Important Innovations

  Microsoft, GM and Cruise Partner on Self-Driving Cars                                                  Source:  GM's Cruise A New Vision for Autonomous Driving This is a brand new vision of the future of autonomous driving.  A new partnership among Microsoft, GM and Cruise.  San Francisco based startup Cruise just received a huge infusion of cash to develop autonomous cars.  Microsoft has joined GM, which is Cruise's majority shareholder, along with Honda and other institutional investors to pump $2 billion worth of investment into Cruise and its autonomous technology.  Their intent is for Cruise to take their self-driving vehicles to market for widespread commercialization. The investment infusion brought Cruise's market valuation to $30 billion. That is very close to Waymo, the self-driving company owned by Google's parent Alphabet, valued at slightly over $30 billion. Microsoft Tech and the Big Picture Cruise will use Microsoft's cloud computing platform Azure

  Big Innovation Coming from Europe                             Source:  Hydrogen Ferry Norled Hydrogen Passenger and Cargo Vessels Big changes are ahead for the passenger and cargo ship industries. To meet United Nations targets for the shipping industry's carbon footprint, the first net zero, green ships will have to enter the global fleet by 2030.  Experts say that ships powered by hydrogen will be the key part of the mix . But, because hydrogen requires more fuel storage capacity than other fuels, the first hydrogen powered ships will be vessels on short voyages.  Europe is leading the way in the innovation of new, hydrogen powered vessels. European Innovation Wave Switzerland based technology group ABB believes that passenger and shipping vessels will be the first users of hydrogen fuel cell systems.  ABB is currently working on a fuel cell based power and propulsion system for a new river vessel for the Rhone River in France.  It will be a first of its kind. Norway, the Nethe

GM Investing in Ride Sharing Source:  GM GM's Cruise Origin Cars are expensive to buy, insure, park, fuel and maintain.  They pour tremendous amounts of pollution into the air, globally on a daily basis.  Personal vehicles have low utilization  rates.  For all of those reasons and more, GM is moving to capitalize on a significant, alternative driving trend for the near future: ride sharing. California Cruising GM's self driving subsidiary Cruise just unveiled its new vehicle Origin in San Francisco.  Origin is a new, ride sharing shuttle that can carry up to six passengers.  It's all-electric, totally autonomous and specifically designed for ride sharing.  For GM, this is a mass production vehicle as they believe the market potential for it is big.  The vehicle has no steering wheel and no pedals.  The vehicle is a new and additional business model for GM.  The company has petitioned US transportation officials for approval to deploy it on US roads.