Battery-powered tram offers major benefits of requiring no overhead wires or other electrified infrastructure – saving on costs and visual impact
On-board batteries allow energy to be additionally recovered during breaking
Trial in Florence aims to allow mobility firm to offer battery-trams globally
Tram adds to the growing list of battery products being developed as Hitachi puts decarbonisation and sustainability at the heart of its global strategy
Hitachi Rail has successfully tested its first battery-powered tram in Florence – an important milestone towards expanding the firm’s offer to market the vehicles across the world.
While traditional tram lines require electrified infrastructure – usually overhead wires supported by poles or pylons – that are expensive to install and visually unattractive. Battery trams offer the opportunity to run high capacity public transport through city centres, while saving millions on installing wires and reducing the visual impact on beautiful historic streets, like Florence.
The trial involves installing battery packs on an existing Hitachi-built Sirio tram, which covered a section of the line under battery power. The innovation allows power to be returned to the batteries when the train breaks, reducing the overall amount of energy consumed and protecting the environment.
This news is the latest in a number of announcements from the global mobility firm as expands its sustainability credentials and its zero-carbon offer to its customers around the world. Hitachi recently announced the trial of a battery train in the UK and delivery of hybrid trains in Italy, having built one of the world’s first battery powered train fleets that operates in Japan.
Hitachi has a rich heritage of building trams and tramways in Europe and in Asia, and is involved in new tram and metro infrastructure projects in the Americas and in the UK.
Andrea Pepi, Head of Sales and Projects Italy, Hitachi Rail said: “Our aim is to use our technology and our work to help build a sustainable society and contribute to the well-being of people around the world by improving their quality of life.”
“This is a key milestone as we pioneer this new technology that allow us to work with our customers to reduce infrastructure costs while still offering environmentally-friendly public transport. We hope this successful trial in Italy creates new opportunities for us across the world.”
The Mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella said: “We are happy that Hitachi Rail has chosen the tramway in Florence to test this innovation. Battery-powered trams can revolutionize this type of service within cities. Public transport, especially in historic centers, will have to be less impactful and increasingly sustainable. This marks another significant step forward for the tramways in Florence.”
A consortium of urban air mobility and aviation companies has commenced work on a concept of operations for integrating air taxis and electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL’s) into the UK’s airspace. The consortium, which is led by Eve, the first company to graduate from EmbraerX, will be working with the UK Civil Aviation Authority as part of its Future Air Mobility Regulatory Sandbox.
The project will examine how eVTOLs may operate in transporting passengers and cargo over urban and regional areas. In addition to Eve, the consortium includes international companies that span the aviation industry, including Heathrow Airport, London City Airport, NATS, Skyports, Atech, Volocopter, and Vertical Aerospace.
David Tait, Head of Innovation at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said, “The Regulatory Sandbox was established to create an environment where innovation in aviation can be explored in line with the Civil Aviation Authority’s core principles of safety, security, and consumer protection. This project was selected to join the Sandbox as it will help us to develop a strategic framework for harmonizing the low-level airspace, which will support the development of urban and regional air mobility operations across the UK.”
Initially working alongside local authorities, the consortium will explore how eVTOLs can transport passengers from London City Airport (LCY) to Heathrow Airport (LHR), with stops in between. Data from simulations will help policymakers develop community-friendly rules, mitigate community noise impacts, and draft airspace procedures for future flight tests.
“Today, flights between London City Airport and Heathrow Airport are limited, and the routes are designed specifically for helicopters. By collaborating with the UK Civil Aviation Authority, we aim to demonstrate to the public why regulatory support is required to build eVTOL-specific routes,” said David Rottblatt, Vice President of Business Development and leader of the Urban Air Traffic Management project for Eve. “This unprecedented consortium, consisting of some of aviation’s foremost thought leaders, will work towards preparing London, and eventually the UK, to be a viable and successful market for passenger and cargo flights using eVTOLs.”
The introduction of eVTOLs can offer greener and faster modes of transportation for passengers and cargo, improve urban and regional connectivity, create new jobs, and spur innovation. The concept of operations will help make eVTOL operations in the UK possible, allowing the industry to scale and deliver environmental and economic benefits to the UK.
Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) reported December 2020 sales of 249,601 vehicles, an increase of 20.4 percent on a volume basis and up 7.5 percent on a daily selling rate (DSR) basis compared to December 2019.
For calendar year 2020, TMNA reported sales of 2,112,941 vehicles, a decrease of 11.3 percent on a volume and a decrease of 11.9 percent on a DSR basis.
Toyota division posted December sales of 211,378 vehicles, up 22.9 percent on a volume basis and up 9.7 percent on a DSR basis. For the year, Toyota reported sales of 1,837,900 vehicles, down 11.9 percent on a volume basis and down 12.4 percent on a DSR basis.
Lexus division posted December sales of 38,223 vehicles, up 8.2 percent on a volume basis and down 3.4 percent on a DSR basis. For the year, Lexus reported sales of 275,041 vehicles, down 7.7 percent on a volume basis and down 8.3 percent on a DSR basis.
December 2020 and Year-End Highlights
TMNA:
Number one manufacturer of alternative vehicles sales – hybrids, electrified vehicles, fuel cells – for 21 consecutive years
December hybrid sales totaled 50,649 vehicles, an increase of 82.8 percent
2020 hybrid sales totaled 337,036 vehicles, an increase of 22.7 percent
Hamburger Hochbahn, one of the largest public transport operators in Germany, issued a tender this year for the supply of 530 twelve and eighteen metre-long (articulated) electric buses. In August, three candidate manufacturers were selected, one of these being the CAF Group subsidiary. The framework agreement establishes tranche orders for the vehicles over the next 5 years until completing the delivery of the aforementioned total of 530 vehicles.
Solaris received its first firm order for units under the framework agreement, specifically 5 12- metre and 5 18-metre e-buses, which will be delivered to Hamburg in October 2021.
The two selected electric models, the Urbino 12 and the Urbino 18 belong to Solaris’ range of emission-free and extremely low-noise vehicles. Both vehicles will be equipped with Solaris High Energy + high-capacity batteries, integrated axle drive motors and also featuring plug-in charging devices for availability ranges of up to several hundred kilometres on a single charge.
The vehicles will also be equipped with temperature pre-conditioning to guarantee optimal vehicle temperatures during battery charging, as well as a variety of solutions to promote safety, such as a blind spot monitor system that warns the driver when pedestrians or cyclists are in the vicinity of the vehicle. In terms of capacity, the Solaris Urbino 12 model can carry up to 70 passengers whilst the articulated vehicles offer 107 passenger places, guaranteeing maximum driver and passenger comfort during service.
Hamburger Hochbahn AG
Innovationslinie
19.02.2015
Fotograf: Marc-Oliver Schulz
0170-3108004
mail@moschulz.de
Hamburger Hochbahn AG
Innovationslinie
19.02.2015
Fotograf: Marc-Oliver Schulz
0170-3108004
mail@moschulz.de
Alstom has been awarded the contract by Toulouse Metropole for the system for the third and new 27 km metro line, called Toulouse Aerospace Express, for the sum of more than €470 M. The contract could eventually be worth €713 M, including all options. The line consists of 21 stations and will serve the aviation labour pool.
The firm tranche of the order guarantees a transport capacity of 5,000 passengers per hour in each direction (pphpd), with options for up to 10,000 pphpd. It includes Alstom’s efficient, proven “Systems” solutions: Metropolis™ trains and Urbalis™ 400 CBTC solution for driverless operation and Hesop™ reversible substations. The scope also includes platform screen doors, including a dynamic system for load indication, and the track including the laying with the automated solution Appitrack™. Finally, the firm tranche of the order includes six years of maintenance, with 12 years of maintenance as an option.
“This order is excellent news for Alstom and I would like to thank Tisséo and Toulouse Metropole for their confidence! Alstom has submitted a very competitive system offer, while proposing its latest technologies and innovations on the various subsystems (vehicles, signalling, infrastructure and power supply). This order will enable us to continue developing our skills in France in all these areas, as well as our presence in the region of Occitanie, already in full expansion with our centres of excellence for Electrical component’in Toulouse and traction in Tarbes, and soon the Line 3 project team. We’ll also be calling on a number of local partners,” says Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, President of Alstom in France.
The city of Toulouse is renowned for its economic vitality and the quality of life of the surrounding region. The Toulouse Aerospace Express project is part of a drive to increase the city’s appeal with the help of sustainable, inclusive mobility.
Alstom will contribute to the economic vitality of the local area with its site in Toulouse, which will be the nerve centre of the project. The site will consequently be developed for the construction and maintenance activities, thereby promoting local employment. In total, more than 600 people in France will work on this project, including up to 400 people in the Toulouse metropolitan area at the peak of the activity. 80% of the hours spent working on this project will be in France and 55% directly in the region of Occitanie. Jobs will also be created with our suppliers in France and in the city of Toulouse for the activities of installation, infrastructure and system deployment.
Alstom’s integrated Systems solution provides a highly mature, efficient and comfortable transport offer, designed with maximum operability and reliability in mind, with record availability of 99.8%. Alstom has a global leadership position and fully proven experience in the successful construction, commissioning and delivery of new integrated metro systems, as well as in their safe, reliable and efficient operation. Alstom can boast more than 65 years’ experience, having sold over 17,000 metro cars that carry 30 million passengers every day operate in 55 cities around the world. One of the most recent successes for Alstom in integrated metro projects being the 15-kilometre-long Dubai Metro Route 2020, completed and delivered in July 2020
The design selected for the system and the metro makes it possible to propose a solution that minimises waiting time in stations, with reduced traffic frequency from the moment of entry into service, but which, by increasing the number of metro cars from 2 to 3, increases the transport offer to 15,000 passengers per hour in each direction, without modifying the infrastructure. Indeed, Alstom will design the system to be able to go up to 15,000. The base contract is for 5,000 with options to go up to 10,000.
The rolling stock belongs to the Métropolis™ range of trains. It benefits from the innovations and continuous improvement brought to this product for more than 15 years, through numerous R&D programmes and contracts executed throughout the world. This state-of-the-art metro has been designed to improve passenger experience as well as reconcile performance, energy efficiency and ease of maintenance, in order to control costs throughout its life cycle.
For passengers, as it is a new line, the train will be characterised in particular by increased volumes on board and large openings to the exterior. The experience of the journey will be made more pleasant with an atmosphere that is air-conditioned and quiet, LED lighting that adjusts to travel conditions, reinforced air filtration and antibacterial coatings on the handholds for a healthier interior.
Travel will be made easier from the moment you step on board, with, for example, platform facades indicating the density of people on board the cars.
Urbalis™ 400 is a proven, efficient CBTC (Communication Based Train Control) automatic operation solution, in commercial service in many cities around the world. Deployed or in the process of being deployed on more than 100 metro lines, notably in Lyon and Marseille, Urbalis 400™ is a generic solution, managed as a platform, to ensure optimum safety and reliability as well as long-term durability. The solution has also demonstrated its operational robustness and modular capabilities, enabling it to control sensitive interfaces such as those of the train or the centralised control centre.
The transport system solution provided by Alstom has also been designed to reduce operational costs, achieving major energy savings through a combination of reversible Hesop™ substations with regenerative braking, efficient traction and braking systems and improved CBTC automatic train control strategies.
And finally, the project also includes the construction of a rail track that reduces friction and fine particles to a minimum, thanks to steel-on-steel operation and offers guaranteed performance over time.
With this contract, Alstom is making a long-term commitment to mobility in Toulouse by ensuring the construction and maintenance of this third line on behalf of Tisséo.
Twinjet, s-duct, winglets, contra-rotating propellers: the aviation industry has developed numerous configurations over the last five decades that have enabled aircraft to fly higher, faster and longer. Now, Airbus engineers are unveiling a new configuration as part of the ZEROe programme that could enable a passenger aircraft to fly farther than ever without emissions.
The innovative approach consists of six, eight-bladed “pods” mounted beneath the aircraft wing. While the “podded” engine is not a new concept in aviation, these “pods” are not designed to be driven by any ordinary propulsion system: hydrogen fuel cells are among the key components.
“The ‘pod’ configuration is essentially a distributed fuel cell propulsion system that delivers thrust to the aircraft via six propulsors arranged along the wing,” explains Matthieu Thomas, ZEROe Aircraft Lead Architect. “Hydrogen fuel cells have very different design considerations, so we knew we had to come up with a unique approach.”
Indeed, hydrogen fuel cell technology has yet to be scaled up to a passenger-size large commercial aircraft. Smaller experimental hydrogen aircraft, comprising up to 20 seats, can rely on a traditional fixed-wing configuration with two propellers. But more passenger capacity and longer range require another solution. This is why Airbus is studying a variety of configurations, including “pods,” to determine which option has the potential to scale up to larger aircraft.
Embraer and EDP, a company that operates in all segments of the Brazilian energy sector, have signed a partnership for electric aircraft research. Through its EDP Smart division, the Portuguese-based multinational announced a financial contribution for the acquisition of energy storage and battery charging technologies for Embraer’s all-electric demonstrator aircraft project, utilizing the EMB-203 Ipanema as its test bed. The prototype, which is already in development, is scheduled to complete its inaugural flight in 2021.
The investment is part of the cooperation agreement signed by both companies to advance their shared knowledge of energy storage and battery charging technologies for aviation – one of the main challenges of the project. The partnership aims to investigate the applicability of high voltage batteries for the electric propulsion systems of small aircraft, in addition to evaluating the main operating characteristics, such as weight, efficiency and power quality, thermal control and management, cycling loading and unloading, and operational safety.
EDP Headquarters in Portugal
Technological Cooperation
This proposal for the technological development of aeronautical electrification was initially created as a cooperation between Embraer and WEG, in May 2019. The project was developed as an effective and efficient instrument for training and for the maturation of technologies prior to their application in future products.
The scope of the partnership with EDP is to develop shared research in the storage of high voltage energy, complementing Embraer’s ongoing research. These research and development initiatives seek to accelerate the combined knowledge of the technologies necessary for the use and integration of batteries and electric motors in order to increase the energy efficiency of the propulsion systems of aircraft.
For the evaluations, a small single-engine aircraft is being used as the test bed to perform a primary assessment of electrification technologies. Ground tests have taken place at Embraer’s facilities in Botucatu, in the interior of São Paulo, in preparation for the first flight, which will take place at Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto unit.
Electrification is just one project in a series of initiatives being developed by Embraer and the entire aeronautical industry aimed at ensuring a commitment to environmental sustainability, as already exemplified by biofuel developments to reduce carbon emissions.
EDP has a global commitment to electrify 100% of its fleet by 2030, as well as to develop new offers and commercial solutions that promote the energy transition. Last year, during Aneel’s Public Call on the topic of Efficient Electric Mobility, the Company approved an investment of about R$ 50 million in projects, via a Research and Development Fund consisting of both corporate and partner resources.
Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) will be joining the S&P 500 index, expanding its investor base and putting the electric car maker in the same company as market behemoths such as Alphabet, Amazon.com, Apple, and Microsoft.
The announcement, made Monday afternoon by the S&P Dow Jones Indices, sent the company’s shares 13.7% higher in after-market trading. Tesla will officially join the benchmark stock index before the market opens on December 21, the index stated.
When Tesla joins the S&P 500, it will be one of the most valuable companies on the benchmark index. The weighting will be so influential that the S&P is debating whether or not to add the stock at its full market capitalization weight all at once, or in two separate tranches.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The head of the Berlin engine plant run by Mercedes-Benz has defected to rival Tesla <TSLA>, German union IG Metall said on Wednesday, calling on employees to protest over his departure.
IG Metall declined to name the head of the plant, which has been run by Rene Reif, one the most experienced manufacturing executives at Mercedes-Benz who helped expand manufacturing capacity for Daimler <DAI> in China.
Reif used to be head of engineering and manufacturing at Beijing Benz Automotive Co. Daimler’s Chinese joint venture, which has a manufacturing capacity of around 480,000 cars and started building the electric Mercedes-Benz EQC last year.
Tesla declined to comment on whether it had found a new manager for a Gigafactory being built on the outskirts of Berlin but the electric carmaker is on a global manufacturing expansion push, building or expanding new factories in Texas, Germany and China.
Last month, a source told Reuters that a Tesla manager who oversaw the construction of the electric carmaker’s Gruenheide plant, had left his position.
Daimler said on Wednesday that Reif, 57, the manager of its Mercedes-Benz Berlin plant, which makes powertrains, would go into early retirement at the end of the year, at his own request.
Mercedes-Benz Werk Berlin, Deutschland: Montage des Mercedes-Benz V6 Dieselmotor OM642
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Mercedes-Benz Berlin Plant, Germany: Assembly of the Mercedes-Benz V6 diesel engine OM642
German unions have lamented the fact that traditional carmakers are cutting investment into combustion engine technologies as regulators clamp down on emissions and as demand for vehicles is hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
IG Metall said there would be a protest in front of the Mercedes factory on Thursday and called on Daimler to present solutions that would help to guarantee the future of the plant.
The union said Daimler managers had outlined cost savings plans and union officials fear the Berlin plant’s future is at risk.
Daimler said Clemenz Dobrawa, who currently heads up the Mercedes-Benz battery manufacturing plant in Kamenz, had taken over leadership of the Mercedes-Benz plants in Hamburg and Berlin earlier this month.
“Thanks to his activity as representative in Kamenz, he brings important know-how for the transformation toward electromobility,” Daimler said, adding the Berlin plant would be restructured to serve an ‘Electric First’ strategy.
(Reporting by Edward Taylor and Ilona Wissenbach. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Emirates has revealed that nearly a third of its dedicated fleet of transport buses for cabin crew in Dubai will now operate on biofuel, taking another step forward on its environmental mission to reduce emissions.
The airline’s contracted service provider, Al Wegdaniyah, has committed to operating all road trips with biodiesel provided by Neutral Fuels, one of the UAE’s leading producers of biofuels, utilising locally-sourced, used cooking oil as feedstock.
Emirates commissions a fleet of nearly four dozen buses in Dubai alone, to safely shuttle its cabin crew between their homes and the workplace, clocking an average of 700,000 kilometres in a normal month. Similar to operations in the air, route and schedule planning for ground transport is also an important aspect to maximise transport efficiency and reduce emissions.
The estimated carbon dioxide savings from this initiative alone is 75,000 kg annually, and the airline continues to work with its other transport suppliers to extend this initiative across the transport fleet.
Karl W. Feilder, CEO of Neutral Fuels congratulated Emirates and Al Wegdaniyah for the initiative, pointing out that it is in line with the energy-related sustainability goals that the UAE has committed to achieve by 2050. Using biofuel reduces greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and the change can be easily made because switching from fossil fuel to biofuel requires no modification to diesel engines. It has a positive effect on engines because its lubricating properties help prevent premature wear and failure, and it even acts as a detergent in fuel systems, removing sludge deposits which improves efficiency and reduces maintenance costs.
In addition, Emirates is also currently trialling the use of electric buses airside at Dubai International airport, to transport its crew between the terminal and aircraft.
Over the years, the airline has invested in electric vehicles for its on-ground operations where feasible. For instance, at its state-of-the-art Emirates Engineering Centre in Dubai, which comprises a complex of hangars, workshops, material stores and offices, over 130 electric buggies and 80 electric material handling vehicles including forklifts, are being utilised for day-to-day operations.
Emirates is committed to environmental stewardship, focusing its ongoing efforts in three main areas: emissions reduction, responsible consumption, and the preservation of wildlife and habitats.
Emirates has a comprehensive fuel efficiency programme that actively investigates and implements ways to reduce unnecessary fuel burn and emissions wherever it is operationally feasible, whether in the air or on the ground.
Operating modern and fuel-efficient aircraft has been central to Emirates’ business model from the airline’s inception. This ongoing, multi-billion dollar investment, is Emirates’ biggest commitment – not only to passenger comfort, but also to reducing our environmental impact.
