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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 13th, 2023

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  • The rules announced this week would update the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), the government’s bible for everything that’s required in a new vehicle before it’s sold — from steering wheels to rearview mirrors — to set testing procedures to simulate head-to-hood impact, with the aim of reducing head injuries. If enacted, automakers will have to test their vehicles using crash test dummies representing adult and child pedestrians for the first time. NHTSA says the changes could save up to 67 lives every year.

    And they expect people to stop making trucks because of pedestrian crash testing? Seems unlikely.

    At least this isn’t relying on sensors or some other nonsense. Though it might be nice to require things like visibility requirements so people driving Rams could actually see the children they’re flattening.












  • A flex outlet is a type of electrical socket that allows you to wire high-powered appliances straight into your walls. Boilers, water heaters, and other electrical unit that require a continuous power source, would be wired through a flex outlet. Flex outlets are often used in a situation where a plug socket would be difficult to access. Or with appliances that do not come with a 13A plug socket as standard.

    [source]

    Still not sure I really get why this exists, but okay.



  • Of course, it’s not solely leg power that drives the 270-lb (122-kg) Intelectra truck-cycle forward. In fact, leg power doesn’t drive it directly at all.

    Instead, the rider’s pedaling power gets converted into up to 250 Watts of electrical power by a generator between the cranks. This nominally charges the 1,400-Wh+ battery that directs power to the pair of 125-W rear hub motors. The rider’s pedaling strength and cadence control the motor output via an intelligent multi-controller system so that pedaling harder still makes the quad move faster, but it’s all electronically operated.

    How in the hell is that efficient?

    The standard Intelectra does not include a throttle for non-pedaled acceleration, and thus classifies as a pedelec bike with a top speed of 15.5 mph (25 km/h). Dynamic Drives says that it can equip the rig with a throttle for customers who request one, but that pushes it into the electric scooter category, requiring registration, license plates and a driver’s license to operate legally.

    Yeah, the pedals have got to be solely due to regulations.