Category Archives: News

News

Range Rover Electric will be the first to use FSC-certified tyres

On the way to sustainable luxury, Jaguar Land Rover and Pirelli joined forces and created car tires with FSC certificate. These tires are made of natural and environmentally friendly materials, and the first car to have the honor of wearing them is the Range Rover Electric.

First all-electric Range Rover

The move fits in with JLR’s Reimagine strategy, which focuses on responsible sourcing. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification ensures that the rubber comes from responsibly managed forests, and the entire process is monitored, from the plantation to the tire manufacturer.

“We are teaming up with Pirelli, a company that shares JLR’s sustainability ambitions and is at the forefront of sustainable tire manufacturing. We look at every aspect of our vehicles to find solutions that will allow us to redefine luxury in a way that is better for people and the planet. By choosing Pirelli tires with FSC certification, we offer our customers high-quality, high-performance tires while supporting responsible forest management and protecting communities in our tire supply chain, making real progress,” said Andrea Debanne, JLR’s director of sustainability.

Also, this is good news for customers who care about sustainability, as research has shown that 85 percent of those who know what FSC certification means prefer to choose products with this label.

“Innovation in materials and reliability in the sustainability features of our products are essential to us. FSCTM certification confirms that forests are managed in such a way as to preserve biological diversity, while at the same time local workers and communities benefit economically. We are delighted that JLR has decided to join our journey and became the first car manufacturer to use Pirelli tires with this certificate for a wide range of its vehicles,” said Matteo Battaini from Pirelli.

Jaguar Land Rover plans to use more than 250,000 of these tires annually.

Source: Jaguar Land Rover

News

Mitsubishi Fuso eCanter Sensor Collect is a garbage truck with autonomous technology

The Mitsubishi Fuso eCanter Sensor Collect concept is an electric garbage truck that, thanks to autonomous technology, follows the worker/driver during waste collection. It is part of the program of the Japan Environmental Sanitation Center (JESC), to reduce CO2 during waste collection, and increase work efficiency.

The first concept was produced in 2020, while this is an improved version based on the production eCanter, equipped with a 6.4-ton lithium-ion battery. The vehicle was tested in the city of Kawasaki, and the truck successfully handled various situations while following its driver who was walking in front of it.

The truck is equipped with front and rear cameras and sensors, thanks to which it follows the driver when he leaves his seat and starts walking. It stops at places for waste collection or other places designated by the operator, which significantly reduces the burden on the worker, who does not have to constantly get in and out of the vehicle. It is also equipped with level 2 autonomous driving technology and level 2 ADAS, which is common in most new production vehicles. Some may feel that they need a higher level of autonomy, but these systems are still good enough for low-speed operations, and the garbage truck follows a predetermined waste collection route with no problem.

Thanks to the cameras, the vehicle can detect various obstacles and other road users. If there is a person in front of the vehicle, the system will activate the brakes and avoid contact, or if another vehicle is parked along the route of the truck, it will make a maneuver and bypass it, and then continue to follow its driver.

In addition, this vehicle has a system that detects the weight and volume of loaded waste, as well as the number of loaded pieces of waste, and shares the information with central facilities, which helps improve efficiency.

The company said that they will continue testing during the year, which will contribute to the development of the next generation of its electric trucks.

Source: Mitsubishi Fuso

News

New Dacia hybrids will combine LPG and electricity

Diesels were the most desirable cars in Europe for years, but the development of electric cars and increased demand pushed them into the background. However, it gave the opportunity to manufacturers to find new solutions like LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) used by Dacia cars. Starting next year, the new generation of cars will combine LPG with MHEV technology.

The EU heavily encourages the purchase of hybrid cars, primarily targeting current diesel owners. Adopting new regulations on internal combustion engines forced manufacturers to speed up the electrification of their cars. So Dacia also increased the number of its fully electric and hybrid cars, which resulted in a good positioning in the market, and the new decision to combine LPG and electrification will definitely make it even better.

The Romanian brand is currently developing a new generation of engines, which will be more powerful than the current 1.0 ECO-G with 100 hp (74 kW). The basis will be the new Renault 1.2 TCe gasoline engine, which means that the three-cylinder block remains, but in combination with 12 and 48-volt mild hybrid (MHEV) technology, with a total power of 120 hp to 150 hp. Buyers will be able to choose engines with manual and EDC dual-clutch automatic transmissions, and FWD and AWD versions. The first models that will be launched are the new Duster and Bigster, which are expected in late 2024 or early 2025.

Source: Dacia