Important Innovations

  New Flying Car Unveiled Source:  Xpeng Electric Vehicle Market Hot The Beijing Auto Show 2020 opened today and it is a rare, in-person trade show event in the Covid-19 worried world.  The show stopper was the unveiling of a new electric flying car by the Alibaba-funded China startup Xpeng.  The all-electric vehicle has eight propellers and a capsule-like frame that can sit two.  It's one of a series of flying vehicles that the electric automaker Xpeng is developing.  The prototype at the moment can reach 16.4 feet in altitude.  Xpeng says the future of vehicles will include smart mobility autonomous driving features and other technologies that will create "a multidimensional ecosystem that will be very exciting". China Auto Market Strongly Recovering China is the world's largest automotive market and it is in recovery mode from the Covid lockdowns.  Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida, during a news conference via satellite from Japan, said Nissan sales in China have returned

 CA's   Boost to Electric Vehicles Along With 15 Nations                                                            Source:  VW VW Unveils New Electric SUV In California by 2035, new, gasoline powered cars will not be allowed to be sold.  California Governor Gavin Newsome just signed an executive order to that effect.  At least one major Detroit automaker is cheering the move.  Ford says it is proud to stand by California.  Ford is in the process of electrifying its biggest brands including the F-150 pickup truck and the iconic Mustang Mach E. VW ID4 Meanwhile, Volkswagen has just unveiled a new, all-electric SUV for the US market.  The ID4 is priced just under $40,000 and has a range on a single charge of 250 miles.  Governor Newsome's order coincides with that of 15 nations that have similar goals of banning gas powered cars and supporting clean, green travel vehicles.  It demonstrates that government regulations and the heavy financial investments that global automakers have

  Spotify Founder/CEO To Invest in European Tech Startups                                                       Source:  Spotify Seed Money For European Entrepreneurs The founder and CEO of Europe's most valuable technology company - Spotify's Daniel Ek - is building a European Silicon Valley. Speaking at a technology conference, he said he will invest one-third of his personal wealth - 1 billion euros or $1.2 billion - into European technology startups.  The highly successful entrepreneur says he will focus on "moonshot projects" in biotech, materials science and machine learning. Spotify 37 year old Ek's Spotify is a media services provider and audio streaming platform that recently offered a series of podcasts by former First Lady Michelle Obama. Spotify just announced an upcoming podcast series with Prince Harry and Megan Markle.  Ek routinely flies 17 hours from his home in Stockholm to San Francisco, which is one of Spotify's headquarters.  He says he

  Tesla Rapidly Expanding Production in China                                             Source:  Tesla Shanghai Tesla Model Y and Model 3 Production Tesla Giga Shanghai facility is rapidly expanding production.  It is targeting the production of 200.000 Model Y's annually and 450,000 Model 3's  Those two vehicles will combine to produce 650,000 vehicles yearly by Tesla's new Giga Shanghai facility.  The Tesla Model Ys will begin production in November in Shanghai.  A fully  functional Model 3 factory has been built in record time at the Shanghai plant. And a second phase of construction is just about complete for the Model Y all-electric crossover production facility. What Does This Mean For Tesla in China? The stakes for Tesla expanding production in China are huge.  The Model Y production in the gigafactory could greatly expand Tesla's reach into the Chinese mainstream auto market. The Model 3 is the first vehicle that Tesla produced in China and it is very successf

  Licensed, Patented, In Production Source:  Boeing "Magic" Wand That Zaps Viruses Onboard Planes & Elsewhere  Boeing has designed and developed an ultraviolet (UV) wand that quickly kills bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19 in airplane interiors.  Boeing just entered into a patent and technology licensing agreement with Florida based Healthe, Inc. to quickly manufacture and sell the technology to airlines and others.  The device is handheld and, according to Boeing, rapidly sanitizes passenger cabins and cockpit interiors killing any viruses.  The commercial wand is designed to help airlines and other public access areas combat COVID transmission, protect the public and restore public confidence. UV Wand Available This Fall Boeing says the technology should be available for airlines to buy by late fall.  The new UV wand uses 222 nanometer UVC light that research indicates kills pathogens.  Boeing says an entire flight deck can be sanitized in 15 minutes.  It took Bo

  Tesla Battery Day & Annual Shareholders' Meeting 2020 Source:  Tesla Prototypes - Cybertruck, Cyberquad, Roadster, Semi                            Source:  Tesla 2020 Shareholders' Meeting New, Breakthrough Battery Tesla's 2020 Annual Shareholders' Meeting and Battery Day did not disappoint.  CEO Elon Musk revealed that he has a $25,000 electric car in the works that will be fully autonomous.  The EV, which hasn't been named yet, will be on the market in three years.  The breakthrough price, Musk said, has been made possible by his new breakthrough battery technology. Big Battery Upgrade - The 4680 Musk's next generation battery is a very big deal.  At one-half the cost, the 4680 delivers six times more power, provides 5 time more energy and expands the driving range by 16%.  Production on it has already started.  The battery's cost savings and increased power will impact the entire Tesla product line over time.  Tesla has brought down battery costs fr

  Sweden Based EV Maker Expanding Globally                                               Source:  Polestar Taking on Tesla Polestar, the premier EV manufacturer based in Sweden and owned by China's Geely, is expanding its market penetration into Asia and the Middle East and doubling the number of showrooms it has in current markets.  It started producing the Polestar 2 EV sedans in China in 2020 and is selling them in the US, Europe and China.  The 5-door, Polestar 2 electric fastback starts at $59,900. Polestar Technology Polestar 2 has two electric motors, front and rear and gets 275 miles on a single charge.  It goes from 0 to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds and has power of 300 kw/408 hp.  This EV adjusts itself to the owner.  It recognizes their voice via their smartphone and adapts by implementing their favorite home screen apps and preferred seating position. Plans Going Forward Polestar is designed to take on Tesla.  CEO Thomas Ingenlath wants to double the number of global markets t