Category: Focus

Copper shortage, the problems never end

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rame

According to a study advanced by Adam Simon, a researcher at the Earth and Environment faculty of the University of Michigan, in the United States, a traditional Honda “Accord”, i.e. driven by an internal combustion engine, requires approximately 18 kilos of copper. The same car, if powered by electricity, requires around 90 kilos of copper. About five times more. The use of copper is also constantly growing in all industrial sectors and this is creating quite a few supply problems as, again according to Adam Simon’s study, since 2018 the…

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More sustainable sea transport

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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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Man Truck & Bus launches hydrogen-powered trucks

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Man Truck & Bus has officially confirmed the market launch of an initial limited series of 200 trucks with hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines. These units will be operational in 2025 in Europe with select customers in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Iceland. The new vehicles, named MAN “hTgx,” will be equipped for heavy-duty transport. The combustion engine, the “H45,” was first introduced at recent industrial and off-highway exhibitions. The engine is derived from the “D38” diesel engine and is capable of delivering up to 520 horsepower. The vehicles will be…

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Bmw automatic clutch: one less lever, one more button

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BMW has developed a new version of its gear shift assistance system, “Motorrad Shift Assistant Pro,” which completely eliminates the need to use the clutch lever to change gears. Renamed “Automated Shift Assistant,” the system is expected to be available this year. Slowly but surely, automatic transmissions are becoming prevalent in the motorcycle world. With the rise of scooters, even the most die-hard bikers have begun to appreciate the ability to change gears without using the clutch, while motards have started to value the true automatic transmission. This allows them…

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Igus “Rcyl,” the first urban bike made with 90% recycled materials

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igus rcyl

The “Rcyl” bicycle, designed and manufactured by Igus, a German company specializing in the production of high-performance plastic components, is now in production and on sale for around 1,200 euros. Active for some time in various industrial sectors as a component supplier, the company decided in 2022 to launch the “Igus-Bike” project, aimed at creating a bicycle made with the highest possible percentage of recycled plastic. After two years of development, the project has taken shape, resulting in a product that is 50 percent constructed from plastic derived from recycled…

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On or fff road: the Mv Agusta “Lxp Enduro Veloce”

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Mv Agusta Lxp Enduro Veloce

In 2023, street enduro motorcycles have proven to be the best-selling models on the market. So much so that, out of the ten best-selling motorcycles, eight are enduros. In fact, it’s eight and a half, as in third place, behind the Benelli “Trk 502” and Honda “Africa Twin,” is the Yamaha “Tracer 9,” which straddles between street enduro and touring bike. This trend makes it inevitable for major manufacturers to maintain a presence in this segment with at least one model, and has even prompted MV Agusta, a brand traditionally…

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China is near, Europe is not

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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

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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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Ford “Mustang Gtd Carbon”: limited edition

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The 2025 “Gtd” version of Ford’s iconic “Mustang” was presented in a limited edition mid-last year, but deliveries have yet to begin, as they are expected between the end of this year and the beginning of 2025. This supercar is decidedly testosterone-fueled, a term justified by its strong technical and aesthetic content aimed at combining racing car performance with street muscle car design. For instance, the main design constraint given by Ford to its engineers when they started developing the “Mustang Gtd” was to create a car capable of lapping…

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Audi “S3” model year 2024

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In an increasingly globalized automotive market where manufacturers seem almost exclusively focused on electrification processes, Audi reminds the entire industry that cars are also about passion and driving pleasure. This reminder comes with the restyling intervention that the German brand has decided to apply to the “A3” series, refreshed in both exterior and interior design details, along with the announcement of the revamped “S3” sports version. In this case, however, calling it a restyling is quite an understatement, as the Ingolstadt brand has profoundly renewed one of the most appreciated…

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