I’d wager if you’ve ever come into contact with a consumer drone you’ve thought longingly about how much fun it would be to fly like the little contraption.
The individuals behind E-Volo’s Volocopter have apparently had much the same thought, though that source of inspiration may never end up in a press release. E-Volo’s prototype flying vehicle is basically a two-seater helicopter with an electric engine and a number of small propellers working together to create lift.
The Volocopter’s controls are about as simple as it comes. With a single joystick, even novice fliers can manipulate the super-sized drone for 20 minutes of flight time. The system works via networked microprocessors and sensors to translate the pilot’s inputs to the aircraft’s rotors.
E-Volo has been conducting test flights for some time via remote control, the latest of which was done by company CEO Alexander Zosel. As a logical next step, E-Volo will plan for manned flights and to increase the battery capacity to allow for longer flight times.
“The Volocopter stays in the air as if it has been pegged up there if you release your hands from the controls,” the company says.
The hold-up on certified sales (beyond successful manned flights) is aviation laws. Technically, the Volocopter doesn’t fit neatly within any specific aircraft category, so German authorities are working to create one. Once that little obstacle has been overcome and the vehicle can stay in the air for an hour or longer, E-Volo will bring its creation to market.
E-Volo is also working on a hybrid system that would allow the battery to self charge, therefore alleviating flight time concerns. The company won a technical award at the United Nations climate-change conference in December, honored as a “climate champion” for the Volocopter’s potential to provide clean, energy-efficient transportation
Worthly has more details, photos, and video from the Volocopter’s 2015 test flights.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.