thing, that I am responsible for most of what appears.
I follow Elon also and he says some very interesting stuff and has recently taken to showing clips of him 15 years ago forecasting things that are happening last week.
Very good.
Plus that Charlie whatsisname that goes to US campusus (campi?) and argues the toss with students about god and christianity and whatnot.
Did Elon predict that his hair would mysteriously grow back? Good forecasting if so.
On a more general topic, what an absolute sewer Twitter/X has become under Musk.
In just over half an hour of perusing some most recent popular threads, I can see that it's almost overflowing with hatred, bile, and threats of violence, all completely unmoderated and unfiltered , and a critical time for the world to encourage a bit more moderation.There's literally thousands of unmoderated posts encouraging hatred and violence against black people, White people, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and almost everyone.
It is not that bad for me but I do get alot of comment from US posters about how shit Kamala Harris is, now I am not a great fan of hers but clearly her Foxnews interview was not a disaster.
I don't care.
I have even had Katie Hopkins and Tommy Robinson. So had to block them.
I thought Twitter put stuff into your feed based on your interests and who you followed. The only politicians I follow are Kevan Jones and Luke Akehurst.
I preferred it when someone like Robin Askwith or George Layton dropped into my timeline with some nostalgic reminiscences about acting in the seventies.
It's quite ironic that Musk was a big funder of the Bluesky Social project, which is slowly becoming a more serious alternative. Miles to go, though.
I hadn't heard that, where are you getting it from? IIUC Bluesky started out as a Twitter project in the Jack Dorsey days, but they were already independent by the time Musk bought Twitter.
Blue-sky is working well for me.
I have stopped using Twitter. The algorithm just feeds horrible stuff of no relevance to what I follow, and the boosting of blue tick responses makes threads unreadable. It's not worth bothering with anymore.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
(snip)
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
That's more likely because of the competition from electric bikes, which are everywhere. And are far cheaper.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
The European Union has warned X that it may calculate fines against the social-media platform by including revenue from Elon Musk’s other businesses, including Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Neuralink Corp., an approach that would significantly increase the potential penalties for violating content moderation rules.
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
For me, the key factor is convenience.
I have a diesel car and I know that it is there whenever I need it. The only small inconvenience is having to spend 5 mins in the petrol station once every 3-4 weeks (we're not big drivers now).
With an electric car, it just seems more hassle:
- the issue of having to wait at services for a recharge mid journey - having to faff about with charging at home - also the worry that the battery will degrade over time leading to more of the above.
So right now I wouldn't choose an electric car unless/until the refueling because as quick and easy as diesel
Erm, don't diesel engines seize up if you don't put the miles in?
England in deep shite in Multar. Pakistan wicketkeeper showing what a stumper is supposed to do.
Just saw Jamie Smith's wretched drop of an easy catch ealier today. It was the kind of thing that you might expect once or twice in a career, although it wasn't as bad as the missed stumping in the previous Test.
England should send home for a replacement. The selector who picked him should resign himself.
Catching up on the news, and on yesterday's accident vs collision topic, the death of Liam Payne sounds, based on reporting, more like a Darwin Award entry than an 'accident'.
It's always strange watching the protestations of media and friends to whitewash celebrity alkies and junkies.
We have the same about long-term violent criminal thugs who suddenly become "popular with everyone" or "would do anything to help anyone" or "the son every mum would love to have".
I suggest that far more good can come from such deaths if a modicum of honesty was present.
I have to admit, I’d never heard of Liam Payne, till now.
On a more general topic, what an absolute sewer Twitter/X has become under Musk.
In just over half an hour of perusing some most recent popular threads, I can see that it's almost overflowing with hatred, bile, and threats of violence, all completely unmoderated and unfiltered , and a critical time for the world to encourage a bit more moderation.There's literally thousands of unmoderated posts encouraging hatred and violence against black people, White people, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and almost everyone.
The new meaning of "blocked" is genuinely concerning to me.
Yes, that could be a final straw for not a few users.
The carbon capture project was actually initiated under the last government.
I know very little about the merits or otherwise of it, but the Tories obviously thought it a good idea, at least until 4 July.
It is inevitable that there will be some areas that are extremely difficult to decarbonise, and carbon capture may well be a solution in these areas. But it is surely very much a last resort. Our efforts for now should be focussed on rolling out renewables (and possibly nuclear, but I have my doubts there) as quickly as possible and on demand management initiatives.
My feeling is that if we really believe this is an emergency, we should be trying all options. I'd be annoyed if this happened instead of public investment in nuclear or other potential solutions... but we shouldn't be afraid of govt taking risks which could have a big payoff.
The other point is that delay costs, a lot. If we'd decided earlier on nuclear and HS2, we might have saved £50bn. And be benefiting from them built.
Yup, both of these decisions should have been made in 2002 after Labour opened the spending taps. Instead they went on a PFI binge for shiny new offices to placate the unions.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
Mini nuclear power plant, based on naval technology.
No idea what you were discussing due to Mr Morris Dancer's aversion to nested quotes, but can we just fill every decommissioned nuclear power station with SMR's? They already have safety in place, are connected to the grid, and presumably have staff with transferable skills.
The carbon capture project was actually initiated under the last government.
I know very little about the merits or otherwise of it, but the Tories obviously thought it a good idea, at least until 4 July.
It is inevitable that there will be some areas that are extremely difficult to decarbonise, and carbon capture may well be a solution in these areas. But it is surely very much a last resort. Our efforts for now should be focussed on rolling out renewables (and possibly nuclear, but I have my doubts there) as quickly as possible and on demand management initiatives.
My feeling is that if we really believe this is an emergency, we should be trying all options. I'd be annoyed if this happened instead of public investment in nuclear or other potential solutions... but we shouldn't be afraid of govt taking risks which could have a big payoff.
The other point is that delay costs, a lot. If we'd decided earlier on nuclear and HS2, we might have saved £50bn. And be benefiting from them built.
Yup, both of these decisions should have been made in 2002 after Labour opened the spending taps. Instead they went on a PFI binge for shiny new offices to placate the unions.
IIRC Clegg, in the first coalition, vetoed more nuclear. On the basis that it would only come on stream in the wacky, far far far future.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
There are a few on sidestreets round here but it is hardly a panacea. No-one is getting up at 3am to move their car once it has charged, to make room for the next one.
Apart from most of the chips the US needs, for its entire tech sector.
Just In: Taiwan Semiconductor $TSM, the world's largest contract chip manufacturer, just reported Q3 revenue of ~$23.5 billion, up 36% Y/Y, thanks to strong demand for high-end chips used in AI applications.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
There are a few on sidestreets round here but it is hardly a panacea. No-one is getting up at 3am to move their car once it has charged, to make room for the next one.
I know a few people living in flats who charge their EVs at superchargers, only.
Much as most people don't fill their cars with petrol at home.
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
For me, the key factor is convenience.
I have a diesel car and I know that it is there whenever I need it. The only small inconvenience is having to spend 5 mins in the petrol station once every 3-4 weeks (we're not big drivers now).
With an electric car, it just seems more hassle:
- the issue of having to wait at services for a recharge mid journey - having to faff about with charging at home - also the worry that the battery will degrade over time leading to more of the above.
So right now I wouldn't choose an electric car unless/until the refueling because as quick and easy as diesel
Erm, don't diesel engines seize up if you don't put the miles in?
No. Older ones are the most bullet proof sort of engine you can build. About 10 years ago I bought a 1958 diesel landrover which hadn't run since 1982. Put a battery on it and it fired straight up.
Modern ones with fancy emissions control systems (basically post 2009) don't like only being used for short journeys much - they need to be run at full operating temperature and a reasonable load regularly enough to regen the particlate filer.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
(snip)
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
That's more likely because of the competition from electric bikes, which are everywhere. And are far cheaper.
There also appears to be no actual policing of the largely illegal electric bikes on the road, so you don't need to worry about tax, MOT, insurance or wearing a helmet.
The European Union has warned X that it may calculate fines against the social-media platform by including revenue from Elon Musk’s other businesses, including Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Neuralink Corp., an approach that would significantly increase the potential penalties for violating content moderation rules.
Judging by the huge amount of unfiltered and unmoderated content that I've seen in just half an hour today, a lot of which basically just incitement in all directions, the EU (and UK) are long overdue.in taking some kind of major action against Musk.
He's now becoming emblem of power in the wrong.hands, and the wrong-headed glorification of billionaires in our era.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
(snip)
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
That's more likely because of the competition from electric bikes, which are everywhere. And are far cheaper.
In effect they are electric mopeds, just not regulated as such.
On a more general topic, what an absolute sewer Twitter/X has become under Musk.
In just over half an hour of perusing some most recent popular threads, I can see that it's almost overflowing with hatred, bile, and threats of violence, all completely unmoderated and unfiltered , and a critical time for the world to encourage a bit more moderation.There's literally thousands of unmoderated posts encouraging hatred and violence against black people, White people, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and almost everyone.
The new meaning of "blocked" is genuinely concerning to me.
Yes, that could be a final straw for not a few users.
The carbon capture project was actually initiated under the last government.
I know very little about the merits or otherwise of it, but the Tories obviously thought it a good idea, at least until 4 July.
It is inevitable that there will be some areas that are extremely difficult to decarbonise, and carbon capture may well be a solution in these areas. But it is surely very much a last resort. Our efforts for now should be focussed on rolling out renewables (and possibly nuclear, but I have my doubts there) as quickly as possible and on demand management initiatives.
My feeling is that if we really believe this is an emergency, we should be trying all options. I'd be annoyed if this happened instead of public investment in nuclear or other potential solutions... but we shouldn't be afraid of govt taking risks which could have a big payoff.
The other point is that delay costs, a lot. If we'd decided earlier on nuclear and HS2, we might have saved £50bn. And be benefiting from them built.
Yup, both of these decisions should have been made in 2002 after Labour opened the spending taps. Instead they went on a PFI binge for shiny new offices to placate the unions.
Put off by Labour, and put off again for a time by their successors. We could have borrowed at near 1% long term interest rates to finance them, too. Just mad.
So I’ve been obsessively reading about Shinto. The ancient animist religion of Japan and its “foundation” in Ise. A massive shrine complex in remote Mie Prefecture east of Osaka
Ise is, in myth and legend and religious fact, where the sun goddess Amaterasu came down and started Japan - and where she became the great grandmother of the first Japanese emperor
More cogently: “The Ise Shrine, known as Ise Jingū, is the most important Shinto shrine in Japan and has a deep historical connection with the Japanese imperial family. Its significance stems from being dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami, the Sun Goddess, who is considered the mythical ancestor of the Japanese imperial line.
Amaterasu is believed to be the direct progenitor of the imperial family, with the first emperor, Emperor Jimmu, considered her descendant. According to Shinto beliefs, the emperor of Japan is a living deity with divine ancestry tracing back to Amaterasu. This connection has been a cornerstone of the legitimacy of the imperial line throughout Japan’s history….
The Ise Shrine has been the spiritual center of Japan since ancient times, with its establishment traditionally attributed to the 4th century. The shrine is rebuilt every 20 years in a ceremony called shikinen sengu, which symbolizes the renewal of life and the continuity of the imperial family’s divine legacy
Members of the imperial family, particularly the emperor or his designated representatives, perform rituals at the Ise Shrine to honor Amaterasu…”
So I was just thinking WOW this is all amazing I’m basically visiting the sacred cradle of all Japan still embodied in its imperial family descended from the goddess who came here in about 6AD
And then the police politely said stop here and step aside for a procession and I saw this….
I saw the imperial princess - and appointed royal shamaness of Ise - and the only other person apart from the emperor who is allowed to gaze upon Amataseru’s holy mirror (the imperial regalia kept at use) walking from the shrine where she had just done the sacred rice offering ceremony - the most important ceremony of the year
She actually looks like Emperor Hirohito. Her grandfather
LOOK AT HER SHOES
My reaction to that is this:
How do they stay on her feet?!
Shoes which appear to be held on by sheer willpower (many women's shoes fall into this category, but also so do slippers) discomfit me disproportionately. I worry that should the person reverse, the shoes will stay where they are. And should the person need to break into a run, the shoes will fall off.
I cannot get past this basic facet of what I am seeing. Unless they are held on by string or something that I can't see. Even then - I don't like the shoes at all.
Like clogs?
There may be a tie, but by tensing the feet and toes I would think. Probably not designed for reversing or running.
If you want to be discomfited, take a look at some Chinese shoes for bound feet.
My photo quota:
*WINCE*
I never really understood how clogs stayed on, actually. Apart from those clogs with backs. Which stay on but look impossible to get your feet into.
It's an area worth reading about at least once imo. The technique was to break the feet of young girls and over time fold the toes under and back, and bind them in that position.
I think I probably read a biography of a woman from that society.
For me it's a reminder why modern Western 'individual rights' type values are important (if you'll forgive me sounding a touch sanctimonious / moralistic), even though we had and still have blindspots and horrors in our recent history which other philosophies correctly point up.
You get what you browse in twitter and I love it, fully aware that, like the proverbial thai prostitute complaint thing, that I am responsible for most of what appears.
I follow Elon also and he says some very interesting stuff and has recently taken to showing clips of him 15 years ago forecasting things that are happening last week.
Very good.
Plus that Charlie whatsisname that goes to US campusus (campi?) and argues the toss with students about god and christianity and whatnot.
Did Elon predict that his hair would mysteriously grow back? Good forecasting if so.
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
For me, the key factor is convenience.
I have a diesel car and I know that it is there whenever I need it. The only small inconvenience is having to spend 5 mins in the petrol station once every 3-4 weeks (we're not big drivers now).
With an electric car, it just seems more hassle:
- the issue of having to wait at services for a recharge mid journey - having to faff about with charging at home - also the worry that the battery will degrade over time leading to more of the above.
So right now I wouldn't choose an electric car unless/until the refueling because as quick and easy as diesel
For me, there are 2 main requirements
1. Range needs to be genuinely 300 miles so I can drive to the Lake District (for example) without worrying about charging.
2. It has to fit down my drive.
Currently nothing on the market meets both those two. A couple of top end models can just do the range, but are too wide. And they are too big/expensive, I wouldn't have bought petrol/diesel equivalents either. Ideally I don't want anything bigger than a Golf/Focus.
It feels like it will be a few years yet before I can switch.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
There are a few on sidestreets round here but it is hardly a panacea. No-one is getting up at 3am to move their car once it has charged, to make room for the next one.
Kerb based charging points are probably the solution, and relatively cheap to include as part of general work on pavements. As Malmesbury points out, we've lucked out that the street light circuit has capacity for it.
Should really be included in all new domestic/commercial developments but I suppose it will be just branded "red tape".
The Rest in Politics has been touring, and apparently Rory & Alastair have asked the audience at their various venues which leadership candidate they favour.
Kemi: 10 or so. Jenrick: 10 or so. Cleverly: thousands.
So if we can trust shows of hands from politically-motivated (who else would pay to see this pair?) mainly young people, the Tories have done stuffed up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uty-EWzRMNU
The next Tory leader has to neutralise reform, one way or another. Cleverly couldn’t do that
It has to neutralize Reform or else it will die trying to do so.
The problem with both of the options left is that it’s likely to do so because neither candidate attracts the Nigel Farage vote because they aren’t Nigel Farage.
It’s no upside but I don’t think any of the 6 people who put their name forward were the correct option anyway - taking on Farage may just be an impossible task
It's more likely that Farage will take them on. It think his game plan is to merge Reform with the Conservative Party and become its leader. If it is down to Tory members he might just succeed.
He's 10/1 on Betfair to be Tory leader at the next election. (Thin market)
I think what's happening in Western democracies is that the Populist right is absorbing the "mainstream" right.
RN won 37% to 6% for LR, and Macron's government depends on their at least tolerating it. The never-Trump Republicans are now an irrelevance. Geert Wilders has eclipsed the Liberals and Christian Democrats. Meloni has eclipsed Forza Italia, and so on.
What's remarkable about the current situation is that so many Conservative party members want to see their party swallowed up by Reform/Farage.
It's quite a contrast with the visceral loathing for competing parties on the left from Labour.
There remains some historic loyalty to Labour. People voting Labour because their parents voted Labour, and their grandparents, and their great-grandparents.
That's all gone, now, for the Conservatives. People vote Conservative for instrumental reasons, and they'll vote for another right wing party if its suits them better. We saw that in the final round of Euro elections.
About 10% will still vote Tory over Reform regardless though and no rightwing party can win a majority without them under FPTP or PR
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
There are a few on sidestreets round here but it is hardly a panacea. No-one is getting up at 3am to move their car once it has charged, to make room for the next one.
I know a few people living in flats who charge their EVs at superchargers, only.
Much as most people don't fill their cars with petrol at home.
The thing is, that assuming there's no queue, it takes a couple of minutes to fill a car/van with petrol or diesel and you're good for 400-600 miles (depending on car and driving style). for EVs it can take up to half an hour and you'll not get the mileage.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
There are a few on sidestreets round here but it is hardly a panacea. No-one is getting up at 3am to move their car once it has charged, to make room for the next one.
Kerb based charging points are probably the solution, and relatively cheap to include as part of general work on pavements. As Malmesbury points out, we've lucked out that the street light circuit has capacity for it.
Should really be included in all new domestic/commercial developments but I suppose it will be just branded "red tape".
Lamp post need replacing on a cycle. Moving to LEDs saves a fortune in leech bills, as well.
Should really mandate that any new/replacement lamppost is a charger as well. Even if you don't activate immediately - because the the upstream capacity isn't there.
Catching up on the news, and on yesterday's accident vs collision topic, the death of Liam Payne sounds, based on reporting, more like a Darwin Award entry than an 'accident'.
It's always strange watching the protestations of media and friends to whitewash celebrity alkies and junkies.
We have the same about long-term violent criminal thugs who suddenly become "popular with everyone" or "would do anything to help anyone" or "the son every mum would love to have".
I suggest that far more good can come from such deaths if a modicum of honesty was present.
If I recall correctly, when Paula Yates died the police were very keen to say that there was no drugs paraphenalia etc.
Turned out to be an overdose of heroin...
I just don't understand the initial statement. Just say nothing.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
(snip)
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
That's more likely because of the competition from electric bikes, which are everywhere. And are far cheaper.
There also appears to be no actual policing of the largely illegal electric bikes on the road, so you don't need to worry about tax, MOT, insurance or wearing a helmet.
This is why I advocate a rework of Traffic Wardens.
Mini nuclear power plant, based on naval technology.
No idea what you were discussing due to Mr Morris Dancer's aversion to nested quotes, but can we just fill every decommissioned nuclear power station with SMR's? They already have safety in place, are connected to the grid, and presumably have staff with transferable skills.
Yes, that's part of the plan. Use the old nuclear reactor sites for stacked SMRs.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
Can I ask you both a question - is it done such that there are no cables interfering with the footway at all as trip hazards? A photo would be great.
It's a big potential issue for eg groups around blind people - yet another interference with pedestrian space by motor vehicles and their 'needs'. Cross-pavement cable protectors are the biggest issue since they can be as big as those bolt-down speed humps. But but also owners of obsolete street furniture trying to exploit there pavement-blocking assets for another 25 years.
There are solutions, but this is the UK so obviously there has been no attempt at suitable regulation, and it is not likely until another wild west has been created - unless this Govt surprise on the upside.
So I’ve been obsessively reading about Shinto. The ancient animist religion of Japan and its “foundation” in Ise. A massive shrine complex in remote Mie Prefecture east of Osaka
Ise is, in myth and legend and religious fact, where the sun goddess Amaterasu came down and started Japan - and where she became the great grandmother of the first Japanese emperor
More cogently: “The Ise Shrine, known as Ise Jingū, is the most important Shinto shrine in Japan and has a deep historical connection with the Japanese imperial family. Its significance stems from being dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami, the Sun Goddess, who is considered the mythical ancestor of the Japanese imperial line.
Amaterasu is believed to be the direct progenitor of the imperial family, with the first emperor, Emperor Jimmu, considered her descendant. According to Shinto beliefs, the emperor of Japan is a living deity with divine ancestry tracing back to Amaterasu. This connection has been a cornerstone of the legitimacy of the imperial line throughout Japan’s history….
The Ise Shrine has been the spiritual center of Japan since ancient times, with its establishment traditionally attributed to the 4th century. The shrine is rebuilt every 20 years in a ceremony called shikinen sengu, which symbolizes the renewal of life and the continuity of the imperial family’s divine legacy
Members of the imperial family, particularly the emperor or his designated representatives, perform rituals at the Ise Shrine to honor Amaterasu…”
So I was just thinking WOW this is all amazing I’m basically visiting the sacred cradle of all Japan still embodied in its imperial family descended from the goddess who came here in about 6AD
And then the police politely said stop here and step aside for a procession and I saw this….
I saw the imperial princess - and appointed royal shamaness of Ise - and the only other person apart from the emperor who is allowed to gaze upon Amataseru’s holy mirror (the imperial regalia kept at use) walking from the shrine where she had just done the sacred rice offering ceremony - the most important ceremony of the year
She actually looks like Emperor Hirohito. Her grandfather
LOOK AT HER SHOES
My reaction to that is this:
How do they stay on her feet?!
Shoes which appear to be held on by sheer willpower (many women's shoes fall into this category, but also so do slippers) discomfit me disproportionately. I worry that should the person reverse, the shoes will stay where they are. And should the person need to break into a run, the shoes will fall off.
I cannot get past this basic facet of what I am seeing. Unless they are held on by string or something that I can't see. Even then - I don't like the shoes at all.
Like clogs?
There may be a tie, but by tensing the feet and toes I would think. Probably not designed for reversing or running.
If you want to be discomfited, take a look at some Chinese shoes for bound feet.
My photo quota:
*WINCE*
I never really understood how clogs stayed on, actually. Apart from those clogs with backs. Which stay on but look impossible to get your feet into.
The carbon capture project was actually initiated under the last government.
I know very little about the merits or otherwise of it, but the Tories obviously thought it a good idea, at least until 4 July.
It is inevitable that there will be some areas that are extremely difficult to decarbonise, and carbon capture may well be a solution in these areas. But it is surely very much a last resort. Our efforts for now should be focussed on rolling out renewables (and possibly nuclear, but I have my doubts there) as quickly as possible and on demand management initiatives.
My feeling is that if we really believe this is an emergency, we should be trying all options. I'd be annoyed if this happened instead of public investment in nuclear or other potential solutions... but we shouldn't be afraid of govt taking risks which could have a big payoff.
The other point is that delay costs, a lot. If we'd decided earlier on nuclear and HS2, we might have saved £50bn. And be benefiting from them built.
Yup, both of these decisions should have been made in 2002 after Labour opened the spending taps. Instead they went on a PFI binge for shiny new offices to placate the unions.
Put off by Labour, and put off again for a time by their successors. We could have borrowed at near 1% long term interest rates to finance them, too. Just mad.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
There are a few on sidestreets round here but it is hardly a panacea. No-one is getting up at 3am to move their car once it has charged, to make room for the next one.
I know a few people living in flats who charge their EVs at superchargers, only.
Much as most people don't fill their cars with petrol at home.
The thing is, that assuming there's no queue, it takes a couple of minutes to fill a car/van with petrol or diesel and you're good for 400-600 miles (depending on car and driving style). for EVs it can take up to half an hour and you'll not get the mileage.
Half an hour to 80%? That must be an ancient EV....
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
There are a few on sidestreets round here but it is hardly a panacea. No-one is getting up at 3am to move their car once it has charged, to make room for the next one.
Kerb based charging points are probably the solution, and relatively cheap to include as part of general work on pavements. As Malmesbury points out, we've lucked out that the street light circuit has capacity for it.
Should really be included in all new domestic/commercial developments but I suppose it will be just branded "red tape".
I'm with you but they need to be overwhelmingly on build outs, which we can do as part of getting parking under control.
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
For me, the key factor is convenience.
I have a diesel car and I know that it is there whenever I need it. The only small inconvenience is having to spend 5 mins in the petrol station once every 3-4 weeks (we're not big drivers now).
With an electric car, it just seems more hassle:
- the issue of having to wait at services for a recharge mid journey - having to faff about with charging at home - also the worry that the battery will degrade over time leading to more of the above.
So right now I wouldn't choose an electric car unless/until the refueling because as quick and easy as diesel
For me, there are 2 main requirements
1. Range needs to be genuinely 300 miles so I can drive to the Lake District (for example) without worrying about charging.
2. It has to fit down my drive.
Currently nothing on the market meets both those two. A couple of top end models can just do the range, but are too wide. And they are too big/expensive, I wouldn't have bought petrol/diesel equivalents either. Ideally I don't want anything bigger than a Golf/Focus.
It feels like it will be a few years yet before I can switch.
Take a look at the Kia EV3 with the larger battery, it will do 370 miles.
I run a Kia e-niro that's 4 years old and the battery is as good as new with 270 genuine miles on a full charge. I do regular trips to the Isle of Wight in it from Leics. In 4 years I have used public chargers just once per year. The EV3 would mean not even that. Fantastic to drive and build quality.
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
EV costs - along with battery costs - will fall quite rapidly over the rest of this decade. The fluctuation in demand from month to month isn't really relevant. There's no 'going back' to old fashioned internal combustion engines.
I am sure you are right but it is still the case the consumer prefers petrol to ev
If my phone is anything to go by I'll never actually get to drive a EV. the battery will always be flat.
Years ago a mate of mind bought some type of portable electronic device from a market stall. Worked ok but wouldn't charge. Took it back, replaced, no questions asked. Next one also failed to charge. Took it back, some questions asked, but a new (and better) one offered and accepted. Which also failed to charge.
Took it back - market guy very unhappy, suggests 'have you checked the socket?' My friend had not. There was no electricity emerging from the socket that he had tried, on three occasions...
Now you might think my friend an idiot, but he ended up with a free upgrade...
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
Can I ask you both a question - is it done such that there are no cables interfering with the footway at all as trip hazards? A photo would be great.
It's a big potential issue for eg groups around blind people - yet another interference with pedestrian space by motor vehicles and their 'needs'. Cross-pavement cable protectors are the biggest issue since they can be as big as those bolt-down speed humps. But but also owners of obsolete street furniture trying to exploit there pavement-blocking assets for another 25 years.
There are solutions, but this is the UK so obviously there has been no attempt at suitable regulation, and it is not likely until another wild west has been created.
Lamp posts have a habit of being on the edge of the pavement in most areas. The car side of the pedestrian bit.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
There are a few on sidestreets round here but it is hardly a panacea. No-one is getting up at 3am to move their car once it has charged, to make room for the next one.
Kerb based charging points are probably the solution, and relatively cheap to include as part of general work on pavements. As Malmesbury points out, we've lucked out that the street light circuit has capacity for it.
Should really be included in all new domestic/commercial developments but I suppose it will be just branded "red tape".
I'm with you but they need to be overwhelmingly on build outs, which we can do as part of getting parking under control.
Pavements are for people .
My council has been excellent in this regard.
Even better, you can get points that come straight out of the kerb itself, so you don't need a built out or anything similar. Not great if you've got a bad back though!
This feels like a major error from the Jenrick Team
“Tory MP claims Badenoch would not make good leader because she’s ‘preoccupied’ with her young children – UK politics live”
Guardian liveblog
May be a sound point but comes across as misogynistic and crass. Jenrick should disown it ASAFP
So they can't make good leaders if they don't have children and also if they do.
Presumably mothers of adult children are OK or is there some other failing the misogynists will find them to have? Not taking shit from bloviating blokes, for instance.
On a more general topic, what an absolute sewer Twitter/X has become under Musk.
In just over half an hour of perusing some most recent popular threads, I can see that it's almost overflowing with hatred, bile, and threats of violence, all completely unmoderated and unfiltered , and a critical time for the world to encourage a bit more moderation.There's literally thousands of unmoderated posts encouraging hatred and violence against black people, White people, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and almost everyone.
The new meaning of "blocked" is genuinely concerning to me.
Yes, that could be a final straw for not a few users.
Especially women who have been harassed on there. Still shutting down women in public forums is par for the course for self-important men.
The European Union has warned X that it may calculate fines against the social-media platform by including revenue from Elon Musk’s other businesses, including Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Neuralink Corp., an approach that would significantly increase the potential penalties for violating content moderation rules.
I like it. Fines are a healthier destination for his £££ than the Trump campaign.
That's good news. Let's hooe that's as far as it goes though. It won't be popular though. Oh well.
regardless of your opinion of HS2, there's still need for greater capacity between Brum and Manc.
Meh. The whole scheme was shite. But though downing tools now may be more financially-astute, I can see the case that Euston/Crewe is necessary to make something out of it, and I'm glad the Government has made that decision.
But like I said, it's a massive opportunity for the Tories, and where it leaves Reeve's mythical cavernous black hole, I have no idea.
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
For me, the key factor is convenience.
I have a diesel car and I know that it is there whenever I need it. The only small inconvenience is having to spend 5 mins in the petrol station once every 3-4 weeks (we're not big drivers now).
With an electric car, it just seems more hassle:
- the issue of having to wait at services for a recharge mid journey - having to faff about with charging at home - also the worry that the battery will degrade over time leading to more of the above.
So right now I wouldn't choose an electric car unless/until the refueling because as quick and easy as diesel
For me, there are 2 main requirements
1. Range needs to be genuinely 300 miles so I can drive to the Lake District (for example) without worrying about charging.
2. It has to fit down my drive.
Currently nothing on the market meets both those two. A couple of top end models can just do the range, but are too wide. And they are too big/expensive, I wouldn't have bought petrol/diesel equivalents either. Ideally I don't want anything bigger than a Golf/Focus.
It feels like it will be a few years yet before I can switch.
Take a look at the Kia EV3 with the larger battery, it will do 370 miles.
I run a Kia e-niro that's 4 years old and the battery is as good as new with 270 genuine miles on a full charge. I do regular trips to the Isle of Wight in it from Leics. In 4 years I have used public chargers just once per year. The EV3 would mean not even that. Fantastic to drive and build quality.
Got to say that I expect my next car will be a Kia EV3 in about 2-3 years time as they start to hit the second hand market.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
There are a few on sidestreets round here but it is hardly a panacea. No-one is getting up at 3am to move their car once it has charged, to make room for the next one.
I know a few people living in flats who charge their EVs at superchargers, only.
Much as most people don't fill their cars with petrol at home.
The thing is, that assuming there's no queue, it takes a couple of minutes to fill a car/van with petrol or diesel and you're good for 400-600 miles (depending on car and driving style). for EVs it can take up to half an hour and you'll not get the mileage.
I'd struggle to drive 400-600 miles without stopping for a wee and a walk around to stretch my legs. And maybe a coffee and a bite to eat.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
There are a few on sidestreets round here but it is hardly a panacea. No-one is getting up at 3am to move their car once it has charged, to make room for the next one.
I know a few people living in flats who charge their EVs at superchargers, only.
Much as most people don't fill their cars with petrol at home.
The thing is, that assuming there's no queue, it takes a couple of minutes to fill a car/van with petrol or diesel and you're good for 400-600 miles (depending on car and driving style). for EVs it can take up to half an hour and you'll not get the mileage.
I'd struggle to drive 400-600 miles without stopping for a wee and a walk around to stretch my legs, And maybe a coffee and bite to eat.
The problem is that if you charge at a public charger it's 80p or so per kWh which is very expensive when petrol is 10p per mile max.
Unless 80-90% of your mileage is done via low cost at home charging the figures for an EV simply don't stack up.
This feels like a major error from the Jenrick Team
“Tory MP claims Badenoch would not make good leader because she’s ‘preoccupied’ with her young children – UK politics live”
Guardian liveblog
May be a sound point but comes across as misogynistic and crass. Jenrick should disown it ASAFP
So they can't make good leaders if they don't have children and also if they do.
Presumably mothers of adult children are OK or is there some other failing the misogynists will find them to have? Not taking shit from bloviating blokes, for instance.
On a more general topic, what an absolute sewer Twitter/X has become under Musk.
In just over half an hour of perusing some most recent popular threads, I can see that it's almost overflowing with hatred, bile, and threats of violence, all completely unmoderated and unfiltered , and a critical time for the world to encourage a bit more moderation.There's literally thousands of unmoderated posts encouraging hatred and violence against black people, White people, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and almost everyone.
The new meaning of "blocked" is genuinely concerning to me.
Yes, that could be a final straw for not a few users.
Especially women who have been harassed on there. Still shutting down women in public forums is par for the course for self-important men.
To make it worse, Jenrick, 44, ALSO has 3 young kids just like Badenoch, 42
So it’s pure sexism. Jenrick needs to repudiate the remarks pronto
That's good news. Let's hooe that's as far as it goes though. It won't be popular though. Oh well.
regardless of your opinion of HS2, there's still need for greater capacity between Brum and Manc.
Meh. The whole scheme was shite. But though downing tools now may be more financially-astute, I can see the case that Euston/Crewe is necessary to make something out of it, and I'm glad the Government has made that decision.
But like I said, it's a massive opportunity for the Tories, and where it leaves Reeve's mythical cavernous black hole, I have no idea.
I think being negative about HS2 is precisely the kind of thing that could see the Conservatives lose the next election. There is a horrible negative aura around the party and dispelling that is critical - just look at how much trouble Reeves is in for bring honest about the size of the structural deficit.
I note Sky only has one news story today of the death of a pop star in Buenos Aires
What is it with journalists and politicians who seem to have an obsession with the cult of celebrity
It is very sad for his family and friends but surely there has to be a balance
It appears cabinet ministers have failed to agree with Reeves for cuts in their department budgets, but welcome to the real world and the difficult choices and unpopularity that will go with them
The IMF have warned the UK needs tax increases and cuts in public spending, not borrowing, and this is when labour realise they simply have not got the ability to fund all the promises they are making and other people's money has already been spent
The Tories were going to do what, though?
Increase taxes and cut spending. TINA applies.
They would also have moved net zero to 2035 at least
The current government's target for Net Zero is 2050. 2035 would be seriously ambitious; didn't realise Sunak was quite so green .
Playing games - net zero emissions but then you knew that
That's incorrect too. Where are you getting all this false information?
Based on current trends, that would appear to be achievable, particularly with batteries becoming so cheap. Oddly enough, some of the targets are possibly mutually exclusive - if electric vehicles and heat pumps really take off, getting to zero carbon electricity becomes more difficult as demand grows.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
I would say an EV is slam dunk over ICE ... IF: the bulk of your journeys are completed between one overnight charge at home and the next.
This is the case for typical car use: commute, errands and days out in the neighbourhood.
This is the same pattern as typical mobile phone usage. In this case the EV is cheaper and more convenient than ICE and it maximises the strong points of EV design - more low speed torque, less to go wrong etc.
If you can't charge at home or you are regularly doing trips over 200 miles, EV becomes a harder sell as it is less flexible.
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
There are a few on sidestreets round here but it is hardly a panacea. No-one is getting up at 3am to move their car once it has charged, to make room for the next one.
I know a few people living in flats who charge their EVs at superchargers, only.
Much as most people don't fill their cars with petrol at home.
The thing is, that assuming there's no queue, it takes a couple of minutes to fill a car/van with petrol or diesel and you're good for 400-600 miles (depending on car and driving style). for EVs it can take up to half an hour and you'll not get the mileage.
I'd struggle to drive 400-600 miles without stopping for a wee and a walk around to stretch my legs, And maybe a coffee and bite to eat.
The problem is that if you charge at a public charger it's 80p or so per kWh which is very expensive when petrol is 10p per mile max.
Unless 80-90% of your mileage is done via low cost at home charging the figures for an EV simply don't stack up.
It's not as bad as you might think. Most of my driving is local, but when I do need to drive a long way, I will, of course, set off with a fully charged battery, and then get home with typically about 20 or 30% left. So that means that a fair amount of my long distance driving is also done using cheap electricity.
That's good news. Let's hooe that's as far as it goes though. It won't be popular though. Oh well.
regardless of your opinion of HS2, there's still need for greater capacity between Brum and Manc.
Meh. The whole scheme was shite. But though downing tools now may be more financially-astute, I can see the case that Euston/Crewe is necessary to make something out of it, and I'm glad the Government has made that decision.
But like I said, it's a massive opportunity for the Tories, and where it leaves Reeve's mythical cavernous black hole, I have no idea.
I think being negative about HS2 is precisely the kind of thing that could see the Conservatives lose the next election. There is a horrible negative aura around the party and dispelling that is critical - just look at how much trouble Reeves is in for bring honest about the size of the structural deficit.
She is being dishonest not honest - if she were being honest, she wouldn't have said no to a freedom of information request from (afaik) the FT asking for details of the hole. The Government is financially illiterate and deeply stupid.
On balance this is a good decision, but let's be honest, the vast majority of the country will see absolutely no benefit from it.
The carbon capture project was actually initiated under the last government.
I know very little about the merits or otherwise of it, but the Tories obviously thought it a good idea, at least until 4 July.
It is inevitable that there will be some areas that are extremely difficult to decarbonise, and carbon capture may well be a solution in these areas. But it is surely very much a last resort. Our efforts for now should be focussed on rolling out renewables (and possibly nuclear, but I have my doubts there) as quickly as possible and on demand management initiatives.
My feeling is that if we really believe this is an emergency, we should be trying all options. I'd be annoyed if this happened instead of public investment in nuclear or other potential solutions... but we shouldn't be afraid of govt taking risks which could have a big payoff.
The other point is that delay costs, a lot. If we'd decided earlier on nuclear and HS2, we might have saved £50bn. And be benefiting from them built.
Yup, both of these decisions should have been made in 2002 after Labour opened the spending taps. Instead they went on a PFI binge for shiny new offices to placate the unions.
Put off by Labour, and put off again for a time by their successors. We could have borrowed at near 1% long term interest rates to finance them, too. Just mad.
Instead we did Brexit.
So we should have just ignored the largest vote for anything in British history and the results of three general elections, to build a wildly overpriced rail line?
Is this just an example of EV demand hitting some really hard edges. From this and other reports from articles and YouTubers it seems that there are some hurdles they can't cross, namely
Can't realistically handle long-distance travel (esp in USA)
Not enough charging stations
Not enough places to park whilst charging overnight (most people don't have drives)
EV cars are still comparatively expensive and have very poor resale values as batteries fade
Assumptions about users (apps, bank accounts, credit cards, cashless) are not universal
These problems may fade over time (and I hope they do: I like EVs) but right now they are pretty hard walls and will give a hard ceiling to sales for some time.
Spot on. There's a plateau in the market because we've run though the enthusiastic early adopters and people for whom those issues are not a major problem.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I've recently moved to the west Kensington part of Hammersmith and Fulham. Pretty much all of the streetlight now have charging points in them. Not sure how widespread this is, or how good/fast they are at charging, but seems like a good way to go for those who do not have drives.
Same round here. Good for overnight charging, generally.
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
There are a few on sidestreets round here but it is hardly a panacea. No-one is getting up at 3am to move their car once it has charged, to make room for the next one.
I know a few people living in flats who charge their EVs at superchargers, only.
Much as most people don't fill their cars with petrol at home.
The thing is, that assuming there's no queue, it takes a couple of minutes to fill a car/van with petrol or diesel and you're good for 400-600 miles (depending on car and driving style). for EVs it can take up to half an hour and you'll not get the mileage.
I'd struggle to drive 400-600 miles without stopping for a wee and a walk around to stretch my legs, And maybe a coffee and bite to eat.
The problem is that if you charge at a public charger it's 80p or so per kWh which is very expensive when petrol is 10p per mile max.
Unless 80-90% of your mileage is done via low cost at home charging the figures for an EV simply don't stack up.
That would be most people, no? A average car spends about 95% of it's life parked up; the vast majority of that is at a workplace or at home.
These are valid qualifications on the effectiveness of EVs but they really are the very edgiest of cases. I drove an EV round the Highlands and didn't have any trouble at all charging at accomodation, particularly considering how far and few between conventional fuel stops are.
It's vans and taxis that I can see having an issue, yet those seem to be electrifying far more quickly than other vehicles.
The European Union has warned X that it may calculate fines against the social-media platform by including revenue from Elon Musk’s other businesses, including Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Neuralink Corp., an approach that would significantly increase the potential penalties for violating content moderation rules.
Any news from Brazil about how their exile from twitter is going? I picture it like that scene from the Simpsons where Lionel Hutz imagines a world without lawyers.
The European Union has warned X that it may calculate fines against the social-media platform by including revenue from Elon Musk’s other businesses, including Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Neuralink Corp., an approach that would significantly increase the potential penalties for violating content moderation rules.
Any news from Brazil about how their exile from twitter is going? I picture it like that scene from the Simpsons where Lionel Hutz imagines a world without lawyers.
The European Union has warned X that it may calculate fines against the social-media platform by including revenue from Elon Musk’s other businesses, including Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Neuralink Corp., an approach that would significantly increase the potential penalties for violating content moderation rules.
Any news from Brazil about how their exile from twitter is going? I picture it like that scene from the Simpsons where Lionel Hutz imagines a world without lawyers.
Comments
There may be a tie, but by tensing the feet and toes I would think. Probably not designed for reversing or running.
If you want to be discomfited, take a look at some Chinese shoes for bound feet.
My photo quota:
The last one is about poor implementation. There is no reason that you need to do anything other than plug your car into a charger. The car chats to the charger and everything else. This is a demonstrated technology.
@andy4wm
If HS2 news comes true then it’s great for UK PLC, & vindication for the work
@AndyBurnhamGM & I undertook.
Old Oak Common to Brum doesn’t work, so I fought the last Government to commit to Euston & to our private sector work.
I’d be delighted if those efforts weren’t in vain.
https://x.com/andy4wm/status/1846858382050770979
In just over half an hour of perusing some most recent popular threads, I can see that it's almost overflowing with hatred, bile, and threats of violence, all completely unmoderated and unfiltered , and a critical time for the world to encourage a bit more moderation.There's literally thousands of unmoderated posts encouraging hatred and violence against black people, White people, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and almost everyone.
Inflation DOWN.
HS2 BACK.
She's setting up a "taskforce"
Something needs to be done. Look, this is something.
Meanwhile next renewal double digit increases.
And Old Oak Common never made any sense. Like flying into London Bedford airport and expecting to be able to walk to Piccadilly Circus.
I never really understood how clogs stayed on, actually. Apart from those clogs with backs. Which stay on but look impossible to get your feet into.
https://highviewpower.com/news_announcement/highview-launches-second-phase-of-its-long-duration-energy-storage-ldes-programme-with-2-5gwh-power-plant-at-hunterston-ayrshire/
Synfuel might start to look interesting over the net decade, but it will be a global market, and the cheapest electricity by far will be solar, in places like S Arabia or Nevada. It's still a long was from cost competitive for using the excess wind capacity the government's currently paying around £1bn annually not to use.
I don't care.
I have even had Katie Hopkins and Tommy Robinson. So had to block them.
I thought Twitter put stuff into your feed based on your interests and who you followed. The only politicians I follow are Kevan Jones and Luke Akehurst.
I preferred it when someone like Robin Askwith or George Layton dropped into my timeline with some nostalgic reminiscences about acting in the seventies.
If you want cheap EV - build the factories. If you don't want the factories, then you can have Chinese EVs or no cheap EVs.
Simples.
Given the basic reliability of our grid, one strategy is to have a genny or ups and a subset of essential bits of electrical kit that's needed eg one double socket in the kitchen and some lights, plus a minimum required set of other things.
For example, cricinfo claims that this would be the second highest run chase ever in Tests in Pakistan.
Which is bollocks. It’d be the seventh (out of about a hundred, many of which had targets too low to be comparable).
It’s just that four of the six higher ones resulted in draws, but I somehow don’t think that’s on the cards here…
(And, of course, getting to 328 wouldn’t result in a loss like Pakistan vs England in 2022)
https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;host=7;innings_number=4;orderby=team_score;template=results;type=team;view=innings
If we'd decided earlier on nuclear and HS2, we might have saved £50bn. And be benefiting from them built.
I follow Elon also and he says some very interesting stuff and has recently taken to showing clips of him 15 years ago forecasting things that are happening last week.
Very good.
Plus that Charlie whatsisname that goes to US campusus (campi?) and argues the toss with students about god and christianity and whatnot.
People without driveways not being able to charge at home is a huge bottleneck to adoption of EVs, I've never seen any realistic proposal on how to deal with this other than spending vast amounts lining streets with charging points.
The 'computer on wheels' approach taken by EV manufacturers is also an impediment. It's a car, not an iPad. They need to have models with physical buttons, no reliance on internet connectivity or accounts to log into, and a simple, easily repairable design. I suspect the Chinese manufacturers will cater to this market in the next few years.
I see a lot of news editorials and Youtube videos proclaiming EVs are dead and petrol4evah. Which is bollocks, but obviously gets them clicks and views.
(if anyone wants to see what a dead EV market looks like, take a look at motorcycles. In 2023 electrics had 4% of sales, down almost 40% from 2022. A single model of petrol scooter, the Yamaha NMAX 125, has sales roughly equivalent to all electric motorcycles combined.)
I have a diesel car and I know that it is there whenever I need it. The only small inconvenience is having to spend 5 mins in the petrol station once every 3-4 weeks (we're not big drivers now).
With an electric car, it just seems more hassle:
- the issue of having to wait at services for a recharge mid journey
- having to faff about with charging at home
- also the worry that the battery will degrade over time leading to more of the above.
So right now I wouldn't choose an electric car unless/until the refueling because as quick and easy as diesel
Which in turn brings one back to - the only people who have good use cases for EVs are those who mostly do short journeys and can charge at home (and ideally are also comfortable with complex electricity tariffs with variable pricing etc).
Which is why adoption rates are hitting a brick wall - those people who have a good use case have gone electric, everyone else is looking at it and realising the numbers don't add up for them yet.
The European Union has warned X that it may calculate fines against the social-media platform by including revenue from Elon Musk’s other businesses, including Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Neuralink Corp., an approach that would significantly increase the potential penalties for violating content moderation rules.
My imports when I look at it is roughly 4kWh per day May-August. 12 kWh per day Nov-Feb, and 8kWh per day in the shoulder months. For ~2500 kWh/year of imported electricity. Usage is that plus internal use of generated power.
That is with gas for basic heating late Oct to mid March (went on last week, but most is now heat pump), cooking and one shower.
That is with a big set of solar, but no battery, and me on my own in a 4 bed/2 recep house. No electric car.
I export about 2500kWh per annum.
It's now quite a lot less so, as the algos have changed.
The balance between content I'm interested in reading, and that which I really don't want to see, has changed massively in the last couple of months. And that's not just because politics is being talked about more because we're close to the US election.
I have stopped using Twitter. The algorithm just feeds horrible stuff of no relevance to what I follow, and the boosting of blue tick responses makes threads unreadable. It's not worth bothering with anymore.
Just saw Jamie Smith's wretched drop of an easy catch ealier today. It was the kind of thing that you might expect once or twice in a career, although it wasn't as bad as the missed stumping in the previous Test.
England should send home for a replacement. The selector who picked him should resign himself.
“Tory MP claims Badenoch would not make good leader because she’s ‘preoccupied’ with her young children – UK politics live”
Guardian liveblog
May be a sound point but comes across as misogynistic and crass. Jenrick should disown it ASAFP
Because, when the street light were put in, someone decided that 32/20A was the right way to go. Even before LED light became a thing, this was an interesting choice.
Obviously they were expecting an electric oven attached to each street light....
There has been quite a lot of work increasing the feeds upstream of the street lights themselves.
2024....
Apart from most of the chips the US needs, for its entire tech sector.
Just In: Taiwan Semiconductor $TSM, the world's largest contract chip manufacturer, just reported Q3 revenue of ~$23.5 billion, up 36% Y/Y, thanks to strong demand for high-end chips used in AI applications.
Taiwan Semi's main customers include AMD $AMD, Nvidia $NVDA, Qualcomm $QCOM, Intel $INTC, Apple $AAPL, and Broadcom $AVGO...
https://x.com/JesseCohenInv/status/1846847535425413146
Much as most people don't fill their cars with petrol at home.
Modern ones with fancy emissions control systems (basically post 2009) don't like only being used for short journeys much - they need to be run at full operating temperature and a reasonable load regularly enough to regen the particlate filer.
He's now becoming emblem of power in the wrong.hands, and the wrong-headed glorification of billionaires in our era.
We could have borrowed at near 1% long term interest rates to finance them, too.
Just mad.
Instead we did Brexit.
There may be some logical point here if you’re truly cold and calculating - young mums with young kids ARE quite stressed, distracted, etc
But now is not the time to make that point. And also it sounds sexist & exclusionary - when ARE mothers fit to do a job? Tut. Bad juju
I think I probably read a biography of a woman from that society.
For me it's a reminder why modern Western 'individual rights' type values are important (if you'll forgive me sounding a touch sanctimonious / moralistic), even though we had and still have blindspots and horrors in our recent history which other philosophies correctly point up.
1. Range needs to be genuinely 300 miles so I can drive to the Lake District (for example) without worrying about charging.
2. It has to fit down my drive.
Currently nothing on the market meets both those two. A couple of top end models can just do the range, but are too wide. And they are too big/expensive, I wouldn't have bought petrol/diesel equivalents either. Ideally I don't want anything bigger than a Golf/Focus.
It feels like it will be a few years yet before I can switch.
Should really be included in all new domestic/commercial developments but I suppose it will be just branded "red tape".
Also getting a lot of SNL clips with The Donald himself parodying himself. Shades of 8-Mile and Eminem.
Should really mandate that any new/replacement lamppost is a charger as well. Even if you don't activate immediately - because the the upstream capacity isn't there.
Lack of engineers to maintain aircraft halts flying lessons for significant number of trainee pilots
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/10/17/britain-security-armed-forces-helicopter-training-crisis/ (£££)
Turned out to be an overdose of heroin...
I just don't understand the initial statement. Just say nothing.
- Armed with God's Own Rifle (wooden furniture)
- Heavy units with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_anti-tank_rifle
- Davy Crockett for the Large Vehicle Enforcement division.
It's a big potential issue for eg groups around blind people - yet another interference with pedestrian space by motor vehicles and their 'needs'. Cross-pavement cable protectors are the biggest issue since they can be as big as those bolt-down speed humps. But but also owners of obsolete street furniture trying to exploit there pavement-blocking assets for another 25 years.
There are solutions, but this is the UK so obviously there has been no attempt at suitable regulation, and it is not likely until another wild west has been created - unless this Govt surprise on the upside.
Pavements are for people
I run a Kia e-niro that's 4 years old and the battery is as good as new with 270 genuine miles on a full charge. I do regular trips to the Isle of Wight in it from Leics. In 4 years I have used public chargers just once per year. The EV3 would mean not even that. Fantastic to drive and build quality.
Next one also failed to charge. Took it back, some questions asked, but a new (and better) one offered and accepted.
Which also failed to charge.
Took it back - market guy very unhappy, suggests 'have you checked the socket?'
My friend had not. There was no electricity emerging from the socket that he had tried, on three occasions...
Now you might think my friend an idiot, but he ended up with a free upgrade...
So you get -
Even better, you can get points that come straight out of the kerb itself, so you don't need a built out or anything similar. Not great if you've got a bad back though!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyyHqhAeuF4
Presumably mothers of adult children are OK or is there some other failing the misogynists will find them to have? Not taking shit from bloviating blokes, for instance. Especially women who have been harassed on there. Still shutting down women in public forums is par for the course for self-important men.
But like I said, it's a massive opportunity for the Tories, and where it leaves Reeve's mythical cavernous black hole, I have no idea.
Unless 80-90% of your mileage is done via low cost at home charging the figures for an EV simply don't stack up.
So it’s pure sexism. Jenrick needs to repudiate the remarks pronto
This is the case for typical car use: commute, errands and days out in the neighbourhood.
This is the same pattern as typical mobile phone usage. In this case the EV is cheaper and more convenient than ICE and it maximises the strong points of EV design - more low speed torque, less to go wrong etc.
If you can't charge at home or you are regularly doing trips over 200 miles, EV becomes a harder sell as it is less flexible.
On balance this is a good decision, but let's be honest, the vast majority of the country will see absolutely no benefit from it.
These are valid qualifications on the effectiveness of EVs but they really are the very edgiest of cases. I drove an EV round the Highlands and didn't have any trouble at all charging at accomodation, particularly considering how far and few between conventional fuel stops are.
It's vans and taxis that I can see having an issue, yet those seem to be electrifying far more quickly than other vehicles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG3uea-Hvy4