The project is a first in Germany. In the beginning of 2021, its aim is to implement a 100-meter section of road featuring an inductive charging system, with 90 meters of dynamic charging and 10 meters of static. Later, a larger section, of around 600 meters, will be deployed. Electric buses in Karlsruhe will use this special section of road to recharge their batteries a bit, all while driving. This test phase will serve to determine the extent to which this kind of system might be effective.
This technology offers many potential advantages. First, it promises to boost the battery life of electric vehicles, potentially helping to keep buses on the road for longer. Moreover, seeing as batteries would be charged more regularly, each time the vehicle uses an inductive charging road, this kind of system could allow for smaller batteries, cutting the weight of vehicles while gaining space. Finally, it could also help avoid the need to build extra charging stations for buses.
Of the 1,000 electric buses newly registered from January to September 2020, nearly a quarter were produced by Solaris. In Poland, 96% of the 114 newly registered electric buses bear the Solaris logo. Solaris's share of newly delivered electric buses amounted to 83% in the Italian, and 43% in the German market. The company has a market share of about 18% across Europe.
Solaris's Mateusz Figaszewski told DW that MAN's move into Poland and the electric bus sector was not a great surprise. "It is great that Poland is being seen as a sophisticated place to make such products and will for sure help the supply chain in the country, but we have a much more international outlook than others, so it doesn't affect us much." Solaris, he added, is also looking closely at expanding its hydrogen-powered electric bus production, having already seen 69 roll off the production line.
The rarest of the rare. That's what's so special about the particular Corvair depicted in this Chevrolet-issued public relations photograph. When the photo was taken, however, it was just a typical production-line image of a new car being assembled. But due to early production changes, modifications were made to the Corvair shortly after it was released to the public that rendered early production models—as this Cascade Green sedan—much sought-after. And it's all because of those three little slots on the front valance.
Jaguar Land Rover is apparently very protective of its Terrain Response system, a patented technology that alters the behavior of its cars when driving on pavement, grass, gravel, snow, mud, sand, and rocks. The automaker is so protective, in fact, that it has laid down a challenge to several brands under the Volkswagen umbrella to assert that patent, requesting to block U.S. imports of Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi, and VW SUVs which JLR says are using its technology without permission.
Only about 12%–30% of the energy from the fuel you put in a conventional vehicle is used to move it down the road, depending on the drive cycle. The rest of the energy is lost to engine and driveline inefficiencies or used to power accessories. Therefore, the potential to improve fuel efficiency with advanced technologies is enormous.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration is confident New York will have 10,000 publicly accessible charging stations for electric vehicles by the end of 2021. The number of places drivers will be able to find those plugs, however, will be far more limited.
Cuomo announced his current 10,000 stations goal in 2018 — his administration aiming to “make ownership of gasoline-powered vehicles obsolete.” But the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which is overseeing efforts to bring the stations online, says that number refers to individual plugs for electric vehicles, not discrete stations throughout the state — an important distinction if the state hopes to alleviate “range anxiety” associated with the vehicles.