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$35 Million to Accelerate Materials Science Discovery. Projects will apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to speed development of materials for next-generation energy.
Advanced Tactis has successfully completed their first aerial package delivery test with a flying drone that can land with a 5-pound package and safely drive up to the door with no propellers turning to deliver a package to the doorstep of a customer.
The IDTechEx Show! takes place on 10 & 11 May in Berlin, hosting over 200 exhibitors and over 3,000 attendees.
IDTechEx are at the Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Conference in Sindlefingen, Germany where 48V mild hybrids are rightly a strong focus.
Fuel cells are energy efficient and clean, and the hydrogen fuel can be generated from a variety of domestic sources. However, a major challenge to commercialization of this technology is the durability of the membrane.
By adopting the parallel hybrid system in a leisure craft, Toyota is striving to assure customers of the cruising range by utilizing two types of power generators―the engine and electric motor.
IDTechEx, the analyst and events firm covering emerging technologies, announces the expansion of its North American office with the hiring of Mary Ellen Guerrlich as VP Business Development, Events.
A world without batteries 03 Apr
Can we do the unthinkable and abandon batteries?
Starship Technologies, the company building a fleet of autonomous robots designed to deliver goods locally, has announced the launch of pizza deliveries in co-operation with Domino's Pizza Enterprises.
Just like the Battery Show in the U.S. is the prime location for exhibitors to showcase their battery innovations and manufacturing capabilities, AABC Europe is the leading conference in the Old Continent when it comes to the quality of its speakers. This year from the 30th January to the 2nd February, the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference was hosted as usual at the Congress Center Mainz along the river Rhein in Germany. In this premium article, IDTechEx analysts Mr. Gonzalez and Dr. Grande will give a summary of their week in Mainz as well as insights into the wider implications for the automotive battery industry. This account focuses on everything that happened on DAY ONE.
In the IDTechEx report,"Fuel Cell Vehicles 2016-2026" we predicted that the window of opportunity for fuel cell vehicles is closing as battery pure electric vehicles grab their target markets.
A key component for the future of intelligent tyres, using piezoelectric energy harvesting, which converts mechanical motion into electrical energy.
China may be gearing up to have 100,000 pure electric taxis with zero emissions in use soon but at least the iconic British black cab is going to be made in Britain as a hybrid - by a Chinese company.
Airborne Wind Energy employs kites, tethered drones or turbines in balloons to make electricity, accessing more consistent, stronger winds above those reached by wind turbines on land.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 11 April 2017.
London taxi pollution 29 Mar | United Kingdom
For the first time, air pollution in the UK is now primarily caused by road vehicles. Legal limits for the year were exceeded in the first four days of the 2017. London schools are being built where the children are forced to suck in four times the approved amount of acid gas.
The second-generation concept machine is part of an electric site research project that aims to transform the quarry and aggregates industry, by reducing carbon emissions by up to 95% and total cost of ownership by up to 25%
 
The technology of Airborne Wind Energy AWE has progressed in leaps and bounds recently as many developers prepare to sell them.
The new IDTechEx report, "Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) 2017-2027" looks at the addressable markets and technologies and offers forecasts and roadmaps based on ongoing AWE interviews and analysis worldwide.
The evaluation represents a significant milestone in the Knifefish program and demonstrates the UUV's capability to detect and classify potential mines, at a variety of depths, each posing a unique threat to naval vessels operating in a mission area.
ARM is at the top of its game and its remarkable advances lead the field in most of the sectors covered in the forthcoming IDTechEx Show! May 10-11, with its 3000 paying delegates, 200 exhibitors and 225 presentations in nine parallel conferences. That is why ARM is giving a cornerstone presentation at the start of all of them.
Kudrone, a palm-sized, smartphone-controlled drone that is taking on leading competitors.
Alstom has successfully performed the first test run at 80 km/h of the world's only fuel cell passenger train Coradia iLint on its own test track in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony.
A team of scientists has developed a way of using solar power to generate a fuel that is both sustainable and relatively cheap to produce. It's using natural light to generate hydrogen from biomass.
Water sports enthusiasts of all levels looking to ride waterways off limits to gas-powered personal watercrafts will now have the freedom to ride where they could never go before, with the new electric-powered Gratis X1 from Free Form Factory.
Agricultural robots are a natural next step in the technology progression of agricultural machinery. In fact, these are special times in the development of agricultural robots because the cost of computing and data acquisition has dramatically fallen over the decades, finally enabling robots that transform many aspects of agriculture.
What happens when aerospace and automotive engineers put their smarts together to rethink urban mobility? They think air and ground and imagine Pop.Up, a multimodal passenger transport concept that makes full use of the urban transportation space.
London chokes: action pathetic 15 Mar | United Kingdom
The recent meeting of the SMMT EV Group in London revealed just how far the capital is from a plan let alone adequate action to prevent the 10,000 deaths yearly from vehicle emissions, now the top emissions killer.
Roborace provides an open A.I. platform with fixed hardware for companies to develop their own driverless software and push the limits in an extreme and safe environment. The series is designed to be a competition of intelligence so all teams will use the same Robocar. By ensuring the hardware is consistent all efforts will be focused on advancing the software.
At "Future Powertrain" March 2017, Steve Gill, Director- Powertrain Engineering Ford of Europe Ford Motor Company declared that Ford will spend $4.5 billion on electric vehicles over the coming five years.
To sustainably power electronics by converting mechanical energy into electricity, energy storage is essential to supply a stable regulated electric output, something traditionally realized by a direct connection between the two components through a rectifier.
Suppliers such as Delphi argue that autonomous cars will sell first to organisations, notably as taxis but, after a delay, they will be bought strongly by private individuals. IDTechEx notes that many cities will ban private cars, autonomous or not
One of the keys to building electric cars that can travel longer distances and to powering more homes with renewable energy is developing efficient and highly capable energy storage systems.
The unique commercially oriented report Wireless Charging 2017-2027: Phones, Cars etc. is packed with detailed market and technical analysis with many new infograms, conference slides, roadmaps and ten year forecasts 2017-2027. It is based on global research by PhD level multi-lingual analysts in 2016-7 with frequent updates. The lead author has followed the subject for 20 years and is a globally acknowledged authority on the subject.
A team of engineers led by 94-year-old John Goodenough, co-inventor of the lithium-ion battery, has developed the first all-solid-state battery cells that could lead to safer, faster-charging, longer-lasting rechargeable batteries for handheld mobile devices, electric cars and stationary energy storage.
The field of battery energy storage is set to grow significantly over the coming years. The question that incumbents, raw materials suppliers, end users, and innovators are all asking themselves is whether Li-ion batteries will keep the lion's share of the market, or whether disruptive innovation will drive technology diversification according to applications.
At the Future Powertrain event March 2017 in Solihull UK, Tony Harper, Head of Research and Advanced Systems Engineering gave valuable insights into the reality of autonomous and electric vehicles.
At the recent Future Powertrain Conference in Solihull UK, Professor Matthias Wellers, Managing Director AVI Powertrain, said he liked the idea of intermittent catenaries on major roads charging inter-city pure electric trucks.
The world's first battery-powered work boat for fish farming has been brought into operation in Norway.
Raghu Das, CEO, IDTechEx, gives an overview in the lead up to the event. The exhibition runs alongside the conference tracks and takes place on 10-11 May in Berlin, Germany. It will showcase over 200 exhibiting companies from 61 countries, many demonstrating the technologies in action.
The new IDTechEx report, "Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) 2017-2027" finds that making electricity by flying kites and the like can potentially address two very different opportunities: kill diesel or kill wind turbines.
The collaboration is intended to enforce the running projects funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia and Russian Science Foundation on low cost quantum electronics solutions for autonomous vehicles in a partnership involving RQC, IPM and I-FEVS.
In case of losing control of a drone, certain emergency systems are necessary to avoid the destruction of the drone and furthermore to minimize the danger for objects and human beings on the ground.
The electric vehicle and battery industries are in for a white knuckle ride over the next few years with increasing rejection on performance and toxicity of the lead acid battery by designers and lead-hostile laws that add cost.
BioSolar Inc, a developer of breakthrough energy storage technology and materials, has further described its plan to help drive down the cost of lithium-ion batteries.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 14 March 2017 titled Electric Drones Reinvented.
Researchers may have just found a solution for one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the next wave of rechargeable batteries — small enough for cellphones and powerful enough for cars.
MOAR is a new fat ebike design on the market with both front and rear suspensions.
New insurance rules for self-driving cars and measures to improve provision of electric vehicle charge points have been introduced in the UK as part of the Vehicle Technology and Aviation Bill.
Things will have to change in order that they remain the same (i.e., Li-ion batteries are here to stay). From the 25th to the 27th January around 300 stakeholders in the battery business gathered in Berlin to discuss battery innovation in Germany. The fifth edition of Batterieforum Deutschland, the prime event organised to foster a Li-ion battery ecosystem in Germany, took place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel near Potsdamer Platz, with three topics as the main sources of engagement for the attendees: battery manufacturing in Germany, advanced Li-ion chemistries, and stationary storage. The event was organised by KLiB, a public-private partnership of the German government and some national battery stakeholders. In this premium article, we will focus on battery chemistries.
UPS has successfully tested a drone that launches from the top of a package car, autonomously delivers a package to a home and then returns to the vehicle while the delivery driver continues along the route to make a separate delivery.
Shell announces the launch of its first hydrogen refuelling station in the UK at its Cobham service station on the M25.
The Mercedes-Benz E 350 e has successfully completed the T�V validation audit and received the Environmental Certificate.
Scientists have developed an ultrafast high-contrast camera that could help self-driving cars and drones see better in extreme road conditions and in bad weather.
Chinese drone company EHang and the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority have announced a partnership to jointly promote and introduce the EHang 184 autonomous aerial vehicle into Dubai, the city with the aim to build the world's most intelligent transportation system.
There is only one thing worse than bad planning, and that is too much planning. From the 25th to the 27th January around 300 stakeholders in the battery business gathered in Berlin to discuss why is Germany not building its own gigafactories yet. The fifth edition of Batterieforum Deutschland, the prime event organised to foster a Li-ion battery ecosystem in Germany, took place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel near Potsdamer Platz, with three topics as the main sources of engagement for the attendees: battery manufacturing in Germany, advanced Li-ion chemistries, and stationary storage. The event was organised by KLiB, a public-private partnership of the German government and some national battery stakeholders. In this premium article, we will focus on battery manufacturing.
HMI Technologies in partnership with Christchurch International Airport and with the support of the Christchurch City Council have launched New Zealand's first fully driverless vehicle trial.
Machine learning is becoming an increasingly important artificial intelligence approach to building autonomous and robotic systems. One of the key challenges with machine learning is the need for many samples — the amount of data needed to learn useful behaviors is prohibitively high.
The European Investment Bank has signed a EUR 15 million 'quasi equity' financing with Skeleton Technologies, Europe's leading producer of ultracapacitors and ultracapacitor based energy storage solutions built with graphene-type materials.
As bees slip onto the endangered species list in the United States, researchers in Japan are pollinating lilies with insect-sized drones.
Maxwell Technologies Inc has announced a definitive agreement with CRRC Qingdao Sifang Rolling Stock Research Institute Co Ltd to localize manufacturing of its ultracapacitor-based modules for use in the China new energy bus market.
Infineon says US could block planned acquisition of Wolfspeed 13 Feb | Germany
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has blocked Infineon's planned acquisition of Wolfspeed saying it may pose security risks, which remain unspecified so far.
Just when many investors are running for the exit, having burnt their fingers with toy drones and the like, IDTechEx reveals a much bigger picture with considerable potential for the level-headed.
Oxbotica has announced the release of its pioneering camera-based localisation software for autonomous vehicles, Dub4.
Perpetual drones 08 Feb | Worldwide
Nothing lasts forever: things wear out. However, there is a huge pent up demand for "perpetual" autonomous drones for everything from security to surveying, meteorology and even power generation.
The IDTechEx Launchpad initiative is open to early-stage start-ups, universities, newly spun-out companies, research labs and government labs who can demonstrate a working prototype or product that highlights new advances in any of the related event topics of: 3D printing, electric vehicles, energy harvesting, energy storage, graphene, internet of things, printed electronics, sensors, or wearable technology.
Corvus Energy Inc has announced that it has been selected as the supplier of the lithium ion based energy storage system for a new hybrid chemical tanker being built for Rederiet Stenersen AS of Norway.
Researchers have developed an algorithm for automated vehicles to operate in traffic alongside manually-driven vehicles. This is a key step in the shift towards autonomous driving expected to be achieved by 2030.
Electric Boat Climbs Mountains 03 Feb | United Kingdom
Light amphibious all-terrain vehicles have their own place within a broad spectrum of modern self-propelled machines.
Bats have long captured the imaginations of scientists and engineers with their unrivalled agility, but their complex wing motions pose significant technological challenges for those seeking to recreate their flight in a robot.
IDTechEx finds that the construction, agriculture and mining part alone will be an $81 billion market in 2027 with considerable opportunities for consolidation of players and technological breakthroughs with major market disruption and creation.
A prediction by analysts IDTechEx is turning out to be true.The window of opportunity is closing for fuel cell on-road vehicles to become mainstream.
In 2017, China has moved further against lead acid batteries and the horrific injuries and deaths they cause in China at the smelting and disposal stages
Drones and starlings 31 Jan | Worldwide
As I sat in the sunshine in Poole Harbour UK finishing my new IDTechEx report, "Electric UAV Drones: Autonomous, Energy Independent 2017-2027", I was mentioning software that endows drones with curiosity and with the ability to swarm as demonstrated with multiple drones dropped from US aircraft recently.
In January 2017, it was announced that Toyota Motor Corporation and four of its biggest automotive competitors are joining oil and gas giants including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Total SA with plans to invest a combined 10 billion euros ($10.7 billion) in hydrogen-related products within five years.
Color Line and Ulstein Verft have agreed on a Letter of Intent for the construction of the largest hybrid vessel of the world.
Picodeon announced its programme to develop superior Lithium Ion Battery performance based on its Patented PLD Technology.
DTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 7 February 2017 titled Robotic Sensing Technologies: The advent of artificial intelligence in robots.
IDTechEx Research, a leading provider of independent market research, business intelligence and events on emerging technology, announces the availability of a new report, Energy Independent Electric Vehicles Land, Water, Air 2017-2037.
his useful half day conference revealed the views of motor company and academic experts and a user/ reviewer of electric cars.
When a material is made, you typically cannot change whether that material is hard or soft. But a group of researchers have developed a new way to design a "metamaterial" that allows the material to switch between being hard and soft without damaging or altering the material itself.
U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has published its results of a six-month-long investigation following last year's crash that killed a driver whose Model S collided with a truck while using the company's driving-assist feature.
A fully electric revolution will be revealed in the shape of the Dendrobium, Singapore's first-ever hypercar.
The Army Research Laboratory and industry partners demonstrated the flying capabilities of a unique rectangular-shaped quadcopter.
Faster recharging lithium batteries could be developed after scientists figured out why adding charged metal atoms to tunnel structures within batteries improves their performance.
To address the rising concern of rush hour traffic, Airbus Group is harnessing its experience to make the dream of all commuters and travellers come true one day: to fly over traffic jams at the push of a button.
Speedleague is announcing its introduction of E/RACING, a new and modern motorsports series featuring electric powered rallycross cars, and that it has entered into an exclusive engineering partnership arrangement with STARD to properly support the series.
In furtherance of its strategic future initiative adVANce Mercedes-Benz Vans invests in Starship Technologies, the world's leading start-up company for the development of ground-based, autonomous delivery robots.
The recent developments of the bus industry have led to impressive advancements: batteries with two different chemistries have been demonstrated to be capable of retaining 90% of the capacity after 10,000 deep cycles in ultra fast charge up to 400kW.
EU rules for the fast-evolving field of robotics, to settle issues such as compliance with ethical standards and liability for accidents involving driverless cars, should be put forward by the EU Commission.
These past 12 months have seen numerous celebrity deaths, athlete drug scandals and the end of Brangelina however, it was also the year Tesla announced fully automated cars, Alexa became part of the family and Leicester City won the Premier League. As we plan ahead for 2017, IDTechEx analysts have taken a look back over the past 12 months and picked out the most impactful technology launches, acquisitions and products from 2016. Happy New Year from all at IDTechEx!
The excitement has been building up in Las Vegas over the past few days with media days and press conferences, expectations have been riding high and the opening day of CES did not disappoint. Dr Harry Zervos reports from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ford has detailed seven of the 13 new global electrified vehicles it plans to introduce in the next five years, including a plug-in hybrid Transit Custom van in Europe, hybrid versions of the iconic F-150 pickup and Mustang in the US, and a fully electric SUV with an expected range of at least 300 miles for customers globally.
Video Interview with Cambridge Display Technology at the IDTechEx Show! in Santa Clara, USA (November 16-17 2016)
Dr Zervos, Principal Analyst with IDTechEx, will be reporting daily from Las Vegas, Nevada this week, where he is attending CES 2017.
This new MIT assessment shows how autonomous cars can be operated in a way that sharply reduces the need for taxis and possibly impacts large buses. If successful, this mode will also provide grounds for private cars whether autonomous or not to be banned from cities. Here comes "silent city"!
Aquarius Engines, an Israeli startup, said a major European carmaker had agreed to fund further development and road tests of its single-piston generator design.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 10 January 2017.
For the first time, researchers have produced an integrated battery electrolysis system - known as a 'battolyser' - that can not only store or supply electricity efficiently as a battery but can also split water into hydrogen and oxygen using electrolysis.
With Singapore's limited airspace and dense population, the need for an aerial traffic management system to allow drones to fly safely has become more urgent.
WiTricity announced it is working with General Motors to test an advanced wireless charging system prototype for electric vehicles.
Video Interview with Cooper Gray Roboticsat the IDTechEx Show! in Santa Clara, USA (November 16-17 2016)
Solar Team Great Britain, which is developing a solar race car and aims to be the first British team to win the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, has completed a data-collection mission to generate real-world-conditions information on the 3,022km race route from Darwin, Australia to Adelaide.
Wattway is a solar panel system installed on the road's surface that captures solar energy to produce renewable energy.
The startup Sono Motors from Munich has collected over 300.000€ through a crowdfunding campaign in the summer of 2016.
New solar car in Florida 26 Dec | United States
A new one hundred percent solar powered car is an official contender for the XPRIZE, built by SOLARCYCLE.
In this article Dr Peter Harrop provides exclusive details of the invitation-only Barclays Energy Revolution Conference which took place recently in London.
250 new fuel cell cars hit the road in Germany in 2016 and because of technical development and standardisation, drivetrain production cost has come down 75 percent. And because of the international 700 bar standard, components for H2 fueling stations dropped around 50 percent.
Video Interview with the Nuon Solar Team at the IDTechEx Show! in Santa Clara, USA (November 16-17 2016)
Quadrofoil is 100 % electrically powered by a very reliable industry standard battery with an integrated battery management system, which optimizes usage and charging. Together with a special electric motor, it delivers exceptional performance without releasing any emissions.
Beaming the internet to the 4.5 billion people that do not have it should be massively profitable.
For light duty there are small wheel loaders and even small excavators that are pure electric. Now many manufacturers are developing or offering wheel loaders or excavators that are hybrid electric including Komatsu, Volvo and Caterpillar. Care is needed however, because this industry sometimes uses the word hybrid to mean a non-electric hybrid of hydraulic and diesel drive.
It started with Julius Caesar banning vehicles from rattling along the cobbles after 8pm so people could get to sleep.Things went backwards in the ensuing two thousand years but now it is coming center stage again.
Researchers have developed an alternative energy storage system that could lead to a less dangerous and more cost effective battery technology than some currently on the market.
The Textron division in the UK Ransome Jacobsen in the UK makes industrial lawnmowers based on diesel engines and lead acid batteries that are sometimes primitive hybrids in having a separate lead acid battery pack for the powertrain.
The mission of JCESR, DOE's Batteries and Energy Storage Hub, is to overcome critical scientific and technical barriers and create transformative battery technology for transportation and the electric grid.
What do golf cars and heavy electric trucks have in common? There is still no agreement on the best type of electric motor to use in either of them. On IDTechEx analysis, the booming, confusing traction motor business will rise to around $400 billion in 2027.
Energy storage systems are in demand as never before. Billions of mobile telephones and tablets need electricity to go. Add to this the growing number of electric cars. But, high-performance batteries can also store renewable energy produced by wind turbines and solar cells so that it can be fed into the grid on cloudy and windless days.
Video Interview with Shockwave Motorsat the IDTechEx Show! in Santa Clara, USA (November 16-17 2016)
Does it really help to drive an electric car if the electricity you use to charge the batteries come from a coal mine in Germany, or if the batteries were manufactured in China using coal?
The industrial and commercial sector is the largest part of the electric vehicle value market and that will continue to be the case according to analysis in the unique IDTechEx report, Industrial and Commercial Electric Vehicles 2017-2027.
To facilitate the new bus, the last stop on S�dert�lje's route 755 has been converted into a charging station that will enable the vehicle to quickly recharge its batteries conveniently each time it stops there.
IDTechEx expects EVs to create significant electricity demand in about ten years and be key to huge improvements in local noise and air pollution and in global warming reduction.
Li-ion batteries are widely used in applications such as mobile phones and laptops. They also hold the key to future electromobility as they have the potential to substantially increase the driving range of electric vehicles.
A student engineer from the University of Sussex has won a national car industry award for designing a new battery that could revolutionise electric vehicles.
Last week Paris experienced its worst spike in pollution since records began. Cars were banned from the streets and public transport made free in the city and surrounding areas. Such vehicle bans have only been introduced four times in the last two decades, and never before on consecutive days.
EVs go all-wheel drive 09 Dec | Worldwide
Jaguar Land Rover wants half its cars to be available in an electric version by the end of the decade, after showcasing its first electric car at the Los Angeles Auto Show earlier this month.
Video Interview with Synergy at the IDTechEx Show! in Santa Clara, USA (November 16-17 2016)
Dick Wallis, CEO of Positioning Systems in the UK has sent IDTechEx a visionary proposal for a new combined airport, smart city and green electricity supply in Wales in the UK.
BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen Group with Audi and Porsche have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create the highest-powered charging network in Europe.
Ground-breaking research has developed potentially transformational technology which could revolutionise the capabilities of appliances that have previously relied on battery power to work.
Dielectric capacitor to beat batteries? 07 Dec | United Kingdom, Worldwide
The term supercapacitor means the same as ultracapacitor. It is traditionally limited to electrostatic devices that are based on an electrochemical double layer much thinner and of wider area than the dielectric that is the basis of all other capacitors.
the SolarStratos Mission began in 2014 and is the brainchild of Rapha�l Domjan, eco- adventurer. He will be flying to an altitude of over 80,000 feet on board the first two-seater solar aircraft, and is already preparing for his stratospheric flight.
A nanosize squeeze can significantly boost the performance of platinum catalysts that help generate energy in fuel cells, according to a new study.
Video Interview with KersTech at the IDTechEx Show! in Santa Clara, USA (November 16-17 2016)
The new IDTechEx report, Electric Car Technology and Forecasts 2017-2027 finds that the biggest change in cars for one hundred years is now starting. It is driven by totally new requirements and capabilities.
The new planetary rigid steering axles cover vehicles with lift capacities ranging from 30 to 110 tonnes (33 to 120 tons) and are part of Dana's complete drivetrain system for rough-terrain crane
Route enabled refuse truck deployed 30 Nov | United States
The first commercial application of a range-extended electric refuse truck.
The ferries shall be operating the link between Woolwich and North Woolwich across the River Thames. The Woolwich Ferry has been operating since 1889 and carries around 200,000 vehicles and 2.6 million passengers a year across the River Thames.
nuTonomy will begin testing its self-driving Renault Zoe electric vehicle before the end of the year in the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park in the Seaport section of the city.
Toyota Motor Corporation says it has developed the world's first method for observing the behavior of lithium ions in an electrolyte when a Li-ion battery charges and discharges.
The IDTechEx Show! last week in Silicon Valley revealed that energy independence for everything from electronics to aircraft is the next big thing.
Record growth and positive feedback from attendees at America's largest event on emerging technologies.
Chinese supercar shows the future 23 Nov | China, United Kingdom
Supercars and racing cars including solar cars show the future. Here we see the trend to more motors and motor controllers per car - part of the trend to power electronics becoming more important than batteries
Drone deliveries of pizza are now a reality, with the first commercial delivery of food by drone to a customer, anywhere in the world, successfully completed in New Zealand
Many communities would be better off investing in electric vehicles that run on batteries instead of hydrogen fuel cells, in part because the hydrogen infrastructure provides few additional energy benefits for the community besides clean transportation.
The winners of the IDTechEx Awards were announced yesterday evening (16 November), at the end of the opening day of the IDTechEx Show! in Santa Clara, CA, where over 3,200 attendees were brought together at the biggest conference IDTechEx has held. The awards recognized the most significant innovations in electric vehicles, energy harvesting and storage and the internet of things (IoT).
According to IHS Automotive forecasts, 55% of annual global new vehicle sales in 2020 will be vehicles that are connected - and at that time, nearly half of the global fleet of vehicles in operation will be connected.
Mostly, the view at the recent Industrial EV conference in Germany was that we go from HEV to maybe PHEV but certainly end with plug-in then, where possible, energy independent PEV with most industrial and commercial vehicles. The transition will be slow and involve fuel cells only in niche applications. In contrast to cars, fuel cell hydrogen charging is little trouble with industrial vehicles because they are short range and back-to-base. However, they need supercapacitors or batteries to accept inputs and provide surges and sometimes both so it gets complicated.
In this recording of the opening presentation at the IDTechEx Show! in Silicon Valley on Nov 16, 2016, Raghu Das, the CEO of IDTechEx, discusses some of the key technological trends that are creating huge opportunities.
n this second article on the iVT Electric and Hybrid Industrial Vehicle Technology Symposium November 9-10 in Cologne Germany, we look at powertrains and components being favoured. Because of the large power surges in and out with many of these vehicles, you more often saw supercapacitors compared to on-road vehicles and hybrids remain the preferred option by far.
The iVT Electric and Hybrid Industrial Vehicle Technology Symposium November 9-10 took place in Cologne Germany, the first of a series splitting out Industrial EVs from the whole subject of EVs and batteries covered in UKIP, the organisers' Novi Michigan event every year. About 200 attended with around six table top exhibitors. Most of the speakers were on topic and had valuable things to say. Others varied from McLaren to hydraulics people and those modestly improving conventional vehicles.
Professor believes using glassy solids as the electrolytes in batteries would make for safer, more powerful batteries.
IDTechEx is looking for analysts and sales people in Florida, Silicon Valley, the UK and Japan
Using the same control algorithms for all types of vehicles — scooters, golf carts, and city cars — has several advantages. One is that it becomes much more practical to perform reliable analyses of the system's overall performance.
With Over 3,000 attendees, 208 exhibitors and over 200 speakers.
IDTechEx Show! on emerging technologies is taking place November 16-17 in Santa Clara California with record attendance and display of electric vehicle technologies of the future. Coverage is exceptionally comprehensive with land, water and airborne electric vehicle technologies in evidence.
The very structure of the bus is changing with electrics, mechanics and electronics previously made as "components-in-a-box" being replaced by structural electronics - the roof is the solar, the dashboard is the instruments - all as smart materials.
A solar and battery powered catamaran with virtually unlimited range.
The bus of the future 08 Nov | Worldwide
Buses are very important. Injuries and deaths from two wheelers have not reduced very much in decades whereas vehicles with four wheels or more have seen huge improvements.
An innovative personal transportation system designed to fit neatly into the boot space usually occupied by a car's spare wheel is among the finalists in a Ford challenge to create future mobility solutions for urban areas.
Autonomous vehicles need no pilot, not even one in reserve. Many truly autonomous vehicles are unmanned mobile robots prowling everywhere from the ocean depths to nuclear power stations, the upper atmosphere and outer space
 
Debuts in North America; Event Also Features Presentations from Major Car Companies Including Ford, Nissan, Porsche and Toyota
In 2016, Li-ion batteries celebrated their silver jubilee, i.e. they have been on the market, virtually unchanged, for the last 25 years. While this anniversary marks and underscores their worldwide success and diffusion in consumer electronics and, more recently, electric vehicles, the underlying technology begins to show its limitations in terms of safety, performance, form factor, and cost.
Silicon Valley in California spawns the awesome giants that hold the future in their hands but they cannot solve their traffic problem.
Watch our preview of the IDTechEx Show! coming up in Santa Clara on Nov. 16-17 (www.idtechex.com/usa).
Cornerstone presentations at North America's largest event on emerging technologies cover how new technologies are addressing world's biggest needs
Hear the highlights of the forthcoming IDTechEx Show! (www.idtechex.com/usa) in this interview by the Entrepreneur Podcast Network with Raghu Das, the CEO of IDTechEx.
Researchers have developed an inexpensive, energy-efficient way to create silicon-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries from the fossilized remains of single-celled algae called diatoms. The research could lead to the development of ultra-high capacity lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and portable electronics.
Hitachi Metals, Ltd has announced its decision that its Magnetic Materials Company will introduce innovative production lines for Neodymium-Iron-Boron magnet and ferrite magnet at the Kumagaya Works with the aim of satisfying surging demand for automotive-related motors as well as various electric motors for hybrid and electric vehicles.
Airbus Vahana robot air taxi 31 Oct | United States
Airbus Group experts are looking skywards to develop radical concepts that will relieve urban congestion.
Following Boeing flying an uneconomical single seated plane about ten years ago a four seat hydrogen fuel cell plane has taken to the skies. The hydrogen-powered experimental aircraft HY4 has made its first official flight, taking off and landing at Stuttgart Airport Germany.
Agricultural robotics can upend several commonly-held notions. Amongst them is the idea that big is better. In practise this has translated into ever larger and more powerful agricultural machinery. This makes sense because a big machine amplifies the capabilities of the skilled driver, dramatically boosting its productivity. This notion may however be about to experience a fundamental change. The reason is that the driver can now finally be taken totally out of the equation.
EP Tender is a range extending service for electric vehicles which takes the form of a light trailer which is rented on demand and attached to the EV on long distances.
A molecule that transports oxygen in blood could be key to developing the next generation of batteries, and in a way that's environmentally friendly.
Researchers have revealed how microalgae produce hydrogen, a clean fuel of the future, and suggest a possible mechanism to jumpstart mass production of this environmentally-friendly energy source.
Energy harvesting is off-grid production of electricity where it is needed using ambient energy such as wind, tide and waves or just vibration.
Hydrogen-powered ferries do exist, but most are smaller, slower vessels used for tours on lakes and rivers. The SF-BREEZE study set out to discover whether it is technically feasible to build a large, fast vessel; it could meet maritime regulations; and it could be economically competitive with modes of transportation already available in the San Francisco Bay area.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 1 November 2016 presented by Chairman Dr Peter Harrop.
When designing robots to help in the search for victims after a natural disaster, a number of features are important, robustness, long battery life and ease of transport. With this latest constraint in mind, a team present their new drone with insect-inspired folding wings.
Next month organizations from over 40 countries will converge at the Santa Clara Convention Center on November 16-17 to showcase the latest innovations and highlight the latest commercial progress with electric vehicles. The event is held in the heart of silicon valley, the hub for mobility innovation. Here are a few of the reasons why you should be there.
The new IDTechEx Research report, Electric Vehicle Energy Harvesting/ Regeneration 2017-2037 explains and forecasts the technologies involved in this newly key enabling technology.
Scandinavia is the first region in the world to rely increasingly on battery-powered and thus environmentally-friendly technologies in the shipbuilding industry.
IDTechEx believes that the window of opportunity for fuel cell vehicles in mainstream applications is closing. Whereas Battery Electric Vehicles increasingly have green electricity, fuel cell vehicles almost entirely use hydrogen from fossil fuels and even that is expensive.
EVs use a lot of their precious electricity heating occupiers in winter so improvements are afoot. Making replacements for dumb structural parts that double as occupant focussed heating has attraction as has directed infrared - "heat the person not the space" but less focused heat pumps are efficient contenders
48V mild hybrids will start series production at many automotive manufacturers in 2017 with many others following shortly after.
Electric vehicles have gone from curiosity to being a frequent news item and, if you live in Norway or the Netherlands, something you see often. However, that is nothing compared to EVs shaking the foundations of society over the coming decade from robot agriculture and delivery to almost free travel in sunny countries and almost eliminating air pollution even in mining.
Flow batteries in cars? 13 Oct | Worldwide
At IDTechEx we are convinced that lithium-ion batteries will dominate the automotive scene over the coming ten years and possibly the coming fifteen years. During that time we shall see peak lead acid battery the biggest nail in its coffin being when electric vehicles more widely abandon them and even those conventional vehicles modified to stay legal under impending carbon dioxide laws abandon them, relying totally on lithium-ion units.  
Toyota and Daimler presented at a recent IDTechEx conference on their fuel cell vehicle programs. A questioner asked them to reveal the unique selling proposition of fuel cell vehicles. They said there is no USP.
At this year's CEATEC, Japan's largest consumer electronics show, Honda showed an example of its so-called Micro Commuter electric car with a body that's been constructed using additive manufacturing.
senseFly, producer of professional mapping drones, will introduce its next-generation fixed-wing system for survey-grade photogrammetric mapping, the eBee Plus.
The U.S. Department of Energy has released a new report that highlights the accelerated deployment of five clean energy technologies: wind turbines, solar technologies for both utility-scale and distributed photovoltaic, electric vehicles and light-emitting diodes.
At IDTechEx we believe that the future of the energy, mobility, electronics, and communications industry will be strongly shaped by the development of one key enabling technology, that is, energy storage. At the historical tipping point of structural change in these sectors there has never been a better time for a dedicated forum on energy storage as key enabling technology.
You might think cars with low carbon emissions are expensive. Think again.
In the US, carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation, primarily coal, have long been the main air polluter in the country, but it's about to change.
Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage (EVES) start-ups exhibit in Santa Clara.
Within a few years, the U.S. Department of Energy wants plug-in electric vehicles to be just as affordable and convenient as the internal-combustion machines most of us drive today
 
The IDTechEx Show! which will be held on November 16 - 17 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, will showcase the latest technology needs and advancements to over 3,000 attendees.
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have made an important breakthrough which could lead to the design of better fuel cell materials.
The first Swiss electric plane capable of performing an aerobatic program
Electric water hammock 29 Sep | United States
Picture yourself in a hammock gliding across a lake. If you like that image, you may be interested in the MelloShip.
Major focus is batteries with new form factors.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 11 October 2016 titled Agricultural Robotics and Drones: a complex $10bn market by as early as 2022.
The world's first major research program on autonomous floating vessels in metropolitan areas.
Electric Smart car 27 Sep | Worldwide
Just ahead of the Paris Auto Show, Daimler officially presented its pure electric Smart ED models.
The Aerial Dragnet program seeks innovative technologies to provide persistent, wide-area surveillance of all UAS operating below 1,000 feet in a large city.
New world speed record for an electric vehicle 23 Sep | United Kingdom, United States
The Ohio State University's Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 student team and driver Roger Schroer rallied to push their electric streamline vehicle to a world record two-way average top speed of 341.4 miles per hour (549.4 kilometers per hour).
Crop protection, chemicals and robotics at first appear totally unrelated, yet IDTechEx Research finds that steady improvements in agricultural robotics will, slowly but surely, fundamentally alter the crop protection chemicals business.
As part of the Open Road Project, Toyota will provide the i-Road to general consumers as test pilots for a fixed duration, so as to assess their mobility needs.
A new approach could hold the key to greatly improving the performance of commercial lithium-ion batteries.
The IDTechEx Show! which will be held on November 16 - 17 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, will showcase the latest technology needs and advancements to over 3,000 attendees. The technologies covered include flexible and hybrid electronics; wearable technology; 3D printing; sensors; graphene; Internet of Things; energy harvesting, energy storage; and electric vehicles. Each of these is a two-day executive conference, co-located with a common exhibition of over 200 exhibitors.
Volkswagen AG and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co Ltd have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to define the next phase of negotiations between the two companies in order to achieve long-term cooperation in the joint development of all-electric vehicles in China.
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and AT&T will test Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or drones, on commercial 4G LTE networks.
IDTechEx attended the invitation-only Barclays Select Series: Disruptive Mobility event in Greenwich, London. Here we report some of what was said about autonomous vehicles at the reception and at the event itself.
Supercapacitors are an emerging energy storage technology that will take a key role in the future of energy systems. Whilst lithium-ion batteries are increasingly capturing the market of other battery technologies, they will never be able to compete with supercapacitor technology in terms of power and number of cycles.
Volvo's fully autonomous truck is the first in the world to be tested in operations deep underground in the Kristineberg Mine.
Global warming is leading to increasingly onerous laws worldwide restricting carbon dioxide emissions. Even some of today's hybrids will fail to conform so it is back to the drawing board for most of the world's vehicle manufacturers.
Mild hybrid cars at 48V will first hit global markets in a big way in 2017.
Robot vehicles may give the insurance companies and car companies something to do when one robot taxi replaces 20 cars owned by private individuals as we move inexorably to 80% of people living in cities in 2050.
This premium article is about agricultural robots and drones, addressing next stage of technological development in the world of agriculture.
Domino's Pizza Enterprises Limited has joined forces with the global leader in drone deliveries, Flirtey to launch the first commercial drone delivery service in the world.
Better use of labor, integration into current machinery fleets, plus the flexibility to work unmanned around the clock with real time data monitoring - and, in the future, the ability to automatically respond to weather events. That's what the concept autonomous tractor technology could bring to future world agriculture.
Edorado Marine, based in the Netherlands, has introduced the Edorado 7S electric boat which uses a unique hydrofoil design allowing it to ride above the water with very low drag to increase speed and range.
Researchers have developed a novel nanomaterial that could improve the performance and lower the costs of fuel cells by using fewer precious metals like platinum or palladium.
 
The first easy-to-fly, fixed-wing drone designed for a fully immersive flight experience.
A powerful new material developed by researchers could one day speed up the charging process of electric cars and help increase their driving range.
Robots and drones have already started to quietly transform many aspects of agriculture. Indeed, the IDTechEx Research report on Agricultural Robots and Drones 2016-2026: Technologies, Markets, and Players finds that this is already a $3bn market in 2016, growing to $10bn by as early as 2022.
Barclays Equity Research in the UK surprised the car industry by forecasting a sharp drop in car sales when rental vehicles become more popular.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 13 September 2016 titled Microcontrollers and Single-Board Computers
nuTonomy has launched the first-ever public trial of a robo-taxi service.
Skeleton Technologies has received 13 million Euros in new investment led by FirstFloor Capital, a Malaysian venture capital investment firm specialising in funding high-growth technology companies.
Researchers have designed a thin plastic membrane that stops rechargeable batteries from discharging when not in use and allows for rapid recharging.
Inventors are paving the way for the future with energy-efficient batteries for sensors, portable devices and electric cars.
A new class of fuel cells based on a newly discovered polymer-based material could bridge the gap between the operating temperature ranges of two existing types of polymer fuel cells, a breakthrough with the potential to accelerate the commercialization of low-cost fuel cells for automotive and stationary applications.
Uber's self driving cars 24 Aug | United States
Uber has acquired Otto, whose mission is to rethink transportation, starting with self-driving trucks.
Amazon proposes for their drones to dock and recharge on street lamps and other urban poles.
The energy storage solution provides a second-life for Nissan electric vehicle batteries and in combination with Eaton's leading uninterruptible power supply capabilities, provides an industrialised energy control and storage solution for managing data centres.
Nissan Motor Co Ltd has unveiled the working prototype of its futuristic BladeGlider vehicle, combining zero-emissions with high-performance in a revolutionary sports car design.
Leo Motors Inc of Korea with the support of government officials of Henan, China, Leo Motors, Inc and Zhong Ji Well Parking System Co Ltd have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to set up a joint venture company focused on battery production, electric boat business, and Connected Vehicle business based on Internet of Things platforms
 
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 6 September 2016 titled $6 Billion Opportunity for Batteries in Residential, Commercial, Industrial and Utility Applications
After one year of preparation the TUfast Eco Team achieved their goal: "most efficient electric vehicle.
 
As detailed in the IDTechEx report, Mild Hybrid 48V Vehicles 2016-2031, this option will become a huge business from 2017 as Ford, Hyundai, Bentley, Volkswagen, Audi, Geely and many others adopt them as the most cost-effective way of meeting 2025 and 2030 carbon dioxide emissions regulations while sharply improving economy - even improving performance in some respects.
Management theory says that a manufacturing company should only vertically integrate - like Tesla with its Gigafactory - when the technology is mature so you can pare off the last pennies in cost without the technology being superceded.
Lithium-air batteries are considered highly promising technologies for electric cars and portable electronic devices because of their potential for delivering a high energy output in proportion to their weight.
Despite nearly-sunless conditions in the final two days, the University of Michigan Solar Car team has successfully defended their decade-long reigning championship - winning the 2016 American Solar Challenge for the sixth consecutive time.
The successful conclusion of the LIFE+ GLEE project, a highly focused sustainability program the aim of which was to replace organic solvents with water in the rechargeable lithium ion battery manufacturing process.
Hybrid airships 11 Aug | Europe, China, France
A new European partnership will ensure that graphene ultracapacitor technology powers the next generation of large, heavy-lift airships for industrial applications in China and France.
Tesla is an eye-catching company active in clean energy applications - not only pure electric cars, but also home battery systems. With its launch of Tesla's Powerwall on April 30, 2015 and every progress update on its Gigafactory's building, Tesla has continued to fuel interest in home battery systems.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 23 August 2016 titled Industrial and Commercial Electric Vehicles: Biggest Market.
Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has launched a new highly efficient, emissions-free lithium-ion battery technology for its 5-9 ton electric forklift truck range.
Researchers have engineered a potentially game-changing solar cell that cheaply and efficiently converts atmospheric carbon dioxide directly into usable hydrocarbon fuel, using only sunlight for energy.
Delphi sees end of 12V 09 Aug | United Kingdom
In August 2016, Delphi pronounced the end of 12V. It has reached the end of the road, according to Mary Gustanski, Delphi Automotive's vice president of engineering and program management.
A robot that features greatly reduced risk of electrical spark or heat creation that can cause explosions or fire when inflammable gas is present
In August 2016, China Xinhua News reported that the Transit Elevated Bus has had its first road test in Qinhuangdao City. It consisted of a brake and power consumption test of this electric vehicle that runs on tracks.
Sono Motors Germany is developing a Sion car that can be energy independent or externally charged. This is in the tradition of the four seat solar car in the Netherlands that does the daily commute and still donates electricity to the grid and the IFEVS solar electric microcar and solar/ wind power pizza van in Italy all getting most of their electricity when stationary.
Amazon has announced a partnership with the UK Government to explore the steps needed to make the delivery of parcels by small drones a reality, allowing Amazon to trial new methods of testing its delivery systems.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 16 August 2016 titled Energy Harvesting MicroW to MW - Resurgent, Reinvented.
It is no surprise that the Tesla - Solar City merger has been approved by investors. Elon Musk will combine his two co-founded companies after paying $2.6bn dollars for SolarCity in an all-stock transaction. The merger will be completed before the end of the year, and save the companies $150 million in costs in the first full year after closing.
Panasonic is a $70 billion giant with strongly rising profitability and a place in the first division of battery manufacturers greatly boosted by its acquisition of Sanyo. It has shipped over 180 billion batteries since 1931.
A jet propulsion system that can be used by kayakers, standup paddle boarders, divers and other water-sports enthusiasts.
Pure electric short range trucks are rapidly becoming viable as they face much tougher local and global emissions regulations.
Materials researchers have developed a very simple and cost-effective procedure for significantly enhancing the performance of conventional Li-ion rechargeable batteries.
Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman of analysts IDTechEx, was interviewed on 27 July by BBC Television World News in a live program transmitted worldwide speaking on the new Tesla gigafactory.
Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman of analysts IDTechEx, was interviewed 27 July by BBC Television World News in a live program transmitted worldwide. The subject was the opening of the Tesla battery gigafactory billed as the world's largest factory building.
There is a frenzy of investment by in fully autonomous cars, some without even a steering wheel, but it is almost entirely supplier push. Virtually no private individual is interested in buying one. It is very different with fleets such as taxis where potential corporate purchasers such as Uber see many benefits including cost and space saving
To its manufacturer MOST (Autonomous Vessels) Ltd in the UK, USV means controlled by satellite from anywhere on the planet. AutoNaut is the answer to the age-old challenge of affordable oceanic data gathering for science, commerce and military purposes. It creates new opportunities to meet unique mission requirements in a changing world.
First ever round the world solar flight completed 27 Jul | United Arab Emirates, Worldwide
Bertrand Piccard and Andr� Borschberg have succeeded in their crazy dream of achieving the first ever Round-The-World Solar Flight.
In an advance that could one day make light-based wireless communications ubiquitous, researchers have demonstrated a conceptually new approach for detecting optical communication signals traveling through the air.
Mexico is not widely adopting pure electric vehicles on its roads partly because of inadequate incentives but also because charging infrastructure is inadequate in such a large country and there is no payback from putting it in.
The pollution situation with large ships is appalling. The 15 largest ships in the world emit as much nitrogen oxide and sulphur oxide as the world's 760 million cars.
10 days after Andr� Borschberg's arrival in Cairo following the crossing of the Mediterranean Sea, Bertrand Piccard took off with Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) for the final leg of the first ever Round-The-World Solar Flight - a pioneering endeavor considered impossible by many when initiated 15 years ago.
IDTechEx comments on research presented by the University of Tokyo and NSK at EVS29, June 2016.
The saying is, "In a gold rush, get there first, sell shovels". The "shovels" of the EV business are covered in the unique new IDTechEx report, Industrial and Commercial Electric Vehicles on Land 2016-2026. It is pivotal in any understanding of the EV business, hybrid and pure electric, because this category will be responsible for around 60% of the huge market of about $500 billion emerging in 2026.
Controlled by Toyota, Hino Motors of Japan is a $13 billion company making buses, trucks and pickups that is similar in size to competitor BYD in buses, cars, forklifts and batteries in China.
A Test flight signals launch of graphene roadmap for industrial application and commercialisation within the aerospace industry.
The program expands Boeing and Embraer's cooperation agreement and will test technologies to improve airplane environmental performance and accelerate their introduction into the marketplace.
Daniel Boston and Alyssa Werthman of Ford Motor Company, Dearborn MI have recently published a study "Plug-in Vehicle Behaviors: An analysis of charging and driving behaviour of Ford plug-in electric vehicles in the real world".
In June 2016, Dr Nancy E. Ryan, Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc., and collaborators issued a paper Electric Vehicle Cost-Effectiveness and its Implications for Utility Program Design.
IDTechEx comments on research presented by the University of Tokyo and NSK at EVS29, June 2016.
To overcome the diverse charging landscape described in Part One, Continental acknowledges that it is a clever idea to equip the EV with all the charging interfaces discussed
Tesla the follower 15 Jul | Worldwide
Tesla is a leader in the design and commercialisation of pure electric cars. It lacks profit but has an orderbook that its competition can only dream about. Since last year Tesla has also been selling batteries based on Panasonic cells that can power homes and businesses copying several other companies that were there before
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 26 July 2016.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a new type of high-power integrated motor drive and battery charger for electric vehicles. Compared to today's electric vehicle chargers, the new system could shorten the charging time from eight to two hours, and to reduce the cost by around $2,000, according to the developers.
The suitability of the proposed technology has been analysed and it was proved that lithium-ion capacitors can act as a main power or energy source without any reduction of the system capabilities.
Hanergy Holding Group has launched four full solar power vehicles at a grand ceremony themed "Disruptive Innovations Drive the Future."
The IDTechEx Launchpad initiative is open to early-stage start-ups, universities, newly spun-out companies, research labs and government labs who can demonstrate a working prototype or product that highlights new advances in any of the related event topics of: electric vehicles or energy storage.
Yamaha Motor Co Ltd has announced the development of an autonomous unmanned compact electric survey craft.
After crossing America and recently the Atlantic Ocean without a single drop of fuel, Solar Impulse 2 - the solar airplane of Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg - took off from Spain early yesterday morning to attempt the crossing of the Mediterranean Sea.
In mid 2016, A. Laforgue, Automotive and Surface Transportation, National Research Council of Canada and collaborators issued a paper "Assessment of the Li-air battery technology for automotive applications through the development of a multi-electrode solid-state prototype". It comes at a time when the US Department of the Environment has told IDTechEx it has de-emphasised research on this option because of fundamental limitations.
This article looks at the 4th generation power control unit (PCU) that was developed by Toyota for their 4th generation HV, launched in 2016.
A novel axial field switched reluctance motor design is presented which intend to improve the output torque by single flux path distribution in C- core stator while exploiting the high power density of the switched reluctance technology.
Off-grid clean power is a big focus of attention nowadays as we seek clean propulsion of land, water and airborne vehicles and clean power for buildings and remote equipment off-grid.
Video interview with Standard Graphene at the IDTechEx Show! in Berlin, Germany (27-28 April, 2016)
Nissan Motor Co Ltd has published its annual Sustainability Report showing that the global automaker's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have fallen by 22.4% over the past decade.
An electric vehicle with three energy storage systems shows the complexity of commanding different control systems in only one vehicle. Both new systems can supply the required energy to propel the electric motor and the fuel cell system can also recharge the high-voltage battery.
The smart vehicles will be run by PostBus, Switzerland's leading public bus operator. They will carry up to 11 passengers at a time, at a maximum speed of 20 kilometers per hour. They will be monitored and controlled by a remote operator using a software program developed by the EPFL startup BestMile.
Triboelectrics will only be a small part of the energy harvesting EH market projected by IDTechEx to be over $7 billion in global market value in 2027.
This paper first presented at EVS29 Montreal Canada provides an overview of the Fiscal Years 2015-2016 Hybrid and Electric Systems research and development activities - with emphasis on its advanced electric drive research -funded by the Vehicles Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy.
This article shares conclusions on EV cost effectiveness by Dr Nancy Ryan, Energy and Environmental Economics Inc et al (Plugshare, Seattle City Light)
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 5 July 2016 titled Lithium-ion Batteries: Disrupting the Energy Sector or Being Disrupted From Within?
Ecotuned Automobile specializes in electric conversion of pickups with the first reusable powertrain system in the world.
Local Motors has introduced the first self-driving vehicle to integrate the advanced cognitive computing capabilities of IBM Watson.
The new IDTechEx report, Energy Harvesting: Off-grid Microwatt to Megawatt 2017-2027 concerns a system architecture that can be summarised as follows.
Following the trend to two or more traction motors per vehicle, the Technical University of Berlin with Infineon is merging their motor controllers and the on-board charger (OBC). Infineon now has a special chip to assist. At EVS29 in Montreal June 2016, Dr Martin Bruell of Continental AG, Germany, revealed progress on elimination of the OBC.
Video interview with TankTwo at the IDTechEx Show! (27-28 April, 2016 | Berlin, Germany).
At EVS29 here in Montreal Canada the six parallel conferences are world class eventhough the exhibition is modest.
The new IDTechEx report, Energy Harvesting: Off-grid Microwatt to Megawatt 2017-2027 tells a remarkable story of these twelve magnitudes of green electricity production.
At IDTechEx we believe that there is an excellent solution being proved for the long distance battery vehicle, starting with trucks.
This event wanders the world, being largest when in China. After being in Los Angeles then Korea it is now taking place in Montreal Canada with a nominally 136 stand exhibition (actual count rather less) and an almost exclusive focus on land vehicles.
Video interview with Toyota Motor Europe at the IDTechEx Show! (27-28 April, 2016 | Berlin, Germany).
The electric vehicle market in Canada is small, but growing. At the end of year 2015, there were close to 18,500 EVs registered in Canada representing less than 0.1% of all light-duty vehicles on the road. In total, there are now 21 different plug-in models of EVs available, made by 12 different manufacturers and this number is constantly increasing.
The next generation of rechargeable lithium batteries set to disrupt the electric vehicle industry may soon be here, thanks to the humble salt bath.
Marty is a fully programmable and customizable walking robot. For kids, makers, and educators created by Edinburgh University startup Robotical.
Scientists have invented a new type of supercapacitor material with a host of potential applications in electronics, transportation and energy storage devices.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 28 June 2016 titled Electric Motors and Motor Generators Grab More of the Electric Vehicle Dollars.
Video Interview with Toyota Motor Europe at the IDTechEx Show! (27-28 April, 2016 | Berlin, Germany)
Researchers have developed a practical and physically-based way of treating the surface of materials called perovskite oxides, to make them more durable and improve their performance. These materials are promising candidates to serve as electrodes in energy-conversion devices such as fuel cells and electrolyzers.
Yesterday saw the launch of a second pan-European deployment of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, and passenger and commercial fuel cell electric vehicles. The six-year H2ME 2 project brings together 37 partners from across Europe.
Very large lithium-ion battery banks were largely unknown ten years ago. Now, it is tough to keep up with the variety of uses for them.
IDTechEx finds that manned drones and helicopters from the Volocopter to the planned FlyKart have only around 30 minutes endurance with current battery capabilities.
DTechEx attended the Automechanika and the unfortunately named Subcon exhibitions in Birmingham UK 5-7 June 2016.
Solar Impulse 2 - the first solar airplane capable of flying day and night without using a drop of fuel - left Lehigh Valley International Airport, Pennsylvania, and landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, early on Saturday morning, after circling the Statue of Liberty.
The unique new IDTechEx Research report, Microcontrollers and Single-board Computers 2016-2026, is the first to reveal the big picture developing from the close relationship between these devices. It provides newly researched forecasts leading to figures such as $300bn in 2026 for SBC alone.
This article provides a preview of the IDTechEx presentation at the 29th World Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition (EVS29) in Montréal, Québec, Canada on Tuesday 21 June.
Stellar growth over the coming decade is forecasted by analysts IDTechEx for the electric vehicle business resulting in nearly one trillion dollars sales at ex-factory prices in 2026.
IDTechEx interviewed Sota Nagano CFO and Shuji Nishimura EVsystem Department of GLM 8.6.16 a company that makes its own designer pure electric sports car, with successful sales despite having started as a company as recently as 2010.
Report on SMMT Open Forum UK 08 Jun | United Kingdom
The SMMT Open Forum at Automechanika Birmingham UK on the 7th June 2016 opened with an SMMT view of the saturated UK car market, currently in a temporary up phase.
Video interview with Bike2 Aps at the IDTechEx Show! (27-28 April, 2016 | Berlin, Germany).
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, has successfully demonstrated a 30-mile autonomous flight using a Sikorsky S-76 commercial helicopter.
Coswheel's A-One is a compact electric scooter that can easily be folded in seconds.
In May 2016, China's largest lead acid battery maker Chaowei admitted the domestic lead-acid E bike battery market has stopped growing and will only remain stable for the next five years.
Trucks have to clean up their act if they are not to become illegal under the impending 2025 and 2030 legislation and those that jump the gun will probably gain market share because that clean up typically comes with fuel saving key to profitability in fleet operations working on wafer thin margins. Everyone agrees about that - but how to do it? Complete disagreement.
The pace is heating up. As the lithium-ion battery business grows rapidly over the coming 15 years a vital way of buying time, clout in purchasing materials, routes to market, technology, economy of scale and brand awareness will be acquisitions.
In the quest for a radically better lithium-ion battery, a promising direction is the so-called "lithium-rich" cathode, in which the cathode contains a higher proportion of lithium than normal.
The arguments for flying cars are style, convenience and cost saving; the stuff of fiction for 100 years.
The arguments for flying cars are style, convenience and cost saving; the stuff of fiction for 100 years. Park a car and a plane together in your garage.
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has announced its first drone, the Mi Drone quadcopter.
IDTechEx attended the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation event in San Francisco on May 19-20. This article provides a fuller overview of what we learned from the event.
IDTechEx finds that C category cars and above will have to be mild hybrids with 48V lithium-ion batteries if they are to meet the tough new carbon dioxide emissions.
The world's first 3D-printed motorcycle, made using APWorks' Scalmalloy material, weighing in at a svelte 35 kg.
Komatsu Europe International has introduced the new HB365LC-3, a high technology and environmentally sustainable 36 tonnes hydraulic hybrid excavator.
Roboticists demonstrate that their flying microrobots, nicknamed the RoboBees, can now perch during flight to save energy - like bats, birds or butterflies.
A researcher has made a discovery that could open the door to cellphone and car batteries that last five times longer than current ones.
This annual event by the delightful staff of the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency Foundation CAFE took place May 19-20 at San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront.
Electric bus is a game changer in the battery market.
In this article IDTechEx explains why there is almost uniform negativity about lead acid batteries.
The brand new report from IDTechEx Research, Lithium-ion Batteries 2016-2026, finds that at around $140 billion in 2026, the lithium-ion battery business will dominate the battery business.
The Modern Transport Bill has been introduced in the Queens Speech which promises to ensure the UK is 'at the forefront of technology' with nods toward driverless cars, drones and the UK's first commercial spaceport.
At first it seems ridiculous that IDTechEx forecasts a huge growth in the power electronics business for electric vehicles.
CarConnect, a pioneering project that will help the electricity industry better understand how plug-in electric vehicles charge at home in harmony with the electricity grid, is now underway in the UK.
DTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 31 May 2016.
At last year's IDTechEx event 'Electric Vehicles; Everything is Changing', we concluded everything was indeed changing in the electric vehicle sector. At this year's event, still named 'Everything is changing', the question should surely be has everything changed already?
Inspired by the humble cactus, a new type of membrane has the potential to significantly boost the performance of fuel cells and transform the electric vehicle industry.
More salt, more power 16 May | United States
A team of researchers have developed a battery that is at once safer, cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and more powerful—by adding a pinch of salt.
As more automakers get embroiled in the discreditation of diesel, IDTechEx looks at their very different strategies and considers how some of these strategies now look in urgent need of review.
The unique new IDTechEx Research report Manned Electric Aircraft 2016-2031 explains how, so far, electric aircraft have largely followed electric land and water vehicles.
Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell drivers now have more options than ever for refuelling, following the opening of a new high-tech site in Teddington, Greater London.
Controlled Power Technologies has partnered with Ricardo, Tata Motors European Technical Centre and Provector, to apply its low voltage electric motor technology to the rear driveline of a B-segment city car.
IDTechEx Show! Berlin grows 27% 11 May | Worldwide, Germany
IDTechEx Research announced today that Europe's largest event on emerging technologies, IDTechEx Show! held in Berlin on 27-28 April, grew 27% vs. last year's event. This year's exhibition and conference featured attendees from 57 countries with 171 exhibitors and 2,300 attendees.
The first rechargeable sodium-carbon dioxide battery has been created with the help of a nanostructured cathode. The cheap and potentially powerful battery could fuel Mars vehicles as the red planet's atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide or recycle carbon dioxide emissions on Earth.
The new BMW i3 94AH 09 May | United Kingdom
The BMW i3 is the world's first premium car designed from the ground up to be powered by an electric drive system.
Researchers are revolutionizing energy storage with a new class of aqueous electrolytes that makes batteries and other electrochemical devices safer, cheaper, and greener.
IDTechEx interviewed Tesla about their use of synchronous electric traction motors, typically referred to as induction motors or AC induction motors.
The prestigious Electric Vehicles Awards for 'Most Impressive New Company' and 'Most Significant Innovation' were presented at the IDTechEx Show! in Berlin last week, 27 April 2016.
The IDTechEx conference Electric Vehicles Everything is Changing finished in Berlin last week and it is analysed in this series of exclusive articles.
At the recent IDTechEx event "IDTechEx Show!" in Berlin a poster presentation by a PhD research project Airbus aligned with the thrust of the new IDTechEx report, "Manned Electric Aircraft 2016-2031."
This IDTechEx conference just finished in Berlin had a wide variety of future oriented presentations.
Aurora Flight Sciences will be presenting alongside NASA and many other advanced aerospace developers at the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) event.
IDTechEx has long ago identified a gap in the market for a standard platform for car like four wheel small vehicles for leisure, military, mining, postal, industrial and many other purposes. At the recent IDTechEx conference "Electric Vehicles Everything is Changing" in Berlin the nonsense of every light four wheel electric vehicle being designed from scratch was addressed differently by both Altreonic and IFEVS.
The conference "Electric Vehicles: Everything is Changing" in Berlin 27-28 April was a great success. Here we give only a glimpse at the rich insight and information presented. IDTechEx deliberately pitched the event as different from other electric vehicle conferences in looking firmly at the future including the speculative and ill-defined.
The future of the electric vehicle industry land, water and air largely hangs on the improvement of lithium-ion batteries over the coming decade when no alternatives will be ready for market dominance.
Rice is one of the top three staple foods in the world. But in the future, it may be a key part of the battery in your plug-in electric vehicle.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Thursday 12 May 2016 - Batteries for Electric Buses: Technologies and Marke.t
The UltraBoost ST uses a compact and lightweight YASA motor to recover kinetic energy, otherwise lost as heat during braking, and stores it in high-power graphene-based ultra capacitors.
The new IDTechEx report, Future Powertrains 2016-2031 concerns the twenty year future of powertrains for land vehicles, including reference to water and airborne vehicles as appropriate. The primary emphasis is on the most important applications by market value - cars and buses - and the most important powertrain types by value potential but most of this analysis is directly applicable to most other vehicles.
This year sees two sudden changes in electric vehicles predicted by IDTechEx. To expand on what we said last week, the supply of new strong hybrids that do not plug in - like the traditional Prius - has all but ended.
Airbus Group and Siemens have signed a collaboration agreement in the field of hybrid electric propulsion. In doing so, both companies have launched a major joint project towards the electrification of aviation with the goal of demonstrating the technical feasibility of various hybrid/electric propulsion systems by 2020.
IDTechEx attended a presentation by Diarmuid O'Connell of Tesla Motors at the AVERE E-Mobility event in Amsterdam 13 April 2016, summarised here.
To date, attendee registrations are up by 17% and exhibiting organizations are up by 27% on last year.
Sales of hybrid cars in the USA collapsed from 3.2% of car sales in 2013 to under 2% in 2015 as Americans responded to the sharply reduced oil price. However the oil price will recover eventually so commentary that it heralds the death of hybrid vehicles is wide of the mark. Indeed hybrid car sales outside the USA were sharply up
 
A tiny, pilotless, 3D printed aircraft has launched from the Royal Navy's ice patrol ship HMS Protector for the first time to assist with navigating through the Antarctic.
At the conference, Electric Vehicles: Everything is Changing as part of the IDTechEx Show!, April 27-28, the future of vehicle charging will be revealed and put in context.
U-Boat Worx unveils new private submarines especially designed for cruise ships and tourism, including the deepest-diving ever built.
Take a look at the latest positions available at IDTechEx.
This short presentation by IDTechEx Chairman Dr Peter Harrop gives an overview of mild hybrid 48V vehicles technology and markets.
Soon, the team will attempt to complete the circumference of the earth, from Hawaii, over the Pacific Ocean, across North America, over the Atlantic Ocean, and across Europe or North Africa, finally landing in Abu Dhabi once again.
At the IDTechEx Show! in Berlin on 27-28 April, large numbers of experts are gathering. Most of them specialise in the next wave of technologies becoming key to the automotive, aerospace and electronics industries.
This article shares some of the research for the new IDTechEx Research report, Electric Vehicle Traction Motors, Belt Driven & Integrated Starter Generators 2016-2026. It is no longer contentious to say that the future of land, water and air vehicles is to be more and more electric.
Scientists have introduced a combined electrolyte and separator for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that supplies energy at usable voltages and in high temperatures.
BOC has announced that it has signed an agreement with ITM Power to provide infrastructure for ITM Power's new electrolyser-based hydrogen refuelling stations for passenger cars.
Midsummer has received funding from Mistra for the development of lightweight solar modules on vehicles. The developed solar panels will be integrated in body panels in a Clean Motion Zbee ultra-light electric vehicle composite roof.
The premiere of manned flights with the world's first certified Multicopter, e-volo's Volocopter VC200, marks a step forward in urban mobility.
This short video will focus on the expectations of printed electronics technologies in the automotive industry over the next decade.
ETT Industries has announced the global launch of RAKER and TRAYSER electric bikes.
A paperlike battery electrode may improve tools for space exploration or unmanned aerial vehicles.
Rachel Gordon attended Semi-Therm in San Jose to learn about thermal management in a wide variety of devices and industries. This article describes TIM requirements for different application areas.
The forthcoming "IDTechEx Show!" in Berlin has a two day conference, "Electric Vehicles: Everything is Changing" with an uncompromising focus on the future and the new - 27-28 April.
A 20-kilowatt wireless charging system has achieved 90 percent efficiency at three times the rate of the plug-in systems commonly used for electric vehicles today.
Based on a patented design for a modular and scalable vehicle, Altreonic is able to meet the needs of any applications.
As part of a project to improve safety in the energy pipeline industry, researchers have successfully flight-tested a miniature methane gas sensor developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The startup's driverless taxis follow optimal paths for picking up and dropping off passengers to reduce traffic congestion.
The excitement about the first mass market product from Tesla, the Tesla 3, echoes the early days of Apple.
This was the topic IDTechEx was asked to address in a meeting of the SMMT EV Group 17.3.16 in London. Here we share our response.
This article shares some of the market research carried out for the brand new IDTechEx report, Future Powertrains 2016-2036.
Researchers in the Netherlands successfully engineered and installed a socket on a Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell that serves as an electrical outlet.
Japanese scientists have synthesized two crystal materials that show great promise as solid electrolytes.
Boeing has introduced Echo Voyager, its latest unmanned, undersea vehicle, which can operate autonomously for months at a time thanks to a hybrid rechargeable power system and modular payload bay.
Drivers now consider plug-in hybrid vehicles to be more attractive and practical than conventional hybrids, a survey commissioned by GKN Driveline has revealed.
Following a previous article summarising the top level markets and trends in robotics, Dr Jon Harrop describes the emerging trends that will drive the evolution of the robotics space in the near future. Key topics of discussion are collaborative robotics, mobile robotics (including UAVs, UGVs and AUVs), trends in surgical and agricultural robots, geographical robotics interest from Japan, and the impact of the Chinese robotics market on the global picture.
Uniquely the IDTechEx Show! in Berlin on 27-28 April (www.IDTechEx.com/Europe) reveals the future of electric vehicle technology and other green technologies.
Something is stirring in the field of fuel cell vehicles.
New guidance approach supports industry in the safe and effective deployment of next generation drone and unmanned aircraft systems technology that can significantly improve productivity gains through reducing risk exposure, survey times and in-service inspection costs of offshore, marine and onshore infrastructure.
A short ceremony welcomed the arrival on London streets of a global first - a completely emissions free pure electric double decker especially designed and developed for Transport for London by BYD.
Domino's Pizza Enterprises Limited has unveiled plans for its newest team member - an autonomous delivery vehicle named DRU.
Researchers have developed an innovative unmanned aerial vehicle that can stay on station beneath the water, then launch into the air to perform a variety of missions.
Scientist and former yachtsman Raphael Dinelli has developed the 'Eraole', a hybrid, solar and biofuel-powered aircraft.
Dr Jon Harrop presents IDTechEx's most recent work in robotics. This article covers the current market sectors for robotics today (including industrial, military, professional and personal robots), the value chain, and the key trends in this industry.
The large IDTechEx Show! in Berlin April 27-28 with over 2500 paying delegates once again invests in startups.
Energy independent electric vehicles (EIVs) vary from the new Inergy boat entirely driven by a 70kW vertical wind turbine to the autonomous solar aircraft flying at 60,000 feet for five years on sunshine alone.
Hydrogen is the lightest and most plentiful element on Earth and in our universe. So it shouldn't be a big surprise that scientists are pursuing hydrogen as a clean, carbon-free, virtually limitless energy source for cars and for a range of other uses, from portable generators to telecommunications towers—with water as the only byproduct of combustion.
Modern mobile robots have increasingly practical capabilities. Yet, while the capabilities of such mobile robots are impressive, how useful is a single mobile robot?
We have had a feast of lithium-ion batteries as the number of manufacturers has doubled to 200 and pure electric cars have been late in arriving. Now that will change even with the gigafactories.
GKN Driveline is transferring hybrid technology from super sports cars such as the Porsche 918 Spyder and BMW i8 into affordable compact vehicles.
Aurora's Phase 2 design for VTOL X-Plane envisions an unmanned aircraft with two large rear wings and two smaller front canards—short winglets mounted near the nose of the aircraft.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 22 March 2016.
Daimler is expanding its activities in the area of electromobility and investing around 500 million Euros in the construction of a new battery factory. This
Siemens has been commissioned to provide the complete electro-technical solution for Finland's first battery-powered car ferry.
An interdisciplinary team of scientists has worked out a way to make electric vehicles that only are not only carbon neutral but carbon negative, capable of actually reducing the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide as they operate.
The third Future Powertrain conference was a great event with about 400 delegates and a total of 35 table exhibitors. The summary of the presentations given during the FPC2016 are discussed here.
IDTechEx attended the Future Powertrain Conference which took place in Soilhull, UK on 24-25 February.
The electric bus market is growing at a CAGR of 20% in terms of unit sales. The rapid growth is a game changer for the battery market as electric buses require large-sized batteries ranging from 74 kWh (fast charging e-bus) to over 300 kWh (slow charging e-bus). This is why IDTechEx Research forecasts that the e-bus battery market will overtake the consumer electronics sector by 2020.
Analyst IDTechEx helps start-ups by letting them exhibit free in its big shows such as the forthcoming "IDTechEx Show!" in Berlin April 27-28 with over 150 exhibitors, over 2500 paying delegates and eight parallel conferences, two of them strongly featuring high power energy harvesting both from ambient energy and by recuperation in vehicles.
A video interview with Divergent Microfactories, taken at the 3D Printing USA exhibition.
Power Plaza is presenting its Yebbujana R2 electric roadster in Geneva.
Video interview with Alta Devices at the Energy Harvesting & Storage USA event.
The first Solar Impulse 2 maintenance flight that took place on Friday, 26th of February in Hawaii was uneventful.
The aim of this alliance is to keep users safe and connected while on the road.
The Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel is developing an unmanned vessel optimized to robustly track quiet diesel electric submarines.
Are petrol prices affecting the electrification of industrial electric vehicles? IDTechEx says the best is yet to come! This article aims to provide a guide on how the new dynamics of petrol prices is affecting electric vehicles in general and industrial electric vehicles specifically.
There are about 200 companies making traction motors for electric vehicles, rather like the 200 making the lithium-ion batteries that increasingly power them.
Berlin leading in electric vehicles 26 Feb | Worldwide, Germany
It was in Berlin that the first solar charged electric boat appeared. The first hybrid electric aircraft with a rotary combustion engine flew from Berlin Schoenefeld Airport. In another first, this year Deutsche Bahn will offer a fleet of electric and hybrid cars for rent to its long-distance travelers, in order to make its transportation services door-to-door in Berlin.
Independent research and business intelligence experts IDTechEx focus on emerging technologies and providing powerful data to clients worldwide. On the cutting edge of new developments in sectors such as Hybrid and Pure Electric Vehicles, Wearables, Printed Electronics, and Energy Storage and Harvesting, IDTechEx proudly support start-ups in many ways.
ontrolled Power Technologies has invested £1 million to further industrialise its CO2 and NOx reduction capabilities for the global automotive and transport industries.
Automakers are test-driving a new torque-vectoring electric drive system by GKN Automotive that will make hybrid vehicles more efficient and dynamic.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 8 March 2016.
This short video presented by IDTechEx Chairman Dr Peter Harrop reveals how electric vehicles that never need refuelling, plugging in or contactlessly charging are now on general sale, with many more to come.
Dubuc Motors will launch its electric supercar, the Tomahawk, on an equity crowdfunding platform, StartEngine.
Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC), a Ugandan state-owned vehicle manufacturing company that launched an electric car named Kiira EV last year, has unveiled what it says is Africa's first solar-powered bus.
New novel materials are being developed for next generation Li-ion batteries. One promising anode-cathode material pair is lithium titanate countered by lithium iron phosphate.
News from China 19 Feb | Worldwide
IDTechEx interviews have established that the move to 48V mild hybrids as the most affordable way to meet impending 2025 and 2030 emissions regulations very much embraces Chinese industry which already offers the key component, the Torque Assist Reversing Alternator TARA also known by other names.
The material at the heart of the lithium ion batteries that power electric vehicles, laptop computers and smartphones has been shown to impair a key soil bacterium, according to research.
The British government says it is close to ordering two solar-powered high-altitude Zephyr surveillance drones from European aerospace giant Airbus.
NASA is researching ideas that could lead to developing an electric propulsion-powered aircraft that would be quieter, more efficient and environmentally friendly than today's commuter aircraft.
Leveraging the proven technology and operational experience of the Skylark family of mini-UAS, Skylark 3 offers a wide range of system enhancements, including a significantly larger range.
The Belgian Green politician Björn Rzoska has recently entered quite a remarkable commuting experiment. In the next three months, he will travel from his home to the Flemish Parliament in Brussels on a 45 km/h electric bike. As a result, he will be riding around 100 km a day.
Formula One is significant in two ways. It is a major business in its own right at approaching $14bn and it pioneers vital new technologies in a car or bus near you from the disk brake to the flywheel kinetic energy recovery system and the supercapacitor hybrid powertrain.
Wikipedia says no. Wikipedia is wrong. It correctly identifies electric vehicles as those propelled by an electric motor for some or all of the time. However, from the first volume production of 48V hybrids in 2017, most will be capable of just that in the form of silent all-electric take-off just like a strong hybrid.
IDTechEx proudly supports start-ups in many ways. Our latest initiative is an "EVES Launchpad" for Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage start-ups where they can exhibit free of charge at the large IDTechEx Show! in Berlin on April 27-28.
Video interview with IDTechEx analyst Franco Gonzalez.
Six friends traveled Europe in the electric Kia Soul EV to show that an electric road trip is possible, this is their account of their journey.
Researchers have developed a Level-2 electric vehicle (EV) charger prototype with efficiencies exceeding 97% at an unprecedented 2.6 kW/l power density.
Research teams have produced a cost-effective catalyst material for fuel cells using a new preparation process which they analysed in detail.
The self-driving vehicle, WEpod, is being tested on the campus of Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
As printed and flexible electronics are beginning to proliferate, with a variety of components and devices coming to market, several end user verticals are expected to benefit from the host of advantages these technologies offer and the automotive sector is no exception. Overall, the market is expected to grow to over $5.5 Billion dollars in the next decade, spearheaded by the projected growth of in-mold electronics and OLED technologies, as discussed in more detail in the newly launched IDTechEx report "Printed and Flexible Electronics in Automotive Applications 2016-2026 - Enabling technology toolkits, suppliers and market forecasts".
IDTechEx interview Nuon Solar team 3.2.16 05 Feb | Australia, Netherlands
Every year, the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge sees solar cars from all over the world race right across Australia on sunshine. The Nuon Solar Team has won six times including October last year.
nalyst IDTechEx External Link has just completed a major study of 48V mild hybrid vehicles, releasing the brand new report Mild Hybrid 48V Vehicles 2016-2031.
The end game with the 48V hybrid cars that will first appear in volume production in 2017 is having no 12V battery - just a beefy 48V one.
The annual IDTechEx Show! will have a focus on green technologies in Berlin on 27-28 April.
Morgan Motor Company is pleased to announce that it will lead a £6m project to develop new powertrain technologies.
Electrically powered Picnic boat drives for up to 16 hours on a single charge.
ALISE is a pan European collaboration focused on the development and commercial scale-up of new materials as well as understanding the electrochemical processes involved in Lithium Sulfur technology.
IDTechEx are expanding their research into advances in electronics packaging, which is included as part of advanced materials. The latest report "Electrically Conductive Adhesives 2016-2026" covers a range of solder-replacement technologies. An estimated 50,000 metric tons of tin-lead solder are currently used each year, but lead is being banned in more and more applications due to toxicity.
"The EV scene has changed radically in the last year," says Raghu Das CEO of IDTechEx, "and our forthcoming conference Electric Vehicles Everything is Changing will reflect that."
Loon Copter is a novel multi-rotor platform capable of traditional aerial flight, on-water surface operation, and sub aquatic diving.
The IDTechEx Launchpad initiative is open to early-stage start-ups, universities, newly spun-out companies, research labs and government labs who can demonstrate a working prototype or product that highlights new advances in any of the related event topics of: 3d printing, electric vehicles, energy harvesting, graphene, internet of things, printed electronics, sensors, or wearable technology.
The SipaDrive is emission-free and barely audible, and provides 3 hours of fully assisted cruising at a speed of 2 knots and propulsion.
Printed and flexible electronics are beginning to proliferate, with a variety of components and devices coming to market. Several end-user verticals are expected to benefit from the host of advantages these technologies offer and the automotive sector is no exception.
The TopChair-S is an electric wheelchair that can climb up and down stairs.
Audi production network: ready for electric mobility 25 Jan | Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Spain
Audi is preparing its international production network for the mobility of the future. Large series production of the first purely electric driven SUV from Audi will begin at the site in Brussels in 2018
IDTechEx visited Controlled Power Technologies (CPT) Ltd UK on 18 Jan 2016. They met with CEO Nick Pascoe with Robert Palmer, investor and PR, also present.
A lithium-ion battery that self heats if the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit has multiple applications, but may have the most impact on relieving winter "range anxiety" for electric vehicle owners, according to a team of researchers.
The Freerider is powered by a 22 Ah lithium polymer battery pack that the company claims can last for one hour while a 165lb (75kg) rider travels at full speed.
The new E-Class marks the world premiere of numerous technical innovations for enhanced comfort, a new level of safe driving, a new dimension in driver assistance and a new infotainment and control system.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 2 February 2016.
New Tiguan GTE active concept20 Jan | United States
Volkswagen is proving how much potential the plug-in hybrid systems have.
The two most promising current candidates for cars are fuel cells, which convert the chemical energy of hydrogen to electricity, and rechargeable batteries.
More than half of all new buses and coaches registered in 2015 met the latest Euro-VI emissions standard, marking a threefold increase compared with 2014.
The Bonirob robot, which is approximately the size of a compact car, uses video- and lidar-based positioning as well as satellite navigation to find its way around fields.
2015 was the most successful year ever for the BMW Group with annual sales setting a new record for the fifth year in a row.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 26 January 2016.
Following its unveiling to domestic media at Hyundai Motor's Namyang R&D Center in South Korea, details have been confirmed of the IONIQ - the next generation of hybrid vehicles.
The first industrial robot, Unimate, went into operation at a General Motors plant in 1961. Over the next few decades the use of industrial robot arms in the automotive industry matured.
Researchers are working to make the lithium-ion batteries we use every day safer by inserting sensors to warn users of potential problems inside the battery.
Scientists have created a highly efficient biomaterial that catalyzes the formation of hydrogen -- one half of the "holy grail" of splitting H2O to make hydrogen and oxygen for fueling cheap and efficient cars that run on water.
A new way to store solar heat 11 Jan | United States
A new material that can store solar energy during the day and release it later as heat, whenever it's needed.
An international group of scientists have developed ion-exchange synthetic membranes based on amphiphilic compounds that are able to convert the energy of chemical reactions into electrical current.
ARCA Space Corporation has created ArcaBoard, a hoverboard that works over most surfaces.
Scientists have developed a novel electrolyte for use in solid-state lithium batteries that overcomes many of the problems that plague other solid electrolytes while also showing signs of being compatible with next-generation cathodes.
Students thought that changing the aerodynamics of a UAV to reduce drag might result in less drain on the battery, and thereby increase flight time.
Inventors around the world have been trying to combine the ease and utility of driving with the three-dimensional freedom of flying since the beginning of the 20th century.
The industry's first robotic vacuum cleaner equipped with augmented reality technology.
Hyundai Motor has announced the name of its advanced, alternative-fuel compact vehicle due for launch in 2016: the Hyundai IONIQ.
The UK Government has announed the new levels for the Plug-In Car Grant from 16 February 2016.
An EU initiative tested the feasibility of electric cars with modular batteries. Drivers wanting more power could just plug in another battery.
A first-of-its-kind, lightweight, solar-powered, electric scooter using both Stratasys PolyJet and FDM 3D printing technology.
In this article IDTechEx analyst Dr Victoria Adesanya-Aworinde shares insights into demand and sales forecasts, market share, market size and market leaders.
Intelligent car windows 18 Dec | United States
Intelligent Glass Control uses special films which are inserted into the glass and which change their transparency through electric control signals.
The range extender offers longer flight time and fast re-fuel capabilities, addressing two of the biggest challenges for manufacturers of battery-powered drones.
PowerResponder is a line of new hybrid supercapacitors with technology enhancements that aim to replace traditional lithium ion batteries in select applications.
Ford is investing an additional $4.5 billion in electrified vehicle solutions by 2020 as well as changing how the company develops vehicle experiences for customers.
The E-MEHARI features advanced technology. It is an all-electric vehicle with battery technology based on the expertise of France's Bolloré Group.
Summary of the key information tracked during the Electric Vehicle conference held in Santa Clara USA.
This is McLaren Marketing's unique conceptual take on motor racing's future.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy recently selected 24 projects from a competitive field to receive a nearly $55 million investment in "vehicle technologies that will strengthen the U.S. clean energy economy."
Researchers have developed an energy storage device which is significantly more cost-effective over the entire life cycle in comparison with previous models.
My Electric Avenue is a three-year Ofgem-funded project that has been carrying out trials to discover the impact that charging clusters of electric vehicles might have on local electricity networks at peak times.
Lizard electric vehicles 04 Dec | Worldwide
Extreme vehicle concepts have a habit of appearing in a car near you.
Smartscooter electric vehicle 03 Dec | Taiwan, Netherlands
The Gogoro Smartscooter is a high-performance, zero emissions two-wheeled electric vehicle.
Hyundai Mobis has announced that the company became the first in Korea and the second in the world to successfully develop the next-generation electronic integrated regenerative brake system known as iMEB for environment-friendly cars like hybrid cars and electric vehicles.
After two years of research, a French team have just designed an alternative technology to Li-ion for application in specific sectors.
This new championship called 'ROBORACE' will provide a competitive platform for the autonomous driving solutions that are now being developed by many large industrial automotive and technology players as well as top tech universities.
Researchers have developed a smart chip which can tell you how healthy is your battery and if it is safe for use.
Researchers are developing a new-generation, long-life fuel cell system offering efficiency higher than that of competing technologies. The project will result in new, energy-efficient and commercially viable applications.
The demonstration and technology platform "move" enables Empa researchers to develop new vehicle drive concepts with significantly lower CO2 emissions and test them in practice.
Elon Musk recently announced the use of silicon by Tesla in its automotive batteries: "This is just sort of a baby step in the direction of using silicon in the anode, but we will be increasing the use". This unusual side comment has nonetheless triggered renewed interested in the topic.
The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Solid Power Inc have signed an exclusive agreement licensing lithium-sulfur materials for next-generation batteries.
A key issue with lithium ion batteries is aging. It significantly reduces their potential storage capacity. To date, very little is known about the causes of the aging effects.
Karma Automotive has announced that BMW has agreed to be a supplier in ensuring their vehicles are built with the highest quality automotive parts.
Using next generation technology, these new batteries have achieved a charging speed 10 times faster than that of normal batteries, reaching about 50% capacity in mere minutes.
Commercialization of solid-state battery indicates a new era for the US $135bn addressable battery market in a decade. IDTechEx Research forecasts that the market for solid-state batteries will exceed $4bn in 2026.
High-performance lithium ion batteries face a major problem: Lithium will eventually start to run out as batteries are deployed in electric cars and stationary storage units.
Researchers have developed a new technology that promises to extend the life of a lithium-ion battery by 40 to 60 per cent.
Scientists have developed a new way of making fuel cell membranes using nanoscale fasteners, paving the way for lower-cost, higher-efficiency and more easily manufactured fuel cells.
Scientists have found that lithium ion batteries operate longer and faster when their electrodes are treated with hydrogen.
This article is the second of our series on advanced and post lithium-ion technologies. This article will focus on the silicon anode batteries technologies and markets
True to its name, the IDTechEx report, Autonomous Vehicles Land, Water, Air 2015-2035 gives the full picture. Here we share some of the latest entries as it is continuously updated to reflect the rapid progress in this sector.
Stratasys Ltd has announced that it has teamed with Aurora Flight Sciences to deliver, what is believed to be, the largest, fastest, and most complex 3D printed unmanned aerial vehicle ever produced.
The world's largest 2nd-use battery storage unit will soon go into operation in the Westphalian town of Lünen.
It is a no brainer. The ultimate vehicle by land water and air is independent in performance of task and in provision of its motive power.
Hybrid electric vehicles, cell phones, digital cameras, and the Mars Curiosity rover are just a few of the many devices that use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Now a team of researchers has a simple mathematical formula to predict what factors most influence lithium-ion battery aging.
Autonomous delivery robots 10 Nov | United Kingdom
Former Skype co-founders have announced the launch of a new company, Starship Technologies, which aims to fundamentally improve local delivery of goods and groceries, making it almost free.
Rapid progress in electrification of vehicles 09 Nov | Worldwide, United States
The market for electric vehicles is growing rapidly while existing electric parts are multiplying.
This article is the second of our series on advanced and post lithium-ion technologies. This article will focus on the silicon anode batteries technologies and markets
The 200+ stand, eight conference IDTechEx Show! in Santa Clara, California, November 18-19 will this year include a dedicated session on electric vehicles. It has been several years since IDTechEx last hosted this topic in CA and we are thrilled to be back.
Energy independent electric vehicles exist today and there is a multi-billion dollar opportunity for their new technology as it cascades down into all vehicles, land, water and air. The new report from analysts IDTechEx is a world first in revealing this exciting future for component and system suppliers, product integrators and system integrators.
Video interview with Grafoid at Graphene & 2D Materials Europe.
Electric cars' limited range, especially in the winter months, has provoked a lot of discussion. Having the heating on can mean that the range of a lot of electric cars shrinks considerably.
The application by Controlled Power Technologies of a switched-reluctance motor-generator deep into the driveline, as well as being applied directly to a petrol or diesel engine, will enable the technology developer to deliver to carmakers and tier 1 driveline system developers an almost full-hybrid functional capability.
Researchers have successfully demonstrated how several of the problems impeding the practical development of the so-called 'ultimate' battery could be overcome.
KleenSpeed believes that the electric vehicle is an "appliance" like a notebook computer or a cell phone to be charged, used and charged again.
Biomimetics - usefully copying nature - is alive and well.
The forthcoming IDTechEx conference, Electric Vehicles: Everything is Changing in Santa Clara California November 18-19 is part of the 3000 delegate 250 exhibitor "IDTechEx Show!" which grows every year.
The first Veefil fast charger for electric vehicles to be installed in New Zealand, designed and manufactured by Australian company Tritium, will be operational for public use from 30 October.
Scania has now begun a comprehensive launch of a full range of products with alternative fuels and powertrains.
General Motors set aside traditional vehicle development in selecting LG Electronics as its partner in developing the next generation Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle, which can travel more than 200 miles on a single electric charge.
When Tesla announced Autopilot, it's new feature that allows its cars to drive themselves with no input from the driver, ex-Microsoft developer and geek-famous YouTube reviewer Barnacules Nerdgasm (AKA Jerry) decided to put the new tech to the test.
At IDTechEx's forthcoming event, Electric Vehicles: Everything is Changing, taking place in Santa Clara on Nov 18-19, there will be many presentations on the next wave of battery technology for electric vehicles.
John Kopera, Vice President Corporate Operations of Sion Power says Sion has long been known for Li-S technology but we are more than that. We are the protected lithium metal battery company; the Licerion rechargeable battery company.
Queen's University Belfast will unveil its electric DeLorean, on the exact date that Marty McFly went Back To The Future in the iconic Belfast-built car - 21 October 2015.
ITM Power is pleased to announce that it has officially received the first Toyota Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle to be delivered in the UK.
Energy storage has long been the most critical challenge for electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles. There is a new trend of using supercapacitors to complement or even replace batteries as energy storage devices to improve the vehicles' performance.
The first wirelessly charged, fully electric buses in Belgium started operation in Bruges on Saturday October 17.
Volvo Cars develop an entirely new range of electrified smaller cars and build a fully electric car for sale by 2019.
This invitation only meeting ably introduced and summarised by Zeinab Badawi was mercifully free of PR speak.
High power energy harvesting (HPEH) is the clean part of off-grid renewable energy and its main potential lies at kilowatts to megawatts. Few things are genuinely new in this world but newly important aspects of energy harvesting really matter.
Toyota is set to deliver 12 brand new Mirai hydrogen powered vehicles to London.
Thought leaders IDTechEx were among the first to identify three new megatrends in the world of technology: Structural Electronics (SE); 3D Printed Electronics (3DPE); Energy Independent Electric Vehicles (EIVs).
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 27 October 2015.
A new addition to the remarkable lineup at the forthcoming IDTechEx conference Electric Vehicles: Everything is Changing is Kleenspeed presenting on the now intimate linkage between electric vehicles, solar and storage.
What to expect at the Future Battery Technology Session at IDTechEx's Electric Vehicles: Everything is Changing Show!
In 2016 61 million electric vehicles will be sold - from electric cars to planes to industrial vehicles, creating a total market of $123 Billion. That will rise to $182 billion in 2020, based on the latest survey of the industry conducted by IDTechEx Research in the report Electric vehicle Forecasts, Trends and Opportunities 2016-2026.
Controlled Power Technologies and Eminox have reached agreement to collaborate on the development of electric supercharging solutions to reduce fuel consumption.
Wireless power transfer has many promising applications, such as contactless powering, electric vehicles, and energy harvesting.
Terra Motors, a start-up founded by 42 years old Toru Tokushige, prioritises doing good and rejuvenating Japan's industrial base over making profit and it seeks to do this by offering EVs into developing countries.
Formula One racing gave us the disk brake and more recently led to 60,000 rpm energy harvesting flywheels on London Buses. No one planned to make a London bus look like a Formula One racing car but the bus people saw their future in racing technology.
The open-access lab will provide space to build and test battery concepts while fully protecting the intellectual property of its users.
The Sunswift eVe, currently the worlds fastest solar electric car over 500km, will soon officially be registered to be Australia's first road legal solar car, making it one of the only road legal cars in the world.
Bosch is debuting a new battery technology for electric cars that could be production-ready in as little as five years.
The most dramatic new advances and visions have no name initially. So it is with electric vehicles that need no external charging or refuelling - no, not even wireless charging.
The Liberty Trike for anyone that wants to get around actively or effortlessly on 3 wheels.
Hoverboard Technologies have created a single wheeled electric skateboard simply called "Hoverboard"
As part of its lineup of production and concept-model automobiles and motorcycles for its exhibit at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show 2015, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will be unveiling the Neowing, a concept model for a three-wheeled sport hybrid model.
Some of the 300 million tires discarded each year in the United States alone could be used in supercapacitors for vehicles and the electric grid.
Forget the obsession with driverless autonomous cars; energy independent vehicles are the megatrend. Electric land vehicles, boats, underwater craft and aircraft already exist that never plug in or refuel.
Following materials testing researchers have identified unique properties in Zenyatta Ventures Ltd Albany Graphite deposit that show positive attributes for use in multiple graphene applications.
An international team of scientists led by the inventor of the lithium ion battery has put forward a new cathode material for its potential successor, the sodium ion battery.
Video interview with Neotech AMT at 3D Printing Europe.
Navitas Systems LLC has announced that it is the first battery company to have developed a family of qualified heavy-duty lithium-ion batteries for Class I and Class II forklifts.
Electric buses are deeply significant, being a key to the control of urban pollution and often first to adopt innovative parts.
The Artega Scalo with a purely electric drive is the direct successor of the Artega GT, which inspired car fans around the world.
A unique, multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle will be the first vehicle of its kind to use ultracapacitor technology.
Being the automotive sector a trillion dollar market and given the existence of multiple low carbon powertrain technologies and sunk investments in specific powertrains technologies, the possibility of "betting on the wrong horse" makes the transition to low carbon vehicles a very risky process for incumbent automotive companies (global automotive manufacturers and their tier one suppliers). Through these technology developments these incumbent companies are primarily trying to maintain or increase their captured added value of the automotive value chain and their global sales market share. For new entrants with no existing interests, the risks are lower given they are not compelled to capture most of the value of the powertrain technology, giving them the possibility of sharing it with other parts of the value chain (suppliers, technology developers etc.)
Small manned electric vehicles - e-bikes to car-like micro EVs - often sell in the largest numbers. Although they are usually lower in cost than regular cars, they will reach over $33 billion in 2026 according to IDTechEx analysis.
The Trinity wind turbine is light and portable, for powering mobile devices and cars.
The Porsche Mission E concept car combines the unmistakable emotional design of a Porsche with excellent performance and the forward-thinking practicality of the first 800-volt drive system.
Drivers of Hyundai's ix35 Fuel Cell, the only fuel cell car on sale in the UK, can now fill up with hydrogen at one of the world's greenest filling stations, located just off the M1 motorway near Sheffield.
ITM Power has signed a strategic siting partnership with Shell for the delivery of Hydrogen Refuelling Stations on three Shell retail forecourts in the UK.
New longer range Leaf 21 Sep | Switzerland
Nissan is once again transforming the performance, practicality and perception of EVs with the introduction of the LEAF 30 kWh - an updated Nissan LEAF that gives drivers 155 miles of motoring range.
The September 2015 meeting of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) in Holland, Michigan and our subsequent interviews gave a clear indication of the main trends.
A revolutionary Electric Supercar that will be powered by a Graphene Energy Storage device.
Another major focus was 48V systems some in EVs but mainly for microhybrid (stop-start) and mild hybrid (torque assist) for managing the now huge amounts of energy in and out with new forms of harvesting and tougher duty cycles and also more power-hungry accessories. That has resulted in a large number of redesigned and new accessories in anticipation of new standards.
High Power Energy Harvesting (HPEH) is a term beginning to be used for creation of electricity where it is needed using ambient "free" energy. That zero-pollution, high-energy conversion typically captures light (photovoltaics), heat difference (thermoelectrics and heat pumps) and movement (electrodynamics).
The Riversimple two seat fuel cell hybrid car was on show in powertrain form at CENEX recently and in addition to the Hydrogenics fuel cell as fuel tank and the lithium-ion capacitor as engine it had four in-wheel motors.
CENEX LCV Event: Micro EVs & Buses 15 Sep | Worldwide, United Kingdom
Supporting IDTechEx strong forecasts for car-like vehicles not homologated as cars or even crash tested, we saw a lot at this event.
CENEX LCV Event: Range Extenders 14 Sep | United Kingdom, Worldwide
The latest CENEX Low Carbon Vehicle Event took place at Millbrook UK mid September with over 50% growth on last year there being over 3000 delegates and over 200 exhibitors, mostly parts suppliers and charging station manufacturers but with several prestige stands from major motor manufacturers.
Off-grid electricity production on land has lessons for energy independent electric vehicles (EIVs) that come later. These generate all their own electricity from wind, waves, sun and other forms of ambient energy - free and clean.
Energy Independent Vehicles 2016-2026, the brand new report from IDTechEx Research, argues that electric energy independent vehicles will be one of the most important megatrends this century because buying and delivering fuel becomes a thing of the past and a major source of global and local pollution is eliminated.
Researchers have developed a highly energy-efficient heating system for electric cars that produces a broad, radiant heat.
Scientists have developed a new fuel cell catalyst using earthly abundant materials with performance that is comparable to platinum in laboratory tests.
BMW is showcasing new solutions for the "connected car". One of the company's focal points are a pair of apps designed for operating functions inside connected houses.
In the future, a wireless charging system will allow electric cars not only to charge their batteries, but also to feed energy back into the power grid, helping to stabilize it.
The scientists' goal is to produce new materials for a host of uses, ranging from high-efficiency batteries, ultracapacitors, fuel cells and hydrogen storage devices to lightweight thermal coatings for hypersonic jets, multifunctional materials for aerospace, and more.
There are many myths about the move to higher voltage with conventional internal combustion engine on-road vehicles. Here we dispel some of them.
Local Motors and Arizona State University have formed a new partnership to advance materials research into 3D-printed automotive parts, which will be used on the world's first 3D-printed car, scheduled to be on-road in early 2016.
Researchers are working on a new, low-altitude traffic management system to keep fast-moving flyers safer as they cruise through increasingly crowded skies.
Development, manufacture, and sale of enterprise solutions using autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles for image capture combined with cloud-based data processing.
Chemists who developed a unique form of graphene have found a way to embed metallic nanoparticles that turn the material into a useful catalyst for fuel cells and other applications.
MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH has formed a close development partnership with Darmstadt-based AKASOL GmbH.
Researchers have wired four perovskite solar cells in series to enhance the voltage and directly photo-charged lithium batteries with 7.8 percent efficiency--the most efficient reported to date, the researchers believe.
A wireless power transfer system is being integrated and tested using fleet of Kia Soul EVs.
An ultrathin, flexible, stretchable and lightweight 'solar foil' has been produced from perovskite solar cells by researchers in Austria, who demonstrate the material's utility using solar powered miniature aircraft and blimps.
The end-game with electric vehicles by land, water and air is for them to be self-powered. They will create all their electricity from ambient energy such as light, wind, waves and tide where necessary storing it until needed.
IDTechEx Research's brand new report analyses and forecasts the wireless charging market for electric vehicles and small electronics.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration has announced that it is providing $500,000 to support a feasibility study for the design, construction, and operation of a high-speed passenger ferry powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology and a hydrogen refueling station.
Researchers have designed a solar fuel generating device that has established a new record in energy efficiency for the production of solar fuels.
A research team has been awarded $1 million in NASA funding for its all solid-state battery, a game-changing technology that could potentially power future space missions.
We have created a new form of economy called the "Digital Economy". So, what's the point?
WalkCar is the size of a laptop and is similar to a skateboard.
A trillion dollar opportunity to 2035, electric buses are being completely reinvented because they are the electric vehicle sector already attracting billion dollar orders and they can prevent millions of deaths and injuries from air pollution.
South Korean high tech companies LG Chem and Samsung SDI to invest in European battery cell production for Audi Battery electric SUV with a range of more than 500 kilometres.
In an innovative move to assist pedestrian recognition of electric vehicles, Nissan has taken a leading role in the European Commission-led project, eVADER, to create a pioneering audible pedestrian alert system.
Plenty of kilowatts from no fuel. This dream ticket is a reality today from the rapid adoption of high power energy harvesting. Energy harvesting converts ambient energy into electricity where it is needed, off-grid.
Another major milestone for the Sunseeker Duo has been set. Eric and Irena Raymond repeated the 2009 adventure of the Sunseeker II, crossing of the Alps in both directions this time with the Sunseeker Duo.
Engineers oat Vokswagen are working on an automated direct-current charging system, a so-called automated e-filling station "e-smartConnect".
Off road trials of the technology needed to power electric and hybrid vehicles on England's major roads are due to take place later this year.
The term 'energy harvesting' is most typically applied to powering small electronic devices using say sunshine, vibration or temperature.
Video interview with Agfa at Printed Electronics Europe.
Two weeks after having demonstrated AtlantikSolar's first 24-hour flight, the fixed-wing team of ETH Zurich's Autonomous Systems Lab reached another milestone.
Analysts IDTechEx almost completely rewrote their report Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles 2015-2025 this year and frequent updates take place, such is the pace of change.
The UFCEV (Ultrafast Charging of Electric Vehicles) station, developed by Empa, ETh Zurich, EPF Lausanne and Bern University of Applied Sciences, is said to charge an electric vehicle in just 5 minutes.
In response to a NASA challenge to design an all-electric propulsion general aviation airplane, five ideas out of the 20 submitted by U.S. universities wowed the judges.
Wireless charging: insights from Oregon event 05 Aug | Worldwide, North America (USA + Canada)
A question and answer session "Wireless Charging: Emerging Business Models" took place at EV Roadmap8, Portland, Oregon USA on 30 July 2015. The panel consisted of Jeremy McCool of Hevo Power, which retrofits wireless charging, Jeff Muhs of WiTricity with key patents and Wesley Smith of WAVE installing large vehicle solutions. They also talked to IDTechEx afterwards.
After more than one million kilometres in two years - from May 2013 to June 2015 - the real-world trial of electric cars known as eMERGE has been completed.
Research shows that passing wireless power transfer through a magnetic resonance field enhancer can boost the transfer efficiency by at least 100 percent as compared to transferring through air alone. MRFE use could potentially boost transfer efficiency by as much as 5,000 percent in some systems, experts say.
Using a hybrid silica sol-gel material and self-assembled monolayers of a common fatty acid, researchers have developed a new capacitor dielectric material that provides an electrical energy storage capacity rivaling certain batteries, with both a high energy density and high power density.
There was a question and answer session "Wireless Charging: Emerging Business Models" at EV Roadmap8 Portland Oregon USA 30 July 2015.The panel consisted of Jeremy McCool of Hevo Power, which retrofits wireless charging, Jeff Muhs of WiTricity with key patents and Wesley Smith of WAVE installing large vehicle solutions. They also talked to IDTechEx afterwards.
This event of a few hundred people and twenty or so exhibitors had a good range of coverage from many choices of EV test drive to sitting in on focus groups of people minded to buy an EV
Report on EV Roadmap 8 Portland Oregon 28-29 July Day One 31 Jul | Worldwide, North America (USA + Canada)
Summary of the first day of the EV Roadmap 8 event taking place in Portland, Oregon
Rapid Progress with pure electric buses 31 Jul | Worldwide, China, United Kingdom
China is where most of the hybrid and pure electric buses will be made and sold over the coming decade.
A new fabrication technique that produces platinum hollow nanocages with ultra-thin walls could dramatically reduce the amount of the costly metal needed to provide catalytic activity in such applications as fuel cells.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 18 August 2015.
Terra Motors, Japan's leading manufacturer of electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers has signed a joint venture with Runner motorbike manufactures in Bangladesh.
Video interview with Canatu at Printed Electronics Europe.
Researchers have developed a new process to develop few-layer graphene for use in energy storage and other material applications that is faster, potentially scalable and surmounts some of the current graphene production limitations.
Buses are now a crucible of change, often adopting new technology before cars.
High Power Energy Harvesting: Off-Grid 10W-100kW 2016-2026 is the title of a new IDTechEx report examining a newly significant off-grid energy market.
The new IDTechEx Research report, "High Power Energy Harvesting 2015-2025" (www.IDTechEx.com/high) appraises the many new ways in which the vehicle will internally harvest energy that is currently wasted as tyre and brake heat etc. so it needs much less externally supplied energy to get along. That alone will get us to a range of up to 1000 miles. In this article, let us look at how the increasingly infrequent charging can be done automatically without involving the driver and how it can grab externally-supplied electricity created from free ambient energy.
Totally different. Everything that constitutes a hybrid or pure electric vehicle will change beyond recognition, advises analyst group IDTechEx.
IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 4 August 2015.
he University of Michigan has opened Mcity, the world's first controlled environment specifically designed to test the potential of connected and automated vehicle technologies that will lead the way to mass-market driverless cars.
Saft has signed a contract worth over one million euros from Airbus Defence and Space Ltd to develop, qualify and test a specific lithium-ion battery system to power the ExoMars Rover vehicle.
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation are pleased to announce the launch of a joint demonstration project for utilizing used lithium-ion batteries from electric-powered vehicles.
Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center, Inc. and Mojo Mobility, Inc have been awarded a funding grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies program to research and develop a system capable of fast charging an electric vehicle wirelessly.
48V Vehicle Systems 14 Jul | Worldwide
48V systems are close to adoption in some new cars across the world partly to cope with the greater amount of electricity being stored and distributed. They are also becoming attractive for some of the more basic electric vehicles.
IDTechEx will be back in Tokyo, Japan for their highly regarded series of Business Insight Forums.
Many land, water and airborne electric vehicles harvest all the energy they need. They never plug in. It is the way of the future.
Imagine a fleet of driverless taxis roaming your city, ready to pick you up and take you to your destination at a moment's notice. While this may seem fantastical, it may be only a matter of time before it becomes reality.
On July 13, BorgWarner paid a premium of 44% to buy Remy International.
A fleet of autonomous "SmartCarts"—high-tech, 3D-printed, low-speed electric vehicles—could one day zip around the University of Michigan's North Campus, taking students, professors and staff to class, labs and offices while also serving as one of the first test beds for on-demand autonomous transit.
Following the record breaking oceanic flight of 5 days and 5 nights in a solar powered airplane, Solar Impulse will undergo maintenance repairs on the batteries due to damages brought about by over heating.
IDTechEx is the only market analyst tracking the development of 45 electric vehicle categories and not just electric cars.
IDTechEx was guest of Qualcomm at the Hilton Hotel Park Lane London 26 June and at the Formula E pure electric car racing in Battersea Park London the day after. This article focuses on the presentation by Steve Pazol VP & GM Wireless Charging.
Saft, the world's leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technology batteries for industry, has won a contract to supply state-of-the-art Li-ion battery systems to Imtech Marine, a leading maritime technology supplier.
BMW Group and Nanyang Technological University have launched a new electromobility research programme, involving the all-electric BMW i3 and plug-in hybrid sports car BMW i8 that runs on electricity and petrol.
The world's largest green hydrogen plant was opened in Mainz, Germany last week, a result of a joint collaboration between Stadtwerke Mainz, The Linde Group, Siemens and RheinMain University.
Endeavoring to reach Hawaii from Japan to encourage the use of clean technologies, the solar powered aircraft of Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg achieved the longest exploration leg of the Solar Impulse's Round-The-World mission.
A team of researchers has begun to investigate the use of solar power on the fuel cell bus fleet as a way to reduce operating costs without increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Sumitomo Electric has developed a power transistor of an original structure consisting of silicon carbide which is seen as a next-generation power semiconductor.
There are three important technological megatrends for vehicles that are now coming increasingly important. They are shaping what is designed and the market positioning of new vehicles from type of customer targeted to the location where the vehicles will be used.
Researchers have developed a nanogenerator that harvests energy from a car's rolling tire friction.
In the study the new battery technology employs use of graphene on the silicon surface and that confers volume expansion leading to extended battery life.
The industrial and commercial electric vehicle business will be 42% of the EV market in 2025 on IDTechEx analysis with well over 50% of the profits because so much of it is specialist and niche and the vehicles are not bought on up-front price.
Scientists have invented a low-cost water splitter that uses a single catalyst to produce both hydrogen and oxygen gas 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Andretti Autosport has announced its new entity called Andretti Technologies. Working together with TE Connectivity, it will mainly be responsible for developing a new electric motor for the second season of the Formula E.
IDTechEx was guest of Qualcomm at the Hilton Hotel Park Lane London 26 June and at the Formula E pure electric car racing in Battersea Park London the day after.
Formula E promotes EVs 29 Jun | United Kingdom
The UK Formula E races took place 28-29 June.
BioSolar, Inc has announced that it has jointly filed a patent application with the University of California, Santa Barbara.
One focus of the second day of this event has been energy harvesting.
Propulsion systems of tomorrow must provide optimum performance over the whole mission range, concerning efficiency, reliability, redundancy and low noise.
Here is our report on the first day of the Electric and Hybrid Marine World Expo in Amsterdam 23 June.
Empa, ETH Zürich and the road sweeper manufacturer Bucher Municipal have jointly developed a pioneering hybrid-electric powertrain for road sweepers.
In a new study, researchers explain why one particular cathode material works well at high voltages, while most other cathodes do not.
Researchers have discovered the structure and transport properties of the "intermediate state" in lithium-ion batteries - key to understanding the mechanisms of charge and discharge in rechargeable batteries.
In May 2015, Californian Company, Wrightspeed announced the Fulcrum, a gas turbine on-board range extender for charging the batteries of electric vehicles.
The world's first electrical car and passenger ferry powered by batteries has entered service in Norway. 
The power electronics business as applied to electric vehicles is becoming so huge that very divergent approaches become viable.
A123 Systems LLC has announced its plan to double global manufacturing capacity to 1.5 GWh within the next 3 years.
Ford Motor Company is offering competitors access to its electrified vehicle technology patents - a move to help accelerate industry-wide research and development of electrified vehicles.
Siemens will install a catenary system for hybrid trucks in Sweden.
Power electronics is at the heart of the disruptive change of all electric vehicle parts.
A team of scientists has synthesized a powerful new magnetic material that could reduce the dependence of the United States and other nations on rare earth elements produced by China.