DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane

 DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF              

By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane

NEW BMW i8M & NEW DRIVING POSSIBILITIES

                                                                        Source:  BMW

• BMW is developing a Next-Generation version of its i8 series, which is creating a lot of excitement in the automotive community
• Here's what we know:

1. Named i8M
2. Hybrid sports car
3. Estimated price $160,000 to $180,000
4. Cutting edge styling and design that's aerodynamic & futuristic
5. Two electric motors, one at the front and back plus a 4-cylinder turbocharged engine
6. 591 hp
7. Range not announced by BMW but expected to be significant
8. Intriguing possibility that it will be equipped to be fully autonomous, according to some automotive experts

• This new luxury hybrid EV will roll onto the market sometime in 2025 to be a key model in BMW's 2026 lineup.

WANT TO RIDE & FLY IN A REAL FLYING CAR?

                                                                        Source:  Aska

• California-based Aska has successfully flown and driven its flying car A5 in August through a series of world firsts for flying cars
• Here's what we know:

1. Aska has secured 2 world firsts for flying-driving cars
2. A5 is the 1st flying car to be fully authorized by the CA Department of Motor Vehicles to drive in traffic on California roads
3. It's also the first flying car authorized by the FAA for its type certification, after achieving its Certification of Authorization and Special Airworthiness Certificate
4. Just successfully drove 300 miles in road testing in Silicon Valley and then flew, hovered in the air for 30 seconds and successfully landed
5. A5 is an eVTOL 
6. 4-seats
7. Designed like a SUV that drives with its wings folded so that it can travel with other vehicles on roads
8. Flight tests are now ongoing to secure full flight authorization by FAA
9. Tests include short take-offs and landings using in-wheel motors, thrust from the propellers and the aerodynamic wings.

• A5 is one of the US' most promising flying cars that expects to go to market and into commercialization by 2026.

CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE SOONER THAN YOU THINK

                                        Source:  Stock

• US is embracing clean renewable energy at a surprisingly accelerated pace
• It's being called a renewable energy revolution
• Some key facts:

1. By 2025, renewable energies like solar and wind power will be the main source of electricity over coal in the US
2. The pace of change from fossil fuels to renewable energy is breathtaking & surprising experts
3. US is catching up to Europe and other locations on this new energy mega-trend
4. Renewables are also expected to overtake coal as the world's largest source of electricity
5. Record breaking amounts of money - $1.7 trillion - are being invested in renewables just this year

• Full report can be seen in The New York Times.

"Daily Innovation Brief" © By Edward Kane