Seattle Times (September 27)
“Built to carry nine passengers and one or two pilots,” the flight demonstrated “the potential for an electric commercial commuter aircraft flying a few hundred miles between cities at an altitude of around 15,000 feet.” Clearly, “the technology is pioneering and puts this region at the forefront of efforts to develop a zero-emission, sustainable era in aviation.” The larger question, however, is “whether it can deliver the economic returns necessary to become a commonplace mode of air travel.”
Tags: Aircraft, Aviation, Commercial, Commuter, Economic returns, Electric, Flight, Forefront, Passengers, Pilots, Pioneering, Potential, Sustainable, Technology, Zero-emission
Fortune (December 10)
“For years, the aerospace industry has been talking about whether electric-powered commercial air travel is viable.” On Tuesday, a flight by an electrified de Havilland Canada DHC-2 ended the debate, signaling “what many aerospace industry insiders say is commercial aviation’s future.” The airline behind the first flight, Harbour Air, “is betting its business on electric motors. The airline expects regulators to certify its retrofitted aircraft in about two years, with commercial flights beginning in 2022.”
Tags: Aerospace industry, Airline, Canada, Commercial aviation, Electric, Harbour Air, Regulators, Retrofitted
The Drive (May 20)
Germany “is turning its back on traditionally powered cars and looking towards electric for its future. Data provided by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority…shows a surprisingly sharp upwards trend in EV purchases compared to 2017.” The data also shows diesel sales are “withering” and reveals an unexpected surprise: “Kia’s Soul EV topped the charts by selling 721 units in April, followed by the BMW i3 with 491 cars.”
The Economist (February 18)
We are approaching a tipping point. The automotive dominance of internal combustion engines (ICE) looks increasingly limited. Electric cars are “set for rapid forward thrust. Improving technology and tightening regulations on emissions from ICEs is about to propel electric vehicles (EVs) from a niche to the mainstream.” But the transition “from petrol power to volts will be a tough one for carmakers to navigate.”
Tags: Auto, Cars, Combustion, Dominance, Electric, Emissions, Engines, EVs, Mainstream, Regulation, Technology, Tipping point, Transition
The Economist (September 3)
“An epic struggle looms. It will transform daily life as profoundly as cars did in the 20th century: reinventing transport and reshaping cities, while also dramatically reducing road deaths and pollution.” Across several industries companies have grasped “the transformative potential of electric, self-driving cars, summoned on demand.” With Uber poised to lead this race, “technology firms including Apple, Google and Tesla are investing heavily in autonomous vehicles; from Ford to Volvo, incumbent carmakers are racing to catch up.”
Tags: Apple, Autonomous vehicles, Carmakers, Cars, Cities, Daily life, Electric, Ford, Google, Pollution, Reinventing, Roads, Self-driving, Struggle, Tesla, Transformative potential, Transport, Uber, Volvo
NBC News (November 13)
“For the first time, a zippy electric car—the Tesla Model S—has won Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award.” Over 64-years, Motor Trend had previously made the award exclusively to cars powered by internal combustion engines.
LA Times (December 11)
Moving “back to an electric future for cars” may take a decade, but it could again spell the end of smog, which arose with gasoline-powered cars. “In 1900, more battery-powered electric cars ran on the streets of New York City than cars with internal combustion engines…. But the arrival in 1908 of Henry Ford’s Model T turned the gasoline-powered car into an affordable mass-market product and made the electric car a historical curiosity.”
Tags: Cars, Electric, Gas, Henry Ford, Smog
