| | | | | | | Presented By Enbridge | | | | Axios What's Next | | By Jennifer A. Kingson, Alex Fitzpatrick and Joann Muller · Jul 08, 2022 | | While you've heard plenty about electric vehicles, you probably haven't heard about electric aircraft — yet. - There are more than 170 electric plane projects underway worldwide, Scientific American reports — and strong growth is expected starting in 2028.
- Below, Joann gives us the scoop on an effort to bring electric seaplane service to Hawaii by 2025.
Today's Smart Brevity count: 1,128 words ... 4 minutes. | | | | | | 1 big thing: Electric airplanes are on the horizon |  | | | Regent's Viceroy concept would glide above the water, linking coastal communities. Image courtesy of Regent Craft | | | | All-electric "seagliders" could someday offer fast, low-altitude flights in coastal communities like the Hawaiian Islands, Joann Muller writes. Why it matters: Electric aviation is the next frontier in the movement of people and goods. - Better batteries, lighter-weight materials and other innovations — plus huge capital investments — are opening the door to novel and lower-emissions transportation solutions like flying taxis, drones and seagliders.
- "It's a space race all over again," Billy Thalheimer, CEO of seaglider startup Regent Craft, tells Axios.
Driving the news: Boston-based Regent is partnering with Hawaiian carrier Mokulele Airlines and investment firm Pacific Current to create a seaglider network in Hawaii. - Service is expected to begin by 2025 with a fleet of 12-passenger Viceroy seagliders that will fly like pelicans, about 10 to 30 feet over the water, at speeds of up to 180 miles per hour.
- Hawaiian Airlines recently invested in Regent, with an eye toward building a 100-person version of the craft by 2028.
- The idea is to offer a cheaper, faster, cleaner alternative to existing ferries and regional air service.
Seagliders are neither fish nor fowl — while they fly at low altitudes, they're expected to be regulated by maritime authorities, which could mean an easier path to commercialization, says Thalheimer. - Operating a seaglider will be more like driving a boat than piloting an aircraft, he says.
- And digital controls will manage stability, altitude and the transitions between modes in and above the water.
- Regent's 12-passenger Viceroy would have a range of about 180 miles, based on existing technology, he says. But as batteries improve, it's expected that future aircraft could go as far as 500 miles.
Yes, but: Regent still has a long way to go — it won't enter full-scale prototyping until the end of 2023. Read the full story. |     | | | | | | 2. Survey says Americans aren't sold on EVs |  Data: CR Consumer Reports; Chart: Axios Visuals Just over one-third of Americans say they'd "seriously consider" or "definitely" buy an EV as their next vehicle, per a survey of over 8,000 U.S. adults by Consumer Reports. Why it matters: While EV sales in the past year have doubled, they accounted for only 5% of new vehicle registrations, Alan Neuhauser writes in Axios Pro's Climate Deals newsletter (subscription). - The Consumer Reports survey shows just how unfamiliar EVs still are to most Americans.
Driving the news: Consumer Reports said 36% of people surveyed would seriously consider an EV. - Overall, 71% of the people surveyed expressed at least some interest in EVs. But that figure includes the 35% share that merely said they "might consider" an EV.
- EVs remain a novelty: Fewer than half of those surveyed said they'd seen an EV in their neighborhoods.
- Just 17% said they'd simply ridden in an EV in the past year, and barely 7% had driven one in the same period.
What they're saying: Participants said the primary concerns about owning an EV are charging logistics (61%), driving range (55%), and the cost of buying and owning an EV (52%). | | | | | | | | 3. So, a robot walks into a nursing home... |  | | | Pepper the robot told jokes at a nursing home in Roseville, Minn., on Wednesday. Photo: Mark Vancleave/Star Tribune via Getty Images. | | | | A 4-foot-tall droid named Pepper — preprogrammed with hundreds of jokes — is one of two robots now working at a nursing home in Roseville, Minnesota, entertaining residents and helping monitor their health, Jennifer A. Kingson writes. - A sample from its sometimes-salty repertoire: "I went on a date with a Roomba last week — it totally sucked."
The big picture: Household robots are growing in utility and ubiquity, and this latest use seems to blend two trends we've noted: The availability of humanoid robots as party guests and entertainers and their use as companions and health monitors for the elderly. Driving the news: As part of a study by the University of Minnesota Duluth, two robots (designed by SoftBank Robotics) have been deployed at a nursing home owned by Monarch Healthcare Management. - When not delivering a standup routine, Pepper will mingle with residents, to "remind them to eat and exercise, and react to their facial expressions or tone of voice," per the Minnesota Star Tribune.
- The second robot — a 2-footer that's ingloriously named NAO — is "designed to lead residents in group exercises and dance routines."
- "Facial recognition software allows the robot to talk with residents by name and even detect their moods," the Star Tribune reports. "Wristbands on residents send wireless biometric data to the robot, which can then detect when the residents are off their eating or sleeping schedules, laboring to breathe or feeling sad."
Share this story. | | | | | | | | A message from Enbridge | | Tomorrow is happening now | | |  | | | | Hydrogen — fuel of the future? With North America's first utility-scale power-to-gas facility, Enbridge is working today to blend green hydrogen into natural gas, reducing emissions while sustaining affordable, reliable energy for homes and businesses. | | | | | | 4. Analyst predicts rare decline in video game market |  | | | A customer shopping for games in Tokyo in May. Photo: Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images | | | | The global video game market will shrink in 2022, according to a new industry analysis that blames multiple factors, Stephen Totilo reports in Axios Gaming. Why it matters: If correct, it'll prove that gaming, which surged at the onset of the pandemic, doesn't operate in a bubble. - Researchers at Ampere Analysis predict a 1.2% market decline for the year, from $191 billion to $188 billion.
- For context, growth had been rapid for years, rocketing up from $95 billion in 2015, according to Ampere.
Between the lines: The expected downturn is blamed on declines in most major gaming sectors and the impact of "heavy inflation, with an increasing cost-of-living squeeze." What's next: The bad news may be short-lived: Ampere expects gaming industry growth again in 2023, reaching $195 billion. Read the rest. | | | | | | | | 5. One woman's journey to day care on an electric bike |  | | | Axios reporter Ashley Gold, her daughter Clara and her husband Eli Glazier bike to day care in Northeast Washington, D.C. Photo: Eli Glazier | | | | This summer I excitedly joined the ranks of parents who tote their children to day care and elsewhere via electric bike, Axios technology reporter Ashley Gold writes. Why it matters: Electric bicycling is exploding in popularity — with notable uptake in urban areas like Washington, D.C., where I live. - It's an attractive option for people who need another means of transport but don't want another vehicle.
- For me, a 20-minute walk to day care has turned into a 5-minute bike ride. I'm in the car less, parking is a breeze and it brings me joy to cruise around with my kid.
The backstory: My e-bike conversion began right after my daughter turned 1 year old and was big enough to sit on the back of a bike. - We learned how to shift the gears, navigate between power assist levels and charge the battery.
Technically, our bike is a pedelec, or electrically assisted pedal cycle (EAPC). It has an electric motor that kicks in only when the rider is pedaling. - While this is the kind you most commonly see on the street, other e-bikes are throttle-controlled and don't require pedaling.
Road test: To me, using the pedelec feels like riding a slightly heavier-than-average bike, but with a boost to go uphill without much effort — and some extra speed on flat roads. - The speed assist taps out at 20 mph, so it's hard to feel out-of-control.
Ask the expert: Clara hates having her helmet put on, but once we get going, she claps and smiles, taking in the scenery. (She declined to provide a comment on her experience.) Read the full story. | | | | | | | | A message from Enbridge | | Tomorrow is happening now | | |  | | | | Hydrogen — fuel of the future? With North America's first utility-scale power-to-gas facility, Enbridge is working today to blend green hydrogen into natural gas, reducing emissions while sustaining affordable, reliable energy for homes and businesses. | | | | Today's newsletter was copy edited by Amy "error-catcher" Stern. Was this email forwarded to you? Get your daily dose of What's Next magic by signing up here for our free newsletter. |  | | Are you a fan of this email format? It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 300 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here.
Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington VA 22201 | | | You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios.
Change your preferences or unsubscribe here. | | | Was this email forwarded to you?
Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox. | | | | Follow Axios on social media:    | | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment