Yes, also in many rural areas of other countries. But with today's populations overwhelmingly living in urban areas it doesn't make much difference to the overall usage or car sales.Except in rural France
.
The "death" of the car, (as we know it)
- Thread starter SHAN
- Start date
.
Indeed, they won't be quadcopters like this Airbus concept though. They have no redundancy, any one rotor fails and they crash totally out of control. It's reckoned that eight smaller rotors are necessary for safety.
.
I didn't see it Peter, but I knew that they were working on the modular concept. It will be interesting to find what Boeing's view on this will be, since they've usually taken an opposing view to Airbus's on future trends.
.
In many ways it is a no-brainer and I suspect fairly easy to achieve from a technical viewpoint. The measure will be at what cost to the passenger. If it comes in at around the Business Class rate then I can see it literally, taking off. Not that I usually travel BC anymore, I only have my own money to spend nowadays.
That should be possible, but probably means separation of this and low cost travel into separate planes, rather than just turn left or right on entry. In turn that could mean preferential treatment for takeoff slots etc. Should upset a few!
Can't see Michael O'Leary being interested in modular.
.
On top of the ongoing fight against losing its licence to operate in London, UBER has now lost a case on drivers rights. The court has ruled that UBER drivers must be treated as employees with paid holiday entitlement and sickness pay, not as casual workers. UBER are going to appeal to the Supreme Court where I hope they lose.
This has far reaching ramifications for huge numbers of workers who are at present treated in ways that don't enable a normal life in today's society.
.
This has far reaching ramifications for huge numbers of workers who are at present treated in ways that don't enable a normal life in today's society.
.
A view on future technology requirements - substitute any fairly rare (as yet) commodity as appropriate:
Super-Material-Behind-The-Electric-Car-Boom-Is-Disappearing.html
Tom
Super-Material-Behind-The-Electric-Car-Boom-Is-Disappearing.html
Tom
Whilst appreciating that no one would want to go back to the days when workers queued at the dock gates in the morning, in the hope that they were picked for a shift. It remains a fact that there are many drivers who appreciate the GIG economy and the flexibility it gives them as individuals. Personally, I think this needs a lot more thought with a view to the future. Where I suspect work will not be as we see it today, or perhaps I could say yesterday?
Apologies if its already been posted.
Just saw on Click (bbc) that Tesla just turned on the worlds biggest Lithium ion battery in Australia.
Wonder if demand for static battery storage, using lithium, will drive up the price for the rest of us, or bring it down?
Mikel
Just saw on Click (bbc) that Tesla just turned on the worlds biggest Lithium ion battery in Australia.
Wonder if demand for static battery storage, using lithium, will drive up the price for the rest of us, or bring it down?
Mikel
Probably drive prices up since lithium supplies are finite, cobalt too as Tom has posted earlier. There will always be some availability of these materials, but as they get more difficult to access they'll become ever dearer.
.
Yes, i suppose if he/they were a *real* genius, Tesla would have come up with an giant Ultracapacitor battery made from scrap steel and desert sand, hehe.
Mikel
Maybe not, perhaps surprising but the UN is getting very worried that we are running out of sand. This 30 minute program on the i-player explains.
.
Concerns seem to be growing about the rare minerals we need to sustain the growth of our electronic and automotive industries:
Tom
Tom
Now if the people running the mines paid decent wages to adults I bet they would send their kids to school rather than to the mines... Just saying...
Which countries got rich on slavery and colonisation? Who propped up the corrupt governments put in place at the end of colonisation? Which companies pay decent and fair prices for raw materials?
So many questions, so few willing to answer for their crimes...
Which countries got rich on slavery and colonisation? Who propped up the corrupt governments put in place at the end of colonisation? Which companies pay decent and fair prices for raw materials?
So many questions, so few willing to answer for their crimes...
Cheers, but can't get iplayer here : - ) unfortunately, site sees my IRL location and stops after short sample, hehe.
I started wondering about these 'special' materials when "rare earth magnets" appeared. The name alone gives a clue.
Pity Graphene hasn't yet lived up to the hype heard when discovered. Seen it mentioned in some battery adverts on Hobbyking, but only as an enhancement.
Like the special sand i expect it will turn out to be rare, v. expensive, bad for the environment and exploitative!
(not being flippant about the last one though)
Mikel
Not special sand, just ordinary sand use in building etc. During the program it was mentioned the amount of sand used annually was the equivalent to that used if a concrete wall 20 metres tall and 20 metres thick were built around the equator. Since you can't receive the i-player, here's the precis about the program:
Yogita Limaye investigates concerns, highlighted in a United Nations study, that vitally important reserves of sand are running out, with serious consequences for human society and the planet.
Sand is quite literally the foundation of our society. Nearly everything we build in the modern world is made from concrete and its most integral component is sand. But the resource takes thousands of years to form and we're consuming it faster than it is being replenished.
UK Geologist Andrew Bloodworth says that much of the way we're mining sand is unsustainable. Around the world we're taking from active ecosystems - river beds, beaches and the sea floor increasing the risk of droughts, coastal flooding and causing damage to fisheries.
In Mumbai, Yogita meets environmental campaigner Sumaira Abdulali who has been threatened and violently attacked for her work in highlighting sand mining. In many parts of the country, sand mining without a permit is now illegal - but she says that has only pushed the practice underground creating 'sand mafias'.
In Goa, Professor Purnanand Savoikar is working to reduce our dependence on sand. He's researching ways to make concrete by partially replacing sand with recycled waste plastic. Professor John Orr from the University of Bath says 10% of sand can be saved in this way if applied globally. He says there is a huge amount of wastage in the way we design buildings.
Pascal Peduzzi of the United Nations Environment Programme believes doing nothing is not an option - only a wholesale change in attitudes can prevent irreversible damage to the planet.
.