Samsung to soothe semiconductor drought with new Pyeongtaek production line

Samsung has vowed to maximize its silicon production by starting mass production of 5nm and 7nm products at its Pyeongtaek production line in the second half of 2021. The Korean giant revealed its plans during its Q1 earnings call on Thursday. Vice president of the foundry division, Han Seung-hoon said Pyeongtaek Line 2 would …

[Anonymous Coward]

Electric cars, anyone

Those rolling blackouts are the best possible exposure to the glaring hole in the "let's go electric" strategy for transport: the power networks won't be able to handle it.

It's OK if a small percentage of transport converts, but just do the numbers on just how much power you need if you make 25% of traffic electric: that's going to need some mighty fat cables to haul it around. The lucky ones can install a solar roof (credit to Elon Mush here, those solar roof tiles really are about the best), but inner city skyscraper dwellers don't have that luxury.

Yes, I'd love to see us all pollute a lot less and I have lived in places where you can rent electric which I really liked, but the reality is that we're not there yet.

[teknopaul]

Re: Electric cars, anyone

All these cars will have batteries and wheels. Some software and price differentials and cars can literally drive energy to where it is needed. Its hard to safely take petrol out of a vehicle. Its easy and safe to move electricity between parked cars.

[Zolko]

Re: Electric cars, anyone

"Its hard to safely take petrol out of a vehicle"

1) why would you want to take energy out of a vehicle ? Normally, you want to put energy into the vehicle, and the vehicle will output motion.

2) even though, it's easy move petrol in an out of a vehicle, it has been done for a century without much of a problem. Heck, even I have done that when I was young. On the other hand, moving a 1t battery from 1 vehicle into another one doesn't seem straight-forward to me.

[Schultz]

Re: Electric cars, anyone

"Those rolling blackouts are the best possible exposure to the glaring hole in the "let's go electric" strategy"

I'd say it's rather an exposure of the broken US infrastructure. Monopolistic companies are cornering the market with the support of local and national politicians and are allowed to make a lot of money without investing into the infrastructure required to handle demand.

I guess it adds one more reason for companies to shift critical production facilities away from the US. (Unless financial incentives or political pressure are too great - - but those are best handled by the PR department with some strategic announcements.)

Am I too cynical here?