electric
Latest
This portable, solar-powered oven was built for the apocalypse
One of the things I love most about CES is the array of fascinating gadgets I come across. I'm talking stuff that's not a smartphone or a laptop. Case in point: this portable, solar-powered oven. GoSun's Fusion electric stove has an integrated heating system that can heat up to 550 degrees Farenheit, making it capable of cooking a meal within 20 minutes, with only sunshine as fuel. The company says the Fusion is five times more efficient than a traditional oven, and claims it can cook food with the same amount of energy needed to power a lightbulb.
Self-powered electric bandages could speed up healing
Scientists have known for a long time that electricity can speed up healing for skin wounds, but the necessary power has usually tied patients to electrotherapy machines. In the future, though, it might not be much more complicated than treating a wound the old-fashioned way. Researchers in the US and China recently developed self-powered electric bandages that promise to be as easy to wear as ordinary dressings. The dressings include tiny electrodes powered by nanogenerators wrapped around your torso. All you have to do is breathe -- the movement of your ribcage activates the nanogenerators, sending low-intensity pulses to the wound area.
Up close with Kia's 2020 Niro and Soul EVs
Kia was not messing around at its LA Auto Show press conference on Wednesday, rolling out vehicle updates and new models left and right.
GM is making e-bikes as it expands beyond cars
GM is keenly aware that it can't depend on car sales going forward, and that now includes venturing beyond cars. The company has revealed that it's working on two e-bikes, one compact and one folding, ahead of a launch sometime in 2019. It didn't say much about the machines, but their low-slung designs make it clear that the focus is on efficiency rather than raw performance.
2019 Jaguar I-Pace receives 234-mile range rating from the EPA
Jaguar's I-Pace is just getting into consumer's hands, and now the EPA has officially released its range estimates for the all-electric SUV. The vehicle has a range of 234 miles from its 90kWh battery pack, according to the EPA's tests. And compared to its all-electric competition, this range-to-kilowatt ratio is not great. But most people don't compare the I-Pace to the tiny Nissan Leaf, rather its main rival is the Tesla Model X.
The Senate is considering extending EV tax credits
As US senate majority leader Mitch McConnell debates making cuts to social security and medicare, Senator Dean Heller (R) of Nevada is hoping to keep electric car sales zipping forward with a new bill that would extend tax credits until 2022.
Carving up London on the monster Mate X electric bike
Most electric-bike companies are pursuing designs nearly indistinguishable from their purely pedal-powered brethren. They're hiding batteries in slightly thicker frames or attaching them where a rider would normally store a water bottle. While the execution differs, the goal is the same: to make the owner blend in with other cyclists. Mate is a little different, though. The Danish startup is developing e-bikes that are meant to stand out and make people stare. Its latest, the Mate X, is a monster ride with chunky off-road tires and a thick slab of metal that doubles as the top and down tube. And, oh boy, does it fly.
Larry Page's air taxi company cuts a deal with Air New Zealand
Remember Google co-founder Larry Page's other "flying car" project that's based in New Zealand? It's called Cora, and is being developed by Zephyr Airworks to provide an autonomous VTOL-capable flying vehicle. Now the local airline Air New Zealand has signed an agreement that "signals the intention to form a long-term relationship" to build the world's first autonomous air taxi service. That's a tall order, considering how many others, like Uber Elevate, are working on similar ideas, but partnering with an airline could assist in lining up the regulatory and community support to get this project going. As far as what the deal actually includes now, the FAQ explains it's "a commitment to jointly explore the development and design of an electric, autonomous air taxi service, using Cora."
Curtiss' second electric motorcycle boasts a so-called V8 battery
Given that electric-powered bikes have dwelled in the background of the automotive scene since the 1890s, it's about time that motorcycle manufacturers took the hint from the explosion of EV cars and trucks to launch their own versions. Classic American cycle company Curtiss introduced its all-electric Zeus concept in May, and today, they've unveiled their follow-up, the appropriately-named Hera -- which the company claims has the "'world's first V8 battery." Which, yes, is nonsense, but given that the Zeus boasts one upwards of 14.4 kWh, this new motorcycle could pack a lot of power.
Audi will unveil its e-tron supercar EV concept next month
Audi's first all-electric car, the 2019 e-tron, hasn't even made its global debut yet, but the car manufacturer is already teasing its next venture. The PB 18 e-tron, billed as an "electric-drive supercar concept", will be unveiled next month during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
Harley-Davidson plans to debut its electric motorcycle in 2019
The Harley-Davidson electric motorcycle has been a long time coming. First announced as Project LiveWire back in 2014, the bike has gone through some design changes as well as becoming only one of the electric bikes the company plans to release over the next few years. Finally, though, it looks as if the LiveWire will be available next year.
Einride debuts a funky-looking autonomous logging truck
Einride, the Swedish transport company known for the T-pod self-driving truck that looks like a giant freezer on wheels, is back with another funky/futuristic-looking vehicle. Its new Level 4 autonomous vehicle is called the T-log, and if it looks a bit trippy or off for a logging truck, that's because it doesn't have a driver cab at all. It looks like Einride's T-pod if you cut off the giant freezer and leave its flat nose behind.
Audi delays e-tron launch in the wake of CEO's arrest
Audi's electric SUV, the e-tron Quattro crossover, notable for its optional aerodynamic side cameras and super-fast charging abilities, was supposed to be revealed at the end of August. Just last week, however, the car maker's CEO was arrested over his alleged role in Dieselgate, the scandal over Audi owner Volkswagen's cheats on emissions testing. It's not surprising then that, according to a report at Autoblog, Audi has decided to delay the planned launch of the SUV for an undetermined later date.
The undersea electric railway built and abandoned within six years
The seaside town of Brighton sits on the south coast of England, roughly 50 miles from the center of London. Famed for its pebble beaches, piers and cool residents, Brighton remains a popular destination for Londoners wanting a quick fix of fresh air and sea views. The town has been a tourist hotspot for hundreds of years for this very reason. Throughout its lifetime countless attractions have come and gone, but none perhaps as elaborate and bizarre as the short-lived electric railway on stilts, known at the time as "Daddy Long Legs."
Porsche invests in EV supercar-maker Rimac
Just recently, luxury automaker Porsche teased its electric Mission E sports car, showing its shadowy silhouette that's not unlike its other non-EV cars. Now, the company has shown that it's getting even more serious about electric vehicles and its Mission E development by teaming up with EV supercar-maker Rimac. Porsche has taken a minority shareholding of ten percent in Rimac Automobili, which you might know as the creator of Concept Two hypercar EV. In addition to manufacturing incredibly fast electric vehicles, Rimac also develops and produces EV components.
Volkswagen using quantum computers to build better EV batteries
Making high-performance batteries for electric vehicles is a complicated, time-consuming process. So much so that engineers at Volkswagen have started using a quantum computer to simulate the chemical structures like lithium-hydrogen and carbon chains much faster. The idea is to continue using quantum computing to eventually develop a sort of blueprint for tailor-made batteries that can be optimized for different features, like weight reduction, power density or power cell assembly.
Uber's electric bike-sharing service is launching in Europe
In a continued push to expand beyond traditional taxi rides, Uber has announced plans to roll out its Jump bike rental service to cities in Europe. The company acquired bike-sharing platform Jump just a few months ago and was quick to offer the service in Washington DC and cities throughout California. Now it aims to launch in Berlin before the end of the summer, with other European cities to follow.
Ford's electric GoBikes have arrived in San Francisco
Bike-sharing company Motivate is expanding its San Francisco offering to include electric versions of Ford's GoBikes. They'll be available at no extra cost in the same way as Ford's regular GoBikes, which can be unlocked with the accompanying app or via the Clipper card. The roll out will initially include 250 bikes, which are designed to give riders an added boost while pedalling -- up to 18mph in fact -- so you'll still be able to ride in bike lanes.
Hyundai’s Kona Electric will have an estimated 250-mile range
Hyundai's Kona is a great little crossover, and it's starting to look like the Kona Electric will follow in the gas-powered vehicle's footsteps.
Aston Martin's luxury EV concept comes with a concierge
The art of burning fuel seems like it would be infra dig, or beneath the upper-class folks who regularly tool around in an Aston Martin. That's why the maker turned up to the Geneva Motor Show with the Lagonda Vision, an emission-free electric concept car of the future.
