Richard Branson might jump on the electric car bandwagon March 20, 2015 Richard Branson has hinted that his Virgin brand might jump on the electric car bandwagon (the wagon bandwagon?) at some point in the not-too-distant future. The entrepreneur already has his own Formula E team – an electric version of Formula One which features battery-powered cars racing at speeds of up to 140 mph. But when [...]
Here’s everything we know about Sakti3 – the US startup Dyson just invested $15m in March 16, 2015 Some 15 years into the entrepreneur game, Sir James Dyson has made his first-ever investment outside his own business, after he ploughed $15m (£10m) in US startup Sakti3. The company, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, develops solid-state batteries. The investment was part of a wider, $20m funding round. Dyson said the company will help it [...]
Solar Impulse 2 follows the sun around the world from Abu Dhabi March 9, 2015 SWISS adventurers Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg yesterday took off from Abu Dhabi on a round-the-world flight – with no jet feul. The plane, the “Solar Impulse 2”, is powered by 12,000 solar cells on the wings and weighs about the same as a family car. It can run both day and night off solar [...]
Tesla to cut 180 of China staff as sales fail to meet expectations March 9, 2015 Electric car maker Tesla Motors yesterday said it was cutting about 30 per cent of its staff in China. Tesla, led by billionaire Elon Musk, will eliminate some positions as it makes structural changes to its business in China, Gary Tao, a local spokesman for the car maker, said. He added, however, that he didn’t [...]
Dow up after Apple unveils its new watch – New York Report March 9, 2015 US STOCKS bounced back yesterday, helped by a couple of billion-dollar deals, while Apple shares ended slightly higher after the long-anticipated unveiling of its smart watch. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 136.53 points, or 0.76 per cent, to 17,993.31, the S&P 500 gained 8.14 points, or 0.39 per cent, to 2,079.4 and the Nasdaq [...]
The non-bank of Facebook, AliBay, and AI: The future of global fintech March 5, 2015 The global fintech industry has seen some remarkable developments since we launched Level39 two years ago. But what of the future? I’d like to suggest two possibilities for what might happen, and challenge one that, contrary to some current thinking, I don’t think will. FACEBOOK: THE NON-BANK BANK More than any other social media platform, [...]
Car execs call for fresh ideas to save automotive industry March 1, 2015 The automotive industry is in dire need of a new generation of leaders if it is to survive in an increasingly challenging environment according to new research by talent consultancy firm Korn Ferry. The report, released today, which draws upon interviews with more than 50 senior executives from across the industry, found 39 per cent [...]
Sleeping your way to the top: Here’s what the sleeping habits of highly successful people look like February 18, 2015 Margaret Thatcher swore by getting four hours of sleep a night. The writer Honore de Balzac famously did his best work from 1am until 3pm – just when Pablo Picasso was getting started. The National Sleep Foundation recommends between seven and nine hours of sleep for adults. But what do the sleeping habits of successful [...]
Big miss as Tesla fails to ramp up electric car sales February 11, 2015 ELON Musk’s electric car-maker Tesla disappointed investors last night after it reported a lower-than-expected 9,834 vehicles delivered in its fourth quarter due to a host of production issues. The results revealed strong revenues which grew 12 per cent to $957m (£627.9m), but missed analyst’s expectations of $1.2bn, while it reported a loss of 13 cents [...]
Tesla’s full year results fail to meet expectations, with deliveries down due to delays February 11, 2015 Tesla's full year results are likely to reverse investor confidence. The figures During the three months to 31 December 2014, Tesla Motors delivered 9,834 cars to clients – lower than the 11,200 deliveries analysts hoped for and expected. Similarly, the 31,655 cars delivered during the full year to 31 December failed to meet [...]