{"issues":[],"legislators":[],"articles":[{"title":" This Week in Tesla: Android Auto Works in Teslas, 1,000,000th Battery Pack Produced","id":993,"slug":"993-week-tesla-android-auto-works-teslas-1-000-000th-battery-pack-produced","links":{"self":"https://engage.tesla.com/articles/993-week-tesla-android-auto-works-teslas-1-000-000th-battery-pack-produced","article_comments":"/api/article_comments?article_id=993","signatures":"/api/v3/articles/993/signatures?include=user"},"user_id":768,"cta_prompt":"By: Charlie O'Mara","cta_type":"comment","cta_text":"Comment","cta_url":null,"formatted_publish_date":"9.30.21","image_urls":{"thumb":"https://ul.engage.tesla.com/ul/q_auto/mwga28GJ/9f7a58/9f7a58-11131735.png","xsmall":"https://ul.engage.tesla.com/ul/q_auto/mwga28GJ/9f7a58/9f7a58-11131735.png","small":"https://ul.engage.tesla.com/ul/q_auto/mwga28GJ/9f7a58/9f7a58-11131735.png","medium":"https://ul.engage.tesla.com/ul/q_auto/mwga28GJ/9f7a58/9f7a58-11131735.png","large":"https://ul.engage.tesla.com/ul/q_auto/mwga28GJ/9f7a58/9f7a58-11131735.png"},"profile_id":8,"action_count":0,"html_content":"

Android Auto Now Works in Teslas -

For a while now, one of the most requested features by Tesla owners has been Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility in Teslas. In the past, the main constraint was that the screens in Teslas were vertical, while Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are designed for horizontal screens. Now that the screens are horizontal in all Tesla models currently in production, the main thing holding Tesla back from integrating the smartphone compatible systems is that Tesla prefers that owners use their own proprietary user interface. Through an app on the Google Play store called TeslAA owners can use Android Auto in their Teslas via the web browser in the car. While most owners will likely opt to continue using the built in user interface, this seems like a good option for those who really like the integration between their phone and their car.

1,000,00th Battery Pack Produced -

This week, Tesla employees at the Gigafactory Nevada confirmed that the factory recently produced their one millionth battery pack ever, a huge accomplishment. It seems that the one million figure comes from only Model 3 and Model Y sales, not Model S and X. Tesla’s vision for the Gigafactory was somewhat novel at its time of conception, and now serves as a model for battery pack production across the industry. Although the building is only 30% of the size that it was originally planned to be, Tesla and Panasonic have worked together to optimize the production to a point of great efficiency.

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Android Auto Now Works in Teslas -

1,000,00th Battery Pack Produced -

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‘Tesla Glass’ Unveiled -

Tesla recently released a youtube video introducing the “secret to a quiet cabin,” their new proprietary glass. Tesla hired former Apple material engineer Mike Pilliod back in 2016 to begin working on projects such as this one. The new glass will be far more UV resistant from all angles, and will be dual-paned with a layer of insulation in between. Supposedly, the new glass will help improve cabin noise and give these electric cars a truly silent driving experience.

Model Y Impresses in ‘Moose Test’ -

The “Moose Test” is an evasive driving test that many new cars are put through to determine how well they turn as well as how responsive they are. Due to the low center of gravity of the Model Y, there is not as much body roll when cornering as some would expect from a vehicle of its size. The testers claimed that the Model Y was one of the best cars they had tested, all likely due to the handling and acceleration. Also, while SUV’s normally do not do very well on the test, the Model Y was up there with the best sedans.

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‘Tesla Glass’ Unveiled -

Model Y Impresses in ‘Moose Test’ -

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Hero Photo: Jeff Gardner

Twenty years to the day of the 9/11 tragedy, our monthly meetup brought out respectful optimism—through attendees, EVs, and generous food donations to FeedMore WNY.

The site (sight?) was unrivaled. It took six months of planning but we finally landed a meetup right where Nikola Tesla’s multiphase power gets generated today: overlooking the Lower Niagara River at the New York Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project.

Photo: John P. Weiksnar

Technically we were set up outside its Power Vista, the free visitors center that deserves destination status itself for all TOCNYS members at one point or another.

Photo: Leo Peláez

Put together a few dozen Teslas with a handful of other EVs, all throughout the event, and you have probably the largest gathering of EVs ever in Niagara County!

Photo: Jeff Gardner

Then couple that with owners from all across NY State—several with family members in tow—plus public citizens there for the show, and the combo was unbeatable.

Photo: Paul Pasquarello

Wait, the weather was unbeatable.

Okay, it was all unbeatable. We’ll let a few pictures speak for themselves.

Photo: John P. Weiksnar

Photo: Paul Pasquarello

Photo: Leo Peláez

Photo: Paul Pasquarello

Photo: John P. Weiksnar

Also stay tuned for future Niagara Frontier meetups. Prior to our usual Second Saturday of the Month meetup in October, be sure to drop in at the Buffalo National Drive Electric Week EV Rodeo downtown on September 25.

Special thanks to all NYPA staff, especially Manager of Community Affairs, Teresa Martinez, and Supervisor of Photographic Operations, Paul Pasquarello. Paul kindly contributed to our photo album which has plenty more to view. Please post any of your own additional event pics there!

By John P. Weiksnar, Niagara Frontier regional organizer

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Hero Photo: Jeff Gardner

Twenty years to the day of the 9/11 tragedy, our monthly meetup brought out respectful optimism—through attendees, EVs, and generous food donations to FeedMore WNY.

Photo: John P. Weiksnar

Technically we were set up outside its Power Vista, the free visitors center that deserves destination status itself for all TOCNYS members at one point or another.

Photo: Leo Peláez

Put together a few dozen Teslas with a handful of other EVs, all throughout the event, and you have probably the largest gathering of EVs ever in Niagara County!

Photo: Jeff Gardner

Then couple that with owners from all across NY State—several with family members in tow—plus public citizens there for the show, and the combo was unbeatable.

Photo: Paul Pasquarello

Wait, the weather was unbeatable.

Okay, it was all unbeatable. We’ll let a few pictures speak for themselves.

Photo: John P. Weiksnar

Photo: Paul Pasquarello

Photo: Leo Peláez

Photo: Paul Pasquarello

Photo: John P. Weiksnar

By John P. Weiksnar, Niagara Frontier regional organizer

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25k Tesla Hatchback Rumors -

There have been rumors for a while, backed up by Tesla itself, that the automaker will eventually produce a small, cheap hatchback. This is crucial because while the Model 3 can be affordable for some, it is still a relatively expensive vehicle and considered a luxury car. Making a more affordable car would be great for Tesla’s financials and the brand image. Despite the Model 3 and Model Y, many still think that the cheapest Tesla costs upwards of $50,000. There have also been rumors that Tesla will release this car as their first entirely autonomous car, with no steering wheel, but regulators will likely not allow that for quite some time.

Laser Windshield Wiper Patent Approved -

A couple years ago, Tesla submitted a patent for a complex laser system to be used in place of windshield wipers, presumably for the Roadster. This week, the patent was approved, likely meaning that we may see this technology come to fruition at some point. It is very cool that despite being the largest EV automaker, Tesla continues to innovate on all fronts. Windshield wipers can become an issue with aerodynamics, often resulting in unwanted drag. Using lasers as a replacement would definitely be cool, but it is unsure whether or not we will see this implemented in the near future.

","comments_count":0,"comments_enabled":true,"issue_slugs":[],"private":false,"created_at":"2021-09-10T14:39:29.872Z","status":"published","snippet":"25k Tesla Hatchback Rumors - There have been rumors for a while, backed up by Tesla itself, that the automaker will eventually","share_count":0,"reaction_config_id":null,"recipient_config":null,"show_byline_follow_button":true,"show_suggested_profiles":false,"published_at":"2021-09-10T14:39:29.840Z","allow_advocacy":true,"signed":false,"signatures_count":null,"signatures_goal":100,"signable_progress":0,"video_url":null,"video_dimensions":null,"video_aspect_ratio":null,"og_title":null,"og_description":null,"translations":{"en":{"status":"published","title":"This Week in Tesla: Laser Windshield Wiper Patent Approved, 25k Tesla Hatchback Rumors ","cta_prompt":null,"html_content":"

25k Tesla Hatchback Rumors -

Laser Windshield Wiper Patent Approved -

","custom_cta_text":null,"cta_url":null},"en_AU":{"status":null,"title":null,"cta_prompt":null,"html_content":null,"custom_cta_text":null,"cta_url":null},"fr_CA":{"status":null,"title":null,"cta_prompt":null,"html_content":null,"custom_cta_text":null,"cta_url":null},"sv":{"status":null,"title":null,"cta_prompt":null,"html_content":null,"custom_cta_text":null,"cta_url":null}},"twitter_share_language":null,"email_share_subject":null,"email_share_body":null,"confirmed_users_replies_count":0,"issue_ids":[],"legislator_ids":[]},{"title":"MKBHD & CREW IN NIAGARA — Rolling Out The TOCNYS Red Carpet","id":950,"slug":"950-mkbhd-crew-niagara-rolling-tocnys-red-carpet","links":{"self":"https://engage.tesla.com/articles/950-mkbhd-crew-niagara-rolling-tocnys-red-carpet","article_comments":"/api/article_comments?article_id=950","signatures":"/api/v3/articles/950/signatures?include=user"},"user_id":768,"cta_prompt":"By: John P. Weiksnar","cta_type":"comment","cta_text":"Comment","cta_url":null,"formatted_publish_date":"9.9.21","image_urls":{"thumb":"https://ul.engage.tesla.com/ul/q_auto/mwga28GJ/bcff68/bcff68-Untitled.jpg","xsmall":"https://ul.engage.tesla.com/ul/q_auto/mwga28GJ/bcff68/bcff68-Untitled.jpg","small":"https://ul.engage.tesla.com/ul/q_auto/mwga28GJ/bcff68/bcff68-Untitled.jpg","medium":"https://ul.engage.tesla.com/ul/q_auto/mwga28GJ/bcff68/bcff68-Untitled.jpg","large":"https://ul.engage.tesla.com/ul/q_auto/mwga28GJ/bcff68/bcff68-Untitled.jpg"},"profile_id":8,"action_count":0,"html_content":"

“One modest, thousand-mile experiment rustled up key issues that have concerned EV charging advocates in NY State for years.”

It started when this Twitter post informally appeared and almost went under the radar . . . or Tesla Vision, these days:

$\"MKBHD\"$

This showed up just two days after the most ambitious TOCNYS event of the season, Tesla Henrietta: Official Grand Opening. Tweeted first thing on a Monday, no less.

Retweets soon started to pique interest and spill some of the road trip’s details.

It would be a Model S Plaid with 349 miles of range versus a Ford Mustang Mach-E California Route 1 Edition with 305 miles of range. Both EVs would be competing against an Audi Q5 fossil car (the control) with 462 miles of range.

$\"Image\"$

Photo @MKBHD

Team Tesla:

Marques Brownlee @MKBHD

Hayato Huseman @hayatohuseman

Team Mach-E:

Brandon Havard @BrandonJHavard

David ImeI @DurvidImel

Team Gasolina:

Andrew Manganelli @AndyManganelli

Adam Lukas @AdamLukas17

Tim McMahon @timmcmahonn

Their starting point would be a Wawa gas station with Superchargers and Electrify America charging, just outside of NYC in New Jersey. First checkpoint: Lake Placid, with the Olympic sign serving as the photo to grab.

That would be followed by our own TOCNYS Niagara Frontier region’s inspiration, Niagara Falls. The photo assignment there would be none other than the Nikola Tesla statue on Goat Island.

Rounding out the Empire State, they would visit the clock tower on the Cornell University campus. Through Pennsylvania, they would hit Scranton (home to the TV series The Office). Completing the competition would be a return to the Tri-State home base.

It was posted that “This [journey] will take 2 days and be very (kinda) scientific and very fun.”

Photo @MKBHD

Just a second.

Let’s rewind and make sure we all grasp who Marques Brownlee, creator of “MKBHD,” is.

A 2015 alumnus of the Stevens Institute of Technology, Brownlee earned its Young Alumni Achievement Award for making a substantial impact on the tech media scene. Imagine billions of YouTube views, millions of Twitter followers, and instant recognition of his trademark reviews covering the latest and greatest devices.

Wait, did I mention that he is also the one who interviewed “possibly the busiest man alive” (Elon Musk) within the Fremont factory?

Photo @MKBHD

All true. In 2018, when Model 3 was making or breaking Tesla’s future, Brownlee sat down and effected this YouTube milestone that lives on, even hinting at the still-TBA $25,000 Tesla.

Back to the present. Remember, it’s Monday morning, August 30, with the Tweet about the road trip still relatively fresh. Yours Truly decides to reach out and inform the team that TOCNYS members would be prone to help, whenever the trip happens.

The event link in the p.s. was to our upcoming Niagara Falls meetup on the second Saturday of September. What if the trip and meetup overlapped?! Not even remotely knowing the date of the MKBHD “experiment,” it was worth a shot.

Wrong!

It would become clear, hours later, that they had already started the trip.

That’s right. All three vehicles were well on their way around the Empire State—counterclockwise, as this earlier photo tweeted from the Plaid reveals—en route to Albany/Montreal.

Great. Without a formal website or other real-time map, knowing when they would hit the Tesla statue proved elusive at best. For me, being about half an hour from The Falls, even trickier.

MKBHD was Tweeting only here and there. The rest of the crew had been posting a trickle of other details via their account, @TheStudio. You could say it was less than prophetic to foist this, though:

Why? Because it turned out that the Mach-E was immobile by noon.

This tweet says it all:

Maybe no one predicted the scope of what was about to happen. One modest, thousand-mile experiment rustled up key issues that have concerned EV charging advocates in NY State for years. (Shout-out to WNYer Abdur-Rahman Morgan, a champion of the EV charging cause, once going as far as offering officials his own non-Tesla BEV to attempt cross-state charging.)

It should be no surprise, then, that this rustling sparked a Twitter storm for the record books.

Right away, @pluginsites lashed out at @NYPAenergy with “What is going on with your promise to #EV drivers that they will be able to charge when crossing New York?” . . . plus hitting right where it counts by dredging up this not-even-one-year-old claim:

The strategy seemed to work.

NYPA’s Twitter account soon apologized for the technical problem with the remote station at Schroon Lake, adding that charging there would be free until they resolved the remaining issues.

TOCNYS friend @mdvolt chimed in by questioning whether a Mach-E had ever charged there, if other vehicles were able to use the charging station’s same CCS plug, and if a software update might be needed for the station.

But wait, there’s more.

You know something is up when NYPA Lead Engineer John Markowitz even steps into the thread to offer help via direct message.

Meantime, @pluginsites added that the Schroon Lake charging station was working two weeks ago for their own vehicle, cementing the impact of today’s fiasco with the quip “This lack of dependability is catastrophic for #EV adoption.”

That, ladies and gentlemen, highlights how vital the MKBHD/TheStudio challenge is today.

They embarked on the trip specifically without planning for charging or gas—a legit, real-world attempt. Yet, the not-a-Tesla EV is already borked before reaching the first landmark.

How did the Mach-E team resolve the out-of-order charging station issue?

Correct, navigate in the opposite direction since the sole charging option was yonder.

If there is any consolation in all of this, the marooned team did report that the estimated remaining range of the Mach-E tends to be more accurate than the Plaid’s. Well, if anything, the ’Stang underestimates.

Brownlee knows there is typically a hidden reserve of juice below the Tesla zero-miles-remaining mark. Only getting to that point seems to happen less predictably than in the Ford. Go figure.

Anyway, by now it is late afternoon and it still isn’t clear what time the TOCNYS Niagara Frontier welcome should happen at a.) a Supercharger, b.) Niagara Falls, or c.) all of the above. The clues from the MKBHD tweets are barely clues; the ETA is looking more like a total guess.

Then, this rolls in:

Doing the math, with the Plaid’s range and the distance to Goat Island from that Supercharger, some back-of-the-napkin scribbles placed their arrival just shy of 8 p.m. . . . then again, it is a Plaid!

At Goat Island, I plugged into a ChargePoint at 7:46 p.m., turned around, and BOOM— there they are, rolling in on cue. Like a scene out of a movie. I went and IDed myself as the TOCNYS Niagara Frontier regional organizer; they smiled, parked, and we had a brief chance to chat.

Photo @jpw1116

With the Audi already there (and the Mach-E around three hours behind), I gave them directions to the peak spot for nabbing some remaining light photos of the Horseshoe Falls.

We all met up at the Nikola Tesla statue, as seen in the hero photo, then took in the thrill of both the American and Luna Falls at the brink. Imagine this chance to visit in optimal late-summer weather.

Photo @hayatohuseman

The group wrapped up this Goat Island visit stepping under the arch that was preserved from the original Edward Dean Adams Station Power Plant of the 1890s—the same portal Tesla himself most definitely walked through when it was intact upriver at Port Day.

What do you know, TOCNYS Niagara Frontier Operations Intern James VanSchoonhoven had arrived straight from work at Bocce Club Pizza with a box of it in hand. A kind Buffalo gesture for a starving crew.

Photo @TeslaPlaid

One friendly tourist recognized Brownlee and crew. The only real interloper was a skunk taking a stroll right behind the Teslas. Our cue to say farewell!

On day two, we learned that all three teams stayed the night at Niagara. Everyone kept to the plan and did not charge overnight at any hotel. Unconventional for typical EV trips? Sure, but the pact was to plug in or fuel up only while en route, on par with the control vehicle that requires ye olde gas stations.

Full details on both legs of the trip will appear in a future @TheStudio video, but we do know that around noon, the Plaid had charged up in Cheektowaga and was bound for Cornell. They arrived there by 2:45 p.m. (with Mach-E ahead of them, though they all started out together) and then into Scranton by 4:25 p.m.

In contrast, the Mach-E was 42 miles past Scranton and charging for the final stretch at 5:54 p.m.—it turns out that this team began favoring Electrify America stations which provided the most bang for the buck (even if the Ford app didn’t always suggest them).

TeamTesla made it back to the starting point by 7:14 p.m., with the Mach-E—on average 1.5 hours behind—made it there a respectable nineteen minutes later. Had all the Mach-E stations been functional EA ones, there is a much better chance the two EVs would have been in sync.

What were some of their takeaways?

Three charging stops per day, none over 46 minutes
The Mach-E’s UI tended to be confusing compared to the Plaid’s
There are too many charging companies
There are too many broken chargers
Single-plug charging stations are unacceptable

Talk about a productive experiment! Until their final video is ready, check out this Waveform podcast for their take.

UPDATE: View the initial results video “Driving 1000 Miles in 3 Cars: Gas vs Electric!” https://youtu.be/vXzuFprlyrw

— By John P. Weiksnar, TOCNYS Niagara Frontier regional organizer

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“One modest, thousand-mile experiment rustled up key issues that have concerned EV charging advocates in NY State for years.”

It started when this Twitter post informally appeared and almost went under the radar . . . or Tesla Vision, these days:

$\"MKBHD\"$

This showed up just two days after the most ambitious TOCNYS event of the season, Tesla Henrietta: Official Grand Opening. Tweeted first thing on a Monday, no less.

Retweets soon started to pique interest and spill some of the road trip’s details.

$\"Image\"$

Photo @MKBHD

Team Tesla:

Marques Brownlee @MKBHD

Hayato Huseman @hayatohuseman

Team Mach-E:

Brandon Havard @BrandonJHavard

David ImeI @DurvidImel

Team Gasolina:

Andrew Manganelli @AndyManganelli

Adam Lukas @AdamLukas17

Tim McMahon @timmcmahonn

That would be followed by our own TOCNYS Niagara Frontier region’s inspiration, Niagara Falls. The photo assignment there would be none other than the Nikola Tesla statue on Goat Island.

It was posted that “This [journey] will take 2 days and be very (kinda) scientific and very fun.”

Photo @MKBHD

Just a second.

Let’s rewind and make sure we all grasp who Marques Brownlee, creator of “MKBHD,” is.

Wait, did I mention that he is also the one who interviewed “possibly the busiest man alive” (Elon Musk) within the Fremont factory?

Photo @MKBHD

All true. In 2018, when Model 3 was making or breaking Tesla’s future, Brownlee sat down and effected this YouTube milestone that lives on, even hinting at the still-TBA $25,000 Tesla.

Wrong!

It would become clear, hours later, that they had already started the trip.

That’s right. All three vehicles were well on their way around the Empire State—counterclockwise, as this earlier photo tweeted from the Plaid reveals—en route to Albany/Montreal.

Great. Without a formal website or other real-time map, knowing when they would hit the Tesla statue proved elusive at best. For me, being about half an hour from The Falls, even trickier.

MKBHD was Tweeting only here and there. The rest of the crew had been posting a trickle of other details via their account, @TheStudio. You could say it was less than prophetic to foist this, though:

Why? Because it turned out that the Mach-E was immobile by noon.

This tweet says it all:

It should be no surprise, then, that this rustling sparked a Twitter storm for the record books.

The strategy seemed to work.

NYPA’s Twitter account soon apologized for the technical problem with the remote station at Schroon Lake, adding that charging there would be free until they resolved the remaining issues.

But wait, there’s more.

You know something is up when NYPA Lead Engineer John Markowitz even steps into the thread to offer help via direct message.

That, ladies and gentlemen, highlights how vital the MKBHD/TheStudio challenge is today.

They embarked on the trip specifically without planning for charging or gas—a legit, real-world attempt. Yet, the not-a-Tesla EV is already borked before reaching the first landmark.

How did the Mach-E team resolve the out-of-order charging station issue?

Correct, navigate in the opposite direction since the sole charging option was yonder.

Brownlee knows there is typically a hidden reserve of juice below the Tesla zero-miles-remaining mark. Only getting to that point seems to happen less predictably than in the Ford. Go figure.

Then, this rolls in:

Photo @jpw1116

With the Audi already there (and the Mach-E around three hours behind), I gave them directions to the peak spot for nabbing some remaining light photos of the Horseshoe Falls.

Photo @hayatohuseman

Photo @TeslaPlaid

One friendly tourist recognized Brownlee and crew. The only real interloper was a skunk taking a stroll right behind the Teslas. Our cue to say farewell!

What were some of their takeaways?

Three charging stops per day, none over 46 minutes
The Mach-E’s UI tended to be confusing compared to the Plaid’s
There are too many charging companies
There are too many broken chargers
Single-plug charging stations are unacceptable

Talk about a productive experiment! Until their final video is ready, check out this Waveform podcast for their take.

UPDATE: View the initial results video “Driving 1000 Miles in 3 Cars: Gas vs Electric!” https://youtu.be/vXzuFprlyrw

— By John P. Weiksnar, TOCNYS Niagara Frontier regional organizer

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Cybertruck Delayed to Late 2022 -

After already being delayed once before, the Tesla Cybertruck has been delayed once again, this time to late 2022. The date of when the Cybertruck will finally enter production is dependent on the new Tesla Gigafactory Texas, and how soon Model Y production can begin there. Tesla has previously stated that after the Model Y production lines in Austin are fully operational, they will shift their focus more to the Cybertruck. It is expected that Model Y will enter production in Texas around the end of this year, which could indicate that the Cybertruck deliveries will start later than late 2022. A good indication of when the Cybertruck will enter production is when the configurator goes live on Tesla’s website. Once a Cybertruck can be fully customized online, it will be nearing production.

Roadster Delayed to Late 2023 -

After being originally planned for production in 2020, the Roadster has been delayed a couple times. The first delay came when the Roadster was delayed two years from 2020 to 2022. Now, into 2021, the Roadster has been delayed once more, this time to 2022. Tesla has had a very logistically difficult year due to the global semiconductor shortage, limiting how many cars they can produce each day. It is also likely that Tesla wants to firm up the production of its more mass market vehicles before spending too much time on the Roadster, which truthfully, will not sell nearly as many cars as any other of Tesla’s fleet.

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Cybertruck Delayed to Late 2022 -

Roadster Delayed to Late 2023 -

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