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ororowrites · 4 years

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By the Open Fire - Yahya x Black Character

I’m getting back into the writing spirit and decided to write a little Christmas one-shot about my latest celebrity crush. Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy Holidays!

Warnings: Very, very, light smut, fluffy as hell

Word Count: 2,664

Six months was entirely too long to be away from the love of her life.

Candace tapped the tip of her pen against the blank page, hoping her writer’s block would magically disappear. Being an actress was so much easier than trying to write a novel. Why didn’t Candace just stick to her day job? Since the pandemic began, she was trying her hand at other talents and writing a novel seemed to be the one wish on her wish list that stood out. On top of Yahya being out of the country filming for most of the year, Candace was in search of a way to fight a depression that was on the brink of flooding her life. Her filming project had come to a halt until 2021 and she was stuck in her Manhattan apartment until it was safe to come out again.

Yahya would be home in a couple of days and Candace was looking forward to his arrival. So many months a part made her heart ache and the heart below her waist. After hundreds of facetime calls, numerous texts a day and a few Zoom sessions that included their shared friends, her man would be there in the flesh.

“Fuck,” Candace cursed under her breath. The block wasn’t budging, forcing the actress to give up and retreat to the kitchen for wine. Her phone rang, interrupting her attempt to brainstorm for the next chapter in her book. “You always call at the perfect time,” she groaned at her twin sister on the other end of the line.

“Candy, you can never just say hello like a normal human,” Trinity laughed. “But did mama call you with the latest gossip?”

“No, but she’s been texting me all damn day. I’ve been busy so I haven’t checked them yet. Wassup,” she pressed, knowing the gossip was most likely church related. Their mother had been an usher at the same church since they were nine.

“Girl,” Trinity exclaimed, before explaining the recent Chicago gossip. “Mrs. Jackson got caught cheating with James. Someone saw them out at the park together, kissing up on each other and all that.”

“Ewww, in this panoramic,” Candace gagged. “I’m not shocked though. That old floozy was always flirting with daddy and almost made mama beat her ass one Easter Sunday. Remember that?”

Trinity cackled, “Boooooy, mama was about to peel that woman’s skin back and break her neck. Ol’ girl was trying it that day and knows she is too old to still be acting like that. But enough about Florence, what have you been up to today? Ain’t your man on his way back to New York?”

Candace rolled her eyes because she knew where this conversation was going. Her sister had four children, leaving Candace the only childless sibling left in the pack of five children.

“He’ll be back in two days and then we’re going to Colorado for Christmas. Since we can’t gather for the holidays, figured we’d go somewhere where we can safely distance ourselves but still get away. You know,” Candace said, swirling the wine around in her glass before taking a sip.

“Mmmhhhhmmm. You gon’ get knocked up in them mountains,” Trinity added in a serious tone. “You two renting out a cabin or something up there?”

“Ain’t nobody getting knocked up until she has a ring on her finger. Yes, we’re getting a cabin and just chillin’ out. Yahya has been working and needs a break. I’ve been....lonely.” Candace paced her kitchen, trying to think of an excuse to end this call before her twin irritated her soul.

“Ya’ll haven’t seen each in months, he’s going to tear--”

“Trin!” One major difference between the two of them was the lack of filter on Trinity’s part. The woman would say anything in front of anyone. “Look, I need to go straighten up before before Yah gets here. I’ll talk to you later?”

Trinity sighed loudly on the other end because she knew her sister was rushing her off the call. Not liking people in her relationship business bugged Trinity because she was the nosey twin that wanted to know everything, much like their mother. “Well at least you won’t be needing to replace the batteries in that vibrator any time soon since the real Dr. Manhattan is back in the picture.” Before Candace could reply to the vulgar comment, Trinity squeezed out a quick ‘love you’ before hanging up.

“Nasty ass,” Candace rolled her eyes and placed the phone back in the pocket of her jeans.

The next two days were the same song. Candace’s brain did not want to focus on writing, so she eventually gave up and settled on online shopping to ease her frustration. The night her beautiful man was supposed to return, the actress fell asleep on the couch. His flight had been delayed by a couple of hours and he didn’t make it home until 3AM.

He quietly entered the apartment, knowing Candace could never stay awake past twelve. The 6′3 actor, tip toed across the floor doing his best ballerina impression. Light snores could be heard over the infomercial playing on the television. She looked peaceful, almost child-like curled up on the sofa under her favorite coral throw. Yahya slowly leaned in, placing a soft kiss on Candace’s pouted lips. She stirred slightly, mumbling under her breath and fell back into a slumber.

“Baby,” he sung into her ear, placing another kiss on her cheek.

“Hmm.” Candace finally opened her eyes to see her Christmas gift standing right in front of her. Even with blurred vision, the smell of his cologne was a dead giveaway. She screeched and scurried to her feet to throw her arms around Yahya’s neck. Naturally, her legs wrapped around his waist as he rocked them back and forth. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too,” he grunted, peppering Candace’s face in kisses. “My baaaaaaby,” Yahya sang as they fell to the sofa in a heap of long limbs. “It smells good in here, what you cook?”

“Negro, you’re always looking for the food. Ol’ hungry ass,” Candace shook her head and playfully punched her lover’s bicep. “But, I saved you some fried rice and shrimp...homemade because that’s the only dish I’m good at.”

“Oh, that’s not the only dish you’re good at,” he bit his lip, pulling Candace into a slow, passionate kiss, showing her how much he really missed her. With both of them being in the industry, they understood the heartache that came with being in a relationship and not seeing your significant other for weeks or months at a time. In this case, their time away from each other was extended due to the pandemic. “Mmmmm,” Yahya hummed into Candace’s lips before pulling away. He wanted to save the X-rated loving for their trip when he would have more time to rest and beat the severe jet lag from flying across the world for 12 hours.

“We should get some food in this belly, babe,” Candace couldn’t contain the big cheesy grin that made her cheeks hurt.

-------

Christmas Eve

Toni Braxton’s sultry voice filled the cabin as Yahya finished pouring the wine for their night cap. They had a busy day on the slopes trying not to kill themselves or break any bones.

“Baby, where your fine ass at,” Yahya called out, making his way to the living room. The fireplace crackled, sending waves of heat throughout the cabin’s living area. The sun had set, but the mountains were still glowing against the dark sky. Their view was impeccable and the mood was set for a night of bonding and loving. “Candy, don’t make me come get you.” He warned playfully, sitting in front of the fire on their floor palette they had built earlier that night.

“What was that,” Candace teased, stopping in the doorway getting a front row view of Yahya’s bare upper half. His back muscles bulged as he tended to the fire.

“You back there sleeping, old lady,” he asked, with his back still turned away from her.

“No, I was back there wrapping one last gift,” she replied, her voice dropping an octave prompting Yahya to turn around.

His eyes almost fell out of his head, “Damn girl.” Pulling his bottom lip into his mouth, he moved forward, inspecting the gift that was screaming to be unwrapped. “This all for me?”

“Every inch of it.” Her words almost came out as a moan. The way this man was eyeing her had moisture pooling between her legs. The fancy lingerie wouldn’t last long at this rate. Words became an afterthought when actions began to do all the talking. All it took was a soul turning kiss to send them both to the floor on their palette in front of the fireplace. Candace couldn’t tell if the fire had her skin tingling or the anticipation of having his hands rubbing over the most sensitive parts of her body. The wine and fruits sitting on the mantle quickly became an afterthought.

For minutes, they enjoyed exploring each other and parts they hadn’t touched in months. Yahya was nestled between Candace’s thighs, both of them breathless and horny. Candace’s lace get up was quickly removed and thrown to the side. She giggled when his lips grazed her belly button, those giggles soon turning into pants and whispered obscenities. With gentle licks, he coaxed her clit out of its hood.

Toys were fun but they weren’t the real thing and oh did she miss the real thing. See, the real thing knew exactly how to pull her close to the edge before sending her back. Her man’s skilled tongue sank deeper drawing intricate patterns in her center as she massaged the top of his head with her fingertips.

Candace’s breath hitched in her throat and her thighs shook awaiting the impending release. “Jesus,” she moaned as her body suddenly felt light and her center thumped.

“Still as sweet as I remember,” he grinned, kissing Candace’s inner thigh.

Another track on their Toni Braxton Christmas playlist began to play and Yahya rested his head on Candace’s stomach. Time was precious and Yahya didn’t want to waste an ounce of the rare quiet moment they had. Soon, they’d both be filming again and the world would be back to normal.

“What’s on your mind, baby,” Candace asked, her heart and breath back to a steady rhythm.

“I don’t spend enough time with you. At least not lately,” he began. “I knew what I was getting into when we were back in school. Still makes me feel bad though.”

“Yah, I enjoy all the moments that we do get to spend together. You’ve been working your ass off this year. Yes, I would love more times like this but we should also celebrate all your accomplishments. Because you’re doing the damn thang and I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you. You always say the right shit to get me together,” he chuckled. “Sometimes a nigga just be in his feelings and I missed the hell out of you those six months.”

“Yeah, six months has never gone by that slowly. You should see my credit card statements. I’ve never purchased that many sex toys in my life,” Candace covered her face with her arm.

“Word? Well.... you won’t be needing those sex toys for awhile.”

A smirk formed on her lips when she felt him bump against her thigh, “No, no, you just sit back and relax. I got this.” Sitting up, Candace placed a hand on Yahya’s chest, prompting him to switch her spots.

“You are beautiful,” Yahya’s eyes gleamed. After all these years, he could still make Candace blush like a little school girl. “Don’t hide that smile, girl.” His large hands massaged her thighs as she eased him inside of her.

They both exhaled, letting Toni Braxton serenade them through the night.

---------

Christmas Morning

They had finally made it to bed and got a few hours of sleep before Christmas morning arrived and it was time to get up for their next day of adventures.

First, they needed to re-fuel their bodies after the festivities that took place the night before in front of the fireplace and in the bedroom. The shower also got some of their loving that morning. Candace could hear Yahya singing his own version of Joy to the World while whipping up his famous oatmeal. That man never knew the words to any song but sung his own words with all the confidence in the world.

“Yah, do you ever know the words,” Candace questioned, placing a quick kiss on his cheek before grabbing a bowl from one of the kitchen shelves.

“Nope,” he replied in a matter of fact tone. “It’s the Abdul-Mateen version.”

“Uh huh, sure.”

Over breakfast, they continued joking about Yahya’s talent of making up his own versions of songs. Joy and love was on full display. They had always been the couple to roast each other and the next minute adore each other like the two biggest saps in the world.. Their relationship was built on a strong friendship they developed while they were in film school before reconnecting a few years later.

They walked a short distance to one of the coffee shops near their cabin to grab hot chocolate. It was a chilly 45 degrees, but to avoid sitting in the shop, they walked back to their rental, taking a scenic route that Yahya suggested.

“If we get lost or I end up falling off one of these mountains, I hope my family doesn’t kill you,” Candace joked, admiring the beautiful scene before them.

“Oh, I know where we are. I was out here early yesterday morning trying to find the perfect spot,” Yahya replied.

“Huh, perfect spot for what?”

He didn’t answer right away and instead reached for Candace’s hand, stopping her in her tracks. “Something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile.” Placing his cup on one of the rocks, Yahya pulled a box from his pocket and got down on one knee.

“What...what...” For once, Candace was speechless and caught completely off guard.

“It’s hard as hell to surprise you and I’ve been trying to think of the perfect time to do this without your nosey ass finding out.” Tears began to flow down Candace’s cheeks. “We’ve been at this for a few years and I’ve had some of my best moments with you by my side. I want to make what we have forever.” He opened the small box to reveal a beautiful emerald cut ring. “Say love... would you marry me?”

Being the goofball that she was, Candace laughed between her tears “You’re trying to get me pregnant on this trip, aren’t you?”

“Well that can be arranged if you say yes.”

“Ye...yes, of course!” Her vision blurred as Yahya slid the rock on her finger and stood to his feet to kiss his future bride. Moments later Yahya’s phone rang with an incoming Facetime call.

“Hey Trinity, hey moms,” Yahya cheesed, turning his phone to share the screen with Candace. “Looks like you two aren’t getting rid of me anytime soon.”

“She said yes,” Trinity screamed, jumping up and down with their mother. “Aye, aye, ayyyeeeeee.”

Still in complete shock and happiness overflowing, Candace shrieked, “Wait, you two knew about this the entire time!”

“Yep! It’s been burning my ass to keep this secret from you all this time,” Trinity teased, sticking out her tongue. “He took mom with him to ring shop last year and everything.”

“Welcome to the family, son. Congratulations baby,” Ms. Fredrick sang, clapping for the happy couple on the other end of the call.

“Now, I hope you two are using protection out there because having a baby before the wedding is-”

“Trinity,” Candace called out, shaking her head.

They should have followed Trinity’s advice because approximately two months later.....

Hope you all enjoyed! This is the first piece I’ve written in a year. I have no idea if I’ m going to continue the stories I began before my hiatus, yet. But, we will explore that in the coming year! Who knows, we may get more Candace and Yahya depending on how hard writer’s block slaps me. May the new year bring you all peace and joy!

#yahya abdul mateen ii #yahya x black character #fanfics #celebrity fanfics #black love #ororo writes #holiday one shot

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happymetalgirl · 5 years

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Car Bomb - Mordial

Car Bomb have followed a curiously backwards trajectory compared to most bands in terms of their releases. They debuted on Relapse Records and then switched to releasing albums independently, and unlike most bands as time goes on, the gaps between albums has shrunk for Car Bomb as their career progresses. This isn’t really all too important, but I thought it was some fun and interesting trivia. Anyway, onto the more relevant stuff.

While fans of the band were of course excited for this new album by Car Bomb here, I haven’t really seen a whole lot of chatter about it (at least from where I’m sitting). For me though, Mordial is undoubtedly one of the albums I was most eager to hear this year. I first heard of Car Bomb through Gojira frontman Joseph Duplantier’s cosigning of and collaboration with them on their 2012 record w^w^^w^w, and I took a liking to them for their wild, volatile brand of mathcore that exploded out in all directions while still feeling purposeful rather than simply haphazard. Their debut album, Centralia, occasionally indulged in some absolutely manic displays of mathcore, but it also showcased a potential for composional greatness that their sophomore release, w^w^^w^w, would expand on. The album’s production was surprisingly a step down from their debut’s, but the band clearly improved their sense of groove and rhythm, and the integration of more industrial elements into their sound was a welcome and well-worked augmentation. But it was their third album, Meta, that came out in 2016, that really blew me away.

It doesn’t come up too often, but when it does, I can’t help but feel I have to give repeated disclaimers. I fucking love Meshuggah, and for as many bands that have incorporated djent into their sound because of them, for as many bands that try to rip off “Bleed” or mimic Meshuggah’s style of groove, no one does it like them. I’ve heard so many different “similar to: Meshuggah” songs and albums in my time as an undeniable die-hard fan of the band, but no one seems to capture that consistently sinister X factor that makes Meshuggah Meshuggah. But with their deeper integration of 8-string groove into their sound and Michael Dafferner’s impressively energetic, committed, Jens-Kidman-esque vocal delivery, Meta was the closest I had ever heard anyone sound to Meshuggah. They had shown their similar (and quite possibly Meshuggah-influenced) sense of groove on w^w^^w^w, but Meta was an even more thorough evolution of that aspect of their sound, and it was so astonishing to hear a band not only capturing a significant amount of that Meshuggah X factor, but also integrating it seamlessly into a sound still all their own rather than merely cheaply imitating.

With that said, I think it’s pretty clear why I was so hyped for the follow-up to Meta. I figured I probably had to bring myself back down to Earth to recognize that Mordial would likely be different in some significant ways and to not be disappointed at the band’s likely refusal to simply metamorphosize into Meshuggah 2.0. And Mordial is indeed different, but just because Car Bomb don’t sound as close to my favorite band on this album doesn’t mean the newer thing they’re trying here are without value, not at all. Car Bomb definitely branch out on Mordial and continue to push themselves in ways not even Meta did.

One major differentiation between Mordial and Meta is the level of (and the type of) vocal melody incorporated on the two albums. While the melody introduced on Meta largely plays into the jolting abrasive robotic aesthetic of their performances, the smoother melodies on Mordial feel unusually spiritually ethereal for Car Bomb, tapping into something similar to what Joseph Duplantier tapped into on Magma (my suspicions of which upon my initial listens to Mordial were confirmed when I read that the Gojira frontman was credited as a creative consultant on the album).

The greater proportion of clean vocals among all the industrially tinged mathcore insanity also gives me some noticeable Fear Factory vibes, and I am totally fine with that. (See "Vague Skies", whose bridge guitar work is surprisingly inspiring amid the rest of the song's instrumental madness). Meanwhile, the song "Antipatterns" in particular gives off somewhat of a Strapping Young Lad/Devin Townsend air as well, while the super crunchy riffage of "Naked Fuse" reminds me of my favorite Textures album, Polars, as well, all of these being very pleasant stylisic similarities and reminders.

The industrial elements on Mordial are also taken to new extremes, like the futuristic laser machine gun sounds on the blasting "Dissect Yourself", which might just be some creative effects pedal magic, and the seemingly dubstep-tinged guitar effects on the tasty groove of "Scattered Sprites".

Songs like "Fade Out" and "Xoxoy" dip into this gorgeous type of atmosphere built by soaring vocal leads and emotive melodic guitar soloing that feed surprisingly well into all the crushing mathcore guitar groove surrounding it.

Mordial indeed comes with plenty of novelty, but it's not such a radical stylistic shift that it's unrecognizable from Meta; there are still the vicious and frantic explosions of angular guitar work and bursts of double-bass battery that Meta was built on; songs like the vibrantly and dynamically groovy "HeLa" and "Blackened Battery" sound like they'd fit right at home on Meta as much as they do here, which I certainly think is a good thing. The title track's spoken delivery of the intro reminds me of one of my favorite Meshuggah songs, "Spasm", and the soloing on the track even sounds Thordendal-esque. Indeed, what was built on Meta is not lost or even replaced on Mordial, but rather it is enhanced and made even more dynamic through its meshing with newer musical elements and compositional styles. And the production on Mordial is as crisp and complimentary as it was on Meta to reinforce the strength of the band's grooves by highlighting the delicious guitar tone's low end and the punchiness of the percussion.

Car Bomb continue to improve and craft their sound and ensure that they represent themselves as completely and positively as possible on Mordial in both their foundations and their recent developments. With a new Meshuggah album due (by pattern) to be released some time next year, I've been thinking of where they could possibly go next to evolve their sound, and I keep thinking of what they might sound like with a bit of industrial edge added to their signature original form of djent. And with a lot of this album Car Bomb have shown what a dashing combination that can be. While the quality of Mordial comes as no surprise, I honestly didn't think Car Bomb could match themselves after Meta, but I think with Mordial they have at least done that by continuing to expand on their sound without sacrificing the positive aspects of their evolution along the way. And the last time I was so pleasantly surprised when I thought a band couldn't outdo their already magnificent preceding work was last year with my #1 album of the year, Khemmis' 10/10 (for those of you who like scores) Desolation, which astonishingly outdid Hunted. And I would say Meta was even better than Hunted, so that could mean something big for Mordial. And their release pattern (though not carved in stone) suggesting that they could put out an even better album in 2021 and then an even better one than that one in 2022 is frightening. Bring it on, I say.

_tative/10

#Car Bomb #Mordial #mathcore #djent #death metal #extreme metal #technical death metal #progressive metal #metal #heavy metal #new music #new album #album review #great album

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xtruss · 3 years

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EU’s Radical Net-Zero Pledges Hit Home — With Eye-Watering Energy Bills

Any Russian relief will have to come through Nord Stream 2 -- Russia has signaled it won't increase gas deliveries except through that one pipe when it's approved

— Sophie Mellor

Running out of gas as the cost of energy hits record highs, Europe is facing a “power crunch”—one that has been years in the making. [In other words, one that could have been avoided to a considerable extent if the US and the Atlanticist 5th column hadn’t been allowed to sabotage energy cooperation with Russia for as long as they have.] As the global demand for gas soars, Europe’s uptake of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, combined with its aggressive shutdown of coal and heavy EU carbon taxation, has caused its electricity supply to tighten.

The continent’s gas crunch is causing extreme volatility, with the U.K. on Thursday seeing its electricity price jump 10-fold during one seven-hour period, to a record high of £2,300 ($3,180) per megawatt-hour (MWh), as Ireland, which regularly exports wind energy to the U.K., itself faced supply shortages.

They’re Not Alone.

This volatility has brought higher prices, hitting record highs across Spain, Germany, and France. Residential users, meanwhile, bear the brunt of the cost.

The eye-watering bills come as both the European Union and United Kingdom push to become global leaders in decarbonizing their energy grids. Last year, for example, the EU pledged it would achieve net zero by 2050, a commitment that means phasing out carbon-intensive energy sources over the next decade for more sustainable sources like wind and solar. Complicating matters: Energy prices have soared this year as demand everywhere picks up, leaving homeowners in the middle of the push and pull of an increasingly volatile global market.

Customers in both Spain and Portugal are now paying an average of €140 ($165) for a MWh of electricity, according to Iberian Peninsula electricity market operator OMIE—the highest since 2002. And on Thursday, Spain’s day-ahead electricity was at a record €152.32/MWh. Over in France and the U.K., EDF Energy said it would raise its standard variable tariffs by 12% from Oct. 1 to account for rising wholesale energy costs. And France’s benchmark power price for delivery next year also hit a record high, at €99.50 per MWh.

Such record gas prices are not usually seen in the months before winter, when more power is needed to heat homes.

A Controversial Connection

If there’s a lifeline, it could come from Russia. Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom announced Friday that it had finished construction of the controversial 750-mile Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline to Germany. The timing couldn’t be any juicer, as it comes just a day after U.K. electricity prices hit an all-time record and Ireland warned that a power shortfall could lead to blackouts.

If all goes to plan, Russian gas could begin flowing to the European continent within a month.

Until then, European consumers will have to pay the price. “I don’t see a reason for blackouts, because there are more than enough sources of electricity supply. It’s just going to be expensive,” says Carlos Torres Diaz, head of gas and power markets at energy research firm Rystad Energy.

Years in the Making

The current power crunch is the product of years of policy choices, many made with the best of intentions, and has left Europe in a sticky political situation.

For the past several years, Europe has been shutting down its own gas fields domestically to reduce impact on the environment. [And because they’re yielding less.] The largest gas field in Europe, the Dutch Groningen field, is currently being decommissioned eight years earlier than initially planned, with its output reduced to a “minimum” flow that is meant to be used only as a backup energy source. Similarly, gas production in the U.K. is down 28% year to date, according to global natural resources consultancy Wood Mackenzie, with Norwegian gas production also stilted due to maintenance.

Russia has not ignored Europe’s increasingly precarious energy supply. Russia limited export flow of natural gas over the summer in a criticized move to maximize profits, leaving Europe in a tight spot, and now, with Europe’s anguish rising, Russia is making noise about getting gas flowing through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as soon as possible. [“Limited export flow” sounds like Russia reduced the shipments, but actually it continued to ship the quantities stipulated in the contracts, it just didn’t ramp up shipments beyond that eg to gas-trading bourses. And since Brussels has been screaming it wants to “free” itself of Russian gas, why complain about it when Gazprom accommodates you?]

The Gazprom-owned $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea, will send 55 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe each year, enough to supply 26 million households annually. The project, which has been 10 years in the making, was met with intense regulatory pushback and sanctions over fears the pipeline would make Europe too reliant on Russian gas. [Incidentally sanctioning Nord Stream 2 has not made it any less reliant on Russia, it has merely prevented Russia from being able to supply it.]

Now, this drop in European gas production, along with a boom in energy consumption related to the COVID-19 economic recovery—the International Energy Agency found that European gas consumption in Q2 2021 rose by 25%, the largest year-on-year quarterly increase since 1985—has made the idea of buying more gas from Russia increasingly palatable.

“Europe is desperate for this additional source of gas, and that helped move the approval of the pipeline,” says Diaz.

Farther Out East

Europe has few good alternatives aside from Russian gas. The most likely replacement for Russian gas would be going to Asian markets—where there is stiff competition from other countries—to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG).

China, Japan, and South Korea have spurred a buying spree of LNG this summer, hoping to have enough gas stored to last the winter, while burning enough now for a post-COVID-19 economic recovery. This buying spree has sent the price of LNG soaring, with the spot price of LNG cargoes above $15 per million British thermal units in July, according to energy consultancy ICIS, from its December low of $8 MBtu.

“There has always been this argument about Russia versus LNG,” says Rystad’s Diaz, who thinks Europe needs both sources of supply. “If we don’t import Russian gas, the alternative is LNG. And to attract LNG, we will need to compete with Asia, which has the potential for higher prices.”

Net Zero’s Net Effect

The last lever pushing prices higher has been a knock-on effect of Europe’s efforts to bring down its emissions.

Renewable energy produced by wind and solar, which produces 20% of the electricity in Europe, is intermittent, which means it does not produce power when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow. And without batteries, storage is limited.

This summer was a bad season for wind, with output in the U.K. dropping to as low as 409MW on Monday, compared to a record high of 17,600MW set on May 4. Things were equally grim in Germany, with renewable energy output at one point making 8.1 percent less in the country’s total energy makeup.

And another self-inflicted cost is borne from the record high price that comes along with releasing carbon dioxide into European air under the EU’s emissions trading scheme. Normally when gas prices increase, there “tends to be a switch from gas to coal power generation,” says Diaz, but given the tax under the emissions scheme, “there will be less switching that we can expect.”

— Source: Fortune

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hopefulfestivaltastemaker · 4 years

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March 14, 2021

My weekly roundup of things I am up to. Topics include deep sea mining, energy in information technology, catenary wires, and the pandemic.

Deep Sea Mining

There was a good article on Forbes recently about deep sea mining. The article outlines several main pieces of research and is centered on this one, which shows that the environmental impacts of deep sea mining are less than those of terrestrial mining by most metrics. Yet deep sea mining is quite controversial with environmentalism. What gives? Is this like nuclear power, where opposition is rooted in misinformation, or is there more to the issue that I’m not aware of.

As far as I can tell, the main argument against deep sea mining is an appeal to the precautionary principle. There are several articles (these two are just some examples) that argue that the impacts of deep sea mining are poorly understood, whereas the impacts of terrestrial mining are much better understood (though not by me so far). These two articles make similar points specifically with the impact on ecosystems.

I’ve written about the precautionary principle before, and some of the general comments apply in this case. It is reasonable to exercise regulatory precaution in the face of uncertainty, but only to an extent. The precautionary principle cannot be applied consistently in its full form, because in almost all cases, there are risks associated with both opposing courses of action. The risks of terrestrial mining are well-established, and they will increase under a deep sea mining ban. At some point, and I would say that point is now, opponents of deep sea mining cannot merely appeal to ignorance but also have to present a tangible case for regulation.

I went into this research topic expecting to find ecologic arguments under the hood. It is likely that deep sea mining will at least partially supplement, rather than replace, terrestrial mining due to rebound effects. If someone is concerned with overall aggregate human impact, then they might oppose deep sea mining on this basis, regardless of how its impacts compare with terrestrial mining. However, I did not find any source that explicitly made this argument. Maybe there is one that I am not aware of. (CORRECTION: there is this paper, which called for “blue degrowth” and critiques deep sea mining from an explicit degrowth perspective.)

So far, there is no significant deep sea mining that occurs in the world today. But advances in unmanned naval vehicles, together with a possible period of high commodity prices, mean there is a good chance that the practice will take off commercially in the 2020s.

Energy and Information Technology

I updated the Urban Cruise Ship site recently with a bulked up section on energy in IT. For way of comparison, world electricity consumption is about 27,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year, and about a fifth of primary energy goes to electricity.

George Kamiya wrote a piece for the International Energy Agency. He notes that about 200 TWh of electricity worldwide are used by data centers are 250 TWh in data transmission. There are also the end-use devices for watching videos, which Kamiya notes takes 2/3 of total process energy. Of course, not all data center and transmission energy is for videos, but it is my understanding that this is the biggest use.

Kamiya notes several other much larger figures that have appeared in the press, which can be traced back to a flawed think tank report.

Cryptocurrency, and bitcoin in particular, is noted for requiring a lot of energy for its proof-of-work mining system. For this and because of a complicated cluster of political issues, bitcoin has become a popular whipping boy for the environmental movement. “A lot” can mean about 127 TWh per year or 81 TWh per year; most figures reported in the press derive from one of these two sources (these values are current as of today, but fluctuate quite a bit. Bitcoin is quite high right now at about $60,000/bitcoin, so energy numbers are probably also high). About 36% of the energy that goes into mining proof-of-work cryptocurrency comes from renewable sources.

The arguments about bitcoin’s energy aren’t new. They parallel the debates about resources that go into gold mining, to support the gold standard, from decades ago. I found a good article on the subject but unfortunately didn’t save it and cannot find it again right now.

If bitcoin were to become a widely used medium of exchange, it is likely that most transactions will occur on Lightning or other off-chain networks, and not on the main chain. For this and other reasons, stats like “one bitcoin transaction takes the same energy as 700,000 VISA transactions” are not fair comparisons.

Machine learning, and deep learning in particular, are niche energy consumers but could become much bigger. Deep learning is probably the best candidate for an emerging general purpose technology right now. This article does a rough and ready estimate and finds that machine learning takes about 10-20 TWh per year.

Strubell’s paper about energy consumption for training NLP models is still I think the most thorough work on the subject. They show a trend toward increasing model size and energy consumption (despite more efficient processors). OpenAI and the Allen Institute have both shown a trend toward larger model size that dramatically beats the improvement in processors. Both paper predate OpenAI’s GPT-3, which requires 175 billion parameters and blows previous models out of the water.

Growing model size is not just an energy issue. We have reached the point where one has to be at a large institution to conduct cutting-edge machine learning research. A lone individual or small company simply cannot compete with the resources required for GPT-3 and other recent models.

I am planning on updating the general energy usage bit. That I wrote in 2019, and the material already feels outdated (indeed, it felt outdated at the time).

Catenary Wires

I took a look at the idea of electrifying trucks with catenary wires this week as well. You have probably seen something like this with some municipal buses. Some trains use them too. These are basically overhead wires that supply electricity to a vehicle, lessening the need for an expensive on-board battery. With trucks in particular, this could be an issue because energy density in batteries is not yet sufficient, and may never be, to allow over-the-road trucking.

My main source was a study in the UK, which determined that a catenary wire infrastructure build-out would be a good investment. I tried to apply the figures to the I-5 corridor in Washington State, but I found catenary wires to be a poor investment. There are two major differences between my analysis and the UK study (barring the possibility of a mistake). First, diesel fuel is much more expensive in the UK. Second, the UK is a denser country than the US in general, and the UK’s freight rail system isn’t as good, so more freight is done by trucking. It looks to me that the UK has about 10 times the truck traffic density per mile of highway as the I-5 corridor, though I don’t see vehicle-kilometers explicitly given in the study so I’m not sure. The I-5 Corridor investment would be good if we had the UK’s diesel prices and truck density.

Pandemic, one year later

It was about a year ago (March 11, 2020) that the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. It was clear before that though, when major outbreaks started in South Korea, Italy, and Iran, that the world was in big trouble.

That was a stressful time indeed. Late in 2019, my wife came out with a serious case of eye floaters, and I didn’t find out until January. We checked with several doctors in the US before deciding to go to a clinic in Singapore for an operation. We made the travel arrangements when Covid started spreading out of China in a major way, but when we thought there would be plenty of time to make a trip. We got to Singapore on March 15, just a few days before they closed the borders. We also got the operation done just a few days before the hospital was closed to elective surgeries. Ultimately it was a success. Between the stock market crash and the cost of the trip and surgery, I lost about half my savings that month. And yet, neither the pandemic nor the eye floaters would turn out to be the most serious health problem I dealt with last year.

Having lived in the Bay Area and observed the abject failure of local governments to deal with the housing situation, my expectations for the quality of the pandemic response were low, but I still managed to be disappointed. I would probably start by noting who ended up looking good. Some tech entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, notably Balaji Srinivasan, and state capacity libertarians such as the operation at Marginal Revolution ended up showing remarkable prescience. Almost everyone else failed, and it is hardly worth going through the list of failures, many of which we are still reckoning with today. I now have much less trust in most institutions compared to a year ago, and my trust level wasn’t high then.

Biden has announced that states must make vaccines available to all adults by May 1, which is very good news if they are available in sufficient supply. It is possible that the pandemic will be but a memory by the end of the year, at which time most people may decide that all’s well that ends well. I hope we remember the cascade of failures as well and make some badly needed reforms, such as streamlining the FDA.

The United States and western world broadly face severe challenges. The cluster of four interrelated challenges are: subreplacement birth rates, a slowdown in scientific progress, declining productivity, and growing debt. The pandemic response does not give me confidence that the political system is up to dealing with these issues.

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thesternenstaub · 4 years

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1. Versuch:

Silver's Clean Energy FutureBY MARIA SMIRNOVA | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021

We live in unprecedented times. As the world's population grows and industrialization takes hold in more corners of the world, climate change is accelerating, and, in response, humanity's concern for our planet's health is growing. The teenage activist Greta Thunberg put it best: "I want you to act as if the house is on fire, because it is." 1

Silver plays a critical role in all "green revolution" discussions.

As clean energy initiatives gain traction, greater attention is being paid to the critical roles of various metals and minerals. Access to these valuable materials has become critically important, which is why several resource-rich nations, including Canada and Australia, have joined the United States in establishing the Energy Resource Governance Initiative (ERGI), an alliance to disseminate best practices for discovering and developing reserves of minerals used to make electric vehicles.2

Silver plays a critical role in all "green revolution" discussions. Although renewable power generation and battery storage technologies may conjure visions of cobalt, lithium and nickel, we would argue that silver plays an even more fundamental role across many green energy technologies.

Silver's Pivotal Role as an Industrial Metal

We have often discussed silver's role as a real asset, a currency that generally keeps its value through fiat currency devaluation cycles. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, silver has certainly proven its value as a safe haven asset in portfolios, rising 47.89% in 2020.

Figure 1. Silver Climbed 47.89% in 2020

Source: Bloomberg. Period from 12/31/2019-12/31/2020.3

However, we would like to focus on silver's role as an industrial metal, which we consider the market's backbone given that industrial demand is not as fickle as investment demand.

Figure 2. Industrial Buyers Drive More than 50% of Silver Demand

Source: GFMS Definitive, Metals Focus, The Silver Institute, UBS. Data as of January 2020.

As global efforts to decarbonize and electrify gather steam, we expect three areas to contribute significantly to silver consumption:

The automotive sector and electric vehicles (EV), including the associated infrastructure;

The solar energy industry; and

5G (fifth generation technology) broadband cellular networks.

All three of these verticals are targeted by President Biden's Plan For a Clean Energy Revolution and Environmental Justice,4which has a stated investment target of US$2 trillion. The U.S. plan is just one example; other governments have committed to industrial decarbonization and ever-tightening emission regulations, and acknowledge the need for more sustainable mobility strategies.

Boosting Electric Vehicles

In January, President Biden signed an Executive Order (Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad) setting a goal to transition the U.S. government's fleet of cars and trucks to electric vehicles assembled in the U.S. As of 2019, the U.S. government-owned approximately 645,000 vehicles, about a third of which are used by the U.S. Postal Service. It is an initial step in a larger effort by the Biden Administration to encourage the transition to EVs. Other campaign promises include building 500,000 EV charging stations nationwide and allowing rebates to replace old vehicles with U.S.-made EVs. At least 15 countries have announced timelines to ban new sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) powered vehicles.

Silver's superior electrical properties make it hard to replace across a wide and growing range of automotive applications, many of which are critical to safety and to meeting increased environmental standards. Silver is found in many car components throughout vehicles' electronic systems (see Figure 2). These components include, but are not limited to, conductive pastes in automotive glass, circuit-breakers and fuses, switches, and relays used to activate varying electronic devices. Importantly, silver is used in a wide range of vital safety features, such as airbag deployment systems, automatic braking, and security and driver alertness systems. In addition to higher environmental standards, safety standards worldwide continue to improve and increase the demand for silver loadings. As the auto industry embraces new technologies, silver remains of pivotal importance.

The automotive industry will use approximately 61 million ounces of silver in 2021, according to a report recently published by The Silver Institute (Silver's Growing Role in the Automotive Industry), with silver loadings being between 15 and 28 grams per internal combustion engine (ICE) light vehicle (depending on the model and market). Silver loadings have been rising over the past few decades and are expected to increase even more in the future. In hybrid vehicles, silver use is higher at around 18-34 grams per light vehicle, while battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are believed to consume in the range of 25-50 grams of silver per vehicle. The move to autonomous driving should lead to a dramatic escalation in vehicle complexity, which will require even more silver consumption.5

Figure 3. Automotive Electrical & Electronic Components

Source: The Silver Institute, Silver's Growing Role in the Automotive Industry.5

Higher loadings are the primary reason why silver demand is likely to increase significantly as electric vehicles enter the market with greater scale. Another reason for the growing demand for EVs vis-a-vis ICEs is its use in charging stations, additional electric power generation and other supporting infrastructure. IDTechEx (a consultancy that specializes in emerging technology) estimates that by 2029 there will be 10 million public and 50 million private charging points.5 Finally, we believe the move to autonomous driving will lead to even higher levels of electronic system complexity and further boost silver use.

Growth projections for electric vehicles vary, but adoption is accelerating. An increasing number of governments are introducing incentives and supportive policies and the automotive industry is transitioning from combustion engine powertrains to electric powertrains. The reasons for the government's push into EVs are decarbonization goals, tightening emissions regulation and the need for more sustainable mobility. ICE powertrains market share will drop from 90% last year to 70% in five years, according to The Silver Institute.5

Worldwide, hybrid vehicles made up 1% of the vehicle production in 2010, but by 2020, that number had increased to 8%. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) accounted for 3% of production last year, a level that is forecast to triple by 2025.5 These trends correspond with significant initiatives from large automakers, like GM (General Motors), which seeks to phase out gas and diesel engines by 2035. The Silver Institute estimates that the automotive sector's demand for silver will rise to 88 million ounces in five years due to this transition, while others estimate6 that by 2040, EVs could demand 49% of the annual silver supply.

Pushing Solar Panel Development

The Biden administration's plans to combat climate change include the creation of millions of clean energy jobs. To encourage this effort, the administration is building incentives to promote the installation of millions of solar panels. Solar, or photovoltaic (PV), panels already consume a robust segment of the silver market, accounting for approximately 100 million ounces a year.

A PV solar power system essentially catches sunlight that hits the solars cells, turning it into electrons for energy to use now or to store for later. Silver pastes within the cells ensure the electrons move into storage or towards consumption, depending on the need.

Solar panel manufacturers have made an effort to reduce costs and the technology has evolved so that less silver is needed per panel. In 2009, each solar cell required 521 milligrams of silver, but by 2019, that number had fallen to 111 milligrams.7 Continued innovations are likely to further reduce the amount of silver needed in each cell, which is referred to as "thrifting." Despite this, efforts to dramatically increase the number of solar panels in use is likely to offset any reduction in the amount of silver required in each cell.

Several regions outside the U.S. have renewable energy targets, including Europe, India, the Middle East and South America. As well, technological innovations in the solar industry may reverse thrifting due to new types of towers requiring higher levels of silver loading. The continued growth of electricity demand, renewable energy aspirations and falling costs all point to rising solar power penetration in the foreseeable future, with some projections of silver demand growing 85% to ~185 million ounces in 10 years.8

Figure 4. Historical and Forecast Solar Capacity by Region, 2006 – 2025, GW

Source: The Silver Institute & CRU Consulting, Silver's Important Role in Solar Power.

Expanding 5G Cellular Networks

President Biden has yet to take any executive actions on the buildout of 5G cellular technology, but he included it as an important point on his campaign trail. It is expected that any proposed infrastructure plan will include the promotion and expansion of 5G technology within the U.S. to ensure the country remains competitive with countries like China.

This new mobile regime will enhance nearly any technological device that we currently use, from smartphones to the Internet of Things (IoT) to vehicles. With these investments in upgraded infrastructure, technology will have to respond to 5G, placing silver in a unique position to benefit. Semiconductor ICs/chips, both within smartphones and vehicles, are used to process the frequencies 5G requires. As electronics continue to get smaller, this will require denser packaging technologies. According to The Silver Institute, such needs, whether in chips, IoT devices, vehicles, smartphones or other tools, are expected to increase annual silver demand from 7.5 million ounces today to 23 million ounces by 2030.

We would be remiss if we did not mention that the race towards 6G wireless9 is well underway, and we would not be surprised to see an even higher level of silver demand when the next generation of wireless rolls out in the future.

Implications for Supply/Demand

We just discussed three areas of growing demand for silver, potentially accounting for >125 million annual ounces in 10 years. This is a notable amount when added to the growth we are seeing in silver investment demand. At the same time, we do not see enough supply growth to offset the demand growth. Mine supply has been falling since 2016, even before last year's production shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the industry has been plagued by under investment and falling ore grades. Scrap supply has also stagnated at depressed levels.

We are likely to see a rebound in both demand and supply going forward as mines return to normal operations and economies reopen. However, we believe that supply will not keep up with growing demand as we do not see enough projects in development to generate the kind of production levels in question, at least not at current silver prices.

Our view is that the "green revolution" will be highly positive for silver.

Figure 5. Silver Price History (2010-2021) Silver broke out in May of 2020, and reached an 8-year high recently, with silver futures rising topping $30 in early February. We still have a long way to go for silver to reach its 2011 price high of $48.70.

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abangtech · 4 years

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At Apple's WWDC, old hardware may be left out in the cold – Houston Chronicle

On Monday, Apple will open its annual meeting for the developers who create apps for its iPhones, iPads and Macs. The keynote for the Worldwide Developers Conference is always exciting for fans of Apple products.

But it can also be a time of dread.

That’s because Apple is not hesitant to stop updating the operating system on its older hardware. When the new versions of the macOS and iOS are unveiled each year, there’s a good chance that some devices will be left in the dust.

I’m one of those watching WWDC 2020 – held as a virtual event this year due to the coronavirus pandemic – with trepidation because I own older Apple products that could get knocked off the “supported hardware” list.

MAJOR SHIFT: Apple expected to announce move to using its own chips in Macs

On top of that, Apple is rumored to be on the verge of a biggest change in how the guts of its machines are designed in 15 years.

My home desktop computer, a 2012 Mac mini, is the most at risk. It’s the last of Apple’s small desktop Macs with fully upgradeable memory and storage. It’s prized for this flexibility among Mac owners, so much so that prices can approach $1,000 for a loaded one on eBay and Craigslist.

This mini is the oldest Mac mini desktop supported by Catalina, Apple’s current version of macOS, but it’s still remarkably fast and capable. In fact, for day-to-day use it feels as responsive as any other new Mac I’ve tried recently.

When Apple quits supporting hardware with the newest releases of its operating systems, it doesn’t abandon those devices. They receive security and bug fixes for about three years. But they do not get the new features and improvements that come with each year’s new software. That’s when I grit my teeth, open my wallet and buy replacements.

Generally, I don’t complain. To have a desktop computer that’s eight years old and still performs well is impressive, considering the average lifespan of a PC is three to five years.

This year, though, the decision is complicated by a technology change that is expected to be revealed at WWDC . Bloomberg reported earlier this month that Apple will announce it is changing the type of main processors used in Macs.

REVIEW: Choosing between iPad, MacBook Air just got harder

Since 2005, Apple’s desktop and laptop computers have used chips made by Intel, the same type found in the vast majority of Windows PCs. Analysts who follow Apple have long believed that the company would move to processors it designs, similar to those found in its iPhones and iPads. They are based on technology licensed by a company called Arm Ltd. (originally Advanced RISC Machines). The processors are known as ARM chips.

Apple has licensed ARM technology and boosted it, making their own processors much more powerful. The latest A13 Bionic chips in the new iPhones and iPads can outrun the Intel chips used in the MacBook Air, for example. ARM-based chips use much less power than Intel’s, which means notebooks using Apple’s own chips could have dramatically better battery life.

There’s also a business reason for making this change. Intel’s chips aren’t cheap, and using its own processors would save Apple some cash. Apple also likes to control the technology it uses, from software to hardware, and using its own chips would give its products capabilities Intel’s don’t provide.

According to the Bloomberg story, Apple is expected to announce the shift next week, but the Macs that use ARM chips won’t be available until later in 2021. Developers will need time to create versions of their software that run on ARM-based Macs, and that will take time.

If this shift comes to pass, it will be the third time Apple has changed the processors in the Mac. In the shift from PowerPC to Intel, Apple included software on its Intel Macs that allowed apps written for older PowerPC systems to run seamlessly. Called Rosetta, this emulation program was discontinued a few years after its introduction as most apps had been converted over. It’s possible that Apple will use an emulator to smooth the Intel-to-ARM transition – or not.

Release Notes: Get Dwight Silverman’s weekly tech newsletter in your inbox

Regardless, it complicates the decision for those who may need a Mac now and are looking at Apple’s future plans for guidance. It’s not just a simple change of chips – by moving to the processors in its mobile devices, Apple can bring the advanced features found there to the desktop.

Just one example: Included in Apple’s iPhone architecture is a chip devoted to artificial intelligence. It already powers some important features of the iPhone and iPad, and bringing that to a desktop is intriguing.

Usually, my advice to folks wanting to buy a new computer is this: If you need it now, buy it now. Waiting for the next big thing will drive you nuts, because there will always be a “next big thing” to delay you.

This time around, I’m not so sure that’s the best approach.

[email protected]

twitter.com/dsilverman

houstonchronicle.com/techburger

Source

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perksofwifi · 5 years

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Future of Cadillac Is Electric-Only Vehicles With Real Names—but not Jolt!

Most, if not all, Cadillacs sold globally will have real names—not alphanumeric names—and be electric vehicles by 2030.

The transition from vehicles powered by internal combustion engines to sedans and crossovers running on battery power will cover the gamut from small cars to Escalade-sized SUVs, says Cadillac President Steve Carlisle.

All electric vehicles will have real names, but GM will not add Jolt to its portfolio that has included the Chevy Volt and Bolt, Carlisle promises MotorTrend. We can expect some alliteration in the future names, but they will not all start with the same letter, which is another industry naming trend.

The Escalade name will be kept in some form, but a new full-size electric SUV expected in a couple years could have a different name, Carlisle says.

At a media briefing in Detroit, Carlisle says Cadillac is wrapping up the first phase of its 10-year rejuvenation plan which focused on expanding the portfolio to fill in gaps in its crossover lineup and introducing new sedans. The icing on the cake is the 2021 Escalade, the fifth generation of the large SUV, which will be shown for the first time at an event on February 4.

Cadillac has spent $12 billion on phase one and enters the next decade with one of its strongest slates of vehicles, covering 94 percent of the market—up from about 64 percent. In other words, Cadillac now has a full roster and is ready to put some points on the board, Carlisle says.

On the utility side, there is the XT4, XT5, XT6, and Escalade. On the sedan side, the new CT5 started shipments to dealers this week and the smaller CT4 will follow next year. Both are 2020 models, but they will have a short model-year run. The refreshed CT6 remains in the lineup for now, with enough inventory to last another year. Production of the CT6 at the Hamtramck plant ceases in February.

But Cadillac’s ultimate future is one of pure electric vehicles, so vehicles with combustion engines will be phased out over time and replaced with electric counterparts.

“It is the end of the ICE age for Cadillac,” says Carlisle. The brand will be in a position to be 100 percent electric by the end of 2030.

The first electric crossover will be available in China in 2021, and the North American version will go on sale by the end of 2022. GM showed a concept of that crossover in January. They will be fruits of GM’s new electric vehicle architecture that will produce a battery-powered pickup truck in the fall of 2021 at GM’s plant in Detroit-Hamtramck.

GM plans to debut 20 new electric vehicles globally by 2023. Cadillac takes the lead because the luxury brand can better absorb the higher cost of the technology, and there is more demand among luxury buyers.

Overall, can Cadillac get back to where it needs to be? “Absolutely I believe it can,” GM CEO Mary Barra tells MotorTrend, pointing to the XT4 that entered a crowded small crossover segment and was a sales leader in the U.S. within a few months. She sees positive signs for the brand in the U.S. and globally.

Carlisle says global sales through the third quarter are up 8.8 percent, and in China, the world’s largest auto market, they are up almost 11 percent. Cadillac should end 2019 with another record global sales year, despite lost production due to a lengthy strike in the U.S.

Barra is pleased with Cadillac’s reception in China where consumers have not lived Cadillac’s history and don’t share concerns that some Americans have from the brand’s past. “It’s a bright spot in China with how well it’s doing in the luxury segment.”

While China presents the greatest opportunity, Barra says GM will continue to build the brand in the U.S. in a disciplined fashion and dealers are excited about new product, with a new vehicle launching every six months.

Despite the popularity of crossovers, Barra sees the importance of cars and likes the positioning of the new CT4 and CT5 sedans. “We do think luxury cars are a bit different than the mainstream market in the United States. Clearly cars are important in other markets around the world.” Even though crossover demand in China has hurt car sales, it is still a huge car market, especially in the luxury segments, she says. “It’s important to have the right representation.”

The post Future of Cadillac Is Electric-Only Vehicles With Real Names—but not Jolt! appeared first on MotorTrend.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/future-cadillac-electric-vehicles-real-names-not-jolt/ visto antes em https://www.motortrend.com

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phooll123 · 6 years

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car family

Elegant 2+2 XK flagship looks set to join a new F-Type in Jaguar’s sports car line-up

Hanno Kirner

by Jim Holder

21 May 2018

Plans to relaunch the Jaguar XK are gathering momentum, with the firm’s head of product strategy confirming that it is working on a proposal for a whole family of sports cars.

Hanno Kirner, who oversees product strategy for the next decade at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), told Autocar the company remains committed to the sports car segment, despite the Jaguar E-Pace and F-Pace SUVs dominating the firm’s sales. In 2017, the F-Pace accounted for two-fifths of all Jaguar sales. The XK was discontinued in 2014.

“The F-Type has been a huge success,” he said. “We love sports cars – and I use the plural quite deliberately. Whether that is delivered by a body variant or something else remains to be seen, but for now let’s just say that the body type is very important for us.”

Kirner’s comments echo those of Jaguar’s head of design, Ian Callum, who has often spoken of his personal desire to develop a family of sports cars. Last year, Callum hinted that work on a re-envisaged XK had begun when he told Autocar: “I want a two-seater [the F-Type] and a 2+2. We’re working on something now. There’s nothing approved, but we instigate in design.”

It is believed that Callum’s team completed a design concept for an XK replacement prior to the second-generation model being axed. However, the latest project is believed to be entirely new and unlikely to be launched until at least 2021.

Both Kirner’s longer-term planning role and his comments suggest the creation of a new sports car family is dependent on JLR’s next-generation platform strategy. Today’s F-Type is based on a heavily modified version of the discontinued XK’s platform and is due for replacement in around 2019. The new F-Type is expected to use a development of that architecture, which is believed to be flexible enough to be adapted back to a 2+2 layout.

“I love the idea of a flexible architecture that can give us anything,” said Kirner.

Kirner also talked up the possibility of developing future platforms to be flexible enough to accept multiple powertrain types. However, it isn’t clear if this would apply to next-gen sports cars, because it is not certain if even the latest modified underpinnings could be adapted for a plug-in hybrid powertrain’s ancillaries.

“There is an argument that says hybrid sports cars might cater for both the environment and the excitement such cars deliver,” he said. “A lot of people like the sound of an engine. That’s a fact, and it is a defining part of a sports car. “I absolutely believe that there will be electric sports cars one day, but I also believe there may be a different step of combining the battery and an engine. At Jaguar, all I can say for now is that we will continue to invest in sports cars.”

Initially, it is expected that the next F-Type – and by association the reborn XK – will be powered by JLR’s regular family of Ingenium engines. These would include the entry-level four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit with 296bhp and straight six powertrains in various states of tune. The latter engines would replace the Ford-sourced V6s, as found in the current F-Type.

Both the F-Type and the XK would likely get hot iterations along the lines of those available today, including range-topping SVR derivatives tuned by JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations division. The F-Type SVR uses a 5.0-litre V8 with 572bhp and covers 0-62mph in 3.7sec, although the extra weight of a four-seater would increase this time slightly.

Upon its launch in 2012, the F-Type was regarded as crucial to Jaguar re-establishing its credentials in the two-seat sports car market. Although overall sales have been modest in the context of the firm’s other models, they have held steady in Europe throughout the car’s lifetime and grown substantially in some markets, including the US and China.

The F-Type was also seen as critical to underpinning Jaguar’s heritage as a sports car maker prior to it branching out into the booming SUV segment. With the market set to become ever more crowded, achieving differentiation by playing to authentic brand values is increasingly viewed as critical by established car makers. Additionally, at one stage, three-quarters of sales of the F-Type convertible were to buyers who were entirely new to the Jaguar brand and, as such, the model was hailed for breaking established views of the manufacturer’s cars.

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jamesgeiiger · 6 years

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Norway sees boom in electric cars, fueled by the government

OSLO — A silent revolution has transformed driving in Norway.

Eerily quiet vehicles are ubiquitous on the fjord-side roads and mountain passes of this wealthy European nation of 5.3 million. Some 30 per cent of all new cars sport plug-in cables rather than gasoline tanks, compared with 2 per cent across Europe overall and 1-2 per cent in the U.S.

As countries around the world — including China, the world’s biggest auto market — try to encourage more people to buy electric cars to fight climate change, Norway’s success has one key driver: the government. It offered big subsidies and perks that it is now due to phase out, but only so long as electric cars remain attractive to buy compared with traditional ones.

“It should always be cheaper to have a zero emissions car than a regular car,” says Climate and Environment Minister Ola Elvestuen, who helped push through a commitment to have only sell zero-emissions cars sold in Norway by 2025. The plan supports Norway’s CO2 reduction targets under the 2015 Paris climate accord, which nations last agreed rigorous rules for to ensure emissions goals are met.

To help sales, the Norwegian government waived hefty vehicle import duties and registration and sales taxes for buyers of electric cars. Owners don’t have to pay road tolls, and get free use of ferries and bus lanes in congested city centres.

These perks are being phased out in 2021, though any road tolls and fees would be limited to half of what gasoline car owners must pay. Gradually, subsidies for electric cars will be replaced by higher taxes on traditional cars.

Registration tax on new cars is paid on a sliding scale with a premium for the amount of emissions produced. Elvestuen pledges that the incentives for electric vehicles will be adjusted in such a way that it does not scupper the 2025 target.

“What is important is that our aim is not just to give incentives,” he says. “It is that we are taxing emissions from regular cars.”

Using taxes to encourage consumers to shift to cleaner energy can be tricky for a government — protests erupted in France this autumn over a fuel tax that hurt the livelihood of poorer families, especially in rural areas where driving is often the only means of transportation.

In this sense, Norway is an outlier. The country is very wealthy after exporting for decades the kind of fossil fuels the world is trying to wean itself off of. Incomes are higher than the rest of Europe, as are prices.

Some 36 per cent of all new cars sold are SUVs, which provide safety in the country’s tough winters. Tesla’s SUV, the Model X – the motor of choice for well-to-do environmentally-minded Norwegians – costs around 900,000 Norwegian kronor ($106,000).

“Buying a Tesla model X is not much more expensive than buying a standard premium Volvo because gasoline cars are taxed heavily. That is also the reason Teslas sell well,” says Christina Bu, General Secretary of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association.

The premium gas-powered Volvo XC90 SUV, for example, starts at 919,000 kroner ($107,100) in Norway compared with $47,700 in the U.S.

To date, with its longer battery life, Tesla has dominated the upmarket family car space for electric vehicles, but more premium marques are entering the market, like the Audi Quattro e-tron. Demand is still outstripping supply, with Norwegians having to wait up to a year to get their hands on the steering wheels of their new electric vehicles.

Norway has pledged to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 40 per cent by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. The country has work to do: by 2017, emissions were up 3 per cent compared to the 1990 baseline. Cutting emissions from road transport will allow Norway to reduce the amount it has to spend buying up emissions certificates from other European countries to meet its target. The savings are likely to run into billions, potentially balancing out the cost of subsidizing electric cars.

Norway is looking to China for help in developing the market.

China has invested heavily in electric vehicles as it looks to meet its own Paris climate accord commitments, to clean up its choking cities and to get in early in a growing area of manufacturing. In October, 6 per cent of new cars were electric, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, up almost 50 per cent from a year earlier. The market has huge growth potential, experts say, and like Norway, the market boom has relied on government incentives.

The hope in Norway is that the sheer size of China’s market will encourage the industry to develop the technology more quickly — improving battery life, for example — and force down prices.

Experts say the electric vehicle market needs to develop more for sales to keep growing.

Battery life on smaller vehicles is slim and the resale market is untested. Fast battery charging points are slow compared with gasoline pumps, and on Norway’s often empty mountain roads, these points are uneconomical despite government subsidies for the private companies that set them up.

Even in city centres, construction of such points has not kept pace with sales. At one station in Oslo, a Tesla driver cracks open his laptop while his car charges. Another, Ida Vihovde, drums her fingers as she waits for a charging station to free up.

“If the government put up more of these it would be OK,” she says beside her electric VW Golf. “Right now there are no more chargers so I have to sit and wait.”

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Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.

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