Category Archives: EV

Zero Emissions Vehicle can suck up CO2

Although strict CO2 regulations force car manufacturers to fully or partially electrify their vehicles, no car is completely emission-free. However, there is a car that practically sucks up CO2, the Zero Emissions Vehicle.

A group of Dutch students from the Eindhoven University of Technology has produced a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) that, thanks to a special filter, produces almost zero emissions. They claim that a car can collect up to 2 kg of CO2 every 20,000 kilometers, which is not a huge amount considering that a single tree collects ten times more. However, if more cars used this filter, the result would be far better.

“This car has been developed to minimize CO2 emissions during the production phase, the use phase and the end-of-life phase,” said team member Jens Lahaije.

In the future, filters could be easily cleaned at charging stations for electric car batteries. So far, the filter fills up very quickly and has to be cleaned every 200 miles, but the team is looking for help from the automotive industry to help achieve the goal.

“We are calling on the industry to pick up the gauntlet, and we are naturally happy to think along with them. We have not yet finished developing ourselves and want to take significant steps in the coming years. We cordially invite car manufacturers to come and take a look,” said Nikki Okkels, the external relations manager at the university.

Parts of the car are made of recycled plastic using a 3D printer, such as the chassis and body panels, so it can be said that there is practically no waste.

Source: TU Eindhoven via Facebook

Volvo starts mass production of electric heavy trucks

Finally, we have entered the era of electric cargo trucks. The pioneer in this endeavor is the Swedish company Volvo Trucks, which announced that it is starting series production of heavy electric trucks.

“This is a milestone and proves that we are leading the transformation of the industry. It’s less than two years ago since we showcased our heavy electric trucks for the very first time. Now we are ramping up volumes and will deliver these great trucks to customers all over Europe, and later on also to customers in Asia, Australia and Latin America,” says Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks.

The increased need of users of transport services to switch to fossil fuel-free transport was a good sign for the company Volvo Trucks to increase the offer of electric trucks for three new models, to a total of six. With this, the Swedish company could meet almost half of the transport needs in Europe, from urban distribution, waste disposal, regional transport to construction. According to Eurostat, almost 50% of all goods transported by road in Europe cover distances shorter than 300 km.

Volvo Trucks has sold more than 2,500 electric trucks so far, of which more than 1,000 are heavy trucks. These are still small numbers, and the company expects that by 2030, at least 50 percent of the trucks sold will be electric.

Source: Volvo Trucks

2023 Audi RS Q e-tron

The end of the year is approaching, but so is the start of the new Dakar Rally, which will start on December 31. Teams are preparing their cars for one of the toughest races in the world. One of them is Audi which will use last years, but improved RS Q e-tron.

Audi finished ninth overall last year, and the RS Q e-tron was fastest on four stages. This was a sign for the German manufacturer to come this year with the same electric car powered only by electric motors (the two-liter turbo petrol in this case only serves to charge the batteries). With new information and significantly more time to prepare, Audi managed to shed a few kilos by using lighter materials, which should help the hybrid Audis against the Toyota, Mini and BRX whose cars are powered by internal combustion engines.

The Audi RS Q e-tron competes in the T1-E category. It is powered by two electric motors in combination with a 2.0 liter four-cylinder turbo engine, with a total power of 670 hp (500 kW). It is equipped with a 370 kg battery with a capacity of around 52 kWh. It reaches 62 mph in less than 4.5 seconds with a top speed, limited by regulations, of 106 mph (170 km/h).

The Dakar Rally will be held in Saudi Arabia for the fourth time, it contains 5,000 kilometers of speed tests. begins on December 31 and ends on January 15, 2023.

Source: Audi