Automotive giant, Volkswagen, has tapped Chinese start-up, Xpeng, to jointly develop new energy vehicles. The Wolfsburg-based car manufacturer would invest $700 million to purchase a 4.99 per cent stake in the company and an observer’s seat on the board, according to a LinkedIn post by Volkswagen China chief executive, Ralf Brandsatter. Both companies have outlined…
The world’s most powerful wind turbine is officially operational and grid-connected. Situated offshore in the Taiwan Strait and standing over 150 metres from base to blade hub, the 16-megawatt unit is reportedly capable of generating enough clean electricity to power tens of thousands of Chinese homes. Jointly developed by two Goldwind Science and Technology and…
A Chinese start-up has successfully inserted an experimental communications satellite into orbit. Developed by Beijing-based firm, GalaxySpace, Lingxi-03 features an ultra-thin, flexible solar wing and is testing key technologies for China’s planned 13 000 satellite constellation in what will be China’s answer to Elon Musk’s Starlink. The satellite was launched into orbit at the end…
Scientists in China claim to have built a 12-story facility that can replicate the weightlessness experienced in outer space. China has prioritised space exploration in its latest five-year plan and the newly constructed Microgravity Experiment Facility with Electromagnetic Launch (MEFEL) will allow researchers to rack-up much needed time in low-gravity conditions, at a fraction of…
Scientists from the Shanghai-based AI and robotics firm, Fourier Intelligence, have created a human-looking robot that they claim can aid China’s elderly and disabled citizens. Revealed at the World AI conference, GR-1 is the size of a small adult and can perform a variety of simple functions, such as walking, holding objects and avoiding obstacles.…
Chinese physicists have completed the first and most crucial step towards what they claim will be the world’s first commercial onshore modular reactor. Because it is mobile, the core for the ‘Linglong One’ nuclear reactor, built by China First Heavy Industries, is an ideal candidate for small islands and other remote locations. The breakthrough marks…
Egypt has announced receiving two Chinese-developed satellites for its newly-created space programme. The country joins a growing list of African and Middle Eastern nations, including Namibia, Zambia and Djibouti, looking to establish a presence in space. The prototypes were delivered to the Egyptian Space Agency’s Satellite Assembly Integration and Test Centre (AIT) in Space City,…
Chinese engineers have created “supersized” cast parts that have the potential to cut production costs and assembly times in lightweight electric vehicles (EVs) significantly. Much like Tesla’s “gigacasting” technology, the process involves casting two roughly 2.2-square-metre magnesium alloy parts from a single mould – the car’s chassis and the battery box housing cover. Magnesium alloys…
The country has started constructing its third icebreaker, which officials say could help researchers explore the Arctic and Antarctic sea beds as early as 2025, according to recent reports from Chinese media agencies. The vessel will be capable of hosting crewed and uncrewed deep-sea research missions, as well as transport critical supplies to the country’s…
A group of researchers from China claims to have set a new energy density record when they developed a battery pack with a reported capacity of 711 watt-hours per kilogram – roughly three times more than the Tesla Model 3 ‘4680’ cell. Concerns about battery capacity in electric vehicles (EVs) have been one of the…