LeviCar / PROACCTIVE / Lulue Newsletter # 176  (Tue. 2021/02/23 22:30 EST)
Welcome to issue # 176 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 18 (02/19 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)
None


Newly-Revised Item: (other than events)
None

New Events on the websites:
None



Revised Events on the websites:

Dept. of Defense Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) — Redid it to handle multiple simultaneous solicitations
http://www.PROACCTIVE.info/#DoD-SBIR

International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET)   Tu, September 21 to Th, September 30 — Added Call for Abstracts
http://www.PROACCTIVE.info/#ICOET
http://www.LeviCar.com/LULUE.php#ICOET



Events with due dates within the next ten days (until Fri., March 5):
The 34th International Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition   Call for Papers:  Abstracts due Sun, Feb. 28
ISMB 17: 17th International Symposium on Magnetic Bearings   Call for Papers:  Abstracts or Full Papers due Mon, Mar. 1




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

Batteries:
Tesla may get $1.2 billion worth of German subsidies
Battery monitor IC with integrated current sense amplifier has ASIL‑D compliance   (Reads like an “ad”.)
BorgWarner to acquire AKASOL   (Also pertains to “Business”.)
StoreDot releases samples of its “five-minute” EV battery
Hyundai explores battery leasing to lower EV prices, coordinate reuse   (Also pertains to “Business”.)
Tesla Berlin Gigafactory and Giga Texas   [Includes three videos that I did not review (11:15), (5:14), and (14:23).]

Electric Cars:
Tesla Model 3, Toyota hybrids get Consumer Reports’s new Green Choice label
Ford is making a $1B push to all-electric cars for Europe by 2030   (See also Ford Europe will sell only all-electric passenger cars from 2030 from Newsletter #175.)
McLaren Artura Supercar Debuts as Plug-in Hybrid   [Includes video (2:16).]
Bolt EV recall update: Software fix will restore full range, address fire risk   (Also pertains to “Batteries”.)
Ford Mach-E incentives challenge Chevy Bolt EUV, as discounts sweeten 2021 Bolt EV   (Also pertains to “Governmental Affairs” and “Business”.)

Electric Trucks:
Volta readies electric trucks for Europe, with US suppliers
Lordstown Motors Wants Ohio to OK Direct Sales   (Also pertains to “Governmental Affairs” and “Business”.)
EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW:  Electric Trucks and Volvo LIGHTS are Bringing New Job Opportunities

Clean Generation of Hydrogen:
Hydrogen projects worth $300 billion are dropping green H2 prices fast

Electric Motors and their controllers:
BorgWarner launches 800-volt electric motor for commercial vehicles

Self-Driving Cars, Trucks, and Delivery Robots:
Waymo begins testing autonomous vehicles with riders in San Francisco
Gatik to deploy electric-powered autonomous vehicles in New Orleans

Self-Driving Off-Road Machinery:
Armored combat vehicles experts seek to determine if expensive unmanned tanks are too expensive to lose
Battlefield experts considering M1 Abrams main battle tank for command and control of unmanned vehicles

Sensors / AI Training / Microchips /Software for Self-Driving Vehicles:
RadSee unveils 4D imaging radar for ADAS and self-driving cars
Tesla Model S refresh’s large side repeater cameras hint at intense FSD focus

Business:
AI hardware startup Recogni raises $48.9M for its autonomous driving module   (Also pertains to “Sensors / AI Training / Microchips / Software for Self‑Driving Vehicles”.)
XPeng:  Meet The Chinese Competitor Of Tesla
Can Big Auto Catch Up to Tesla?   [Includes video from Sandy Munro (24:27) that I did not review.]

Electric Bicycles, Motorcycles, and Scooters:
The Bronx is Up … When it Comes to DOT’s Scooter-Share Pilot Program

Electric Aircraft:
senseFly Launches eBee Ag fixed-wing mapping drone

Autonomous Aircraft:
Machine autonomy makes small unmanned aircraft more dangerous, as military eyes laser weapons defenses

Electric Buses and other mass-transit (but not rail):
New report outlines cooperation between utilities and school districts to finance electric school buses   (Utilities are interested because Vehicle‑to‑Grid Technology will help stabilize the electric supply and save the utilitizes capital costs.)
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy Announces $100 Million for Clean Transportation
New Jersey Transit to see overhaul of Walter Rand Transportation Center, state funds to green its fleet   (I have been to Walter Rand, and, yes, it needs upgrading.)

Miscellaneous:
Mercedes parent Daimler:  No expiration date for gas and diesel sales


OLD FUN NEWS:
Tech Tidbit:  Tempest in a K‑Cup, Ford's Caffeine-Inspired Mustang Mach-E Design
Super Soaker Inventor Turns Attention to Batteries   [Also pertains to “Batteries”.  Includes video (4:47).].)


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)

Click here to view the list of Available Newsletters