The Lemmy Club

TL;DR: Self-Driving Teslas Rear-End Motorcyclists, Killing at Least 5

Brevity is the spirit of wit, and I am just not that witty. This is a long article, here is the gist of it:

• The NHTSA’s self-driving crash data reveals that Tesla’s self-driving technology is, by far, the most dangerous for motorcyclists, with five fatal crashes that we know of.
• This issue is unique to Tesla. Other self-driving manufacturers have logged zero motorcycle fatalities with the NHTSA in the same time frame.
• The crashes are overwhelmingly Teslas rear-ending motorcyclists.

Read our full analysis as we go case-by-case and connect the heavily redacted government data to news reports and police documents.

Oh, and read our thoughts about what this means for the robotaxi launch that is slated for Austin in less than 60 days.

https://archive.is/2025.04.02-051604/https://www.ft.com/content/2c3fda08-90eb-4aa0-bd81-a5cdda2046e5

The New Jersey senator spent much of his speech, which ended after more than 25 hours, assailing the Trump administration. He eclipsed Strom Thurmond’s filibuster of a civil rights bill in 1957.

https://archive.ph/ktDRE

U.S. officials have told European allies they want them to keep buying American-made arms, amid recent moves by the European Union to limit U.S. manufacturers' participation in weapons tenders, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The European Union’s new research chief Ekaterina Zaharieva speaks to Nature about attracting disaffected US scientists and cutting grant bureaucracy.

##Introduction

Lithium batteries are widely used in electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy storage, and consumer electronics due to their high energy density, long lifespan, and efficiency. Their production involves a complex and highly controlled process to ensure safety and performance. From raw material extraction to the final battery pack assembly, each stage plays a crucial role in determining the quality and sustainability of lithium battery. This article provides a streamlined analysis of the entire manufacturing process, highlighting key materials, steps, and emerging innovations.

##Raw Materials in Lithium Battery Manufacturing

The core components of lithium batteries include the cathode, anode, electrolyte, separator, and current collectors. Cathode materials such as lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC), lithium iron phosphate (LFP), and lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) influence battery performance, energy density, and cost. Graphite remains the dominant anode material, though silicon and lithium-metal alternatives are gaining attention for their superior capacity. Electrolytes, typically lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) dissolved in organic solvents, enable ion movement, while polymer separators prevent short circuits. The entire system is supported by copper and aluminum current collectors, which facilitate efficient electrical conductivity.

##Lithium Ion Battery Manufacturing Process

Electrode Preparation, Cell Assembly, and Formation

Manufacturing begins with electrode preparation, where active materials are mixed with binders and conductive additives to form a slurry. This mixture is coated onto metal foils and dried before undergoing calendering, which compresses the material to optimize density and electrical properties. Next, the cell assembly stage involves cutting electrodes to precise sizes, stacking them with separators, and injecting the electrolyte. Once sealed, the cell moves to the formation process, where it is charged for the first time to develop a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, a critical factor in battery longevity.

##Battery Pack Assembly and Quality Testing

Once individual cells are ready, they are combined into modules and packs. A battery management system (BMS) is integrated to monitor temperature, voltage, and charging cycles, ensuring safe operation. The final battery pack undergoes rigorous quality testing, including cycle life evaluations, leakage detection, and thermal stability assessments.

Challenges and Innovations in Lithium Battery Manufacturing

Advancements in lithium ion battery technology are addressing key challenges such as environmental impact, cost, and efficiency. Sustainable production focuses on reducing reliance on rare and expensive materials like cobalt while improving recycling methods. Automation and AI-driven optimization are also enhancing production efficiency, reducing waste, and increasing overall battery lifespan. Solid-state batteries, which replace liquid electrolytes with solid conductors, are emerging as a promising alternative, offering improved safety and energy density.

##Strategies for Enhancing Sustainability in Lithium Battery Manufacturing

Recycling and Material Recovery: Recovering valuable materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel from used batteries reduces dependence on mining and lowers environmental impact. Advanced hydrometallurgical and direct recycling processes are improving efficiency. Eco-Friendly Battery Chemistries: Research is progressing toward low-cobalt and cobalt-free cathode materials, as well as solid-state alternatives that promise greater stability and sustainability. Energy-Efficient Manufacturing: Implementing renewable energy in battery production facilities and optimizing material utilization reduces carbon emissions and production costs.

Conclusion

Lithium ion battery manufacturing is a sophisticated process requiring precise material selection, controlled processing, and continuous innovation. The industry is evolving toward more sustainable and efficient production methods, ensuring that lithium batteries continue to power the future of electric mobility, renewable energy storage, and portable electronics.

One has to strain to think of even one or two pro-worker or pro-union moves that Trump has taken. The White House says his tariffs are pro-worker and pro-union, insisting they will bring back manufacturing jobs. But many economists say Trump’s tariffs will hurt myriad industries and workers. His auto tariffs, for instance, will increase car prices and as a result, auto sales, auto production and auto jobs will decline, at least short-term. Not only that, other countries’ retaliation will pummel various US industries and trigger additional layoffs. Moreover, Trump’s tariffs will undermine GDP growth and perhaps push the US into recession. Bottom line: Trump remains obsessed with tariffs, even though they’re likely to result in more pain than gain for US workers.

https://archive.is/2025.04.01-221630/https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2025/03/31/schooled-by-trump-americans-are-learning-to-dislike-their-allies

https://archive.ph/iaTbc

• China shows footage it says is of live-fire rocket drills
• China gives war games which started on Tuesday a code name
• Taiwan detects more than 10 warships in its 'response zone'
• China says aircraft carrier also involved in drills
• U.S. condemns China's actions

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/31995242

Archived

Unveiling Trae: ByteDance's AI IDE and Its Extensive Data Collection System

Trae - the coding assistant of China's ByteDance - has rapidly emerged as a formidable competitor to established AI coding assistants like Cursor and GitHub Copilot. Its main selling point? It's completely free - offering Claude 3.7 Sonnet and GPT-4o without any subscription fees. Unit 221B's technical analysis, using network traffic interception, binary analysis, and runtime monitoring, has identified a sophisticated telemetry framework that continuously transmits data to multiple ByteDance servers. From a cybersecurity perspective, this represents a complex data collection operation with significant security and privacy implications.

[...]

Key Findings:

• Persistent connections to minimum 5 unique ByteDance domains, creating multiple data transmission vectors
• Continuous telemetry transmission even during idle periods, indicating an always-on monitoring system
• Regular update checks and configuration pulls from ByteDance servers, allowing for dynamic control
• Permanent device identification via machineId parameter, which appears to be derived from hardware identifiers, enabling long-term tracking capabilities
• Local WebSocket channels observed collecting full file content, with portions potentially transmitted to remote servers
• Complex local microservice architecture with redundant pathways for code data, suggesting a deliberate system design
• JWT tokens and authentication data observed in multiple communication channels, presenting potential credential exposure concerns
• Use of binary MessagePack format observed in data transfers, adding complexity to security analysis
• Extensive behavioral tracking mechanisms capable of building detailed user activity profiles
• Sophisticated data segregation across multiple endpoints, consistent with enterprise-grade telemetry systems

[...]