TheDarkerZone's recent activity
-
Comment on JAECOO 7 becomes the UK’s best-selling car in 2026 after hitting number one spot in March in ~transport
-
Comment on JAECOO 7 becomes the UK’s best-selling car in 2026 after hitting number one spot in March in ~transport
TheDarkerZone Link ParentInteresting - I looked into this as my comment above was just an assumption based on my experiences with Chinese manufacturers in my career industry, and an article by MIT argues there wasn't any...Interesting - I looked into this as my comment above was just an assumption based on my experiences with Chinese manufacturers in my career industry, and an article by MIT argues there wasn't any sort of misdirection or deceit on the side of what China were offering. In fact, quite the opposite and very clear: incentives were offered to all manufacturers of EVs, domestic and foreign, to set up manufacturing hubs and innovate in their region. China had the raw material supply, and they saw an opportunity to use that to their advantage. That has lead to their domestic brands being pressured by the established brands, and having to innovate their way out of being left behind and wiped out. Somewhat ironic!
With that said, according to the same article, they had the preferential technology and know-how ahead of others (as well as raw materials), due to them focusing on LFP batteries over NMC batteries that were preferred by the West. Now LFP are being developed at such a rate (CATL springs to mind), they are in a right place-right time scenario and are a step ahead of legacy manufacturers.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/02/21/1068880/how-did-china-dominate-electric-cars-policy/
-
Comment on JAECOO 7 becomes the UK’s best-selling car in 2026 after hitting number one spot in March in ~transport
TheDarkerZone Link ParentIf you consider that it looks like a JLR, and the origins of JLR vehicles were "want to look like you own something expensive, without it being expensive? Buy a Jag!" it kind of makes sense in a...If you consider that it looks like a JLR, and the origins of JLR vehicles were "want to look like you own something expensive, without it being expensive? Buy a Jag!" it kind of makes sense in a tangentially related way. Very few people need a car as big as a RR on British roads (excluding farmers, and maybe families with disabilities but there's a government scheme for that and they definitely dont buy Jags), and the Jaecoo fills that niche of big, imposing looking car on a budget.
This video ties into it quite nicely - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyY5kqqVq1k
-
Comment on JAECOO 7 becomes the UK’s best-selling car in 2026 after hitting number one spot in March in ~transport
TheDarkerZone Link ParentIt is yes, and the only reason I'd pick the Denza is because its one of a handful of station wagon/estate car shaped EVs that doesnt look disfigured. Its like an old Alfa and a Porsche Taycan had...It is yes, and the only reason I'd pick the Denza is because its one of a handful of station wagon/estate car shaped EVs that doesnt look disfigured. Its like an old Alfa and a Porsche Taycan had a baby. The only other plausible option is the VW ID.7 but much like you I think the current VW lineup is poor compared to the competition.
As for whether it swings towards praise or condemnation, i'd say both. For example, BMW's EVs are by no means bad, they're just... BMW. And with their current offering i dont know if they're worth the price. On the other hand, I suspect China's economic advisors saw that everyone else was slacking on the non-ICE side as a whole and took a gamble thats paid off; Its directly in their interests now to actually make decent cars because they caught everyone on the back foot. The exception here is Tesla, which is complicated and somewhat upsetting that something so promising and capable has been marred by external events. If Rivian were ever to bring their R1S to the EU market I'd be tempted though and i think they'd do pretty well as the alternative to Tesla.
-
Comment on JAECOO 7 becomes the UK’s best-selling car in 2026 after hitting number one spot in March in ~transport
TheDarkerZone Link ParentI remember not too long ago being told sentiment towards Chinese EVs and tech as a whole wasn't changing and hadn't changed for a while... Interesting. Anyway, i think its more to do with cost...I remember not too long ago being told sentiment towards Chinese EVs and tech as a whole wasn't changing and hadn't changed for a while... Interesting.
Anyway, i think its more to do with cost that Chinese EVs are succeeding at the minute - for the price, and the kit that comes with them according to reviews, they're really not a bad option. The next closest are KIA and Hyundai i think anecdotally; Similarly to how opinions towards Skoda changed when they got bought out by VW and the design language changed, I think KIA and Hyundai recruiting some talent from the German auto industry really did them some favours.I dont hold out hope that European car makers will change for the better honestly, after Dieselgate, the Diesel Cartel Scandal, and some of the various news about features being locked behind subscription models. My current car is a 2011 Skoda Octavia VRS, and that will be relegated to a project car if i can scrape together the cash for an EV, which will be Chinese (Denza Z9GT if i can afford it) or Korean (Hyundai Ioniq 5N is currently at the top of my shortlist).
-
Comment on How has climate change affected your life / plans? in ~enviro
TheDarkerZone LinkI live in the UK. Im late 20's and remember a distinct transition between the seasons as a kid, whereas now it very much feels like a potluck draw as to what the weather is going to be like, with...I live in the UK.
Im late 20's and remember a distinct transition between the seasons as a kid, whereas now it very much feels like a potluck draw as to what the weather is going to be like, with seasons appearing to blur together. We didnt need AC during the summer; light clothing was fine usually, and light bedsheets were enough at night. It wasnt bitingly cold or disruptively snowy in the winters; a nice coat and boots were enough for the hour of snow we had each year.
Now, living on my own, i dont bother cycling my clothes in my wardrobe out depending on the seasons because all weather is a possibility; I'm renovating with a priority on AC installation and temperature retention in the home, with window upgrades, reflective blinds, thermal curtains, etc; if i move in future I'll be taking into account the homes ability to accommodate renewables and AC, and they'll be the first things i install once settled in. It seems very short sighted to not even consider the weather and how it affects us nowadays, but I know its a British stereotype to enjoy a good moan and I'm no exception to that rule. I'd just like to complain about something worthwhile! -
Comment on Around twenty drown in France as French seek relief from heatwave in ~enviro
TheDarkerZone Link ParentI did exactly this - bought a portable AC unit that utilises a heat pump and has both heating and cooling functions. Costs much less to run than expected, and me and the dog are relaxing at a...I did exactly this - bought a portable AC unit that utilises a heat pump and has both heating and cooling functions. Costs much less to run than expected, and me and the dog are relaxing at a comfortable 19°c, whilst its touching 32°c outside.
As an aside, people gave me strange looks for putting solar panels and a battery in the house as one of the first major renovations i did when i moved into my current place nearly 3 years ago. Now i can run an AC without feeling the effects of it on my utility bills during these "freak and infrequent" UK heatwaves.
-
Comment on Buying a high-end PC for the first time - help me to doublecheck what I'm buying? Is 4k a bad idea with the specs? in ~tech
TheDarkerZone Link Parent850W will be fine; I only went with the one i did because at the time it was £2 cheaper due to a promotion, and with people talking about additional headroom, it would've been stupid not to! If...850W will be fine; I only went with the one i did because at the time it was £2 cheaper due to a promotion, and with people talking about additional headroom, it would've been stupid not to!
If you dont plan on touching any RGB, you'll never have to deal with the ASRock (or whichever vendor you made the card) software so you'll be fine. The MSI software was decent, as was the NZXT software.
I used Adrenalin to turn off the Zero RPM function, which is a function to turn off the GPU fans whilst its below a certain temperature for noise and power consumption reduction. I think power wise it'll save a few W's but I'd rather just have the GPU cooled and am not bothered by the additional noise. I also set a slightly more aggressive fan speed profile so the fans kick in earlier. -
Comment on Buying a high-end PC for the first time - help me to doublecheck what I'm buying? Is 4k a bad idea with the specs? in ~tech
TheDarkerZone LinkI have a pretty much identical set up (9070 XT, Ryzen 7 9800X3D, MSI B850S, 1TB DDR6 Kingston SSD for main drive and 1TB 970 Evo + SSD for secondary drive, 32GB Corsair DDR5 RAM) and the only...I have a pretty much identical set up (9070 XT, Ryzen 7 9800X3D, MSI B850S, 1TB DDR6 Kingston SSD for main drive and 1TB 970 Evo + SSD for secondary drive, 32GB Corsair DDR5 RAM) and the only thing I was told not to cheap out on and provide some overhead for was the power supply. The configurator i used was suggesting the same 850W unit you have, but i went for a Corsair RM1000e i think it is, which is 1000W.
I run an AOC G2490W1G4 ~21' and an AOC CU34G2XP 27' - so far it has eaten everything I've thrown at it on the main monitor (the 27' is a 3440 x 1440) without issue. I dislike using any sort of scaling and for games like Cyberpunk on high settings with RT low or off, I get a steady 40-60FPS. Everything else, ranging from Overwatch, Deadlock, CS2, Civilisation, Marathon, Enter the Gungeon, it can maintain 144FPS + on med-high settings.
I've used it for tasks like 3D scanning, rendering, mesh manipulation and CAD modelling and it has had no issues there either.
I think with you moving from a 1070, you'll be very happy. The only thing I'd mention is the AMD software can be a bit clunky, and any RGB element control can be a bit hit and miss - my GPU is the Asrock Steel Legend and the RGB control software crashed any time i changed a colour more than once in 5 seconds. AMD Adrenalin can be a bit annoying too sometimes, but no more so than my old i9900k RTX2080 Alienware Area51M was with the Nvidia and Intel drivers honestly.Edit - made up an entire Intel CPU by accident by adding one too many 9's
-
Comment on Hyundai Ioniq 5N or: welcome back Forester XT in ~transport
TheDarkerZone Link ParentTotally agree with you on the grey, and am a big fan of the white too. I hadn't noticed a price difference between orange and the other colours but that's something I'll keep in mind. It sounds...Totally agree with you on the grey, and am a big fan of the white too. I hadn't noticed a price difference between orange and the other colours but that's something I'll keep in mind.
It sounds like a tinkerers dream honestly and I'm glad to hear you're happy with the abundance of features that many reviewers suggest is overwhelming.I appreciate the sleeper aspect of it too, and would be perfectly fine at a cars and coffee pitched out the way of all 20 flavours of Porsche, Supra and 3 Series.
Thanks for getting back to me and maybe I'll be able to nab a decent pre-owned when the 6N gets released here in the UK!
-
Comment on Hyundai Ioniq 5N or: welcome back Forester XT in ~transport
TheDarkerZone LinkThank you for the timely review - currently have a 2012 2.0 TSI Octavia VRS facelift, and if you know anything about cars, you'll know these engines are just as capable as they are problematic....Thank you for the timely review - currently have a 2012 2.0 TSI Octavia VRS facelift, and if you know anything about cars, you'll know these engines are just as capable as they are problematic. Touch wood, I've had nothing but relatively smooth sailing over the 60k miles i've put on the clock (~112k total), but I'm itching to upgrade and relegate this to a project car.
Anyway, the i5N is on my shortlist as i have solar panels and a battery on the house already, and nothing gets me giddier as a tech-nerd petrol head than being able to scoot around silently and pay virtually nothing to do so (aside from general maintenance and outgoings for the solar pv and car). What colour did you go for in the end? And whats your opinion on the abundance of settings and tinkering that can be done through the i5N infotainment? -
Comment on BYD claims five-minute electric vehicle charging with new battery tech in ~transport
TheDarkerZone Link ParentI just watched this video! Super interesting to hear what he has to say, and i do think there's a lot of merit to him approaching the situation in a scientific way. I think the scepticism...I just watched this video! Super interesting to hear what he has to say, and i do think there's a lot of merit to him approaching the situation in a scientific way.
I think the scepticism surrounding it is completely warranted, but it also doesn't make sense to approach it in the way they have. I guess we will see as time moves on! Still interesting to see how much pressure this puts on legacy manufacturers.
People said the same thing about most Chinese vehicle manufacturers and yet we're talking about this on a forum post about the 7th ranked automaker (for sales in the 2021-2024 period) in the world now, who happens to be of Chinese origin. -
Comment on BYD claims five-minute electric vehicle charging with new battery tech in ~transport
TheDarkerZone (edited )Link ParentUltimately, we dont know what we dont know until we know it, as was the case with most major inventions. One of the few reasonable explanations could be that the technology they have is just so...Ultimately, we dont know what we dont know until we know it, as was the case with most major inventions. One of the few reasonable explanations could be that the technology they have is just so left field it was completely overlooked/ignored/discovered by accident. At which point, if everyone is thinking by a current understanding about something that isn't within the realm of it, it does seem impossible in all facets.
However, there are a lot of questions still left unanswered that have been asked by those working in good faith (like from the scientist community for example), and the fact these haven't been answered is well worth the scepticism.
Edit: oh and on the point of mass manufacturing - if the battery can do what is being claimed, the cost to mass manufacture wont matter to a few key companies. They'll buy the rights to it, and then figure it out from there, since the tech solves most of the most common issues affecting customer adoption right now i.e. range and charge time.
-
Comment on BYD claims five-minute electric vehicle charging with new battery tech in ~transport
TheDarkerZone Link ParentYeah, its a weird scenario honestly. I've seen this play out before in some industries I'm adjacent to (legacy manufacturers say X cant be done, then a small independent with nothing to lose...Yeah, its a weird scenario honestly. I've seen this play out before in some industries I'm adjacent to (legacy manufacturers say X cant be done, then a small independent with nothing to lose proves it can be, so legacy retaliate with legal action) and it has also played out in the automotive sector as well already (Tesla and legacy manufacturers ironically), but the rational side to me is very sceptical that they haven't just released the key figures up front to then have companies lining up to secure exclusive rights.
This seems like one of the perfect scenarios to just put as much information out as you can without compromising IP, and let others play catch-up.
-
Comment on BYD claims five-minute electric vehicle charging with new battery tech in ~transport
TheDarkerZone LinkThe timing of this announcement (the article) is quite interesting actually. A Finnish brand, Donut Labs, announced their solid-state battery at CES at the beginning of the year. Most battery...The timing of this announcement (the article) is quite interesting actually.
A Finnish brand, Donut Labs, announced their solid-state battery at CES at the beginning of the year. Most battery manufacturers told people "this isnt possible", so they've been drip feeding information about the tech weekly since the beginning of this month. This week they shared a video showing their SSB tech on a premium sports bike brand (Verge) thats meant to ship at the beginning of Q1 2026. It did what BYD is claiming in the article with no active cooling, which is supposedly very difficult to do with current tech.
They've had a lot of flack for promoting "impossible" tech but so far they've provided interesting evidence they've got what the claim. They haven't done the obvious yet, like confirming the weight of the battery so people can work out the density (probably for obvious reasons - that might be the last thing they release honestly) but if anything, this weeks demo has quieted a lot of sceptics.Anyway, I'm grateful there appears to be some genuine competition in the field after we were collectively lied to about the capability of it for so long by legacy manufacturers.
-
Comment on Looking for goals, mostly fitness but other are cool too in ~health
TheDarkerZone LinkOnce you've got handstand push ups down, the next step is one armed handstands, so you could add that as a second step to that goal. I say once you've got that down because some of the skills are...Once you've got handstand push ups down, the next step is one armed handstands, so you could add that as a second step to that goal. I say once you've got that down because some of the skills are transferrable, but its an entirely different learning curve so could be its own goal.
Edit: you could also make the "shin touch with forehead" more difficult by standing with your back to the wall and removing the counterbalance element and focus solely on the flexibility and core strength aspect, if you're looking for something after that too!
-
Comment on Design for 3D printing in ~design
TheDarkerZone LinkThis is a really great write up and despite its focus on FDM/FFF printing, most of these rules are present and true for industrial SLS, MJF/HSS and even some Metal printing systems! For anyone...This is a really great write up and despite its focus on FDM/FFF printing, most of these rules are present and true for industrial SLS, MJF/HSS and even some Metal printing systems!
For anyone interested, the 3D Printing Handbook by Ben Redwood is also a great read to understand how to design for most printing technologies.
-
Comment on What is your strangely specific phobia? in ~talk
TheDarkerZone LinkPerhaps not that unusual, but feeling foreign objects under my skin or knowing they're in my body sets my hair on end. Im fine with tattoo guns for example because the sensation of the needle...Perhaps not that unusual, but feeling foreign objects under my skin or knowing they're in my body sets my hair on end.
Im fine with tattoo guns for example because the sensation of the needle piercing is there for a fraction of a second, and becomes more a burning sensation.
But singular needles, forceps, splinters, even my earring sometimes, are enough to set me off and cause panic. The mere thought of a parasite inside me.... There might be a name for this I haven't come across yet. -
Comment on BYD's self-driving U9 jumps over obstacles in ~transport
TheDarkerZone Link ParentThis is what it looks like jumping standing still: https://youtube.com/shorts/pPUGHZ_x4nA?si=10MxLLgj5JnJsf-iThis is what it looks like jumping standing still:
-
Comment on BYD's self-driving U9 jumps over obstacles in ~transport
TheDarkerZone Link ParentJust thinking off the top of my head, they might lower the rear opposite side to pitch the nose up a little as well as soften the rebound, raise and stiffen the rear same side to provide...Just thinking off the top of my head, they might lower the rear opposite side to pitch the nose up a little as well as soften the rebound, raise and stiffen the rear same side to provide clearance, and then modulate the front opposite side to balance the weight of the car as it shifts? I have no real idea but thats the best thing i could come up with.
It'd be nice for a legacy automaker to have a genuinely good option in the space, but I think that based on the discussion we're having now, the Asian OEMs will already be some sort of technology ahead by 2027.
Even if Ford manage to bring something to the table that makes sense and does really work from a completely isolated division, like Toyota with their GR line or Hyundai with their N division, I do wonder if the likes of CATL will have cracked the Solid-State battery barrier and be shipping those exclusively to domestic brands. At which point, the legacy brands are a step behind again and playing catch up.