Following Boeing flying an uneconomical single seated plane about ten years ago a four seat hydrogen fuel cell plane has taken to the skies. The hydrogen-powered experimental aircraft HY4 has made its first official flight, taking off and landing at Stuttgart Airport Germany.

Agricultural robotics can upend several commonly-held notions. Amongst them is the idea that big is better. In practise this has translated into ever larger and more powerful agricultural machinery. This makes sense because a big machine amplifies the capabilities of the skilled driver, dramatically boosting its productivity. This notion may however be about to experience a fundamental change. The reason is that the driver can now finally be taken totally out of the equation.

EP Tender is a range extending service for electric vehicles which takes the form of a light trailer which is rented on demand and attached to the EV on long distances.

Energy harvesting is off-grid production of electricity where it is needed using ambient energy such as wind, tide and waves or just vibration.

Hydrogen-powered ferries do exist, but most are smaller, slower vessels used for tours on lakes and rivers. The SF-BREEZE study set out to discover whether it is technically feasible to build a large, fast vessel; it could meet maritime regulations; and it could be economically competitive with modes of transportation already available in the San Francisco Bay area.

DTechEx announced that Shockwave Motors was selected to receive a generous show sponsorship for the International Electric Vehicles: Everything is Changing Expo.

IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 1 November 2016 presented by Chairman Dr Peter Harrop.

When designing robots to help in the search for victims after a natural disaster, a number of features are important, robustness, long battery life and ease of transport. With this latest constraint in mind, a team present their new drone with insect-inspired folding wings.

Next month organizations from over 40 countries will converge at the Santa Clara Convention Center on November 16-17 to showcase the latest innovations and highlight the latest commercial progress with electric vehicles. The event is held in the heart of silicon valley, the hub for mobility innovation. Here are a few of the reasons why you should be there.

The new IDTechEx Research report, Electric Vehicle Energy Harvesting/ Regeneration 2017-2037 explains and forecasts the technologies involved in this newly key enabling technology.

Scandinavia is the first region in the world to rely increasingly on battery-powered and thus environmentally-friendly technologies in the shipbuilding industry.

IDTechEx believes that the window of opportunity for fuel cell vehicles in mainstream applications is closing. Whereas Battery Electric Vehicles increasingly have green electricity, fuel cell vehicles almost entirely use hydrogen from fossil fuels and even that is expensive.

EVs use a lot of their precious electricity  heating occupiers in winter so improvements are afoot. Making replacements for dumb structural parts that double as occupant focussed heating has attraction as has directed infrared - "heat the person not the space" but less focussed heat pumps are efficient contenders

48V mild hybrids will start series production at many automotive manufacturers in 2017 with many others following shortly after.

Electric vehicles have gone from curiosity to being a frequent news item and, if you live in Norway or the Netherlands, something you see often. However, that is nothing compared to EVs shaking the foundations of society over the coming decade from robot agriculture and delivery to almost free travel in sunny countries and almost eliminating air pollution even in mining.

At IDTechEx we are convinced that lithium-ion batteries will dominate the automotive scene over the coming ten years and possibly the coming fifteen years. During that time we shall see peak lead acid battery the biggest nail in its coffin being when electric vehicles more widely abandon them and even those conventional vehicles modified to stay legal under impending carbon dioxide laws abandon them, relying totally on lithium-ion units.  

Toyota and Daimler presented at a recent IDTechEx conference on their fuel cell vehicle programs. A questioner asked them to reveal the unique selling proposition of fuel cell vehicles. They said there is no USP.

At this year's CEATEC, Japan's largest consumer electronics show, Honda showed an example of its so-called Micro Commuter electric car with a body that's been constructed using additive manufacturing.

senseFly, producer of professional mapping drones, will introduce its next-generation fixed-wing system for survey-grade photogrammetric mapping, the eBee Plus.