The very structure of the bus is changing with electrics, mechanics and electronics previously made as "components-in-a-box" being replaced by structural electronics - the roof is the solar, the dashboard is the instruments - all as smart materials.

Buses are very important. Injuries and deaths from two wheelers have not reduced very much in decades whereas vehicles with four wheels or more have seen huge improvements.

In 2016, Li-ion batteries celebrated their silver jubilee, i.e. they have been on the market, virtually unchanged, for the last 25 years. While this anniversary marks and underscores their worldwide success and diffusion in consumer electronics and, more recently, electric vehicles, the underlying technology begins to show its limitations in terms of safety, performance, form factor, and cost.

Watch our preview of the IDTechEx Show! coming up in Santa Clara on Nov. 16-17 (www.idtechex.com/usa).

Toyota and Daimler presented at a recent IDTechEx conference on their fuel cell vehicle programs. A questioner asked them to reveal the unique selling proposition of fuel cell vehicles. They said there is no USP.

The South Korean giant Samsung just got itself into dire straits as the story behind the reported battery fires related to the Galaxy Note 7 unfolds even further. As of September, 92 accidents have been reported in the US alone.

Management theory says that a manufacturing company should only vertically integrate - like Tesla with its Gigafactory - when the technology is mature so you can pare off the last pennies in cost without the technology being superceded.

Pure electric short range trucks are rapidly becoming viable as they face much tougher local and global emissions regulations.

Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman of analysts IDTechEx, was interviewed 27 July by BBC Television World News in a live program transmitted worldwide. The subject was the opening of the Tesla battery gigafactory billed as the world's largest factory building.

The saying is, "In a gold rush, get there first, sell shovels". The "shovels" of the EV business are covered in the unique new IDTechEx report, Industrial and Commercial Electric Vehicles on Land 2016-2026.

The suitability of the proposed technology has been analysed and it was proved that lithium-ion capacitors can act as a main power or energy source without any reduction of the system capabilities.

The market value for residential, commercial & industrial and utility-scale battery systems will reach $6 billion in 2026, as analysed in IDTechEx's brand new report Stationary Batteries for Residential, Commercial, Industrial and Utilities 2016-2026: Market, Opportunities, Players.

An electric vehicle with three energy storage systems shows the complexity of commanding different control systems in only one vehicle. Both new systems can supply the required energy to propel the electric motor and the fuel cell system can also recharge the high-voltage battery.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are now making a steady but quiet comeback.

Following the trend to two or more traction motors per vehicle, the Technical University of Berlin with Infineon is merging their motor controllers and the on-board charger (OBC). Infineon now has a special chip to assist. At EVS29 in Montreal June 2016, Dr Martin Bruell of Continental AG, Germany, revealed progress on elimination of the OBC.

At IDTechEx we believe that there is an excellent solution being proved for the long distance battery vehicle, starting with trucks.

Very large lithium-ion battery banks were largely unknown ten years ago. Now, it is tough to keep up with the variety of uses for them.

Stellar growth over the coming decade is forecasted by analysts IDTechEx for the electric vehicle business resulting in nearly one trillion dollars sales at ex-factory prices in 2026.

The pace is hotting up. As the lithium-ion battery business grows rapidly over the coming 15 years a vital way of buying time, clout in purchasing materials, routes to market, technology, economy of scale and brand awareness will be acquisitions.

IDTechEx finds that C category cars and above will have to be mild hybrids with 48V lithium-ion batteries if they are to meet the tough new carbon dioxide emissions.