Saab AB (Stockholm: SAABb) has presented the first Saab 340 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft to the customer during a ceremony in Linköping. The event took place in Linköping on 29 September, just two months after Poland placed an order for two AEW aircraft.
Guests from Sweden and Poland attended the event, which marked a milestone towards the rapidly proceeding delivery to Poland of the Saab 340 AEW equipped with the Erieye radar. The solution will provide Poland’s Armed Forces with a national asset to reinforce territorial integrity and national security.
The fast pace is a result of the efficient collaboration between Saab and the Polish Armed Forces and the fact that Saab has an ongoing production line for airborne early warning solutions. This includes dedicated personnel and in-house expertise to perform all kinds of tests and evaluations for the necessary approval of the systems.
Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) has announced a family of concept aircraft that it is exploring to help the industry achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The details of the Energia family, the latest in the company’s Sustainability in Action initiative, were broadcast live via YouTube from Embraer’s manufacturing facility in São José dos Campos.
The company has partnered with an international consortium of engineering universities, aeronautical research institutes, and small and medium-sized enterprises to better understand energy harvesting, storage, thermal management and their applications for sustainable aircraft propulsionThe Energia Family is comprised of four concept aircraft of varying sizes that incorporate different propulsion technologies – electric, hydrogen fuel cell, dual fuel gas turbine, and hybrid-electric.
Energia Hybrid (E9-HE) – hybrid-electric propulsion • up to 90% CO2 emissions reduction • 9 seats • rear-mounted engines • technology readiness –2030
Energia Electric (E9-FE) – full electric propulsion • zero CO2 emissions • 9 seats • aft contra-rotating propeller • technology readiness – 2035
Energia H2 Fuel Cell (E19-H2FC) – hydrogen electric propulsion • zero CO2 emissions • 19 seats • rear-mounted electric engines • technology readiness – 2035
Energia H2 Gas Turbine (E50-H2GT) • hydrogen or SAF/JetA urbine propulsion • up to 100% CO2 emissions reduction • 35 to 50 seats • rear-mounted engines • technology readiness – 2040
Although the Energia airplanes are still on the drawing board, Embraer has already made advances in reducing emissions from its aircraft. It has tested drop-in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), mixes of sugarcane and camelina plant-derived fuel and fossil fuel, on its family of E-Jets. The company is targeting to have all Embraer aircraft SAF-compatible by 2030. Last August, Embraer flew its Electric Demonstrator, a single-engine EMB-203 Ipanema, 100% powered by electricity. A hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator is planned for 2025 and the company’s eVTOL, a fully electric, zero-emissions vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, is being developed to enter service in 2026.
Alstom presents its improved Aptis e-bus at ElekBu
28 January 2020 – Alstom will present its Aptis electric bus at ElekBu 2020, being held in Berlin from 4 to 5 February. After extensive testing in many French and European cities for the past two years, the serial design of Alstom’s innovative 100% electric mobility solution incorporates feedback from passengers and transport operators. Following test drives in major German cities such as Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, the serial 12 meters Aptis e-bus is to be shown at a roadshow in Germany this year.
The serial vehicles are based on an optimized global architecture requiring fewer spare parts references and considerably facilitating maintenance operations. Thanks to a wheel steering angle of more than 40°, its ease of insertion increases significantly. The 15% reduction in the total weight of the vehicle, combined with the use of new, more efficient and state of the art batteries, substantially increases range. Aptis now accommodates more passengers, with a capacity of 100 persons, while still offering them more fluidity thanks to large sliding doors.
In addition to the technical improvements, Aptis can also boast significant improvements to passenger comfort. A new air-conditioning system that (fully electrical heat-pump) maximises thermal comfort and the panoramic rear lounge has been enhanced to give a feeling of increased space. The new hydraulic suspension allows superior comfort and sound insulation, making Aptis one of the quietest and most innovative buses on the market. The high level of comfort is also reflected in the many very positive passenger surveys.
“Alstom is pleased to present the Aptis at ElekBu, which is so important for the German market. In the last two years, we have gained important experiences in trial operation. This 100% electric mobility solution offers a new experience to passengers and drivers while meeting the new mobility challenges of urban areas,” underlines Guillaume Legoupil, Sales Director Aptis.
Aptis is particularly popular in France, where it is also built. It has already been chosen by Paris in the context of Europe’s largest call for tender for electric buses, as well as by the cities of Strasbourg, Grenoble, La Rochelle and Toulon. From February, the first series buses will be in regular service in Strasbourg.
14 October 2019 – Alstom will present the first serial vehicle of its Aptis electric bus at Busworld 2019, being held in Brussels from 17 to 23 October. After the four prototypes that have been on the roads of many French and European cities for the past two years, this new design incorporates feedback from passengers and transport operators.
This first serial vehicle is based on an optimised global architecture requiring fewer spare parts references and considerably facilitating maintenance operations. Thanks to a wheel steering angle of more than 40°, its ease of insertion increases significantly. The 15% reduction in the total weight of the vehicle, combined with the use of new, more efficient and state of the art batteries, substantially increases range. Aptis now accommodates more passengers while still offering them more fluidity thanks to large sliding doors.
In addition to the technical improvements, Aptis can also boast significant improvements to passenger comfort. A new air-conditioning system that (fully electrical heat-pump) maximises thermal comfort and the panoramic rear lounge has been enhanced to give a feeling of increased space. The new hydraulic suspension allows superior comfort and sound insulation, making Aptis one of the quietest and most innovative buses on the market.
“Alstom and its teams are very proud to be presenting the first series version of Aptis. This concentration of innovations perfectly represents what we always envisaged the production version of the 100% electric mobility solution would be. This clean, green bus, with its elegant design and optimised technical performance, will offer a new experience to passengers and drivers while meeting the new mobility challenges of urban areas,” underlines Benjamin Bailly, head of Alstom’s electric bus platform.
Aptis has already been chosen by Paris in the context of Europe’s largest call for tender for electric buses, as well as by the cities of Strasbourg, Grenoble, La Rochelle and Toulon. Upcoming milestones include ongoing tests in Spain with the ground-based recharge solution SRS and the training of hundreds of drivers in a new driving experience ahead of the first traffic releases, scheduled for the end of the year in Strasbourg.
Manufacturing and testing of Aptis will be carried out at Alstom’s two sites in Alsace. The Hangenbieten site oversees manufacturing of the end modules (driver’s cab and rear lounge). Manufacturing of the central passenger module, final assembly and tests will be carried out at the Reichshoffen site. This scheme will allow serial production from the end of 2019 onwards. Five other Alstom sites in France contribute to the design and manufacture of Aptis: Saint-Ouen for system integration, Tarbes for traction, Ornans for engines, Villeurbanne for electronic components of the traction chain.
In order to complete Alstom’s vison of road electromobility, exhibited alongside Aptis at Busworld will also be SRS, a completely safe, ground-level, conductive, static recharge system allowing the charging of buses along their route or within depots. As a ground-based solution, it eliminates the need for overhead infrastructure in cities, preserving the aesthetics of the urban landscape. In depots, SRS avoids the infrastructure costs associated with overhead charging systems. SRS for e-buses is based on Alstom’s SRS static recharge technology for trams, a proven solution already in operation in Nice, France. It is developed at Alstom’s Vitrolles site.
