The Milk Float Thread

Indeed, a lot going on. Did they factor in the co2 produced in petrol production, what about the particulates and other pollutions.

If they ever come into my price range, I would have a Tesla.

ah got it . this is from bbc site

High levels of lithium were indentified in the water in Cornish mines in the 19th Century, but there was no market for it at that time.

The government plans to ban new petrol and diesel cars from 2040, raising the prospect of a huge increase in demand for lithium.

In January, Cornish Lithium said it had reached a mineral rights agreement with Canadaā€™s Strongbow Exploration, which bought South Crofty tin mine on Pool in 1998.

Strongbow Exploration will get royalties from any lithium extracted by Cornish Lithium.

The metal would be extracted by drilling at least 400m (1,300ft) into rock and pumping out lithium-laden water.

Most lithium is produced in South America, Australia and China, but the UK government has earmarked it as a metal of strategic importance to the country

I reckon youā€™d get plenty of lithium out of Stronzetto.

1 Like

Is Lithium here to stay for batteries? I only ask as i thought that was essentially the result of research done in the 70s/80s. Surely the next generation of battery will make a substantial step change in performance (ie bloody usable in a car!) and new materials may be on the cards.

Iā€™m not sure chemistry works like that. The fact that there is a demand for superbatterium to exist isnā€™t enough to ensure that it will actually pop into existence (more importantly, will pop into existence at an economic cost).

Photovoltaic cells are a lesson here. Silicon was established as quite a good material decades ago - cells made from it can be as much as 20% efficient and it is plentiful and cheap. The enormously valuable semiconductor market meant that weā€™d worked out how to refine it in bulk too. It turns out that other materials are ā€˜betterā€™ - gallium arsenide for example can be 37% efficient. Weā€™ve known this for decades. But gallium is rare and arsenic is a bitch to handle safely. Not much GaAs is made so we havenā€™t bootstrapped ourselves to a point where we can mass produce it. As a result practically the only people who can afford GaAs cells are NASA, who put them on the Mars rovers for use where sunlight is scarce, power is everything and cost is essentially no object. GaAs seems to be one of those things of which itā€™s said ā€œItā€™s the material of tomorrow. It always has been and it always will be.ā€. In the meantime the earth is becoming covered in silicon solar cells.

VB

Doubt if itā€™s for batteries, another few years of Johnson & May and the population (or at least 48% of it) will be mainlining lithium for manic depression.

2 Likes

Hopefully more interesting than Formula E :roll_eyes:

Formula E, kill it now. Dull as a massively dull thing painted dull grey.

2 Likes

Yes, itā€™s really awful.

1 Like

needs some dolly birds to perk it up a bit.

ā€œā€¦ 10 races around the world ā€¦ā€.

Brilliant, but itā€™s been done

VB

1 Like

New Leaf looks strong.

2 Likes
6 Likes

Few bumps in the road coming up for Tesla. Good article.

1 Like

Iā€™ll be all over autonomous cars for sure, but I agree that itā€™s still early days. There were some traffic lights out just up the road from me recently, would it deal with both the over-tentative and the scheissewagen ā€œstraight through at 40 without touching the brakesā€?

Until many/most cars have substantial driver assist systems, there will always be plenty of nagging doubts.

The fastest milk float in the West. Anyone got Ā£189k to lend me?

3 Likes

I want one, Ā£190K seems good value given the performance. 0-100 in 4.4 seconds :open_mouth:

1 Like

Wantonetoo :flushed:

Totally, gorgeously, wantonly bonkers !

Lol Ā£190k upfront, delivery based on the current 3 series production rateā€¦ 2027?? :joy: