Lifeboat Foundation

BMW’s self-driving motorcycle can start, stop, and navigate all by itself, but the company says creating a fully autonomous vehicle wasn’t its intention.

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University of Birmingham scientists are paving the way to swap the lithium in lithium-ion batteries with sodium, according to research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) are rechargeable and are widely used in laptops, mobile phones and in hybrid and fully electric vehicles. The electric vehicle is a crucial technology for fighting pollution in cities and realising an era of clean sustainable transport.

However lithium is expensive and resources are unevenly distributed across the planet. Large amounts of drinking water are used in lithium extraction and extraction techniques are becoming more energy intensive as lithium demand rises – an ‘own goal’ in terms of sustainability.

Continue reading “New high-capacity sodium-ion could replace lithium in rechargeable batteries” »

Several automakers interested in electric vehicles are turning to solid-state batteries for next-gen electric cars in the “post Li-ion era.”

Now a startup developing all solid-state batteries (ASSB) secured backing from several high-profile investors, including several automakers, as it claims a breakthrough for the technology that will enable better electric cars.

Solid Power is a Colorado-based startup that spun out of a battery research program at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Continue reading “Solid-state battery startup secures backing from several automakers as it claims breakthrough for electric vehicles” »

Rio Tinto and other large mining companies are using machine learning, autonomous vehicles and intelligent operations to pave the way for the 4th industrial revolution. Mining impacts nearly every industry because they provide raw materials that are used for other products.

Created to honor the legacy of a beloved space industry pioneer and accomplished pilot, Dawn Brooke Owens (1980 – 2016), the Brooke Owens Fellowship is designed to serve both as an inspiration and as a career boost to capable young women who, like Brooke, aspire to explore our sky and stars, to shake up the aerospace industry, and to help their fellow men and women here on planet Earth. We do this by matching thirty-six extraordinary women per year with purpose-driven, paid internships at leading aviation and space companies and organizations and with senior and executive level mentors.

The Volvo 360c fully autonomous, all-electric concept car is a conversation starter. It envisions the replacement of short-haul flights with luxuriously comfortable car travel, while also proposing ideas for a more efficient work commute.

The holiday weekend from hell: humans still drove cars and flew the planes.

Researchers at MIT have come up with a de-icing system that is completely passive and relies only on the power of the sun, or artificial light, which means it can also work at night. The system could be used to prevent ice building up on aircraft wings, wind turbine blades, and powerlines.