Cars, cars and more cars Part Deux

[Sigmetnow]

Anecdote:  a friend of mine and her husband drive down to Florida to visit her mother once or twice a year, a trip she describes as just at the limit of what they can comfortably do in one day.  “If it took any longer, we’d fly.”


If the purpose of a lower highway speed limit is to save energy, my first thought of course is that driving an EV would save much more energy, at any speed, compared to the energy wasted in heat and friction between all the parts of an ICE vehicle.

But even in ICE transportation, much energy would be saved by using Driver Assistance technology — active cruise control, for instance, which maintains a chosen following distance — rather than inconstant, impatient human control.  A benefit most often cited by users of Tesla Autopilot is how much less stress they feel during a trip (even when they didn’t think driving was very stressful before), and how much more rested they are afterward, by letting the car do the driving.  Lanes restricted to emergency vehicles would not be used enough, and would just make other lanes more crowded.  But a lane with mandated ADAS, which only could go as fast as traffic allowed, might make sense.  Like with what happened with HOV lanes, drivers could select cars allowing them to use this potentially faster, less congested, and no doubt more polite option. Even if they don’t care about saving energy.

And yes, this would be a step toward the days of full self driving.

[TerryM]

^^
Why not take a bus?
Terry

[Sigmetnow]

^^
Why not take a bus?
Terry

Because there’s none where I live, and buses don’t go to all destinations.

Edit:  Well, there are school buses, but stealing one of those for a personal cross-country trip would be frowned upon.

[TerryM]

^^
Why not take a bus?
Terry

Because there’s none where I live, and buses don’t go to all destinations.

That sounds like something that a few dollars could change.
When Trailways was a thing they had express service between major destinations that included a card table, sandwiches and drinks, pillows, a blanket and a stewardess - all at the same price as a Greyhound.
Imagine what could be done if the government tossed in a few bucks!


Terry

[KiwiGriff]

Speed limits set only five miles per hour below engineering recommendations produce a statistically significant decrease in total, fatal and injury crashes, and property-damage-only crashes, according to a group of Penn State researchers.

"If (however) you lower the speed limit by 10, 15, 25 miles per hour, or more, drivers stop paying attention," said Vikash Gayah, assistant professor of civil engineering. "We found there was an increase in fatal and injury crashes at locations with posted speed limits set 10 miles per hour or more below engineering recommendations."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181212135021.htm

[Sigmetnow]

^^
Why not take a bus?
Terry

Because there’s none where I live, and buses don’t go to all destinations.

That sounds like something that a few dollars could change.
When Trailways was a thing they had express service between major destinations that included a card table, sandwiches and drinks, pillows, a blanket and a stewardess - all at the same price as a Greyhound.
Imagine what could be done if the government tossed in a few bucks!

Terry

This is a very poor, rural area.  Much of the population lacks the money for adequate food or clothing, let alone bus tickets.  The county struggles to simply keep emergency services funded.  Even if buses were available, there would be next to no demand, and no money to support them.  Makes no sense.

[sidd]

GM strike: 50K employees off the job at midnite

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/14/auto-s15.html

sidd

[nanning]

  Air pollution particles found on foetal side of placentas – study

Research finds black carbon breathed by mothers can cross into unborn children

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/17/air-pollution-particles-found-on-foetal-side-of-placentas-study
  by Damian Carrington


 Quotes:
Air pollution particles have been found on the foetal side of placentas, indicating that unborn babies are directly exposed to the black carbon produced by motor traffic and fuel burning.

The research is the first study to show the placental barrier can be penetrated by particles breathed in by the mother. It found thousands of the tiny particles per cubic millimetre of tissue in every placenta analysed.

Damage to foetuses has lifelong consequences and Prof Tim Nawrot at Hasselt University in Belgium, who led the study, said: “This is the most vulnerable period of life. All the organ systems are in development.

A comprehensive global review concluded that air pollution may be damaging every organ and virtually every cell in the human body. Nanoparticles have also been found to cross the blood-brain barrier and billions have been found in the hearts of young city dwellers.

-----

While the advise in the article is to avoid busy roads etc...
The best advise should be to take away the cause and not fight the effect: In other words: Don't use personal cars.

While ICE's have the toxic exhaust fumes, both the ICE and EV shed nano-particles, microplastics from tyre wear. Remember this next time you drive past a pregnant woman, past children or a school.
Please, it is an emergency!

edit: Leave your car home for a day or more and use public transport, if available (maybe you need to walk or cycle a bit to the stop).
It's a start. In rural parts you might have interesting conversations . Shared transport yeah

[Sigmetnow]

While ICE's have the toxic exhaust fumes, both the ICE and EV shed nano-particles, microplastics from tyre wear. Remember this next time you drive past a pregnant woman, past children or a school.
Please, it is an emergency!

edit: Leave your car home for a day or more and use public transport, if available (maybe you need to walk or cycle a bit to the stop).

So, spend more time traveling, on the side of the road, breathing in even more gas and tyre particles, even deeper than usual because of your increased heart and respiratory rate, without the benefit of a vehicle’s air filtration system?

Or does everyone walking and cycling wear gas masks?

——
Edit:  the Tesla HEPA filter system “Bioweapon Defense Mode” cleans pollutants from the surrounding  outside air, as well as providing clean-room quality air inside the vehicle.

The plot below shows the subsequent evolution in pollution levels inside the vehicle and inside the bubble. In less than two minutes, the HEPA filtration system had scrubbed the air in Model X, bringing pollution levels from an extremely dangerous 1,000 µg/m3 to levels so low as to be undetectable (below the noise floor) by our instruments, allowing us to remove our gas masks and breathe fresh air while sitting inside a bubble of pollution.

https://www.tesla.com/blog/putting-tesla-hepa-filter-and-bioweapon-defense-mode-to-the-test

[nanning]

We need to REMOVE THE CAUSE. Not treat the effect as something natural.

[TerryM]

Sig
If the HEPA filter does all that's claimed, why are so many complaining of the terrible odors from Tesla ACs? Shouldn't any decent air filter be capable of removing odors?
Terry

[blumenkraft]

Gnihihihi, anyone else thinking of Seinfeld now?

[Sigmetnow]

Sig
If the HEPA filter does all that's claimed, why are so many complaining of the terrible odors from Tesla ACs? Shouldn't any decent air filter be capable of removing odors?
Terry

Owners report solving this problem the same way that works for all other “decent” cars:  parking the car and setting the heat on full for an hour or two to eliminate mold and bacteria that accumulates in any humid system (not necessarily in the filter).

[Sigmetnow]

We need to REMOVE THE CAUSE. Not treat the effect as something natural.

Because I drive fewer miles than average, I only need to replace my car tires every 5 years so.  How often do you replace your bike tires?  I need to buy new walking shoes every year or two because the soles wear out.  Let’s count those causes, too!

The Tesla HEPA system might just be removing more pollutants from the environment than the car emits.  We can’t afford the time for “natural” solutions to fix the situation we’ve gotten ourselves into — if they even can.

[TerryM]

Sig
If the HEPA filter does all that's claimed, why are so many complaining of the terrible odors from Tesla ACs? Shouldn't any decent air filter be capable of removing odors?
Terry

Owners report solving this problem the same way that works for all other “decent” cars:  parking the car and setting the heat on full for an hour or two to eliminate mold and bacteria that accumulates in any humid system (not necessarily in the filter).

How strange. I do did drive an excessive number of miles, some I'm sure in "decent"? cars, and I never encountered a similar problem. You don't suppose the engineers could have missed something as rudimentary as providing adequate drainage for the condensate that builds on all AC evaporators do you?


Terry

[sidd]

The tire/asphalt dust issue is an externality, just like CO2 from the exhaust.  Typically externalities are addressed by penalties and taxation. Unfortunately, the car lobbies have captured the regulators.

So as usual, the rich will fix the problem for themselves, will breathe clean and filtered air, the poor will suffer and die.

sidd

[TerryM]

^^
Pass the Oxygen Jeeves. Yes, the one in the silver chalice. Then scuttle back to your hovel, and make sure you seal the airlock behind you.
Damn servant class these days - they act as if it was their air!
Terry

[blumenkraft]

Obvious clip to follow this:

[vox_mundi]

UPS Gets FAA Nod for Widespread Drone Deliveries
https://www.wsj.com/articles/ups-gets-faa-nod-for-widespread-drone-deliveries-11569939601
http://www.uasmagazine.com/articles/2072/ups-flight-forward-gains-faa-approval-to-launch-drone-airline
https://techxplore.com/news/2019-10-ups-drone-airline.html

UPS subsidiary UPS Flight Forward Inc. today announced it has received the U.S. government’s first full Part 135 Standard certification to operate a drone airline. United Parcel Service Inc. said it received the first-of-its-kind federal approval to start setting up a fleet of unmanned aircraft to deliver health supplies and eventually consumer packages potentially throughout the U.S.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded UPS Flight Forward a Part 135 Standard certification on Friday. The UPS subsidiary immediately launched the first drone delivery flight by any company under Part 135 Standard at WakeMed’s hospital campus in Raleigh, N.C. That flight, using a Matternet M2 quadcopter, was flown under a government exemption allowing for a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operation, also a first in the U.S. for a regular revenue-generating delivery.

The FAA’s Part 135 Standard certification has no limits on the size or scope of operations. It is the highest level of certification, one that no other company has attained. UPS Flight Forward’s certificate permits the company to fly an unlimited number of drones with an unlimited number of remote operators in command. This enables UPS to scale its operations to meet customer demand. Part 135 Standard also permits the drone and cargo to exceed 55 pounds and fly at night, previous restrictions governing earlier UPS flights.

Even before getting the airline designation, UPS Flight Forward, as the subsidiary is called, has operated more than 1,000 flights at Wake Forest University's medical center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Going forward, UPS Flight Forward says it has a long-term plan with several milestones:

- Expansion of the UPS Flight Forward delivery service to new hospitals and medical campuses around the country;
- Rapid build-out of ground-based, detect-and-avoid technologies to verify drone safety while enabling future service expansion;
- Construction of a centralized operations control center;
- Regular and frequent BVLOS drone flights;
- Partnerships with additional drone manufacturers to build new drones with varying cargo capacities; and
- Adding new services outside of the healthcare industry, including the transport of special commodities and other regulated goods.

UPS believes the earliest commercially viable uses of drones will be for same-day deliveries, for augmenting truck-borne deliveries in rural areas, and for larger drones that could carry cargo of up to a ton from one rural area to another. Price said the latter idea is still years away.

[Sigmetnow]

Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) 10/10/19, 6:30 AM
A traffic warning sign on Vanderbilt Ave. in #Brooklyn has been flashing anti-car messages over the past month. A company contracted by @MTA who operates it says the lock is changed and the sign is reprogrammed every day but it keeps getting hacked. 

https://twitter.com/ny1/status/1182241941385334784
Image below.  Video clip of the sign in action at the link.

[nanning]

^^
In your face! Thanks Sig, I love it

[sedziobs]

SimCity is often deployed in an educational context, integrated in some higher-ed and K-12 curricula. And it’s by far the most visible “face” of urban planning. Copies of SimCity were preloaded on computers bound for India during the One Laptop Per Child program, a techno-optimistic initiative to solve rural education deficits by giving every child a computer. An educational version of SimCity called SimCityEDU leads children through a series of challenges like planning school bus routes, “increasing jobs,” or reducing air pollution. 

But only certain kinds of cities are possible in SimCity and its successors. The city of your dreams must be car-centric, modernist, and usually grid-based. Vehicles in SimCity conveniently don’t emit pollution, or even need parking: When cars reach their destinations they simply disappear.

The disappearing cars of the simulated city are a way to make the game more accessible by preventing eternal gridlock. But they also elide many of the most heated debates in real-life urban planning. Parking spaces are battlegrounds, and drivers fight for them against more bike or pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. Students playing the base game or the educational version of SimCity are presented with an environment where cars are neutral, unproblematic, and essential, rather than a deliberate policy choice.

Other elements of SimCity are more troubling. Worker sims have no permanent homes. They cycle endlessly between whatever businesses or dwellings have available slots. Homeless sims are created when a house becomes “abandoned” due to falling property values. These sims lose their identity, gender, and “citizenship” within the game. They wander aimlessly between public spaces and abandoned buildings, eating garbage on their way. They cannot be helped, only removed through stringent trash collection and bus depots out of town. Race, social mobility, real estate speculation, and community aren’t simulated at all. Omissions like this aren’t just matters of design. Their absence from the game is a statement of its own.

currentaffairs.org/2019/10/education-gamification

[vox_mundi]

Here’s an important issue that isn’t talked about all that much: How first responders should interact with self-driving cars.



“To put the car in manual mode, you must call Waymo.”???

[Sigmetnow]

Here’s an important issue that isn’t talked about all that much: How first responders should interact with self-driving cars.

...

“To put the car in manual mode, you must call Waymo.”???

I’ve seen an ad for a car (can’t remember which one) where the car was deactivated remotely after a request by law enforcement, in a case of theft and a high-speed chase.  This should certainly be a required feature to protect against rogue or damaged self-driving cars, as well.  Although you may be out of luck if the car is in a tunnel or otherwise out of radio contact.

[vox_mundi]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/tesla-autopilot-police-speeding-sleeping-driver-california-steering-wheel-a8665811.html%3famp

https://www.google.com/amp/s/jalopnik.com/googles-waymo-asked-people-to-test-its-semi-autonomous-1838068842/amp

[TerryM]

How long before your car locks it's doors & transports its passengers to the nearest (privatized) jail? Will we be informed when this "feature" is activated - probably by an over the air software "upgrade".
Terry

[nanning]

Good thinking there Terry
Self driving cars are robots without Asimov's laws.

[vox_mundi]

How long before your car locks it's doors & transports its passengers to the nearest (privatized) jail? Will we be informed when this "feature" is activated - probably by an over the air software "upgrade". 

[TerryM]

Thanks nanning.

Having cars that may be compelled to imprison they're occupants, and deliver them to an alternative location may bring up a Law that AFAIK Asimov never addressed.


Law (n) - A Robot must always obey its operator except when it's controlled by X.


Who, or what is the mysterious 'X'


Is 'X' the head of the UN?


Is 'X' the head of the national government that 'O' the Operator resides in, is a citizen of, that the AI vehicle is operating in, that the vehicle was manufactured in, that the vehicle was originally sold in. that the vehicle was most recently sold in, that the manufacturer incorporated in;
that the lessor is (one of the above with), that the lessee is (one of the above with), that the cab company (when applicable - is one of the above), that the loan holder (when applicable - is one of the above)?


Is 'X' the head of the local, regional, state, or federal security force?


Is 'X' a General in times of declared or undeclared war?


Is 'X' a coalition of friends and relatives acting on behalf of the operator?


Is 'X' a parent or responsible adult acting on behalf of an under-age operator or passenger?


Is 'X' a truant officer concerned about the education of an operator or passenger?


Is 'X' a fire compliance officer concerned with the safety of the community?


Could some of 'X's prerogatives be purchased by retailers, restaurants or innkeepers?


Would an 'X' be required to leave evidence of his interference?


How would multiple micro managing "Xs" resolve their conflicting mandates in a timely manner?


Who is financially or criminally responsible for mini 'X's decisions?


Must every owner, operator, passenger be informed of 'X's actions before, during, or after the intervention.


I think I could ask these questions until Musk's Flying RoasterRoadster becomes a commodity, and still not scratch the surface of the questions that need be addressed before an autonomous, but connected, vehicle is allowed to wander about in the wild, where it might interact with civilians who have never even been asked if they consent to AIs in their midst.


Musk's OTA alteration of charging protocol during hurricanes and fires demonstrate that 'X' is presently in his hands for the majority of the semi-autonomous fleet. The braking systems were also altered OTA. These are hands legally required to have twitter messages vetted by a member of the bar, but his ability to interact with vehicles as they are being driven is unchecked.


Uber, Waymo and every other purveyor of even semi-autonomous vehicles has retained at the very least a portion of 'X's powers. Again let me emphasize that this is with no oversight from representative government officials, little understanding or consent from the owner/operators, and absolutely no consent by or even a conversation with the public.


Two Democratic Senators demanded last week that Tesla end it's assisted driving program until such time as their questions had been addressed. After the next election the Democrats are expected to at the least gain some Federal power. Possibly with Democrats in charge this laissez-faire period will be brought to an end, some of the Senators questions will be answered, and possibly even some of my questions will be considered.


It's not acceptable to have a unelected, unappointed, unvetted persons having the master control over vehicles that I, and mine are forced to interact with.


Terry

[TerryM]

Who should decide who and when autonomous vehicles kill?


Should a car always protect its occupants, or might the lives of children in a crosswalk take precedence?
Should killing the fewest take president over saving the operators family?
Will a prospective purchaser buy a vehicle that will commit Hari Kari with him inside, rather than killing a deer, a cow, a child, or a cop.
Should an owner be allowed to alter these settings? Without AI he'd be making these decisions.


Can an autonomous vehicle speed if the operator is in a hurry - even if others lives will be put at risk?
Will people buy vehicles that won't allow them to violate speeding laws?
In the interest of the greater good should a vehicle report it's driver for violations?
Are there certain crimes that an AI vehicle must report, other times when it must participate in directed criminal behavior?


If fully autonomous vehicles were ready for us today, how many decades will it be before we are ready for them?
We've yet to have a discussion about how AIs can be integrated into our societys.
Will rules that work in Europe be forced onto AIs in India? In Qatar?
Will each vehicle moving between jurisdictions require software compatibility for each region? Hardware and sensor compatibility too?
Should manufacturers be making these decisions? Owners, Cab Companies,or Passengers. What rights do others using the road have, who will be their advocate? Can one city ban autonomous vehicles, even as another bans self driving on her streets. What of the rights of those who have invested in either technology?


When I drove my Japanese manufactured Toyota into Ontario there were no problems until new registration was required. At that time hardware needed to be upgraded from Nevada specifications to Ontario specs.
Will time frames such as these, where vehicles from various regions are allowed to mix for months work for AI vehicles, or will each require an upgradechanges that take effect immediately on crossing the line. These changes are potentially far greater than the headlight controls and brakes upgrades that Ontario required.


Senators are already demanding that systems approaching autonomy be pulled from the nation's roads. Europe apparently has already acted, citing safety concerns rather than misrepresentations.


I think a pause is called for, at least until regulations are in place.
Terry

[Sigmetnow]

Cars rule!

After Getting Doored, Cops Tell Cyclist Lying In The Street To Expect A Summons
https://gothamist.com/news/video-after-getting-doored-cops-tell-cyclist-lying-street-expect-summons

[Sigmetnow]

Car-free housing development in Arizona

A new housing development has broken ground in Tempe, Arizona, which won’t allow residents’ personal cars to be driven or parked on site, Curbedreports [via the Wall Street Journal]. It will be finished next year. Or, as Culdesac puts it, “1,000 residents, 0 private cars.”

Culdesac Tempe, a 1,000-person rental development, will instead use the space that would have been set aside for residents’ parking for retail, a food hall, green space, and other features.

The development is next to a light rail that connects to downtown and Arizona State University, and the developer was able to negotiate its way out of the required parking spots by prioritizing other, more green-friendly transportation options like ride shares, scooters and bikes.

If the development is successful, Culdesac will be looking to bring the concept to other US cities.

https://electrek.co/2019/11/27/egeb-epa-deregulation-chemical-plant-explosion-port-neches/

[TerryM]

Car-free housing development in Arizona

A new housing development has broken ground in Tempe, Arizona, which won’t allow residents’ personal cars to be driven or parked on site, Curbedreports [via the Wall Street Journal]. It will be finished next year. Or, as Culdesac puts it, “1,000 residents, 0 private cars.”

Culdesac Tempe, a 1,000-person rental development, will instead use the space that would have been set aside for residents’ parking for retail, a food hall, green space, and other features.

The development is next to a light rail that connects to downtown and Arizona State University, and the developer was able to negotiate its way out of the required parking spots by prioritizing other, more green-friendly transportation options like ride shares, scooters and bikes.

If the development is successful, Culdesac will be looking to bring the concept to other US cities.

https://electrek.co/2019/11/27/egeb-epa-deregulation-chemical-plant-explosion-port-neches/

There was a similar, but slightly larger development in California ~50 yrs ago. Had a private lake & was well stocked with golf carts. Largely inhabited by retirees eager to leave school taxes behind them. The homes were privately owned, not leased & they must have used Norco's fire and police services. They were tied to Norco's sewer & water system but somehow avoided the majority of their municipal restrictions and regulations.


It was surrounded by pine trees which blocked the view & had gated access from a county highway ~ a mile to the west. I was in there once, though I can't imagine why. Very small homes on tiny lots, but well sited around the lake and nicely landscaped. A smallish pub and general store were the only businesses other than a real estate office. I suppose everyone was retired or commuted to LA.


Parking was in the unpaved, unsheltered desert & a second fence and gate kept the vehicles well back from the homes. Golf carts were used as private transportation from there.


They finally extended I-60 north of Corona and the development was paved over by 4 lanes of traffic & an interchange. No idea what they did with the lake.


I don't recall the name, but it wasn't "Paradise".
Terry

[gerontocrat]

So who pays the price for the ICE auto makers failing to get a grip on moving to EVs?

The workers, of course. But, being Germany, the workers can't be just thrown onto the street.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/nov/29/daimler-to-axe-at-least-10000-jobs-worldwide
Daimler to axe at least 10,000 jobs worldwide
Mercedes-Benz owner aims to slash €1bn from wage bill in drive towards to electric cars

Daimler has announced plans to cut at least 10,000 jobs worldwide in the latest sign of stress in the German automotive industry as it invests billions in electric cars.

Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz and also makes lorries, vans and buses, said on Friday it planned to cut thousands of jobs by the end of 2022, but later made it clear the toll would be higher.

“The total number worldwide will be in the five-digits,” the personnel chief, Wilfried Porth, told journalists. The company will cut one in 10 of its managers worldwide.

Mercedes-Benz, the maker of premium and luxury cars, outlined plans to save €1bn in staff costs this month, and union bosses suggested 1,100 jobs could go.

Daimler’s move is the latest sign of the massive disruption facing the German car industry as it makes the historic move away from producing cars with internal combustion engines towards battery electric vehicles. At the same time, profitable diesel sales have slumped after emissions cheating scandals, and the runaway growth of sales in China has stopped.

Battery electric cars are crucial to meet EU regulations coming into force in January that promise to impose fines potentially running into billions of euros on carmakers which do not reduce average carbon dioxide emissions below 95g per kilometre.

Volkswagen’s Audi on Tuesday said it would cut up to 9,500 jobs at its German factories by 2025 to save €6bn. In March, the Volkswagen brand said it planned to make 7,000 job cuts, to save €5.9bn and allow it to hire more staff to work on digital technology. BMW reportedly plans to cut as many as 6,000 jobs in Germany by 2022.

Daimler, made profits of €7.6bn last year,

[Sigmetnow]

So who pays the price for the ICE auto makers failing to get a grip on moving to EVs?

The workers, of course. But, being Germany, the workers can't be just thrown onto the street.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/nov/29/daimler-to-axe-at-least-10000-jobs-worldwide
Daimler to axe at least 10,000 jobs worldwide
Mercedes-Benz owner aims to slash €1bn from wage bill in drive towards to electric cars
...

I usually post these things under Electric Cars as part of the transition to EVs (with Neven’s blessing).
But here’s more:

Tom Randall (@tsrandall) 11/14/19, 10:33 AM
Daimler's new CEO is cutting $1.4 billion in jobs and capping investment as he warns of a painful transition to electric and autonomous cars. Even 20 new hybrid or electric models in the next 2 years only puts them "within reach" of new EU pollution limits   bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

ValueAnalyst (@ValueAnalyst1) 11/14/19, 10:48 AM
Daimler may go bust before Giga Berlin reaches scale.
https://twitter.com/valueanalyst1/status/1195005546438500365

“Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler has discreetly warned financial analysts that CO2 compliance costs and market headwinds for next year would be much larger than previously thought and asked them to reduce their earnings estimates for the automaker by billions of euros.”
Daimler dampens profit expectations ahead of new CEO's investor presentation
    Automotive News:  https://t.co/oup58yOeCC

ValueAnalyst (@ValueAnalyst1) 5/19/19, 3:01 PM
U.S. Sales of @MercedesBenz crashing across the board.

"We are going to see models go away within the next 12 months," said one dealer who attended the closed-door meeting and asked not to be identified. "Within the next 90 days, we might see some of those announcements." @Daimler

https://twitter.com/valueanalyst1/status/1130186857684381697
Data at the link.

[TerryM]

Europe 'Takes one for the boys', while America turns its back on her commitments.


Do the unemployed blame America, the EU, their government, or immigrants competing for work?
Some French reacted badly to modest fuel tax increases. Can Germany afford enough circuses to placate her idled workers?


I don't see any way for this to end well. - and this is the beginning, not the end.
It's both too little too late, and too much too soon.
Terry

[Sigmetnow]

Australia fires. And the transportation you require when the air is so bad you can’t breathe.

From disbelief to dread: the dismal new routine of life in Sydney's smoke haze

Facebook chatter shifts from amused sightings of masks to suggestions of where to buy them, to resignation: they don’t work anyway. They might help your mood, but they’ll do nothing to stop the microscopic particles entering your lungs, unless they’re rated P2 and have super suction around the face. Despite this, I can’t help covering my mouth and nose for the few steps to and from the car. I haven’t taken a train or bus in weeks; too much walking involved. ...

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/07/from-disbelief-to-dread-the-dismal-new-routine-of-life-in-sydneys-smoke-haze

[TerryM]

Cars, cars and more cars is the problem.


Take the bus, be part of the solution.
Terry

[vox_mundi]

A Self-Driving Freight Truck Just Drove Across the Country to Deliver Butter
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a30196644/self-driving-truck-cross-country/

Plus.ai, an artificial intelligence startup in Cupertino, California, has engineered an autonomous driving system for commercial freight trucks. This week, it made the world's first cross-country trip of its kind to deliver butter to a small town in Pennsylvania.

While this isn't the first time an autonomous truck has made a cross-country trip, it's likely the first time a commercial freight truck has made a real delivery like this.

[nanning]

A Self-Driving Freight Truck Just Drove Across the Country to Deliver Butter
<snip>

I find this extreme insanity.
And it is presented as something good 

[Sigmetnow]

A Self-Driving Freight Truck Just Drove Across the Country to Deliver Butter
<snip>

I find this extreme insanity.
And it is presented as something good 

Autonomous trucks will be safer than human-driven ones.  They can keep 12 eyes on the road at all times, without distractions, sleepiness, personal problems, indigestion, or anger at other drivers. 

[vox_mundi]

I think what he's getting at is that a water demanding industry like dairy farming doesn't make sense in California, a state prone to drought. While Pennsylvania has plenty of pastures and water - a good place to make butter. Why ship it 3000 miles.

It's like selling ice to an Eskimo.

[TerryM]

Insane?
Driverless Trucking is symbolic of the state of the State. A rudderless Behemoth careening cross country, heedless of crushed traffic cones and the crushed lives that once depended on a scanty stipend sent to sustain the driver's long suffering siblings.



If the fast living hipster hackers in Quakertown Pa. couldn't import their farm fresh frozen products from rural backwaters like California, they'd soon be reduced to dipping their lobster tails in melted margarine!


Without the patronage of wealthy Quakertownians, the isolated, backward communities nestled in the hoots and hollers of California's coastal range would have only the sale of locally crafted hemp origami dream catchers to supplement their uniquely Psychedelic Economy.
What we're witnessing is just one result of wild dreams that escaped through the entwined cords of cannabis spun logic. Dreams that only appear real when reality goes up in smoke.


Future driverless routes will bring traditional Silicon Valley Moonshine to the cellars of upscale Appalachian eateries. Imported Arizona Maple Cider will sate the State of Maine's appetite for this alcoholic aperitif & Nevada's wild trout could be exported as far as Fairbanks Famous Frozen Casinos - "Where one night can seem like months"


None of the above would be viable if the driver, and his greedy family, didn't demand payment.


Importing mountains of melting butter may seem a slippery slope to some, but Pennsylvania's Prolific Programmers require more than artificial butter flavoring on their popcorn if we expect them to lead us to World Domination in the new fields of Artifice Investing, Cloud storage of Vaporware, to prevent evaporation should the view ever clear, and the Persecution of Pedo Guy "Cave Divers", just because we can.


Insane indeed!
This represents an apex of irrational exuberance in an industry whose primary pedagog became a creepy old guy before his hair plugs had even turned grey.
Terry

[Sigmetnow]

Difficulties obtaining timely truck transport during this peak holiday demand period resulted in Land O’ Lakes turning to Uber Freight and autonomous trucking to assure deliveries to customers who depend on the company for their supply.

Land O’Lakes needs to deliver *a lot* of butter this time of year.

It’s critical that Land O’Lakes reliably and efficiently delivers butter this holiday season -- many cooking and baking traditions depend on it.

https://www.landolakesinc.com/Press/News/a-high-tech-butter-delivery

And Land O’ Lakes says there is more to come in how it uses technology to transform its logistics, such as Uber Freight. Here’s video of a case study from Uber Freight highlighting Land O’ Lakes:

[Sigmetnow]

More on Uber Freight (reposted from January 2019):

Logistical solution for the truck driver shortage?  Uber Freight has an app for that — which lowers costs, as well.
Their thirty thousand drivers can each pick routes most efficient for them and which get them back home when they want.  Minority populations are particularly well-served.  25% of Uber freight loads are booked within 30 minutes, compared to days using traditional booking methods.

Uber Freight is already lowering trucking costs after just 20 months
Jim Cramer and Lior Ron, the head of Uber Freight, address inflation in the trucking industry and how Uber's tech-forward approach is cutting logistics costs.  Video.
https://www.cnbc.com/video/2019/01/11/uber-freight-chief-lowering-trucking-costs-after-just-20-months.html

[vox_mundi]

Light-Duty Autonomous Vehicles Get the Green Light in California
https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/18/21028288/self-driving-cars-light-duty-trucks-california-dmv



Autonomous, light-duty trucks can now be used for commercial purposes on public roads in California. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles announced the proposal Tuesday, which outlines a permitting process for companies wishing to test or deploy driverless trucks for commercial use.

The new rule, which was first proposed in April 2019, only applies to autonomous vehicles weighing less than 10,001 pounds. That means only Class 1 and 2 trucks — which include minivans, pickup trucks, utility vans, and step vans — can receive permits for testing and commercial deliveries under the rule.

All vehicles in Class 3 through 8 that weigh more than 10,001 pounds — which include walk-in delivery trucks, semi trucks, buses, and heavy-duty construction vehicles — are not allowed under this permitting system.

... There are currently 65 companies permitted and over 670 autonomous vehicles that are licensed with the DMV, officials say. Waymo is the only company with a permit to test fully driverless vehicles — which means vehicles without human safety drivers behind the steering wheel — on public roads. (AutoX, a Chinese company, recently applied for a driverless permit, but has yet to be approved.)

[vox_mundi]

Engineers Show How an Autonomous, Drifting DeLorean Can Improve Driver Safety



Most automated vehicles on the road have been designed to handle simpler cases of driving, such as staying in a lane or maintaining the right distance from other cars.

"We're trying to develop automated vehicles that can handle emergency maneuvers or slippery surfaces like ice or snow," Gerdes said. "We'd like to develop automated vehicles that can use all of the friction between the tire and the road to get the car out of harm's way. We want the car to be able to avoid any accident that's avoidable within the laws of physics."

Training an autonomous car to drift is a surprisingly good method for testing a car's ability to drive evasively. Under typical conditions, a driver points the car where they want to go and uses the accelerator and brake pedals to control the speed. When drifting, whether intentionally or not, this goes out the window.

"Suddenly the car is pointed in a very different direction than where it's going. Your steering wheel controls the speed, the throttle affects the rotation, and the brakes can impact how quickly you change directions," Goh said. "You have to understand how to use these familiar inputs in a very different way to control the car, and most drivers just aren't very good at handling the car when it becomes this unstable."

[nanning]

(69 people will fit in 1 or 2 busses)

[TerryM]

^^
Say two comfortable local buses with restrooms, or one cross country bus to 'Vegas with restrooms, two stewardess, a card table, open bar and cold sandwiches. Reclining seats with a blanket and throw pillow for those inclined to sleep it off rather than continue the party.


Big Oil's propaganda has convinced us that we'll be happier isolated in a box with 4 wheels. Our only contact with others consisting of blaring horns, flashing headlights or raised fingers. We complain of aggressive drivers, road rage, driver fatigue & the horrors of our daily commute, and never ever consider that perhaps traveling by car is an anachronism that didn't work too well even back in the mid 20th century.


We don't need newer, better cars. We simply need fewer cars. If we're serious about AWG we need to promote a rapid end to personal vehicle ownership and usage. Stop subsidizing roads, vehicles and fuel. Spend the savings on Buses and Bikes.


E-Buses, Light Rail, & HSR are the answer when the question is "how can we lower our transportation footprint".


If you don't appreciate the company of others have yourself checked for agoraphobia, it's curable.


Terry

[Archimid]

Engineers Show How an Autonomous, Drifting DeLorean Can Improve Driver Safety

Impressive! I remember not too long ago watching the DARPA grand challenge with amazement. If the rate of improvement continues (it will accelerate) human drivers will be illegal sooner than anyone thinks.

Coupled with long-lasting, low maintenance, low fuel cost and low entry cost EVs, the ICE world could be replaced inside a decade.

Fast enough? It depends on the Arctic.

To those seemingly concerned with driver labor, climate change will reduce labor even more if we don't stop it. Also, as we make the transition to saving ourselves from climate change, many more sectors will disappear, taking jobs and entire industries with them. Also, new ones will emerge. That is the way the world works.

I'm not sure what you all are complaining about. What is next, poor oil drillers will lose their jobs? Or what about the millions of people employed in the meat industry? Give me a break.