Vertical Take-Off Air Taxis Are A Solution In Search Of A Problem (Part 1)
There’s a deep disconnect between the purported urban taxi business models and most of the graphics these eVTOL companies use, which hides a yawning chasm of reality.
Google Makani
Airborne Wind Energy: It’s All Platypuses Instead Of Cheetahs
Kite-based wind generation was first proposed in the 1940s, the seminal power potential paper was published in 1980 and it was first demonstrated in 1986. So why isn’t there a single production system or even an a quarter-scale production prototype in existence today? Each of the combinations of design choices … [continued]
Google’s Makani: From Regulatory To Technical To Wildlife Challenges
Almost a year ago, Google took a 100% ownership position in Makani, an airborne wind energy company. It had previously held a $15 million position in the company, but after the tragic death of one of its founders, Makani’s future was less certain. Now it has deep pockets in Google … [continued]
Google Buys Makani Wind Power (Kite Power Company)
It’s been a long time since we covered Makani Power, the company developing kite-like wind turbines. But the company didn’t float away (bad pun intended). In fact, it has just been bought by Google, for development under its Google[x] division. Some quick history: Makani’s creators several years ago came up … [continued]
