Tag Archives: News

Truck Tech: “2020 Nikola Badger” Electric Pickup Will Have 600 Mile Range

Nikola Badger LogoThe Badger was designed to handle 0-100 mph launches with minimal loss of performance and to operate on grades up to 40% through advanced software blending of batteries and fuel-cell. With a fully loaded trailer and combined vehicle weight of 18,000 lbs., the Badger will be able to launch from a standstill on a 30% grade without motor stall.

PHOENIX, AZ (February 10, 2020) — Nikola Corporation is excited to announce the product launch of the Nikola Badger electric pickup truck with an estimated range of 600 miles.

Unlike anything on the market, the advanced electric pickup is designed to target and exceed every electric or petrol pickup in its class. The Badger is engineered to deliver 980 ft. lbs. of torque, 906 peak HP and 455 continuous HP. The Badger will be built in conjunction with another OEM utilizing their certified parts and manufacturing facilities.

Nikola Badger Electric Hydrogen Truck Specifications February 10 2020

The electric pickup is designed to handle what a construction company could throw at it and is engineered to outperform all electric pickup trucks on the market in both continuous towing, HP and range. The Badger will be outfitted with a 15-kilowatt power outlet for tools, lights and compressors, which is enough power to assist a construction site for approximately 12 hours without a generator.

“Nikola has billions worth of technology in our semi-truck program, so why not build it into a pickup truck?” said Trevor Milton, CEO, Nikola Corporation. “I have been working on this pickup program for years and believe the market is now ready for something that can handle a full day’s worth of work without running out of energy. This electric truck can be used for work, weekend getaways, towing, off-roading or to hit the ski slopes without performance loss. No other electric pickup can operate in these temperatures and conditions.”

Nikola Badger Hydrogen and Electric Truck Interior February 10 2020

Heavy D, a reality TV star from the “Diesel Brothers,” has partnered with Nikola to design, build and test the Badger in real world environments, which is anticipated to attract millions of viewers and followers through the process. The partnership will follow the Badger build from concept through production.

“My audience, hard-core truck enthusiasts, has expected me to push the limits of truck power and capabilities since my beginnings,” said Heavy D, AKA Dave Sparks. “Being able to pull back the curtain of a production truck build is a rare opportunity where we can include the everyday truck owner to participate in the final outcome of design, exterior choices and performance specs. I wanted to be part of that story and now I have the opportunity with Nikola.”

“The Nikola Badger is a game changer. The program will help drive down the cost of the fuel-cell components on our semi-truck while accelerating the hydrogen station rollout. Giving customers the option to order a fuel-cell or battery electric version will ensure we drive the cost down for everyone across our lineup,” said Mark Russell, president of Nikola Corporation.

The Nikola Badger will make its first appearance at Nikola World 2020 in Phoenix. Prototypes will be available for select customers and media to ride in at Nikola World.

You can see more details at www.nikolamotor.com/badger.

Politics: James Pindell And Lauren Chooljian On New Hampshire Primary

New Hampshire Public Radio’s Lauren Chooljian and James Pindell of the Boston Globe join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news ahead of the New Hampshire Democratic primary, including voters’ levels of excitement and indecision, which candidates have momentum after the confusing Iowa caucuses and President Trump’s objective with rallying in New Hampshire the night before the election.

Trends: “Nuro” Receives First Self-Driving Delivery Vehicle Exemption (USDOT)

From a Nuro online Blog news release (February 6, 2020):

Nuro.ai logoToday, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) approved a regulatory exemption for R2, Nuro’s second-generation vehicle. As the first company to be granted approval for a self-driving vehicle exemption, it’s an important moment for Nuro and a milestone for the industry. Under Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao’s leadership, DOT is advancing a future of improved safety, mobility, and commerce.

Nuro Self-Driving Delivery Vehicle compartments open

This decision provides regulatory certainty for Nuro to operate our second-generation self-driving vehicle, built to carry packages instead of people. We custom-designed R2 to enrich local commerce with last-mile delivery of consumer products, groceries, and hot food from local stores and restaurants. With its specially designed size, weight, pedestrian-protecting front end, operating speed, electric propulsion, and cautious driving habits, R2 is ready to begin service as a socially responsible neighborhood vehicle that you can trust. In the coming weeks, R2 will begin public road testing to prepare for its first deliveries to customers’ homes with our partners in Houston, Texas. With this vehicle, we can also bring our service to new cities, so more Americans can benefit from safe, efficient, convenient on-demand deliveries.

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Arts: “2019 International Landscape Photographer Of The Year” Awards

 

2019 International Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards

From website: Congratulations to Oleg Ershov, Russian Federation, the International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2019!

And to all the other winners and, most importantly, all the Top 101 photographers! It was a huge year and one of the toughest yet – the quality continues to get better and better!

The prize winners are:

  • Oleg Ershov, Russian Federation, the International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2019
  • 光 杨 (Yang Guang), China, The International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2019 – Second Place
  • Blake Randall, Canada, The International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2019 – Third Place

2019 International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2nd Place Awards

2019 International Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards Book
See Photos in Book

 

Top New Science Podcasts: Academics’ Out-Of-Office Emails, Greenest Oranges And Baby Talk (Nature)

Nature PodcastsHear the latest from the world of science, brought to you by Benjamin Thompson and Nick Howe. This week, how setting an out-of-office email could help promote a kinder academic culture.

In this episode:

00:47 Being truly out of office

Last year, a viral tweet about emails sparked a deeper conversation about academics’ work-life-balance. Could email etiquette help tip the balance? Careers Article: Out of office replies and what they can say about you

09:35 Research Highlights

Finding the ‘greenest’ oranges, and the benefits of ‘baby talk’. Research Article: Bell and HorvathResearch Highlight: Babies benefit when Mum and Dad are fluent in ‘baby talk’

12:06 News Chat

Updates on the novel coronavirus, assessing Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and the potential impacts of Brexit on UK research. News: Coronavirus: latest news on spreading infection; News: How quickly can Iran make a nuclear bomb?News: Brexit is happening: what does it mean for science?

Podcast Interviews: Dean Baquet, 63-Year Old NY Times Executive Editor

The Daily New York Times PodcastWith voting for 2020 set to begin in Iowa on Monday, “The Daily” sat down with Dean Baquet, the executive editor of The New York Times, to discuss the lessons he — and the organization — learned from 2016. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

The media’s coverage of the 2016 presidential campaign has come to be criticized for operating under three key assumptions: that Hillary Clinton was certain to be the Democratic nominee, that Donald Trump was unlikely to be the Republican nominee, and that once Clinton and Trump had become their party’s nominees, she would win.

Dean P. Baquet is an American journalist. He has been the executive editor of The New York Times since May 14, 2014. Between 2011 and 2014 Baquet was managing editor under the previous executive editor Jill Abramson. He is the first black American to serve as executive editor. Wikipedia

Future Of Trucks: The “GMC Hummer EV” Will Be Revealed In May 2020

GMC Hummer LogoThe all-electric First Ever GMC HUMMER EV leads a quiet revolution – with zero emissions and zero limits. It earns its super truck status with up to:

  • 1000 HORSEPOWER

  • 11,500 LB.-FT OF TORQUE

  • 0-60 MPH IN 3 SECONDS

Website

Studies: Irregular Sleep Disrupts Pancreatic “Circadian Rhythms”, Leading To Type 2 Diabetes

From a Technology Networks online article:

Technology NetworksBy comparing the pancreatic cells of type 2 diabetic human donors with those of healthy people, researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and at the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), Switzerland, were able to demonstrate, for the first time, that the pancreatic islet cells derived from the Type 2 Diabetic human donors bear compromised circadian oscillators.

The disruption of the circadian clocks was concomitant with the perturbation of hormone secretion. Moreover, using clock modulator molecule dubbed Nobiletin, extracted from lemon peel, the researchers succeeded in “repairing” the disrupted cellular clocks and in partial restoring of the islet cell function. These results, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, provide a first insight into innovative approach for diabetes care.

PNAS Pancreatic Islets from type 2 diabetes

Read full study

The circadian clock system (from Latin “circa diem”, about a day) allows the organisms to anticipate periodical changes of geophysical time, and to adjust to these changes. Nearly all the cells in our body comprise molecular clocks that regulate and synchronize metabolic functions to a 24-hour cycle of day-night changes.

Today, increasing evidence show that disturbances in our internal clocks stemming from frequent time zone changes, irregular working schedules or ageing, have a significant impact on the development of metabolic diseases in human beings, including type-2 diabetes. Such disturbances seem to prevent the proper functioning of the cells in the pancreatic islet that secrete insulin and glucagon, the hormones that regulate blood sugar levels.

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Future Of Driving: Testing Electric-Vehicles In Four Countries (WSJ Video)

Dozens of new electric-vehicle models are expected to arrive at dealerships in the next few years. We followed eight Wall Street Journal reporters in four countries to see if they, and the world, are ready to make the switch.