Important Innovations Collection

The Microlino 2.0                                             Source:  Microlino Italia Inexpensive, Micro, Urban Mobility At the IAA Mobility 2021 show in Munich, Microlino Italia unveiled its $14,000 electric bubble car - the Microlino 2.0.  The vehicle is headed into production in Italy and will be up for sale in Switzerland first.  It's expected to be offered throughout the European Union and if the micro car is successful, it is expected to launch in the US.  The Microlino 2.0 is a unique electric vehicle that offers inexpensive urban mobility with zero emissions. Maximum Range of 143 Miles The vehicle is a two seater with a small cargo space for shopping items.  It has a 56-hp motor.  There are three battery options: Urban with a 6 kWh battery and 60 mile range; Dolce with a 10.5 kWh battery and 109 mile range; and Competiz...

 eVTOL Very Close to Commercial Launch                              Source:  Volocopter & Paris 2024 Olympics Volocopter Has Key Design & Production Approvals in the EU Electrical take off and landing vehicles - eVTOLs - are one of the hottest sectors of new air mobility and travel vehicle development. Today, a big contender just got a lot bigger.  Germany's air taxi startup Volocopter is buying its long time partner DG Flugzeubau, a global leader in composite aircraft construction.  That acquisition secures Volocopter's compliance with European Union air safety regulator's production standards.  It provides production organization approval with the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the EASA design approvals.  The reason is the two companies have totally co-developed and produced the Volocopter eVTOL. eVTOL First The acquisition makes Volocopter the "first and only eVTOL t...

COVID Vaccines Very Close to Market                                             Source:  Moderna Hope For a COVID Weary World Moderna, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, is seeking US, EU and UK emergency authorization for their COVID vaccine.  The vaccine has proved to be 94% effective.  The company adds it has no serious side effects. Highly Effective More than 1.5 million people have died from COVID.  Moderna says the vaccine is 100% effective in preventing severe cases of COVID.  It also works across demographic groups, including age, gender, ethnicity and race. Second COVID Vaccine Close to Market This is the second vaccine that is now under review for emergency authorization.  The other vaccine was developed by Pfizer and its German biotech partner BioNTech.  That vaccine is 95%.  Both the Pfizer and the Moderna vacc...

European Union May Vastly Expand Wind Power Capacity                                  Source:  Europe Offshore Wind Farm 2030 and 2050 Green Goals For the European Union, energy produced by wind power generation is now cheaper than that produced by fossil fuels.  As a result, the EU is considering a huge investment in offshore wind power technology and infrastructure. The nearly $Trillion investment is aimed at creating five-times or 60 gigawatts of offshore wind generated energy by 2030.  The current level is 12 gigawatts.  By 2050 the EU is targeting 300 gigawatts.  They are also targeting 60 gigawatts of wave and tidal energy by 2050. Massive Renewable Energy Agenda These renewable energy goals are unprecedented and would require a major change of scale for the energy sectors of the 27 nation European Union.  The cost is estimated at $937 billion.  Th...

2020 To Be Record Year For EVs in Europe                                                  Source:  Audi New Analysis In the first half of 2020, electric vehicles comprised 8% of car sales in Europe.  According to a new analysis by NGO Transport and Environment, EV's are on track to triple their market share for all of 2020 in Europe.  This is very significant growth despite the COVID pandemic clobbering overall vehicle sales.  The actual number of EV's sold in Europe is expected to double to 1 million for the year 2020. European Regulations and Incentives In the broader picture, several factors are helping to increase electric vehicle sales.  The European Union is tightening car emission standards and will continue to ratchet-up standards to reach its 2030 EU climate goals on carbon emissions.  Plus, Germany and Fr...

"European Hydrogen Backbone" Source:  European Hydrogen Backbone Initiative 2020 Green Hydrogen Pipeline A hydrogen pipeline stretching across the European Union, from Sweden, down to the south of Spain and to Sicily could radically transform Europe's energy system.  That is the vision of European gas infrastructure companies who just presented their concept of a "European Hydrogen Backbone" powering Europe.  Their plan details transporting the new fuel across Europe via existing gas pipelines with minor modifications.  They say this will provide a reliable means of transport. Existing Pipeline Footprint The existing pipeline network system would connect industrial centers that are capable of generating and utilizing hydrogen.  It would also connect solar power plants and offshore wind farms into the pipeline network.  The 11 transmission system operating companies say the hydrogen pipeline network could be totally completed by 2040 with major pop...

Closing in on COVID Vaccines Source:  European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen & Council President Charles Michel EU Historic Stimulus Package Researchers at Oxford University in the UK, along with AstraZeneca, have developed a COVID vaccine that is proving to be successful at building immunity against COVID.  Human trials on more than 1000 patients have proven the vaccine effective.  The vaccine has moved into combined Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials - the last stop to prove it works.  AstraZeneca has a $1.2 billion deal with the US to deliver 300 million doses this fall, if the vaccine is approved. Two More Vaccines Meanwhile, at Moderna Pharma in Cambridge, MA, an experimental mRNA vaccine is in human trials and it is proving to be effective. It has produced antibodies in all the patients involved in the trials And, in China biotech Cansino's vaccine is showing positive antibody responses in a Phase 2 trial.  It is entering Phase 3 ...

Pan European Effort to Push Back Asian Battery Dominance Source:  CATL of China Pilot Battery Cell Plant in France To Start France and Germany are joining forces to produce batteries for electric cars.  France will host a pilot plant. There are plans to build plants in both Germany and France.  This is part of a Pan European project to defeat Asian dominance of the battery cell industry for electric vehicles.  The European nations want to cut dependence on Asian batteries.  China's CATL plans to start battery cell operations in a plant in Germany in 2022. Germany and France also want to protect domestic jobs that are being lost to the shift away from combustion engines.  The details on what is the first, cross border, battery cell consortium in Europe are expected to be announced on Thursday, September 19th. Battery Production Capacity Constricting Electric Vehicle Market in Europe In Europe, mass production of electric cars is being ...

Germany Spearheads Reusable Rocket Concept Source:  DLR Model  FALcon Project Six international European Union partners are working on project FALcon.  Germany's space agency DLR is leading the way.  They've begun a space vehicle reusability study.  The plan is to catch rockets in flight and tow them back to earth by a separate aircraft so that they can be reused. Winged Boosters The reusable rocket concept includes a winged first stage booster.  The booster would be caught while in descent by an aircraft that trails the rocket after liftoff.  The aircraft would tow the winged booster toward a landing area.  The booster would then be released by the aircraft to glide to the ground and be available for another space mission. 2028 This is a 3 year study that just got underway.  The European Union has provided initial funding of $3 million.  The team hopes to have the system at the Technology Readiness Level by 2028....

Geneva International Motor Show Peugeot's new, electric Citycar 208 Going Green and Electric It's a glimpse into the automotive future.  And a big part of the future is electric and hybrid. Automakers are rolling out new electric and hybrid vehicles at the big, Geneva International Motor Show in Switzerland.  It opens March 7 and runs through March 17. New EU Emissions Standards The automakers are preparing for tough, new emissions standards in the European Union starting in 2021 and intensifying after that.  Electric and hybrid vehicles are a solution.  A number of electric cars will be debuting in Geneva including: Peugeot's new Citycar 208 Honda's compact prototype Volvo's Polstar 2 with a 275 mile range Audi's A6, A7, A8 and Q5 hybrids that combine battery with combustion engine Mercedes' EQV battery powered van SUV's The automakers will also showcase their traditional SUV's and compact.  There is a lot at stake for them.  ...