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Comment Would probably be fine... (Score 1) 54

The CO2 should have to escape through whatever opening is created, and ripstop is pretty standard for this sort of thing, keeping openings small. A venting liquid CO2 tank would be limited by evaporation.
The danger zone would depend on the size of the hole, but like old CO2 fire extinguishers, CO2 tends to disburse fast, and the lethal range for it is drastically higher than things like carbon monoxide, ammonia, and such.
Plus, think of the future! An EV would operate just fine, and a couple minutes would get you out of danger.

Comment Re:battery? (Score 1) 54

It is a closed loop system. Smallish tanks for the liquid co2, great big football field or larger dome for gaseous CO2. Website does not have dimensions, I'd guess the dome varies in size based on total energy desired.
As such, it is like worrying about the inner loop water in a nuclear reactor. Since you theoretically only need that initial charge, it rounds to zero per unit of energy over time.

Comment Closed cycle (Score 1) 54

Reading the site page, it is closed cycle. The big gas dome holds more or less atmosphere temperature and pressure CO2. There are one or more tanks holding relatively non-cryogenic liquid CO2.
When there is excess power, pumps liquify CO2 into the tanks. When power is demanded, evaporating CO2 goes through a turbine to produce power, then into the dome.
Water is used, most likely to cool the freshly compressed CO2, and warm expanded CO2 after the turbine.

Comment Re:Must not be in the USA (Score 1) 151

Larger battery is still massively expensive if the goal is occasional towing. The increased energy demand for towing today makes it less a question of expense and more one of being able to make the trip. One idea I've had is placing extra batteries I the trailer.
Right now batteries are still expensive and production limited. A hybrid actually conserves more gasoline and oil for a given amount of battery.
Same deal with Semis, really, get the in city daily drivers where stop and go traffic gives them the best competitive advantage over diesel. As familiarity spreads and people accept them for longer range operations, just keep expanding.

Comment Re:Must not be in the USA (Score 1) 151

Ah, another difference in language use. I forgot to specify 'pickup trucks', which are the vehicles with an attached open bed. Overwhelmingly owned by private citizens in the USA.
They are mostly used just like cars here, though online they all insist they're towing a trailer off road 2000 miles every weekend, that is why they need a 'truck'.
The extra power demand for fast charging the larger beast, demand for towing range, and tremote operation means hybrid is the best option at the moment. Or at least should be a common option.
Trucking businesses would be operating 'semis', which have the boot in back to take a trailer.
Making them EV is complicated because the size means fast charging is a huge power draw, the infrastructure is not there. So EV for the in-city daily shorthaul stuff, where it is parked in the same lot every night. Long haul can stay diesel for nonaval.
Self driving might change stuff up more.

Comment Pick your poison (Score 4, Informative) 62

The problem with this is that google is often the alternative and can be just as bad.
There's a documented case out there where during COVID, when doctor's offices were mostly shut down, where the parents ended up taking a picture of the baby's rash (yes, in that area), and emailing it to the doctor's office.

Somehow Google's automated child porn detection systems flagged this, it was reported to the police who opened an investigation, then closed the file when it was realized that: 1. It was sent to a pediatrician office, 2. Yes, baby had a rash, 3. It was COVID, so office working remotely. This worked long enough for the family to get the appropriate cream for the baby, but google also closed down the man's accounts and marked him as a nasty banned pedophile.
I never did hear if he got that resolved.

Comment Re:Must not be in the USA (Score 1) 151

Very much not in the USA confirmed.

Okay, 50% of the battery is sort of true - though 60-70% can be standard. Charging doesn't typically slow because you've charged the battery 50% of it's capacity, it is because charging slows at around 80% total charge, depending on exact chemistry. IE it slows not after charging 50% in a single session, but upon reaching ~80% full.

10% to 80% is going to take longer than from 10% to 50%, but it will still be fast. It's just that that extra 30% isn't going to allow skipping the next charging station, so why bother?

As such, only needing 50% more charging sessions, is still possible. By math it'd actually be closer to 30%.

Now, if you look at an unladed truck with 500 miles range vs a 300 mile EV, that's where you start needing to stop a lot more often, but again, remember I'm advocating trucks be hybrids and cars going EV first.

Comment Destination chargers (Score 1) 151

Your mentioning having slow chargers at destinations, such as offices, is actually a potential solution to apartments being slow about installing charging capacity, or being too expensive about it.
Have people charge at work, not home, in such cases.
The workplace will probably want reasonable rates, many already cover parking for their employees, and with solar power ever expanding, daytime power might actually become cheaper than nighttime.
For areas with actual parking lots, imagine covering the lot with solar panels. Help keep cars cool and clean, not snow covered, etc... While charging them up.
Might not work as well in the extreme north, but not all of the USA is that far north.

Comment Must not be in the USA (Score 1) 151

I don't remember the last time I visited a gas station in the United States that didn't have pay at the pump available. I'm sure there are some janky stations out there, but not many.

Plus, at least in the USA, refueling one of our 300 mile ranged EVs is only maybe 50% more often than a gasoline vehicle - you don't want to go under 10% in a gasoline vehicle anyways, but while full is not a problem with ICE, with an EV you probably want to stick to around 80% most of the time to avoid the charging slowdown (upcoming tech may change this). 30% is probably closer. IE if you need to fill up 10 times with an ICE vehicle on a trip, with an EV it'd be 13 charging stops.

Plus or minus some accounting for placement of towns and charging/fuel stations.

That's only about 60 miles difference,

Comment Called it - Politicians backing off (Score 4, Insightful) 151

I've said before that the upcoming bans were more aspirational than effective, placed far enough in the future that when things didn't go as rosy as predicted (which itself should be predictable), that they'd modify them.
Examples include:
1. Expanding the qualifying vehicles, like including HEVs in the same category as EVs
2. Pushing deadlines back
3. Lowering percentages.

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