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Mercedes-Benz is partnering with U.S.-based robotics firm Apptronik to explore ways that the latter’s humanoid robots can be used at its factories.
Continue reading “Mercedes-Benz Will Start Using Humanoid Robots to Help Build Cars” »
There’s a patch of concrete on Drexel University’s campus that could portend a frost-free future for sidewalks and highways in the Northeast.
As part of its energy transition strategy, energy giant Shell plans to shed some of its retail locations, including gasoline stations, to focus more on EV charging sites.
“We are upgrading our retail network, with expanded electric vehicle charging and convenience offers, in response to changing customer needs,” Shell said in its 2024 Energy Transition Strategy report. The company plans to “divest around 500 Shell-owned sites (including joint ventures) a year in 2024 and 2025.” The company’s plans were first reported by Bloomberg News.
The closures will shrink the company’s retail footprint by 2.1%. In 2023, the company operated 47,000 locations.
NIO’s entry-level Standard battery pack option will soon get an upgrade with the new 2024 model year cars.
According to the company (via CnEVPost), the 75-kilowatt-hour dual-chemistry (LFP/NCM) Standard battery will be replaced by a new 75-kWh battery with only LFP battery cells. This should simplify the pack and reduce costs. LFP’s battery cell chemistry is known as one of the least expensive per kWh.
Incorporating a phase-change material into concrete, researchers have created a self-heating material that can melt snow and ice for up to 10 hours without using salt or shovels. The novel material could reduce the need for plowing and salting and help preserve the integrity of road surfaces.
According to the US Department of Transportation (DOT), more than 70% of roads are in snowy regions. Snow and ice accumulation reduces road friction and vehicle maneuverability, causing drivers to slow and increasing the risk of crashes. Snow-obstructed lanes and roads also reduce roadway capacity and increase travel time.
The DOT states that local and state agencies spend more than US$2.3 billion annually on snow and ice control operations, in addition to the millions spent repairing infrastructure damage caused by snow and ice. Salting is often used before a snow event to prevent icing, but the highly concentrated salt solution can deteriorate concrete or asphalt. In addition, when water seeps into the road and freezes, it expands, causing internal pressure and damaging the road.
Tesla Summon and Autopark are set to gain major improvements next month, according to company CEO Elon Musk. Autopark is also getting a new name, Musk said, as it appears to be on its way to being called “Banish.”
After Musk stated earlier this month that Tesla would have some “really cool stuff coming this month and next,” owners and fans of the company were left with their own imaginations to think of what could possibly be coming.
While many owners have wished for improvements of things like the Auto Wipers, Tesla has been working behind the scenes to improve some of its semi-autonomous driving features and certain parts of Enhanced Autopilot, including Summon and Autopark.
One shaken Redditor took to r/teslamotors to share their story after their Tesla vehicle saved them from a situation that could easily have turned deadly.
“My Model 3 saved my life today,” they said in the post.
According to the Redditor, they were driving home on the highway in heavy, “basically stopped” traffic. They wanted to change lanes, but the number of cars was making it difficult. “Problem was there were a lot of oncoming cars and almost no breaks in between them,” they said.
Even if electric cars are already prevalent today, anti-EV narratives are still abounding. Among the most persistent anti-electric vehicle talking points involves the idea that EVs take hours to charge, so those who own them would be stuck waiting several hours waiting for their cars to “fill up.” A recent post from Tesla’s official social media handle debunks these ideas.
Longtime Tesla and electric vehicle owners have noted over the years that EV charging practices are far different from refueling a combustion-powered car. As the electric vehicle maker posted on its official handle on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, charging a Tesla is actually far simpler than expected.
When charging at home through a Wall Connector or Mobile Connector, for example, all Tesla owners need to do is plug in their cars when they pull into their garage. EVs are like gigantic mobile devices, so just like smartphones, they could simply charge their batteries while their owners go about their day. And with the Wall Connector or Mobile Connector, Tesla owners can typically wake up to a fully charged car per day.
Rideshare companies Uber and Lyft have both said they would be ceasing operations in Minneapolis on May 1 due to a dispute over driver wages.
Wired writer Mark Andrews tested three Chinese vehicles equipped with semi-autonomous functionality and found them superior to comparable American self-driving systems. The reasons, it seems, boil down to a single feature that American passenger cars have yet to implement: Lidar. From Wired:
On the flip side, Tesla and General Motors have been grabbing most of the recent headlines when it comes to self-driving cars in the hands of the public, and for all the wrong reasons—mass recalls, suspended licenses, spending cuts, and huge losses.
But in China, a number of companies are steadily—and far more successfully—moving toward a similar destination, but via a different route.
