Heat pumps become less efficient as the temperature drops. But it still beats resistance heat at temperatures well below 0°F, as far as energy in versus BTUs out. At -40°F it might not help at all. Still, a heat pump is a good idea.

fuku@aol.com would help show them how far out of the times they are.

Yeah, the curve on the graph showing progress from level 1 to level 5 autonomous driving is probably an asymptote. The basic stuff is relatively easy. Getting the rest of the way is going to be painfully slow, and may never be perfect.

Somebody probably said that that was a design element that “makes” the Camry readily identifiable as a Camry, and has to be kept that way.

Ah, hell. Work late if you need to. Have it done by midnight. We’ll take a look at at tomorrow around 10. Assuming we don’t come in later nursing a hangover.

For the Leaf, battery problems have caused a nosedive in their used car value. The battery pack doesn’t have a thermal management system so heating, especially in warmer areas of the country, is causing premature failure of the battery pack. For that matter, my understanding is that charging a battery pack that’s too…

Interestingly enough, the US-Mexico border is about 2,000 miles long, so a wall along the entire length at $24 million/mile is $48 billion. That makes $5 billion sound like a bargain! OTOH, I don’t know how much of the boarder would actually require a wall. The Rio Grande is the border for a good stretch, but is it…

2nd Gear: “The proposed solution is to put walls costing $24 million per mile of track through the section, which would take about a month to construct.”

I found something that said the Bolt would go from empty to full in 47 hours using 110V. I think that works out to be between 3-4 miles charge/hour. In any case, driving a daily commute of 30 miles and charging every night for about 10 hours would leave you with a full “tank” every morning. But if you ever run the…

Charging from a standard 110V outlet is possible, but really really slow. I don’t have data for the Chevy Bolt, but the Tesla model S charges at the rate of about 3 miles (of range) per hour on a standard outlet.

He only needs to register them once they are road worthy anyway.

I can see those thumbtacks randomly falling down onto the drivers seat, and not noticing it when you get in the Jeep. Of course, if it’s David Tracy, he’s gotta be up on his tetanus shots.

Reverse: Not much in today’s news about Pearl Harbor. Japan and Germany have been allies for a long time. How time flies.

Damn it. Take your star.

Just tell Congress that they are maximizing shareholder value.

Maybe Ryan is paid by the word.

I think you underestimate the stranglehold that business has on our government. The government should protect/promote business, consumers, and workers reasonably equally, but that’s not what’s happening.

I guess I’ve been lucky in that regard. Had a ‘77 6.6 Trans Am. Was driving back home for Christmas when, close to home, the interior starting getting cold even with the heat turned up all the way. Thermostat stuck open. That Trans Am was the last vehicle I’ve owned where the thermostat housing wasn’t hidden under a…

Why not both?

Probably no one thought of the slur, because it’s so old and out of use. It’s the old never attribute to malice what you can attribute to stupidity.