Other than software development my other great passion is for automobiles. I’m pretty excited about where things are going lately in the automotive sector. It seemed that for a while there there wasn’t a lot going on but as of late there are a number of super exciting things happening out there.
We have TESLA who in a very short amount of time managed to build and successfully market an EV built from scratch and Apple who is rumoured to be working on a car. Than there’s the entire crop of hybrid supercars Porsche 918, BMW i8, McLaren P1 and the more pedestrian GM Bolt, Toyota Prius or something midrange like the BMW i3. If you’re an auto enthusiast like me - particularly eco conscious one - you’re probably excited too.
Here is a little gem I found when looking up the F1 engine regulations for this year - the Mercedes PU106A Hybrid power unit. The link is a little outdated bu it’s really worth reading. This thing is absolutely ridiculous. I’ve always been an F1 fan precisely because of the technology involved (hardly appreciated in North America for some reason) but this just blew my socks off. A hybrid engine is nothing new but the way this is packaged I think opens a lot of doors. Everything is closely integrated and we’re looking at a power output between 800-900 BHP from a 1.6 turbocharged V6 assisted by a 160 BHP electric motor. I want one of these in the next GLA45 AMG Mercedes, please?
Low oil prices may be here to stay. I might have to quit the oil and gas sector and go work for TESLA or Apple.
I need to start covering this stuff a bit more on my blog - it is absolutely fascinating.