LeviCar / PROACCTIVE / Lulue Newsletter # 173  (Thu. 2021/02/11 22:08 EST)
Welcome to issue # 173 of the LeviCar / PROACCTIVE / Lulue Newsletter.

If you are primarily interested in the "IN THE NEWS" part, click here.

This issue covers updates and changes for three of my websites, since February 7 (02/08 onward).

Website for the General Public, with a lot about my LeviCar project:  http://www.LeviCar.com.

Website for Innovative Transportation Professionals:  http://www.PROACCTIVE.info.

Website as a substitute for the former blog on EVWorld:  http://www.LeviCar.com/LULUE.php.  It has the same content as the previous blog, except for some explanatory notes.  The “catch phrases” are in small type, and highlighted in yellow.

All three websites, above, are “gluten-free” (no cookies) and “caffeine-free” (no java[script], or any other script).  All of LULUE’s events are either in LeviCar.com or PROACCTIVE.info, or both.  LULUE has only upcoming events and a list of various organizations’ event calendars.

Many of the links to EV World are still on LeviCar.com, and I was able to recover them from “The Wayback Machine”.


Research Paper:  Click here to download or view my 25‑page Research Paper, The Future of MagLev: How the Magnetic‑Levitation SuperTurnpike will Revolutionize Ground Transportation (.doc format).


Contest notice: I had entered the “Create the Future” Contest for this year, and actually made Two entries, but did not win.  Details are at: http://www.LeviCar.com/#CreateFuture.
The first one is “High-Throughput End-Loaded MagLev Passenger Vehicles” (http://contest.techbriefs.com/2020/entries/automotive-transportation/10635).  The second one is “Soft-Sided Transportation Tubes (SSTTs) – an Alternative to Hyperloop” (http://contest.techbriefs.com/2020/entries/automotive-transportation/10730).
Other Contest:

NASA Langley Launches $20,000 UAV ‘Safeguard’ Competition (postponed due to COVID-19).



Newly-Added Item: (other than events)

ThinkEV
http://www.LeviCar.com/#ThinkEV


Newly-Revised Item: (other than events)
None


New Event on the websites:

Brown Bag Lunch (Free Webinar): Lessons from the Chicago – St. Louis 110‑mph Project   F, February 19, 1–2 pm EST
http://www.LeviCar.com/#110-MPH
http://www.PROACCTIVE.info/#110-MPH
http://www.LeviCar.com/LULUE.php#110-MPH


Revised Events on the websites:

Brown Bag Lunch (Free Webinar): High-Speed Rail Development in China   F, February 12, 1–2 pm EST — Changed Time
http://www.LeviCar.com/#HSR-China
http://www.PROACCTIVE.info/#HSR-China
http://www.LeviCar.com/LULUE.php#HSR-China

IEEE 93rd Vehicular Technology Conference   VTC2021-Spring 2021   Su‑W, April 25‑28 — Made Virtual
http://www.PROACCTIVE.info/#VTC-Spring
http://www.LeviCar.com/LULUE.php#VTC-Spring

The 34th International Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition   F‑M, June 25‑28 — Clearer graphic
http://www.PROACCTIVE.info/#EVS-34
http://www.LeviCar.com/LULUE.php#EVS-34



Events with due dates within the next ten days (until Sun., February 21):
AIAA/IEEE Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium (EATS)   Call for Papers:  Abstracts due  Thu, Feb. 11   (Likely expired.)
ITS World Congress 2021   Call for Contributions due  Fri, Feb. 12 (extended)



IN THE NEWS  (Notice that the criteria for this are much broader than for PROACCTIVE.info):

Batteries:
Survey Easy charging, easy driving with this questionnaire:   Survey is for 10 specific geographic areas in Europe.  It takes 15‑20 minutes for EV owners, and about 5 minutes for non‑EV ownersClick here for survey.  Survey is due F, Feb. 12.
A rechargeable zinc-air battery based on zinc peroxide chemistry
Green, saltwater-based battery leans on a new anode to go the distance
Tesla’s Batteries:  From Asset To Liability   (Also pertains to “Business”.)
Silicon arches boost structural integrity of high-capacity batteries
A sneak peek at Tesla’s new structural battery pack   [Includes videos: Interview with Sandy Munro (48:58), same one as below, which I did not review.]

EV Charging:
EV road-trip fast charging is expensive, and Massachusetts aims to tackle why
2021 Hyundai Ioniq lineup gets slight price hike, with Ioniq 5 EV debut soon
Fast charging Superhub in Brooklyn will be the first of several across NYC
Siemens supports ultra-fast charging technology for electric vehicles
Flywheel tech helps ease grid demands of EV fast-charging   [Includes video (2:02).]
PlugShare iPhone app for finding EV charging stations now works with CarPlay

Electric Cars:
Ford ups investment in EVs, says they’ll be “fundamental” to the Lincoln brand   (Also pertains to “Business”.)
2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime:  Can its charge mode help boost mpg?
Porsche Taycan “alternative” Super Bowl ad:  Do you get the feels for electric cars?
Mercedes-Benz triples global plug-in sales, meets 2020 European emissions targets
Lucid Air EV Crushes 500 Miles-On-a-Single-Charge Barrier
Audi unveils its all-electric e-tron GT performance saloon   (“Saloon” = “Sedan”.)
2022 Audi E-Tron GT electric car: Up to 238-mile range for quickest quattro yet
Teslas cover more daily miles than other EVs:  Are they better ICE replacements?

Electric Trucks:
Merchants Fleet to buy 12,600 commercial EVs from GM’s BrightDrop
XL Fleet Partnering with Curbtender to Develop All-Electric and Plug‑in Hybrid Refuse Trucks
Fleet electrification: The future is now for this emerging industry   (Sponsored.)
Electric Jeep Wrangler concept due for March debut, serious off-road ability
Brazilian beverage maker orders 1,000 electric trucks, with Octillion batteries and Danfoss Editron drivetrains
Rivian electric truck deliveries start this summer, but showrooms don’t exist yet
Detroit Diesel is going electric, in pivot to keep powering Freightliner

Hydrogen-Fuel-Cell Vehicles:
Why Are We Still Talking About Hydrogen?
A hydrogen fuel revolution is coming – – here’s why we might not want it   (Paywalled.)
Who’s behind the current wave of hype about hydrogen?   (Also pertains to “Business”.)
Airbus proposes detachable hydrogen propulsion pods for aircraft

Clean Generation of Hydrogen:  (Mostly thanks to NewAtlas.)
Modular nuclear reactors promise cost-competitive hydrogen production
Big energy partners join Shell’s giant NortH2 wind-to-hydrogen project
Approval granted for project to heat homes using green hydrogen   [Includes video (3:10).]
RMIT’s new cost-effective, carbon‑capturing poop‑to‑hydrogen reactor
Sugary droplets turn algal cells into miniature hydrogen factories
C2I 2020 Energy & Environment winner:  Hydrogen hopes

Self-Driving Cars, Trucks, and Delivery Robots:
Why Tesla Will Dominate Autonomous Driving
Pony.ai raises $100 million more to advance its autonomous vehicle tech
California Grants VinFast License to Test Autonomous EVs
Ford is more than doubling its investment in electric and autonomous vehicles to $29 billion   (Also pertains to “Business”.)
Toyota, Denso team with Aurora on self-driving cars for Uber, others

Sensors / AI Training / Microchips /Software for Self-Driving Vehicles:
How to Build a Better Automatic Driver Assistance System

Business:
Israeli EV startup REE to go public through $3.6 billion blank-check deal
Tesla:  The Valuation Makes Zero Sense Even With Elon Musk’s Hypothetical Justification
BATT Energizes Returns In The Battery Metals & Materials Space   (Also pertains to “Batteries”.)
California auto sales:  EVs and hybrids surged in 2020 as PHEVs plunged
Is Ford’s increase in EV investment a shot across GM’s bow?
Hyundai, Kia say Apple car deal now off, see $8.5 billion wiped off market value
Tesla existed before Elon Musk:  Founders on how they pitched the idea   [Includes long video of interview (25:40), which I did not review.]
Tesla’s RoboTaxi Future Upside   [Includes long video (23:55) which I did not review.  Also pertains to “Electric Cars”]
2020 US Electric Vehicle Sales Report   (Also pertains to “Electric Cars”)

Electric Bicycles, Motorcycles, and Scooters:
Volcon Runt kids‑ electric moto lets you geo-fence junior‑s ride
Here’s how Harley’s new electric motorcycle division could save the company
Italian e-scooter packs big wheels and a stainless steel frame   [Includes video (1:10).]
3-Wheel Electric Scooters You can Summon on an App, but Fundamentals Might Derail this New City Mobility
Glasgow promotes more sustainable transport with new e‑bikes stations
Sondors takes $5,000 Metacycle for cruise along the Pacific Coast Highway   [Includes video (4:47).]

Electric Aircraft:
Joby Aviation agrees on eVTOL certification class with the FAA

Electric Buses and other mass-transit (but not rail):
How to Electrify the Nation’s School Buses   (Full of surprising facts.)

Governmental Affairs:
As GM gives ‘huge’ boost to EVs, states vary in advancing supportive policies, reports find   (Also pertains to “Business”.)
Why the US must support the electric vehicle supply chain   (Also pertains to “Batteries”.)

Miscellaneous:
SpaceX Will Replace Cargo Planes on Its Path to $1 Trillion per Year in Revenue
Lack of skills could hinder net zero targets
Because of EV adoption, Norway nearly leads the world in per-capita electricity use
Elon Musk and Sandy Munro talk Production Hell, megacastings, structural battery packs and much more   [Includes two videos: Interview (48:58) and Test Ride (3:10), neither of which I had a chance to review.]
Transit agencies must play lead role in MaaS growth:  report


Technical Articles and Papers:
Link to download paper:  Measuring vehicle energy and power distribution for components, systems, and certification (whitepaper)


OLD NEWS:
Inventors Create Working Hoverboard
Computer Says No


Special notes:

Anyone can ask to subscribe to this newsletter by e-mail.  The form, with further information, is at this link.  Rest assured that I am not giving or selling your e-mail addresses to anyone.

The websites are updated as needed.  New and recently-revised items are indicated by small ovals on the upper-left corners of the link-blocks.  See http://www.LeviCar.com/Guide.HTML#Oval.

Please rely more on the websites for the most current information.  This newsletter may contain more detail about why things were updated or changed, or removed.  You do not need to have the newsletter to get the full benefit of the websites.

Please forward this newsletter to anyone you might think would be interested in it, and mention subscribing to this:  Click here to subscribe, (or unsubscribe, or request back issues).

Thank you for your attention.

    —  Josh Levin (Dr. Zev)

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