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Category: transportation – Page 296

China’s New EV Truck Recharges While Driving. With a Retractable Solar Roof?

In a press statement, EdisonFuture said the EF1-T, as well as a van version of the vehicle called the EF1-V, feature “a uniquely designed solar mosaic technology that provides a stunning visual signature while also harnessing the power of the sun to recharge the batteries, enabling work vehicles to continuously charge while in the field.”

Bizarrely, as far as we can tell, the automaker hasn’t actually released any information regarding the battery size, range, or solar charging specifications of the EF1-T, though a prototype of the vehicle is due to go on display at the LA Auto Show in mid-November, so we may learn more information then. EdisonFuture also said it will begin accepting reservations for the pickup during the show.

While we’re likely pretty far off seeing vehicles that run solely on solar power, we’re increasingly seeing pickups and cars fitted with solar panels as the technology matures, allowing for added range figures that aren’t negligible. Dutch automaker Lightyear 0 for example, states on its website that its Lightyear One car can add 7 miles (12 km) of range per hour via solar charging. Lightyear eventually aims to develop vehicles that can go months without needing to charge via conventional means. Stay posted to learn more about the range figures of the EF1-T when we find out more in the very near future.

Elon Musk announces Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta 10.4 update as rollout slows down

Elon Musk has announced the upcoming release of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Beta 10.4 update as Tesla slows down the rollout.

Earlier this week, Tesla started rolling out Full Self-Driving Beta 10.3.

The update came after a false start last weekend when Tesla pushed the update with some problems and ended up reverting back to 10.2.

Spooky Or Plain Creepy: Using AI Self-Driving Cars As Stalkerware To Sneakily Stalk Someone

Thankfully, there is a growing effort toward AI For Good.

This latest mantra entails ways to try and make sure that the advances in AI are being applied for the overall betterment of mankind. These are assuredly laudable endeavors and reassuringly crucial that the technology underlying AI is aimed and deployed in an appropriate and assuredly positive fashion (for my coverage on the burgeoning realm of AI Ethics, see the link here).

Unfortunately, whether we like it or not, there is the ugly side of the coin too, namely the despicable AI For Bad.

Tesla order could double to 200,000 Model 3s to satisfy deal with Uber, says Hertz CEO

Hertz CEO Mark Fields revealed that its deal to supply Tesla vehicles to Uber includes an option for 100,000 more Tesla Model 3s, which would double its total order to 200,000 vehicles.

Earlier this week, Hertz announced that it ordered 100,000 Model 3 vehicles from Tesla as part of a new plan to electrify its fleet.

In the last few days, we have been learning more about this deal.

A New Commercial Hydrogen-Electric Plane Will Boast a 500 Mile Range

The emission-free aircraft will carry up to 76 passengers.

A new aviation partnership could see commercial hydrogen-electric airliners take to the skies. The parent company of Alaska Airlines, Alaska Air Group, is partnering with zero-emission aviation firm ZeroAvia to develop a hydrogen-electric powertrain for a 76-seater passenger airliner, a press statement reveals.

The two companies say that their ZA2000 hydrogen-electric powertrain will have a power output of 2,000–5,000 kW and a range of 500 miles (804 km). The powertrain will initially be fitted into a full-size De Havilland Q400 aircraft. Alaska Air also announced it has invested in ZeroAvia with a view to helping it meet its goal of net-zero emissions by 2040.

One autonomous taxi, please

Self-driving Robots, developed at MIT, set sea in Amsterdam canals.

If you don’t get seasick, an autonomous boat might be the right mode of transportation for you.

Scientists from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the Senseable City Laboratory, together with Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS Institute) in the Netherlands, have now created the final project in their self-navigating trilogy: a full-scale, fully autonomous robotic boat that’s ready to be deployed along the canals of Amsterdam.

Full Story:

Self-driving Roboats, developed at MIT, set sea in Amsterdam canals. If you don’t get seasick, an autonomous boat might be the right mode of transpor.

Unique Aussie box-wing eVTOL promises radical efficiency and huge range

Australian company AMSL Aero is preparing to start flight tests on what it claims will be the world’s most efficient eVTOL design, and one of the most affordable. This box-wing beauty, the Vertiia, will travel up to 1,000 km (620 miles) on a tank of hydrogen, carrying five people or 500 kg (1,100 lb) of cargo at a quick cruise speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).

First emerging from stealth mode late last year, AMSL has a unique design, a prototype nearly ready to fly, and a target date of 2024 to get its aircraft certified and into production. Its small team has achieved an impressive amount on a shoestring budget, and it’s now raising another round of funding to finance flight testing and pre-production as it moves toward the certification process.

We spoke to co-founder Andrew Moore to learn more about this fascinating aircraft, and how Vertiia plans to stand out in a global emerging eVTOL air taxi market that’s starting to look comically crowded. What follows is an edited transcript.

Could facial recognition be the future of airport security? Delta Air Lines is testing it out

Delta Air Lines expects 2.5 million passengers to move through the Atlanta airport during the Thanksgiving period. Ahead of the holiday rush, Delta is testing new facial recognition technology to reduce the time it takes between arriving at the airport and getting passengers in their seats.

The company’s senior vice president for customer experience, Ranjan Goswami, said the facial recognition technology has been years in the making and will speed up travel.

India’s New Hypercar Is the Fastest Electric Vehicle It’s Ever Built

Nd it’s also the lightest.

A Mumbai, India-based startup called Vazirani Automotive revealed images of its Ekonk electric hypercar, which was designed to be the “lightest EV ever,” a report from Motor1.com explains. The car, which looks like it’s out of the ‘Speed Racer’ movie, was designed with a special cooling system to keep it as light and fast as possible.

Though the Ekonk is still in the prototype phase, the Vazirani Automotive team says it aims to develop the fastest… See More.