Notes From All Over, Monday Morning Memorial Day -- Mid-Morning Edition -- May 25, 2020

It's possible I'm misreading this story but if accurate it validates all those earlier stories that the "Tesla battery" was unsafe at any speed, to coin a phrase. LOL.

Despite the perception that tethered vehicles already have a too-limited range, apparently the industry is going to substitute safety for range.

From ArgusMedia (caution: acronym overload follows)

Chinese auto manufacturer BYD and US EV producer Tesla have released all-electric vehicles that use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.

BYD has released the Qin and Qin Pro, which has a driving range of 300 miles. The driving range for Qin was undisclosed.

Tesla has released a new model for its Model 3 series, with more details unavailable, according to the latest declaration catalogue issued by China's ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT).

MIIT's declaration catalogue includes 12 new energy vehicles (NEVs) that use LFP batteries, accounting for 24 percent of a total of 49 NEVs.

Suppliers of the LFP batteries are: BYD, CATL, Gotion High-Tech, Penghui, Anchi New Energy and Suzhou KeYi New Power.

BYD will also provide LFP batteries to GAC and Changan Ford, in addition to feeding its own EV production.

LFP batteries are promoted as having better safety performance and lower average costs, although its energy density and EV driving ranges are shorter than nickel-cobalt-manganese/nickel-cobalt-aluminium (NCM/NCA) batteries. Many Chinese producers have put more effort into developing LFP batteries amid lower government subsidies.

I know a lot of millennials will wonder where the acronym LFP for lithium-iron-phosphate batteries came from but we'll leave that for another day.

**********************************

A Sophia Story

My wife re-told this story. I had not heard it before.

When Sophie was about two and half years old, her family visited us in San Pedro, CA, at Christmas, where my wife's "ancestral" home was located.

Sophia and her family had flown to Los Angeles from Texas, but then drove the long trip from southern California to Portland, OR, without many breaks, to visit aunt Laura and her husband Tim.

Following their visit, and on their way to skiing, Sophia's family was preparing to get back into their rental yet again when Sophie refused to get into the car. She had had enough driving around.

Her dad told Sophia to get in the car immediately or walk!

Sophie started walking away. Aunt Laura heard her mutter, “I want a new family!”