Volkswagen has unveiled its plans for the future, and it’s clear the automaker plans on being an electric vehicle (EV) battery powerhouse.
Volkswagen recently announced it was upping its investment in future tech to 73 billion euros, up from the 60 billion it initially planned. Much of the additional investment was a result of the company’s focus on electric vehicles.
The company has laid out its roadmap, with plans to establish six gigafactories, with a total production capacity of 240 GWh, in Europe by the end of the decade. The announcement comes after European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic made it clear the EU plans to be self-sufficient in battery production by 2025.
“E-mobility has become core business for us. We are now systematically integrating additional stages in the value chain. We secure a long-term pole position in the race for the best battery and best customer experience in the age of zero emission mobility”, says Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group.
“We aim to reduce the cost and complexity of the battery and at the same time increase its range and performance”, says Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen Group Board Member for Technology. “This will finally make e-mobility affordable and the dominant drive technology.”
Investing so heavily in battery manufacturing could give Volkswagen a major advantage over competitors.
GM has partnered with MIT spinout SolidEnergy Systems to improve EV range, thanks to an innovative type of battery.
SolidEnergy Systems has specialized in lithium metal (Li-Metal) batteries, instead of the current lithium-ion. By using Li-Metal, the batteries feature increased energy density. This allows similarly sized batteries to offer greater range. Alternately, smaller batteries could save space, while still providing the same range as existing, larger batteries.
“Affordability and range are two major barriers to mass EV adoption,” said General Motors President Mark Reuss. “With this next-generation Ultium chemistry, we believe we’re on the cusp of a once-in-a-generation improvement in energy density and cost. There’s even more room to improve in both categories, and we intend to innovate faster than any other company in this space.”
GM first invested in SolidEnergy Systems six years, and the company’s tech will form the basis of GM’s Ultium-based vehicles. GM first announced the Ultium Platfom, its next generation battery technology, a year ago.
The company’s moves come amid its transition to EV vehicles, promising its light-duty vehicles will be all-electric by 2035.
Following outages that left millions without power, Texas is getting a massive battery backup thanks to Tesla.
While Tesla may be known for electric vehicles, it’s been using its industry-leading battery technology to help out in other areas as well. In 2017, the company built a 100-megawatt battery to assist South Australia with its power outages.
Now the company is preparing to do the same thing for Texas, in an effort to help the state be better prepared for future outages. The state’s utilities were crippled by uncharacteristically severe weather in February, leaving millions without power and leading to fatalities.
A 100-megawatt batter is currently being constructed in Texas and will come online June 1. The battery will be housed near the Texas-New Mexico Power substation, according to PCMag. The battery will hold enough energy to power up to 20,000 households “on a hot summer day.”
If Tesla’s Texas battery is successful, it likely won’t be the last such battery backup in the US.
GM is planning to unveil its Hummer EV SUV during the NCAA Final Four, taking its Hummer reboot to the next level.
The Hummer was one of the brands GM retired in the midst of the company’s bankruptcy. The brand had achieved a degree of popularity, but ultimately came to represent the worst, unsustainable and environmentally unfriendly examples of the big SUVs that helped drive the American auto industry to the brink.
GM is in the process of reinventing the Hummer as an all-electric platform, which will help it avoid the shortcomings of its past and use its bulk to its advantage — the bigger the vehicle, the more batteries it can hold. Rather than being its own separate brand, the Humber will fall under GMC’s line.
The company is now planning to unveil the Hummer EV SUV during the NCAA Final Four, after previously unveiling the GMC Hummer EV “supertruck” during the Super Bowl.”
On April 3, 2021, tune into gmc.com at 5 p.m. EDT or the NCAA Final Four as GMC reveals the next chapter in its story – the GMC HUMMER EV SUV. Reservations will open for customers on that same date.
Honda has announced a major first for the auto industry, being the first to release a Level 3 autonomous vehicle, as part of the Honda Legend Hybrid EX.
Autonomous vehicles are rated from 0 to 5, with each level representing a higher degree of AI involvement. A 0 rating means there is no assistance, and the driver is 100% responsible. At the other end of the scale, a 5 means the vehicle is fully driverless. A Level 3 means the vehicle controls steering, acceleration and braking, but the driver should still be ready to take over if needed. This is a big step up from the Level 2 Tesla Autopilot.
The Legend Hybrid EX is equipped with Honda SENSING® Elite, the automated driving system that Honda extensively tested. In simulations, the system was tested using 10 million possible real-world scenarios. Physical, real-world testing involved 800,000 miles of tests. The end result is a vehicle that surpasses anything currently on the road.
For vehicle control, the system determines the position of the vehicle and road conditions using data from 3-dimensional high-definition maps and the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), while detecting the vehicle’s surroundings using several external sensors that provide 360-degree input. At the same time, the system tracks the condition of the driver using a monitoring camera mounted inside the vehicle. Based on this wide range of information, the main electronic control unit (ECU) recognizes current conditions, anticipates future conditions and applies a high-level of control to acceleration, braking and steering inputs to assist the driver and achieve high-quality and smooth driving.
Even with all the testing, Honda is taking a decidedly cautious approach, only making 100 of the autonomous Legends. The vehicles will only be available for lease in Japan, beginning March 5. Nonetheless, if the Legend with Honda SENSING® Elite is a success, customers around the world may soon have access to next-generation autonomous driving.
Tesla is poised to become the next $1 trillion company, thanks to potential demand in China, according to one analyst.
Tesla has been growing at an incredible pace, recently passing Facebook as the fifth most valuable US company. China has been a big part of that growth, helping it nearly hit its goal of shipping 500,000 vehicles in 2020.
According to Wedbush’s Dan Ives, China’s demand for electric vehicles will likely propel Tesla to its next milestone, shipping one million units in a year.
“If China stays on its current path for Tesla, Musk & Co. could hit one million delivery units globally by 2022. This speaks to our thesis that Tesla will hit a trillion dollar market cap in 2021 despite this risk-off moment for EV stocks with the bears coming back to life after a long hibernation in their caves over the past year,” Ives said.
As part of its meteoric rise, Ives believes Tesla will pass the $1 trillion market capitalization threshold in 2021, making it one of only a handful of companies to do so.
According to Bloomberg, it appears the Kremlin was at least interested in the possibility.
“It’s undoubtedly a very interesting offer, but we need to know what he means, what’s he’s proposing,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at the time, adding, “we’ll check it out first and then we’ll respond.”
It appears that Elon Musk never responded to the Kremlin’s follow-up attempts, ensuring a Clubhouse sit down never happened.
“Apparently there was some kind of misunderstanding,” said Peskov. “Most likely, this matter is exhausted.”
Musk has been known for some brash actions in the past, but standing up Vladimir Putin certainly ranks up there. Hopefully, the slight won’t impact Tesla’s business in Russia.
Volvo has become the latest company to embrace an all-electric lineup, promising to achieve that goal by 2030.
One company after another has committed to phasing out internal combustion engines. Subaru has committed to an all-electric lineup by the mid-2030s, Bentley by 2030, GM by 2035 for light-duty vehicles and Ford by 2030 for the EU market.
Volvo has now committed to an all-electric lineup by 2030 and plans to phase out any remaining internal combustion models by then, including any remaining hybrids. The company is positioning its decision as an investment in the future, rather than hanging on to a dying business.
“To remain successful, we need profitable growth. So instead of investing in a shrinking business, we choose to invest in the future – electric and online,” said Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive. “We are fully focused on becoming a leader in the fast-growing premium electric segment.”
As a short-term goal, the company plans to transition to an electric and hybrid lineup by 2025, with its global sales split between the two categories.
Volvo’s goal is one of the more ambitious among auto manufacturers, and will likely put additional pressure on its larger rivals.
Hyzon Motors announced plans to build the largest fuel cell membrane electrode assembly (MEA) production line for commercial vehicles in the United States at its new Hyzon Innovation Center located in Bolingbrook, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. The company is a leading supplier of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell-powered heavy vehicles.
The MEA is the critical component of a fuel cell and accounts for about 70% of the cost of a fuel cell stack. MEAs are currently produced in Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea and China at commercial scale. Smaller scale MEA production in the United States has so far been a supply and cost bottleneck for US fuel cell vehicle production.
“We are excited about our plans to open the first high-volume MEA production line for hydrogen fuel cells in the US, which we anticipate will enable us to rapidly scale up the production of our fuel cells and deliver up to 12,000 Hyzon zero-emission heavy vehicles each year,” said Hyzon CEO and Co-Founder Craig Knight. “We see a substantial uptake in Europe already, and anticipate North America will soon follow suit on this decarbonization journey for heavy transport.”
At full capacity, the Hyzon Innovation Center is expected to produce enough MEAs to cover the production needs for up to 12,000 hydrogen fuel cell powered trucks every year. The facility is expected to commence production of MEAs in the fourth quarter of 2021, and is planned to open with 28,000 square feet of manufacturing space, before expanding in a second phase to 80,000 square feet. Hyzon expects to eventually fill up to 50 full-time positions at this production facility.
“The new Hyzon Innovation Center is essential to our strategy to expand the US hydrogen supply chain, reduce fuel cell costs for commercialization, and create local jobs,” says Chairman and Co-Founder of Hyzon George Gu. “We chose the greater Chicago area due to its top-tier universities, national labs, equipment companies and manufacturers, and a large pool of talent for recruiting a highly-skilled workforce. We are looking forward to empowering this unique ecosystem so that we can further accelerate the energy transition and decarbonize heavy road transport.”
The Hyzon Innovation Center will also conduct research and development on materials for fuel cells, electrolyzers, solid-state batteries, advanced e-drive systems, autonomous driving technologies and green hydrogen production technologies.
In addition to the Hyzon Innovation Center outside Chicago, Hyzon has two facilities in Rochester, New York – one serving as a fuel cell testing facility and the other as its US headquarters, fuel cell engine production facility, and vehicle integration center. The Company currently produces commercial vehicles at its facility in Groningen, The Netherlands, through a joint venture with Holthausen Clean Technology B.V.
“If there’s going to be a battle (for EV market share with Lucid Motors) I would take Tesla because of the pure volume that they’re doing,” says Loup Ventures managing partner and founder Gene Munster. “I think scale is going to matter. When you fast forward a decade from now you’re going to see traditional car companies that have been around for a hundred years and their brands are still going to be around but they’re going to be a fraction of the company’s that they are today.”
“You’re going to see companies like Tesla and then potentially Apple getting into a car,” notes Munster. “It’s still not 100 percent clear what their direction is. But about Tesla versus Lucid, I really think about this matching up as Apple versus Tesla long term. That’s where all the sparks are gonna fly.”
Gene Munster: It’s Going To Be Apple vs. Tesla Long Term
After suffering devastating losses as a result of US sanctions, Huawei may be preparing to pivot to electric vehicles.
Huawei quickly found itself a target of the Trump administration, amid claims the company represented a national security threat. While all Chinese firms are required to cooperate with Beijing, Huawei was widely believed to have unusually close ties with the government and intelligence community. As a result, the Trump administration banned the company from participating in US networks, and there is no indication the Biden administration will reverse those measures.
Other countries have followed suit, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden. Multiple governments and intelligence agencies have joined the US in branding Huawei a threat.
The bans and sanction have taken a toll on the company, once an almost unstoppable force in the tech industry. Sanctions against the company have even resulted in it selling its Honor line of smartphones and cutting production of its flagship line, due to not being able to buy enough semiconductors.
According to Reuters, the company is now exploring a strategic shift to electric vehicle manufacturing as a result of the challenges it’s facing. Reuters sources say the company is preparing to make electric vehicles under its own brand, and the first models could arrive as soon as this year.
A company spokesman denied the claims, although the denial left plenty of room for interpretation.
“Huawei is not a car manufacturer. However through ICT (information and communications technology), we aim to be a digital car-oriented and new-added components provider, enabling car OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to build better vehicles.”
Ford is the latest automaker to commit to an all-electric lineup. The company announced its entire passenger vehicle lineup would be zero-emissions capable, plug-in hybrid or all-electric by mid-2026. By 2030, the entire passenger lineup will be all-electric. The news comes just weeks after GM announced its light-duty vehicle lineup would transition to all-electric by 2035. The difference, however, is that GM’s announcement applied worldwide, whereas Ford’s, while five years sooner, applies only to Europe. “We successfully restructured Ford of Europe and returned to profitability in the fourth quarter of 2020. Now we are charging into an all-electric future in Europe with expressive new vehicles and a world-class connected customer experience,” said Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe. “We expect to continue our strong momentum this year in Europe and remain on track to deliver our goal of a six percent EBIT margin as part of Ford’s plan to turnaround our global automotive operations.” To aid in its goal, Ford is investing $1 billion to modernize its Cologne, Germany factory. The investment will help transform the factory into an electric vehicle assembly plant. “Our announcement today to transform our Cologne facility, the home of our operations in Germany for 90 years, is one of the most significant Ford has made in over a generation. It underlines our commitment to Europe and a modern future with electric vehicles at the heart of our strategy for growth,” Rowley said. “The decision to make the production and development site in Cologne the e-mobility center for Ford in Europe is an important signal to the entire workforce,” said Martin Hennig, chairman of the General Works Council of Ford-Werke GmbH. “It offers a long-term perspective for our employees and at the same time encourages them to help shape this electric future.”
GM has unveiled its 2022 Chevy Bolt, including a larger EUV crossover model.
The Chevy Bolt is one of the most popular all-electric vehicles that doesn’t carry the Tesla badge. Thanks to GM’s lineage, the Bolt is often seen as a more mainstream alternative to Tesla, and has the price point to match.
GM is building on that success with the 2022 Bolt, adding a larger crossover variant alongside the familiar hatchback Bolt EV. The EV model maintains the 259-mile range it’s had for the last couple of years, while the EUV comes in at 250 miles. The starting price for the Bolt EUV is $33,995, while the Bolt EV starts at $31,995.
“We’ve lowered Bolt EV’s base price by more than $5,000 from the 2021 model, proving our commitment to make EVs attainable for everyone,” said Steve Hill, vice president of Chevrolet.
The new models are part of GM’s aggressive EV plans. The company has previously committed to phasing out fossil fuels in light duty vehicles by 2035, and plans to launch 30 EVs by 2025.
“We want to put everyone in an EV and the new Bolt EUV and redesigned Bolt EV are crucial to doing so,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “Together, they enable mainstream customers to be part of our vison of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion.”
“The new Bolt EUV is the best of the Bolt EV packaged in an SUV-like vehicle with more technology and features, giving customers more choices and reasons to switch to electric,” added Hill. “This is an opportunity for Chevy to capitalize on the success we’ve built with the Bolt EV and bring new customers into the Chevy family.”
Providing consumers a choice between a hatchback and an SUV-style EUV is sure to be a winning combination with what is already one of the most popular EV platforms on the market.
Elon Musk has already revolutionized the auto industry, but he wants to go further by making the Roadster hover.
For many, the idea of a hovercraft car is a childhood dream. Thankfully, Musk has the imagination and resources to try to make a childhood dream come true. In a recent podcast chat with Joe Rogan, via Digital Trends, Musk says he has Tesla’s brightest engineers working to make the Roadster hover, “without, you know, killing people.”
“I thought, maybe we could make it hover, but not too high,” Musk said. “So maybe it could hover, like, a meter above the ground, or something. So if you plummet, you blow out the suspension but you’re not going to die.”
Musk thinks his team could place a thruster “where the license plate flips down, James Bond-style, and there’d be a rocket thruster behind it that gives you three tons of thrust.”
It’s a safe bet people would line up in droves if Tesla ever succeeds in making such a Roadster.
United Airlines has announced it is partnering with Archer to deploy a fleet of short-haul electric aircraft.
Archer specializes in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, recently inking a deal with Fiat Chrysler to begin production of flying cars in 2023. Now the company has partnered with United Airlines to product a fleet of eVTOL aircraft for short-haul trips.
United will work with Archer to design an aircraft specifically for their needs. Once completed, along with Mesa Airlines, United will take possession of a fleet of 200 of the aircraft. The fleet will be used to help individuals travel to United’s hubs, as well as commute in heavily populated areas.
“Part of how United will combat global warming is by embracing emerging technologies that decarbonize air travel. By working with Archer, United is showing the aviation industry that now is the time to embrace cleaner, more efficient modes of transportation. With the right technology, we can curb the impact aircraft have on the planet, but we have to identify the next generation of companies who will make this a reality early and find ways to help them get off the ground,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “Archer’s eVTOL design, manufacturing model and engineering expertise has the clear potential to change how people commute within major metropolitan cities all over the world.”
“We couldn’t be happier to be working with an established global player like United,” said Brett Adcock, co-CEO and co-Founder of Archer. “This deal represents so much more than just a commercial agreement for our aircraft, but rather the start of a relationship that we believe will accelerate our timeline to market as a result of United’s strategic guidance around FAA certification, operations and maintenance.”
Batteries for the electric F-150 may be in short supply due to an import dispute involving the Korean supplier Ford is using.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) has banned Korea-based SK Innovation from importing batteries to the US for 10 years, according to Bloomberg. The ruling comes as a result of an accusation from Korea-based LG Chem, accusing SK Innovation of stealing trade secrets. The seemingly harsh ban was the result of SK Innovation destroying evidence LG Chem needed to prove its case.
The ITC did provide a grace period to give automakers, including Ford and Volkswagen, time to make alternate arrangements. SK Innovation can import components for the F-150 for four years, and for the Volkswagen’s MEB line for two years.
There are two factors that could play to SK Innovation’s favor. The company is building a factory in Georgia that will become operational later this year. While some components are still slated to be imported, when faced with a 10-year ban, the company may try to move all production to the US.
As Bloomberg highlights, President Biden could also overrule the ITC’s decision on public policy grounds. Given the front-and-center focus climate change and green energy is taking in the new administration, it’s entirely possible SK Innovation’s ban may be seen as too damaging to electric vehicle endeavors.
Nevada is preparing to consider a bill that would allow companies to form their own local government, in a bid to attract top tech companies.
Tech companies are increasingly looking for alternatives to Silicon Valley, thanks to increased expenses and a pandemic-driven move to remote work. States all over the country are looking to attract such companies, although Nevada’s solution may be the most innovative.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Innovation Zones, first proposed by Gov. Steve Sisolak, would give companies the ability to form a separate local government. The new government would have the same authority as a county, be able to impose taxes, create school districts, justice courts and provide the kind of government services a county normally would.
The measure is designed to address what is seen as the inability of local governments to meet the needs of companies. A draft of the legislation, seen by the Review-Journal, says local governments are “inadequate alone to provide the flexibility and resources conducive to making the State a leader in attracting and retaining new forms and types of businesses and fostering economic development in emerging technologies and innovative industries.”
In order to qualify, companies would have to own at least 50,000 acres of uninhabited, undeveloped land, not part of any existing town, city or tax increment, but within a single county. The company would also need at least $250 million, with plans to invest an additional $1 billion over 10 years in the Innovation Zone.
The Innovation Zones are specifically for companies on the cutting edge of technology, such as artificial intelligence, autonomous technology, biometrics, blockchain, internet of things, renewable resource technology, robotics and wireless technology.
Initially the Innovation Zones would operate under the authority of the local county government, but eventually take over that authority and become independent.
After a couple of weeks of rumors and speculation about an Apple/Hyundai/Kia partnership to manufacture the Apple Car, it appears talks have stalled.
The first rule of working with Apple is ‘don’t talk about working with Apple.’ The Cupertino company is notoriously tight-lipped about its projects, especially those that have yet to be announced.
Unfortunately for Hyundai, the carmaker got its relationship with Apple off to an ignominious start by making a statementthat it was in talks with the company. Hyundai immediately walked back that statement with two subsequent statements, but it may have been too late.
According to Bloomberg, sources indicate the talks between the companies have been paused, with Hyundai’s loose lips being cited as the likely reason. Another possible issue is which brand the Apple Car would be produced under, Hyundai or Kia, sister brands owned by Hyundai Motor Group. Given Apple’s reputation for making high-end products, it would likely want the Apple Car made by Hyundai, since Hyundai is the upscale, luxury brand. Reports, however, indicate that Kia has been tasked with taking point on Apple’s project.
It’s unclear whether the talks will resume, or if this is a permanent breakup. Even if it is permanent, however, there’s no shortage of automakers that would jump at the chance to build the Apple Car.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was recently interviewed by renowned manufacturing guru Sandy Munro where he talked about MBAs. Musk is not a fan of how people with MBAs from high profile business schools seem to think that they should go directly from school to a leadership position before they have had any actual experience.
Here are Elon Musk’s somewhat colorful comments on MBAs. The full interview with Elon Musk can be watched below as well:
The path to leadership should not be through an MBA business school situation. It should be kind of work your way up and do useful things. There’s a bit too much of the somebody goes to a high-profile MBA school and then kind of parachutes in as the leader but they don’t actually know how things work. They could be good at say PowerPoint presentations or something like that, and they can present well, but they don’t actually know how things work. They parachute in instead of working their way up. They’re kind of like just not aware of what’s really needed to make great products.
I don’t want to trash MBAs too much here. I actually do have a dual undergrad, a Wharton undergrad, and physics at UPenn. I have direct exposure to business school and I went to do undergrad school with physics and I was a teaching assistant for two semesters and I graded MBAs and undergrads. I think it’s just a little bit too much. People look at MBA school as like I want to parachute into being the boss instead of earning it. I don’t think that’s good.
Elon Musk: People With MBAs Want To Parachute Into Being The Boss
Amazon has just launched their first electric Rivian delivery vans on the road in Los Angeles. Customers will begin seeing the custom electric delivery vehicles in up to 15 additional cities in 2021. The company plans to have a 10,000 electric delivery fleet operating on the road in the United States and Europe by 2022.
“We’re loving the enthusiasm from customers so far—from the photos we see online to the car fans who stop our drivers for a first-hand look at the vehicle,” said Ross Rachey, Director of Amazon’s Global Fleet and Products. “From what we’ve seen, this is one of the fastest modern commercial electrification programs, and we’re incredibly proud of that.”
Ross Rachey, Director of Amazon’s Global Fleet, outlines the company’s electric delivery plans:
“We are reimagining sustainable delivery,” says Ross Rachey, Director of Amazon’s Global Fleet. “Climate change doesn’t allow us to sit back and be passive. We can’t wait. This vehicle went from sketch, to design, to on-road testing with customer deliveries in just over a year. And we’ll build on that momentum heading into full-scale production.”
“Amazon made a commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040,” notes Rachey. “Electrifying our fleet is going to help us get there. We’ve relied on Rivian’s automotive expertise. We’ve listened to our drivers. We’ve created something that’s at the leading edge of safety technology, that’s better for our drivers, better for the planet, and unlike anything that’s out on the road today. We’ve reset expectations for electric delivery vehicles. And we’re just getting started.”
Amazon partnered with Rivian, leveraging its customizable skateboard platform to create a first-of-its-kind all-electric delivery vehicle. “Rivian’s purpose is to deliver products that the world didn’t already have, to redefine expectations through the application of technology and innovation,” said RJ Scaringe, Rivian Founder and CEO. “This milestone is one example of how Rivian and Amazon are working toward the world of 2040, and we hope it inspires other companies to fundamentally change the way that they operate.”
The current fleet of vehicles was built at Rivian’s studio in Plymouth, Michigan, and can drive up to 150 miles on a single charge according to the company. Amazon has installed thousands of electric vehicle charging stations at its delivery stations across North America and Europe.
Amazon explains it’s ambitious goals:
Along with custom electric delivery vehicles, Amazon is exploring new technologies, alternative fuels, and delivery methods that deliver packages to customers in a more sustainable way. Amazon currently operates thousands of electric vehicles worldwide and is redesigning its delivery stations to service electric vehicles—ranging from the electrical design to the physical layout. Last year, Amazon delivered more than 20 million packages to customers in electric delivery vehicles across North America and Europe and will continue building on that momentum in 2021.
Google is looking to use drones in an innovative way, with plans to fight wildfires with them.
Drones are one of the fastest-growing industries, being used for deliveries, surveillance, real estate, recreation and more. Google may be on the verge of using them for one of the most unique, and arguably important, role yet.
According to a Federal Register (PDF) notice Google is seeking permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to test drones for fire-fighting.
Google Research Climate and Energy Group (Google Research) seeks relief to operate the HSE-UAV M8A Pro unmanned aircraft system, weighing over 55 pounds (lbs.) but no more than 98.8 lbs., for testing fire-fighting and monitoring operations with first person view technology located at a confined private property in Firebaugh, California.
Should the FAA give Google permission to proceed, drones could become an important element in the growing fight against yearly wildfires. Drones could be especially helpful in monitoring vulnerable forests and serving as an early warning system for a fraction of the cost involved in using planes or helicopters.
