Emergency Power

Packer said:
Where to start. Detente with China seems like a way forward to turn SA into a place where you want to stay and raise your family. You want to avoid civil war, improve leadership, discipline the ANC morons and yet at the same time give them [ANC] what they want (Chinese socialist policies). They have an unemployed and unemployable electorate and the pressure is mounting to pull finger and do something. They will never in a million years function under capitalism.

Dangle the bait of Richard’s Bay to the Chinese. A portal into Africa and a huge, undeveloped harbour to exploit with rapid loading infrastructure already in place (RBC) Presently devoted to coal, it would be a simple technical tweak to load Chinese ships with minerals for them to sail through Chinese dominated waters to China. As a bonus they can implement the maritime dimension of their ‘New Silk Road’ megaproject. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/building-new-silk-road.

The Chinese cannot be guilted with colonialism, have a super strong work ethic and consider themselves a superior people who have a superior culture to the rest of the world. Do you think the Chinese won’t go insane with ANC corruption and laziness? Do you think they won’t remonstrate strongly with the ANC? (It’s already happening in other parts of Africa). The Chinese can lend money, trade goodies and aid to SA and can leverage the ANC twats into rational behaviour because the chances of them getting loans elsewhere are zero. SA (IMO) can offer China the maritime dimension for their New Silk Road together with the mineral wealth of Africa using Richards Bay harbour as a Chinese controlled, rapid loading venue and port and SA (and African) minerals as bait. We need a ‘protector’ to guard against international predators because it would be trivial for anyone else to suborn corrupt and venal ANC leadership. We need to look after ourselves – no one will come riding to the rescue. We’ve being pawns for decades, bleeding for the West “keeping Africa free of communism”. **** them. The tired ‘rooi gevaar’ bullshit can’t be retreaded for the 21st century just because it was invoked for decades in the 20th. The ‘rooi gevaar’ scare tactics were used to motivate the SADF against Cuba and Russia. All the dead bodies are against the ‘red menace’ and we bled for America keeping Africa free of communism only with the Soviets and Cubans. There are no dead bodies between SA and China. That will help with Chinese detente.

China reneging will not be much of a danger ). This is Chinese self-interest and not rosy spectacled opinion. China will be spread very thin and, if black and white cooperated, they would be a formidable guerrilla force harrying every Chinese action. Sun Tzu (a revered Chinese strategist) would advise against it and the Chinese aren’t stupid. Even if they wanted to act like total dicks to other countries in Africa (doubtful), we have them by the balls. Their major exit port to China is Richard’s Bay surrounded by Zululand (the Zulu is not known for timidity). They HAVE to be sweet to South Africa. I also suspect they want to prove that they are better than the US in the 21st century than the Americans were in the 20th century (a low bar).

A relevant aside: Bamboo appears a miracle wood and I am concerned about SA deforestation (locals burning indigenous wood). Along with Chinese indisputable rural, farming expertise, one word - Bamboo. Not indigenous to SA but not an alien invader which is going to overwhelm local flora. Introduced to rural areas it is fast growing and can be used as a sustainable fuel and if it’s not burnt, has good carbon sequestration properties. Furniture? Scaffolding? Building material? Strong, light and flexible – ideal for construction. Bamboo geometry is such that it lends itself to pipes (water) and can be made into sieves, furniture, etc. It can be worked with simple tools. The Chinese have more than 4000 years of design knowledge which can be passed on. It will identify individuals (children?) who have an engineering or design flair for scholastic nurturing (no matter the poverty level). Bamboo – a versatile, light, hardy and fast growing wood. SA needs it. Along with the gross practicalities, China can contribute abstract elements China are also expert farmers. For 1000’s of years China was an agrarian economy.

In addition – the future looks socialist and technical. China is both.
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Some good points, although I don't completely agree.

I think you should watch Empire of Dust on youtube. the full documentary is there.
 
ToxicBunny said:
Yeah at a pinch it could do a town trip, but its not a vehicle you'd want to do that sort of drive in every day to go to and from work in as an example.
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It would literally be the car I would take day to day to go to work here.
I would keep the regular gas car for longer journeys till I could afford EV's become affordable here.
 
lsheed_cn said:
It would literally be the car I would take day to day to go to work here.
I would keep the regular gas car for longer journeys till I could afford EV's become affordable here.
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Each to their own I suppose..

I'd have an EV like that for my run about trips to the shops and all nearby things... but I do 45kms one way to the office (or at least I did before the VID) and I'd struggle to do that daily in a tin box like that. When a decent EV came out a decent price, I'd jump on it of course.
 
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lsheed_cn said:
I think you should watch Empire of Dust on youtube. the full documentary is there.
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That supports my point. A disciplining agency for the useless ANC, who can't be guilted, have a work ethic and can enforce their discipline. And are wealthy enough to have economic leverage because SA is too risky for the IMF.
 
ToxicBunny said:
but I do 45kms one way to the office (or at least I did before the VID) and I'd struggle to do that daily in a tin box like that.
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The lowest mileage (not km) is 250 using the cheap lithium/iron. More than enough for your puny 45km. The highest (on the trailer rigs) is 800km and Musk talks about 1000km per charge. That is fully loaded @ 80 000 lbs using the (more expensive) lithium/nickel.
 
lsheed_cn said:
How so.

Duties + taxes + profits would bring it to at least 120k rands.
Probably would be closer to 150-180k though retail.
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Its supposed to be CHEAP. Comparable with ICE. Those prices won't be acceptable to SA.
 
Packer said:
The lowest mileage (not km) is 250 using the cheap lithium/iron. More than enough for your puny 45km. The highest (on the trailer rigs) is 800km and Musk talks about 1000km per charge. That is fully loaded @ 80 000 lbs using the (more expensive) lithium/nickel.
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Umm I'm not talking about your mythical Chinese enforced budget tesla.
 
lsheed_cn said:
How so.

Duties + taxes + profits would bring it to at least 120k rands.
Probably would be closer to 150-180k though retail.
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FYI. Chinese generic offerings – note: not tailored to SA. Most of them are below $20 000 (except for the luxury jobs). With Cybertruck tech and specific SA functional needs the price can be reduced further. The Chengdu motor show is recent and happened around August 2020.

 
I'm working on an after-market accessory for Teslas. It’s a diesel generator and integrated fuel tank. You'd basically have a tank full of fuel in the car, and the generator would run while you drive, thus charging the battery. Every time the fuel tank runs out, you'd have to stop at a special filling station to get more.
 
Packer said:
FYI. Chinese generic offerings – note: not tailored to SA. Most of them are below $20 000 (except for the luxury jobs). With Cybertruck tech and specific SA functional needs the price can be reduced further. The Chengdu motor show is recent and happened around August 2020.

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I've driven a few of them. Almost bought a Nio ES8 a year or two ago, took one for a test drive, was extremely impressed - like shut up and take my money impressed. - quality is far and above the Tesla - its similar to the X, but better build quality. Luckily I didn't as I've been stuck in Cape Town for the last year.

Some photos -
www.flickr.com

NIO ES8 Test Drive Shanghai

NIO ES8 Test Drive in Shanghai 31st Aug.
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
www.flickr.com

Nio Shanghai 20 Dec 2018

Some photos of Nio ES8 and EP9 from the Shanghai Nanjing lu store.
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
3WA said:
I'm working on an after-market accessory for Teslas. It’s a diesel generator and integrated fuel tank. You'd basically have a tank full of fuel in the car, and the generator would run while you drive, thus charging the battery. Every time the fuel tank runs out, you'd have to stop at a special filling station to get more.
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Nope. That’s a hybrid. Musk doesn’t do hybrids. The battery is sufficient. It defeats the purpose of pure electric cars to have a stinky diesel generator The aftermarket shemozzle won’t be approved by Tesla. Besides, where does this generator go? I call bullshit. Total crap or provide a link.
 
3WA said:
I'm working on an after-market accessory for Teslas. It’s a diesel generator and integrated fuel tank. You'd basically have a tank full of fuel in the car, and the generator would run while you drive, thus charging the battery. Every time the fuel tank runs out, you'd have to stop at a special filling station to get more.
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So....just like driving a diesel car then??
 
3WA said:
I'm working on an after-market accessory for Teslas. It’s a diesel generator and integrated fuel tank. You'd basically have a tank full of fuel in the car, and the generator would run while you drive, thus charging the battery. Every time the fuel tank runs out, you'd have to stop at a special filling station to get more.
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No-one gets satire apparently!
 
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