New Dawn, New World
A report by Tim Fetshire
July 8, 2020
"Vancouver BC at Night" (Photo by Tim Fetshire © 2018)
A New Dawn for Electric Vehicles
In cities such as Los Angeles, New Delhi and Shanghai emissions caused by motor vehicles are visible in the sky day and night. These emissions contribute to the high levels of pollution that affect the health of all living creatures in the area, and sometimes even to those living miles away, through air currents and jet streams. People may develop illnesses from breathing in the contaminants and drinking polluted water, which in turn threatens livelihoods, creating complex multi-billion dollar socio-economic issues in those countries. This has been especially noticable in the peak outbreak areas of Northern Italy and Central China during the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic where underlying respiratory health conditions caused by pollution have increased susceptibility to the virus.
The US is a country with one of the world’s highest rates of car ownership. Of those vehicles, a fairly low percentage are electric vehicles or EVs, because most cars are gasoline-powered with internal combustion engines. Americans also tend to favour larger vehicles, such as SUVs and Pickup Trucks, over smaller vehicles, like hatchbacks for example, VW Polo, Smart Car, and the MiniCooper. Large gas-guzzlers produce more pollution than the smaller models and they exceed the Californian Emission Standards.
"The City" (by Tim © 2018)
Yet, what if things were different? What if the future included Global e-Mobility and Transportation Electrification on land, on water and in the air? What if transport companies like DHL chose to purchase electric vehicles instead? As EVs are cleaner, more efficient to run than gas-powered vehicles, and have lower maintenance schedules, the annual costs of operation would be reduced dramatically. Battery-Powered vehicles meet all Zero-Emission standards and do not emit carbon dioxide or other pollutants into the air. And with the use of Cobalt-Free Batteries, it would reduce the harmful effects from mining operations for Cobalt and other resources.
Petroleum is a finite resource which is non-renewable. The rate of global emissions from CO2, CO, NOx and SO2 would go down and the rate of global mining disasters, including oil spills and fires on oil-rig drilling platforms will lower with a decrease in the production of gasoline-powered vehicles. Today, BP and Royal Dutch Shell are writing off approximately US$40 billion worth of oil-related assets together, and redirecting their resources into renewable energy production around the world. Since the IMF is writing off debts from struggling countries due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, it is a good time for companies to further assist those in need with a sustainable and renewable energy production platform.
At the micro-economics level, car-owners would also save money by switching to EVs. Instead of paying for gasoline at the pumps, they would simply charge at convenient stations at home, in store parking lots, for example IKEA or at designated charging stations for free, as with Tesla. Although the initial price tag of an EV is higher than a gasoline-powered car, over time the gas savings would more than pay for the higher price of the vehicle. And, at the public service level, a US police chief in Idaho who pushed to electrify his department’s patrol cars with Tesla Model 3 vehicles now says that the EVs might pay for themselves in less than 2 years.
Before we move on to the future of e-Mobility and how it will be widely adapted by human beings more than ever before, let us look at the brief history of "electricity generation" and the origin of the popular name “Tesla".
A Short History of Electricity
Before the emergence of the study of Electro-Magnetism, the use of electricity was associated with the occult, sometimes for the display of power. (image coming “Lighting the Cup" (Photo by Tim c 2017)
In 1879, the American inventor Thomas Edison was finally able to produce a long-lasting and reliable electric light source called the "Light-bulb" in his laboratory.
In 1884, the Croatian born engineer and physicist Nikola Tesla arrived in the U.S. and was introduced to Thomas Edison. He conducted some of his earlier work in hydroelectric power at Niagara Falls. He understood that nature provided an abundant supply of freely available energy that might be utilised with the proper ways and means.
Tesla was one of the earlier designers of what we now call renewable energy concepts. He invented the first alternating current (AC) motor and developed AC generation and transmission technology. Soon, fierce competition between Tesla and Edison lead to the development of Edison's popular Direct Current (DC) electrical standards (e.g. the electrochemical cells), which led to the birth of batteries.
In 1891 Nikola Tesla invented the Tesla Coil, which is an electrical resonant transformer circuit. It is used to produce high-voltage, low-current, and high frequency alternating-current electricity. Tesla experimented with a number of different configurations consisting of two, or sometimes three, coupled resonant electric circuits.
Tesla used these circuits to conduct innovative experiments in electrical lighting, phosphorescence, X-ray generation, high frequency alternating current phenomena, electrotherapy, and the transmission of electrical energy without wires. Tesla coil circuits were used commercially in spark-gap radio transmitters for wireless telegraphy until the 1920s, and in medical equipment such as electrotherapy and ultra-violet ray devices. Today, their main usage is for entertainment and educational displays as well as for billboards and in sports stadiums, although small coils are still used as leak detectors for high vacuum systems - Wiki.
With its display of power and brilliance, the Tesla Coil is finding a place in the art world today through Anouk Wipprecht, a fashion-tech designer of wearable technology/robotics and the inventor of Spider Dress. She and her friends created a dazzling display of music and lightning for "Red Bull" with the help of the original Tesla Coil in 2020. - https://www.facebook.com/anouk.wipprecht/media_set?set=a.10157870657809070&type=3 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php fbid=10157870663229070&set=pb.755399069.-2207520000..&type=3&theater "e-Tron Lightning" by AUDi AG.
Tesla and High-Tech PPE
The medical benefits of Tesla's inventions included those used in the field of electromagnetism. At the beginning of the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic, there was a huge shortage of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and other Hospital ER Equipment, including Ventilators. So far, Pandemic PPE consists of low-tech versions of wearables such as face masks, gloves and aprons. But the hi-tech forms of PPE would extend to spacesuits and robotic exoskeletons on the International Space Station, powered by electricity from lithium-Ion batteries.
In 2012, a post graduate thesis project from Umea University, Sweden, created a whole new type of automotive exoskeleton called the Audi Elite Concept, a gesture/A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) controlled single seated high-power gamification concept or a Formula Electric Grand Prix race car powered by artificial photosynthesis, that won the 2013 VDA (Verband der Automobilindustrie e.V. - German Association of the Automotive Industry) Award at the IAA (Frankfurt Autoshow). It became an inspiration for a new FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) Grand Prix Racing Series called Formula E (aka e-Prix). In 2014 team Audi eTron Schaeffler ABT driver Lucas Di Grassi from Brazil, who is also UN Ambassador of Climate Change and CEO of the UK-based firm "ROBORACE", won his first Formula E Championship on July 30th in Montreal, Canada, and became the 2017 Champion for Audi as well.
Audi Elite Concept VDA 2013 by Eric Leong and Tim (c 2012 Audi / Semcon) https://www.thestar.com/sports/auto-racing/2017/07/30/lucas-di-grasssi-wins-formula-e-drivers-title-at-montreal-eprix.html and DiGrassi 2020 Recap during Covid Lockdown -
https://www.facebook.com/lucasdigrassi/videos/1297971143734006/
After 6 Seasons, in 2020 the FIA Formula E partners were able to convert their electric automotive production to PPE and Ventilator production. They also donated the FIA Formula E London ExCeL grounds in the UK and with the help of the British Military built the NHS Florence Nightingale Hosptial equipped to treat over a thousand COVID-19 patients.
And We Go Green
If you are interested in the story of FIA Formula E (aka e-Prix), there is a feature film/ documentary about the FIA World Electric Formula Racing Championship called And We Go Green. The film launches worldwide on 9th July 2020, but the birth of this movie happened years ago when I was fortunate enough to meet Leonardo DiCaprio for drinks and dinner in a restaurant over the Grand Prix weekend. We had started chatting and he came up with the idea that became And We Go Green. We brainstormed about what the movie could be and he suggested a documentary. The phenomenal story of how a dinner with Leonardo DiCaprio and Alejandro Agag launched And We Go Green is directed by TigerKing producer and Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens, and the film launched on 9th July 2020. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/BmKqc_7WUTQ For further information, here iseverything you need to know : https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2020/may/awgg-behind-the-scenes-alejandro-agag
Which E Car?
As the film And We Go Green states, the beginning of going green was full of challenges. Change can be difficult. And given that customers are dealing with a global pandemic this year, many may seek comfort in brands and products that are tried, tested and true. For a car buyer who is in the market for a new vehicle and unfamiliar with EVs, there is something called "range anxiety". They may need to take baby steps to learn about how "far" the technology has come, literally, well over 500km with a single charge. Perhaps, the first step might be to start with a lower-priced model that is already known to them.
According to a blogpost on www.canadadrives.ca titled ”7 of the Cheapest Electric Cars in Canada in 2020”, the Hyundai IONIQ has an MSRP of Cdn$37,899 and the Volkswagen e-Golf retails at Cdn$36,720.
If a customer has previously owned a gasoline-powered Golf, they may be persuaded to try the e-Golf or the new ID3 and ID4 (shipping 2021). As they are already familiar with the brand, the stylish look, friendly UX/UI, inspiring performance and handling of the car, there is less risk of encountering any bad surprises. Plus some local, provincial and state government agencies are offering a "switching over to EV" / "Retire Your Ride" rebate. With purchase subsidies of up to $5000.00, it would make purchasing an electric vehicle even more attractive.
In Germany, France and The Netherlands gaining access to an electric car has just got cheaper, or even free because of the Government pumping subsides into a flagging car industy. Over lockdown, customers have flocked to virtual car showrooms and the ink has dried on some 300 lease contracts for the Renault Zoe EV five door hatchback in Germany with prices as low as a monthly mobile phone contract, or free in some cases. In France sales of the Zoe EV are set to double this year whilst the Dutch have swallowed up a record $11.3million of car subidies in eight days. www.futurism.com
Once the customer has owned an EV for several years, they may wish to trade up for a more upscale model. For the customer who seeks performance and luxury, the Porsche Taycan, the Jaguar i-pace, the Audi e-Tron, the Polestar 2 (Volvo Group), the BMW i Series or the Mercedes Benz EQ Series may fit the bill. All come with high-tech renewable materials and "Vegan" options which offer non-animal based leather stitching and inserts. The Porsche pricing ranges from Cdn$119,400-$213,900, depending on whether one opts for the Turbo, Turbo S or 4S version. According to an article in www.wheels.ca, the Taycan is “capable of 800-volt charging that can recover 100 km worth of range in five minutes”. Now that's fast! How’s that for bragging rights?
If an E car is out of your price range https://www.wheels.ca/top-ten/heres-a-look-at-every-ev-available-in-canada/ or not an option at the moment and you still want to go green, then perhaps an electric scooter may be a good alternative to a petrol car. Audi e-Tron and e-Tron scooter by Audi AG (© 2019).
On June 24, 2018, Frenchman Romain Dumas broke Sebastien Loeb’s Pikes Peak International Hillclimb record as the first driver to finish the 12.42-mile race in under eight minutes. Driving a Volkswagen electric I.D.R, Dumas set a new record at 7m57.148s.
Young boys dream of becoming a racing car driver when they grow up. Many do not actually pursue this childhood dream. Yet, boys grow into men who maintain their passion for cars and automotive sports. And most people wish to be associated with a winning team. When Volkswagen set a new world record at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb in 2018, people took notice. EVs are breaking records for speed and performance.
Choose E-Mobility
As e-Mobility becomes more accessible and popular, consumers will embrace them and sales will rise. As consumers were inspired by gas-powered race cars in the past, so too will they be inspired by today’s electric race cars, thanks to their impressive track records. Customers may purchase an e-motorcycle or e-car as a recreational vehicle to enjoy a fun ride in the warmer months. Given the popularity of FIA Formula E, the gamification of e-Prix during the COVID-19 Pandemic's #RaceAtHome for UN and Unicef (e-Sports or SIM racing ), and with options ranging from low to high end with familiar brands such as VW, Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, consumers have a wealth of choices.
Companies that require a fleet of transport vehicles will decide to purchase EVs when the time comes to replace their existing stock (e.g. Tesla Semi, Volvo Semi or MAN Semi). It just makes economic sense. EVs save on fuel costs, are efficient and offer good or excellent performance. Plus, they have low maintenance costs. Ten years ago, the range of EVs available was smaller, there were fewer charging stations, and their performance was not as strong. Today, all that has changed. More products, more charging stations and record-breaking performance.
"Ocean Fleet" (Photo by Tim © 2
To conclude this section on e-Mobility, below is a round-up about developments in vehicle electrification from around the world:
Germany
BMW Group says, “Our Competence Centre for E-Drive Production, which is located in our biggest European BMW production site in Dingolfing, will set new standards for e-mobility by producing electric powertrain components for 500,000 electrified vehicles.
By 2022, at Plant Dingolfing alone we will be able to produce e-drives for more than half a million electrified vehicles per year." Oliver Zipse — CEO, BMW AG. Read more here: https://www.bmwgroup.com/e-drive-production
Mercedes-Benz-Daimler on Wednesday said it had chosen China-backed Farasis Energy to supply battery cells for its Mercedes-Benz electrification push. Farasis is building a 600 million euro ($663 million) factory in east Germany, close to where Chinese rival CATL is erecting a 1.8 billion euro ($2 billion) battery plant.
Mercedes-Benz has acquired a stake in Chinese battery cell manufacturer Farasis Energy. They say, "The technological focus is on significant increases in range through advances in energy density and the reduction of charging times. The contract will provide a secure source of supply of battery cells for Mercedes-Benz’s electrification strategy, while Farasis gains security for its planned construction of production capacity. In order to be able to meet increasing demand for German Mercedes-Benz plants in the future, Farasis is building a plant for battery cells in Bitterfeld -Wolfen; creating up to 2,000 new jobs. The East German site is designed as a CO2 - neutral factory from the start.” https://electrek.co/2020/07/03/mercedes-benz-acquires-stake-chinese-battery-cell-manufacturer-farasis-energy
SVOLT Energy Technology, which was carved out of China's Great Wall Motor, told Reuters it would start building battery cells in Europe at a new 2 billion euro ($2.2 billion) plant in 2023. The batteries will be Cobalt free! https://cleantechnica.com/2020/05/21/svolt-announces-cobalt-free-battery-production-launch
https://europe.autonews.com/frankfurt-auto-show/china-out-force-frankfurt-led-battery-builders
'Lilium', the German aviation startup setting out to bring flying taxis to the skies by 2025, has added a further $35 million to its pot, taking its series C round of funding to around $275 million following the initial investment it announced back in March. A person familiar with the matter confirmed that this extension has now nudged the company into much-covered “unicorn territory, with a valuation in excess of $1 billion."
https://venturebeat.com/2020/06/08/lilium-raises-35-million-to-accelerate-flying-taxi-development/
The USA
Tesla Inc. - Elon Musk sought support from Toyota for his EV Startup company - Tesla Motors (2003), and at the beginning he almost went bankrupt. In 2020, Tesla Inc. is the most valuable company in the world. and The Tesla Semi is an all-electric battery-powered Class 8 semi-truck in development by Tesla, Inc. Two concept vehicles were unveiled in November 2017, and production in 2021 is planned. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the Semi would come standard with Tesla Autopilot, that allows semi-autonomous driving on highways. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1128470_musk-says-yes-tesla-semi-reportedly-being-pushed-toward-mass-production
In June 2020, the Tesla Semi Prototype was seen delivering Tesla Vehicles across the US, including the US Police Department.
US Electric School Bus
The UK
McDonald's McCafe - Park for 20 minutes for coffee, you are charged up! #EV #eMobility #McDs #Cafe #Patio #UK <3 #electrification #AndWeGoGreen https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/mcdonalds-electric-car-charging-points-uk-restaurants-fast-food-instavolt-a9590116.html?
London, UK - RoboRace UK - All electric #AI racecar... Broke the World Speed Record: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=381500089417772
Sweden
Silent Electric Boat - https://www.businessinsider.com/x-shore-swedish-electric-boat-design-inspired-by-electric-eels-2020-7?
Finland
From #Valmet - Jyrki Nurmi, Senior Vice President for EV Systems, Valmet Automotive Inc. is part of the group. #eMobility #Industry4 #Renewable #Energy #EV https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/-/1410877/battery-strategy-to-strengthen-finland-s-position-as-a-pioneer-in-sustainable-battery-manufacturing
Italy
Italdesign - https://www.facebook.com/Italdesign.official/videos/2480500802235198/
Japan
Robots are softball fans! The coronavirus has put most public events, including sports and concerts, on hold around the world. As many countries see declining cases and hospitalizations, public life is slowly starting to reopen. In Japan, which has had a low number of cases, the Nippon Professional Baseball League was allowed to start its delayed season in June.
Fans aren't allowed to watch games in person until at least July 10, so teams have been putting different symbols in the stands instead. For the SoftBank Hawks, owned by Japanese tech giant SoftBank, Pepper robot seems like the obvious choice. The robots wore team jerseys and looked like cheering fans.
Robot Actors
What if Alex Garland’s 2014 science-fiction favorite “Ex Machina” starred a real artificially intelligent robot as Ava instead of Alicia Vikander? Moviegoers are about to find out, sort of. Bondit Capital Media, Happy Moon Productions, and Ten Ten Global Media are putting forward $70 million to produce “b,” a science-fiction movie that is set to star the A.I. robot Erica in the leading role (via The National, as first reported by THR). The companies are touting “b” as the first movie in history to be led by an actor who is an A.I. robot. - Indiewire and Besides Erica, Sophia is also an actor:
Kawasaki Heavy Industries - EV
Kawasaki EV Endeavor - Acceleration. One of the great advantages of an electric vehicle is the abundance of torque available right from 0 km/h. The strong acceleration that results will contribute to riding impact. Kawasaki Heavy Industries' N 700 "S" broke the world speed record for "bullet trains" - over 360km/hr. It can also run on Lithium-ion Batteries during an earthquake.
To Conclude
As you can see from the examples from around the globe, electrification has moved far beyond e-cars. It encompasses and touches so many aspects of our lives, including healthcare, transportation, travel, entertainment, and sports. And not only has it brought countless benefits to people’s lives, but electrification will continue to do so in the future. A new dawn and new world is not coming—it has already arrived.
"Canadian Georgian Bay Sunset" (Photo by Tim c 2017).
About the Author: Tim Fetshire holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Economics/Industrial Organization in the Department of Public Affairs. He lives and works in Canada as a designer, having studied design under Wim Gilles, Don Westwood and Jacques Ostiguy at Industrial Design in Ottawa. He was a project advisor for the award-winning 2012 Autostyle Eco Popemobile, Vatican City, Italy and a thesis advisor for the Audi Elite Concept, VDA 2013 at IAA Frankfurt Auto Show, Germany.
Tim contributes to the work of the Centre of Industrial Design Research in the School of Industrial Design at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. His work is published in Prof. Gilles' book Form Organization. He is also a member of the Canadian Academy of Film and Television, working on more than 200 productions, including the Canadian Screen Awards-nominated The Mystery Files, Seasons 1 and 2, and Finding Stuff Out, Season 3, both by Apartment 11 Productions and TVO.
Editor: Sam Burcher. Picture Editor: Andy Watton