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Standing between the Semis wrapped in Pepsi and FritoLay branding, Musk spoke about the need to reduce carbon emissions before pivoting to talking up the selling points of the trucks. “It looks sick,” Musk said, gesturing at one of the vehicles. “You want to drive that. I mean, that thing looks like it came from the future.”

The first delivery of Tesla Semis went to PepsiCo, which placed an order for 100 trucks back in December 2017. Other customers waiting for deliveries include companies like Walmart, UPS, FedEx, and Anheuser-Busch, most of which placed orders numbering in the dozens. PepsiCo plans to use at least 15 of the Semis to achieve zero-emissions status at its Modesto, California Frito-Lay facility.

Some Promises Kept, Others in Question

Musk originally unveiled the Tesla Semi electric Class 8 truck prototype in 2017, with plans to start production in 2019. Then came delay after delay. After a couple years of prototyping, finalizing the design, and road testing the truck, Tesla faced pandemic-related supply chain challenges and a shortage of battery cells.

In 2017, Musk said the Tesla Semi would run on Autopilot, the automaker’s advanced driver assistance system, but made no mention of it at the recent delivery event. It appears that prices will also rise sharply from Musk’s 2017 estimates of $150,000 for the 300-mile range version and $180,000 for the 500-mile version.

But many of the other specs have remained the same, including a tri-motor system that allows the truck to easily cruise by conventional gas-powered trucks pulling the same load. The Semis will still be charged with a “megawatt class charger” and consume less than 2 kWh per mile. The trucks also deliver three times the power of any diesel truck currently available and feature regenerative braking, meaning the brakes deliver power to the battery when drivers stop pressing the accelerator.

The Gigafactory reveal event came after Tesla completed a 500-mile test trip of one of its Semi trucks fully loaded with 81,000 pounds of cargo. The trip began at Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California and ended in San Diego without needing to recharge the battery.

Will the Tesla Semi Ever Actually Take Off?

Tesla’s all-electric Semi trucks could dramatically change long-haul trucking. Current diesel-powered trucks in the same category represent one percent of U.S. vehicle sales, but 20 percent of overall vehicle emissions. If they are, in fact, equipped with Tesla’s semi-autonomous Autopilot system, they could reduce demand for drivers and help prevent accidents that occur when drivers are tired or distracted. The system uses sensors and cameras to provide data on the surroundings to the truck’s onboard computer, alerting the driver to potential collisions and applying the brakes automatically in emergencies.

Self-driving functionality is still probably quite a few years from becoming reality, with potential job losses yet to be determined. In the meantime, drivers will have to get used to a very different user experience than what they’re used to, especially inside the cab. Polish truck driver Tomasz Orynski went viral on Twitter after pointing out impractical design choices that make the Semi “a completely stupid vehicle,” including a central seating position that makes it hard to see oncoming traffic or access the window without getting up.

Among other things, the doors are positioned in the rear of the cab, so there’s no longer room for a mattress. The position of the touchscreens replacing physical buttons and levers also makes them hard to reach while keeping eyes on the road.

Musk Drama Could Make Tesla Less Desirable

Meanwhile, it’s hard not to wonder whether Musk’s misadventures at Twitter will affect Tesla. Recent media coverage suggests that all of Musk’s conspiracy theories, transphobic jokes, erratic behavior, and right-wing political comments could harm Tesla by association. Company stocks continue to nosedive, and investors are increasingly furious with Musk over his preoccupation with the social media platform, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“The market voted today that the $TSLA brand has been negatively impacted by the Twitter drama,” tweeted Gary Black, a hedge fund manager who owns about $50 million in Tesla stock. “Where before EV buyers were proud to drive their Teslas to their friends or show off Teslas in their driveways, now the Twitter controversy is hurting Tesla’s brand equity.”

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The 13-foot, tear-shaped electric motor boat can accommodate up to five adults in its jacuzzi seating and comes with a gas-powered, ambience-enhancing fireplace. It’s self-cleaning, self-heating, and can cruise for up to five hours on heavily regulated bodies of water.

With its electric engine, the Spacruzzi is a more eco-friendly watercraft option. “Unlike most power boats on the water, our all-electric propulsion and our patent protected electric and propane heating system do not put pollutants into the air or water,” Kanwetz said in a statement.

While it’s not designed to go far, it is simple to operate, and users can always swap out extra batteries for longer fun. “The boat will not travel more than four or four and a half miles per hour,” notes Kanwetz. “It’s about getting to a space, getting comfortable, and just sitting there. If you’ve never driven a boat, you’re an expert after about 30 seconds.”

The company, which manufactures all its Spacruzzis in its Nevada and Montana facilities, uses a patent-pending UV and saltwater filtration system to circulate and clean water throughout the boat, and an onboard gas fireplace to keep the soaking temperature perfectly pleasant. A ladder connected to the back of the fiberglass hull makes it easy to take a dip in the lake when passengers are ready to cool off.

The floating hot tub’s popularity has been explosive ever since its release. Speaking to a Lake Tahoe news outlet in June, Kanwetz said: “We expected to build a hundred boats this year.” But after a 41-day soft-site opening, the company had completely sold out.

“Since we launched, we’ve seen immediate growth in both our rental and direct-to-consumer sales ,and this is continuing to grow,” Kanwetz said in a separate statement. “As you begin to see more rental operations popping up, we expect the awareness of the product to grow on the national level as more people see that this isn’t just a novelty item, but an experience that can’t be matched on the water.”

At just 1,200 pounds, the Spacruzzi is relatively easy to transport. “We have customers putting these boats on a trailer, along with a generator, and taking them to auto races, concerts, you name it,” Kanwetz adds. The vessel’s onboard heater even converts the local lake into a year-round leisure option. “You’re in the lake, it’s snowing. It’s gentile. It’s a mind-blowing experience. It’s really, really cool.”

Spacruzzis sell for about $50,000 and can be ordered on the company website. They’re available for both rental fleet and individual owner options. Buyers can customize the decking, paint, metal, and wood finishes. Further add-ons include shade towers, floating drink caddies, underwater lights, and trailers. Just be ready to wait a little while for yours, since the company says the construction-to-delivery process can take up to 120 days.

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While their initial napkin drawings and estimates for a prototype in six months were a little shortsighted, the team recently announced that their two-seater electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVOTL) Model A is scheduled for roll out as early as 2025.

The company website shows a simulated version of the car driving in normal road traffic. When it approaches a blocked roadway, it immediately goes into lift mode, flying up and over the obstacle, landing on the other side, and continuing on its drive.

The Model A was specifically intended to be a real driving car for short commutes that could seamlessly transition to flight. “Most commuters typically travel under 30 miles on average,” CEO Jim Dukhovny told Robb Report. “We designed it to be the fastest and most convenient transport ever created for both rural and urban settings.”

Because the wings are built directly into the car’s carbon-fiber chassis, the Model A can takeoff and land virtually anywhere, bypassing airports that are normally required for vehicles with retractable wings. “That can eliminate 50 percent of the travel time,” Dukhovny adds.

Structurally, the wing configuration is similar to a two-wing biplane. When the Model A goes into aircraft mode, the cockpit (i.e. the front two seats) can tilt up to 90 degrees forward, allowing the vehicle to essentially fly on its side with its wheels pointed backward and air flowing through the perforated carbon-fiber body. As Dukhovny says: “the whole car is the wing.”

Boasting a distributed electric propulsion system and eight motors for ample backup power, the Alef flying car is billed as having a 200-mile driving range and a 110-mile flight range. The initial top speed for air travel will cap at 35 mph to comply with U.S. regulations on low-speed electric vehicles. However, the company is sure the speed limit will increase as other flying car models pass through the federal certification process.

Other Model A features include a software flight stabilization program, all-wheel driving, concealed props, obstacle detection and avoidance, and a full-vehicle parachute.

Alef’s progress has attracted some top-tier investors like Tim Draper of Draper Associates, an early investor in both Tesla and SpaceX. Draper has already contributed $3 million in seed money for Alef’s Model A.

“I put more (money in) when I saw that they had created a small drone prototype that did exactly what they told me it would do,” he said in an email. “The design is extraordinary. The sides of the car become the wings when the plane goes horizontal.”

While excited fans can pre-order the first version with a $1,500 deposit on the company website, the $299,999 price tag may be off-putting to most people. However, Alef is already proposing a 2030 release of a middle class-friendly Model Z with a range of 400 driving miles and 200 flight miles that would cost just $35,000, well under the current price of a self-driving Tesla.

The post Flying Car Aims to be the World’s Most Efficient Commuting Vehicle first appeared on Dornob.

If the prototype looks like a quadcopter strapped onto the roof of an ordinary car, that’s because it basically is, at least for now. While the original HT Aero flying supercar design is more compact, with two electric rotors on articulating arms that fold away under the car’s rear bodywork, the working prototype required a few tweaks. It has an eight-rotor coaxial vertical lift system to add redundancy in case of failure, itself contained within a giant box atop the vehicle. The arms fold into this box instead of the body of the car, and the whole thing weighs an eye-watering 1936 kilograms (4,268 pounds).

“In driving mode, it is comparable with any conventional cars in terms of functionality and measurement,” says XPeng. “In flight mode, the flying car is piloted using the steering wheel and the right-hand gear lever as controls to move forward and backward, make turns, ascend, hover, and descend. Subject to laws and regulations for the low-altitude airspace, it can take off and land vertically and fly over traffic congestion, obstacles, and rivers to meet a new host of short-distance mobility needs.”

The test flight took place on October 24th, just days after XPeng showed off the capabilities of another one of its flying vehicles, the X2, at GITEX Global 2022 in Dubai. The X2 essentially looks like a massive drone with a lightweight carbon-fiber body and enclosed cockpit. When empty, it weighs 560 kg (about 1,235 pounds), and its quad-battery pack can keep it airborne for about 35 minutes. A built-in parachute can also bring it down to the ground in case of a complete powertrain failure.

As you might have guessed, the X2 isn’t exactly legal to cruise around on the streets. It’s too lightweight to pass safety tests in most countries, and its rotors don’t fold away. That’s what makes the X3 both more appealing and many times more challenging to actually develop, as it requires separate powertrains, suspension systems, wheels, and other features for road driving that aren’t required in a vehicle that’s only meant to fly. That also puts a lot more strain on the battery system, which is incredibly heavy in its own right.

Once the AeroHT X3 is refined to look closer to renderings than the current prototype, it will likely look less boxy and awkward. It’ll also lose its appearance as an add-on kit that could transform any old car into a flying vehicle. It kind of seems like a shame that the company can’t actually pull that off, though it’s understandable that the vehicle itself would need to be customized in order to work with the flying system.

Who knows what XPeng will ultimately come up with, considering that the company just got approved for $6 billion yuan (about $844 million USD) in funding from four banks to support its research and development. Last year, they received the largest Series A fundraising in the industry and accumulated more than $500 million. XPeng plans to use those funds to establish a supply chain and build production facilities for the X3 by next year, with potential sales releases in 2024.

Naturally, that timeline will probably change. It will take a lot of reliability and safety testing to pass muster with regulations, but Chinese authorities have indicated that they’re willing to give automakers some leeway with the law in order to promote aggressive tech development in the country.

The post XPeng’s AeroHT X3 Prototype Turns a Street-Legal Vehicle into a Flying Car first appeared on Dornob.

Looking at the design, it’s clear from the outset that the Portless Catamaran isn’t going to win any awards for aesthetics or speed. Then again, that’s not really the point of this ultra-lightweight vessel. It’s a big step up from a simple raft, or even the kind of small, sub-$10K boat you might tow with a trailer. You could try to cram a lot of occupants on either of those, but it won’t be safe, and it definitely won’t be comfortable. The Portless Catamaran, on the other hand, has enough lounging surfaces to go around.

The inflatable catamaran comes in two sizes: a smaller standard version measuring 14.8 feet long that can support four to six people, and the larger Deluxe Catamaran that measures 19.7 feet long and is safe for up to eight occupants. Unlike the kind of folding fabric shade top seen on many pleasure crafts, this catamaran’s “roof” is strong enough to use as a second deck. The main deck of the standard size model measures 97 square feet, and the upper deck offers 32 square feet while holding up to 350 pounds. Ladder-like steps built into the side wall offer access from below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djc8Q-bnePM

The standard size Portless Catamaran starts out as a compact 265-pound package that fits in the trunk of a car. You’ll definitely need a few people to get it in and out, but what other kind of boat can be transported to the water in a Kia sedan? You’ll probably need a trailer to transport the larger version, since it weighs 772 pounds, but the Deluxe still breaks down into four pieces that zip together. The creators say you can get the standard size out of your vehicle, inflated, and launched in less than 10 minutes, while the deluxe takes about 20.

The vessel is made with the same type of materials and construction as inflatable paddle boards, equipped with a small 1-kilowatt Epropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus electric outboard motor and lithium-polymer battery powered by a flexible solar panel. It’s not clear exactly how much of a range you’d get with those specs, but it’s probably safe to say you shouldn’t plan to cruise around for hours on end.

Okay, so the experience probably doesn’t come close to a day out on a billionaire’s superyacht, but the Portless Catamaran still looks extremely fun to use. The motor will definitely allow you to jet out to the open water to find a prime spot away from the crowds for swimming, diving, sunbathing, and whatever else you might get up to. With prices starting at $12,375 for the standard Portless Catamaran and $23,750 for the Deluxe, it’s reasonably affordable, too, and it could even work for people who don’t have a garage or driveway to store it.

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“Public Art Electric Vehicle Charging Stations” is a collection of proposals that merge art, architecture, and technology, giving people something fun to look at and interact with while they’re charging their electric vehicles. The project addresses one major anxiety of transitioning from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to EVs — a lack of charging stations. Jantzen believes that creating massive, bright, and oddly-shaped charging stations could draw attention to the need for sustainable options and reassure the public that such stations actually exist.

Perhaps even more importantly, these EV charging stations don’t rely on grid power. Electricity in most of the world is still supplied by fossil fuels like coal and oil, and EVs usually depend on that energy to charge. To get around that issue (which will only be solved by shifting power grids to renewable energy sources), Jantzen’s charging stations are all solar and/or wind-powered.

The five public art charging stations are respectively named the Silver Solar Charging Station, the Black Waves Solar Charging Station, the Red Solar Charging Station, the Yellow Solar Charging Station, and the Solar Wind Charging Station. Each one sort of resembles a futuristic car wash, but each has its own set of distinguishing features.

The Silver Solar Charging Station is a corrugated steel structure supporting a large photovoltaic panel that’s held high in the air on two massive silver arms. The Black Waves Solar Charging Station, also made of steel, has a more fluid, aerodynamic design, with ribbon-like sections of steel covered in photovoltaic panels undulating over the top.

The bright pops of color seen in the Red Charging Station and Yellow Charging Station stand out even from afar, drawing the curiosity of passersby for miles around. The Red version has zig-zag solar panels on top, while the Yellow version features an eco-friendly concrete composite dome, with a series of circular disc-shaped solar panels mounted on its roof.

The only one that isn’t designed to be entered is the Solar Wind Charging Station. “Instead, people can drive alongside of the station to charge their vehicles,” says Jantzen. “It is also made of steel with a large curved shaped photovoltaic panel mounted onto the overhang. In addition to the solar panel, it also has a large vertical axis wind turbine incorporated into the design. Both the solar panel and the wind turbine make electricity from the sun and from the wind to charge the electric vehicles directly, and/or with batteries they continually charged.”

Thus far, these sculptural EV charging stations are just concepts, but perhaps they’ll spark some creativity as new charging stations continue to pop up around the world.

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Now, those officials are calling for electric car companies to explain what happened, and how it can be prevented from happening again. State Fire Marshall Jimmy Patronis issued a letter to over 30 carmakers, including Tesla, Ford, and Rivian, asking them to “step up, demonstrate leadership, and partner with the State of Florida and local officials in this recovery.”

The letter also demanded that EV makers explain whether they knew this was a risk, and to identify whether EVs exposed to saltwater could reignite weeks or months after they were flooded.

“Has your company conducted any analysis on the effects of saltwater intrusion on the lithium-ion batteries in your vehicles and their risks associated with fires? Are there any fire risks associated with chargers that were submerged in the storm surge? Do you have the ability to assess whether an EV impacted by a storm surge is operational and currently being used?,” the letter reads.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration confirmed that “test results specific to saltwater submersion show that salt bridges can form within the battery pack and provide a path for short circuit and self-heating. This can lead to fire ignition. Lithium-ion vehicle battery fires have been observed both rapidly igniting and igniting several weeks after battery damage occurred.”

This happens because saltwater is extremely conductive, and when it collides with a lithium-ion battery full of energy, the results can be dramatic. Fires have the potential to be even more dangerous if they involve RVs, golf carts, or scooters inside saltwater-flooded homes, creating larger blazes.

Floridians affected by the storm were urged not to turn on their EVs, plug them in, or unplug them, instead seeking professional assistance to move their vehicles. It’s still unknown what exactly sparks a blaze in the first place, but experts believe it could be as simple as turning the wheel.

The fires put a political target on the backs of electric vehicles during a time when the Biden administration is attempting to address climate change by replacing millions of gas-powered cars with zero-emitting EVs. Industry groups worry that the fires could lead to an impression that electric vehicles are less safe overall, pointing out a recent report that found roughly 25 fires for every 100,000 EVs sold, and 1,530 gas car fires for every 100,000 internal combustion vehicles sold.

“One Tesla fire gets more news than 10,000 gasoline car fires, whether it’s because people are super interested in Tesla or because people are still fighting the battle to suggest that electric cars are not ready for prime time or not good,” says Marc Geller, spokesperson for the Electric Vehicle Association.

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Beginning with the 2024 Alpha5 Plasmatail, a DeLorean DMC 12 that takes the company’s Back to the Future star to the next level, the company’s newest electric model is even more impressive, with a purposefully over-the-top Robocop allure. Dubbed the Omega 2040, the concept envisions an uncertain future not only dominated by electric cars, but one where an increasingly harsh and rugged landscape necessitates a pivot from purely style to form and (more importantly) function.

Described by DeLorean as taking its inspiration from “Baja-themed off-road racing,” the Omega 2040 looks more like an all-terrain vehicle at first glance than it does the DeLorean you know and love. With its high, lifted body and jumbo wheels, the EV looks ready to jump into a Mad Max-level wasteland fully charged and ready to rumble.

Known for delivering forward-thinking car concepts for over 40 years, the DeLorean Company certainly knows how to deliver when it comes to creating vehicles that even now look futuristic. A somewhat iconoclastic model that toes the line between sleek, polished virtuosity and rugged off-road appeal, the Omega 2040 is an aesthetic hybrid of sorts. Smooth, aerodynamic lines suggest an EV built for stylish speed and quasi-coupe design, while the highly-stacked body and monster truck wheels show that the car is a lot more than just good looks. Add in DeLorean’s distinctive gull-wing doors that so impressed Marty McFly, and the vision is complete: an impressive minimalist construction built for both speed and style, destined to navigate a post-apocalyptic world with aplomb.

According to DeLorean, the Omega represents a “complete departure from traditional automotive design,” and just one look is enough for any aspiring auto aficionado to see that this dynamic EV is not cut from the same cloth as its contemporaries. Ready to ride into the uncertain future ahead, the all-electric DeLorean Omega 2040 will undoubtedly navigate the roadways of the future with both LED-lit style and all-terrain, off-road ruggedness.

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The wires-out bot was able to walk around on the stage, wave, and even “raise the roof.” Although this was “literally the first time the robot [had] operated without a tether,” in theory, Optimus — also known as Tesla bot — will be able to lift enormous loads and traverse tricky terrain. It uses “essentially the same self-driving car computer” that controls Tesla’s electric cars and is outfitted with a host of video feeds to direct its movements.

During the presentation, Tesla engineers explained that proprietary actuators, which act as muscles for the humanoid bot, could allow it to lift objects many times its weight. The adaptive robotic hands will also be able to independently move their fingers and manipulate a wide range of objects.

While the robot didn’t show off many skills on stage, the presentation featured video of a tethered Optimus walking around Tesla HQ delivering boxes to desks and watering office plants.

After debuting the “Bumble C” prototype, as he called it, Musk explained that his team had already moved on to developing the next model, which he plans to put into production. Three Tesla engineers then brought the sleeker version to the stage, where it waved but could not walk.

Musk first introduced the concept of his Optimus robot at last year’s AI Day, but without a shred of physical work to show, he presented a dancer dressed in Tesla bot spandex instead. Since then, the company has been hard at work on the new prototype. The production model bot features customized Tesla actuators and is getting a special battery that can hopefully allow it to work for a full day on a single charge.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done to refine Optimus and prove it,” Musk said, adding, “I think Optimus is going to be incredible in five or 10 years, like mind blowing.”

“We are trying to follow the goal of fastest path to a useful robot that can be made at volume,” he added, estimating that the Tesla bot could be commercially available within three to five years. Musk also posited that when manufactured en masse, the cost should be much less than that of a car. “I would say probably less than $20,000 would be my guess.”

He envisions Optimus robots eventually creating an army of productivity. “This means a future of abundance, a future where there is no poverty, where people, you can have whatever you want, in terms of products and services. It really is a fundamental transformation of civilization as we know it,” he said with his characteristically dramatic flair.

Musk also believes that this type of cutting-edge AI should be for everyone, not just the private sector. “It’s very important that the corporate entity that makes this happen is something that the public can properly influence,” he said. “So I think the Tesla structure is ideal for that.”

And although the Optimus robot is a bit of a departure from Tesla’s long-standing mission to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy,” Musk defended his humanoid helper by saying: “I think the mission does somewhat broaden with the advent of Optimus to — you know, I don’t know: making the future awesome.”

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The Pudding Creek route takes riders on a seven-mile round trip experience in an area of the redwood forests that most tourists never see. Departing from Fort Bragg, a city on California’s Mendocino Coast, the tour zooms through the Noyo River Canyon. You’ll pass deep into the old-growth redwood groves, home to trees that are up to 2,000 years old, as well as Douglas firs, alders, berry bushes, lush ferns, wooden trestle bridges, and an abundance of other wildlife.

A certified guide leads the “train” of riders on the tour, and you can even pay extra to tow your dog friend behind you on a trailer. Passengers disembark at Glen Blair Junction for a 50-minute layover to have a picnic or take a walk along a loop trail dotted with wildflowers.

You don’t have to be a seasoned biking enthusiast or even in particularly good shape to enjoy this trip. Though you’ll be pedaling for most of the tour, the two-person, custom-built railbikes feature electric assist to carry you effortlessly through the forest. Since they follow the railroad tracks, you don’t even have to steer, which means you’re free to spend the entire tour gazing around at the scenery and taking photos if you like. Each railbike has four wheels and is made of lightweight upcycled materials.

The train tracks were originally laid by a 19th-century logging company that needed to get trees from the forest to sawmills and shipping facilities on the coast. The Fort Bragg Railroad grew to 40 miles by 1925, stretching inland to Willits. The less-than-pleasant fumes of the trains’ pot-bellied stoves and gas engines gave the route its “Skunk Train” nickname (now the name of the company operating the railbikes).

Within a few decades, the railroad was used more for passenger trains than lumber, and then landslides closed a 1,122-foot-long section. Skunk Train made use of these sections by offering two short train rides from either end, and of course, the Redwood Route Railbike tour.

The Pudding Creek Railbikes tour runs daily, and rates are $250 per bike for the two-hour ride. Children age 6 and older are allowed to ride. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, there’s now a harder and longer option available: a 25-mile trip along a remote stretch beyond the closed tunnel that takes about four hours. The Railbikes on the Noyo package costs $495 for a two-person bike, lunch included. Get details on the Skunk Train website, and check out lots of fun footage on the company’s Instagram.

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The bacteria grows in colonies that look like thin mats, with individual microbes connected to each other through a series of natural nanowires. It’s already known to produce electricity, having previously been used in “microbial batteries” capable of powering electronic devices. However, because the bacteria used in those batteries were alive, they had to be fed constantly in order to work. This new biofilm doesn’t need that kind of input and care because the bacteria is already dead.

“It’s much more efficient,” says Derek Lovley, Distinguished Professor of Microbiology at UMass Amherst. “We’ve simplified the process of generating electricity by radically cutting back on the amount of processing needed. We sustainably grow the cells in a biofilm, and then use that agglomeration of cells. This cuts the energy inputs, makes everything simpler, and widens the potential applications.”

The bacteria is able to take advantage of a “huge, untapped source of energy” that we don’t often consider: evaporation. We’re only just beginning to learn about the possibilities, but some scientists believe harnessing evaporation as an energy source could provide truly sustainable electricity free of toxic byproducts or the need to mine rare minerals. Eventually, evaporation engines could be placed above bodies of fresh water, irrigation fields, and greenhouses. Most current prototypes for larger-scale evaporation engines don’t make use of bacteria, instead incorporating materials that shrink as they dry, pushing and pulling with a lot of force.

“This is a very exciting technology,” says Xiaomeng Liu, graduate student in electrical and computer engineering in UMass Amherst’s College of Engineering and the paper’s lead author. “It is real green energy, and unlike other so-called ‘green-energy’ sources, its production is totally green.”

The biofilm produced by UMass works by growing bacterial mats and then etching small circuits into them using lasers. Once etched, the biofilm is sandwiched between electrodes and sealed in a soft, sticky, breathable polymer that can be safely and comfortably applied to the skin. The biofilm is then able to “plug in” to moisture on the surface of our skin from sweat, which is constantly present even if we don’t feel sweaty. That energy is enough to power small devices, even when the biofilm patch is very small.

“Our next step is to increase the size of our films to power more sophisticated skin-wearable electronics,” says Jun Yao, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMass, and the paper’s other senior author. Liu adds that eventually, the team hopes its biofilm will be able to power entire electronic systems instead of just small devices.

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While the new show car is intended to compete with top-tier sedans like the Rolls-Royce Ghost and the Bentley Flying Spur, the Cadillac team intentionally gave the Celestiq a sleeker and sportier look. “There’s a lot of premium incumbent brands in that space, and they tend to be traditional in their execution of a tall, upright sedan,” says Michael Simcoe, General Motors’ Vice President of Global Design. “And, of course, we will be measured against those. But playing in that space doesn’t make sense. Simply put, why would you go and do the same thing as someone else?”

Instead, the Cadillac designers looked to the company’s past for inspiration, finding it in the individualized V-16 pre-war sedans, as well as the hand-built 1957 Eldorado Brougham.

“Those vehicles represented the pinnacle of luxury in their respective eras, and helped make Cadillac the standard of the world,” says Chief Engineer Tony Roma in a press release. “The Celestiq show car — also a sedan, because the configuration offers the very best luxury experience — builds on that pedigree and captures the spirt of arrival they expressed.”

The Celestiq’s Ultium-based electric motor freed the designers from conventional constraints of engine, transmission, and gas tank placement. “Going into the E.V. platform was an opportunity to kind of reimagine how that manifests itself in the brand,” says Erin Crossley, Design Director for the Celestiq. “And I think a lot of how we approach that was almost like a clean sheet of paper. Kind of leaning into the technology and the things that it enables.”

The EV engine is expected to provide a 0 to 60 mile-per-hour sprint in just three seconds, and hold a range-per-charge of 400 miles.

Among the cutting-edge interior additions are five interactive LED displays. A massive 55-inch diagonal screen spans the entire dash, while smaller versions sit in between the front and back seats and in front of each backseat passenger.

Thanks to the use of Suspended Particle Device (SPD), the Celestiq will feature an industry-first roof that changes opacity separately in four segments, each corresponding to one of the seats below. In addition to being able to personalize overhead lighting, the front display also allows each passenger to activate electronic digital blinds for maximum privacy as desired.

Another industry record setter is GM’s proprietary Ultra Cruise system, which allows drivers to cruise hands-free on hundreds of thousands of mapped highways. Design-wise, the sedan features quilted leather seats, satin-polished aluminum trim, and real wood veneer. The exterior is long, low, and wide, with red lightning bolts of rear lighting.

Although a prototype of the Celestiq was recently captured in spy shots, they’re not expected to officially roll out until later in 2022, with a reported base price of around $300,000.

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Looking a bit like a giant bird with its pointed, beak-like front end and green “wings,” the RaceBird first took conceptual form while E1 co-founder and CEO Rodi Basso was staying at her summer house in Sweden. She noticed birds gliding over the surface of the water and imagined how that form could translate to a futuristic, environmentally friendly boat with serious competitive capabilities.

A Formula 1 engineer who previously worked with McLaren, Ferrari, and NASA, Basso founded the E1 Series all-electric race boat championship with sports entrepreneur Alejandro Agag with a goal to bring electric motorsports to rivers and oceans around the world. The duo partnered with Norwegian designer Sophi Horne, naval architect and marine engineer Brunello Acompara, SeaBird Technologies, and Victory Marine to develop, manufacture, and build the RaceBird as the official racing vessel for the E1 championship.

The RaceBird features a fully electric outboard motor produced by marine propulsion experts at Mercury Racing and a cockpit resembling a single-seater race car with a steering wheel and pedals. Designed for just one occupant — the pilot — the RaceBird is powered by a Kreisel Electric battery and uses immersion cooling technologies to maintain top performance while in motion. The hydrofoils keep the body of the RaceBird above the water to reduce drag and maximize its energy efficiency.

Engineers successfully tested the RaceBird in northern Italy in April 2022, and the vessel is now on track to compete in the E1 World Championship in Spring 2023.

“We’re now one step closer to making electric racing on the water a reality,” says Agag. “I remember very well the same scenarios we encountered during the early stages at both Formula E and Extreme E, and just like on those occasions this is a major breakthrough on E1’s journey. Seeing the RaceBird fly proves to me that we can use this exciting, new sporting platform to drive technological innovation in the marine industry and create something spectacular for fans in the cities we visit.”

“Seeing the RaceBird flying on the water for the first time was an emotional moment for myself and many others who have been working on this project over the past few months,” says Basso. “So far, the RaceBird has exceeded expectations especially with the performance, agility and cornering capabilities. The current performance levels are exactly where we wanted them to be, helping to promote exciting foil-to-foil racing close to the shoreline.”

“In the coming weeks, we’ll continue to run further tests and gather the necessary data. I’m really looking forward to showing it in public for the first time, which we’ll be announcing more on shortly. This test marks the first page of a new chapter in the electrification of the marine industry, focusing on accelerating future technologies for the benefit of our waters.”

The post All-Electric RaceBird Hydrofoil Boat Flies Over the Water at Incredible Speeds first appeared on Dornob.

Nuevo León’s economy minister Iván Rivas told Bloomberg that the crossing is a simple business incentive to keep money flowing into the state from the US. “And maybe there will be a lane for other companies in the future like there is for Tesla.”

The suppliers on the Mexican side of the border include APG Mexico, Taiwanese-based companies EnFlex Corp and Quanta Computer, France-based company Faurecia SE, and Germany-based company ZF Friedrichshafen. These companies provide things like structural vehicle components, optical coatings, auto glazing, computer chips, electric parking brakes, and digital connectivity systems to the automaker (lest you think they make it all themselves in Texas). Tesla reportedly struck the deal with the Nuevo León government after moving its headquarters from Silicon Valley in California to Austin.

For now, the company isn’t offering any details on the arrangement, and Rivas, who didn’t negotiate the deal, couldn’t provide any additional information. That means we have no idea what Tesla offered the Nuevo León government to get the lane, or what the rules are as to who can use it. We do know that the Columbia Solidarity crossing is one of the lesser-used border crossings between the US and Mexico, with an average wait time of 20 minutes for commercial trucks. The Nuevo León border authority, which manages the nine-mile stretch of border within its territory, does plan to expand the crossing to eight lanes from six.

The exclusive Tesla border crossing lane seems to be part of a greater effort by Nuevo León to lure in tech companies with a variety of perks. As Rivas told Bloomberg, “Nuevo León is turning into an electro-mobility hub.” He says that up to 7 percent of new investment in the state will come from EV companies this year, and expects that Tesla may add more suppliers there as well. Austin is full of electric vehicle startups like Volcon, Infinitum Electric, Moment Motors, and AYRO that may also source parts from Mexico in the future.

As usual, Elon Musk has a roundabout way of addressing this news, tweeting simply, “Teslas are the most made-in-USA vehicles.”

Would it be surprising if the lane did end up becoming available to Tesla drivers as well as employees and associates of Tesla and its suppliers? Not at all. Musk does have a way of bending the rules to get what he wants. And while it’s within reason to imagine express lanes for electric vehicles to encourage their use, it hardly seems fair for a border crossing to prioritize one carmaker over another.

The post Tesla Scores Its Very Own Border Crossing Lane Between Austin Facility and Mexico first appeared on Dornob.

Candela Electric Hydrofoils Set to Start Stockholm Routes Next Year

Well beyond a cool-sounding concept, the Candela P-12 Shuttle will become a real commuting option in the Stockholm area by next year. Capable of carrying 30 passengers at a time, this 40-foot flying electric boat relies on hydrofoils that lift it out of the water so can zoom along at up to 30 knots (34 mph or 55 km/h). It uses the equivalent of a mere 0.1 kWh of electricity per passenger kilometer, gets a range of 50 nautical miles at typical service speed, and recharges in under an hour using DC fast charging.

Those impressive speeds make the P-12 the fastest electric ship in the world, according to Candela. It’ll also be among the greenest watercraft ever produced, reducing energy usage per passenger kilometer by 95 percent compared to commercial diesel-powered ferries that are currently in use.

“Our shuttles use 80 percent less energy than conventional ships and have the ability to travel far and fast on pure electricity,” Candela states on its website. “This means a 100-percent reduction in local emissions, particulate matter, and NOx. Moreover, there is no need for oil changes and thus no risk of oil leakages. Given the reduced energy consumption, low maintenance needs, and possibility to increase passenger volumes, we estimate that operational costs [in Stockholm] will be reduced by at least 40 percent.”

The P-12 Shuttle will slash commute times between the Stockholm city center and the suburb of Ekerö from 55 minutes by subway, bus, standard ferry, or car down to just 25 minutes. Part of that time savings stems from the fact that the P-12’s hydrofoils produce virtually no wake at all, allowing it to cruise within Stockholm’s no-wake zones, which usually require conventional boats to slow down to 12 knots or less. If Candela’s nine-month trial period with the city is successful, the company will likely make additional ferries available to help free up traffic from Stockholm highways. It could also pave the way for expansion into cities like New York and San Francisco.

The Candela P-12 shuttle features a carbon fiber keel and computer-controlled hydrofoils that make up to 100 micro-adjustments per second for the smoothest possible ride, increasing comfort for passengers. It has a 180 kWh battery and is small enough to easily jet around on the water. Candela also offers a consumer version called the C-8, if you’re interested in buying one of your own (starting at €290,000).

Seagliders Slash Channel Crossings Between England and France

Another interesting idea takes the “flying ferry” name a bit more literally. Brittany Ferries says its battery-powered craft “foils like a hydrofoil, hovers like a hovercraft, and flies like a plane… with the comfort and convenience of a ferry.” This concept glider can carry 150 passengers at a time and travel at speeds of up to 180 mph (290 km/h), quite a bit larger and faster than the P-12 and a whopping six times faster than conventional ferries. Brittany Ferries says it’ll get a battery range of 180 miles (290 km).

This flying ferry works by rising on foils as it departs from a port, taking off and riding a cushion of air just a few meters above the surface of the water until it reaches its destination. The company aims to test the concept by crossing the English Channel between Portsmouth, England and Cherbourg, France in just 40 minutes, a journey that currently takes 5 hours by conventional ship.

Since it’s rising considerably higher above the water than Candela’s hydrofoil ferry, the Brittany Ferries watercraft will face additional technical and regulatory challenges, but the company says it could be operational as soon as 2025. Brittany Ferries brings its proven expertise earned through development of its high-speed catamaran Normandie Express to assist US-based startup Regent Craft with the process.

“We are particularly pleased to contribute now because it means we can bring real-world challenges and potential applications into the company’s early thinking,” says Brittany Ferries’ Ports and Operations Director Frédéric Pouget. “We hope this may help bring commercial success in the years that follow. Who knows, this could well be the birth of ferries that fly across the Channel.”

The post “Flying” Electric Hydrofoil Ferries Could Slash Commutes in Coastal Cities first appeared on Dornob.