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electric

GM to invest $800 million to convert existing facility into Canada’s first large-scale commercial EV plant

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American auto giant General Motors to invest $800 million to convert one of its existing facilities into Canada’s first large-scale commercial electric vehicle manufacturing plant.

Subject to ratification of a tentative 2021 agreement reached with Unifor and confirmation of government support, GM plans to bring production of its recently announced BrightDrop electric light commercial vehicle, the EV600, to its CAMI manufacturing plant in Ingersoll, Ontario (main picture, courtesy 3BL Media).

The nearly $800 million (1 billion Canadian dollar) investment will support GM’s timing to deliver BrightDrop EV600 in late 2021. The investment will enable GM to convert CAMI into Canada’s first large-scale electric delivery vehicles manufacturing plant. [Read more…] about GM to invest $800 million to convert existing facility into Canada’s first large-scale commercial EV plant

Trees and power lines

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Trees are an important part of our lives; they add aesthetic value to the surrounding environment, improve air and water quality, reduce soil erosion, and provide shade during the scorching summer months.

Likewise, power lines serve the machinery and equipment we interact with every day, adding luxury and efficacy to our lives.

While these two provide amazing benefits, when trees and power lines are in close proximity to roads, they become a potential hazard to motorists and can cause extreme vehicle damages and bodily injuries if they fall over or motorists accidentally run into them.

Read on to find out how to stay safe while driving on roads with trees and power lines. [Read more…] about Trees and power lines

Mitsubishi’s elevator business in China produces its one millionth unit

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Mitsubishi Electric says its Shanghai Mitsubishi Elevator Company (SMEC), a joint venture company operating in China, has produced its one millionth unit.

The figure includes both elevators and escalators, and comes 34 years after starting production at the company’s Min Hung Plant in 1987.

Mitsubishi Electric, working in collaboration with SMEC, says it continues to deliver “safety, peace of mind and riding comfort in China”, the world’s largest elevator and escalator market, and maintain its “market-leading brand”. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi’s elevator business in China produces its one millionth unit

E-mobility manufacturer orders test benches for e-drives from teamtechnik valued at ‘several million euros’

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An original equipment manufacturer in the e-mobility sector has ordered test benches for electric drives from teamtechnik valued at “several million euros”.

For teamtechnik, the turn of the year was a success. The year 2020 ended with the announcement that machine and system builder Dürr is coming aboard at teamtechnik with a majority shareholding of 75 percent.

Simultaneously, teamtechnik received a major contract – one of the world’s largest e-mobility OEMs commissioned the company to build test benches for electric drives. [Read more…] about E-mobility manufacturer orders test benches for e-drives from teamtechnik valued at ‘several million euros’

What Barriers Still Impede Electric Vehicles?

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Electric vehicles have been with us for a long time.

It’s only recently that they’re being touted as a serious replacement for the internal combustion engine and a (partial) answer to our climate crisis.

The UK government says that it’ll ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 – and you can reasonably expect any Labour government to be at least as ambitious, given their slightly greener voter-base.

By then, electric cars will need to be fairly ubiquitous. So what’s stopping this from happening right now? [Read more…] about What Barriers Still Impede Electric Vehicles?

Electric SUVs Launching in 2021

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SUVs were known for their pollution but now they’re at the forefront of car development. Electric SUVs are eco-friendly, powerful, and gorgeous.

An electric car is a technological wonder in its own right. The cars are getting better by the minute, and they’re able to go for longer without charging.

Huge progress is being made when it comes to power, size, technology, and design. Electric cars really are the future. [Read more…] about Electric SUVs Launching in 2021

Einride driverless trucks now powered by Nvidia chips

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Autonomous electric truck maker Einride says the next generation of its groundbreaking “Pods” will use the Nvidia Drive AGX Orin autonomous vehicle computing platform to handle high-speed, unmanned operations.

Pär Degerman, CTO of Einride, says: “Safety and functionality in autonomous drive are achieved in two ways: diversity and redundancy.

“To capture and account for the diversity in a myriad of operational scenarios, and to develop the redundancy necessary to improve functionality, we need the most advanced processors possible, and that’s where Nvidia Orin comes in.” [Read more…] about Einride driverless trucks now powered by Nvidia chips

Mitsubishi launches Assista collaborative robot in North and South America

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Mitsubishi Electric has launched its Assista collaborative robot in North and South America.

The Assista Collaborative Robot is built to be an industrial-grade collaborative robot for a cooperative environment.

Mitsubishi Electric Automation has announced the launch of its Assista collaborative robot in the Americas. As a collaborative robot, or “cobot”, Assista is designed to share its workplace with humans in a safe and efficient manner. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi launches Assista collaborative robot in North and South America

Autonomous shuttle market forecast to be worth $18 billion

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The autonomous shuttle market is forecast to be worth $18 billion by IDTechEx, which includes driverless minibuses and small, sidewalk delivery robots in the category. 

An increasing number of commercial vehicles are going battery-electric, assisted by battery life of one million miles and ranges of up to 600 miles being imminent. Shenzhen alone has 70,000 electric logistics vehicles.

Next come robot buses, robotrucks and robotaxis with driver elimination reducing cost by intensive use. IDTechEx has a report on the topic, Electric, Hybrid & Fuel Cell Light Commercial Vehicles 2021-2041. [Read more…] about Autonomous shuttle market forecast to be worth $18 billion

Einride and Oatly reveal results of logistics test with electric trucks and freight mobility platform

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Autonomous and electric truck developer Einride and large-scale drinks manufacturer Oatly have revealed the initial results of the two companies’ joint logistics operations.

Einride had integrated its vehicles into Oatly’s transport routes at its production sites and warehouses in the Swedish cities of Helsingborg, Landskrona, and Småland’s Tingsryd.

Oatly is one of the first companies in the world to operate a full fleet of Einride electric trucks daily, on-site. [Read more…] about Einride and Oatly reveal results of logistics test with electric trucks and freight mobility platform