Important Innovations Collection

Samson Sky's Switchblade                                    Source:  Samson Sky's Switchblade USA Flying, Driving Car Samson Sky's Switchblade is a real flying and driving car that will hit the market within weeks of getting FAA approval. The company calls it a flying sports car and it brings the lure of flying cars from science fiction territory to a concrete reality. The FAA has deemed the Oregon-built, Ferrari-red, very cool looking vehicle safe to fly and undergo flight testing.  That positions the flying sportscar to being possibly within weeks of going to market. The inventors and developers at Oregon-based Samson Sky have spent 14 years building what looks like a magnificent flying and driving machine. Fascinating Tech Specs The vehicle has been designed as a luxury car with a hybrid-electric drive system.  When it lands, the wings fold into the sides of the vehicle like a switchblade.  It has a Samson SC 200 3-cylinder gasoline engine along with a Skybird electric-h

Germany's Coradia iLint Hydrogen Trains                                                  Source:  Alstom Zero CO2 Emissions Travel Germany has deployed the world's first hydrogen-powered passenger trains.  This is an important move for the environment as the hydrogen trains have no greenhouse gas emissions.  It is important too from the perspective that Europe is attempting to transition from Russian oil and gas in order to comply with the Europe Union's sanctions against Russia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  The trains require no diesel. Called Coradia iLint, they are priced at $86 million. They are totally powered by hydrogen fuel cells.  These are the first hydrogen trains that are fully operational and regularly carrying passengers. They just started regular service in the Hamburg area. Some Important Details The trains were developed by train manufacturer Alstom of France. Alstom says they are "a true alternative to diesel powered trains". They c

VW Is Very Serious About Urban Air Mobility                                                  Source: Volkswagen eVTOL Flight Tests To Start This Year Volkswagen just unveiled a flying taxi prototype that is being developed by the automaker's division in China.  VW calls it a "passenger drone".  It is fully electric, fully autonomous and takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter.  VW plans to start test flights later this year and build an upgraded prototype by the summer of 2023.  For VW, air taxis could be a significant commercial venture. The VW flying taxi prototype is called V.MO. Tech Specs  The eVTOL has ten rotors: eight for vertical lift and two for forward, horizontal flight.  VW hopes to achieve a 124-mile range on a charge.  It will be used to ferry passengers within cities such as from an office park to the airport and also to fly from city to city such as Baltimore to Washington, DC.  VW is working with several Chinese partners on the project, includin

 Aceman is a Big Design Departure for Mini                                                  Source:  Mini Aceman Pushes The Limits of Futuristic Design & Technologies Iconic British car maker Mini has just unveiled a small, electric SUV concept called Aceman.  In terms of Mini's classic styling, Aceman breaks the mold.  It is futuristic and reflects how Mini is reinventing itself.  Aceman abandons Mini's cute, rounded headlights for more geometric themes. The body of the car is smooth with futuristic, angular touches here and there. Aceman is a very colorful, digital lightshow on wheels. Mini is owned by BMW, which wants at least half of its lineup electrified by 2030.  Aceman's is Mini's first, electric crossover.  Mini wants all of its lineup electrified by 2030. Brand New Design For Mini, Aceman represents how it is reinventing itself for the new electrified marketplace.  According to Mini top management, Aceman has "an electrified go-cart feel, an immersive

Zem EV by Students at Eindhoven University of Technology                                                                 Source: Eindhoven University of Technology Awesome New Automotive Technology 35 Dutch students at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands have created a car that not only doesn't pollute the air, but also pulls carbon out of the air while it is being driven.  There is nothing in the global automotive industry very similar to this green machine.  The EV is called Zem and it is equipped with a special filter that cleans up nearby CO2 produced by other cars on the road and captures the carbon for disposal.  The 35 students on the TU/ecomotive team are the innovators behind this unique, battery powered prototype. Carbon Neutral Car The Zem is the students' response to the challenge to create a totally carbon neutral car.  Every step that they took in the year long process to develop the EV was guided by the mantra to minimize the production of any C

Germany' Sono Motors' Sion Solar Car                                                   Source:  Sono Motors Priced Just About Right at $25,497 Germany's Sono Motors has a solar-powered SEV that is very close to production.  In fact, it is so close, the company says that it will start production in mid-2023 and it can be bought at a price starting at $25,497.  The Sono Sion is a unique solar vehicle.  There are solar panels on every flat surface of the EV, even on the fenders.  Most solar cars have the solar panels just on the roof.  The pictures show the production ready version of the SEV (solar electric vehicle) from the updated design.  The vehicle is very sleek and has advanced technologies.  The Sion is dedicated to "Celebrating the Sun". German Solar Startup With Lots of Ideas Sono was founded in the Munich area in 2016 in a garage by two friends Laurin Hahn and Jona Christian.  They are diligently working to move the company forward and appear to be hitting

Mercedes' Vision EQXX Prototype                                                                      Source: Mercedes Benz Electric Car With Maximum Range and Efficiency Mercedes Benz has a highly advanced technology experimental platform on wheels.  It's called the Vision EQXX prototype and MB technologists have been developing it and experimenting with it for a year and a half on the roads of Germany.  The EV just set another record for maximum range and efficiency, clocking 747 miles on a single charge. The electric sedan is being called the world's most efficient, innovative and technologically advanced EV, which is exactly what Mercedes' engineers were tasked to create.  No telling if or when it will go into production.  But experts say we will see much of its notable technology breakthroughs going into future Mercedes Benz vehicles. Shaped Like a Teardrop The Vision is a 4-passenger, road legal sedan that is shaped like a teardrop with the back narrower than the f

Boom's Supersonic Aircraft Overture Unveiled                                                  Source:  Boom Something New & Incredibly Fast in the Sky Colorado-based Boom Supersonic may be the first aviation company to bring back super-fast, supersonic flying that ended twenty years ago with the demise of the Concorde.  At the very recent 2022 Farnborough International Air Show in the UK, Boom unveiled its latest design for its ultra-sleek SST, the Overture.  The vehicle will go into service in 2029 and fly at twice the speed of today's commercial aircraft.  It will reach speeds of Mach 1.7 or 1,100 mph over the water and have the capacity to cut passenger travel time in half. More than 600 routes around the world are planned by Boom.  The likely cost of a roundtrip seat will be 75% less than the Concorde's $12,000 average or $3,000.  Boom believes that within the next decade, SSTs will be the first choice in air travel.  Bottomline: you can get to your destination in h

900 HP of Electric Energy                                                                           Source:  Dodge "So Brilliant, it's Shocking"  Historic muscle car maker, Dodge, is producing its first electric vehicle.  It's an electric muscle car called the 2025 Dodge eMuscle and its roots are deeply entrenched in Dodge's muscle car heritage.  With iconic, gas-guzzling models like the Challenger, the Charger, the Hellcat and the Demon in its history, Dodge is now beginning the brand's transition to the electrified, rechargeable, zero-emissions world of EVs.  The eMuscle, with all of its e-muscle sound, fury and 900 hp, will hit global markets in 2025.  Dodge is owned by Stellantis (Chrysler-Fiat). Classic eMusle Looks The car has a very retro style with a boxy nose similar to the classic Dodge Charger of the 1960s and 1970's.  It has a "built for speed", aerodynamic design with a wing on the rear of the EV.  Dodge wants the car to be loud and

MG Cyberster 2024                                                                                                          Source:  MG UK Designed, China Owned The iconic British sports car brand MG, which is now owned by China SAIC, is developing an electric sports car, the MG Cyberster for the brand's 100th birthday in 2024.  They're calling it an "affordable sports car" and are targeting international markets with both left-and right-hand driving modes.  Judging from the concept car images and just released teaser production images, the beauty, aerodynamics and performance capabilities of the MG Cyberster look to be spectacular.  It could rival the immense popularity of its predecessor, the MGB sportscar of the 1960's. Tech Specs We Know What is most impressive is the EV's expected performance.  It will be powered by a "module-less" battery technology that has a claimed range of 500 miles on a charge.  That range is at the top of the list, beating

Big Preview of Celestiq                                                       Source:  Cadillac The $300,000 Hatchback A new EV concept that Cadillac is planning to put into global production is getting a lot of buzz. Cadillac has finally offered a formal preview of its much-anticipated Celestiq, which is an all-electric, long, sleek and powerful beauty of a hatchback.  The EV is expected to be Cadillac's flagship.  Automotive experts are marveling at its elegance, power and beauty, adding that there is nothing like it on the market.  It's a concept car that Cadillac says it will put into production and put on the market in the next couple of years.  Rumors has it that it will be priced at $300,000, putting it into the Rolls Royce category. Tech Specs Cadillac is expected to provide performance details in August when there is an official unveiling of Celestiq.  But automotive experts believe that it will have a battery pack of more than 205-kilowatt-hours, with 1,000 hp and a r

New Zero Emissions Mode of Transportation                                                             Source: Biliti & Other Tuk Tuks Roots Date Back to Rickshaws Los Angeles-based startup Biliti just unveiled what's being called the world's first, hydrogen powered Tuk Tuk or trike.  Tuk Tuks are common means of passenger transportation in Thailand and India.  The three-wheeled vehicles serve as taxies.  Their heritage dates back to Japan's rickshaws.  The new, hydrogen fuel cell powered Tuk Tuk is called FastMile.  The company says it has a 130-mile range on a charge and can be refueled in just 3 minutes.  Biliti is a fast growth electric mobility company founded in 2021 and known for its compact electric delivery Tuk Tuks.  The company is currently significantly expanding its operations.  It is setting up the world's largest 3-wheeler manufacturing facility in India with a production capacity of 240,000 EVs a year and the creation of 3,000 new jobs. New, Green Mod