Posted on

Airbus signs MoU to develop electric taxiing for A320 Family

As part of on-going research and development into future technology options, Airbus has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with EGTS International, a joint venture company between Safran and Honeywell Aerospace, to further develop and evaluate an autonomous electric pushback and taxiing solution for the A320 Family.

The agreement marks the selection of EGTS International’s Electric Green Taxiing System to be evaluated as a new option on the A320 Family – referred to by Airbus as eTaxi. This option would allow the aircraft to push-back from the gate without a tug, taxi-out to the runway, and return to the gate after landing without operating the main engines.

eTaxi will use the aircraft’s Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) to power electric motors fitted to the main landing gear wheels. The architecture will include the ability for pilots to keep full control from the cockpit over their aircraft’s speed and direction during taxi operations.

Olivier Savin, EGTS Programme Vice President, Safran said: “We are extremely pleased to strengthen our relationship with Airbus, a key customer and industry leader in innovation. Through this agreement we are creating the ideal context to collaborate to best utilize our own landing gear systems expertise to develop a green taxiing solution for the A320 Family.”

Brian Wenig, EGTS Programme Vice President, Honeywell Aerospace said: “Following our demonstration of the technology at this year’s Paris Airshow, this MoU marks the next critical milestone in the advancement of the Electric Green Taxiing System as an option for Airbus’ A320 Family, by securing Airbus’ support in the development of the system. Airbus will provide extremely valuable insight to facilitate a seamless integration into the aircraft.”

Daniel Baubil, Airbus EVP, Head of A320 Family Programme said: “Today Airbus delivers the world’s most eco-efficient single-aisle aircraft – the A320 Family. This is the result of our permanent research for innovative enhancements to make our aircraft even more efficient and capable.” He adds: “We therefore look forward to working with our EGTS International expert partners – Honeywell and Safran – with whom we share the common view that the A320 Family is a natural fit for an electric taxiing capability.”

The eTaxi option will offer several operational and environmental benefits for the A320 Family:

  • Per trip, the projected fuel savings and CO2 reductions would be approximately four percent;
  • It would contribute to significantly more efficient taxiing operations and save around two minutes of time on pushback;
  • Taxiing-related carbon and nitrous oxide emissions would be cut by more than half.

    Over the next few months the partners will jointly develop and present a global commercial case and implementation plan to determine the feasibility of an electric taxiing solution for the A320 Family. To this end, Airbus and EGTS International are reinforcing their existing teams to finalize validation studies, define specifications and converge on market requirements for a fully tailored forward-fit and retrofit technological solution.

    To regularly enhance the A320 Family’s capabilities and performance, Airbus invests approximately 300 million euros annually in keeping the aircraft highly competitive and efficient. More than 10,000 A320 Family aircraft have been ordered and over 5,800 delivered to operators worldwide. With a record backlog of over 4,200 aircraft, the A320 Family reaffirms its position as the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft family.

    • Posted on

    Nissan Leaf to Launch in China April 2014

    Recent Chinese media reports indicate that the Nissan Leaf will soon be launched in China under the Venucia sub brand name from Dongfeng-Nissan. The Leaf will be renamed for the Chinese market where it will be named the Venucia E30, or ‘Qi Chen’ in Chinese.

    What is surprising is that the Leaf/e30 is exceptionally close to being produced in China, reports indicate that the model will be on sale in April 2014 in the Beijing and Shanghai areas, and will receive government subsidies of around 100,000RMB (US$16,500) owing to municipal subsidies along with central government subsidies.

    Posted on

    The Porsche 918 Spyder Tested [VIDEO]

    Tested by /DRIVE's Chris Harris at the Valencia circuit in the winter of 2013. The Porsche 918 Spyder has come a long way since when we first saw it at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. Competing against the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1, it is the cheapest of the trio of new hypercars at a base price of $845,000.

    The engine weights 140 kg according to Porsche and it delivers 608 horsepower (453 kW) at 8,500 rpm and 528 N·m (389 lbf·ft) of maximum torque. This is supplemented by two electric motors delivering an additional 279 hp (208 kW) - One 154 hp electric motor drives the rear wheels in parallel with the engine and also serves as the main generator.

    Posted on

    Kawasaki “J” EV Motorcycle Concept [VIDEO]

    The Kawasaki J has three wheels. However it uses more than one mode, allowing it to transition to a sports bike, making the two front wheels mesh together. In that mode, the vehicle also lowers, closer to the ground.

    The bike was recently unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show. Housing an all electric motor, when the rider is taking part in leisurely, slow cruises, or stop and go trips through the city, the two wheels remain separated and the handlebars raise offering the driver more comfort.

    It's during the fast speed, highway type of rides, the tires comes together and the bars lower, allowing the rider to have optimal positioning and posture.

    The basic idea behind the bike is for it to stretch out as speeds increase. The radical and mean looking machine has been generating some serious buzz since the premiere, however it is just a concept for now.

    Kawasaki did not release any plans to put it into production.

    Posted on

    Netherlands: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV #1 top seller on debut

    Retail sales of Mitsubishi's Outlander plug-in hybrid (PHEV) only commenced on 21 October in the Netherlands and it has immediately become the best selling car by a significant margin.

    2,736 plug-in Outlanders were sold in November (from a total of 2,766 Outlanders) accounting for a market share of 6.8%. The second highest selling car in the Netherlands for November was the Renault Mégane with 1,505.

    In EU guise the permanent electric 'Twin Motor 4WD' has a claimed maximum driving range of 824 km, electric only range of 52km, fuel consumption of 1.9l/100km, CO2 emissions of 44 g/km and a maximum speed of 170 km/h. Braked towing capacity is 1,500kg.

    The battery pack takes five hours to recharge using a standard European 230V/10A domestic supply but just 30 minutes (to 80%) using a quick charger to CHAdeMO standard.

    MMC insists the Outlander PHEV is neither "a mere adaptation of an existing internal combustion engine vehicle nor a dedicated plug-in hybrid EV system high tech showcase" but a further variant of the Outlander – alongside standard petrol and diesel versions "and developed as such from the start of the programme: a unique/no-compromise proposal in the industry and "the first self-power generating twin motor (permanent) 4WD PHEV".

    Mitsubishi said dealers had booked 10,000 signed orders across the continent since December 2012 and was "Much expected by dealers and customers in a region forecast to be its largest global market". The automaker expects EVs, hybrids and PHEVs to account for 20% of its production by 2020.

    Posted on

    Nissan LEAF reaches 3,000th UK sale

    The Nissan LEAF has reached a milestone with the 3,000th sale of the model in the UK.

    The landmark was reached in November and came as Nissan's second-generation LEAF secures more than 1,300 UK sales in the six months since its launch.

    Jon Pollock, sales director at Nissan GB said: ‘The fact the we have been able to reach the 3,000 mark is a fantastic achievement and shows not only what a wonderful car it is but also that motorists are keen to experience the revolutionary new technology it introduces.

    He added: ‘The low running costs of the LEAF, not to mention its many other benefits, make it an incredibly attractive proposition and we have been seeing steady growth in sales.

    ‘We expect that trend to continue rising as the model's visibility increases and the rapid charging infrastructure expands across the UK.’

    With the price of unleaded petrol in the UK this year as high as 132.9p per litre (AUD$2.42/lt) equal to US$8.21 a US gallon, EV sales can surely only accelerate.

    To date, more than 16,000 LEAFs have found owners across Europe, while global sales have now topped 87,000.