Maglev Monitor
Midweek Morning MagLev Messenger (2025-07-02) Miscellaneous & Various Items
Interesting and background stories. All these less-important stories are in two semi-weekly e-mails, so each of you is not bothered by a lot of e-mails, and you can select which you want to read, and which you choose to ignore. This "MagLev Monitor" is issued Wednesday morning as this Midweek Morning MagLev Messenger (4M), and also late Saturday as the Saturday Evening Repost (SER).
This issue is about everything else except rail. We'll get back to that Saturday.
This newsletter generally covers Superconducting MagLev, and more. It also covers competing technologies, such as EVs, hydrogen, and aviation. We won't forget the past, covering classic railways, and what lessons they can give us. And, of course, the Jigsaw Puzzles, for fun.
My website: http://www.LeviCar.com/
Maglev2000 website: https://www.maglev2000.net/
Electric cars:
Nobody believed it could happen — But this country now runs only on electric cars
https://www.ecoticias.com/en/this-country-runs-only-on-electric-cars/16701/
Nobody believed it could happen — But this country now runs only on electric cars - ecoticias.com
Caption: “Electric cars are taking the world by storm. In an age of alternative engine solutions, no such piece of innovation has fared as well as the electric engine. While initially seen as an obscure piece of technology, it has since risen to become the most popular alternative engine solution seen on the road, with nearly all major automobile companies now offering their own electric models.” (www.ecoticias.com)
The headline overstates things. The article states that 89% of new cars sold in Norway (pop. 5½ million) in 2024 were electric. Google AI says that, at the end of 2024, 28.6% of all personal motor vehicles were pure electric, and 12% were hybrid.
Why EV Charging Stations Suck (And How to Fix It) (11:18)
Why EV Charging Stations Suck (And How to Fix It)
Caption: “EV Charging stations are not great places to be these days. They're often stuck in some corner of an anonymous parking lot somewhere, lacking any distinct qualities. They are certainly not places you want to spend 30 minutes. But the success of EVs ...” (www.youtube.com)
Basically, how to make EV charging stations fun places to visit.
Why Are High Voltage Cables Orange On Electric Cars?
https://www.jalopnik.com/1896330/why-high-voltage-cables-are-orange-electric-cars/
Why Are High Voltage Cables Orange On Electric Cars?
Caption: “Under normal circumstances, the orange insulation or sheathing that covers high-voltage EV cables is sufficient to prevent humans or animals from being harmed by accidental contact.” (www.jalopnik.com)
Trump Is Causing America To Fall Behind On EVs
https://www.jalopnik.com/1889552/trump-america-falling-behind-evs/
Ford CEO Jim Farley says Waymo’s approach to self-driving makes more sense than Tesla’s
Ford CEO Jim Farley says Waymo’s approach to self-driving makes more sense than Tesla’s - Fortune
Caption: “Ford CEO Jim Farley expressed skepticism about the technological approach to self-driving cars being pursued by Tesla, citing consumer ‘trust’ and the need to ‘be really careful’ as ...” (fortune.com)
IMHO — The more sensors (and types of sensors) the better. I would favor a triad of visual, LiDAR, and RaDAR. The Boeing 737 MAX had only one Angle-of-Attack sensor, and that might have contributed to its two fatal crashes.
How Many Levels Of Autonomous Driving Are There?
https://www.slashgear.com/1896886/5-levels-autonomous-driving-how-many/
A complete guide to SAE Levels 0 to 5. I am a member of SAE, originally the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Watch Tesla's first fully autonomous car drive itself to its new Texas owner
https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-first-fully-autonomous-car-delivered-texas-owner-2025-6
Caption: “Elon Musk on Friday announced that Tesla's first fully-autonomous car drove itself to its new Texas owner.” (www.businessinsider.com)
Embedded video (30:16).
Starting at 7:17, a Cybertruck passes it. Is someone on board the Cybertruck remote-controlling, or at least monitoring, the Model Y? I wonder.
At timestamp 20:57:
Notice how it slows down for a "speed hump" at 25:13.
New owner receives car at 29:53:
Tesla's First Driverless Delivery Ends In A Fire Lane
https://www.jalopnik.com/1900859/tesla-first-driverless-delivery-ends-fire-lane/
Tesla's First Driverless Delivery Ends In A Fire Lane - Jalopnik
Caption: “The monumental finale fell flat as the electric SUV came to a stop along a curb painted bright red with lettering that read ‘No Parking, Fire Lane’.” (www.jalopnik.com)
There was some Robotaxi software added to the car, but that software was deleted after delivery. Technically, the car was "standing" in the Fire Lane, not "parked".
Batteries:
Sakuu's Dry Electrode Technology Wins Fast Company's 2025 World Changing Ideas Award
The solvent-free battery additive manufacturing process improves environmental impact with 55% lower CO2 emissions while delivering superior performance.
Sakuu's Dry Electrode Technology Wins Fast Company's 2025 World Changing Ideas Award
Sakuu's Dry Electrode Technology Wins Fast Company's 2025 World ...
www.designnews.com
Tesla Unveils LFP Battery Plant in Nevada, Adopting Wet Coating Process
Tesla's new LFP battery facility in Nevada showcases the company's strategic shift towards a Chinese-dominated battery technology, balancing innovation with practicality.
Uses Chinese Technology. IMHO — It is shame on us that the Chinese are so far advanced from us.
Hydrogen:
Toyota stuns the world with a breakthrough: new combustion engines with zero emissions
A quiet revolution is underway in the world of cars, promising powerful engines that leave behind only water vapor instead of pollution.
Toyota stuns the world with a breakthrough: new combustion engines with zero emissions - Elcabildo
Display titles Cover up titles . How Toyota’s hydrogen combustion engines work and deliver power; Environmental impact and the promise of zero emissions transportation
www.elcabildo.org
There are some useful criticisms of this idea in the comments, chiefly about nitrogen oxides, the need for lubrication, and the difficulties in generating and distributing green hydrogen.
One state will soon became the ‘next Dubai’ — 3000 kg per day of this futuristic, powerful resource
https://www.eldiario24.com/en/california-next-dubai-green-hydrogen/17669/
Green Hydrogen — not white, blue, or gray hydrogen. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_production for explanations.
Alternate-energy sources:
Airloom's bizarre ground-hugging wind turbine gets 'utility-scale' pilot
https://newatlas.com/energy/airloom-wind-turbine-pilot/
Airloom's bizarre ground-hugging wind turbine gets 'utility-scale' pilot
Airloom's bizarre ground-hugging wind turbine gets 'utility-scale' pilot
newatlas.com
Smaller components = lower capital costs.
Neither the United States nor China, this small country of 50,000 people came up with an idea to create energy from the Moon.
In a groundbreaking development for renewable energy, the Faroe Islands has launched an innovative marine technology that harnesses lunar gravitational forces to generate electricity. This small European nation of approximately 54,000 inhabitants has pioneered a solution that even technological giants like the United States and China haven't yet explored, positioning…
farmingdale-observer.com
This is about the Faroe Islands, a small autonomous Danish territory in the North Sea that has exceptional tides. Not every place where land meets sea can do this.
Aviation + wind turbines:
“As Long as Three Airbus A320s”: The WindRunner Megaplane Is About to Reshape Wind Power and Rewrite the Future of Green Energy
IN A NUTSHELL 🛩️ The WindRunner aircraft by Radia is designed to revolutionize the transportation of large-scale wind turbines. 🚜 It overcomes significant logistical challenges, enabling access to remote sites for wind farm installation. 📏 With a colossal size, it surpasses traditional cargo planes, enhancing the efficiency of wind energy production. 🌍 The WindRunner plays
www.sustainability-times.com
IMHO — The picture is confusing. (Note — it is AI-generated). I think it's supposed to indicate that the aircraft carries two giant turbine blades outside the fuselage, attached above the wings. This is a very clever idea — I hope they put it through a simulation program to see if it can be airworthy, both with and without the turbine blades. (It looks like the the turbine blade attached to the left wing is instead attached to the vertical stabilizer, but that is just an accident of the perspective.) However, the text boasts of the Wind Runner's "colossal dimensions", implying that the blades are carried inside the fuselage. I myself prefer smaller vertical turbines that you can put at the back of your back yard or on top of a building. These cost from $166 to under $1,000. Unless you live in a low-wind area (as I do) these can substitute for solar panels.
Aviation:
Concorde Joins Boom Supersonic, Exosonic, Spike Aerospace, Hermeus in Making Faster-than-sound Aircraft to Outpace Conventional Fleet
New Update for Aviation Industry
Concorde now joins Boom Supersonic, Exosonic, Spike Aerospace, and Hermeus in a global race to build the next generation of faster-than-sound aircraft.
www.travelandtourworld.com
Related article:
Concorde Revival: Iconic Supersonic Jet Set to Return by 2026 With Sustainability and Luxury Innovations
The legendary Concorde is back! Supersonic passenger travel resumes in 2026 with sustainable innovation, advanced tech, and luxury design. Full details here.
www.travelandtourworld.com
Criticism on Reddit:
‘The new Concorde’ is this a scam?
https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/1ll4x9l/the_new_concorde_is_this_a_scam/
The real deal from a reliable website:
How Much Did It Cost To Fly On Concorde?
https://simpleflying.com/concorde-cost/
IMHO — Given how expensive Concorde airfares were, I doubt that any revival will be inexpensive enough for the common traveler, but it looks like they're after the luxury market.
Thomas Edison with his electric car in 1910
https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=1f9387b95c60
(For the jigsaw puzzle, you can adjust the number of pieces using the "Play as" option at the top right. There is a pause button to the right of the time indicator at the bottom center.)
I hope you like my tributes to conventional rail, especially since my overall aim is to relegate conventional rail to museums.
–– Josh
Thomas Edison with his electric car in 1910
https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=1f9387b95c60
(For the jigsaw puzzle, you can adjust the number of pieces using the "Play as" option at the top right. There is a pause button to the right of the time indicator at the bottom center.)
I hope you like my tributes to conventional rail, especially since my overall aim is to relegate conventional rail to museums.
–– Joshua Zev Levin, Ph.D.