Where Innovation Meets Imagination
A Japanese startup company called SkyDrive has unveiled what it claims is the world’s smallest flying car. (See video below.)
Designed to carry one person, the vehicle could be said to be the aerial equivalent of a motorcycle.
SkyDrive says it can put the what we’ll call the “airbike” into mass production in just two years’ time, by which time there should be more regulations about aerial vehicles. [Read more…] about SkyDrive launches ‘world’s smallest flying car’
ABB’s newly launched Terra 184 electric vehicle chargers have been selected by Japan’s e-Mobility Power (eMP) to modernize the infrastructure for the country’s electric vehicle market and accelerate the nation’s shift towards sustainable mobility.
Financial details of the order were not disclosed.
The project is part of a broader push in Japan to increase the share of electric and plug-in hybrids to between 20-30 percent by 2030, from just 1 percent in 2018. [Read more…] about Japanese infrastructure company selects ABB’s Terra 184 electric vehicle chargers
The State of Michigan is planning to redesign its road network to accommodate driverless cars, according to a report on CNN.
Authorities in the state refer back to the area’s history as the home of some of the world’s largest automotive companies and factories.
The city of Detroit, Michigan used to known as “Motor City” in decades gone by, inspiring the name of the famous record label “Motown”, which launched the careers and made global stars of singers such as Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Queen Latifah, Erykah Badu, and Michael Jackson. [Read more…] about Michigan to redesign road network to accommodate driverless cars
Driverless car startup AutoX has launched its RoboTaxi ride-hailing service in Shanghai, China to the general public for the first time, marking a transit milestone for China’s largest city.
AutoX RoboTaxis can be booked through Alibaba’s AutoNavi smartphone app, similar to other ride-hailing services.
AutoX, which has raised at least $160 million to date, according to Crunchbase, has also struck up a strategic partnership with Letzgo, a major taxi fleet operations company headquartered in Shanghai. [Read more…] about AutoX launches driverless taxi service in China
The autonomous driving joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv has been given a name and brand identity: Motional. (See video below.)
Launched virtually to its employees around the world, the the companies say they are “making driverless vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality”.
Formed by Hyundai Motor Group, one of the world’s largest vehicle manufacturers offering smart mobility solutions, and Aptiv, one of the industry’s most innovative technology providers, the joint venture was established in March 2020 to advance the development and commercialization of the world’s highest-performing and safest autonomous vehicles. [Read more…] about Hyundai and Aptiv launch new autonomous driving joint venture Motional
Oil-producing nations located in the Middle East and North Africa are struggling with their economies, most of which are not diversified enough to offset the losses caused by falls in the price of crude.
A quick check shows that the current price of a barrel of crude oil – which is about 160 litres – is just above $40, which is significantly lower than certainly Arab countries need it to be.
According to the Economist, Algeria needs the price to be about $157 a barrel, while Oman wants to get to at least $87. [Read more…] about Oil-producing nations struggling with economic woes as society shifts towards electric movement
A coronavirus-induced acceleration of robotics and automation appears to be taking place in China. There are a number of forces driving this catalysis in automation technologies.
Firstly, the Chinese government and its policies are playing a central role. This will be particularly reflected in the unprecedented spending on “new infrastructure” as a response to the pandemic.
Secondly, the technologies and related-industries targeted by the government’s new infrastructure agenda are critical components. [Read more…] about Opinion: A coronavirus-induced acceleration of robotics and automation is happening in China
The electric vehicle market has apparently defied the coronavirus threat to rack up record sales for automakers all over the world.
From European companies Renault and BMW to Asian companies such as Hyundai and Toyota, and even US companies such as General Motors – deep in the midst of the the coronavirus crisis – have reported, and are projecting, strong sales and interest in electric and other “new energy” vehicles, as they are called.
Toyota, arguably the world’s largest automotive company, recently reported that it had sold a staggering 15 million hybrid electric vehicles worldwide. [Read more…] about Electric vehicle market defies coronavirus threat
Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) and automaker Honda have signed an agreement to form a “comprehensive strategic alliance” on new energy vehicle (NEV) batteries to strengthen their strategic partnership and promote the popularization of electrified vehicles.
This agreement will enable the two companies to begin discussions on a broad range of areas including joint development, stable supply, and the recycling and reuse of batteries.
By bringing together the two companies’ individual technology advantages, CATL and Honda will conduct joint development on NEVs batteries and joint research and development into fundamental technologies, aiming for their future application. [Read more…] about CATL and Honda agree ‘comprehensive strategic alliance’ on batteries for new energy vehicles
In February of 2020, Porsche‘s production plant in Leipzig was awarded a logistics award by the German Association of the Automotive Industry.
A Grenzebach automated guided vehicle solution for automated goods transport is part of the award-winning logistics concept.
In the complex sequential production for the Macan and Panamera models, 30 Grenzebach L1200S AGVs reliably supply seats and back seats in the final assembly stage. [Read more…] about Grenzebach contributes to award-winning intralogistics at Porsche in Leipzig
