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BMW Starts Production of CE 04 EV Motorbike
Emiliano Marzoli The CE 04 falls somewhere between a maxiscooter and a light electric motorcycle, with a distinguished concept style. Initially, the rated power will be 42 Hp, giving the CE 04 a 2.6 seconds to 50km/h and 120 km/h max speed. A second model will be soon available with 31 Hp, with slower acceleration but similar top speed.
Acceleration won’t be the only difference. The battery in the faster model will be bigger, with 8.9 kWh of capacity and is rated for up to 130 km (81 miles) of range. The reduced power model has a maximum range of 100 km (62 miles). It will be possible to charge the bike under different circumstances, at home, or public places. Two built-in chargers will be available, ranging from 2.3 kW to 6.9 kw. Charging will take from 1 hour and forty minutes to 4 hours depending on the selected option. BMW said that 20 to 80% battery charge will take 45 minutes, making this a very practical vehicle.
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Volvo Builds Loader with Fossil-Free Steel
Christopher Bamforth Volvo Group and SSAB have unveiled an autonomous loader made of fossil-free steel, claimed to be the world’s first vehicle made from that material. Manufactured at Volvo Construction Equipment’s facility in Braås, Sweden, this is said to be “just the start” as a few more will be produced in 2022 with mass production set to follow.
This machine is a load carrier for use in mining and quarrying and is built using a new fossil-free steel from SSAB. Volvo’s CEO Martin Lundstedt has already said that this new machine is a first step in incorporating this new steel in all of their products and components to help reach their goal of being completely carbon neutral by 2040.
Along with the electrification of its vehicles and machines, Volvo adds that it is determined to reduce the carbon footprint of its entire supply chain and this latest innovation is one step forward on this path.
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Hyundai Motor To Convert Heavy-Duty Trucks and Buses To Hydrogen and Electric Vehicles
FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT
The Hyundai Motor Group has announced its “Hydrogen Vision 2040,” which states that 2040 will be the first year of the popularization of hydrogen energy. The company plans to launch new models of all commercial vehicles, including heavy-duty trucks and buses, with hydrogen-electric and electric vehicles. The goal is to reduce the price of hydrogen-electric vehicles to the level of general electric vehicles by 2030 by developing a next-generation hydrogen fuel cell system that is inexpensive and has good performance.
The Hyundai Motor Group will not launch any new commercial vehicles powered by internal combustion engines in the future. It plans to mass-produce hydrogen-electric trucks in the country in the first half of next year and plans to apply hydrogen fuel cells to all of its commercial vehicle lineup by 2028.
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Rapid Economic Recovery Puts Pressure on Supply Chain
Christopher Bamforth After continued positive market trends which started towards the end of 2020, as well as good progress in their initiatives for integration and sustainability, the Finnish quarrying and mining equipment group Metso Outote grew their order intake in the second quarter by 43%. Supported further by a robust recovery fuelled by infrastructure investments in Europe and the US, and the quarterly orders were higher than in the first quarter.
They believe that many of these new order intakes are a direct result from their “Positive planet portfolio”. This new initiative has been designed help customers improve the sustainability and productivity of their operations. This initiative performed even better than expected, they have already estimated a value of €105m end of June, out of the predicted €120m for 2021. This highlights the ecological trend that we are seeing across most industries.
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HanseYachts Group Reports ‘Exceptional Year’
Natasa Mulahalilovic German boat manufacturer HanseYachts AG has announced preliminary financial results for 2020-2021 that it has described as “exceptional for the company in all respects.”
The group, established in 1990, manufactures sailing, motor yachts and luxury sailing, and motor catamarans under the brands Hanse, Dehler, Moody, Privilege, Fjord and Sealine. Boats are produced in Germany and France, and are equipped with Volvo, Yanmar and Mercury engines.
Despite the production problems caused by delays in parts supply, the group achieved record results in 2020/2021, with the order book counting more than 1,000 boats. Previously, the group’s best year was 2007/2008 when 940 boats were ordered. The revenue this year is expected to be more than € 230 million.
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Mercedes Grows in EV Bus Market
Emiliano Marzoli While smaller players are struggling to remain competitive in the EV bus space, Mercedes-Benz is targeting more clients and more volumes.
Mercedes-Benz has handed over one eCitaro G electric articulated bus with solid-state batteries each to Hamburger Hochbahn and Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein. The two new electric articulated buses each have seven battery packs with solid electrolyte and an energy content of 441 kWh, allowing up to 200km range, depending on operational conditions.
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Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck Happenings in Europe
Chris Fisher We have heard during the past few years that battery electric commercial trucks will ultimately replace the diesel-powered internal combustion engine for commercial trucks. At some point in the future this might be true for short and regional haul freight carriers, but what about the long-haul heavy truck segment?
Currently, the lack of charging infrastructure, range anxiety and the extreme weights associated with the batteries will be a significant deterrent to mass adoption of long-haul battery electric trucks.
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Continental Wins First Order for CV High-Performance Computer
Frankfurt, Germany–For the first time, Continental has won an order to supply the commercial vehicle sector with telematics units that include high-performance computers. This means that the technology company now also offers a solution that can master the increasing requirements for connectivity, complexity and functional scope in trucks.
Continental will use its telematics know-how – already proven in the passenger car sector – to complete this order from Volkswagen. Last year, Continental was…
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European EV Buses Under Pressure
Emiliano Marzoli After three years, Alstom is halting their EV bus production. By the end of 2021, the production lines will be stopped, and unless a buyer will take over, most of the operations will be shut down. Twenty employees will remain active to assure maintenance for the existing vehicles in operations with RATP.
Just two years ago, Alstom was one of the winners of a contract to supply electric buses to the French operator. However, this was not enough to maintain profitability.
PSR Analysis: We believe that electric buses have a great future, particularly in Europe. According to our database CV Link™, alternative drive buses, including Hybrid, Fuel Cells and Battery Electric, will grow at a 22% CAGR between 2020 and 2030.
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MAN Marine Engines Certified To Operate Globally
Natasa Mulahalilovic MAN Energy Solutions, one of the leading marine engine manufacturers in the range between 730 and 2000 hp (5370 to 1397 kW), says that all of its engines now comply to the globally required major current emissions standards.
All engine models from i8-730 to V12-2000 are certified with the US EPA Tier III, the EU IMO Tier II and RCD 2013/53/EC. The current China Marine Recreational Stage I standard has been upgraded to the Stage II based on the US Tier III standard requirements.
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