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We’ve highlighted a lot of bright innovators over the years, usually before they become household names. Sergey Brin of Google was on the list in 2002. JB Straubel was honored in 2008 when he was CTO of Tesla. That year also saw Andrew Ng make the list (he’s one of the biggest names in AI right now, and he came back this year to write an intro essay, which I highly recommend.)

As I looked through the folks who made the list in the climate and energy category in 2023, I noticed a few trends. In particular, there was a concentration in two areas I think a lot about: batteries and fuels. So let’s take a closer look at a few of this year’s innovators and consider what their work could mean for the future of climate action.

As you probably know if you’re a frequent reader here, I see batteries as one of the most crucial pieces of technology in the fight to address climate change. Not only are powerful, long-lasting batteries crucial to electrifying vehicles and other forms of transportation, but they are expected to play a growing role on the grid, storing energy from intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar for when it’s most needed.

Singapore’s first electric cargo vessel is due to start sea trials and launch in the fourth quarter, according to Yinson Green Technologies, part of a consortium chosen by the city-state to help electrify marine craft.

The Hydromover, developed by the Goal Zero consortium, is near completion, YGT Chief Executive Officer Eirik Barclay said in an interview in Kuala Lumpur this week. YGT will also be introducing an electric vessel for transferring crew — developed with Norwegian startup Lift Ocean AS — by the end of the year, Barclay said. That craft is called the Hydroglyder.

“We want to be part of all associated services with clean electric vessels, starting with Singapore,” Barclay said. YGT is a subsidiary of Malaysia-listed Yinson Holdings Bhd. Yinson shares have risen about 3% this year.

Looking to the past has made a more sustainable future possible in the shipping industry, with the latest wind-powered vessel taking to the seas for its first voyage.

The Pyxis Ocean from the Mitsubishi Corporation has been retrofitted with two “WindWings” sails — developed by BAR Technologies and produced by Yara Marine — on the cargo ship’s deck.

Measuring up to 123 feet (37.5 meters) high, the sails have been estimated to allow for up to 30% fuel savings on newly built ships while cutting carbon pollution.

Autoline reports breaking global car news, with great insight and analysis. Also, top auto executive interviews. We cover electric vehicles (EV), autonomous vechicles (AV) and internal combustion engine technology (ICE), as well as car sales & financial earnings snd new car reviews.

0:00 UAW Lays Out Stand Up Strike Strategy.
1:41 Ford Fumes After UAW Rejects Counter Offer.
3:12 Tesla Develops Gigacasting Breakthrough.
5:23 China Upset Over EU EV Investigation.
6:06 U.S. BEV Sales Soar 67% Through July.
6:41 GMC Unveils All-New Acadia.
7:39 Cadillac Updates CT5 Sedan.
8:16 Jeep Gladiator Gets Slight Refresh.
8:42 Volvo Adds Video Streaming to Its Cars.

Story Links:
- UAW Livestream 9/13/2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TM0L5DqQ5s.

- Ford UAW Release: https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2023…offer.html.

- Tesla Trying to Make Even Bigger Gigacastings: https://www.reuters.com/technology/gigacasting-20-tesla-rein…09-14/

- China Upset Over EU EV Investigation: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/shares…09-14/

Vertical farming saves water, land, and energy — and it could be how we grow food on Mars.

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Vertical farming is a type of indoor farming where crops are grown in stacked layers, rather than spread out across large plots of land. These farms offer many benefits over traditional ones, including the prospect of better access to healthy foods in underserved communities.

Because vertical farms use LED lighting, their output isn’t subject to the natural elements that typically affect plant production such as adverse weather, insects, and seasons.

They’re better for the environment because they require less energy and put out less pollution, without a need for heavy machinery, pesticides, or fertilizers. Additionally, soil-less farming methods like aeroponics require just 10% of the amount of water consumed by outdoor farms.

Adopting these sustainable farming practices could lead to a monumental shift in how we produce food on Earth, and enable us to create a reliable food source beyond our planet.

Needless to say, this could transform the way Tesla builds EVs and contribute decisively to halving production costs, which is a long-time goal of CEO Elon Musk.

The sources said the know-how to achieve that is core to Tesla’s “unboxed” manufacturing strategy unveiled by Elon Musk in March, which is key to his plan to build tens of millions of cheaper EVs over the next ten years, and still turn a profit.

Two of the insiders said Tesla’s new design and manufacturing techniques could allow the company to develop a car from the ground up in 18–24 months, compared to 3–4 years for most rivals.