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Six technologies changing the future of food
By Cat DiStasio Food production, processing and transportation account for a tremendous amount of greenhouse gas emissions, and enormous amounts of food are wasted each year in some parts of the world while other regions suffer from shortages. Fortunately, agricultural engineers and scientists are working hard to increase food production, create cleaner agricultural processes and develop greener packaging. With technological advancements, it may be possible to sharply reduce carbon emissions from the agriculture and food industries while simultaneously addressing food supply issues.
Toyota's car of the future drives like a Camry
The Toyota Mirai looks like it's ready to swallow you whole. From the front, the hydrogen fuel-cell car has the aggressive stance of a bulldog. But as you circle the vehicle, the styling quickly softens to clean lines that lead to a rear end that would blend in among a sea of cars trapped in traffic. It's the future of driving (one version of it, anyway), but as I found after a recent test drive, it's also ready to hit the freeway without much fanfare.
Toyota takes orders for its hydrogen-fueled Mirai on July 20th
If you're fortunate enough to live in one of the California burgs where Toyota will deliver the Mirai this October, you now know just when and where you can pull the trigger. Toyota says that it'll start taking American requests for the hydrogen fuel cell car through its website on July 20th. And we mean only through the website -- dealers will "explore" the $57,000 sale with you and hand over the keys if you commit, but you can't simply walk in and get a vehicle. It's just as well. The automaker only expects to sell 3,000 Mirais in the US by the end of 2017, so you'd be hard-pressed to get one if you had to compete with the same people test-driving Camrys and Priuses.
Toyota bets on hydrogen with the FCV Mirai
Its name means "future" in Japanese. The FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) Mirai is Toyota's $57,500 bet (not counting clean fuel incentives) on a future where hydrogen vehicles roll into fueling stations just as easily as their gasoline-powered counterparts. It wants another Prius moment, but the desire to drive an environmentally friendlier car can't override the need to actually fill the car with fuel. The car itself hits all the important sedan marks: aggressive styling, solid acceleration (0-60 in nine seconds) and, from our time being driven on the track, solid handling thanks to the fuel cell stack residing under the passenger compartment for a low center of gravity. The 312-mile range is on par with its gas-guzzling counterparts. But even with a hybrid engine to reduce hydrogen fuel consumption to 67 miles per gallon equivalent, it still needs to be refueled.
Toyota's hydrogen car to sell on just eight lots come October
Toyota's new hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle (FCV), dubbed the Mirai, will be hitting dealer lots this October...all eight of them. The car company announced today that only select lots throughout California will actually be taking stock based on their previous advanced technology vehicle sales as well as the relative development of hydrogen infrastructure in their areas. The Mirai starts at $57,500, though with state and federal tax credits you're looking closer to $45,000 (plus free hydrogen for "up to three years"). You can check one out in person at San Francisco Toyota, Roseville Toyota, Stevens Creek Toyota, Toyota of Sunnyvale, Longo Toyota, Toyota Santa Monica, Toyota of Orange and Tustin Toyota. The company plans to produce just 200 units to start though it hopes to sell as many as 3,000 Mirai by the end of 2017.
NASCAR's first hydrogen-powered pace car hits the track
NASCAR may be dominated by gas-guzzling racers, but its pace car this weekend is decidedly kinder to the environment. The motorsport league's Sprint Cup race in Richmond on the 26th (delayed from the 25th due to rain) has Toyota's hydrogen-powered Mirai as its pace car -- the first time a fuel cell car has had that distinction at a NASCAR event. This is largely a publicity stunt to build up hype for the Mirai's Californian launch later this year, but it shows that hydrogen cars have the performance needed to keep up with stock cars during yellow flags. The real challenge will be getting the actual competitors to go green. While there have been hydrogen-fueled race cars before, the odds are that NASCAR and its fans aren't eager to abandon roaring V8s any time soon.
Meet MI-RAI-RT, from the maker of AIBO
Sony, after your futile attempt to scorch the Earth of our beloved robot dog, prepare to meet thy maker. MI RAI-RT, from AIBO's creator Tomoaki Kasugi now of Speecys Corp, is the latest all singing, all dancing robot, all growed-up and ready for release upon Japan. In addition to reading you the news downloaded over its 802.11g WiFi module, MI RAI-RT (which presumably translates to "future judgement" in Japanese) will teach your family English and deliver "3D messages" via RTML -- yes, that'd be Robot Transaction Markup Language -- which entails reading emails or other message types with appropriately intimidating body language. Weighing in at just 13-inches and 3.3-pounds, he won't be grinding execs into a human sausage all on his own, but he's apparently capable of terrorizing the shiznit out of your kids right from the box. Expect critical density to build starting October 31st when these drop for a ¥294,000 or about $2,495.[Via Robot Gossip]
