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Comment Making an EV go faster (Score 1) 259

Generally speaking, making an EV go faster would start with just buying a sporty EV. Then installing grippier tires, because EVs just have so much torque that they'll beat drastically more expensive ICE sports cars off the line.
Modding an EV to be faster, not from the factory? That might come up eventually, but would be beefing up the electronics to be able to deliver more and higher voltage to the motors, and replacing the motors with more powerful units.
But that still runs into that many EVs can absolutely smoke tires as is. They don't need more power.

Comment Re:Same as it ever was (Score 1) 259

If you're living in an apartment with no garage, how are you doing an oil change yourself? Most places don't let you work on a car out in the open.
It's also like boasting about how you only need to wind your mechanical watch once a day so it is superior to a electric quartz that only needs a new battery once a year.
Maintaining an ICE might be pretty easy (I've done my own work for years except when a special has the dealer doing it for less), but the point is that maintaining an EV is even easier.
No need to regularly change the oil at 5-10k miles. No sparkplugs to change. Cabin air filter only, which can generally be done just by replacing it from the glove box (every car is different though). No need to replace the alternator.
Brakes and rotors generally last orders of magnitude longer due to regenerative braking. So that maintenance goes from a regular event to maybe once in the car's life.
Power steering pump? That isn't what I'd call routine maintenance.
Most CANNOT replace that in their driveway or garage.
No, not "everything" has to be done at the dealer or "authorized" shop. Tire places can still replace the tires and do work in the wheel area, like brake jobs if that becomes necessary.
Computers? ICE tends to have almost as many of them as EVs. And they're just as easy (or not) to swap. I've read about F-150 headlights that need dealer programming to replace correctly.
Not have a car with a in-dash computer: almost impossible today, EV or ICE.
Closest thing to what you say today would actually be the proposed Slate EV.

Comment Re:Idiocracy (Score 1) 124

I'm going to assume you're not aware of the incontrovertible evidence done by John Bray and others proving that the "ballistic tests were inconclusive" is hardly the tip of the iceberg. It's conclusive that the 'lone shooter' narrative is false, and almost certain that a rapidly expanding explosive like PETN was involved (lapel mic). There's nothing else which fits the mutually supportive analysis work that's been done.

Comment Re:Idiocracy (Score 1) 124

Nah, I just have a long horizon on my memory. "Wait a second, this contradicts what the media was just saying!" And then I look into it myself. It doesn't take speculation when there's readily available evidence to refute media claims, made by the media themselves.

The media narrative on both masking during covid, and subsequently the narrative shift over the Ukraine conflicts, are perfect examples.

Masking: masking isn't necessary; no wait, only doctors should mask; masks don't actually help; masking is good for you, actually.

Ukraine: Ukrainians are actual Nazis (2013); Ukraine overthrown by the US government; Ukraine is now, somehow, not Nazis; Ukrainians are the good guys, actually, and we have to support them against Russia

(You can do the same narrative progression to sway concensus for COVID lab genesis, the Epstein files, or any of the other things I mentioned. They'll deny it, then switch course slowly as it's acceptable and people grow fatigued. It's plain as day to anyone with the mental horizon of more than 2 weeks.

Comment Re:Listening to multiple biased media can help (Score 1) 124

I'd argue both major political parties (and then some), yes.

Those pamphlets are nice, my state does something similar. It's problematic, however, when both sides are lying outright and it's hard to split the difference without looking at the actual bills/amendments/provisions. That seems often to be the case. It's also common for "one side"s rebuttal is actually the other side's strawman rebuttal, which may or may not be due to either malice or intellectual deficiency.

Comment It's this or GBTW (Score 1) 40

This looks like the latest escalation in the tug-o-war between employers and remote workers. The relatively few people going to extraordinary efforts just to avoid doing the job they're being paid to do is going to ruin it for everyone else. Do you want to make return-to-office mandatory? Because creating AI fakes to pretend to be on work meetings sounds like a good way to make that happen.

Comment Re:not to disrespect the late Val Kilmer but fuck (Score 1) 88

Kilmer was an absolute beast when it came to diverse characters. They were all distinct and different, a true method actor.

Acting is just as much art as any other kind of art. I don't have a problem with AI actors, but I do have a problem with an actor who's got a significant body of (good) work licensing their likeness (assuming that's what happened) for AI: it cheapens the earlier work.

Comment Re:Same as it ever was (Score 1) 259

If one buys an EV then loses their job, many of the same problems apply to an ICE vehicle, making that payment. In any case, charge at home instead, use supercharger stations around, etc... Like learning where to best fill up with gasoline for a different job location.
BYD didn't so much chose to not build a factory here as they are blocked from doing so.
More and more used EVs are hitting the market.

Comment Re:Same as it ever was (Score 1) 259

Lots of people already own their home. So no need to buy out a lease.
Even if they are renting, may landlords would not object to an upgrade.
Besides, we're still at that an extension cord out of an ordinary outlet works for many.
Nirvana fallacy - it does not have to work for 100% of people to still be a valid solution for many.

Comment Don't need to be idiots (Score 1) 259

Consider that there are going to be people who less "want" a new car than "need" a new car, due to things like accidents, family changes, wear and tear rendering a car unreliable, etc...
Then there are people who have the disposable funds who have decided it is time.
Basically, people buying new cars is continuous. What the war on Iran and subsequent oil price increase has done is make more of them look at the cost of the gasoline chugging vehicles against EVs and decide to go with the EV, because we don't know how long it will last.

For somebody who was going to buy a new vehicle this quarter anyways, going with an EV will likely work out just fine.

I already own a hybrid. This is not causing me to rush out to buy an EV.

I am seeing fewer pickups and SUVs on the road though.

Comment Re:Same as it ever was (Score 3, Informative) 259

Your entire post assumes the intelligence and foresight of a potato on the part of the buyer.
Get someone to install a decent charger at home: View it as part of the purchase price of the car, if one even needs it. Many can actually charge enough using a standard outlet, and in some areas the dryer and/or electric panel is right in the garage, so a bigger charger isn't hard. Most home chargers are just fancy cables anyways, the car's on board charger does the heavy lifting.
Drive to the office on lowish battery: Didn't plug it in the last 3 days or so, I guess?
Find out the office doesn't have a single charger: One would think one would know this before they bought the car. Alternatively, I know of people who bought an EV because their work not only has chargers, but they're free, so don't have to pay for gas or electricity.
Limp home: Alternatively, they can use an extension cord to a convenience outlet outside to get 30-40 miles over a 8 hour shift even if there aren't any dedicated EV charging outlets, or visit a fast charging station. Cost a bit more money, but that's like getting gas just outside an airport due to poor planning.
Replacing the battery: The official lifespan of an EV battery today is 8-15 years (and the 8 years is getting old). Seriously, it's like planning to replace the engine in an ICE car at this point. Does it happen to a percentage of vehicles? Yes, but most ICE vehicles never see a replacement engine. Neither will most EV cars.
Month to get a "shipment of batteries" - no, it is more like a week in most cases. Replacement is rare enough that yes, sourcing an OEM replacement can be tough at times, but I've also seen ICE vehicles grounded for months because of lack of parts.
In addition, replacing the battery is unlikely to be a "sudden" requirement. It'd be like elective surgery, schedulable.
Meanwhile, if one has one of the more common EV models, rebuilt batteries are more and more available.
And no, not every small shop will work on them, but a quick search showed 4 shops that explicitly work on EVs but are not dealers within 30 miles of me. Meanwhile, there's less need on average for work anyways. Your favorite shop can still probably work on the brakes, suspension, and such. Tire shops have zero concerns. Etc...

Comment Re:Why didn't AI catch this? (Score 1) 18

Maybe the AI added it?

But yes, it's not possible to run a high-trust computing environment in a low-trust society. I still find it amusing that we were told we're not allowed to connect to the office from Linux machines because Security, yet we now use the "secure" Windows laptops to connect to the office and run software on Linux VMs which download all kinds of random dependencies from all over the Internet because "you can trust us, bro."

Since AI bots are technically able and completely immoral I think we can safely say we won't be downloading all kinds of random dependencies from all over the Internet much longer.

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