4 ms·
I realise you're joking, but one doesn't turn an aluminium electrolysis cell on and off at a whim (as in off in the day, on in the night). Shutdown and restart
by semi-extrinsic 11y ago
I realise you're joking, but one doesn't turn an aluminium electrolysis cell on and off at a whim (as in off in the day, on in the night). Shutdown and restart is bloody expensive, dangerous, and hard work to boot.
- joezydeco 11y agoI'm half-joking. If this plant is pulling large amounts of current, no matter what they're doing, the utility might be asking them to do it at night.
- semi-extrinsic 11y agoSure. That's why you don't build an electrolysis cell in a location where electricity is (sometimes) scarce. I'm half thinking that this is all shadow games, Apple having two guys running around and making mechanic-sounding noises to stir up the rumor mill. Mainly because a) making cars isn't really something that produces a lot of noise and b) because you don't put your real skunk works in a residential area. But you do put a fake one there. It would be interesting if someone with a thermal imaging camera could have a look at that plant during day/night. If they're pulling loads of 'leccy only during the night, the plant should show anomalous cooling behavior.
- fabulist 11y agoLockheed Martin might have OPSEC needs that require building a fake skunkworks, but Apple certainly does not. One imagines they put it in the suburbs because it was an area which is convenient to commute to, which was a boon to recruitment.
- semi-extrinsic 11y agoThey might not need it for OPSEC, but they do have a stock price to worry about. Financial analysts are making increasingly frequent statements that Apple needs a new market to be the game-changer in if they are to sustain their growth, and Cook has said that anything car-related and groundbreaking will, if it exists, be relatively far into the future. Thus the need to stoke the rumor mill.
- fabulist 11y agoWhile I find that claim much more credible, if I were Apple, I'd focus on breaking into new markets, instead.
- semi-extrinsic 11y agoI'm suggesting they're doing both, breaking into new markets as a long term strategy, increasing buzz/rumors as a short term strategy.