It does seem strange, especially with torque being the same. Perhaps they will eventually pair the 6cyl with the plug-in hybrid? I can’t think of any real reason otherwise.

It’s slightly more complicated than that. Expansion valves and compressors only work in one direction so you need a second expansion valve, a reversing valve, the additional ducting you mentioned, and possibly a resistive heating element if the heat pump is equipped with an auxiliary heater for extreme temperatures.…

Just about everything you said is absolutely correct. But I’m not trying to rob Tesla of kudos for their engineering successes I’m trying to point out that many of those successes were intended to same them money (just like every mass market automaker), often at the detriment to the consumers’ ownership experience.…

It still requires a more complicated piece of equipment than an AC only system.

Fuck that. If I see a hit and run I am absolutely calling the cops.

Tesla does a lot to cut costs that legacy companies generally won’t do. Cheap interior materials, minimalist interior design (no buttons etc), extremely long refresh cycles (Model S interior aside there haven’t been any), skipping beta-phase production runs (primary reason for fit and finish issues), few paint…

Because Tesla is cheap and cuts corners wherever it can.

Electric ships tend to use a different battery chemistry (LiFePO4) which is not susceptible to the same thermal runaway conditions that cause fires in the lithium-ion batteries cars use (usually LiCO2 or LiNiMnCoO2). The downside is LiFePO4 batteries have a lower energy density so you need more of them to get the same…

Given Norway’s extreme push to EV, I suspect the cruise line will eventually be forced to allow for EV and hybrid cars, if not by legislation then by the fact that eventually they won’t have enough ICE customers to remain afloat.

An official Porsche head unit installed in a classic Porsche just made that car even better to live with on a daily basis which means we get so see them on the road more instead of collecting dust in a garage. Nothing is getting ruined here, and none of these changes are permanent. It would take all of 10 minutes to…

911s aren’t great for hauling people but you’d actually be surprised at how much stuff you can put in one

At $400k, this thing is going to be purchased by people who have a dock at their house, where they will almost certainly have their own charger.

Gotta love subsidies.

If an engine is designed to run ethanol then it’s actually pretty great for performance. Not as energy dense but it has an octane rating of 113!! It’s basically race fuel. Pointless of ecological purposes.

Much to my surprise, sugar beets account for 55% of US sugar production. But either way, it’s really corn (syrup) that won the battle.

Another way to look at it would be to say that they just found a way to reduce the net climate impact of aviation without having to change anything.

Who said they don’t come with a key?

It’s not just that there is a tunnel. The exit to YB Island is right there in the passing lane and extremely short.

Interesting to note, but there is actually an off ramp from the passing lane to get onto Yerba Buena Island bare a 100 feet before entering the tunnel. If you miss it you have to finish crossing all the way to the East Bay and make your way through the MacArthur Maze (a nightmare interchange) so you can head through…

I’m sure there is some tailgating involved but I have to wonder if the Tesla’s lane change was safe to begin with. Was there actually room to safely change lanes, or did it completely cut someone off causing them to panic and slam on the brakes?