🚘 ‘World’s first’ solid-state EV, Mars once had vacation-worthy beaches, Apple’s $500 billion investment

What could be called a major breakthrough in the sphere of electric vehicles, Mercedes-Benz claims to have launched the “world’s first solid-state battery vehicle from a global OEM.”

The German automaker has unveiled that a prototype EQS, equipped with a solid-state battery developed in collaboration with US startup Factorial Energy, has begun real-world testing.

“Mercedes-Benz engineers from the road and racetrack and Factorial cell engineers have worked together on delivering an all-new solid-state battery test program, which has brought the first car powered by a lithium-metal solid-state battery to the road,” said the automobile giant in a press release. Let's take a closer look at this Must Read.

Today’s job of the day as featured on jobs.interestingengineering.com:

> Data Engineer- AI Trainer
> SENIOR IAM ENGINEER

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🚘 ‘World’s first’ solid-state EV from Mercedes hits roads to deliver 620-mile range

The prototype EQS is projected to deliver an impressive 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) of range, based on WLTP testing. This represents a more than 25% improvement over the current EQS 450+ model.

While WLTP figures typically exceed EPA estimates, the vehicle is still expected to achieve a remarkable 527 miles under EPA standards, which easily rivals the range of the Lucid Air.

This extended range is attributed to Factorial Energy’s innovative solid-state battery technology, which replaces the traditional liquid electrolyte with a solid one.

🌊 Mars once had beaches fit for vacations with sunlit shores, rolling waves: Study

Scientists have searched for signs of water on Mars for decades, piecing together evidence from dried riverbeds, polar ice caps, and mineral deposits.

Now, six months after they uncovered evidence of a vast underground reservoir of liquid water, which, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), is enough to fill entire oceans on the surface, a new groundbreaking discovery is adding to the puzzle of its ancient watery past.

The data – obtained from the Zhurong Mars rover – suggests the Red Planet may have once been home to sunlit, sandy beaches with gentle, rolling waves, not that different from California’s Malibu Beach, Thailand’s Maya Bay, or Brazil’s famous Copacabana.

💵 Apple’s largest-ever $500 billion US investment boosts silicon, jobs amid China tech war

Apple has announced a staggering $500 billion investment in the United States over the next four years. Notably, this is the company’s largest-ever spending commitment.

“We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing US investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

A significant portion of this multi-billion dollar investment will be dedicated toward the production of advanced silicon at TSMC’s Fab 21 facility in Arizona.

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