☢️ Japan to launch world’s first steady-state fusion reactor, Hyundai’s new EV to offer staggering 560 miles per charge, US-made F-16 fighter jet crashes in Ukraine

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A startup is aiming to transform power generation with a cleaner method that could offer limitless energy. Helical Fusion plans to launch a steady-state fusion reactor that would be the first of its kind worldwide.

The Tokyo-based company intends to initially develop a pilot reactor based on the helical method, a magnetic confinement technique. The reactor is projected to have an initial power generation capacity of 50-100 megawatts.

The reactor could be a kind of stellarator called a heliotron, composed of two continuous helical coils, similar to the Large Helical Device, and could operate without plasma current. The company also has plans to commercialize the power once the reactor is successfully developed. Dive deeper into this story with our Must-Read.

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☢️ Nuclear energy race: Japan to launch world’s first steady-state fusion reactor

“We intend to have the world’s very first steady-state combination reactor up and creating electrical power within the next 10 years,” Helical Blend CEO Takaya Taguchi told Reuters.

The small-output fusion reactor has potential applications as a localized power source for factories like aluminum or titanium smelters, remote islands, or large ships.

The construction cost of the first-of-its-kind (FOAK) power plant is estimated to be around USD 5 billion. After more than one year of continuous operation, maintenance could be completed within three months to achieve a high availability rate of more than 80%.

🚗 Hyundai’s new EV to offer staggering 560 miles per charge, address range anxiety

Hyundai is set to revolutionize the automobile market yet again with its Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV). Equipped with Hyundai’s hybrid technology, this one will combine the output of an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. The motor can provide a long driving range.

Quite different from traditional EVs, this EREV leverages an internal combustion engine which is designed for recharging the battery. The EREV can travel up to 900 kilometers at a full charge and will drive in the regions of the US, China, and Canada owing to their vast land areas.

Hyundai plans to launch the new model in 2027, and will also begin the mass production of EREVs in North America and China by 2026. According to the Korean car maker, these EREVs could address the limitations of traditional EVs.

✈️ US-made F-16 fighter jet crashes in Ukraine, Zelensky fires air force chief

In a significant shake-up of Ukraine’s military leadership, President Volodymyr Zelensky removed Air Force Chief Mykola Oleshchuk following the tragic crash of a US-made F-16 fighter jet, which has spotlighted the complex dynamics of the country’s ongoing defense efforts amidst the war with Russia.

In a video message, Zelensky said the change was made to strengthen the country’s military leadership.

Kyiv had spent months lobbying the West to send the advanced aircraft. This was the first reported loss, just weeks after Ukraine began receiving the supersonic jets.

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