The shutdown of cruise lines during the pandemic has had far-reaching economic consequences for America’s ports. In this video, WSJ reporter Julie Bykowicz visits Port Canaveral’s once-bustling cruise terminal to learn about what’s next for the industry.
Category Archives: Transportation
Analysis: Why Mercedes-Benz Is No Longer An ‘Aspirational Brand’
Mercedes-Benz is perhaps the biggest name in luxury cars globally, and for countless buyers around the world, it is a car brand to aspire to own. The German automaker has a reputation for superb build quality, excellent engineering, and the bragging rights that its founder Carl Benz invented the first production automobile.
Today, Mercedes-Benz faces a new class of challenges as Tesla has become the aspirational brand for younger consumers. There is a slew of other EV hopefuls vying for the next generation’s aspirational vehicle’s mantle. Automakers have had to sink billions into new technologies and contend with a new crop of competitors in the critical Chinese market and around the world.
Analysis: ‘How Would Apple Make A Car’ (Video)
As tech companies become a key part of the auto industry, cars are looking more like giant computers on wheels. To understand why a tech giant like Apple might want to make a car, we built one out of iPhone parts. Photo illustration: Alex Kuzoian/WSJ
Top Camper Vans: ‘The Den’ 2021 Yama Sprinter (Video)
Welcome to The Den! This 4×4 144WB Mercedes Sprinter van conversion features all the essentials needed for comfortable, off-grid living. This versatile layout includes a convertible murphy bed and standing desk set-up, over 11 feet of counter-space and the Yama Vans Signature CUBE wetroom.
This layout was configured to maximize the useable living space within the van while allowing it to remain open and inviting. The Den’s exterior set-up finds the perfect balance between off-grid, off-road capability with a clean and seamless finish. The Den provides cozy, comfortable living, but is ready to withstand even the wildest adventures.
Video Timeline: 0:00 Welcome To The Den 1:05 Living Space 1:53 Kitchen 2:47 The Finishings 3:34 Sleeping & Workspace 4:27 CUBE wetroom 5:49 The Tech 6:55 Climate Control 7:21 Exterior Gear
Yama Vans is a premium sprinter van upfitter located in Calgary AB, the basecamp to the Canadian Rockies. Yama Vans are crafted using the highest quality, functional materials to ensure longevity and durability of your van. At Yama, our designers are committed to creating van conversions that are not only practical and functional, but also uphold an unmatched industry design standard.
Future Air Travel: ‘Lillium’ – 7-Seat Electric Vertical Take-Off & Land Jet (Video)
Lilium can revolutionize regional travel, saving people hours not minutes. Using its 7-Seater Lilium Jet, revealed March 30, 2021. Lilium’s regional shuttle service will enable sustainable, high-speed transportation. The 7-Seater Lilium Jet has market-leading capacity and is the first of Lilium’s serial aircraft.
It is capable of quiet vertical take-off, allowing Lilium access to more landing sites and the opportunity to build higher network density, avoiding the need for expensive ground infrastructure. The 7-Seater Lilium Jet and regional shuttle service business model are projected to deliver the best unit economics, with passenger and enterprise opportunities.
The Lilium 7-Seater Jet
The Lilium 7-Seater Jet has a projected cruise speed of 175 mph at 10,000 feet and a range of 155+ miles, including reserves. It is the culmination of five years of technology development across four generations of technology demonstrators, including Lilium’s full-scale 5-Seater.
Lilium applied for concurrent type certification for a high-capacity aircraft with EASA and the FAA in 2018. Development of the 7-Seater Lilium Jet began in stealth mode following this milestone. In 2020 the 7-Seater Lilium Jet received CRI-A01 certification basis from EASA.
Lilium has successfully developed, tested and refined the underlying technology for electric vertical take-off and landing jets – Lilium’s proprietary Ducted Electric Vectored Thrust (“DEVT”) technology, along with key control systems, aircraft and battery architecture. DEVT technology enables Lilium to scale to higher-capacity aircraft and keep noise emissions and ground footprint low.
1980’s View: History Of The VW Beetle Wizzard (Video)
Born in the U.S.A, this 1960s VW Beetle Wizard gained its popularity in the midst of a custom car phenomenon with looks overriding performance, though it didn’t kick off in the UK until the 80s. Eye-catching, noisy and cool was the goal. About Car S.O.S Series 9: The best car restoration series with a big heart is back to bring a warm smile to all!
Master mechanic Fuzz Townshend and parts-blagging petrol head Tim Shaw set off on a mission to save decaying classic cars from their unsuspecting but very much deserving owners. The cars are taken to the Car S.O.S. garage with Tim & Fuzz racing against the clock to carefully restore it to its former glory, leading to the big, surprise reveal.
Supersonic: ‘Concorde – Fall Of A Legend’ (Video)
The Concorde was one of the most spectacular passenger aircraft ever built. But 113 people died when a French Concorde crashed in July 2000. Soon afterward, the era of the supersonic passenger plane came to an end.
The legend of the Concorde lives on, not least because it was a technical marvel. For 30 years, it thundered across the Atlantic at the speed of a bullet: Concorde could outrun the clock, arriving in New York earlier than it had departed Paris or London. Only a few could afford to fly at double the speed of sound: executives, pop stars and luxury vacationers who didn’t balk at ticket prices of around $10,000.
The disaster occurred on July 25, 2000, near Paris. It still raises questions. Few know that on that fateful day two Concordes left Paris for New York due to a high number of passengers flying to board a cruise. Travelers had the ability to switch their booking between two flights, a decision that would cost some of them their lives. This documentary tells the eventful story of supersonic flight, including other planes like the Soviet TU-144, known as “Konkordski”. Plans for a new supersonic passenger jet have long been in the works. The first prototypes are on the way, but air travelers still have a while to wait before they can again reach supersonic speeds.
Italian Design: Inside Benetti’s ‘Motopanfilo’
I am truly astonished by the amount of yachts that Benetti build and also by their prolific design department that consistently creates winning new models. The latest model is called the “Motopanfilo”. It is an unusual name, so I went to Benetti to find out all about it.
Analysis: The Catastrophic Failures Of The Boeing 777 Aircraft Engines (Video)
A type of Pratt & Whitney engine on Boeing 777s has failed catastrophically three times in a three-year span. Federal investigators are trying to figure out why.
Analysis: Why China Is Dominating The U.S. In Electric Cars (Video)
The global electric vehicle market is heating up and China wants to dominate. The country has invested at least $60 billion to support the EV industry and it’s pushing an ambitious plan to transition to all electric or hybrid cars by 2035. Tesla entered the Chinese market in 2019 and has seen rapid growth.
China sold roughly one million more EVs than the U.S. in 2020. But there are signs the U.S. is getting more serious about going electric. President Joe Biden announced a goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and investments in green infrastructure. Watch the video to find out how China came to dominate the market and whether it’s too late for the U.S. to catch up.
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