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Middle Bit: There’s a chance your new car will be electric by 2030

November 3, 2017

A study released Thursday by the Boston Consulting Group said electric vehicles will become more popular and could power nearly half of all new vehicles sold worldwide by 2030, according to a story in the Detroit Free Press.

According to the story, electrified powertrains account for five percent of the global new vehicle market and the study projects that will grow to 48 percent by 2030.

In China, the government has set a goal that one of every five new cars will be powered by a fuel other than gasoline by 2025. The national government offers a rebate worth $17,000 for the purchase of an all-electric vehicle and about $9,300 for a plug-in hybrid.

Americans have not embraced electrified vehicles, although sales of gas-electric hybrids, plug-in electrics and fully battery-powered vehicles 14.6 percent in 2017 compared to 2016.

But electrified vehicles account for only 3.3 percent of the market currently.

Kansas City aims to be the smartest city

Bob Bennett—Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Kansas City—told GCN.com Tuesday that they are working to make Kansas City the smartest city in the world.

According to the story, Kansas City already offers free Wi-Fi and smart kiosks that provide information on what’s going on around the city. But the city has been working to make data easier to access across departments and more visible in general.

The city’s first project attempted to predict potholes, which would improve the efficiency of its maintenance crews. And the city’s police department has plans to roll out a crime forecasting tool soon. It’s based on an algorithm developed by area graduate students to help the city anticipate where crimes might occur to deploy its resources.

“The entire purpose of the smart city program is not to, you know, do smart cities for the people who can afford it,” Bennett told GCN.com. “To bridge the digital divide is to figure out ways to do things that make it smart for all Kansas City citizens.”

What else happened…

Missouri

$3.5 million HEDC project bringing coworking, kitchens, culture to Westside – StartlandNews.com

Tunneling into Missouri’s chances for Hyperloop – StartlandNews.com

Nebraska

Hatchfund and CHOPSO partner to create, distribute Asian-English video content – SPN

1 Comment

  • Alex
    Posted November 3, 2017 at 12:51 pm

    Perhaps if Americans were offered more choices of manufacturer and price, as in Europe, they might be more willing to embrace electric cars. Only very recently was there more than one option offered for sale here in Iowa, and due to our treacle-witted legislature’s protectionism regarding dealerships, you still can’t buy or get maintenance for a Tesla.

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Middle Bit: There's a chance your new car will be electric by 2030 | Clay & Milk
A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.
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