Electric vehicles

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

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.