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.

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.

Major focus is batteries with new form factors.

Just ahead of the Paris Auto Show, Daimler officially presented its pure electric Smart ED models.

Crop protection, chemicals and robotics at first appear totally unrelated, yet IDTechEx Research finds that steady improvements in agricultural robotics will, slowly but surely, fundamentally alter the crop protection chemicals business.

Mild hybrid cars at 48V will first hit global markets in a big way in 2017.

Robot vehicles may give the insurance companies and car companies something to do when one robot taxi replaces 20 cars owned by private individuals as we move inexorably to 80% of people living in cities in 2050.

Barclays Equity Research in the UK surprised the car industry by forecasting a sharp drop in car sales when rental vehicles become more popular.

Leo Motors Inc of Korea with the support of government officials of Henan, China, Leo Motors, Inc and Zhong Ji Well Parking System Co Ltd have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to set up a joint venture company focused on battery production, electric boat business, and Connected Vehicle business based on Internet of Things platforms.

As detailed in the IDTechEx report, Mild Hybrid 48V Vehicles 2016-2031, this option will become a huge business from 2017 as Ford, Hyundai, Bentley, Volkswagen, Audi, Geely and many others adopt them as the most cost-effective way of meeting 2025 and 2030 carbon dioxide emissions regulations while sharply improving economy - even improving performance in some respects.

Tesla is an eye-catching company active in clean energy applications - not only pure electric cars, but also home battery systems. With its launch of Tesla's Powerwall on April 30, 2015 and every progress update on its Gigafactory's building, Tesla has continue to fuel interest in home battery systems.

In August 2016, China Xinhua News reported that the Transit Elevated Bus has had its first road test in Qinhuangdao City. It consisted of a brake and power consumption test of this electric vehicle that runs on tracks.

It is no surprise that the Tesla - Solar City merger has been approved by investors. Elon Musk will combine his two co-founded companies after paying $2.6bn dollars for SolarCity in an all-stock transaction. The merger will be completed before the end of the year, and save the companies $150 million in costs in the first full year after closing.

Panasonic is a $70 billion giant with strongly rising profitability and a place in the first division of battery manufacturers greatly boosted by its acquisition of Sanyo. It has shipped over 180 billion batteries since 1931.

Pure electric short range trucks are rapidly becoming viable as they face much tougher local and global emissions regulations.

Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman of analysts IDTechEx, was interviewed 27 July by BBC Television World News in a live program transmitted worldwide. The subject was the opening of the Tesla battery gigafactory billed as the world's largest factory building.

There is a frenzy of investment by in fully autonomous cars, some without even a steering wheel, but it is almost entirely supplier push. Virtually no private individual is interested in buying one. It is very different with fleets such as taxis where potential corporate purchasers such as Uber see many benefits including cost and space saving

To its manufacturer MOST (Autonomous Vessels) Ltd in the UK, USV means controlled by satellite from anywhere on the planet. AutoNaut is the answer to the age-old challenge of affordable oceanic data gathering for science, commerce and military purposes. It creates new opportunities to meet unique mission requirements in a changing world.