XPENG, the manufacturer of smart electric vehicles, has recently revealed its forefront range, including its most futuristic innovation: XPENG X2 flying car.
Not released on the market, yet, it represents the fifth and last generation of flying cars, developed in collaboration with HT Aero. The car is provided with numerous hi-tech fixtures, such as the radar detection of distances, system of sensors to avoid obstacles and a parachute. It measures 4.97 metres of length, 4.78 metres of width and 1.36 metres of height and its arms can be folded, reducing the overall length to 4.79 metres and the width to 1.95 metres, while the propellers’ diameter is about 1.83 metres. With a structure fully made of carbon fibre, this flying car weighs 560 kilos, with a maximum weight at the take-off of 760 kilos. It will be able to fly for about 35 minutes at a cruise speed of 130 kilometres at a height of 1000 metres.
A brief presentation of the company headquartered at Guangzhou, in China: XPENG is strongly committed to the in-house research and development and to the smart production. More than 50% of its over 11,000 employees work in areas connected with research and development. To optimize its customers’ mobility, XPENG develops its complete technology XPILOT (Advanced Driver Assistance System) and the on-board smart operating system (Xmart OS), as well as all base systems of the vehicle, including the powerplant and the electrification/electronic architecture.
XPENG flying car is incoming
Electric and solar technology in Utrecht
The Dutch city of Utrecht has turned into a virtuous place that can demonstrate how much the electric car sharing can be a winning choice. In this scenario, Munich-based mobility provider Sono Motors signed a cooperation agreement for a large-scale vehicle-to-grid (V2G) project in the city with We Drive Solar. Sono Motors will provide 100 Sion and thereby support the city in its goal of becoming the first metropolitan ecosystem to combine bidirectional charging and car sharing. Sono Motors’ Sion is pioneer for being solar electric vehicle (SEV) for the masses, enables V2G use-cases through its 54-kWh battery, unique solar technology, and the bidirectional charging system.
The region of Utrecht is to connect local energy generation via electric vehicles’ smart charging capabilities, the first project of this scale in the world, with 500 bidirectional charging stations available to the public. On top of the energy produced via the integrated solar panels, all Sion will be charged using sustainable energy and will also be able to deliver excess energy back into the grid.
«This is – said Christians, Sono Motors’ CEO and co-founder – the perfect project for Sono Motors to further our vision of a world free from fossil fuels as it is a clear demonstration that electric vehicles can support the transition of the energy sector as a whole. We are proud that the technology we develop is able to facilitate such a ground-breaking project, focusing on clean urban living, smart charging and shared mobility».
As part of the city-wide bidirectional charging and car sharing fleet it is planned that 100 Sion will be reserved by We Drive Solar. The aim is to develop this project on a larger scale in further cities and businesses in the Netherlands and other European countries.
Yamaha Motor: new motor for the nautical world
The latest novelty by Yamaha Motor in the segment of electric propulsion is Harmo, an integrated motor equipped with brand-new innovative steering control, with new very interesting functions. Harmo is an outboard motor conceived with the target of integrating with nature, no matter whether they are seas, lakes or oceans. Besides, the motor mission is offering an experience, in both soft and salt water, to enjoy the peace of the surrounding environment silently and without polluting.
The technological solution is composed by an electric propulsion unit, by a remote control and a joystick for a more intuitive operation. The motor is equipped with RIM-drive technology and is mounted around the external edge of the propeller, allowing more thrust at lower speeds compared to equivalent conventional motors.
The steering offers smooth manoeuvres and sharp reactive turns, due to a broad steering angle, whereas the joystick control offers an intuitive control and a complete effortless boat management, permitting to enjoy the navigation without worrying about manoeuvres. The installation of HARMO is similar to the one of conventional outboards, that is to say by means of a bracket positioned on the transom and it is equipped with the tilt function to raise it from water when it is not used or if a boat requires grounding.
This motor is already in operation on a boat: Respiro by Venmar, manufacturer specialized in the design and production of taxi boats and pleasure boats.
Separate waste collection in the electric sector
To implement its first electric vehicle for the sorted waste collection, Nord Engineering, protagonist in the sector of the smart waste management, has chosen Volvo Trucks, more precisely Volvo FE 6×2 Electric. The vehicle is fully electric, with a maximum power of 540 HP, total ground mass of 27 Tons and it is equipped with four battery packs, with 66 kWh batteries. Moreover, it is configured with the Easy collection system, innovative automated green solution for the intelligent waste management according to smart city principles.
«We have ideated and patented Easy – explained Andrea Fissore, Marketing Manager of Nord Engineering – an automated system of waste collection unique in the world, which includes both the equipped vehicle and collection containers. Our system has been chosen by municipalities and companies in over 20 Countries in the world, from America to Dubai, which have acknowledged our capability of developing smart, safe and efficient collection technologies. We have chosen Volvo Trucks because it shares our same awareness of the environment, the unceasing evolution is a constant factor of its history and its electric vehicles, immediately available, have a technological edge».
Easy system permits to optimize the entire collection process in full safety: without leaving the cabin, through a joystick, a single operator activates the equipment that automatically hooks, empties and repositions the container.
Moreover, due to the cloud, containers communicate with vehicles and the center to be emptied when they are almost full.
Dream yatch … electric!
The first mega-yacht with hybrid propulsion Bintador is in Tankoa Genovese yard, shipyard specialized in the construction of fully customizable metal mega yachts.
Number one in the S501 range featuring 50 metres of the yard, the boat is powered by a state-of-the-art hybrid propulsion package based on a pair of diesel 895 kW (1200 HP) MTU and two electric 300 kW motors assisted by two 250 kW variable-speed generators.
Among the various operation modalities, it is worth underlining DEM (Diesel Electric Mode) that assures a notable fuel saving and leads to decrease noise levels: the electric motors are powered by two variable-speed generators and allow reaching a speed of 10.5 nodes, with maximum autonomy of 4900 nautical miles. In hybrid modality, instead, the two diesel generators are off during the navigation and one of the two main motors works to power the second electric motor that shares in the propulsion and to satisfy the energy requirements for non-board services. At 12 nodes, the yacht will have a cruise autonomy of about 4000 nautical miles.
The choice of navigating in Full-Speed modality sets in operation both main motors and the generators to power the two electric motors and on-board services: in this case, the yacht reaches a maximum speed of over 18 nodes.
The yacht has been already awarded: it won the Boat International 2020 World Superyacht Award as it is the best “Displacement Motor Yachts Below 499GT – 40M and above”.
Are you wondering how much does it cost? About 31 million Euros!
Electric motorcycles: the hybrid prototype by Kawasaki
Kawasaki, which has declared the intention of ceasing the production of fossil-fuel vehicles starting from 2035, has revealed a first prototype of hybrid motorcycle, which combines the petrol propulsion with an electric aid.
The first details seem to indicate as “starting base” the famous Ninja 400, with the addition of a small electric motors and a semi-automatic gearbox.
The interaction between thermal and electric implies that the transmission is studied to exploit at best the synergies between the two propulsor typologies that often operate in complementary manner: the electric gives its best at zero revolutions, whereas the petrol motor on the long term.
What about the overall dimensions on a motorcycle? The prototype is equipped with a 48-volt battery that does not seem to affect so much the two-wheeler’s performance.
The electric era of Ducati is starting
Starting from 2023-season, Ducati will be the exclusive official supplier of motorbikes for FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, the electric class of the MotoGP World Championship.
The agreement signed with Dorna Sports, organizer and promoter of the most important two-wheel international competitions, will last until 2026 and therefore it will include four editions of the MotoE World Cup.
It is a historical step for Ducati that follows its custom of using competitions as laboratory for technologies and solutions that then become reality for all riders.
Therefore, the FIM Enel MotoE Championship has all papers in order to allow the company to develop the best technologies and test methodologies applied to light and performing sportif electric motorcycles.
At the same time, the appurtenance of Ducati to Volkswagen Group, which has made electric mobility an essential element of its 2030 “New Auto” strategy, represents the best preliminary condition for an extraordinary exchange of competences in the field of electric powertrains.
«We will work – declared Claudio Domenicali, CEO Ducati Motor Holding – to provide all participants in FIM Enel MotoE World Cup with electric motorbikes that are highly performing and stand out for their lightness. The major challenge will concern precisely weight, fundamental element of sports cars. Lightness has always been in Ducati DNA and, thanks to the technology and the chemistry of batteries that are evolving quickly, we believe we can achieve an excellent result».
It’born CUPRA Born!
The first full-electric model by the Spanish brand is called CUPRA Born and it is characterized by the appealing design and sportif performances.
The powertrain includes a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor with maximum torque of 310Nm at 16,000 rpm, positioned on the rear axle, in front of the central part of wheels. The torque is transferred through a single speed gearbox with differential, which allows a uniform power supply for smooth performances.
The motor is available in three power variants: 150 HP (110 kW)/310 Nm and 204 HP (150 kW)/310 Nm for CUPRA Born, whereas the motor that equips the most performing version, CUPRA Born e-Boost1, reaches a power of 231 HP (170 kW)/310 Nm. In its turn, Born e-Boost1 will be available in two variants: one with 58 kWh battery, which assures an autonomy of 424 km, and one with 77 kWh battery, with autonomy of 540 km. The acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes place in 6.6 seconds.
CUPRA Born exploits a lithium-ion water-cooled battery system with more modules, centrally housed in the lower part of the car to guarantee an excellent centre of gravity and to reduce the weight impact. The arrangement of the battery pack assures improved dynamics and more stability, so sharing in a more uniform distribution of the car weight (50% on the front part and 50% on the rear part). «CUPRA Born – commented Wayne Griffiths, CEO of CUPRA – represents the boost towards the electrification era. Due to its appealing design created in Barcelona and to the sports performances, as well as to an autonomy in fully electric modality of over 500 km, this car contributes in decreasing the global CO2 emissions and in reaching European targets».
Designed and developed in Barcelona, at the Headquarters CUPRA at Martorell, CUPRA Born is produced in the factory in Zwickau, in Germany.
From the iPhone to the electric bus
Foxconn, the Taiwanese giant that manufactures the iPhone Apple and other smartphones, has announced the production of a lithium-ion bus and of two electric cars: SUV Model C and Model E, the sedan designed by Pininfarina.
Foxconn, partner of Stellantis on technologies, produces also Smartphones with Xiaomi brand, the Chinese giant of hi-tech that has decided entering the electric car with ten billions in the next ten years.
The Model E, with high performances and advanced dynamic control technology, provides a power of about 750 HP, reaches an acceleration from 0 to 100 km in 2.8 seconds and has an autonomy of 750 km. The electric SUV called Model C features instead an autonomy of about 700 km and sportif performances, due to the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 4 seconds. The electric bus with bulky sizes, finally, can reach 20 km/h of maximum speed. Ready to start its service in Taiwan in the course of 2022, it was presented with Foxtron brand.
Electric air taxi? Good news for Rome
Urban air mobility will be part of the solution for heavily congested city centers across the world. Volocopter, the pioneer of urban air mobility (UAM), the infrastructures’ holding company Atlantia and Aeroporti di Roma, have announced their partnership to bring electric air taxis to Rome.
As an entirely new mobility service, it offers transportation for people and goods that is battery powered and thus emission free in flight. Together with the Italian authorities and regulators and with Atlantia’s full support, Aeroporti di Roma, and Volocopter will raise public awareness about UAM and pave the way to bring it to Italy within the next 2-3 years. In particular, the new service will connect the international hub “Leonardo da Vinci” with various places in Rome, through vertical airports. This will allow to travel in comfort and quality, reducing greatly both the congestion of urban traffic and CO2 emissions, as the 18 engines of VoloCity operate in electric mode.
Volocopter takes a holistic approach to UAM by developing a full ecosystem that connects the necessary components to offer electric flight in cities. The German company is the only eVTOL developer with a product portfolio of multicopter and fixed-wing designs that can be used for passenger and cargo transportation. Through cross-industrial partnerships, Volocopter covers all the aspects of the UAM ecosystem including the aircraft, the operations, as well as the digital infrastructure, VoloIQ, enabling large-scale digital visibility of the entire ecosystem.
“We have proven again and again – said Christian Bauer— CCO, Volocopter – that our aircraft are flying fully-scaled. Now, we are currently focusing on putting the UAM ecosystem in place in several cities, just like Rome, to host our fully electric mobility solutions upon certification. There could not be any better partners to bring this exciting mode of mobility to Italy than ADR, who are recognized to be one of the most innovative and sustainable airports in Europe».