An array of cutting edge technologies and innovative products have impressed visitors to the IFA Berlin 2024 opened Friday in Berlin, including a flying car and smart household robots.
The electric flying car, presented by Alef Aeronautics, a U.S.-based flying car maker, garnered much attentions at the event. The design of the car aims to enhance travel efficiency while prioritizing energy conservation and environmental protection.
"Our goal is to make world more efficient and to move the world faster and also greener because it's 100-percent electric. So, the goal is to make sure the whole world moves much faster because flying car gets you to the destination in almost all the cases much faster than any other mode of transportation," said Jim Dukhovny, CEO of Alef.
According to Dukhovny, the company has received over 3,000 pre-orders for this car, with production scheduled to begin in 2025 at an initial price of around 300,000 U.S. dollars. During the early stages of production, consumers will have the opportunity to experience this flying car through shared mobility. As production scales up, the price of this car is expected to decrease by around 35,000 U.S. dollars.
Furthermore, Alef has forged a partnership with a company in Hong Kong to make inroads in the Chinese market.
A floor-cleaning robot has also attracted a lot of attention at the event due to its cutting-edge technologies. Unlike traditional floor-cleaning robots that could stuck in obstacles during work, this robot has effectively addressed this issue by incorporating mechanical legs that enable it to stand up and navigate obstacles. This feature allows it to efficiently clean various areas within a household.
"At this IFA, we unveiled several industry-first technologies, such as dual mechanical leg obstacle crossing, dual brush rolls, and anti-tangle for hair. With these cutting-edge technologies, the floor-cleaning robot can truly help people by freeing up their hands," said Chen Yanshou, sales director for Southwest Europe at Dreame, a Chinese consumer product company specializing in smart home cleaning appliances.
Moreover, another robot showcased at the event stands out from most robots on the market. It is a cognitive robot equipped with the ability to hear, see, and perceive, enabled by intelligent data processing systems. This robot can not only handle household tasks but also provide care and attention to individuals at home.
"So, it means that it can stay longer at home that they are feeling safe because the robot is actually able to see your pulse or seeing like if you're falling or whatever. Also, you can have a connection with your relatives through this platform and that's I think the big advantage you have. You feel more safe, you feel also somebody is actually there to care for you," said David Reger, CEO of NEURA Robotics, a German robotic startup.
This year's IFA has brought together over 1,800 global exhibitors, 125 keynote speakers, and more than 182,000 visitors from 139 countries.
Marking the 100th anniversary of IFA, this year's event features global tech giants showcasing their cutting-edge innovations.
Electric flying car, innovative household robots impress visitors at IFA Berlin 2024
The Chinese government issued an action plan on Wednesday to reduce logistics costs and boost economic efficiency, with the goal of lowering the ratio of social logistics costs to GDP to around 13.5 percent by 2027.
By 2027, the country expects to further optimize the structure of goods transport, and strengthen the national logistics hub system and modern logistics service network, said the plan issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.
China will further optimize its national cargo transport system, with the goal of raising the share of railway freight volume and railway freight turnover to about 11 percent and 23 percent, respectively, by 2027. Port container transport via rail and water is also expected to maintain strong growth.
"The ratio of total social logistics costs to GDP reflects both the cost efficiency of the logistics sector and the organizational quality of the industrial and supply chains. In 2023, this ratio in China was 14.4 percent. Based on China's 2023 GDP, a 0.9 percentage point decrease from 14.4 percent to 13.5 percent would cut total logistics costs by over one trillion yuan (about 138 billion U.S. dollars), generating significant corporate profits," said Lu Chengyun, deputy director of the logistics department at the Integrated Transport Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission.
To effectively improve logistics efficiency and cut costs, many logistics hub cities across China are introducing new initiatives, focusing on areas such as improving multimodal transport systems, establishing direct freight train services, and ensuring the open sharing and connectivity of logistics data across different platforms.
Huai'an City in east China's Jiangsu Province is home to the province's largest inland river port. This year, Huai'an Port partnered with leading global shipping companies to link domestic inland river routes with international ocean shipping lines, creating a more efficient and convenient logistics channel for import and export businesses.
"In the past, goods from inland areas were usually transported by road first and then shipped by sea. Now, the process begins with inland river transport, followed seamlessly by sea transport, which reduces the time and procedures for goods transport, cutting the average logistics cost per container by nearly 50 percent. Besides, integration and facilitation measures for customs clearance, such as direct cargo pick-up at the ship, immediate loading upon arrival at ports, and the same vessel for both domestic and international shipments, have all contributed to reducing transport time," said Yang Shan, a foreign trade staff member from a Huai'an-based shipping company.
Starting in 2024, the Hunan-Guangdong-Africa rail-sea intermodal train service, featuring shorter transport time, more stable operations, and lower costs, has begun operating on a weekly schedule. Freight trains carrying products such as new energy vehicles and machinery parts depart from Zhuzhou City in central China's Hunan Province, heading directly to Nansha Port in Guangdong Province in the south where the goods are prepared for export to Africa.
"Previously, our Hunan-Guangdong-Africa rail-sea intermodal train service didn't have a direct route. Now, with the new service, the transport time from Zhuzhou to Guangzhou has been cut from 72 hours to just 20 hours. We are also continuously optimizing rail freight costs, and through resource integration, we have reduced logistics costs by about 2,500 yuan (about 345 U.S. dollars) per container," said Zhang Jian, chairman of a Zhuzhou-based logistics company.
In Zibo City of east China's Shandong Province, real-time logistics data of bulk commodities is monitored and analyzed on trading platforms. Such platforms can monitor the status of cargo trucks throughout the entire process, from loading and transport to unloading, enabling more efficient logistics planning and cost savings.
China issues action plan to cut national logistics costs
