Each year, April 22nd marks Earth Day, a worldwide event that aims to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement. To mark Earth Day 2021, here are some of the technologies that IDTechEx believes will be instrumental in winning the fight against climate change.

In Switzerland monster trucks carry ore down from mountainside quarries, the regenerative braking creating almost enough energy to get the empty truck back up again. The latest forestry example is carrying trees down from the mountains of Canada.

Electrical Vertical Take-off and Landing aircraft (eVTOL) are moving from science fiction to reality, enabled by rapid advancements in electric motor, battery, and computing technology, the new report from IDTechEx, "Air Taxis: Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing Aircraft 2021-2041", finds.

It is easy to make 1000-mile battery-electric vehicles, and the effect on market uptake will be profound.

In this article IDTechEx provides commentary on the reference during Volkswagen's recent Power Day to their long-term strategy of employing high-manganese cathodes for their 'volume segment'. What does 'high-manganese' refer to, and how do they compare to other cathode materials?

Join the IDTechEx webinar Thursday 8 April 2021 - Key recent trends in battery cell and pack design; How this impacts the relevant materials markets; and the IDTechEx scenario forecasting tool demonstration

The strong potential of hydrogen is driven by the fact that it is impossible to electrify some of the most polluting sectors, including the steel, ammonia, and glass industries. In these sectors, hydrogen will be produced from renewable energy employing electrolyzer systems.

While technologies are emerging for cities to be independent in food, water and energy, safe and pleasant, progress is mostly poor and global warming threatens migrants overwhelming cities. By all means, let us see the smart city advances take place that are in the IDTechEx report, "Smart Cities Market 2021-2041: Energy, Food, Water, Materials, Transportation Forecasts", but it would be prudent to try to reverse the move to cities that the UN and others see resulting in 70-80% of us in them by 2050.

Thursday 15 April 2021 - Green Hydrogen Production Systems: Future Development of the Hydrogen Industry. Understanding of the hydrogen economy concept: characteristics and problematics; Technical analysis of the major electrolyser technologies; and Future evolution of hydrogen market.

Join the IDTechEx webinar Wednesday 31 March 2021 - An introduction to urban air mobility and air taxi services; The basics of eVTOL aircraft design architectures; Background into ongoing eVTOL projects for passenger transportation; and much more!

Photovoltaics is now a key enabling technology for land vehicles and boats. The favorite type is single crystal silicon - it used to be protected by an acrylic sheet on either side, making it bendable when being fitted, but that has strength and weathering issues. Now, much stronger, long-life polycarbonate is taking over.

We are looking for entrepreneurial, enthusiastic people to join IDTechEx to apply their technical knowledge. You will be involved with technology scouting, market research and consultancy in a rapidly growing, exciting, global firm.

The IDTechEx report, "Robot Shuttles and Autonomous Buses 2020-2040," predicted second-generation robot shuttles, and here they come - vectored traction and steering, smart windows, robotic fast charging, and solar bodywork, so 10-40% less charging is needed.

IDTechEx has released a new spreadsheet-based tool that lists our assumptions for several material intensities at a cell- and pack-level for battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) batteries in the car market.

For a long time, graphene has been cited as the wonder material that will change the world. The reality has been very different; disillusionment has started to grow as the hype has not translated into revenue. Is the "tipping point" finally approaching?

Air taxis and flying cars are easy to hype but IDTechEx's new report on the subject is not that hype. This independent research into electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for passenger transport reflects the reality of the eVTOL market at this early stage of its development.

Thursday 25 March 2021 - By 2026, demand for sustainable aviation fuels could reach over 3.5 billion litres. This webinar will introduce key areas including: Renewable diesel growth; Sustainable aviation fuel; and Electro-fuel production technologies and players

Thursday 18 March 2021 - New Opportunities Emerge for the Aerogel Market. The status of the silica aerogel market; Overview of key manufacturers capacity and product benchmarking; Assessment on the rise of Chinese manufacturers; Patent developments; and much more.

Thermal management is one of the most important topics in a wide range of applications; from electric vehicle battery packs through to consumer electronics, there is a pressing need to dissipate heat efficiently. Thermal interface materials (TIM) come in numerous types and play a crucial role in the thermal transfer from a heat source. This article looks at what the major innovations are for these materials and why those developments are significant.

In February 2021, The US agency DARPA awarded contracts to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation and Martin Defense Group (formerly Navatek) to build demonstration versions of the new Manta Ray unmanned underwater vehicle with an energy-harvesting system to power it indefinitely, allowing the robot submarine to carry out missions lasting months or years without returning to base or refueling.