#electricvehicles

psychmesu@diaspora.glasswings.com

https://mastodon.online/@globalmuseum/112418976080478584 globalmuseum@mastodon.online - Did you know that in 1884 that the first production-standard electric car capable of being reproduced and sold to the public was unveiled? Did you know that in the early 1900s 1/3 of all vehicles on the road were electric? They started to quickly disappear around 1920 with the introduction of petrol and Henry Ford.
Ferdinand Porsche produced an electric vehicle called 'P' in 1898.

This pic is a group of working EV trucks in the UK plugged in in 1917. #electricvehicles #cars #history

aljazeera@squeet.me

Who wins the race for electric cars? | Counting the Cost

For every seven cars sold around the world last year, one was electric. And global sales of electric cars are expected to set another record this year.Govern...#AlJazeera #AlJazeeraEnglish #alJazeera #aljazeeraEnglish #aljazeeralive #aljazeeravideo #aljazeera #aljazeeraEnglish #aljazeeralatest #aljazeeralive #aljazeeralivenews #business #cleanenergy #climate #climatechange #countingthecost #economy #electricvehicles #energy #latestnews #newsheadlines
Who wins the race for electric cars? | Counting the Cost

mkwadee@diasp.eu

#Car firms condemn #RishiSunak’s plan to delay #petrol and #diesel vehicle ban | #AutomotiveIndustry | The Guardian

You know there's something wrong with government policies if even #CarManufacturers are up in arms about the idea of delaying the transition to #ElectricVehicles.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/sep/20/car-firms-condemn-sunak-plan-delay-petrol-diesel-vehicle-ban

#Environment #Politics #Tories #GlobalWarming #ClimateChange #Pollution

diane_a@diasp.org
mkwadee@diasp.eu

Looking at the data for #electricity demand for the #UK over a period of months, it seems like it rarely dips below 30 GW or much above 40 GW. With the introduction of large numbers of #ElectricVehicles, I expect that demand to rise significantly but if car batteries are also used partly for domestic use then it may smooth out peak demand out. More #WindFarms and other sustainable sources will needed as well as #NuclearPower for the base load.

http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

#ElectricityGeneration #Renewables #RenewableEnergy

waynerad@diasp.org

"The attitude of our brand is there is no such thing as yesterday's business and tomorrow's business. There is only one Mercedes-Benz, and that Mercedes-Benz is going into the future. We have made a clear and definitive decision that we are going all-in on electric. In fact, as of 2025, all new vehicle architectures for Mercedes -- on which we will have several different models -- will be electric-only." From podcast (transcribed in the article) witch Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius.

"In our car plants, we have already more or less converted all of our assembly plants to dual-use, and they will gradually flip over, as the take rate for EVs go up, to EV only."

"Next to the revolution that is going on on the drivetrain -- switching from one technology to another -- I think we are also seeing a paradigm shift of how we approach software and the electronic architecture in a vehicle. For the last three decades or so, it has been a task to integrate a bunch of engine control units (ECUs), small computers, that came with software packages. We were the ultimate vehicle integrators, taking all these ECUs, all these software packages, all those functions, and making them into a coherent product that works in all dimensions."

"I think we have come to the end of that era now, and it is almost like you start with a white sheet of paper. We call it MBOS, the Mercedes-Benz Operating System."

"We are now creating one holistic software stack. Yes, that stack has different layers and several domains, but we architect it as one house with different rooms. Together with that comes a consolidated EE architecture, that means less computers and less ECUs, but more powerful computers. This whole construct is done totally over the air and downloadable."

How Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius is refocusing for an electric future

#solidstatelife #electricvehicles

dezeen@xn--y9azesw6bu.xn--y9a3aq

Stilride uses "industrial origami" to create stainless steel electric scooter

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Industrial origami motorcycle

Swedish startup Stilride has unveiled the electric Sport Utility Scooter One, which is manufactured from stainless steel using an origami-like process that reduces the amount of material used.

Built using a method described as "industrial origami", the scooter's body was made from stainless steel folded into shape by robots.

According to the company, this method can significantly reduce the environmental impact of production compared to conventional manufacturing techniques as it requires fewer raw materials and components.

Scooter by StilrideThe SUS1 is the first product from Swedish company Stilride

Named Sport Utility Scooter One (SUS1), the scooter is Stilride's first product and will go on sale in Europe later this year.

While conventional scooters consist of a tubular frame and a plastic body, the SUS1's chassis is constructed by taking a single sheet of stainless steel and cutting and folding it.

Its curves and intricate shape are created using specially developed software that controls a system of robotic arms and laser cutters commonly used to build vehicles.

"There are limitations when it comes to sheet metal: either you go down the workshop line where you are cutting, welding, and bonding and the level of refinement is pretty basic but it can be done by a company that doesn't have much money for research and development," said Stilride co-founder Tue Beijer.

Steel chassis motorcycleThe scooter is made using a process dubbed "industrial origami"

"Or you have pressing sheet metal like the car companies do, where you have high refinement but the cost entrance level is huge and you have to be producing thousands of units," he told Dezeen.

"So it's been in my head for years: what if you can take the good things from the workshop and the freedom of not having to fold things over straight lines? That's why I started to think about curve folding."

Curve folding in industrial designCurve folding is a well-established craft but has rarely been used in manufacturing

Curve folding is a well-established craft but has rarely been used in manufacturing. Modernist Danish architect Arne Jacobsen used the technique with plywood to produce his famous Series 7 chair.

Stilride compares its groundbreaking curve folding technology, called Stilfold, to "industrial origami".

Co-founder Beijer made the first SUS1 model out of folded paper, with the concept developed as part of a research project with the Metallic Materials programme, funded by the Swedish government's innovation agency, Vinnova.

Stilride co-founder Tue BeijerStilride co-founder Tue Beijer said he hopes the SUS1 has the same "presence" as a Vespa

A result of its origami production, the SUS1 has a distinctive aesthetic that gives it a physical presence similar to classic scooters such as the Vespa or the Lambretta.

"The curve folding itself creates a unique design DNA which is instant," he added. "It's like a dance between the sheet metal and the design. You are not totally liberated; you have to work with what is possible with the metal."

The company claims the scooter requires 70 per cent fewer components than a traditional scooter, reducing waste while contributing to a 20 per cent reduction in material costs and a 25 per cent reduction in labour costs.

[ Unu scooter

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Stilride is planning to also create a production process to allow the SUS1 to be manufactured from flat-packed steel sheets in local factories across Europe. This process would further reduce the scooter's carbon footprint.

Rear view of SUS1 scooterStilride claims the small number of components makes its scooter more sustainable and better to ride

"We piggyback on existing workshops that are today working with laser cutters and robotic arms," explained Beijer. "It's a bit like making a three-course dinner when you look in your fridge and see there is not much in there."

"When we start off it is going to be a premium brand, but over time we will also launch products more for the mass market," he added.

Front view of SUS1 scooterThe SUS1 is set to be followed by cargo bikes and trailers built using the Stilfold tech

Stilride will next look to use its curve folding technique to develop cargo bikes and trailers.

Other innovative electric motorcycle designs include the bikes from fellow Swedish brand Cake being used to catch poachers in the South African bush.

The photography is courtesy of Stilride.

The post Stilride uses "industrial origami" to create stainless steel electric scooter appeared first on Dezeen.

#all #transport #design #technology #steel #origami #vehicles #scooters #motorcycles #electricvehicles

dezeen@xn--y9azesw6bu.xn--y9a3aq

Cake releases anti-poaching electric motorbike for South African park rangers

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Cake anti-poaching bikes

Swedish brand Cake has created an electric motorbike specifically for use in the remote South African bush that is "super-efficient" at catching animal poachers.

The Ösa AP (anti-poaching) bike, which was unveiled by Cake an expo in Denver last month, allows rangers to quietly track poachers.

"Before with the combustion engine bikes, the poachers would hear the guys four-to-five minutes away and just pack up and leave," Cake chief executive Stefan Ytterborn told Dezeen.

"In this case, they can sneak up on the poachers without being heard until they're really, really close."

Ösa AP by CakeCake unveiled the Ösa AP in late January

As well as the lack of noise, the solar-charged Cake anti-poaching bikes also negate the need for costly and polluting truck or helicopter deliveries of petrol out into the remote bush.

It is the second product in Cake's Electric Bush Bike range after its Kalk AP was trialled last year by the Southern African Wildlife College.

Cake entered the electric motorcycle market in 2018 with the lightweight motorcross-style Kalk, followed by the workbench-bearing Ösa a year later.

For the anti-poaching series, these models have been adapted to cope with the demands of travelling off-road through the South African outback.

Cake electric motorbikesThe Cake anti-poaching bikes are silent, making it easier for rangers to catch illegal poachers

That meant sealing the bikes' motors and drivetrains to protect against dust while finding new cooling solutions in order to mitigate the loss of ventilation, as well as fitting wider wheels and tyres to enable riding through muddy terrain.

Cake developed its software to allow the bikes to switch quickly between prioritising range and speed, depending on whether they are patrolling the bush or chasing down poachers.

Extra communication kit was also fitted to help riders contact the ranger camp while on patrol.

Kalk AP by CakeThe Ösa AP is joins the Kalk AP in Cake's Electric Bush Bike series

Working with the US company Goal Zero, Cake also produced a solar-charged mobile power station for the Electric Bush Bikes.

"We pretty much started from scratch developing a bike that would deal with the African climate, whether that be humidity, mud, dust, and so forth; sealing bikes, and developing specific software to support their riding needs," said Ytterborn.

Electric motorbikesCake says the Kalk APs have proved "super-efficient" for catching poachers

He added that since it began five months ago, the trial with the Southern African Wildlife College had shown the Kalk AP to be "super-efficient" for catching poachers.

Cake claimed the bikes have proven successful at assisting conservation, protecting the lives of wild suni, red duiker and blue duiker antelopes, while also significantly cutting carbon dioxide emissions and running costs – in turn allowing the college to hire more rangers.

Electric Bush Bikes by CakeThanks to their solar-powered batteries, the bikes eliminate the need to transport fuel out into the bush

In total, ten bike have been donated to the Southern African Wildlife College, funded by private purchases of Cake products, with the launch of the Ösa AP intended to keep up the project's momentum.

Three per cent of the proceeds from purchases of Cake's AP bikes and apparel go to the college.

Part of the purpose of the anti-poaching initiative is to help Cake further develop the durability of its bikes in order to extend their useable lifetimes and so be more sustainable.

South African ranger on electric motorbikeIt is hoped that the anti-poaching initiative will help develop longer-lasting, more durable motorcycles for everyday uses

"We have a strong commitment to sustainability, and I would say that the biggest threat to sustainability is our pace of consumption, so on our side it's all about extending life cycles," said Ytterborn.

"And therefore, it's crucial for us to develop bikes that can stand jumping 30 metres, doing a double flip, or doing whatever it is that may be needed for anti-poaching in Africa, or for polar expeditions, so we can implement those learnings about durability and longevity in our bikes for more ordinary uses."

Kalk APKalk AP was the first bike in Cake's Electric Bush Bike range

Ytterborn admitted that the AP bikes currently in use are not yet "perfectly attuned", with dust clogging issues meaning they must be cleaned daily, but that he expects the models to be optimised over the rest of the two-year trial in South Africa.

It is now exploring alternative uses for the Electric Bush Bikes, including a current project, which would see them distribute Covid and malaria vaccines in rural Ghana and charge medical fridges with their mobile batteries.

[ Heritage Series Grandeur by Hyundai

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The Ösa AP is described by Cake as an "off-grid transporter". It was designed to haul heavy loads, while running on an extra-powerful battery that can be used to power electrical equipment.

A long, flat bar along its length can be used to attach baskets, bags and tools in more than a thousand possible configurations.

It comes in versions equivalent to a 50cc moped or a 125cc motorcycle, both of which are street legal in the US and Europe.

Ösa AP by CakeCake has touted the Ösa as a portable and adaptable powered workbench

The non-street-legal Kalk APs can hit speeds of more than 90 kilometres per hour, weighing 62 kilograms with a battery range of up to three hours.

Cake has also has produced a city moped, the Makka, and developed versions of its bikes optimized for racing and deliveries.

Previous motorbikes featured on Dezeen include the "world's first" fully 3D-printed motorbike and Harley-Davidson's first electric motorcycle.

The photography is courtesy of Cake.

The post Cake releases anti-poaching electric motorbike for South African park rangers appeared first on Dezeen.

#all #transport #design #southafrica #vehicles #motorcycles #electricvehicles