The pioneer of the two-wheelers electric mobility Zero Motorcycles has announced the arrival in Italy of two new electric motorcycles DS, FXE and S with 15-HP motors, corresponding to 11 kW. Vehicles are designed to offer a versatile accessible experience for the bikers with any experience level: in Italy, to drive an 11-kW electric motorbike the driving licenses A1 or B are sufficient. Zero DS is a light whippy Dual Sport enduro, ideal for the simplest dirt roads and it has an electric motor able to deliver a maximum torque of 109 Nm, besides proposing various advanced technological functions. The total black FXE is ideal for the urban environment due to its innovative ZForce 75-5 motor, whereas the naked S with three-phase electric brushless motor has a maximum autonomy of 359 km in the urban cycle with a single charge.
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 “Eco”, 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.
A state-of-the art hybrid APR is incoming
APR Aerospace has recently presented APR001 – Electric V.01, the new state-of-the-art hybrid APR with vertical take-off and forward flight. The fully electric aircraft is designed for the long-haul transport of payloads up to 10 kg.
Thanks to a cell completely made of composite materials and equipped with 5 electric motors, APR001 combines the performance of vertical take-off and landing that is typical of multirotors with the efficiency of the conventional flight, notably increasing the efficiency and the range.
With a wingspan of 2.90 metres and the use of a single motor for the forward flight, APR001 optimizes the duration of batteries and the operational range. Moreover, thanks to the use of state-of-the-art composite materials, it reaches an excellent ratio between mass and structural characteristics, maintaining a flight weight of just 15 kg and permitting the transport of payloads up to 10 kg without exceeding 25 kg MTOW imposed by the regulation. The range of APR001 can reach 100 km, making it a key tool for a broad range of missions.
Incoming the electric boat by BMW
BMW has recently launched The Icon, a futuristic 13-metre boat – ready for production – equipped with foils and with two motors, designed to extend the batteries’ duration while using less energy with the same speed. The boat exploits a pair of electric 100-kW motors by using the 240 kWh of energy provided by the six batteries of BMW i3. The autonomy reaches over 50 nautical miles, corresponding to about 92 km. The cruise speed on foils is reported at around 24 knots, while the maximum one is estimated in about 30 knots.
Worth highlighting the Electric range (WLTP) of 488–560 in km and the power consumption corresponding to 23.3–20.8 kWh/100 km (combined).
Peter Dengler, head of The Icon project said: «Mobility on water is nearly ten times more energy-intensive than mobility on land. In the meantime, however, professional sailing has come up with solutions for substantially saving energy, paving the way for climate-friendly solutions. The decarbonization of mobility is already taking place in some areas. In other areas, however, there has not yet been innovation, so decarbonization has not even begun. There is currently no equivalent of luxury electric vehicles like the BMW i7 M70 offered on the water».
Electric motor for trailers and V2G bidirectional charge
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 curves’ lateral ones. The sensors on the pin detect these forces and their signals, together with others’ 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.
Multi-business collaboration for the innovative electric seaplane
Equipmake, a developer of electrified products, has supplied one of its electric transmission systems for the electric SpiritBARTech35E seaplane manufactured by Spirit Yachts and BAR Technologies.
The motor supplied for the project is a tailored HPM-400, fully electric and light with integrated gearbox able to generate a peak power of 80kW.
The e-drivetrain includes also the IGBT HPI-450 inverter by Equipmake and a customized 120kWh battery pack.
Companies have presented the SpiritBARTech35EF as a 10.6 m electric seaplane and, first ship of its kind, with a fast cruising range of 100 nautical miles.
“In the name of all at Equipmake, I am proud of having played a key role with Spirit Yachts and BAR Technologies in this astonishing electric seaplane, which really establishes new standards for long-range electric vessels “, stated Ian Foley, CEO of Equipmake. “Our in-house developed electrification technology has many high-performance applications, from aerospace to automotive, and SpiritBARTech35EF is the perfect showcase of how it can be applied to the steeply rising electric marine market “.
Caofen F80, the new electric high-performance series
19The new electric high-performance bike series F80 by Caofen is characterized by a body made of magnesium and melted aluminium alloy, weld-free and with excellent strength. The manufacturer states that we can let it fall 2,000 times from a five-metre height without breaking, so permitting pilots to experiment a stable unprecedented driving pleasure.
Equipped with innovative high-efficiency battery management system, the bike is provided with a battery-immersion cooling mechanism, with 8-V thermal balance and auxiliary heating system for standard use at maximum temperatures of -40°.
The motor is an 8-kW permanent magnet unit, powered by 2160 Wh battery, for an autonomy of 80 km at 30 km/h.
AIM EV Sport 01, from the Japan the electric concept car by an OEM
In these days AIM EV Sport 01 is making its debut, the prototype of sports car by AIM brand, OEM company operating since 1998 and whose primary mission is the development of engines in endurance races, fully electric, designed by the renowned Shiro Nakamura, already author of iconic Nissan models.
With an electric 600 HP motor and a weight of just 1,500 kg, which supplies a maximum power of 489 HP, the car stands out for the exclusive design and the attention to the driving pleasure and to agility. The project provides for two electric motors for 600 HP in all, but at present there are no detailed information about the battery. However, it seems that due to the total weight of about 1,500 kg, an autonomy of around 300 km is foreseen.
According to what reported by the company, AIM EV Sport 01 has been created to show the company’s skills and motors but the enthusiasm aroused might lead AIM to manufacture a standard car.
Stla Medium: the new platform by Stellantis for electrification
Stellantis has recently presented Stla Medium, a global BEV-by-design platform with forefront features. It can offer prolonged autonomy (over 700 km) and integrated flexibility starting from the design, to allow the implementation of a broad variety of vehicles with various traction configurations in the key market segments, C and D, which have represented 35 million sales in 2022, almost the half of the 78.5 million vehicles sold on a global scale in the same year. Currently, Stellantis brands offer 26 models of vehicles in these segments, by using various platforms. The Stla Medium platform allows manufacturing up to 2 million vehicles yearly in various plants headquartered worldwide, this year starting from Europe.
STLA Medium, which uses a 400-V electric architecture, will offer top-level energy efficiency and recharge times in the category and the connectivity to a recharge system. Depending on the application, the consumption will be under 14 kWh for 100 km. The vehicles implemented on Stla Medium will be sold all over the world and they will be available with front or all-wheel drive, with the addition of a second electric propulsion module at the rear, with a power ranging from 160 to 285 kW (BEV).
eVTOL, strategic partnerships to make Umbria equipment take off
They have recently announced the partnership between Foligno Umbragroup, top player in the production of ball screws in the aeronautical sector and valuable player in aerospace and defence, and the Korean Supernal, reality connected with the forefront aircraft mobility, member of Hyundai Motor Company Group.
The partnership will have significant repercussions not only for Umbria multinational but also for the territory, considering the induced activities that turn around the company. Supernal is developing a new electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL), which will revolutionize the sustainable mobility concept, to bet, during next years, on a technological revolution that will include also our territory and its productions. A challenge for Umbria company, which with its electromechanical actuators can design and manufacture complex, light and safe architectures and support customers in the whole qualification and certification process. Umbragroup is called to supply Supernal with equipment providing the advantage of improving the performances of the solutions where they are assembled and to share in a significant reduction of the environmental impact.
“A new and exciting challenge the confirms how our Group is ranking among the pioneers of the new mobility and electrification, always looking at the sustainability of the solutions proposed”, declared the CEO of Umbragroup Matteo Notarangelo.