This week The World Economic Forum are highlighting 4 top stories – millennial retirement savings, slingshot tech for satellite launches, China’s cheapest electric car, and Paris noise sensors
Timeline: 00:15 Millennial retirement savings 01:48 Slingshot satellite launches 03:46 China’s cheapest electric car 04:52 Paris installs noise sensors
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
Tim and Fuzz are taking on their 100th car: a 1978 MGB, which is also going to be their first electric conversion. The car formerly belonged to family man, Jeff. When Jeff sadly passed away, he left his unfinished MG project to his daughter, Caroline, who promised her father she would complete the restoration of his car. Can the Car S.O.S team help Caroline fulfil her father’s last dying wish? For more incredible car renovations, amazing engineering and heartfelt stories, watch brand new episodes of Car S.O.S. Thursdays at 8pm, on National Geographic UK. 📺
This week, the World Economic Forum is highlighting 4 key stories – roads that charge electric cars reducing the need for charging points, a false banana that could feed 100 million people, solar farms on superstore roofs and 3 reasons that economic growth will be slower in 2022.
Humans are notorious for not being able to let go, so even when carmakers jump head first into the manufacturing of electric cars, we continue clinging to the models of the past. This fascination with classic designs is expected to flourish into a multibillion-dollar industry where old internal combustion cars would be retrofitted into EVs. Today we will show you the latest sprouts of this emerging class of electric cars, that combine the iconic gas guzzling looks with innovative powertrains and tech of tomorrow.
Video timeline of cars: 00:00 Introduction 00:44 Lunaz Aston Martin DB6 lunaz.design/cars/aston-martin The 1965 DB6 was the evolution of the legendary grand tourer driven by James Bond and arguably one of the most iconic shapes ever conceived in metal. The British EV builder Lunaz Design sees that this classic would be accepted on the emission free public roads of the future. 01:42 Ford F-100 Eluminator media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2021/11/02/all-electric-f-100-eluminator-concept.html This 1978 F 100 recreation demonstrates Ford’s capability to provide owners of their past models with a functional electric conversion solution. Fitted with a drivetrain from the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance, the Ford F-100 Eluminator gets a 68 or an 88 kWh battery and 2 electric motors. 02:48 Superformance MKIII E superformance.com/factory-models/mkiii-e Under this name hides a full replica of the third generation 427 Shelby Cobra, this time, however, without the usual V8 engine. Instead, Superformance works with the Florida-based GoTech Performance to turn the roadster into a bullet fast EV. 03:53 Bronco Electric zerolabs.com Starting from 2022, any classic can be electric thanks to the skateboard platform designed by the LA Zero Labs. They demonstrate the capabilities of their EV chassis by reviving the 1960s and 70s legend, the original Ford Bronco. 05:13 Porsche 356 Electrogenic electrogenic.co.uk The British electric-vehicle conversion specialist Electrogenic delivered the first fully electric example of the Porsche 356. 06:20 Ava Defenders studioava.com/arctic Hidden in the wilds of the Wicklow mountains of Ireland, the Ava Studio follows the path of transforming the world’s most desirable classic cars to electric. At the core of their portfolio are original Land Rover Defenders in 90 and 110 bodies. 07:30 Electrogenic Karmann Ghia electrogenic.co.uk/about-us/what-we-do Made for one of the company’s founders, Steve Drummond, the Electrogenic Karmann Ghia builds on the 1970 VW Karmann Ghia. First, the model was restored to the perfect condition by another UK-based shop, Type 2 Detectives. 08:28 E-Legend EL1 e-legends.de E-Legend EL1 is not a simple retrofit or a restomod, but an all-new supercar that borrows inspiration from the rally-bred Audi Sport Quattro from the 1980s era. The EV is the creation of a former VW designed Marcus Holzinger, and it is built in cooperation with German technological specialist Roding Automobile. 09:35 Lingenfelter eLcamino EV facebook.com/lpehp/posts/4776373869075599 One of classiest and most popular models of the past gets a new life with the help of the US tuner Lingenfelter and Chevrolet Performance. eLcamino EV relies on a new electric powertrain, that looks nearly identical to the setup showcased by GM at the 2020 SEMA show. 10:30 Hyundai Grandeur Electric hyundai.com/worldwide/en/brand/heritage-series-grandeur Introduced to the market in 1986, Hyundai Grandeur was a flagship executive sedan that was offered to buyers with 4-cyllinder and V6 power. To mark its 35th anniversary, Hyundai is reimagining the car as an EV with original chassis, minimal bodywork changes, and a modernized interior.
Through the years, the major selling points for luxury SUV have been powerful engines, spacious cabins, deafening soundproofing and high-quality materials inside out. Curiously, electric vehicles of the upper market segment easily meet and even outperform these criteria. As evidence, for today we have prepared a lineup of the freshest premium electric SUVs of 2022 that will be putting the final nails into the coffin of internal combustion!
Tune in for our new series with reporter Hannah Hummel! In summertime she hit the German road in a special, electric car – the VW Beetle Cabrio! Hannah shows you some highlights of the eastern-German state of Saxony: Moritzburg Castle, a vineyard on the banks of the Elbe river, and the Karl May Museum in the town of Radebeul. The German author liked to imagine tales of the old Wild West, and is one of the most-read writers in the world. Take a romantic trip with Hannah through one of Germany‘s most idyllic regions.
A team is creating bespoke words for scientific terms in African languages, and the sustainability of the electric car boom.
00:46 Creating new words for scientific terms
Many words that are common to science have never been written in some African languages, or speakers struggle to agree what the right term is. Now a new project aims to change that, by translating 180 research papers into six languages spoken by millions of people across the continent of Africa.
11:48 Research Highlights
A rainbow of biodegradable inks derived from brown seaweed, and the enormous centipede that preys on baby birds.
As electric cars become more ubiquitous, manufacturers will have to up the production of batteries needed to power them. But that begs the question – can they be mass produced in a sustainable way?
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, how a tusk-based ‘chemical GPS’ revealed details of a mammoth’s enormous journeys , and why the Perseverance rover’s first efforts to collect a Mars rock sample didn’t go according to plan.
The Audi e-tron FE07 is the thoroughbred fully electric race car from the brand with the four rings, part of the third season with the second generation of Formula E race cars. It carried Audi factory drivers Lucas di Grassi and René Rast in the seventh Formula E season, Audi’s farewell season.
A.M. Edition for July 23. WSJ’s Alastair Gale in Japan joins host Marc Stewart to discuss how the opening ceremony is taking on a different tone compared to past Olympic Games.
New insights on how long the global chip shortage could last. And, electric-vehicle sales see a jolt in the U.S.
Electric-vehicle entrepreneurs are working on the industry’s biggest bottleneck: charging infrastructure. Companies are building more chargers, but it may not be enough to make EVs work for people who can’t plug in at home. Photo illustration: Carlos Waters/WSJ