DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane, Journalist

 DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF

                                                                      

                 By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane

UK'S SOLAR TREES TO RECHARGE EVs

                     

                                            

               Source:  SolarBotanic Trees & Dubai Expo 2020

• Entrepreneurs in the UK have developed a highly innovative EV charger - Solar Trees
• The artificial trees with their tops loaded with nano photovoltaic "leaves" capture the sun's energy, convert it into electricity & store it in a battery in the tree's trunk
• The new artificial tree technology was invented by SolarBotanic Trees as a power source for charging electric vehicles
• The trees are 15-feet tall, attractive, easily deployed & of particular interest to luxury hotels, shopping malls, corporate headquarters & more to showcase they are green
• Each tree has a power generating capacity of 5 kilowatts
• Costs $22,000 to $30,000 with plans for smaller ones in the $12,000 range
• Company has already gotten its 1st order of 200 recharging trees from Raw Charging Group which plans to roll them out as part of their recharging network
• SolarBotanic is currently testing the solar trees & expects to begin commercial production by the end of the year
• UK is rapidly growing its EV recharging infrastructure, which has increased 37% in the past year to 40,000 but 325,000 will be needed by 2032 to service the accelerating number of EVs
• Giant solar trees were deployed at Dubai Expo 2020 to generate electricity.

TOYOTA'S HYDROGEN SPORTS CAR

                                                                        Source:  Toyota

• Toyota recently unveiled a hydrogen, performance oriented Mirai sports car, which is a more aggressive and lower-sitting version of the Mirai
• Called the Mirai Sport Concept, the FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicle) was presented by the Japanese automaker at a racing event in Fuji
• The new FCEV sports car concept produces 182 hp & 221 lb-ft of torque
• Car has sleek, aerodynamic, sporty styling with a carbon fiber hood, 21"flashy alloy wheels, lowered suspension, aggressive front fascia with new bumper & trunk mounted spoiler
• Based on the 2nd generation Mirai, it has a range of 402 miles
• Toyota isn't providing any details on the new hydrogen concept car other than it will make hydrogen fuel cells fun driving
• Toyota is a firm believer in the value of hydrogen power and is developing both hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen combustion engine powered vehicles, along with a mix of electric & electric hybrid EVs.

DIET RICH IN FLAVONOIDS REVERSES MEMORY LOSS

                                                                    Source:  Stock

• A diet rich in green tea, apples, pears & berries can prevent and reverse aged-related memory declines
• The key is a chemical called flavanol which is also present in leafy green vegies, red wine, almonds, dark chocolate, grapes & broccoli
• The research study was performed by scientists at Columbia University with 3500 participants
• The scientists discovered that people who do not have a diet rich in flavanols are more likely to suffer significant memory loss when they get older
• People with a flavanol deficiency who correct it can regain memory by 16% a year
• Experts consider this a very important study for improving memory in the aging brain.