Month: May 2020

Look to the Stars

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Look to the Stars, 1969 was a year that will stamp itself into the mind set of all that witnessed. One of the most awe-inspiring events to ever be seen by man. The first person to walk on the surface of another heavenly body. 

Apollo 11
Image Courtesy of Nasa.com

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the surface of the Moon. 

Apollo

Since the end of the Apollo program no other nation has even attempted this again including the United States of America. 

They have built many space stations since then right up to the International Space Station(ISS). This has seen many countries space agencies work together to achieve that which we cannot seem to achieve on earth, collaboration of different nations to a common cause. 

The mystery of space has been at the centre of sci-fi for generations. Probes sent to space have hinted at the possibilities of the solar system. Providing insights and vision of the wonder’s that exist both seen and unseen. We look to the stars for hope for inspiration that one day we might just make it there ourselves.

moon and mars
Image by CharlVera from Pixabay 

We have sent men and women into the blackness of space to the ICC to study and explore beyond our field of view and what they see is amazing, but without doubt each and everyone always look back to earth and say how beautiful , what a wonder, I am lucky to live here. 

earth sunrise
Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay 

Space X

In the coming days from the same launch pad that took Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the Moon a new era of space exploration will start. 

Space x Falcon and dragon capsule

Space X a commercial space company will look to the stars and will launch for the first time in history astronauts aboard a commercial space vehicle with a reusable rocket that will land after sending the astronauts on their way to the ICC. 

Just like Tesla who dreamed of producing the best electric cars, space X dreamed of reaching for the stars.

This launch will not only help to realize that dream but will hopefully inspire the imagination of many young men and women across the globe to look to the stars. 

The historical significance of this launch is not just about the rocket but to find a new way to reach the lofty goals that were set years before.

Tesla

Space X will launch its Falcon Rocket but not without Tesla. The astronauts will be taken from the preflight buildings to the launchpad in Tesla Model X’s. These vehicles are white with the NASA logo on the side. 

nasa model x
Image Courtesy @JimBridenstine/Twitter

The falcon wing doors allow for ease of entry for the astronauts especially in their space suits.

The air suspension allows for a smooth ride.

The panoramic front window allows a magnificent view of the falcon rocket and dragon capsule as they make their way down to the launch pad. 

Someone might say it is the perfect vehicle for this. 

The world will be watching, and they will be seeing the Tesla’s in the frame.

Having the same CEO for both Space X and Tesla I am sure this is not the last we see of the two brands, Tesla and Space X, working together. 

Tesla helps to inspire the next generation of engineers, manufacturers and Technologists. They want to grow the minds of children and adults alike. 

Space X wants to inspire the soul, the imagination and the child within. 

They want us to look beyond the horizon, to find the detail in the undefined, to find the passion in the bland and to seek that which is yet to be discovered.

I wish the launch and the astronauts well on their journey, I hope they enjoy the ride in the Tesla’s, and I hope that everyone watching feels hope, passion and inspiration for the future and the world we live in and the possibilities beyond. 

Dave. 

One person one dream one vision one drive.

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man looking to the universe
Image by Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixabay

Space X

One person one dream one vision one drive. In just under a week’s time an event unseen for over 10 years will take place. American astronauts will take to the skies heading towards the stars aboard a rocket developed and built in America by engineers from Space X. 

space x rocket taking off
Image by SpaceX-Imagery from Pixabay 

A journey that few thought would have been possible had it not been for one vision, one passion, one drive and sheer will.

Tesla, Space X, Boring company and neurolink would not have been possible without a person who was passionate about the future and the possibilities is could provide. 

Of course, Elon Musk is not the only person with dreams and passion. Others have had ingenious ideas that have become iconic. The Dyson vacuum was a simple idea that has grown into being a worldwide phenomenon.  

Sir James Dyson

Sir James Dyson, the inventor of the Dyson vacuum cleaner had a vision, a passion and a drive. It allowed him to create a vacuum cleaner that is more powerful, smaller with greater functionality than its competitors.

He had an idea, just like Elon Musk, to change something that was inefficient, noisy, messy and had not changed for decades.

Dyson the company has for the last 20 plus years developed their ideas into the products we see today. One of the key features of a Dyson vacuum cleaner is the lithium ion battery.

Dyson has been developing his battery tech significantly in recent years increasing the power output whilst continuing to reduce the size and weight of the products. These lead to reduction in size, weight with the ability to run for longer periods of time.

These innovations lead the Dyson team to look and see opportunities in other fields innovation.

‘N526’

This last week Liam Murphy from Car advice wrote about Dyson’s foray into the electric car industry. 

Sir James Dyson standing in front of his car.
image sourced from The Times

It was revealed that Dyson started development of the vehicle nicknamed ‘N526’ in 2017. Since then his engineers have developed a fully working prototype with great range, power and torque. He has spent millions working out all aspects of a car. 

However, as the articles explains Sir James Dyson got to a point where he decided that the cost of electric vehicle to produce would not be practical for the people to buy. 

One person one dream one vision one drive these are the things that make a person passionate about creating something they have dreamed about for years. Something that would make the world a better place and help to inspire and thus improve the world. Unfortunately, there is also the counter to these, more money, more time, more competition and the most important, reality. 

Sir James Dyson developed with his team a beautiful vehicle that quite easily would have sold millions to the world. Unfortunately, electric cars are expensive to build from scratch. They take a lot of time to develop and there is increasing competition in the world that are clearly a long way ahead. Reality usually kicks in at this point and a reassessment of the development needs to occur. 

This is obviously what Dyson felt was needed and he had to make a hard decision. 

A dream

A dream is something we strive for, something we are wanting more than anything, something that makes us grow and become greater than just ourselves. It sometimes takes on a path all its own. Unfortunately, for Sir James Dyson his vision became a reality, but the expense cut it short. 

I am sure this is not the last we will hear of Dyson within the electric vehicle arena. I am sure he will let his discoveries and ideas become more than the sum of the part by hopefully supplying batteries to others. 

It is inspiring to see people who you don’t expect enter the fields of electric vehicles and challenge the status quo, bring fresh ideas and move the industry into the future. 

All it takes is One person, one dream, one vision, one drive.

Dave 

Battle Lines have been drawn between Renewables vs Fossil fuels

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Battle Lines have been drawn between Renewables vs Fossil fuels

Oil barrel spilling oil to look like the global countries

COVID 19 impact

los angeles with pollution and without

We have been sitting pretty for a while now. Clean air, beautiful beaches, clear oceans and not much else. The world has had a taste of what it is like to feel the fresh breeze on their faces and the sweet smells of spring in the air. The environment has been amazing whilst we have reduced our driving of combustion engines during the COVID 19 stay at home orders across the globe. 

However, in Australia, there is a storm brewing and it is going to set the tone for the next decade and beyond.  

The Past

100 years ago we as a society of free thinking people made a decision between electric and internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, this decision has had ramifications that most people in today’s world would deny.

classic model t ford
Image by Michael Kauer from Pixabay

Reports on news channels of large bushfires, weather patterns that are more ferocious and damaging than ever before, disease and famine in countries to dry to grow crops, all this can be related back to burning of fossil fuels.  https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/04/climate/climate-change-acceleration.html

Battle Lines have been drawn between Renewables vs Fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have propped up the economy for decades and the innovative new thinking of Non-polluting Renewables is starting to show real value.

Hornsdale

One of the best examples of the non-polluting renewables is the Hornsdale Battery(https://hornsdalepowerreserve.com.au ). The Hornsdale battery has proven that non-polluting renewables can be more valuable and responsive than traditional power plants.  

hornsdale mega battery

Examples like this are all around us we just need to be able to see through the fog of miss information and see the detail of the issue and the outcomes of the new innovative thinkers to see the benefits that it brings. 

Australian Government stance

Currently the liberal government have very clearly stated, before COVID 19 came along, that they are not as focused on the environmental impacts as they try getting the bottom line back in the black.

This was no more demonstrated by the removal of the environmental portfolio in the government ministry from the cabinet to a sub role. 

This change put a nail in many believer’s ideas about there being some progressive thinking within the government. However, COVID-19 and the stay at home management of the spread has certainly turned Australia on its ear and put it in debt to the tune of over 130 billion dollars. 

This budget deficit offers an opportunity for the government to show leadership. They have shown leadership when the management of the country was going through the shutdown but now it is time to show leadership in how we move into the future.

To help grow the economy again it is imperative that all options be considered. In doing this it is also important to look at the long term impacts both economically, politically and environmentally. 

The government in Australia has not had a good track record with their support for new innovative ideas surrounding the environment. 

As we have seen with regards to the COVID 19 virus the environment if taken for granted has a way of hitting back.

If we are to move into the next generations with the ability to hold our heads up high and be mindful of the impact we as a society have then we need to move towards non polluting renewables. 

What others are doing

Across the globe there are a number of countries which have made large strides to introduce the following elements to assist the transition with great effect. These include projects that are based upon;

  • Solar power
    • Home based 
    • Large Farms
  • Wind power
    • Ocean based wind farms
    • Land based wind farms
  • Ocean Power
    • Wave power generation
  • Battery storage
    • Home batteries
      • Tesla 
      • LG
    • Mega Batteries
      • Tesla
  • Electric vehicles
    • Ford
    • KIA
    • Porsche
    • Etc

Project like these,post COVID 19, can be the catalyst to grow industries that help to get the budget back in black faster whilst taking on the responsibility to manage the current environmental impact of fossil fuels.

The economy right now needs help to get back the losses that we have had over the last couple of months. We need fresh ideas and ways forward. This can only be achieved if the government , the people ,the innovators and business combine their resources to move Australia forward. 

tesla moving towards the future

It is important to take stock of what we have, look at how we have changed in the COVID 19 world and start to look towards helping the future generations to live a happy healthy life without pollution and pain.

The Battle Lines have been drawn between Renewable vs Fossil fuels, lets hope that our Leaders have the courage to take not only the first step, but many more after that and help Australia find its way into the future and to the self-reliant future of the non-polluting renewables age. 

Dave 

Dreaming of EV when owning a Gas Car

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Dreaming of an EV when owning a Gas car. If someone had said to me that electric cars will be just as viable as gas powered cars in 6 years I would not have believed them.

If someone had said Tesla I would have said ….Who is that ? Just goes to show how quickly things have changed.

My passion for cars started when I drove my first car . I owned a Morris Mini and it was a brilliant car. it was old and had its idiosyncrasies but I loved it. I had an emotional connection to that car and it was a loss the day I had to move on. 

Old school cars

Since then I have had what I would call, cars for the purpose of getting from point “A” to point “B”. My connection with these cars has never been as strong as it was for the mini. Even though the mini was a little car it felt sprightly. But my cars since have not had that feeling.

These cars have mostly been Nissan Pulsars and they have been reliable family cars. A family car is what we needed with young kids and school drop offs. But the next car i buy i would love to feel that passion again.

EV’s

Since finding out about Tesla and their beautiful range of cars I have had a connection like I did all those years ago. An emotional connection to the styling of the car, the technology of the car and based on 2 test drives the motion of the car. 

Currently i own a typical middle of the road car. A family sedan that at the time of purchasing was $30000 – $40000 australian dollars. Most cars of this time had grey interior , that was bland and boring, with lots of buttons that made the dash seem busy and in todays electric vehicle standards very messy.

It has done close to 200000kms and has had its run of problems. On the plus side it has been as reliable safe and consistent and there is not much more you can ask from a good car. The vehicles has 1.6 l engine and not much power to allow for a little fun which is no surprise for a family sedan. 

Whats it like?

So what is it like to own a Gas car when all you want to do is own a Tesla. Dreaming of an EV when owning a gas car.

  • Firstly you annoy everyone in the family as you call out when ever you see a Tesla on the road. 
  • I try to get as close to a tesla when you see them driving in your direction just to get a glimpse. 
  • You bore your family with facts about the cars that they have heard a million times
  • You look at the Tesla website regularly looking for some possibility that the price had dropped by $50000 so you could be in range of possibly affording one. 
  • In my case I also started a website and engaged the EV community online. 
  • You try to get a response from Elon Musk the CEO of Tesla on Twitter regarding any new fact about Tesla.

Owning a Gas car is like driving a dinosaur. It is slow, clunky and hard to be passionate about it. 

But the glimpse of hope that one day you might just get the chance to call one my own, keeps me passionate, driven and a true fanboy. 

Dave 

Australian Tesla Prices

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Image courtesy of Tesla

Australian Tesla Prices, 12 days have passed since I received a response to a simple twitter request to Elon Musk. It is incredible that a CEO of a global company is willing to respond to average people like myself. I am a passionate Tesla fan who is driven to see the mission of Tesla realized. 

To accelerate the worlds transition to sustainable energy. 

The only way I am able to currently assist with this is to spread the stories and information about Electric Vehicles to the greater community across Australia and the Globe. 12 Days ago, Elon gave me assistance to achieve this very goal.

I also wish to be able to transition my own house and family to utilizing Sustainable energy and vehicles. As I explained in my tweet to Elon the cost of Tesla’s in Australia is not within the reach of the average Australian. With a starting point of the base model 3 with no Full Self Driving is $71512. (Australian Dollars) This is a hefty sum for anyone to swallow. 

In comparison, in the United States the price of the same car is $39990 (US Dollars). When this is converted using the conversion rate of $1.51 us dollars to the Australian dollar the conversion cost equates to $60385(Australian Dollars). 

Australian Tesla Prices

Comparison between USD and AUD for Model 3 Tesla

So, the question needs to be asked what is the difference of $11127 used for?

According to the Australian Bureau of statistics (https://www.ato.gov.au/rates/key-superannuation-rates-and-thresholds/?page=40 ) the average wage in Australia (based upon Average Weekly ordinary time earnings (AWOTE) in June of 2019 of $1634.90 multiplied by 52 weeks of the year equals $85014.80(AUD), before tax. If the taxation rate is approx. 32.5 cents in the dollar for every dollar above $37000. Once this calculation has been completed the approximate amount that one individual will earn is $70000. This sounds like a large number however there is still the home loan/rent, Utilities, Living expenses, Car expenses, schooling for kids, etc. These numbers outline the fact that purchasing a car is not only a big decision, but one primarily driven by the cost.

Australian living expenses have been on the increase in the last 10 years due to a number of reasons least of all that environmental factors are playing their part with long droughts, 100-year storms, flooding and bushfires that are devastating areas of produce and farming.

This impact is felt in the hip pocket of every Australian across the country and that only increases the cost of living expenses and consumes the savings which historically have been put towards the wants rather than the needs. 

If Tesla, and by extension Elon Musk, truly wish to gain traction in Australia there is a real need to drop the price so that the Average Australian family can afford the Model 3. The Model 3 is well suited to the Australian Market. Especially city dwellers. The Cybertruck would be well placed for those who live in the country.

If Elon and Tesla could find a way to reduce the cost of either building or transporting and investigate the $11127 disparity between the US and Australian numbers, I believe the uptake of the Model 3 in Australia would advance greatly. Furthermore, I also believe that the mission that Tesla has prided itself upon would also be realized that much quicker. 

Whilst investigating the above points I also reviewed the comments from the Tweet. I came across a number of people comments who also expressed their challenges with the cost within their countries, these included 

All of these people highlighted their challenges with cost of Tesla’s, however in a number of cases they also voiced that they would buy a Tesla as their next car if they could afford the price.

Australian Tesla Prices.

These are customers in waiting.

Waiting for a price that they can afford and manage on their wages. Their passion for the cars is not wavering but the cost is a real factor. 

I also had a number of people talk about their experience when buying a Tesla at the current prices and outlined that a number of Taxes here in Australia were also considerably high and unnecessary like the “Luxury Car Tax”, which was introduced to assist local car manufacturing. Unfortunately, in recent years all car manufacturing by all big companies has ceased in Australia. This was due in part to a greater acceptance of foreign manufacturers and the improved quality and variety of vehicles on offer. Now that we have no manufacturers and all vehicles are imported this tax serves no purpose. 

So, where to from here so more people can gain access to some amazing environmentally friendly cars and the suite of other products that Tesla has on offer. 

Some ideas include:

  • Tesla 
    • Find cost saving s to reduce Model 3 Price
    • Investigate the price differences highlighted above
    • Leasing (suggested by @TeslaGong)
    • Supplying Australia with Giga Shanghai Tesla’s 
    • Compartmentalize features of Tesla’s that can be purchased at a later date
    • Build an Australian Giga Factory #GigaOz
  • Government 
    • Incentives (Green rebate)
    • Remove the Luxury car tax from all Electric Vehicles
    • Reduce stamp duty, registration, etc. 

 These changes would have a profound effect on the footprint of Electric vehicles in Australia and also assist people to truly transition to a sustainable energy future. 

Dave

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Appendix ( Comparison between USD and AUD)

Offers of sponsorship and collaboration are welcome.

please contact Dave at electricvehicleHQ@gmail.com, on twitter @evhq2 or on the contact page of EV-HQ.com.

Starlink the mission in the name

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Starlink logo.
Image courtesy “Starlink” Webpage 2020

Starlink is Space X’s step into the world of internet providing. Thousands of small satellites held in space at a low orbit (550kms) designed to give internet access to those who before now had been “unreliable, expensive or completely unavailable” (Starlink webpage,2020) . Internet is has become a world wide necessity. To not have access to the internet in todays environment limits the ability of the peorson to interact into days society effectively. Starlink the mission in the name.

What if?

During the week I was thinking about Space X and Starlink and had a thought that blew my mind. What if StarLink had the mission in the name?

I was listening to the “Third Row” podcast who was talking to the “Everyday Astronaut” Tim Dodd and they were discussing Space X and the recent rocket launches and the possibilities for Mars. Tim made a comment stating everything Elon Musk does is to get to Mars. 

If this is the case how does Starlink fit in? Starlink the mission in the name

That got me thinking, firstly about the name, Starlink, why call it that? Its function is to send signals back to earth not the stars. However, if you take the premise that “everything” he does is to get to Mars then the possibilities really become interesting. 

What if Starlink is actually being designed to communicate across the solar system. What if Space X is going to launch satellites that set up a communication grid out in space. Increasing the possibilities to communicate across the planets. Elon musk is a smart guy and he does things with purpose and strategy, barring some small outbreaks, but mostly for a purpose. 

That would make Starlink name make much more sense. It would be the only company thinking to do this and it would also be one of the most ambitious plans next to colonizing mars. Starship would be able to use this network to communicate from the moon, Mars and beyond.

Starlink image of earth
Image courtesy Starlink Website, 2020

Starlink, their mission in their name.

Dave 

David McCann
David McCann

David has passion for electric vehicles and innovation. He tries to

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