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#Post#: 715--------------------------------------------------
Re: Electric Vehicles
By: AGelbert Date: January 21, 2014, 2:34 pm
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Nissan LEAF Global Sales Reach 100,000 [img width=40
height=40]
HTML http://www.clker.com/cliparts/c/8/f/8/11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png[/img]<br
/>
01/22/2014
Clean Edge News
The 100,000th all-electric Nissan LEAF has been purchased by a
customer in the United Kingdom. The Nissan LEAF, the world's
first mass-produced zero emissions vehicle, remains the
best-selling EV in history with a 45% market share, according to
a Nissan press release.
Since its launch in December 2010 Nissan has seen the pace of
sales increase consistently and 2013 was a record year. The LEAF
is now available to customers in 35 countries on four
continents. In Norway, the Nissan LEAF topped sales charts,
out-selling conventional gasoline powered vehicles in October
2013.
Nissan's research into on-board lithium-ion battery technology
began in 1992. The Nissan LEAF offers powerful acceleration,
quiet operation, energy efficiency and low cost of maintenance.
Nissan has extended the standard warranty for the battery-power
holding capacity with its own additional warranty.
After leading the era of electrification in passenger vehicles
with the LEAF, Nissan will in 2014 bring an all-electric light
commercial vehicle to market. [img width=40
height=40]
HTML http://www.clker.com/cliparts/c/8/f/8/11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png[/img]<br
/>The e-NV200 will go on sale in Europe and Japan bringing the
benefits of quiet, cost-efficient, zero-emissions mobility to
businesses.
[img width=640
height=440]
HTML http://images.thecarconnection.com/med/2014-nissan-nv200-taxi-new-york-citys-taxi-of-tomorrow_100387065_m.jpg[/img]
[img width=640
height=380]
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[img width=640
height=380]
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NISSAN NV200
In June 2014, Nissan will participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
with the NISSAN ZEOD RC and aims to set a record for the fastest
all-electric, zero-emissions lap of the circuit. Nissan is
committed to using the EV platform to break new ground in both
the commercial-vehicle and motorsports arenas.
[img width=640
height=380]
HTML http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA2LzIyL2UwLzAxNW5pc3NhbnplLjliMjk4LmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTg1MHg1OTA-CmUJanBn/8188540c/8ec/015-nissan-zeod-rc.jpg[/img]
NISSAN ZEOD RC
HTML http://www.cleanedge.com/Resources/news/Nissan-LEAF-Global-Sales-Reach-100,000
#Post#: 719--------------------------------------------------
Re: Electric Vehicles
By: AGelbert Date: January 22, 2014, 6:58 pm
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[img width=640
height=480]
HTML http://insideevs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/stretchla.jpg[/img]
[b]DIY Stretchla Project – Tesla Model S to Underpin Stretched
Volkswagen Vanagon Body – Battery Evaluation and Removal[/b]
by Eric Loveday
Remember when we first reported on Stretchla, the ambitious DIY
project that involves stripping a salvaged Tesla Model S down to
its chassis and drivetrain and then slipping that under a
stretched Volkswagen Vanagon?
Well, if you missed our initial post on the subject, then we
suggest you click here to get caught up.
Strechla is spearheaded by a man named of Otmar.
Since we first presented the story, there have been a few
updates.
First, the Tesla Model S arrived:
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwr4WuAobAE&feature=player_embedded
The next step in the process was ensuring that the Model S
performed as intended. This step proved to be a time consuming
one since much was unknown as to what occured after the donor
Model S was wrecked.
As Otmar explains:
[quote]
“Before I start dismantling the Tesla and transferring parts to
the Stretched Vanagon, I want to insure that all the Model S
systems are working correctly. The condition of the battery,
being the most expensive component in the car, has been of great
concern to me. I wasn’t expecting much difficulty in getting it
to wake up, charge and drive but things are often not as I
expect.
The Tesla is very new, and so far there is precious little
public diagnostic information. The simple fact that a
pyrotechnic disconnect on the 12V battery controls power to the
contactors for the main traction pack was unknown to me, though
in retrospect it makes perfect sense.
I do appreciate the fact that doing things the hard way often
entails more learning, and I’m certainly learning many obscure
details about the Model S! ;D It’s a good thing I enjoy
learning about this sort of thing.” ;)[/quote]
This latest update on the Stretchla project is detailed entirely
in the video posted below. Ever wonder what’s involved in
removing the Model S battery pack? ??? Otmar has the answer,
but you’ll have to check out the video to find out: [img
width=30
height=30]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-141113185441.png[/img]
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3sdTS2kiWg&feature=player_embedded<br
/>
Cafe Electric Strecthla Blog
HTML http://insideevs.com/video-update-diy-stretchla-project-tesla-model-s-to-underpin-stretched-volkswagen-vanagon-body-battery-evaluation-and-removal/
#Post#: 764--------------------------------------------------
Trivia EV
By: AGelbert Date: February 8, 2014, 10:58 pm
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HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpBlPGhFX4w&feature=player_embedded
#Post#: 787--------------------------------------------------
BYD’s Electric Buses Can Go 30 Hours On Single Charge
By: AGelbert Date: February 24, 2014, 2:56 pm
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BYD’s Electric Buses Can Go 30 Hours On Single Charge
[img width=640
height=380]
HTML http://i1.wp.com/cleantechnica.com/files/2014/02/image21.jpg[/img]
BYD bus
BYD’s electric buses can run for an impressive 30 or so hours
straight in between charges, based on the results of a pilot
test performed in New York City last year during the months of
August–October. Charging to full capacity took, roughly, 3–4
hours, and was completed at night.
According to SAE International (the Society of Automotive
Engineers), one of BYD’s buses was used on a number of different
routes in Manhattan during that span of time, and ran for a
total of 1,481 miles. The pilot test proved that the electric
bus could indeed approach the 155-mile-range advertised by BYD.
Here’s some more info from SAE:
After two months, the electric bus’s average battery duration
was 0.3 h per % SOC, or 30 h of operation per full charge. An
advantage of electric buses, compared to diesel bus technology,
is that they do not idle when in heavy or stopped traffic, thus
conserving “fuel” and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Another advantage is that because BYD buses do not have an
internal-combustion engine or transmission, along with other
conventional components, maintenance costs (and labor) can be
reduced “significantly,” according to the company. Regenerative
braking also reduces normal brake-pad wear and maintenance.
BYD and MTA claim that the expected operating-cost-per-mile of
an electric bus is about $0.20 to $0.30, compared to $1.30 per
mile for an equivalent diesel- or natural-gas-powered bus in New
York.
In related news, Daimler-BYD’s first Denza electric car is
nearing its release date — the model is expected to be released
in China sometime towards the middle of the year. Recent reports
have revealed that the EV will be DV quick-charge compatible.
Keep up to date with all the hottest electrified vehicle news
here on CleanTechnica. Subscribe to our free EV newsletter or
overall cleantech newsletter to never miss a story.
Image Credit: BYD
Read more at
HTML http://cleantechnica.com/2014/02/24/byds-ev-buses-can-go-30-hours-single-charge/#FBVgokZfTVsuDjLx.99
#Post#: 877--------------------------------------------------
Re: Electric Vehicles
By: AGelbert Date: March 30, 2014, 6:39 pm
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HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8wtCJG0D1Y&feature=player_embedded<br
/>
#Post#: 912--------------------------------------------------
Tesla Motors Inc. Is Leaving Big Energy in the Dust
By: AGelbert Date: April 11, 2014, 7:04 pm
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HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX90oDuwhPk&feature=player_embedded<br
/>
Tesla Motors Inc. Is Leaving Big Energy in the Dust
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/maniac.gif
(GRAPHICS AT LINK) ;D
By Justin Loiseau
April 11, 2014
Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA ) is taking the automotive
industry by storm -- but that's not all. Some of the largest
energy corporations around are kicking themselves for not
investing earlier in one of the electric-vehicle maker's
smartest moves. Here's what you need to know.
If you build it, they will come
Tesla Motors, is building more than cars -- it's building a
support system to overthrow the entire way we conceive of
getting from Point A to Point B. The key: electric-vehicle
charging stations. Tesla Motors knows it's up against a
century-old status quo of gas guzzlers, so the company is doing
everything in its power to ease consumers' switching costs.
While technological improvements are enabling Tesla drivers to
go further on faster charges, the company's massive network of
Supercharger stations is what truly sets it apart, and what
energy companies wish they'd cashed in on earlier.
At what is dubbed "the fastest charging station on the planet,"
Tesla owners can charge their vehicles at more than 10 times the
rate of public charging stations. With 84 stations open across
the nation, Tesla drivers can now make a full American road trip
without needing a single drop of gas. Just check out the video
below for proof.
It's all about infrastructure
In a recent survey, 527 utility professionals offered surprising
thoughts on Tesla's major infrastructure advances. Only 17% of
those surveyed said there isn't an opportunity for utilities to
deploy electric-vehicle charging stations, while 46% said they
utilities are missing out on the opportunity. It's not hard to
understand why. Here's a map of Tesla Motors' 84 current
stations:
But by the end of 2015, the United States of America is going to
look more spotted than a three-year-old with chickenpox.
Ninety-eight percent of the entire U.S. population will be
Tesla-able:
Perhaps the survey's most shocking number is the 37% of utility
professionals who responded that "[u]tilities are not and will
not miss the [electric-vehicle charging station] opportunity."
Unless energy companies have super-secret plans they're not
telling anyone about, their current grand total of 147 stations
doesn't come close to Tesla Motors' plans.
If you look at the geographic spread, it's easy to see that
utility companies aren't concerned with nationwide access. While
Tesla wants drivers across every state, energy companies are
currently playing to their strengths. Sorry, Washington state,
Texas, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Tennessee, Maine, and many
others -- utilities have yet to put a single station in your
state
[move]It takes two (hundred stations) to tango[/move]
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/tuzki-bunnys/tuzki-bunny-emoticon-036.gif
With more than 200 stations expected for 2015, Tesla Motors is
gearing up for massive growth. And while utilities are
collectively sitting on billions in cash, they're either
bureaucratically unable or unwilling to go where this
electric-vehicle maker is going. Ironically, Tesla seems less
afraid of infrastructure investments than the corporations that
lit up America -- and they're paying a pretty price in lost
profit.
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ0HsN-tblo&feature=player_embedded<br
/>
HTML http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/04/11/tesla-motors-inc-is-leaving-big-energy-in-the-dust.aspx
9 rock-solid dividend stocks you can buy today
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/tuzki-bunnys/tuzki-bunny-emoticon-026.gifhttp://www.desismileys.com/smileys/desismileys_6961.gif
Dividend stocks can make you rich. It's as simple as that. While
they don't garner the notoriety of high-flying growth stocks,
they're also less likely to crash and burn. And over the long
term, the compounding effect of the quarterly payouts, as well
as their growth, adds up faster than most investors imagine.
With this in mind, our analysts sat down to identify the
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valuable free report by simply clicking here now. :P
Justin Loiseau owns shares of Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool
recommends Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Tesla
Motors.
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-anime-047.gif
Try
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#Post#: 948--------------------------------------------------
Re: Electric Vehicles
By: AGelbert Date: April 24, 2014, 12:53 pm
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Norwegian Man With Seven Teslas Says Electric Cars Work Just
Fine In Winter Weather ;D
By Richard Read Richard Read
Last year, the auto world watched Tesla CEO Elon Musk carry out
a very public feud with New York Times writer John Broder, who'd
published a damning story about his travels in a Tesla Model S.
Musk claimed that negative publicity generated by the piece cost
Tesla $100 million in revenue.
Among other things, Broder's article suggested that cold weather
adversely affected the battery in the Model S, drastically
reducing its driving range. (It's an issue that had been raised
before.) But one Norwegian man wants to set the record straight.
That man is Jens Kratholm, an ophthalmologist who lives in the
town of Narvik, some 136 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The
average temperature there is 39 degrees Fahrenheit. If electric
car batteries fare poorly in chilly temps, Narvik would be a bad
place to own a Tesla.
And yet, Kratholm owns a Tesla Model S. He also owns six Tesla
Roadsters. :o Yes: six. According to a post on the Tesla Motors
blog, Kratholm owns more Teslas than anyone else on Planet
Earth.
He ordered his first Roadster sight-unseen from a dealership in
Denmark -- much to the chagrin of his wife, Ellen Røsnes, who is
a self-proclaimed car nut and longtime Mercedes-Benz fan. Røsnes
chided Kratholm, saying "Are you crazy? ??? This car doesn’t
have an engine! It’s just a play car."
HTML http://www.desismileys.com/smileys/desismileys_1730.gif<br
/>
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/swear1.gif
As you might've guessed, Røsnes was quickly hooked by the
Roadster's handling, especially in icy conditions. The family's
collection grew, until the couple had enough Teslas to share
with their children when they came home for visits.
To Kratholm, Tesla's biggest selling point is its performance in
cold weather:
"We found out that [the Tesla is] a super winter car,” says
Jens. 'It’s so fantastic. It’s much easier and better than an
ordinary car.' He likes that you can heat the Model S remotely
via an app, so that there’s no ice or snow on the car when
you’re ready to drive it. He also says the winter range is
almost the same as the summer range. In December, he and Røsnes
took the Model S to an ice hotel in Sweden, 200km from Narvik.
The temperature dropped to -40 degrees Celsius. It was so cold
that the trains couldn’t operate and the diesel in the buses
froze. But the Model S was just fine." [img width=30
height=40]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-141113185047.png[/img]<br
/>
OUR TAKE
Kratholm is the kind of superfan that CEOs dream about. He and
his family are passionate about Tesla products, so it's not
surprising that Tesla ran a post about them on its corporate
blog.
That being said, it would be hard to imagine that the family's
claims are fabricated, or that Kratholm would continue buying
Teslas if they performed poorly in Narvik's harsh winter
weather.
Bottom line: there's a lot more research to be done on electric
car batteries, their strengths, and their shortcomings,
particularly in extreme temps. At the very least, however,
Kratholm's family show that Teslas are viable vehicles, even for
folks living north of the Arctic Circle. At best, they suggest
that Broder's reports [img width=160
height=095]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-241013183046.jpeg[/img]<br
/> were either misguided [img width=40
height=40]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-051113192052.png[/img]<br
/>
or inaccurate.
HTML http://www.u.arizona.edu/~patricia/cute-collection/smileys/lying-smiley.gif<br
/>[img width=50
height=50]
HTML http://www.imgion.com/images/01/Angry-animated-smiley.jpg[/img]<br
/>
Picture at link of
Jens Kratholm with two of his six Tesla Roadsters (via the Tesla
Motors blog)
HTML http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1091687_norwegian-man-with-seven-teslas-says-electric-cars-work-just-fine-in-winter-weather
#Post#: 951--------------------------------------------------
Re: Electric Vehicles
By: AGelbert Date: April 24, 2014, 3:00 pm
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Tesla Motors Has Friends At The FTC When It Comes To Direct
Sales
by Jay Cole
At link:
Internationally Tesla Run Into Few Problems With Their Direct
Sales Model (such as at this company store in Toronto)
There is a war going on in the United States when it comes to
automotive sales; specifically the ability to sell cars directly
to the consumer.
And it seemingly goes like this: Tesla Motors VS every state’s
auto dealers association. Sometimes Tesla wins, sometimes they
lose (such as recent defeats in Arizona, and ongoing
difficulties in New Jersey).
Often when they lose, their CEO Elon Musk muses taking the fight
to the federal level; although no such advancement on that front
has yet been made.
Today, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) threw a little gas on
that fire by aligning themselves on Tesla’s side of the fight by
putting up a blog post entitled “Who decides how consumers
should shop?”
“Dealers contend that it is important for regulators to prevent
abuses of local dealers. This rationale appears unsupported,
however, with respect to blanket prohibitions of direct sales by
manufacturers. And, in any event, it has no relevance to
companies like Tesla. It has never had any independent dealers
and reportedly does not want them.
Regulators should differentiate between regulations that truly
protect consumers and those that protect the regulated. We hope
lawmakers will recognize efforts by auto dealers and others to
bar new sources of competition for what they are—expressions of
a lack of confidence in the competitive process that can only
make consumers worse off.”
Check out the entire transcript of that post below – it’s a well
thought out read!
Who decides how consumers should shop?
HTML http://www.websmileys.com/sm/violent/sterb029.gif
(By: Andy Gavil, Debbie Feinstein, and Marty Gaynor)
Consumers once shopped predominantly at their local stores; but
first mail order catalogs and today the Internet have created
new ways to shop for and purchase a wide range of goods and
services. Similarly, consumers once arranged for taxis by
hailing one from a street corner or by calling a dispatcher; yet
today, smartphones and new software applications are shaking up
the transportation industry, creating new business opportunities
and new services for consumers.
At link:
Tesla Model S Design Studio In China – Company Owned & Operated
In buying cars, however, these new ways to shop may not be
available to consumers. For decades, local laws in many states
have required consumers to purchase their cars solely from
local, independent auto dealers. Removing these regulatory
impediments may be essential to allow consumers access to new
ways of shopping that have become available in many other
industries.
This very question has been raised across the country, as a
still-young car manufacturer, Tesla, pursues a
direct-to-consumer sales strategy that does not rely on local,
independent dealers.
In this case and others, many state and local regulators have
eliminated the direct purchasing option for consumers, by taking
steps
HTML http://www.websmileys.com/sm/violent/sterb050.gif
to
protect existing middlemen
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-311013200859.png<br
/>from new competition. We believe this is bad policy for a
number of reasons.
American consumers and businesses benefit from a dynamic and
diverse economy where new technologies and business models can
and have disrupted stable and stagnant industries, often by
responding to unmet or under-served consumer needs. When that
occurs in an industry long subject to extensive regulation,
existing businesses—like automobile dealers—often respond by
urging legislators or regulators to restrict or even bar the new
firms that threaten to shake up their market.
Out of 15 million cars sold in the U.S. in 2013, Tesla accounted
for a little over 22,000. This hardly presents a serious
competitive threat to established dealers. What it could
represent is a real change to the way cars are sold that might
allow Tesla to expand in the future and prove attractive to
other manufacturers, whether established or new ones that have
yet to emerge, and consumers. Efforts to litigate, legislate,
and regulate to eliminate Tesla’s perceived threat have forced
it to battle jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction for the simple right
to sell its automobiles directly to consumers.
When the automobile industry was in its infancy, auto
manufacturers recruited independent, locally owned dealers to
reach consumers in localities across the country. State laws
progressively embraced wide-ranging protections for these
dealers due to a perceived imbalance of power between the
typically small local dealers and major national manufacturers.
Dealers persuaded lawmakers that they needed protections from
abusive practices by manufacturers. Federal laws, too, developed
to protect auto dealers from abuse.
At link:
London Tesla Store – Company Owned & Operated (via
driving.co.uk)
These protections expanded until in many states they included
outright bans on the sale of new cars by anyone other than a
dealer—specifically, an auto manufacturer. Instead of[size=18pt]
“protecting,” these state laws became[b] “protectionist,”
[/b][/size]perpetuating one way of selling cars—the independent
car dealer. Such blanket bans are an anomaly in the broader
economy, where most manufacturers compete to respond to consumer
needs by choosing from among direct sales to consumers, reliance
on independent dealers, or some combination of the two.
Dealers contend that it is important for regulators to prevent
abuses of local dealers. This rationale appears unsupported,
however, with respect to blanket prohibitions of direct sales by
manufacturers. And, in any event, it has no relevance to
companies like Tesla. It has never had any independent dealers
and reportedly does not want them.
FTC staff have commented on similar efforts to bar new rivals
and new business models in industries as varied as wine sales,
taxis, and health care. We have consistently urged legislators
and regulators to consider the potential harmful consequences
this can have for competition and consumers. How manufacturers
choose to supply their products and services to consumers is
just as much a function of competition as what they sell—and
competition ultimately provides the best protections for
consumers and the best chances for new businesses to develop and
succeed. Our point has not been that new methods of sale are
necessarily superior to the traditional methods—just that the
determination should be made through the competitive process.
At link:
Tesla Store In Palo Alto, California
Change is a critical dimension of that competitive process.
Manufacturers in a variety of industries now reach consumers
directly through websites, providing extensive information that
was once only available from dealers or by phone or mail
inquiry. And consumers routinely turn to the Internet as a
convenient way to comparison shop and buy products and services.
Such change can sometimes be difficult for established
competitors that are used to operating in a particular way, but
consumers can benefit from change that also challenges
longstanding competitors. Regulators should differentiate
between regulations that truly protect consumers and those that
protect the regulated. We hope lawmakers will recognize efforts
by auto dealers and others to bar new sources of competition for
what they are—expressions of a lack of confidence in the
competitive process that can only make consumers worse off.
Andy is the Director of the Office of Policy Planning, Debbie is
the Director of the Bureau of Competition, and Marty is the
Director of the Bureau of Economics. The views expressed are
their own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the
Commission or of any individual Commissioner.
Hat tip to Frank for his contribution!
Tesla Dealer Pictures at link:
HTML http://insideevs.com/tesla-motors-has-a-friend-in-the-ftc-when-it-comes-to-direct-sales/
#Post#: 1164--------------------------------------------------
Re: Electric Vehicles
By: AGelbert Date: May 19, 2014, 7:43 pm
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HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbz5MdnP2oA&feature=player_embedded<br
/>
BMW Does It! BMW i8 Commercial Shows What An Electric Car
Commercial Should Be
[IMG]
HTML http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Transports/ferrari-046.gif[/img]
Read more at
HTML http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/18/bmw-i8-commercial-rocks-it/#tsDTQwsHgvQDXBt7.99
#Post#: 1189--------------------------------------------------
Formula E Holdings Raises 50 Million Euros In First Round of Fin
ancing
By: AGelbert Date: May 23, 2014, 12:17 am
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Formula E Holdings Raises 50 Million Euros In First Round of
Financing
Nice pictures at link: ;D
HTML http://insideevs.com/formula-e-holdings-raises-50-million-euros-first-round-financing/
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