The Innovation Report
Boeing’s Starliner Delayed — Almost Ready To Launch Nasa Crew
After much waiting, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is almost ready to launch humans to space. This month, the vehicle will lift off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with two NASA astronauts on board, the culmination of a...
Swarm Of Tiny Snail Robots Stick Together To Form New Structures
Researchers have built a swarm of miniature, snail-inspired robots, minus all the mucus. Instead, a retractable suction cup works in tandem with the remote-controlled machine’s tank-like treads to maneuver across both difficult terrain and over each other....
US Loosens Some Battery Rules, Potentially Making More EVs Eligible For Tax Credits
The U.S. government on Friday loosened some rules governing electric vehicle tax credits, potentially making more EVs eligible for credits of up to $7,500 but leading critics to accuse the Biden administration of helping China. The Treasury Department announced final...
EU Election Could Force Sharp Turn In EV Policy
A change at the top of European institutions could herald a change in the 2035 target to phase out sales of internal combustion engine cars even though the automotive industry is already well down the road towards transitioning to electric vehicles....
What Ridesharers Can Unlock In AV Partnerships
The expansion of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and robotaxi services could pose a threat to rideshare operators Uber (UBER) and Lyft (LYFT). TD Cowen Internet and Media Analyst John Blackledge joins Catalysts to give insight into the potential partnerships...
Mapping Brain Function, Safer AVs Focus Of Schmidt Transformative Technology Fund
Two projects — one that maps the function of the brain’s neuronal network in unprecedented detail and another that combines robotics and light-based computer circuits to create safe self-driving vehicles — have been awarded funding through Princeton’s Eric and...
Ford Just Reported A Massive Loss On Every EV It Sold
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to $1.3 billion, or $132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year, helping to drag down earnings for the company overall. Ford, like most automakers,...
NASA Will Test Sunlight-Powered Space Travel After The Launch Of A Solar Sail
A new experimental mission by NASA is now flying in orbit, aiming to use photons from the Sun to propel its way to higher altitudes. Rocket Lab’s Electron blasted off at 6:32 p.m. ET on April 23, successfully delivering both payloads to low Earth orbit. The short...
Ford Hopes Cheaper EVs Can Convince Skeptics
Ford has thrown down a gauntlet to Tesla by touting its upcoming range of cheap electric cars, as both companies grapple with slowing demand for EVs. CEO Jim Farley confirmed in Ford's Q1 earnings call that the company is working on new affordable EVs...
Musk: Robotaxi, AVs Are Tesla’s Future
Tesla Inc. announced its first quarter earnings for 2024, with the company losing its position as the world’s top EV manufacturer to the Chinese giant BYD in the number of units shipped. The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, touted the company’s artificial intelligence plans...
