Watch32 - Watch Movies on Watch32.com - Watch32 is the Biggest Library of free Full Movies. Watch 32 Movies Online. No Matter What Happens To Tesla, The Model S Is An Amazing Machine“You park it,” the brusque, fifty- something attendant told me as he stared down a Tesla Model S. As far as I could tell, this Brooklyn parking garage had a simple protocol: drivers leave their keys with the attendant on- duty, thereby allowing them to find whatever spot fits into the Tetris- like equation that New York City garages compute on a daily basis. Not this time. I was driving a $1. Tesla Model S P1. D—and, clearly, the car was still a novelty for him as much as it was for me. The weird thing about the road trip of the future is that it’s much more like the road trips we…Read more Read. One of the biggest stories in the auto industry right now is Tesla’s launch of the Model 3, a $3. It’s the culmination of Tesla’s months- long ascent led by CEO Elon Musk, a champion of electric powertrains and autonomy as a way of the future for the motor vehicle, if not the world. Until now, Tesla’s pursued that mission primarily through its current and expensive vehicles, the Model S sedan and Model X crossover. And the introduction of its Autopilot feature in 2. The thing is, not all is sunshine and rainbows in the world of Tesla. Its future is far from certain. The Model 3 is a make- or- break vehicle for Tesla. If it successfully brings the electric sedan into the mainstream, it’d likely cement the company’s status permanently. Or, its failure will help sink Tesla entirely. In a way, at least part of that reality can be attributed to Musk, a freewheeling billionaire who spouts off whatever thought he desires on Twitter, leaving his barebones communications staff to the chore of responding and clarifying his remarks. He’s a pariah of sorts in that, despite facing similar accusations found within his colleagues and competitors, Musk comes across as virtually invincible. As Tesla fanatics would put it, he’s a super- genius of sorts, a person who wants to build reusable rockets and fast cars that emit zero emissions. Yet Musk’s reputation for over- promising several on Tesla goals has also created such a frenzied perception of the company, from financial analysts to everyday observers, that we actually applaud when the automaker meets a benchmark—even if it still fails to align with the CEO’s intentions. Model 3 production is beginning on time, but Tesla won’t produce nearly as many of the vehicles this year as it previously estimated.) Even if the Model 3 ends up being a disaster, plagued by quality issues that were evident in Tesla’s other vehicles, the Model S should be remembered as an incredible shot in the dark; a vehicle that, when finely- tuned, is something to behold. The company’s consistent unveiling of product launches before they’re perfected evidently winds up treating owners more or less as beta testers, a pratice that could eventually put Tesla into legal trouble, as well. And, in public, Musk seems to find it impossible to grasp with the possibility that Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California, could unionize, a renewed effort that began earlier this year, after an employee went public with complaints about workplace injuries and pay. Privately, that could be different. A former Tesla executive previously mused to me that the automaker’s leadership has what’s perhaps an unrivaled fear in the industry of a successful union drive.) But even if the Model 3 ends up being a disaster, plagued by quality issues that were evident early on in Tesla’s other vehicles, the Model S should be remembered as an incredible shot in the dark; a vehicle that, when finely- tuned, is something to behold. So to better understand what’s driven the company to surprisingly become one of the two most valuable carmakers in the U. S., I wanted to test the vehicle that brought it to the top. That’s why, on a recent trip from New York City to Michigan, I drove a Model S P1. D to have the full experience of a Tesla, from charging at a Supercharger station to simply gleaning what Rust Belt folks think of the industrywide push toward electric vehicles. Sure, I was provided a pristine, press- fleet vehicle, but what this come- from- nothing company has achieved is truly memorable. Yes It’s Fast. Coming equipped with a 1. Wh lithium- ion battery and dual motors, the Model S specs are spot- on: 7. I know we’ve said before that the 0- 6. Michiganders drive like garbage, so it was nice to easily weave in and out of traffic and have a confident time making yields onto the freeway. When Faraday Future showed off their FF 9. CES earlier this year, there was really only one…Read more Read. We weren’t able to punch the throttle much until hitting northern Michigan, where two- lane highways devoid of traffic are prevalent. Every time we went for it, it felt like we’d be thrown back into our seats like a roller coaster. The barely noticeable engine whirr made the super- fast acceleration all the more impressive. My girlfriend’s mom, sitting in the front, kept her remarks simple: “Oh myyyyyy,” as the car sped ahead.Another relative aired a remark echoed by many: “Wow, that went straight to my head.” The lightning- fast rates didn’t make travel at low- speeds a headache; the Model S handles winding roads in Pennsylvania and side streets in northern Michigan with ease.Knowing I was loaned a top- notch Model S, quality issues weren’t present. . The car’s spectacularly comfortable to relax in, and the black trim with black wheels in particular made for a striking look up close.It’s about as sleek as you’d expect a $1.Charging, But Not For 1.Hour Drives. My girlfriend’s family, and mine, delivered an expected set of questions about the car’s ability to stay alive for a trip. Range anxiety” is the common refrain when discussing the still- fledgling electric vehicle market, and Tesla’s Model S P1. D claims to handle 3. For a one- way trip from NYC to Detroit, that makes for a far- more palatable route, even when you factor in the 3. Supercharger station. That is, if you plan the trip over two days. A Tesla rep warned me ahead of the drive to expect a much longer trip because we have to charge, so I thought I was well- prepared. In my head, I figured, NYC to Detroit with a gas engine can be tackled in 1. In the Model S, it ended up being a 1. Manhattan. Luckily, the car wasn’t cramped, despite the large battery pack inside. Quite the opposite, in fact, as that’s all crammed into the floor. There was enough space in the trunk for a couple overnight bags, and a few miscellaneous bags of snacks, books, and dog toys. If you’re unsure how spacious a Model S is, know my dog thought it was just fine, thank you very much. She had plenty of room to sprawl out. With charging, unless you’re actively seeking to travel coast- to- coast as fast as trip possible—and most drivers aren’t—the Model S didn’t make for an easy long- distance trek. It’s undeniably capable—few drive more than 1. And despite loading up a full charge and the reader say I had 3. I can see that in particular being a nuisance for newcomers. Tesla’s mapping system lays out a number of suggested Supercharger stations along a trip, with an estimate of how much battery life would remain by the time you arrive, as well as how long you’d need to charge to make the next stop. But, for instance, it didn’t seem to take into consideration the hilly drive through Pennsylvania, which eviscerated the battery life and necessitated an extra charging stop. Again, for someone who expects this sort of thing, it wasn’t too much of a hurdle to overcome—but Tesla’s looking to rope in the Average Joe Carbuyer, and if the car says they’ll get 3. It’s hard to understate how impressive Autopilot is when it’s deployed—in conditions with pristine infrastructure.(Tesla’s owner’s manual explains that the charging calculation is an “estimate” based on driving and environmental factors, including predicted speed and elevation changes. The energy usage is monitored throughout the trip and “updates the calculation as needed.”)Anyway, an EV makes for a mentally challenging long- distance trip. By the fourth stop to charge, I was over it and ready to be off the road, even though a Supercharger can impressively charge the vehicle in as little as 2. Tech Is Great, But Shows How Much Still Needs To Be Done. Tesla has faced immense criticism since Autopilot debuted in 2. Tesla itself seemed to anticipate. The fatal crash that left Tesla owner Joshua Brown dead brought about numerous government investigations, including one that remains ongoing. Mazda’s ‘Holy Grail’ Of Gasoline Engines Is Completely Fascinating. Mazda’s hotly anticipated SKYACTIV- X Spark Controlled Compression Ignition engine has been described as the “Holy Grail” of gasoline motors—something with diesel- like fuel economy, but far better efficiency. I went to Germany to talk to Mazda’s extremely nerdy engineers, and before I actually drove the thing, here’s what I learned.(Full Disclosure: Mazda wanted me to drive their SKYACTIV- X prototype, so the company flew me to Frankfurt, Germany, put a nice roof over my head, and fed me delicious foods whose names had more umlauts and Scharfes S’s than I could count.)Mazda brought executive officers, VPs and managers from its powertrain, vehicle development, and research and development teams to explain to journalists how the SKYACTIV- X Spark Controlled Compression Ignition engine works, and why it matters. In addition, Mazda discussed its all- new platform, which is where we’ll start before jumping into the exciting SPCCI engine goodness. The New Platform. Despite having driven some prototype next- generation Mazda. Frankfurt, I can’t really say much about its improvement over the outgoing bones. But the main points executive manager of vehicle development Hiroyuki Matsumoto stressed when talking about the new structure dealt with refinement. Matsumoto said that, in its effort to improve a driving feeling they call Jinba Ittai (“Connection between horse and rider”), the company studied the human gait to establish a “platform that optimizes human ability to balance.”Part of that involved designing the seat supports to “maintain natural S- curve of the spinal column by the erection of the driver’s pelvis” (you can see that below). Mazda also designed a new seat structure that’s apparently able to quickly and “smoothly transmit the energy input from vehicle body to the driver’s pelvis.”On top of that, Matsumoto told journalists that the body has been stiffened to reduce the transient response time between the input load on one damper, and the response load at the damper in the opposite corner. Mazda does this by using what it calls “ring structures” (shown in the dotted green circles below): The engineer also mentioned suspension and tire changes aimed at smoothly controlling energy transfer from the wheel to the body, as well as NVH changes like the 1. Ultimately, Mazda’s main points when discussing the new platform seemed to revolve around driver comfort, with emphasis on ride quality, noise, and the way the car communicates inputs to the driver’s ass. Unfortunately, I didn’t spend enough time in the prototype to really assess how much better this platform is than the last. We’ll have to wait for a long- term test for that. The Benefits Of Compression Ignition. To understand the whole point behind Mazda’s new gasoline compression engine tech, let’s look at the seven factors the company works on to increase internal combustion engine efficiency (shown on the left of the graphic below). They are: compression ratio, specific heat ratio, combustion period, combustion timing, heat transfer to the wall, differential pressure between intake and exhaust, and mechanical friction. Improving these attributes theoretically leads towards the “ideal” internal combustion engine, and SKYACTIV- X takes a number of steps in the right direction. Higher Compression Ratio And Specific Heat Ratio. Mazda mentions in its presentation that combustion engine efficiency is related to compression ratio and the intake charge’s specific heat ratio via the equation above. In other words, cranking up compression ratio and specific heat ratios yields better efficiency. SKYACTIV- G, Mazda’s current generation of gasoline engine technology, used a clever exhaust system, a piston cavity, and a high- pressure fuel system with multi- hole injectors to prevent knocking and to allow for a ridiculously high 1. SKYACTIV- X, a compression ignition engine, cranks that figure up to between 1. As for bumping up that specific heat ratio (“k”) value, Mazda says running the engine lean and decreasing its combustion temperature takes care of that. We know that k for air is about 1. That means the more air you can put into that air: fuel charge, the higher that overall k value, and thus the greater the efficiency. Decreased combustion temperatures are a result of lean burn (and indeed, why NOx emissions are so low for this type of engine). The benefit, Mazda shows in the plot above, is that the lower combustion temperatures mean less energy is lost “to molecular vibrations and decomposition.” Thus, a lower combustion temperature yields a higher k, which—again—means better efficiency. Combustion Period And Timing. Aside from the higher compression ratio and specific heat ratio it allows, compression ignition engines tend to burn their lean mixtures thoroughly and rapidly. This means energy from combustion can be more efficiently translated into work done on the piston, whereas spark ignition engines tend to involve a significant time delay associated with flame propagation. Pumping Losses And Heat Loss Through Cylinders. The other two areas where a lean compression engine can yield significant efficiency benefits is in cooling losses and throttling losses. The first is fairly straightforward, as lower combustion temperatures mean less heat transferred to the cylinder walls. The second has to do with the fact that a leaner air/fuel mixture means there’s more air required for a given torque level. This—along with strategic use of EGR, variable valve timing and a supercharger to control airflow into the cylinder— means the throttle plate can be held fully open more often than on a standard gasoline engine. So instead of trying to suck air through a restrictive throttle plate, air can flow easily into the cylinders. Mazda says this also has the added benefit of improved throttle response, since there’s no longer a delay in trying to fill the intake plenum. Emissions. Mazda’s new technology also promises reduced emissions, which is a big deal, since Dieselgate is putting a huge damper on compression engines. With internal combustion engines, oxides of nitrogen tend to rise with a higher air: fuel ratio up to a point. Above that point, NOx output drops (as you can see from this plot). Since Mazda’s new engine usually runs at a lambda (fuel: air ratio relative to stoichiometric) of at least 1. NOx output is rather low, and can therefore forgo expensive emissions equipment. Carbon emissions, too, are reduced with SPCCI due to its higher fuel efficiency. How Mazda’s SPCCI System Works, Exactly. A gasoline compression ignition engine isn’t exactly a new concept. In fact, if you go back an entire decade, you’ll see that General Motors even had prototype Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition engines (with spark assist) ready for journalists to drive around the test track. Why, then, is everyone getting excited about Mazda’s gasoline compression engine when we’ve been hearing about similar technologies for years? The answer comes down to how Mazda’s controlling combustion. The two main issues that Mazda says have impeded the proliferation of gasoline compression engines are: 1. The limited zone in which compression ignition is possible and 2. The rough transition between compression and spark ignition. What Mazda has done to solve these problems is devise a system called Spark Controlled Compression Ignition, SPCCI, a strategy in which a spark plug creates a “fire ball,” which acts to compress the homogeneous mixture of air/inert EGR gases and fuel to incite compression ignition. Here’s another look from the top of the cylinder look: The spark plug itself isn’t able to create this fireball with a lean mixture. So what Mazda has done is positioned a fuel injector close to the plug. That high- pressure injector initially shoots small amounts of fuel into the cylinder during the intake stroke. That fuel mixes with a cyclone of air from the intake (which is fed from a supercharger and cooled EGR—both of which can be precisely controlled) to create a homogeneous lean mixture around the periphery. During the compression stroke, a certain amount of fuel is injected into the “eye” of the lean vortex (an amount based on engine load), and spark is precisely timed to light the rich fireball, which then ignites the lean mixture around it—and voila!
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