BMW iHydrogen
BMW is among the car manufacturers that remains bullish on the potential for hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain technology in passenger vehicles. Technical details are now available on BMW’s iHydrogen NEXT concept vehicle, which the company introduced at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The converted X5 crossover utility vehicle carries a 170-horsepower (125 kilowatt) fuel cell that is supplemented by a small peak power battery power pack to provide a maximum of 374 hp (275 kW) when needed for acceleration to deliver the level of performance expected of a BMW.
Wounded not Dead
As quickly as rent-to-ride electric kick-scooters landed on city streets, they have all but disappeared in some places. Companies have pulled the popular shareable app-based micro-mobility devices as millions of residents in cities across the nation have all but gone into isolation.
“Medium-term, people will be more reticent to travel on public transit,” said Olaf Sakkers, a partner with Maniv Mobility, an Israeli venture capital fund. “Due to a lingering nervousness among the public, even after social distancing is lifted, to get too close to others means you’ll see micro-mobility is an essential service,” he added.
Yacht’s the Spirit
Cars, buses, planes, scooters…. and now yachts! The brand-new, 34-metre Spirit 111 is one of the largest sailing yachts with electric propulsion in maritime history. The yacht is powered by a Torqeedo Deep Blue 100i system with four 40 kWh Deep Blue batteries that can drive the boat at eight knots for up to 40 nm – emission-free.
Sustainable Influence
Influencer mentions of sustainable fashion were up by more than half last year as more companies embraced sales of secondhand goods and worked to reduce their environmental impact. From 2018 to 2019, sustainable fashion mentions increased by 55 percent. Engagement rates on posts that mentioned the eco-friendly practices were up 106 percent and 150 percent, respectively.
Urban Air Mobility
Looking beyond the aviation industry’s short-term challenges, pioneers of so-called urban air mobility are stepping up plans to transform the way people and things move around. In the first in a series of videos, AIN’s new FutureFlight.aero resource considers the challenges and opportunities facing more than 200 companies now developing electric vertical takeoff (eVTOL) and landing aircraft, and others working on the infrastructure needed to support operations.
