So it looks like a Tesla, sounds like a Tesla and goes like the wind. The new flagship Nio ET7 electric car really points the way to a sea of classy looking rivals for the title of posh EV of the year. We like the design and the range from the 100kWh battery looks magnificent. But like everything else, the real proof will be in the reliability and support services.
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It’s pretty common knowledge that upgrading battery tech is going to be crucial to mass adoption of electric transportation of any type. Lithium Ion is an establish tech, but it’s too volatile and inefficient to encourage a breakthrough in electric vehicles. The betting currently seems to be on solid state batteries, which is why this solid state battery post outlining the pros and cons is interesting.
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Freight is a problem as far as the environment goes. Every mode of transport for goods has serious emissions, whether it’s boats, planes or trucks. Good then to see a new initiative, which if it takes off (heh) could dramatically reduce the environmental and financial cost of freight services. The Buoyant Aero freight blimp promises 250 mile all electric range and a payload of 650 lbs. All at half the operating cost of a Cessna light aircraft.
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Most of us have this secret fear of over-charging our phone battery, right? That’s why we unplug when we can, try not to leave the phone charging overnight and make sure to charge up before the battery has drained completely. But it can be hard to keep it up, which means that our phone battery often degrades faster than it could or should. Now there’s a new gadget which could solve that problem nicely.
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Automation is still happening in full force, and the latest example of this is the Elroy Air Chaparral hybrid cargo drone. The craft is designed to deliver 300 to 500 pounds of cargo up to a range of 300 miles without an on-board human pilot. It’s a hybrid electric aircraft because it adds a generator to the electric power mix, to maximise lift during takeoff.
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Cool footwear is not so much a fashion thing, more a religion. Which is probably why so many eco shoe projects end up failing miserably. This latest effort, from international company Mother of Earth (MoEa) may buck the trend. Their MoEa Sneakers are apparently crafted from only the finest fruit and vegetables. Not sure whether they’re organic (artf!), but we applaud the concept wholeheartedly.
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Dutch electric car maker Lightyear has passed another milestone this week, with the announcement of a test run which completed 710 kilometres (440 miles) at a speed of 85 km per hour. The Lightyear One vehicle has long been marketed as a super efficient EV and this latest coup proves the point. The car features embedded solar panels, super efficient electric in-wheel motors and a bunch of other software and hardware enhancements focused on maximising the vehicle’s range. The results…
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Really clever idea. A new service which lets you stream a simple 31 sec ‘song’ (actually just a short description read aloud) in your playlists which earn enough money after 100 plays to plant one tree. The world’s first MP-Tree. Yeah clever, like we said. This Song Plants Trees is basic, easy to understand and a really interesting way to raise awareness of the need to tackle climate change.
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We’ve seen some pretty innovative house designs recently, including 3D printed ones etc, but this new Bosabl Casita takes the biscuit. It’s pre-assembled on the factory floor, folded up into a package measuring 8 feet on one side, then shipped to the destination site. Once there, it can be unfolded in around an hour, and customised, connected to services and finished ready to go in a day. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, the makers are offering it at a…
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Apparently battery prices have plummeted over the past few years, and you can tell by the reduction in EV prices coming out of China. This Dartz Freze retails at around $4500 in China at the moment, and now it’s come to Europe. Named after a pioneering Russian EV from 1900, the Freze features a 9.2kWh or 13.8kWh battery, giving a range of around 124 miles and a top speed of a sprightly 62 mph. The price in Europe is reportedly…
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Researchers at the University of Washington have announced clinical trials of a new lozenge which is designed to rebuild and repair damaged tooth enamel. The unnamed product works by depositing a thin layer of new enamel using a specially formulated peptide while you suck. Dentists of the world watch out. The team claims that two lozenges a day will restore lost enamel, while one lozenge a day will maintain a healthy layer.
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Solar technology is a revolution happening in slow motion. You forget about them, then all of sudden you realise that some very cool stuff is happening. Take these Maxeon Air 330 flexible solar panels for example. They’re not just bendy, but designed to be fitted to roofs without frames. This is a. big. deal. for solar in general. What most people don’t realise is that most of the cost of installing solar comes from the installation nowadays. The actual panels…
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This enterprising project from Italy, called Tecla, is the world’s first 3D printed raw earth house. What does that mean? Well for one thing it only took 200 hours to print. For another there was no need to bring any materials on site. They just dug up some earth as the source. Clever eh?
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The latest moves by Facebook to tie WhatsApp users more closely to Facebook haven’t gone down too well on the net. The result is a fair number of people who are planning or who have already left WhatsApp for more private shores. The problem is, how to let your contacts know you now prefer to use Signal, Telegram or any of the other more private messaging apps? Step up the free open source Watomatic app. This nifty little tool lets…
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What better way to motivate youngsters to take up electrical engineering than getting them to build something themselves? This Ringo DIY Mobile Phone is a neat little open source package, which comes with everything needed to build a mobile phone from scratch. Well almost scratch. You do have to do a bit of soldering, but the boards come ready made. So no clean rooms required.
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