Watch out Flipper. U-Boat Worx has announced major performance improvements to its fully-electric, three-passenger Super Sub, donning it “the most flow-dynamic submersible the world has ever seen.” With these improvements to flow dynamics, U-Boat Worx states the electric sub is now 3-4 knots faster than the cruising speed of a bottlenose dolphin.
U-Boat Worx is a Dutch submersible manufacturer that began as a dream by founder Bert Houtman in the 1980s. Today, the company is one of the industry leaders in sub design and electric versions in particular.
U-Boat Worx handles submersible design, construction, and operations for militaries, research institutes, and tourism companies. Since 2017, the electric submarine specialist has sold over twenty of its Cruise Subs to private customers, resorts, and cruise lines.
U-Boat Worx currently offers six different series of submarines, all of which are electric. This includes the nine-passenger NEXUS series we previously covered, as well as the three-passenger Super Sub which first debuted in 2021.
Today, U-Boat Worx has showcased the scientific work that went into a redesign of the Super Sub to bolster its speed below the water’s surface.
The electric three-passenger Super Sub / Source: U-Boat Worx
Flow dynamics testing
U-Boat Worx’s faster electric Super Sub to launch in 2023
While U-Boat Worx has yet to provide the video evidence it is claiming the upcoming version of its Super Sub can cruise as quickly as 10 knots, 3-4 knots faster than the bottlenose dolphin. In addition to a streamlined design, speed comes from a four thruster propulsion system delivering 60 kW of thrust.
This flow dynamic optimization is also a welcomed improvement from the speed of eight knots the submersible developer was originally estimating. At top speed, the electric Super Sub can cruise about seven knots faster than the average submersible, and now has the same flow dynamics as an electric car. Company CEO Bert Houtman spoke:
We are very excited about this development. It’s something we have been working hard on, and now to have the most flow-dynamic submersible possible, we couldn’t be more pleased. We are confident that our clients will feel the same.
U-Boat Worx originally introduced the Super Sub as its fastest and most maneuverable design to date. When the revamped versions begin to deliver in 2023, those passengers are in for even faster journeys through the sea at depths as low as 300 meters.
The company states the first new Super Sub has already been sold, and it plans to begin sea trials this coming spring. Perhaps then we can see this electric submersible go fin to fin with a dolphin.
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Tesla has wiped off the 26,000 miles on the odometer of a Cybertruck in service, scratched the vehicle, and then returned it to the owner like nothing happened.
A Tesla Cybertruck owner in Oregon was quite surprised when he went to pick up his Cybertruck, which was in service to install a new lightbar, fix some panel gaps, and figure out an ABS alert that wouldn’t go away.
According to a thread on the Cybertruck Owners Club, Tesla had wiped the odometer clean on the Foundation Series ‘Cyberbeast’, which had over 26,000 miles on it.
The owner shared a video of the Cybertruck’s odometer going from 0 to 1 mile for the second time:
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The odometer on the vehicle was wiped and both the app and service many also showed the same mileage.
The owner shared a screenshot of the app after 15 miles:
He went to the online forum for advice:
Anyone else have their odometer Thanos-snapped after a controller swap? Can Tesla unsnap it or am I forever “True Mileage Unknown”?
It was not the only surprise from this service visit for this Cybertruck owner.
The owner was not satisfied with the lightbar installation, which he claims has a half-inch gap on the passenger side while it is flush on the driver side. He wrote:
It’s basically smiling sideways at everyone.
It’s also unclear why Tesla was messing with the vehicle’s tailgate, but it ended up having a bolt moving around it, causing scratches and Tesla left a bolt unbolted:
At this point, the truck was returned with more problems than it had when it entered service.
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Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates LP, speaks during the Greenwich Economic Forum in Greenwich, Connecticut, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Bridgewater Associates founder and billionaire Ray Dalio warned Monday that Moody’s downgrade of the U.S. sovereign credit rating understates the threat to U.S. Treasuries, saying the credit agency isn’t taking into account the risk of the federal government simply printing money to pay its debt.
“You should know that credit ratings understate credit risks because they only rate the risk of the government not paying its debt,” Dalio said in a post on social media platform X.
“They don’t include the greater risk that the countries in debt will print money to pay their debts thus causing holders of the bonds to suffer losses from the decreased value of the money they’re getting (rather than from the decreased quantity of money they’re getting),” the Bridgewater founder said.
Moody’s on Friday cut the U.S. credit rating one notch to Aa1 from Aaa, citing the federal government’s ballooning budget deficit and soaring interst payments on the debt. It was the last of the three major credit agencies to downgrade the U.S. from the highest possible rating.
U.S. stocks fell on Monday as the 30-year Treasury bond yield jumped to 4.995% and the 10-year note yield climbed to 4.521% in response to Moody’s downgrade.
“Said differently, for those who care about the value of their money, the risks for U.S. government debt are greater than the rating agencies are conveying,” Dalio said.
Bridgewater’s assets under management dropped 18% in 2024 to some $92 billion, Reuters reported in March, down from a recent peak of $150 billion in 2021.
Nissan is on the brink of collapsing. After the Honda deal fell through, it looks like another Japanese automaker is tossing it a lifeline. As Nissan struggles to stay afloat, Toyota is emerging as a potential “backer” in a new tie-up.
Are Toyota and Nissan partnering?
“If we don’t take action now, the situation will only get worse,” Nissan’s President, Ivan Espinosa, said during a press conference on May 13.
Facing falling sales, ballooning debt, and slumping profits, Nissan introduced a new recovery plan last week, “Re:Nissan.” The struggling automaker aims to cut costs by 250 billion yen to return to profitability by FY 2026.
As part of its efforts to turn the business around, Nissan will cut 20,000 jobs by FY2027. It’s also abandoning plans to build a new EV battery facility in Japan. Seven other plants will be closed, including one in Thailand and two in Japan.
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After its planned EV merger with Honda fell through in February, rumours surfaced that Nissan was scrambling to find another partner.
(Source: Nissan)
According to a new report from Japan’s MainiChi, a Toyota executive recently reached out to Nissan about a potential partnership. The tie-up could involve Toyota acting as Nissan’s “backer” to support it while it restructures.
Nissan and Toyota both unveiled a wave of new electric vehicles set to roll out over the next few years. The upgraded Nissan LEAF EV will arrive in the US and Canada later this year with more range, an NACS port, and a new crossover style. It will be one of ten new Nissan or Infiniti models to arrive by 2027.
Nissan’s upcoming lineup for the US, including the new LEAF EV and “Adventure Focused” SUV (Source: Nissan)
In Europe, Nissan will launch the next-gen LEAF later this year, followed by the new Micra EV and Qashqai electric crossover. In 2026, the new Nissan Juke EV will join the lineup.
Nissan’s lineup for Europe. From left to right: The new Nissan Qashqai, LEAF, and Micra EV (Source: Nissan)
Meanwhile, Toyota’s upgraded bZ electric SUV (formerly the “bZ4X”) will arrive at US dealerships in the second half of 2025.
Toyota already has a stake in several Japanese automakers, including Subaru (20%), Mazda (5.1%), Suzuki (4.6%), and Isuzu (5.9%), so backing Nissan wouldn’t come as a shock.
Espinosa said Nissan was open to new partnerships. Nissan’s chief said the company will continue collaborating with others, including Mitsubishi, which will use the upcoming LEAF as the basis for its new EV for North America.
Japanese carmakers have been notoriously slow in shifting to all-electric vehicles, which is now costing them in key overseas markets like Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and others.
Chinese EV leaders, like BYD, are quickly expanding overseas to drive growth this year. Next year, it will launch its first kei car (see the first spy shots), or mini EV, which is already being called “a huge threat” to Japan.
Pooling resources and teaming up may be the best (or only) option at this point. Can Toyota help Nissan turn things around? Or will it be too little, too late? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Check back soon for details. This is a developing story. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
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