Posts

car rear window

UK Cars Now Using Rear HD-Screens Instead of Windows

The new Swedish-made Polestar 4 will be the first car on UK roads to replace a rear window (and traditional rear-view mirror) with a high-definition screen showing a real-time roof-mounted camera feed.  Two Digital Cameras With Feed…
Car AI
,

ChatGPT Inside Vehicles Opens Possibilities

Following the news that Volkswagen (VW) is to add ChatGPT to the IDA voice assistant in its cars and SUVs, we look at what this could mean for the direction of technology for cars.   Adding ChatGPT  At the current CET in Las Vegas,…
Passport and plane
,

UK ‘Passportless’ eGates

A recent Times report highlighted how Phil Douglas, director-general of the UK Border Force, aims to replace the UK’s physical passport-based entry system with an upgraded, frictionless, facial recognition-based e-Gates system.  Current…
car

Driverless Cars On UK Roads By 2026?

UK Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said in a recent radio interview that driverless cars could be on some UK roads by the end of 2026.  2026  Following the November announcement of the new Automated Vehicles (AV) Bill, in an interview…
sat nav

New Sub-60cm GPS Accuracy

US Startup Zephyr’s claim that it has solved smartphone GPS positioning problems through a network and software-based solution with sub-60cm accuracy has attracted $3.5 million seed funding.  The Issue  Even though consumers have…
drone delivery

UK Joins Amazon’s Fast Drone Delivery Expansion

Amazon has announced that it will be expanding its ultra-fast Prime Air drone delivery operations to the UK, Italy and also to an as yet unnamed US city by the end of 2024.  Prime Air Drone Delivery  Amazon Prime Air is a service…
wind farm
,

Offshore Wind Makes Green Renewable Hydrogen

German company Lhyfe is showing how the challenges of producing green hydrogen can be met by using offshore floating wind-to-hydrogen turbines and electrolysers.  The Advantages of Hydrogen  The great advantages of hydrogen as a…
cargo ship
,

Cargo Ship Sails Help Reduce Pollution

The recently launched Pyxis Ocean cargo ship uses giant foldaway ‘WindWings’ to help supplement engine power and could cut lifetime carbon emissions by 30 per cent.  The Cargo Ship  A Mitsubishi Corporation cargo ship is currently…
Jet

Google Flights Can Show Cheapest Times To Book

With last-minute holidays on people’s minds (as well as current delays and disruption) Google has announced a new money-saving feature for Google Flights which shows users the cheapest time to book.  What Is Google Flights?  Google…
Traffic Camera

AI-Camera Captures More Motorists

A free-standing AI road safety camera system deployed in Cornwall caught 300 drivers in the first three days.  How It Works  The camera system, on the A30 near Launceston, implemented by road safety tech firm Acusensus in partnership…
phone on plane

Tech Travel Trends

In this article, we take a look at a few examples of nascent travel and delivery options in action.  Many New And Innovative Options With so many innovative technologically advanced (and green) transport, travel, and delivery products…
car
,

Artificial Leaf Makes Petrol Alternative

University of Cambridge researchers have developed an ‘artificial leaf’ that uses sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into ethanol and propanol that could be used as a low-emissions petrol alternative to power car engines.  Inspired…
car engine
,

Electric Roads Promise 70% Smaller Car Batteries

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden say that if an electric car charges while driving, the size of the battery can be reduced by up to 70 per cent.  Aim Of The Study?  The aim of the Chalmers University study…
car
,

Sustainability-in-Tech : Hydrogen Hybrids

Engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) say they have modified a conventional diesel engine to run (mostly) on hydrogen which could lead to CO2 emissions being cut by up to 85 per cent.  Engine Converted  The UNSW…

Autonomous Buses Now On UK Roads

22 passengers experienced the UK’s first full-size autonomous bus for the first time as part of a testing process by Stagecoach, the UK’s largest bus and coach operator.  Trial Over The Forth Bridge  The ground-breaking…
plant
,

Sailing Towards Sustainability

Here we look at the new technologies which could lead to a more environmentally friendly and ‘cleaner’ shipping industry, plus we look briefly at promising clean tech innovations for air freight.  The Challenge  With 90…
,

Hydrogen Aircraft Fuel & 2050 Net Zero

FlyZero’s and UK Aerospace Technology Institute’s (ATI) study has concluded that green liquid hydrogen powered aircraft could deliver the net-zero 2050 target for aviation. Two Technologies The 12-month study results suggests that…
Electric Car
,

Report Questions Benefits Of Electric Cars

A report which shows huge sales of EVs in the US only resulted in only a 0.54 per cent fall in gasoline consumption in 2021 has led to disappointment and questions about the beneficial impact of EVs so far.  EV Sales  A recent Argonne…
sat nav

Ultra-Accurate GPS (10 cm)

In this insight, we take a closer look at the new alternative positioning system to GPS that is accurate to within an incredible 10 centimetres.  Issues With Current GPS System  Society heavily relies on Global Navigation Satellite…
Cruise Ship
,

Starlink At Sea : Boating Broadband Boost

Cruise company Royal Caribbean Group has announced that it will be using Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Starlink satellite Internet for broadband connections aboard its ships.  What Is Starlink?  Starlink, operated by billionaire Elon…
Train
,

World-First All-Hydrogen Train Just Emits … Water!

French company Alstom has announced a renewable energy world-first by operating a 100 percent hydrogen train which only emits steam and condensed water while operating with a low level of noise.  Replacing Diesel Trains  The train…
quadcopter
,

Last-Mile Drone Deliveries Offers Sustainability Benefits

Researchers from US Carnegie Mellon University have concluded that quadcopter drones produce much less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional alternatives for last-mile delivery.  The Problem  The point of the research was to…
BMW seats

Heated Seats ‘as a Service’.

BMW UK is now offering ConnectedDrive owners Front Seat Heating for a £15 per month or £150 per year subscription.  BMW ConnectedDrive Services  BMW ConnectedDrive Services use the smart / Internet connected element of the car…
Nio
,

SWAPPABLE BATTERIES

Rather than EV drivers waiting for 40 minutes to re-charge the car battery at a charging station, could the solution be stations where drivers can quickly swap their battery for a fully charged one?  Swap Battery Rather Than Wait To…
ship in dock
,

All At Sea For Carbon Capture

With container ships being bigger greenhouse gas producers that aeroplanes, London-based company ‘Seabound’ has developed technology that reduces up to 95 per cent of CO2 emissions per ship.  The Problem  The shipping…
Car
,

Watching TV To Be Allowed In Automated Vehicles

The UK Government’s Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that following changes to The Highway Code, users of automated vehicles will be allowed to watch TV on built-in screens.  Viewing Content On Built-In Screens  Following…
electric car

New Graphene-Based Batteries Could Be Fireproof & Safer

Los Angeles based Nanotech Energy claims to have developed a fireproof, graphene-based lithium-ion battery that could be safer for Electric Vehicles. What Is Graphene? Extracted from graphite, graphene is a single layer (monolayer) of…
car charging
,

Charging Electric Vehicles : What You Need to Know

In this article, we look at the different types and locations of EV charging in the UK, plus the challenges and legislation relating to it. How Many Electric Cars In The UK? By the end of August 2021, there were more than 600,000 plug-in…
batteries
,

Tech-Insight – What Is A Solid State Battery?

In this tech-insight, we take a brief look at what solid-state batteries are, their benefits and challenges, and how why they hold a great deal of promise for use in electric vehicles in the near future. Solid State A solid-state battery…
Hyperloop
,

Tech Insight : Carbon-Free Travel – What Is Hyperloop?

In this tech-insight, we look at what hyperloop technology is, how it has been tested and used to date, and whether it could be a viable form of carbon-free travel for the future. What Is Hyperloop Technology? First invented by mechanical…
rocket
,

Jeff Bezos And The Space Race

In this article, we look at some of the lighter aspects of the technological achievement that was the recent Blue Origin rocket flight, and we look at the vision behind it. Space Passengers The recent flight of the rocket containing and…
Car Charger

Scotland Shames The Rest of UK for Free Electronic Car Charging

Zap-Map figures show that Scotland has the largest number of free electronic vehicle (EV) charging points in the UK. More Than A Quarter of the UK’s Free Chargers The latest figures from EV charging infrastructure trackers Zap-Maps…
cycle lane

Electric Cars Allowed in Bus Lanes Pilot Causes Concern

Cambridgeshire County Council’s pilot scheme to allow electric vehicles to use bus lanes from December 2020 has caused safety concerns among cyclists, who also use the bus lanes. December Decision Under an Experimental Traffic Regulation…
Tesla

Tesla Delivered (Almost) 500,000 Vehicles in 2020

Tesla reached its target of producing 500,000+ vehicles in 2020, although it very narrowly missed its target of delivering that number of vehicles. Target Electronic vehicle company Tesla’s own target set five years ago under CEO Elon…
Hyundai car

Hyundai Buying Robot Company

South Korean car manufacturer, Hyundai Motor Group, has agreed to buy a controlling stake in robot maker Boston Dynamics. Boston Dynamics Boston Dynamics, which is currently owned by Tokyo-based multinational conglomerate holding company…

Which? Reveals Truth About EV Battery Life

A recent (Which?) survey of 1,016 electric vehicle (EV) owners has revealed that worries about battery degradation should not be an issue for potential EV buyers. The Survey The survey by consumer champion Which? was conducted from December…
UberStencil

Uber Reclaims London Licence

A year after Transport for London (TfL) stopped ride-hailing service Uber’s London operating licence over safety concerns, an appeal has led to the company being granted a further 18-month licence. What Happened? Back in November 2019,…
Worldpexels

Zero-Emission, Hydrogen-Powered Commercial Aircraft by 2035 Says Airbus

Airbus has announced that a zero-emission, hydrogen-fuelled commercial aircraft could be a reality by 2035. Targets The dramatic drop in air pollution levels during the global pandemic lockdown reminded many people of the pressing need…
Amazon DroneAmazon

Delivery Drones Get Go Ahead

Amazon’s Prime Air drone parcel delivery service has been approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to test autonomous delivery drones. Prime Air Amazon Prime Air completed its first fully autonomous drone delivery…
clolud

Toyota To Upload Driver’s Data To Amazon

Toyota will use Amazon’s (AWS) cloud services for a Mobility Services Platform that will upload data from Toyota cars globally that could be used for monetised services. Data Gathering From Fleet Toyota’s platform in Amazon’s cloud…
car charging
,

Electric Vehicles, Batteries & Renewables

7 million electric vehicles are already on the world’s roads and it is predicated that 31 per cent of the overall car fleet will be electric by 2040 (i.e. 58% of all vehicles sold). How these vehicles are powered by (or can store) renewable…
Lilium Air TaxiImages and videos are free to use but should be credited to Lilium and only used in their original form. https://lilium.com/

Vertical Take-Off Air Taxi

German vertical take-off air taxi start-up company Lilium has just received a major funding boost from Baillie Gifford, the second-biggest shareholder in Tesla. Additional Funding Lilium had already raised $340 million, $240 million…
alternative-auto-automobile-batteryMike
,

Fuel Engine Car Sales Fall Faster Than Electric Cars

Fuel engine car sales fall faster then electric cars as Bloomberg NEF (BNEF) forecasts that sales of combustion engine cars will drop 23 per cent in 2020. Compared with worldwide electric car registrations being set to fall by only 18 per…
GMA Logo
,

Robot Food Deliveries in Milton Keynes During Lockdown

Delivery robots from U.S.-based company Starship Technologies have come into their own during the lockdown as a way of delivering food to the residents and workers of Milton Keynes. First Commercial Deployment in the UK The autonomous…
GMA Logo

Uber Loses London Licence

A decision by Transport for London (TfL) means that ride-hailing service Uber has lost its licence to carry passengers in London over safety and security failures. Why? According to TfL, it had identified a pattern of failures by Uber,…
GMA Logo

Windows Still Needs Some Work on Tesla’s New “Cybertruck”

Tesla’s Elon Musk proudly launched the new ‘Cybertruck’ in front of the world’s media last week, only to find that the distinctly breakable difficult-to-break windows were the main focus of media reports. Cybertruck The new Tesla…
GMA Logo

Dyson Scraps “Not Commercially Viable” Electric Car

Dyson has scrapped its £2.5 billion ‘N526’ electric car project with Sir James Dyson announcing that it was “not commercially viable”. So Close The project, which could be traced back to 1993 with the development of a cyclonic…
GMA Logo

Tesla Owners Locked Out

Some Tesla Model 3 car owners found themselves decidedly locked out in the cold due to a vital Phone Key app being down for maintenance. Labor Day Dismay On US Labor Day, some owners of Tesla Model 3 cars who tried to use their Phone…
GMA Logo
,

Four-Year Lifespan For Self-Driving Cars

As large car manufacturers seek to reinvent themselves as ‘mobility companies’ in an effort to compete for global leadership in the growing autonomous driving sector, a Ford Executive has predicted that self-driving cars will only…
GMA Logo
,

London Underground To Get 4G Next Year

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that from March 2020, 4G rollout will begin across the London Underground network, thereby allowing customers, for the first time, to check emails and travel information, use social media, and stream…
GMA Logo

New Electric Cars Will Emit Noise For Safety Reasons

In contrast to the vision of a quieter, close-future utopia where vehicles pass noiselessly by, a new law means that from 2021, all new four-wheel electric cars will be required to include a noise emitting device so that pedestrians can hear…
GMA Logo
,

First Organ Delivery By Drone

A human kidney for transplant has been delivered by drone to a Medical Centre in Baltimore in the first flight of its kind. Cutting Edge Technology The drone transportation of the living organ over a one-mile journey used cutting-edge…