The Californian startup Range Energy has manufactured a motor to be installed on the trailer of articulated trucks to relieve the effort of the powertrain by reducing its consumption. The secret of the system would lie in the pin that engages the fifth wheel and transmits traction to the trailer while allowing the latter to turn during manoeuvres.
The smart kingpin is equipped with sensors that detect the intensity and the direction of the forces of traction, braking and of curvesâ lateral ones. The sensors on the pin detect these forces and their signals, together with othersâ they opportunely pilot the electric motor connected with one of the rear axles.
Technical data refer to a 350 kW/476 HP and 14,000 Nm motor and to 200 kWh batteries at 800 volts, with a charge that takes place at 19 kW in AC and up to 350 kW in DC. A gem: this trailer has also the V2G bidirectional charge and then it might be used to power external systems or to balance the net.
Electric motor for trailers and V2G bidirectional charge
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 vehiclesâ 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 Governmentâs 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.”
Magnetic reluctance motors for more efficient HVAC systems
The Smart Motor System developed by the Californian Turntide Technologies lands in Italy, with the target of revolutionizing air treatment systems in buildings. Developed by the Californian company Turntide Technologies, it is a switched magnetic reluctance electric motor that allows large buildings to manage the air treatment with notable energy saving. This technology now lands also in Italy thanks to Future Motors, company specialized in green technologies for energy efficiency.
Commercial and industrial buildings account for 40% of electricity consumed globally and 20% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
HVAC energy consumption accounts for more than 40% of a commercial buildingâs total energy use. Turntide for Strategic Machines can reduce HVAC energy use on average by 64 percent and smooth a path to more sustainable operations.
More efficient HVAC systems
Let us go into detail. At the center of Turntide for Strategic Machines is the new TX motor. This intelligent motor features a unique pancake design that is very light and is ideal for use in equipment with limited space and/or high torque requirements, such as axial fans in data centers. Its IoT capabilities enable automated commissioning, remote monitoring, and fault detection. Real-time data streams from the connected motor offer insights into equipment performance and present opportunities for new aftermarket recurring revenue streams, such as equipment-as-a-service subscriptions and condition-based service contracts.
OEMs can also use the data insights to accelerate product improvement timelines and bring more innovative products to market with a lower total cost of ownership and improved reliability.
Turntide motors are free from the rare earth minerals that most high-efficiency permanent magnet motors require. Avoiding rare earths both reduces the environmental impact of the motors, as well as geopolitical supply chain risks.
The new E-Tourneo Courier is incoming by Ford
Ford has presented E-Tourneo Courier, one of the ten 100% electric vehicles that the automotive company will offer in Europe by 2024, in the direction of exclusively offering zero-emission vehicles within 2035. It is a five-seater multi-activity vehicle with a distinguishing design inspired to SUV that will land in Europe in 2024. The electric car will be manufactured at Craiova, in Romania, starting from the second half of 2024, together with the crossover Puma, which will offer a 100% electric variant by 2024.
The electric motor features 100 kW (136 HP) and the vehicle can be recharged in 11- kW AC stations or up to 100 kW in direct current. The management of the domestic recharge is simplified by an app and by the possibility of planning recharge times, taking the most convenient energy fares into account, when available. The manufacturer reports that a typical domestic night recharge on average takes less than 6 hours to shift from 10 to 100%. With a direct current recharge, it is possible to add 87 km of autonomy in 10 minutes and to increase from 10 to 80% of recharge in less than 35 minutes.
Electric van, what Modul-System as conversion partner
LEVC – London Electric Vehicle Company – has announced its first official conversion partner for its new VN5 electric van. Itâs Modul-System, the largest global vehicle racking manufacturers that will support LEVC across multiple key European markets.
Modul-System has been operating for over 40 years and offers high quality, custom and lightweight vehicle racking solutions specifically designed to meet the demanding and ever-changing needs of the commercial vehicle market.
The company has already provided conversions for LEVCâs VN5 prototype âtrial fleetâ of converted TXs that are being used by a wide range of businesses including logistics giants DPD and Royal Mail, as well as telecoms flagship, BT Group.
The Spanish electric scooter Nerva available in Italy
The Spanish brand Nerva has made its debut on the Italian market with its electric scooter Nerva EXE that, in terms of performances, resembles an endothermic 125 DC. The two-wheeler is equipped with brushless electric motor with nominal power of 9 kW, peak power of 12 kW and torque of 48 Nm. Its exclusivity resides in the batteries of BYD brand with LFP 2.88 kWh cells for a total of overall 5.76 kWh.
BYD also carries out the assembly of the whole scooter in its factories, including a 1.8 kW battery charger that allows an energy filling up in 4.2 hours.
Autonomy? The base driving modality is âEcoâ, ideal for the urban ambit, it allows reaching an autonomy corresponding to 150 km, with a maximum speed limited to 50 km/h.
The Normal modality allows reaching 80 km/h and relying on a mileage of 115 km, while the Sport modality enables a maximum speed of 125 km/h with autonomy that drops to 75 km.
Electric motor for the waste collection
Some months ago, AS Labruna had presented MOVe, startup in the electrification of mobile vehicles in the off road and automotive sectors consisting of a team of engineers, with behind professional training gained in the railway sector, who since the early Nineties has collaborated with leader European users to satisfy the new motion requirements in the zero-emission modality. The direction was the design and manufacturing of full electric vehicles for the transport of goods and people and precisely a range of innovative electrified solutions has been recently presented by AS Labruna, in collaboration with its Group companies, LF official distributor of Fpt Industrial and precisely MOVe. Its first creation is Metrocab Fresia featuring 15T, fully electric and a completely ecologic generator and a lowered frame, specifically designed for the ecologic waste collection and particularly suitable for the door to door service.
The first full electric sedan by Volkswagen
It is brand-new the release in world premiere of the new fully electric sedan by Volkswagen: ID. AERO. With this concept car, Volkswagen offers a preview of the high-end model of ID range.
With the world premiere of the concept car ID. AERO in China, Volkswagen gives an anticipation of the first fully-electric sedan by the Brand. The future mass-produced model will be part of high-end sedansâ segment.
The Chinese productionâs version will be launched in the second half of 2023. Still in 2023 Volkswagen schedules to start the production of the mass-produced European model at Emden, in Germany.
Ralf BrandstÀtter, CEO of Volkswagen stated: «With our Accelerate strategy, we are developing the electrification of our range at full rate. After ID.4, this model will be our next world car for the regions in Europe, China and United States of America».
Moreover, MEB electric traction platform by Volkswagen benefits from reduced overhangs, a long wheelbase and an exceptionally long cabin. ID. AERO is provided with a capacious lithium-ion battery with net energy content of 77 kWh. Through the interaction between an efficient propulsion and the excellent aerodynamic properties, ID. AERO reaches a maximum autonomy of 620 kilometres on long distances
ID. AERO proves the flexibility of the fully-electric MEB architecture of Volkswagen, which can be adapted to vehicles with different shapes and sizes. From compact crossovers to SUV, from minibuses to spacious sedans: MEB can be used in all segments. Furthermore, MEB fully exploits the electric mobility possibility, which allows reaching generous autonomies, the highest level of digital connectivity and the capability of receiving over-the-air updates.
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.
Flight tests for the largest electric airship in the world
It is called Pathfinder 1 and, after 10 years of development, it has carried out the first flight tests in the Silicon Valley.
It is the 124-metre-long electric airship, developed by the startup LTA Research, with a hand and as many as 110 billion dollars behind it coming from the co-founders: Sergei Brin (founder of Google) together with Larry Page. The aircraft is made up by 13 skeletons that support 12 electric motors that can rotate by 180 degrees, equipped with “drive-by-wire” type control, which allows travelling even under quite complex weather conditions, with wind up to 60 knots (110 kilometres per hour).
Each skeleton has 96 titanium nodes and 288 carbon fiber tubes and the whole structure contains 13 enormous helium tanks on place, wrapped by an as enormous tarpaulin made of Tedlar, a fireproof synthetic fibre. Pathfinder 1 has a system based on Lidar sensors permitting the pilot to know, in real time, the helium volume contained in each tank.
However, behind all that there is a noble purpose: to achieve a 180-metre-long Pathfinder version able to transport an entire field hospital: the primary goal for which Brin is creating its airship is to develop an aircraft that can reach in short times disaster areas and places that are hardly reachable from the ground.