RV_

Excerpt: "CU researchers see RECOVER as a big step along the path to better treatments and understanding of long COVID. Rarely has a clinical trial’s name better signaled its ultimate aims. But then, a billion-dollar study deserves a first-rate acronym, too. RECOVER is the name. It stands for Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery. Its focus is on understanding long COVID – a wide swath of maladies whose roots lay in infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that swept the planet starting in late 2019 and continues to mutate and spread, if much less aggressively than during the pandemic. Each infection or reinfection opens the door to long COVID (also called post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection, or PASC). We may have moved on from COVID, but COVID has not moved on from us. The number of long-COVID cases is hard to nail down, but it’s big. One review, which considered 194 studies totaling 735,000 participants, found that, “on average, at least 45% of COVID-19 survivors, regardless of hospitalization status, went on to experience at least one unresolved symptom” an average of four months after infection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 19% of those who reported having COVID-19 in the past have long-COVID symptoms. Another review estimates that 10% to 30% of non-hospitalized cases, 50% to 70% of hospitalized cases, and 10% to 12% of vaccinated cases end up with long COVID. Considering that as many as 94% of U.S. residents have gotten the coronavirus at some point, these percentages yield millions of people. The University of Colorado School of Medicine is one of 86 medical centers around the country participating in the four-year, $1.15 billion National Institutes of Health RECOVER study. It has enrolled more than 12,000 people so far. The CU School of Medicine site at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus (UCH) has signed up about 240 patients and counting. Many health conditions under the long COVID umbrella RECOVER will probably be the largest U.S. trial of its kind, says Dr. Kristine Erlandson, the infectious disease specialist who leads the study’s Colorado site. The study’s size and its inclusion of a control group of those who never had COVID-19 are important, she says. RECOVER’s leaders have also made an effort to enroll populations that have been underrepresented in many previous COVID studies, such as Hispanic/Latino populations and rural residents. While the study is ongoing, Erlandson says it has enormous potential to help future long-COVID patients. “I think it’s going to be very important to the field,” she said. “I think there will be, eventually, thousands of papers that leverage this RECOVER cohort to really advance our knowledge of long COVID.” Improving the diagnosis and treatment of long COVID will be important to millions of people. The disease best known for its spread by the lungs can also impact a wide range of bodily systems over time: the immune system, the brain and neurological system, the gastrointestinal tract, the heart and circulatory system, and the reproductive system among them. A recent, comprehensive review listed a few of the “multiple adverse outcomes” under the long COVID umbrella: cardiovascular, thrombotic (blood clot-related), and cerebrovascular (brain-related) disease, type 2 diabetes, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and dysautonomia (especially postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS). That’s just a small selection of a long list of documented long-COVID symptoms. Some are easier to treat than others. Some may last for years. Some, such as ME/CFS and dysautonomia, which renders up to 75% of those with the severe form of the disease unable to work, “are expected to be lifelong,” as the authors put it. Long COVID broke into five maladies Critical-care medicine specialist Dr. Sarah Jolley, medical director of the UCHealth Post-COVID Clinic, is co-author of a forthcoming RECOVER-based study that assigns many of the long COVID-related maladies into five domains, she says. They include: ME/CFS including post-exertional malaise (PEM). Dysautonomia and POTS. Neurocognitive symptoms (such as “brain fog”). Cardiopulmonary exercise intolerance. Persistent olfactory (related to the ability to smell) problems. Jolley has seen them all. She has consulted with about 1,200 patients since the UCHealth Post-COVID Clinic launched in 2020. “A lot of those same symptoms that were described early on have been solidified into discrete syndromes that come under the umbrella of long COVID,” Jolley said." More in the University of Colorado Health article here: https://www.uchealth.org/today/long-covid-is-real-major-study-aims-to-untangle-causes/?utm_source=MC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UCHealthToday_NewsYouCanUse_LongCovid_03-May-2023_Null_Null&utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UCHealthToday_External_Newsletter_03-May-2023_Null_Null&utm_term=2nd+headline-long+covid+study&utm_id=716902&sfmc_id=55360137&utm_source=MC&utm_term=2nd+headline-long+covid+study&utm_content=162943&utm_id=ceadc317-ba6c-4d75-98be-b3757a78555d&sfmc_activityid=040e88f5-18c6-471e-89d7-40ed859b4108&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UCHealthToday_External_Newsletter_03-May-2023_Null_Null

Excerpt: "U.S. regulators Wednesday approved the first vaccine to prevent the respiratory ailment RSV, a decision that marks a turning point in the six-decade-long quest to protect vulnerable people against the virus. A shot developed by pharmaceutical giant GSK to protect older adults against the respiratory syncytial virus is the first to get a greenlight from the Food and Drug Administration. A Pfizer vaccine is following close behind and is under consideration for older adults and for pregnant people as a maternal vaccination that would protect newborn children. A monoclonal antibody treatment for babies, developed by Sanofi and AstraZeneca to offer vaccine-like protection during the winter RSV season, is also under consideration. The progress arrives at a rare time of public awareness about the wintertime respiratory disease, after last year’s terrible RSV season crushed children’s hospitals across the country. For most healthy people, RSV is just another seasonal cold, but each year in the United States it fills pediatric intensive care units with babies gasping for air and sends more than 60,000 older adults to the hospital. “Older adults, in particular those with underlying health conditions, such as heart or lung disease or weakened immune systems, are at high risk for severe disease caused by RSV,” Peter Marks, the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. “Today’s approval of the first RSV vaccine is an important public health achievement to prevent a disease which can be life-threatening.” Much more in this very interesting read: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/05/03/rsv-vaccine-adults/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert

Excerpt: "While other automakers have balked, Ford (F) is rolling the dice on what could be a very risky gambit: go head-to-head with Tesla (TSLA) and cut prices. Tesla’s dramatic price cuts of its popular Model Y and Model 3 electric vehicles have upended the still nascent EV market. Though Tesla delivered a record number of cars in Q1, its margins sank as CEO Elon Musk decided to trade profits for increased market share and put the squeeze on competitors. Competitors like GM (GM) and Volvo (VLVLY) have decided not to cut prices with their current and existing EV models — at least at this time. Ford? In addition to cutting prices of its volume EV seller, the Mustang Mach-E, back in January, the automaker has doubled down with additional price cuts announced on Tuesday, just ahead of its earnings release. Ford slashed the base model Select RWD standard range model by $3,000 to $42,995, among other big price cuts, including cutting the Premium RWD standard range by $4,000 to $46,995. The full list of cuts is listed below. New Ford Mustang Mach-E pricing (as of 05/02/23) Slashing prices comes as Ford is gearing up for the EV battle ahead — at the same time as it transitions its business from profitable gas-powered vehicles to an uncertain EV future. In its Q1 earnings report released Tuesday night (following the company’s announcement that it was “refounding,” which means it will now break out operating across its traditional gas, EV, and commercial units), Ford revealed its Model e EV unit lost $722 million on an EBIT basis in the quarter." And that was before yesterday’s price cuts. “By 2025, we now expect there to be 45 EV models to be offered in the U.S. in the small-medium utility segment. It will be a very saturated two-row EV market,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said on the earnings call last night. “Against this backdrop, to ensure profitable growth, we know we have to have a fresh, compelling offering with the right cost structure, something we continue to improve with the Mustang Mach-E. We also found the customers are very loyal to full EV powertrains once they enter, but they are not brand loyal for their first purchase.” Compelling offerings with the right cost — and securing brand loyalty — are key to Ford’s success, according to Farley. And the company is willing to pay heavy up-front costs for it. Ford projected, during the earnings call, that this strategy will lead to a payoff. It reiterated that first-gen EVs will approach contribution margin break-even status (meaning fixed costs are covered but no profit is made) by the end of this year and EBIT profitability by the end of 2024. The Ford Model e segment is targeting an 8% EBIT margin by late 2026. 2023 Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition Nite Pony Package Wall Street's reaction to Ford’s recent quarter and outlook projections was mixed. Wells Fargo analyst Colin Langan wrote in a note to clients that Ford reiterating its profit guidance, with a $10.0 billion midpoint in EBIT, actually represents a step down from its Q1 pace from last year and would be around a $500 million hit to earnings. Langan forecast around $2.2 billion in EBIT a quarter for the rest of the year, implying a "base case exit pace of ~$8.8B for the year, & we see more downside from pricing & higher UAW labor costs.” Langan has an Underweight rating on the stock." Much more in the original article here: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-v-tesla-the-ev-price-war-continues-163731100.html

https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/newsletters/48376

Excerpt: "Yotta Energy clean energy startup based out of Austin, Texas, has been making waves in the solar field since its founding in 2017. Its newest product, which was launched in September of 2022, is seeking to provide off-grid charging for electric vehicles across the US. This product, the Yotta REV, is a deployable EV charger that is entirely powered by solar. These rapidly deployable chargers can be installed in 48 hours, use bifacial solar modules, and are grid optional. The REV is designed for year-round use and in all weather climates. Shipped in a standard shipping container, it has a vast amount of potential for deployment overseas in areas that experience large-scale power outages. Yotta’s Rapid Electric Vehicle charging system Photo courtesy of Yotta Energy Yotta’s REV comes in 3 options — Slant, Core and Core XL. REV Slant has a 7.2 kW solar array and starts with a 25 kWh battery. REV Core has a 15 kW “butterfly” design solar array and 50 kWh of battery storage (up to 200 kWh). The Core version is capable of providing 240+ miles of charge per day. Core XL offers a 34 kW butterfly solar array and 100 kWh of battery storage (up to 600 kWh). It can provide 560+ miles of charge per day. REV Core has a standard set of two 48A chargers, while Core XL has four 48A chargers. REV Core has been deployed in several locations across the US. One of them can be found in downtown Austin, being used for EV charging. Earlier in March 2023, this same unit supported one of the South by Southwest events by powering a few food trucks. Several other REVs are being used simultaneously as EV charging stations and power sources for off-grid standalone structures (greenhouse and recording studio). While it was primarily designed as an off-grid EV charging station, REV Core has a vast array of applications. It can be used as a power generation facility during natural disasters or grid outages, giving it a variety of uses for municipalities and emergency services. Groups that work in remote locations, such as wildland firefighters, miners, construction workers, and researchers, are all among potential users. One of the organizations which may be particularly interested in the REV Core is the National Park Service. Under the mandate to electrify their vehicles, the need for electric vehicle chargers in remote areas will only increase. Particularly for large parks with off-grid campsites, having a reliable and durable charging station will increase park visits. Major municipalities around the US have also shown interest in the REV Core as a way to prepare for the growth of electric vehicles. While many municipalities that are electrifying their fleets are simply connecting to the power grid, there are several situations in which a REV Core station is better equipped. For instance, if the bus station or lot is far from a power grid, a large deal of trenching is required. Permitting, trenching, and electrical work, when combined with having to pay for power, may quickly add up to far more than the city is prepared to spend. In this case, the REV Core is a perfect alternative." Source with more: https://cleantechnica.com/2023/04/30/a-new-solution-for-off-grid-ev-charging-solution/

Excerpt: "The first deliveries of the Tesla Cybertruck are expected to take place later this year, and there are still a handful of unknowns about the futuristic truck. In recent weeks, however, Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared some details about the vehicle, alongside some included in the automaker’s latest Master Plan. In its Master Plan 3 unveiled on April 5, Tesla stated that the Cybertruck will have a 100 kWh battery pack. However, it’s not clear if this refers to a base model or another specific variant, as reported by The Street. The battery pack size is the same as those of the Model S and X, Tesla’s premium-level sedan and SUV, despite the truck being a wider and heavier vehicle than these. Cybertruck rivals in the electric pickup sector include the Rivian R1T and the Ford F-150 Lightning, which feature 135 kWh and 131 kWh battery packs, respectively. The Cybertruck will also include a 3,500-pound payload capacity, adjustable air suspension, and lockable exterior storage measuring about 100 cubic feet. Final specs for the production model have not yet been shared by Tesla, although a number of sightings of pre-production Cybertrucks have been reported around the automaker’s Fremont, California plant. Additionally, it’s not clear what the Cybertruck will cost, but some predict a base sticker price as low as $40,000. Musk also said during the recent first-quarter earnings call that Tesla is anticipating a delivery event for the Cybertruck, which will likely take place near the end of Q3. Volume production of the Cybertruck is slated for 2024. Meanwhile, Tesla is still finishing up the Cybertruck production line at Giga Texas, and the company is building Alpha versions of the truck for testing. As for ramping up production, Musk said that the Cybertruck will follow a similar S-curve to Tesla’s other cars. Despite following a similar production ramp-up, Musk said earlier this month that the Cybertruck was a “very radical product,” adding that “it’s not made in the way that other cars are made.” On April 2, Musk tweeted that he walked the Cybertruck production line at Gigafactory Texas for several hours, saying that it was “gonna be awesome” and that it “feels like the future.” Just a few days prior, Musk noted his expectation that the Cybertruck would “change the look of the roads,” echoing the later sentiment that the vehicle felt like something from the future. The design has been polarizing, to say the least, but it’s hard to argue with the vehicle’s more than 1.5 million reservations. Leaning into a sci-fi, brutalist design, Tesla Head of Design Franz von Holzhausen has also pointed out how it was the company’s intention to make something totally new. Photo by Mira Shahan & Brendan Miles, CleanTechnica. “We’ve pulled people away from their kind of normal comfort zone and brought them something that’s just radically different and will be on the street radically different and, you know, if you’re not used to attention might be a little tough in the beginning,” von Holzhausen said in January." Source with more: https://cleantechnica.com/2023/04/30/elon-musks-latest-statements-on-the-tesla-cybertruck/

The infrastructure for semi charging is beginning to take shape. Excerpt: "Medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks, like any electric vehicle, require charging infrastructure that is both accessible and effective. However, charging infrastructure for these vehicles presents a bigger challenge than that of smaller electric vehicles due to their larger size and greater power requirements. Firstly, medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks typically have bigger batteries, which means they require more power to charge. This means that the charging infrastructure has to accommodate for higher voltage and higher amperage compared to smaller electric vehicles, which require smaller charging systems. Secondly, unlike smaller electric vehicles, medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks are commonly used for extended distances and long hauls. This means that the charging infrastructure needs to be strategically located along major trucking routes to allow for smooth and uninterrupted travel. Furthermore, the weight of these electric trucks places a greater demand on the charging infrastructure. The added weight of the vehicles can further increase charging times and decrease driving range, which requires infrastructure with higher power and faster charging times. So, it’s becoming increasingly clear that electric trucks are going to require a different and more comprehensive approach, just as I explained in another article recently. So, it’s great news that yet another set of companies is trying to take on this challenge. Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy Resources, and BlackRock Alternatives recently disclosed the name of their joint venture as Greenlane, which aims to create a high-performance, zero-emission public charging and hydrogen fueling network for medium- and heavy-duty battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles across the United States. The venture will focus on designing, developing, installing, and operating the infrastructure, and renderings of the site layout were revealed as a significant step in the project’s progress. Since its creation in 2022, the joint venture, which has a budget exceeding $650 million, has made considerable progress. Greenlane’s inaugural location will be situated in Southern California, with various other sites being obtained along major freight roads. The joint venture partners are collaborating on deploying the required infrastructure to implement the charging network holistically. Meanwhile, dedicated hardware and software teams are working to create a bespoke commercial vehicle reservation platform, offering the industry’s foremost customer experience to fleet managers, dispatchers, and drivers. “Greenlane is designed to begin to tackle one of the greatest hurdles to the trucking industry’s decarbonization – infrastructure,” said John O’Leary, president and chief executive officer, DTNA. “The nation’s fleets can only transform with the critical catalyst of publicly accessible charging designed to meet the needs for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Together with our strong partners, BlackRock and NextEra Energy Resources, we are launching Greenlane to address the unique demands of the industry, support our mutual customers, and provide a dual benefit to all electric vehicle drivers who will be able to utilize this new network. We’re excited to take this next step and look forward to sharing more of Greenlane’s plans in the future.” Greenlane intends to establish charging sites across key freight roads in the east and west coasts and Texas. The venture aims to maximize on existing infrastructure and facilities where feasible while seeking out additional greenfield locations for supplementary charging sites to address expected customer demand. Initially, the focus will be on providing charging for medium- and heavy-duty battery-electric vehicles, followed by hydrogen fueling stations that cater to fuel cell trucks’ demands. Greenlane plans to expand its services and offer access to charging sites for light-duty electric vehicles in the future as it works towards the broader objective of enabling widespread adoption of electric mobility. “NextEra Energy Resources is excited about the expected impact of our partnership with DTNA and BlackRock, and the critical role that Greenlane will play in the decarbonization of the commercial transportation sector and the broader U.S. economy,” said Rebecca Kujawa, president and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy Resources. “As a publicly available charging network developed to serve medium and heavy-duty commercial fleets, Greenlane serves a critical infrastructure need for its customers utilizing newly developed charging and energy management software solutions, while being powered by renewable energy. Greenlane represents an important investment, leveraging NextEra Energy Resources’ market leading experience in energy, analytics and infrastructure development to deliver end-to-end networking charging solutions through our NextEra Mobility subsidiary.” Details about Greenlane’s executive leadership and the groundbreaking ceremony for the first charging site will be announced shortly. Greenlane’s founders — NextEra Energy Resources, DTNA, and BlackRock Alternatives — bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the venture. NextEra Energy Resources, the world’s leading provider of renewable energy from solar and wind, is a significant investor in charging infrastructure and electric vehicles. Their expertise includes optimizing renewable energy, resiliency, and grid integration. Similarly, DTNA provides the expertise of developing electric trucks, walk-in vans, and school buses, as well as offering consultant services to fleet operators. Also, DTNA cooperated with Portland General Electric (PGE) to launch the first public charging site for commercial vehicles in the US. BlackRock’s Renewable Power group is one of the largest equity investment platforms for renewable power globally. With over $9.5 billion in total commitments and investments in 350 wind and solar projects, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and battery energy storage systems across 15 countries, the group seeks to invest across the spectrum of renewable power and energy transition supporting infrastructure. More Companies Need To Jump Into This Space This announcement included some pretty big numbers and big names, but we have to keep in mind both what it took to make travel possible for smaller EVs and how many medium- and heavy-duty trucks are on the road. Looking at both the Supercharger and CCS networks (which will start overlapping more soon), it was no small feat to make it possible to drive a Tesla or a CCS EV across the United States. This required a lot of investment, some of which came only begrudgingly after the Dieselgate settlement. Trying to provide needed charging services for as many diesel trucks as there are on the road today means that we’ll need a great many charging stations — too many for even this joint partnership and companies like Nxu to provide. A great many more companies are going to need to get into the game. More with related links here: https://cleantechnica.com/2023/04/30/daimler-trucks-nextera-blackrock-form-heavy-duty-charging-company/

Who'da thunk huh? Excerpt: "How Wood Turned Into a Transistor To describe how wood can be used to make a transistor, let us start by looking at conventional transistors that are widely used in electronic devices. Field effect transistors are a key building block of modern electronics and most commonly fabricated from semiconductors like silicon or germanium. The inherent nature of these elements allow a transistor to act as an amplifier or switch when a voltage or current is applied to its terminals. Since the first FETs were produced in the mid-20th Century, R&D has been continuous in miniaturizing them and coaxing them to run at extraordinary frequencies. To create the WECT, the researchers required conductive wood (CW). This is made by removing the lignin from wood via a chemical solvent process. Subsequently the channels where lignin were present are replaced with a mixed electron-ion conducting polymer. In this project the chosen wood was Balsa (for its desirable inner channel structure) and conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS. To construct the WECT, three pieces of CW were used: one piece as the central transistor channel, and one each as top and bottom gate. The WECT transistor is remarkable, even though it doesn’t have the kinds of specs we usually discuss on Tom’s Hardware. Rather than being an end in itself, the researchers say they provided evidence of the wood transistor’s possibilities, and hope that they will inspire future work and applications." Source: Tom's Hardware https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/world-s-first-wood-transistor-chops-out-at-1-hz/ar-AA1axfy2?OCID=ansmsnnews11

No problem bud! But I had to correct that. I have seen it at $17-$22.5 on IPO when I first bought it. And I believe it went briefly at or near $2k just before the five for one split in 2020 just before I bought my Model Y that year. Watch the rest of 2023.

Kirk! OMG! You have no electricity where you live? 😮 With all due respect if someone can't afford a new car at today's $50k average price for any new car, EV or ICE age, then that is not the issue. Trim packages can jack the price up a lot anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. If you do want a new EV, then you program in an upgrade to your house to include a 50 amp charging outlet. In my case $2k bought a power company upgrade from 100 Amp service to 200 Amp service, a new breaker box/50 Amp breakers, bigger ground wires, and a 50 amp outlet through the garage walls to the 50 Amp outlet across the garage from the new breaker box. Now if you want a hydrogen car it is a bit more expensive to bring in a home fueling hydrogen electrolysis and storage system. If you want an ICE age vehicle they are readily available, storing gas at home underground is expensive or you have to go to a gas station subject to what, IMO, is price gouging. I believe a solar system and Powerwall sized to run the house and charge the cars would cost about the same today as an in-ground pool and landscape in a backyard. I also believe the cost of fossil fuels will drop like a K-Mart Thermometer in a blue norther! So us early adopters will be making it cheaper for fossil fuel adherents to save money as the transition completes. You may have noticed that Battery lawn equipment is also ready for prime time. The sound of gas string trimmers, mowers, edgers, hedge trimmers and snow blowers. I have no gas lawn or snow equipment at all. Just the Forester which will be replaced with an EV very soon. Apartments, workplaces, city parking lots and most recreation areas now have or are getting chargers. See the middle class with EVs have the money to afford entry fees for Zoos, baseball/football games, concerts, live theater, etc. so they install chargers. Our Zoo here has chargers but I cannot find them mentioned online at all. At the moment each charging network does not include the competition in their maps either. People in cities also install chargers in their designated parking spots. Houses with EV charger outlets like mine also add to their value and desirability when it comes time to sell. But for the price of a few ICE vehicle trim upgrades a charger can be installed, and sometimes free if the apartments or parking garage has enough demand because they make a profit from their chargers. Kind of like the free installation of cable TV equipment back in their heyday, then charging monthly. Or satellite dishes. Or internet by cell services, fiber, wireless, or wired. TANSTAAFL is a given.

I get issues with my Hauppauge TV-HVR-955Q Over the air USB TV receivers too. About every other upgrade I have to download the latest drivers for them. Don't celebrate just yet. Security updates can cause issues sometimes as well. 🖖

Excerpt: The latest data from StatCounter shows Windows 10 with a 73% slice of the market and Windows 11 with a 21% cut. Will this move convince more people to upgrade? In a move that signals the eventual end of Windows 10, Microsoft will not release any more new feature updates for its eight-year old operating system. In a Thursday blog post, Jason Leznek, principal product manager for Windows servicing and delivery, revealed that the current 22H2 version rolled out in 2022 will be the final one for Windows 10. Due to reach end of support on October 14, 2025, Windows 10 still has more than a couple of years of life left. Until that time, it will continue to receive the usual monthly updates to fix security holes and other issues. But once that deadline arrives, the OS will no longer be in line for security patches or technical help. Of course, you'll still be able to use it but just without the support and protection provided by Microsoft. The 2021 feature update known as 21H2 is due to reach end of support on June 13, 2023. As such, Microsoft is urging anyone sticking with Windows 10 to upgrade to 22H2, which you can do by going to Settings, selecting Windows Update, and allowing the latest update to install. To double-check your version, head to Settings > System > About. The Windows specifications section will indicate your current version of Windows 10." Much more and related Windows tips here: https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-to-windows-10-users-no-more-feature-updates-for-you/

More EV industry investor news: It looks like Texas will become the new tech EV and battery manufacturing hub! This from today. Siemens Opens New EV Charging Manufacturing Hub In Carrollton, Texas Excerpt: "Siemens has officially opened the doors to its newest EV charging production facility in Carrollton, Texas, where it will produce EV chargers targeted for the American market. Siemens had just announced back December 2022 that it was retrofitting an 80,000 square foot factory in Carrollton. So, the retrofit only took around 4 months to complete. The building, which serves as the company’s second US EV charging production hub, will help it achieve its target of producing 1 million EV chargers for the domestic market over the next three years. A total of 100 new jobs will be generated by the new facility, both on-site and throughout the local supply chain. Wyntron, an existing partner in Siemens eMobility’s manufacturing ecosystem, will also manage some of its operations. Siemens has invested $3 billion over the past four years in strategic M&A deals and industrial expansions in the United States. The Carrollton factory is the most recent addition to this effort. “Texans love manufacturing growth and we’re grateful to Siemens for continuing to invest here in North Texas where our workforce is second to none,” said Rep. Beth Van Duyne. “As part of Siemens’ multi-billion dollar investment in advanced manufacturing in the United States, the new Carrollton manufacturing hub will help strengthen critical supply chains and create new, high tech job opportunities for our hard working families.” “We’ve seen monumental growth in the U.S. EV market over the past several years, spurred in large part by federal investments, and Siemens continues to be perfectly positioned to help meet this demand and to bring the country further into an electrified transportation future,” said John DeBoer, head of Siemens eMobility North America. “The investments we’re making in communities like Carrollton and the work that our skilled employees will be doing to bring EV charging infrastructure to life will have an impact much further than just these city limits.” Source: https://cleantechnica.com/2023/04/30/siemens-opens-new-ev-charging-manufacturing-hub-in-carrollton-texas/

Kirk, If you remember I tried mightily to test drive one in 2019 before I bought the New Forester, but there were none from Dallas to Shreveport. I finally saw a used one last week and got to sit in it. I was going to test drive it, but it was too low to the ground for my back. And too small for our needs. But it makes no difference as no new ones are available here even if they were high enough to make entry/exit and not twist my lumbar. It is hell getting old. However it sure beats the alternative. They did not have AWD Bolt models advertised back then. As well if you read the articles about CATL batteries and the new formats also coming soon you will see why my research this past week and more to come. I am thinking about getting the new 2023 Y and when the new M3P batteries come out this year, trading my 2020 in on one. Then we can see if we want to trade our 2023 Y in later on the 2024/5. So we will likely be a two Y family for at least a year. If any of the other manufacturers begin to compete we will look at them too,but in Colorado, AWD is a necessity. If you read the thread I just posted it is sad how far from being able to compete in the next few years. I am brand agnostic and don't care whether Tesla or GM I will always go for the facts and the best bang for my buck. Thus I am now getting input on the two batteries in Model Y cars this year with different chemistries available now as to which we will get now it is between the current one and the new battery pack chemistry. Tesla range will going up while the price will continue to drop for the next decade from what I am reading and posted here today.

For investors. Ford told the truth when Toyota, and most of the legacy car makers are hiding it, found they could not compete in manufacturing costs/price, never mind their dealership model middle men taking their additional cut when they can't even compete in margins. This thread is about what is happening now. Now I see why even PHEVs cost more than a Tesla with the old Li-Ion battery packs. This is the latest info available. But it ties together all the other info about their increased investment this year, as well as the reason for their price reduction this past month. As well as their surge to ramp up their battery factories and to strengthen their supply sources. If you are not going to watch the video and hate electric cars then fine. NO ONE IS TRYING TO GET YOU OR ANYONE TO BUY AN EV! But if you are an investor you may want to spend the under 14 minutes to watch this video from Australia: Why ARK Invest Predicts Tesla Stock Will Hit $2,000 By 2027 And this is in addition to Tesla battery news. Excerpt from today's news: "Cathie Wood, CEO of investment management firm ARK Invest, has long been bullish on Tesla. Wood recently explained why she thinks Tesla’s stock could hit at least $2,000 by 2027, representing “one of the most important investment opportunities of our lifetimes.” Wood expects Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta to someday support a fleet of robotaxis, noting that the autonomy business would be a key driver of her $2,000 expected value estimate on the stock. The news, as shared by ARK Invest and reported by CNBC, represents an increase from Wood’s previous target of $1,500 by 2026, predicted last June. In the recent note, Wood and Ark Invest predicted that Tesla’s robotaxis could bring in as much as $8 or $10 trillion of revenue by 2030. Tesla has remained one of Ark’s largest holdings for the flagship Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK), with a total 9.4 percent weighting. Along with Ark’s expected value of $2,000 per share, Wood also shared a bull case price target of $2,500, as well as a bear case price target of $1,400. The firm predicts that Tesla’s robotaxi business will contribute 67 percent of its expected enterprise value, and 64 percent of its expected EBITDA in 2027. Additionally, it expects that Tesla’s EVs will contribute 47 percent of revenues in the same year, albeit at “substantially lower margins than robotaxi revenue.” Source: https://cleantechnica.com/2023/04/29/why-ark-predicts-tesla-stock-to-hit-2000-by-2027/ More: Powerwall news - Mon, April 24, 2023 at 8:58 AM MDT - Tesla raises 2023 spending forecast as it races to ramp up output: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tesla-raises-2023-spending-forecast-145827659.html?utm_source=pocket_saves How Tesla Is Quietly Expanding Its Energy Storage Business Tesla overtakes Audi in global car sales, on track to beat BMW and Mercedes April 22, 2023 Tesla has overtaken German carmaker Audi in global sales for the first time in Q1 of 2023, selling 422,875 cars globally to beat Audi’s total of 415,700. Research from Schmidt Automotive shows that Audi has become the first German premium volume manufacturer to witness its global quarterly volumes fall behind Tesla’s. Global premium deliveries by quarter. Source: Schmidt Automotive Schmidt Automotive says Tesla’s sales have benefitted from sharp price cuts and rapidly scaling production rates at its Brandenburg factory in Germany. The German factory reached a production rate of 5,000 cars per week in March up from 3,000 in December after opening just over 12 month’s ago. Tesla’s German factory is experiencing incredible growth that could see it hit 10,000 cars per week by the end of this year. With Tesla’s staggering global production growth over the last four years set to continue this year, the EV maker on track to hit between 1.8 and 2 million cars in 2023. That’s up from 1.3 million in 2022. https://thedriven.io/2023/04/22/tesla-overtakes-audi-in-global-car-sales-on-track-to-beat-bmw-and-mercedes/ Most of the above is from this month and all are less than a year old.

Thanks so much for that source of The National Resources Defense Council. Here is an excerpt on topic from them: "Lower utility costs There’s a pretty straightforward explanation for how EVs can lower utility costs. One recent study looked at U.S. consumers’ electric bills in the service regions with the greatest number of EVs on the road. Researchers found that, between 2012 and 2021, EV drivers actually drove down electricity rates for all customers. That’s because people generally plug in their EVs overnight, when electricity demand (and therefore, pressure on the grid) is already low. Traditionally, utility companies would just pocket the extra earnings from these off-peak hours, but “revenue decoupling” policies can redirect these revenues to customers in the form of reduced bills. While these policies are not in place in every state, more and more are introducing them. This promise of cheaper electricity is especially good news for low-income U.S. households, who spend an average of 8.6 percent of their income on energy, nearly three times that of higher-earning households." Much more info at the The National Resources Defense Council website here: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/why-electric-vehicle-revolution-can-benefit-everyone You make references to websites with no links. Then draw conclusions to fit your premise that EVs will overload the grid. Tesla Energy is building their biggest grid backup battery to date in Texas. CATL in China and Tesla will be debuting m3p batteries. More in another thread.

I agree that the national grid is, well, national. That's a good thing. Especially for folks who don't want a coal generating plant in their backyard. (NIMBY!) However using your example of California I found that usage is way down during off-peak hours. You just say at night. So you are right if night was just 4-9. Residential peak hours are 4pm to 9pm. If you are calling 4-9pm night. That leaves the rest of the night, 9pm to 6am for me to charge - 9 hours! Your peak hours may vary by state. It drops to much less after 9pm thus the off-peak big discounts in electricity prices to residential homes on that type of plan. However most residents don't want to pay more during the day which you do in most states that have peak/off peak plans. So I agree that use is less during peak hours of 4-9. However there is a giant drop from 9pm to morning. I don't know about other brands but my Tesla can be set to charge whenever I want. However, it does not need to be charged daily. That would be as silly as expecting ICE owners to drive 20 miles on a full tank of fuel and then fill up with a gallon or two every day! No one does that with EVs or ICE age engines. I charge a couple of times a month and I just plug it in, then set it to charge later during off-peak hours on my Tesla Phone App. Excerpt: "What is a time-of-use (TOU) electricity rate plan? Time-of-use (TOU) is a rate plan in which electricity rates vary according to the time of day, season and day type (weekday or weekend/holiday). Electricity prices are higher during peak demand hours and lower during off-peak hours. Peak times may vary by rate and/or energy provider but are generally defined as the hours between 4 to 9PM.* TOU plans support a cleaner power grid by encouraging energy use when renewable resources, like solar and wind power, are readily available. All TOU plans share a common theme: when electricity is used matters as much as how much electricity is used. *Peak times may vary by rate and/or energy provider. Check with your local energy provider to understand the TOU time frames in your area. How does Time Of Use (TOU) impact me as an electric vehicle owner? Electric vehicle owners may benefit from switching to a Time Of Use (TOU) rate plan if they charge their vehicles overnight. Check with your local energy provider to understand the impacts." Source: 2023 California Public Utilities Commission and California Energy Commission. Trademarks are property of their respective owners.Energy Upgrade California much more in the link: https://energyupgradeca.org/time-of-use-faqs/

Ray??? Um no it did not. "Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest leapt to prominence on the back of high-conviction calls on one the Street's most polarizing names — Tesla (TSLA). And now, the firm is doubling down on its bullishness around the electric vehicle maker with another bold price target for the stock: $2,000 by 2027." https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cathie-woods-ark-invest-sees-tesla-stock-at-2000-on-600b-robotaxi-business-125523471.html?utm_source=pocket_saves

Hi Paul, YW. I am shopping for a PHEV not a regular Hybrid and failing that may be getting another Y. I have been failing to find what I want too. I have been to every dealer here and this is a medium city. The Chevy dealers did not have a clue and most had no idea about battery tech, or even the ranges of their own products. They all told me they stopped taking orders because the waiting list was too long. The Bolt was designed and is made in Korea. They ship the modules including Korean made batteries to the Orion plant for final assembly. They avoid some taxes and say they are American products. The new rules for incentives including state rebates and federal/state tax credits are only for vehicles new and used that were made in the US including the batteries. I put these industry EV news items as they develop here because investors need to know when significant changes in manufacturing EVs happens. The incentives bring jobs back to the US including vehicle manufacturing, Battery manufacturing, and sources for raw materials like Lithium etc. All of those can and are being made or mined here finally as well as recycling raw materials which are surprisingly cheap and cost effective over mining. The Chevy dealer sales crew here did not know GM is discontinuing it last time I was out PHEV hunting in the last month. I have met many Tesla investors who don't drive one and Owners who don't own Teslla stock. I have tried to buy one and am not paying $2k - $10k more for a Plug-In Hybrid than a Model Y full EV loaded at $49.9k No Full Self Driving no enhanced autopilot just regular autopilot which just adaptive cruise. Our 2019 Forester has only 16,850 miles on it and trade-ins today for it are only ~ $1k-$2k below what we paid. I'll be doing a final sanity check for a PHEV, AWD, SUV, this week. I am resigned to getting another Tesla Y. If anyone knows of and EV or PHEV I missed that meets all my criteria at least 330 miles range like my Y, AWD, Navigation, and full LTE/5G connectivity for 10 - 15 bucks a month like my Tesla. Maybe next year trade our 2020 Model Y in for a decent PHEV, or even another brand EV with the above specs for the same price as Tesla or less. I have to do some research on the 4680 battery with only 280 miles of range in the base Model Y. It is a couple thousand less. But I need to do more research on whether the old Li-Ion battery chemistry really will result in battery packs that last 200k miles. If the 4680 power is the same or better, and 4680 charging times less, that may be what I trade-in my 2020 current Y on, as I will have the new Model Y I get in the next week or two. I don't think the other brands have anything close in power/range/handling/AWD/price. https://www.carscoops.com/2023/04/tesla-claims-its-battery-degrades-by-only-12-after-200k-miles/ Safe Travels!

In Yuma we stayed twice T the SKP Kofa CoOp. It is in the middle of citrus groves and was quiet and friendly. https://campgrounds.rvlife.com/regions/arizona/yuma/kofa-ko-op-escapees-park-6278

Wow! Bold criminals. Yep on mine the ad is below the thread's last entry.

I am surprised Hoh Rain forest, part of the National park system isn't mentioned as a least visited NP. It is part of the the Olympic National Park so may be included in that count. They have very short trails behind the visitor center that immerse within a few hundred yards to see things normally involving long arduous hikes but they also have longer more challenging hikes for those who can as well as the Hoh river and lake in the valley We have been to most of the better known large US National Parks and Canadian Provincial parks in Alberta and BC on the way up to Alaska to Dawson Creek then across the Alcan and back to the US five months later along the western major route the Cassiar Highway. Yes we did Denali, Kenai, Chugach parks and several others up there. Hoh is a gem we have gone to twice because of its immediate exposure to spectacular rain forest despite being approximately 31 miles south of Forks off Highway 101. It was never crowded when we went in late spring and fall. We drove up with our 36 foot fiver and back no ferry or cruises because we could explore and stay in any areas we liked. Go here and scroll down: https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/visiting-the-hoh.htm

I remember one in California that did not allow retirees only their own active duty and DOD civilian personnel so the Base commander still had discretion at Moffit Field I think it was. It is always best to check.As well I have necountered several we expected to stay atr cl;osed like Tinker AFB in Oklahoma was for two years way back.

Backatcha! 💯 🖖👍

Disregard GM becoming Number 2 behind Tesla with the Bolt. Even then the numbers were far apart: GM to kill off Chevy Bolt, paving way for new EVs https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gm-to-kill-off-chevy-bolt-paving-way-for-new-evs-174839847.html