Clepa, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, commented The EU taxonomy regulation – the classification on EU scale for sustainable activities – declaring that this regulation aims at directing investments towards sustainable commercial activities. This means that, over the incoming years, the sustainability level of each business activity will influence its access to funding.
The European Commission has presented new proposals for delegated acts that amend and complement the classification scheme for sustainable business activities. «CLEPA welcomes this initiative and sees the delegated acts as a step forward in the acknowledgment of automotive suppliers’ contribution to a sustainable economy and their role in the advancement of green mobility in the EU. Originally, the taxonomy regulation did not recognise the economic activities related to the production of e-mobility components as “sustainable”, while the assembly of electric vehicles was considered as such. The proposed amendment to the Climate Delegated Act incorporates the production of powertrain components including e-motors, power electronics, thermal management and braking systems in its definition of sustainable economic activities. The circularity chapter of the Delegated Act on non-climate environmental objectives gives much-needed recognition to the sustainability contribution of some aftermarket-related activities, but so far excludes the design for circularity and remains ambiguous on remanufacturing actions by automotive suppliers. As a result, critical activities by automotive suppliers remain at risk of being overlooked by capital markets and could suffer from underinvestment. The use of low carbon/recovered materials, lightweighting, and product robustness should be considered in future revisions of the taxonomy».
Hence, the reflection that many automotive supply companies continue to face competition with OEMs, who can claim eligibility for the revenue generated by a sold vehicle whose value is generated by all components, while the manufacturing activities of a large share of these components remains non-eligible.
Clepa’s vision about the EU taxonomy regulation
Aeolian Islands, suggestive stage of electric mobility thanks to Koelliker Group
Koelliker Group is partner of Aeolian Islands Music Fest also for the 2023 edition. With a range made up by strictly green vehicles, Koelliker brings the most important product models and novelties in 2023 to the Islands, such as for instance made in Italy Microlino, the first electric Koelliker-branded scooter and Maxus Mifa 9, the luxury shuttle service with 100% electric design.
Considering the success of last year, Aeolian streets will be coloured also by Wuzheng 3MX, the fully electric three-wheeler that suits any type of arrangement, from agriculture to delivery services and up to the street food.
Maxus eDeliver3, sturdy and reliable strictly full electric commercial vehicle confirms to be the official means of the staff of Aeolian Islands Music Fest. In Marina Corta square, in Lipari, the public of the event and all artists will have the opportunity of admiring from close up other models exclusively distributed by Koelliker: the SUV coupé Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV, Korando by KG Mobility (former SsangYong) and the aCar by Evum Motor, the first commercial electric 4X4 Pick-up.
After Microlino, Koelliker widens the offer of fully made in Italy solutions of urban mobility with the new 100% electric scooter Koelliker powered by Askoll.
Education and industry, MECSPE Bari 2023 to bridge the gap
Italian industry, with more than 453,000 active enterprises, remains solid and a fundamental pillar of our country’s economy. According to the analysis conducted by MECSPE, the leading international trade fair for the manufacturing industry organized by Senaf (Bari, November 23-25, 2023), more than 400,000 workers are expected to be employed in the industry from May to July, but the objective difficulty remains in finding qualified personnel, particularly skilled workers, as found by 63 percent of companies. And this is precisely the challenge that the industry will face in the coming years to respond to an industry that is changing its skin, becoming more technological, innovative, sustainable, and attractive to young people. Indeed, the younger generation is attractive to businesses, especially if they have the right training.
With this goal in mind, ITS – Istituti Tecnici Superiori, were born, which together with universities represent an important bridge between the world of industry and the world of work, providing students with solid technical and professional training in strategic sectors such as mechanics and Industry 4.0. Entrepreneurs have already realized the importance of this channel for finding partly qualified and predisposed young talents, so much so that 32 percent already work with them and 35 percent are interested in doing so in the near future. To date, there are 130 ITSs in Italy, including 14 in the Mechanics System, and according to INDIRE‘s latest data, 91 percent of graduates have found a job consistent with their course of study one year after graduation, effectively constituting a solution to the difficulty companies have in finding specialized figures.
All this thanks to the direct cooperation of companies. And it is precisely to facilitate the meeting between entrepreneurs and these realities that MECSPE has renewed its collaboration with a Bari-based excellence, the ITS A. Cuccovillo Foundation (Institute of the Mechanics-Mechatronics System), to organize the “Piazza della Formazione 4.0″. A space where the Institute and partner companies will tell, with students’ active input and practical demonstrations, about their experiences and opportunities for the area, confirming the importance of the link between business and education.
“The ITS of the Mechanics System today represents a valid channel both to train young people on issues related to Industry 4.0 and to help companies find personnel with professional characteristics that are difficult to find on the market”, comments Roberto Vingiani, Technical Director of the ITS A. Cuccovillo Foundation in Bari. “But in order to develop educational programs in line with the needs of the labor world a close and constant relationship with companies becomes essential. To date, our ITS averages 92 percent employment 12 months after graduation. In this context, MECSPE, thanks also to Training Plaza 4.0, is the ideal place to enhance the virtuous system of ITSs by recounting successful experiences with the involvement of partner companies and students. Once again this year, in fact, the initiative will actively involve young people to encourage them to improve their soft skills as well”.
“All along MECSPE aims to foster a constructive dialogue between companies and the labor world, especially now that the drive for innovation requires new skills – said Maruska Sabato, MECSPE Project Manager -. Companies and their production processes are markedly more evolved and there is a greater need for competent and up-to-date professionals capable of facing the challenges of Industry 4.0. Despite the positive trend in the sector, today there is a glaring gap on the resource availability front, also caused by schooling that is not always adequate. ITS can thus help bridge the gap between education and industry by providing young people with the skills they need to pursue a career path in manufacturing. With MECSPE, we will continue to promote the value of training in all its aspects because it represents, along with innovation, the engine for accelerating the development of the industry”.
Training will therefore be one of the main macro-themes of the Bari edition of MECSPE, along with innovation and sustainability, which represent the three cornerstones for the entire manufacturing industry. There is no growth without innovation, just as you cannot look to the future if you do not have the skills and a long-term vision that takes into account environmental impact. A mix of factors that MECSPE has always put at the center of the event, thanks to the involvement of companies, industry associations, and training institutions. All in a space of as much as 20,000 square meters designed to foster networking and training activities and transform Bari as a Southern and Central Italy manufacturing engine.
MIMO Milano Monza Motor Show 2023, large room for electric motors
The 3rd edition of MIMO Milano Monza Motor Show was held by the National Racetrack in Monza from 16th to 18th June 2023 and has witnessed as protagonists various models by over 40 automotive companies. On the occasion, the iconic F1 circuit in Monza was transformed into an amusement park for all car enthusiasts.
Moreover, during the three days of MIMO Milano Monza Motor Show great attention was paid to the Focus Electric and Hybrid Plug-In Cars, with a particular insight of the “plugged” models. Lotus for instance was present with the whole range at Formula 1 boxes and was brought Eletre, the first electric Hyper-SUV 100% and Evija, the most powerful electric supercar in the world, in limited Fittipaldi edition.
Sold out the first electric flights in 2028
The Scandinavian airline, Sas – Scandinavian airlines has opened the sale of the first three inaugural electric flights that will take place in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, to secure the place among the 30 the aircraft can accommodate. Currently, we do not know the take-off place, date and time, but we know the year: 2028, and the fact the route will be a short-haul domestic flight.
The 90 available seats have been sold out in the lapse of few hours, a ticket in the front row to witness a real revolution.
The ticket price for the inaugural flight will be SEK/NOK/DKK 1946 – a tribute to the year when SAS first started flying.
“Since its inception in 1946, SAS has been one of the pioneers in the airline industry, being for instance the first commercial airline operator to fly over the North Pole to significantly shorten flight time between continents. A ground-breaking activity for which SAS received the Columbus Prize. The fact that we can now invite our passengers to the next major milestone in the future of aviation is a natural continuation of that pioneering spirit and a significant step on our journey towards more sustainable aviation,” says Anko van der Werff, President & CEO of SAS.
Electric buses, in Germany transports will become electric?
The goal of the four-year agreement between Flix, German transport company established in 2013 that operates in Europe, United States and Brazil with FlixBus and FlixTrain, and the bus division of the automotive giant Daimler, aims at electrifying the famous fleet of buses.
The project is funded by the Federal German Ministry for Economy and Climate and two full electric prototypes will be tested.
In a first phase, a modular motor will be implemented according to fundamental parameters such as the energy consumption, the autonomy level, drive performance and the battery duration, to be afterwards analysed in the light of the environmental impact, of the cost-benefit ratio and of its concrete marketing on the market.
In addition to Flix and Daimler Buses, the project involves, as research partners, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (Kit), the University of Mannheim and Kaiserslautern Polytechnics. The primary challenge for Flix and Daimler Buses is ascertaining that electric vehicles can withstand long distances, according to travelling times and standards demanded.
According to the company’s data, those who travel for 400 kilometres with a long mileage bus, instead of by car, reduce their own emissions of CO2 by around 6.6 kilos.
Turin, Next Generation Mobility. When will flying taxis arrive in Italy?
What are the trends in new forms of air mobility, from urban mobility to Advanced Air Mobility with electric and hybrid propulsion and heavy drones?
We will find out at the annual Next Generation Mobility event to be held in Turin on 12 and 13 June at the Centro Congressi dell’Unione Industriali.
The first day will open in the morning with the fourth edition of the ‘Advanced Air Mobility National Conference,’ where the next projects in the pipeline in Italy and the latest challenges to innovate transport will be discussed.
The Conference is sponsored by ENAC, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, and AS-SORPAS, the Association that aggregates light drone operators, whose president Nicola Nizzoli will speak at the event.
What is advanced air mobility
Initially created to indicate light transport services for goods and people in strictly urban areas, advanced air mobility, (AAM terminology created by NASA in 2020) covers all new forms of flying, from cargo drones, or rather remotely piloted or autonomous cargo planes, to taxis, to electric planes for private use to short-haul passenger aircraft with electric or hybrid propulsion.
And in Italy?
In Italy, urban air mobility has been widely talked about for about six years, when the pro-mission to guarantee a sustainable air transfer service between the various game venues had an influence on the awarding of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. On the other hand, the City of Turin joined the EU’s Urban Air Mobility Initiative, at the same time launching an intensive programme of drone application research.
Themes of the event
At the National Conference in Turin, Arianna Censi – Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Mobility of the Municipality of Milan, will update on how the Lombardy capital is moving, in collaboration with various partners, on the eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) front with a view to 2026 and beyond.
For Turin, Gianfranco Todesco – Head of the City’s Drone Unit – will illustrate the latest developments in the programme.
The interest of Piedmont, home to one of Italy’s aerospace development poles, in advanced aerial mobility is confirmed by the role of the Politecnico di Torino in the National Centre for Sustainable Mobility financed by the PNRR: Professor Giorgio Guglieri, one of the leading experts in the sector, will illustrate the Spoke 1 – Sustainable Mobility Centre project (National Centre for Sustainable Mobility – CNMS).
On the industrial front, Gianpaolo Conte – Program Manager Advanced Air Mobility at Leonardo, will give the overview from the point of view of Italy’s largest aerospace company.
Other scheduled speakers include: Paolo Arpellino – Head of Business Development at ITA Airways will testify to the interest of traditional airlines in new aircraft and the carbon-neutrality of civil aviation in general.
Luca Bono, Italy’s leading independent expert in the field of high-performance energy stor-ge systems for mobile applications, will close with a state-of-the-art overview of the technology, the real bottleneck of the sector, to which is added the problem of airspace control and management.
Sergio Barlocchetti, aeronautical journalist, pilot and certified instructor, will be the moderator and ‘raider’.
It will be possible to follow the annual Next Generation Mobility event in person, in the halls of the Unione Industriali di Torino Congress Centre, or via live streaming.
Next Generation Mobility 2023 is an event sponsored by the City of Turin, the Metropolitan City of Turin and the Piedmont Region.
The event is the result of a consolidated partnership with Clickutility Team, which has been organising conferences in the field of mobility and smart cities for over 15 years, and Studio Comelli, which has always been involved in the design of event content and scientific and media relations agendas.
Toscana, sailboat with electric motor for the inclusive crossing
Marco Rossato, lover of boating and energy and paraplegic sailor who, among the first, sailed around Italy alone, is one of the founding members of Timonieri Sbandati, an association established to make boats accessible also to those affected by disabilities, to allow all to feel the emotion of getting on board. Through his social pages, Rossato has updated on the first edition of Giro dei Porto and of Marina in Tuscany, held from 3rd to 25th April 2023 on board of Tornavento boat.
In particular, he informed that the stage from Porto Azzurro to Marciana Marina was fully motorized until Portoferraio and only after the wind allowed the use of sails.
“We rely on an electric motor featuring 15kW of power and 9.6kWh of battery. Several times we travelled 25nm sections consuming from 50 to 70%, so a good result indeed. If it was sunny, we would achieve much more, if we opened sails with little wind the effort would decrease and the autonomy would increase, if we exceeded 5knt by sail we would recharge batteries with the same propeller, which from thruster would become hydrogen generator. No more diesel engine on board of Tornavento, this is sure”.
The sailor has also revealed the detail of the equipping motor: the Italian Bellmarine by Transfluid.
Motor Valley Fest 2023: startup’s e-projects
From 11th May to 14th, the Military Academy in Modena will be the venue of the fifth edition of the Motor Valley Fest and on that occasion the start-ups, integral and essential part of the event, will exhibit their ambitious and innovative projects that wink at electrification.
Various realities will participate, such as 2electron, startup that has patented and developed the McFly technology that allows an electric vehicle to emulate the features of an internal combustion engine with a mechanical gearbox, and Novac that designs super-condensers joining batteries, with the target of enhancing electric vehicles’ performances and efficiency.
There will be also FLAG-MS, specialized in the development of electric thrusters, Galvani Power, whose technology is in the name of safety, modularity, integration and thermal management to make electrification faster, more accessible and sustainable for all, and BeonD, committed to the development of new technologies with innovative solutions also in E-mobility ambit.
“The Motor Valley Fest has become an international benchmark for the world of motors. It is an event that casts the spotlights on a territory rich in motor excellences known worldwide, phantastic companies and professionalisms, resulting in thousands of workplaces, circuits and private collections, making room for talents and the most innovative start-ups. A unique meeting, paying utmost attention to the sustainable mobility of the future, with the development of high-performance ecologic motors. Speed, passion, genius and creativity, in the real world Motor Valley”, stated the President of the Region, Stefano Bonaccini.
Great and large investments for Coveme
Coveme, the San Lazzaro di Savena-based company that is a global top player in surface treatment and polyester film conversion, is investing a lot to enlarge its business: Seventy million euros in the last ten years.
What are the aims? Customers in Sweden, Germany, the United States, Spain, England, and new markets, two production sites in Italy and China, three research and development laboratories in Italy, China, and Germany, a new branch opened in the United States in early April of this year, and 14 production lines.
The latest one, Line 11, inaugurated in Gorizia a few days ago, totals around 300 employees. Line 11 performs various treatments on polyester film to enable customers to use it for subsequent processing in various industries, from screen printing to fashion, automotive to interior design and printed electronics.
From a trading company of insulating materials for the electromechanical industry, Coveme has grown and adapted to the changes in the world around it, becoming a reference point for polyester film processing.
Amedeo Maccolini, CEO of the company said: “Today, to stay on the market and remain competitive, you must invest. We need to employ resources in research and the development of innovative, high-quality, efficient, and sustainable products while expanding our commercial network, seeking new markets. That’s why we opened our new branch in the United States.”