More sustainable sea transport

According to the International Maritime Organization, in recent years the global maritime industry has improved its carbon footprint but the sector’s total greenhouse gas emissions are 90 percent higher than in 2008, so much so that last January in Europe the Emissions trading system “ETS” has also been applied to maritime transport. According to the Organization, it is necessary to have low-emission energy sources capable of providing at least five percent of the energy used by ships by 2030 and this is because the sector is continuously expanding and it…

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Studies on hydrovoltaic

It is called hydrovoltaic and is based on the ability to produce electricity by exploiting the interaction of water with specific nanostructured materials. Working on this front is the Polytechnic School of Lausanne in Switzerland. The flows of fluids and ions due to water evaporation can generate electrostatic charges by interacting with a hexagonal network of silicon nanopillars, spaced in such a way as to create microchannels for the passage of water vapor. In laboratory tests, a power density of eight microwatts per square centimeter was measured using a low-concentration…

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China is near, Europe is not

Editoriale di Furio Oldani – Macchine Motori 86 After nine months of investigations, on June 12th, the European Commission acknowledged the substantial subsidies that the Chinese government grants to its electric vehicle manufacturers, genuine gifts that allow brands from the Celestial Empire to sell in Europe below production cost. Hence the decision to impose additional tariffs ranging between approximately 17 and 38 percent on top of the existing ten percent. This measure would take effect on July 4th, and since today is June 18th, it is currently unclear whether it…

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Cummins “X15” engine: 700 horsepower

cummins x15

522 kilowatts of power, equivalent to just under 710 horsepower, and torque reaching 3200 newton-meters. With such performance, Cummins presented the new version of its 15-liter displacement “Next Gen X15” units at the largest French construction fair, Intermat, last April. These engines were developed to meet off-highway applications by implementing the latest technologies developed by Cummins and realized on the “Helm” platform. This solution allows different cylinder heads and fuel systems to be associated with a single engine block, structuring the engine to accommodate different types of fuel. From diesel…

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New traffic laws: not just fines

The approval by the Chamber of Deputies of the law decree concerning the new traffic laws has introduced the “short” suspension of driving licenses in Italy. Anyone with fewer than twenty points on their license who commits one of the 23 violations specified in Article 218-ter of the decree will have their license confiscated immediately upon the infraction being contested. The suspension period will range from seven to 30 days, depending on the infraction and the remaining points. A permit allowing three hours of driving per day may be issued…

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Musk will present the robotaxi

musk robotaxi

Not content with just hypothesizing the possibility of transporting a million Earthlings to Mars within twenty years, and suggesting that it will be governments themselves sending us there, Elon Musk, the eclectic and visionary owner of the Tesla brand, has also announced the launch of his first robotaxi for next August eighth. The design is expected to be similar to that proposed by the “CyberTruck” pickup, while the platform will be next-generation, the same on which “Model 2” should also be based. The conditional is necessary since there are conflicting…

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Ces 2024, near future preview

On January 9th of this year, the 2024 edition of CES, the consumer electronics trade show that has become a showcase for new technologies, was held in Las Vegas, United States. The absolute protagonist was artificial intelligence. In these pages, a summary of the two themes proposed on-site and most debated, which will surely impact the world of transportation as well: hydrogen and human-machine interface software. Following are the most interesting products from a design perspective. Since in most cases these are concepts and therefore feasibility studies, it is anticipated…

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Airbus “CityAirbus NextGen”, urban specialization

Under the influence of ecologically-driven initiatives aimed at improving the sustainability of urban mobility for both people and goods, the aeronautical sector is witnessing a diversification in air transport solutions and the development of a new generation of aircraft specialized in short-range travel. “Advanced Air Mobility” is the term coined for this new category of aircraft, although it’s somewhat misleading to define them as such, given their specialization in facilitating the movement of people and goods within large cities or areas with operational radii of just a few dozen kilometers.…

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Fpt Industrial and Longen Power have signed a new partnership

Fpt Industrial and Longen Power have signed a global partnership agreement for the export of engines compliant with various emission standards in different regions of the world, thus inaugurating a new phase of collaboration. Fang Tingwang, President of Longen Power, and Riccardo Pavani, Head of China Powertrain Commercial Operations, were present at the signing ceremony. The New Partnership The agreement stipulates that over the next three years, FPT Industrial will supply engines for Longen Power’s gensets, and both companies will collaborate to promote the use and development of power generators and industrial power…

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