Important Innovations

E-Hybrid Plans Ramping Up Source:  Airbus. E-Thrust Concept Electric Hybrid Aircraft Cleaner, Greener Flying Airbus is moving forward on plans to produce hybrid electric planes for commercial use by 2035.  This is part of Airbus' major focus to develop and manufacture low emissions aircraft.  Global air travel spews millions of tons of carbon dioxide from jet fuel into the atmosphere.  Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury confirmed that he's moving ahead with the industry's first program to potentially develop and produce fleets of hybrid electric aircraft.  He confirmed his electric hybrid plane goals during a conversation with reporters this weekend. E-Thrust Concept: Electric-Hybrid Flying Commitment with Greatly Reduced Emissions Airbus' commitment to developing greener energy sources to power jets is clear.  In May, Airbus and SAS Scandinavian Airlines signed an agreement to partner on research for electric and hybrid aircraft designs.  Their E-Thrust con

Mid-November Hypersonic Test in Russian Arctic "Unbeatable" According to President Putin The Russian news agency Tass, citing military sources, reports that Russia tested a hypersonic missile over the Russian Arctic within the past two weeks.  A MIG 31 Intercept jet performed the testing of the Kinjal Dagger hypersonic missile. Ground Target The missile was fired against a ground target at the Pemboi training grounds in Russia's Arctic Komi region.  No other details were provided.  Russian President Vladimir Putin has bragged that the Dagger missile is unbeatable and capable of evading any enemy defenses.  The Kinjal Dagger is said to be capable of hitting targets 1,250 miles away with conventional or nuclear warheads travelling at hypersonic speeds.  Average hypersonic speeds range from Mach 5-10. Danish Defense Warning Meanwhile in its annual risk assessment report, the Danish Defense Intelligence Service warned of a "great power play" shaping up b

BMW & Tesla Expanding Production of Electric Vehicles in China Source:  BMW MINI Cooper Tesla's Cybertruck About to Set a Record BMW is significantly expanding its global electric vehicle operations.  BMW and its Chinese partner Great Wall announced today that they plan to build a $716 million plant in China big enough to manufacture 160,000 electric cars a year.  The plant will produce electric MINI's for BMW and also Great Wall electric vehicles.  Great Wall is China's #1 SUV and pickup truck manufacturer. Meanwhile, US-based Tesla is close to setting a new record with its electric pick-up Cybertruck. Big China Electric Vehicle Market Expansions The BMW-Great Wall plant is due to open in 2022 near Shanghai.  For e-car makers, the opportunity in China is huge.  China has new quotas starting in 2025 requiring that 20% of total vehicle sales are electric and rechargeable hybrids.  Automakers and suppliers are diligently working to meet these tough,

Motosola Solar Canopy Source:  Motosola Solar Biking The Motosola solar canopy mounted on top of an electric motorcycle charges the battery of an electric bike by solar energy. In Asia, canopies on bikes are common to protect the riders from the sun.  Motosola has taken that concept to a new level by inventing a canopy that's essentially a solar panel to pull in and utilize the energy of the sun to charge electric vehicles.  The system consists of the canopy and a charge inverter.  It's available as a 100 W or 150 W system.  The company's prototype system in Shenzhen, China has been driven for more than three months without needing any recharge.  The solar system has been sufficient to keep the batteries charged. Green, Clean Biking The company says that the system can generate up to 1.5kWh of electricity per day whether the bike is being ridden or it's parked.  It's said to be easy to install and compatible with most motorbikes.  When parked th

Heatbox, the Self-Heating Lunchbox from the Netherlands Source:  Heatbox Mobile Hot Meals This is another example of great innovation from the Netherlands. Heatbox warms food with steam. The steam is created by the lunchbox's heating element working with a small amount of water.  It was created by the Netherlands start-up Heatbox. The device is portable and small enough to fit in a backpack.  It's rechargeable and can work multiple times a day. The smart lunchbox heats your food in minutes.  It enables the user to have a hot meal wherever they are. Heatbox and Your Phone Heatbox can be controlled manually or by a smartphone app.  It can even charge your cellphone.  The device has a modern, sleek design.  It appears to have great potential for students and anyone on the go.  It's in the Kickstarter phase with product deliveries set for July 2020.  It's a breakthrough gadget that provides mobile hot meals.  For a free Kindle borrow of journalist Ed

Lincoln's 2022 Electric SUV Source:  Rivian.  Top - e-platform.  Bottom - Rivian  R1S SUV Startup Rivian  Forging the Way with Unique E-Vehicle Platform Reports indicate that Lincoln will be a big beneficiary of Ford's $500 million investment in Detroit e-vehicle startup Rivian.  Amazon is also investing in the company.  Lincoln is expected to use Rivian's skateboard-styled platform for a Lincoln electric SUV coming out in 2022.  This would be the first example of Ford's plans to co-develop a vehicle based on Rivian's electric car platform. Rivian's e-Vehicles Rivian's platform is a highly modular, battery-electric design.  It resembles a skateboard.  The system can deliver up to 700 horsepower.  It fits batteries up to 180 kilowatt hours in size.  Rivian is using the platform for its own R1T pick-up truck and R1S SUV that will go into production in late 2020.  Rivian says the SUV gets 400 miles in range.  And in 30 minutes, the batte

Breakthrough New Material from National University of Singapore Next Generation of Soft, Conductive Robots An innovative, new metallic material that bends, folds and stretches has just been unveiled by inventors at the National University of Singapore.  Experts say this material is so innovative it could lead to a next generation of soft conductive robots. Singapore Innovation The team at NUS developed a new process called "graphene oxide-enabled templating synthesis".  They take paper, soak it in graphene oxide, dip it in metallic ions and burn it twice.  The result is a thin metal layer that can stretch, bend and fold.  It can withstand high temperatures, remain electrically conductive and function as an antenna for wireless devices. De-icing Robots The inventors say the new metal's properties could allow robots made with a backbone of the material to operate in hazardous conditions and de-ice themselves if necessary.  For a free listen to my audi