The British startup HVS – Hydrogen Vehicle Systems has recently announced the development of the first heavy-duty vehicle powered by hydrogen and manufactured in the United Kingdom. In these days, they have invited fleet operators to register the expressions of interest to try out its hydrogen electric heavy vehicle (HGV) before buying.
The supported tests will start in the fourth quarter of 2025, once completed the exhaustive pre-production prototyping phase and once heavy vehicles will be ready for the mass-production in the United Kingdom.
The vehicle has been shown in its prototyping configuration: it announces around 600 km of autonomy and refuelling times of about 20 minutes, a datum that would make it rank at the top of its category.
Jawad Khursheed, CEO of HVS said: “In response to the huge levels of interest we have received from fleet operators we are inviting them to register expressions of interest in trialling our Hydrogen Goods Vehicle on the HVS website. “We understand the challenges of introducing disruptive technology such as zero-emission trucks to the logistics sector, so we will be offering extensive trials to fleet operators so they can thoroughly evaluate the technology and understand how it will perform within their fleets before they purchase our vehicles, which will help them achieve their environmental targets.
Hydrogen is the perfect fuel for the haulage industry, offering long range and quick refuelling thanks to stations being easily integrated into existing key transport networks, and we’re keen to help prospective customers learn all about this exciting technology.”
UK: testing the first Zero-Emission Hydrogen-Electric heavy vehicle
ABB E-mobility and Scania, together for the Megawatt Charging System
Next-generation Scania electric truck has completed the first recharge test with the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) by ABB E-mobility. It is a milestone in the development of an efficient high-power solution for heavy-duty vehicles.
The test will lead to the progressive distribution of high-power chargers, with current starting from 1,500 Amperes, up to the 3,000 Amperes of the MCS system. It is a recharge standard in which both Scania and ABB E-mobility have hugely invested, in collaboration with CharIN.
MCS technology is fundamental for long-haul trucks: the vehicle can be driven for 4.5 hours maximum before the driver must mandatorily stop for at least 45 minutes: during this short interval, the truck must charge enough energy to grant an autonomy for other 4.5 hours of use.
Starting from the current year, Scania will be able to offer trucks with MCS connector upon specific demand, whose production is scheduled since 2024. ABB E-mobility will introduce the next upgrade of its MCS technology from the end of 2024 to the beginning of 2025.
Fredrik Allard, Head of E-mobility of Scania affirmed: “We are living an upswing time for the electric transport, moreover, we foresee that in 2030 electrified solutions will constitute 50% of our yearly sales. To hit this target, the infrastructure will be necessary and the MCS is a crucial piece of the puzzle to build the future”.
Emilio, the electric boat for the transport of goods, has arrived in Venice
Emilio is the first zero-impact boat of the large distribution in Venice lagoon. The new boat with electric motor has become part of the fleet of Coop Alleanza 3.0 and will take care of provisioning the brand’s stores. Emilio has been manufactured by S.ca Snc Trasporti Marittimi Veneziani. Able to fulfil all functions of goods loading, transport and unloading in the supplied Coop stores, the new boat is equipped with a battery that can rely on three hours of autonomy during which it grants zero emissions. Thanks to the electric motor, able to decrease significantly both consumptions and the emissions of carbon dioxide, about 39 tons of CO2. will be spared yearly. Moreover, Emilio is fully self-rechargeable.
Mavic presents the electric motor for bikes with record lightness
Nowadays, no e-road bike reaches the same lightness levels that it would have with the X-Tend motor, weighing just 1.2 Kg, designed by the French Mavic. The normalized power corresponds to 250 watts and the peak one reaches 390 watts, the driving torque is 37 Nm with peak of 50 Nm.
The total weight of Mavic X-Tend, including the bearings of the central movement and the power meter is equal to 3.2 Kg. Mavic has started working at this project since 2016, identifying in the weight one of the factors that have prevented electric bikes from knowing a popularity resembling e-Mtb.
The new brushless Mavic X-Tend motor with cycloidal reduction gear has been tested for over 120,000 Km. Currently, the motor is fully engineered and ready for the mass-production, for which it is anyway waiting for investors, in order to really enable the release on the market.
Electric trucks: a step forward with the agreement between Eaton and BAE Systems
Through a memorandum of understanding, AE Systems and Eaton will initially offer a solution for the medium-duty commercial truck platforms market, with a Class-7 pickup and delivery demonstration vehicle in development. The target is implementing a complete EV system for medium-duty vehicles, like those used for a variety of pickup and delivery applications.
In the ambit of the collaboration, BAE Systems will integrate its power-dense electric motor and advanced silicon carbide/gallium nitride power electronics suite with Eaton’s MD 4-speed EV transmission to provide a comprehensive EV system for medium-duty vehicles, such as those used for a variety of pick-up and delivery applications. Leveraging industry-leading technology, the complete solution will provide original equipment manufacturers with a durable, high performance, compact, efficient, and optimized system with flexibility to work with multiple zero-emission platforms.
Steve Trichka, vice-president and general manager of Power & Propulsion Solutions at BAE Systems. “Together, BAE Systems and Eaton will enable efficient modular and scalable electric drive systems for our customers “.
Mark Kramer, director of the business unit, ePowertrain, Eaton’s Vehicle Group stated instead: “Eaton is pleased to collaborate with BAE Systems to supply more electrified propulsion solutions to our customers of commercial vehicles. Our 4-speed electric vehicles’ transmissions have proved to offer top performances in the category in the sector, due to the higher acceleration and surmountable slopes, at the same time offering advanced efficiency for the electric vehicle system”.
British Army’s Land Rover will have the electric traction
Babcock International Group, entrusted by the British Defence Ministry, has chosen the English Electrogenic to redesign, with its proprietary technology, four Land Rover of the British army to equip them with fully electric traction.
Vehicles will be reconverted and then equipped with EV drop-in conversion kits by Electrogenic. Vehicles wil be then tried and tested by the Armoured Trials and Development Unit (ATDU) in a series of experimental scenarios on the battle/military field, which will assess performances on steep terrains, towed and under different climatic conditions.
Corporal Bryan Munce, from the Armoured Trials and Development Unit at MOD Bovington, said: “ATDU is supporting Defence to fully realise the strengths and weaknesses of electric vehicle technology. Mobility performance, exportable power, signature and cost reduction are just some of the considerations we will explore while partnering with Electrogenic and Babcock. In understanding what could enable our forces, it also informs MOD of potential threats to be cognizant of, to enhance our strategic approach.”
“We are immensely proud to be putting our market-leading EV technology to the ultimate test with the British Army and we are delighted to be working with Babcock”, has informed in a press release. The core of company’s offering is the ability to have total control over every element of the electric drivetrain.
Schaeffler motors for municipal vehicles
Three manufacturers of compact municipal vehicles are getting ready to integrate the electric motors for high efficiency wheels’ hubs manufactured by Schaeffler into their production lines. The result? Street sweepers, vans and snow blowers will operate in fully electric modality.
One of the first companies that this year has released on the market a multipurpose vehicle including the technology of Schaeffler motors for wheel hubs is Jungo.
Fully-electric Schaeffler motors for wheel hubs have a structure where the electric motor (stator and rotor), the gearbox and the mechanical friction brake are arranged around the wheel bearing inside the rim. This compact-design envelope frees space in other parts of the vehicle, for instance for the storage of the battery or of the load. Moreover, it offers more design freedom to vehicle manufacturers, allowing them to develop a wide range of mobility formats, including rolling chassis solutions.
The motor for the wheel hub, including the gearbox, is very compact and is framed inside a 14-inch rim. The inverter, on the contrary, is not integrated and can be positioned everywhere in the vehicle. A single inverter controls one or two motors for wheels’ hubs, depending on the application scenario. The motor power is scalable, according to the application, from 7 kW to 26 kW (maximum work power) and reaches a peak of 60 kW for short periods. The torque generated by the electric motor is directly transmitted by the gearbox to the wheel. This direct transmission reduces the energy loss, making the transmission highly efficient. Another key advantage is that torque and rotation direction are singularly controlled for each wheel, resulting in a four-wheel drive vehicle capable of tackling hills with ease, even in wintry road conditions.
Schaeffler is currently developing motors for wheels’ hubs for 48 V and 400 V applications and is exploring the possibility of even higher voltages.
Transfluid electric motors on French rivers
TRX Marine has been entrusted by the French Ecofluv, with the construction of an innovative river cargo ship, which can operate in fully electric zero-emission modality.
The ship design has been developed by the French company Arco Marine and TRX Shipyard in collaboration with Ecofluv. It is battery-powered, with a compact smart electric propulsion system, supplied by Transfluid, able to navigate without any emission into the atmosphere.
Transfluid supply includes two electric azimuth thrusters of 75 kW @ 1500 rpm each, double hydraulic control unit for the wheelhouse, two independent battery banks of 163 kWh each, two independent DC/AC 44kW converters, bow thruster and 6 battery chargers that can be used for both recharging on the quay and while navigating.
Everything will be combined with two Diesel 45-kW generators that will be used as emergency during the navigation or to charge batteries if the shore power was not available.
The boat can operate efficiently and silently in electric modality and shift quickly to the operation with Diesel generators, in emergency cases. Lithium batteries can also be charged from a shore power connection. The fully integrated turn-key solution by Transfluid uses a power management system that communicates with all components through a CAN Bus protocol.
From Germany funding worth 24.6 million Euros for Volta Trucks
Volta Trucks, the Anglo-Saxon start-up of electric trucks, will receive a funding worth 24.6 million Euros from the German Federal Transport Ministry, to decrease vehicles’ costs for companies, for 151 Volta Zero full electric trucks in all.
Actually, all orders received in Germany within June 2023 can benefit from such subsidy, which shares in the implementation of the German Government’s climate protection programme 2030. By 2030, in fact, around one third of the production of vehicles for the transport of heavy goods in Germany will be electric or based on electric fuels.
We are satisfied that Volta Zero was able to obtain the funding by the German Federal Ministry “, stated Usuf Schermo, Area Sales Manager of Volta Trucks. “It is an outstanding result and an enormous acknowledgment for our fully electric truck even before the official manufacturing start. Via the new fund for climate and transformation, Germany is becoming an absolute pioneer in Europe, from which now Volta Trucks customers can benefit, too.”
Nissan X in 1: new approach for the development of electric motors
Recently, Nissan has presented X-in-1, the new approach to the development of electrified powertrains to make Nissan motors 100% electric and e-Power more competitive due to the sharing and modularity of their primary components. The main advantages? More manufacturing efficiency, possibility of using the same production line, lighter and less cumbersome motors and reduction of rare earths to 1% of the weight.
With X-in-1, within 2026 development and manufacturing costs will be decreased by 30% compared to 2019 and the cost of Nissan e-Power models will be equal to the cost of models with standard thermal motor. Besides, the adoption of solid-state batteries starting from 2028 – which will cost the half and will be charged in one third of the time versus current batteries – will grant a further cutting edge to Nissan.
Nissan has implemented a 100% electric powertrain prototype called 3-in-1, consisting of 3 components: motor, inverter and reducer, and a prototype of e-Power called 5-in-1, composed by 5 components: motor, inverter, reducer, generator and multiplier.
«Due to the expertise and the know-how gained in over one decade in the development and production of electrification technologies, we will go on offering innovative high-quality products to our customers, favouring the diffusion of the electric mobility and of e-Power models», stated Toshihiro Hirai, Senior Vice President, manager of the engineering development of electric powertrains and of EV.
With Ambition 2030, Nissan is going to release 27 new electrified models, including 19 new full-electric vehicles, by 2030.