EV, News

New power supply system for electric trucks

The development of fully electric vehicles is currently in great expansion. To ensure a long range, especially of transport vehicles, new solutions are being sought, such as overhead power cables. Testing of this way of powering electric trucks is done in Lubeck, Germany.

Cables, ie wires, are located above the highway. Trucks make contact by lifting the connectors, which power the engine. Testing has been going on for almost two years and will continue in 2022.

Certainly, the construction of such a voltage network is not a cheap project. David Cebon, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cambridge, believes the project could be funded by charging electricity to system users at affordable prices.

Since the connectors will only touch the wires, trucks will be able to use an electric or diesel engine in situations where they have to change lanes or leave the highway. The network should be available on 30 percent of German highways, which would reduce truck emissions by two-thirds.

This system would only be used by trucks using highways, while the rest of the transport would be done by battery-powered trucks, such as the Mercedes eActros.

Hybrid, News

2022 Range Rover finally unveiled

As we wrote earlier, the new Range Rover was unveiled on October 26th. After a long time, one of the most famous luxury SUV models came to its fifth edition.

The new Range Rover is based on the Land Rover MLA platform and will be offered with two wheelbases along which the luxuriously equipped cabin can be configured with four, five or seven seats. Among the details that emphasize the Land Rover tradition are without a doubt the characteristic horizontally divisible fifth doors.

The body of the new Range Rover, without unnecessary details, is adorned with extremely clean lines. This ultimately helped to achieve an impressively low coefficient of air resistance for this type of car. It is equipped with an air adaptive suspension with electronically controlled stabilizers, cameras and a navigation system, through which the car can more easily overcome unevenness on the road.

When it comes to propulsion, customers will have a wide choice. There are primarily turbo diesel and petrol engines as well as two pulgin hybrid versions. One of them is BMW’s 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 engine with 523 hp (385 kW) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque. The same engine is used by the BMW X5 and X7 models. It reaches 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. The engine is paired with an 8-speed shiftable automatic transmission that transmits power to all wheels.

The 2022 Range Rover will enter the battle for buyers looking for their luxury SUVs among models such as the BMW X7, Mercedes / Maybach GLS, Bentley Bentayga, Lexus LX, etc. The first units should appear in showrooms early next year.

Source: Land Rover

News

2023 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Z06

A few days ago, Chevrolet released a short video of the new 2023 Corvette C8 Z06, and now it has been officially unveiled. It is the eighth generation Corvette, more powerful than the first version.

The Z06 will be offered in both body versions, the Coupe and the Convertible. The optional Z07 Performance package offers many carbon elements. Also, the company said that the engineers developed the exhaust system for two years to get the desired sound that sets the Z06 apart from the sound produced by all previous Corvettes. The multi-adjustable suspension and wider front are just some of the changes, compared to previous models, that give the Z06 a more aggressive look.

Inside, the Z06 retains the look of its predecessor with heated seats, a 12-inch digital cluster and a head-up display, but also with specific decals.

The Corvette C8 Z06 is powered by a 5.5-liter V8 engine with 670 hp (493 kW) and 460 lb-ft (623 Nm) of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It reaches 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds with a top speed of 199 mph (320 km / h).

For safe braking and stopping there are 6-piston front and 4-piston rear Brembo brakes. The Z06 is equipped with 20-inch wheels with Michelin Sport Cup 2 R ZP 275/30/20 (front) and 345/25/21 (rear) tires.

Production of the new Chevrolet Corvette C8 Z06 is expected to begin in the summer of 2022.

Source: Chevrolet

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