WIDELY regarded as the pioneers of using lithium ion batteries in materials handling lift trucks, Jungheinrich, have overcome the problems associated with using Li-ion powered lift trucks in cold stores, at temperatures of -25⁰C and South Africa can expect this state of the art technology to arrive in Q4 2021.

The company began the introduction of li-ion batteries across its product range in 2010 amid much derision from competitors wedded to lead acid batteries. The much improved performance and advantages of li-ion powered machines soon had competitors developing their own lithium-ion powered machines, or retrofitting their own units with outsourced li-ion batteries

While all types of batteries show performance declines in cold temperature situations, Li-ion batteries capacity only declines by 10% at 0⁰C compared with 50% for the lead acid equivalent. Furthermore, lower temperatures experienced in typical cold stores can cause the electrolyte in lead acid batteries to freeze and crack the battery casing in prolonged usage in cold store environment.

The advantages of li-ion over lead acid batteries in lift truck applications, is well documented and includes:

Lower mass
Greater energy density provides extended shift times
Lower charging times – typically 80 minutes from almost flat – full
No electrolyte therefore no leakage problems, no dangerous gassing or freezing.
Longer working life – Jungheinrich guarantee its batteries for five years suggesting replacement only after eight. edit.

These advantages contribute to increased productivity, factory space saving as no battery bays are required as battery swapping is obsolete – li-ion powered trucks can complete up to three shifts with only 15 minutes charge intervals , from anywhere in the plant. In sub-zero conditions Jungheinrich’s two shifts one charge battery operated forklift is ideal for longer shift hours. Flexible charging options are the key to productive cold store operations, whether changing takes place inside an ambient environment or outside.

This means that all trucks in this range whether manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic machines can perform successfully in low temperatures, in all racking configurations.

Jungheinrich engineers have been perfecting the technology since its inception and have overcome low temperature battery issues allowing its new EKX range of VNA (very narrow aisle) machines to perform at temperatures as low as -28⁰C – which covers virtually all cold store applications.

Low temperature operation machines include specially designed features including special steel construction, anti-stick-slip additives, low viscosity oils and purpose designed pumps, tanks and hydraulic equipment to cater for the environment. Operators are not forgotten either with cabin heaters and windscreen and window de-misters.

Compared with conventional reach trucks the EKX machines are much narrower between 1 750mm and 2 100mm compared to 3m for a reach truck allowing greater storage density especially if specified with a 12,5m Stack and Retrieval capability

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JOHANNESBURG - Load shedding has become a way of life in South Africa – as an embattled Eskom struggles to keep the lights on. But, amid this darkness, three motoring company CEOs have opted for electric vehicles (EVs). The question is obvious: why?

"It’s simply the right thing to do," says George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO. "Using the big power station in the sky is better in the long run – full stop." AutoTrader's CEO has not only electrified his ride by switching to the fully electric Jaguar I-PACE - he has future-proofed his home too. Off-grid is the ultimate goal for Mienie, but he admits that this comes with its challenges. He also believes that he will recoup some of the cost of going the EV route in less than ten years by reducing his fuel costs.

​"The biggest challenge was a complete mindset change," explains Mienie. "My lifestyle is now geared towards locations that offer the opportunity to charge my car. But, I have not yet found the need to use public chargers on the day to day commute - my car charges for two hours a day, overnight. This alone makes the load shedding impact on EVs irrelevant. I manage my home consumption during the day via mobile phone apps to make sure I have enough 'stored energy' at night. I was apprehensive about it all at first, but now I manage without a second thought."

Greg Maruszewski, Managing Director of Volvo Car South Africa, has also made the conversion in both his home and car. “I have installed a full solar system at home, which is totally off the grid. I am also fortunate enough to be able to drive a plug-in hybrid, namely the XC90 T8," says Maruszewski. "I would definitely recommend it, even if it's not totally off the grid. There are real benefits, and it makes financial sense in the medium term. I'm no longer affected by load shedding or power surges. I'm also a tech fan and there's something wonderful about using renewable technology. Literally seeing the sun power my house is a magical thing. It makes me excited about the future."

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SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co has sold around 270,000 of Hongguang Mini EVs within nine months, making it the best-selling EV in China.
Hongguang Mini EVs comes in around 20 different base colours, which can be switched up and buyers can customise the interior as well.

Since last July, a little-known automaker in China’s southwest has dominated the world’s largest electric car market, outselling bigger players and even Tesla Inc. almost every month with a tiny, bare-bones EV that starts at just $4,500.

The Hongguang Mini is the brainchild of SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., a joint venture between SAIC Motor Corp. and Guangxi Automobile Group Co., two state-backed automakers, and U.S. giant General Motors Co.

Based in the city of Liuzhou, known for its limestone mountains and river-snail soup, the company -- which has sold some 270,000 of the cars within nine months, making it the best-selling EV in China -- has even bigger ambitions for the future. It’s aiming for annual sales of 1.2 million vehicles next year, almost equal to the number of EVs churned out by China’s carmakers in 2020 combined.

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It’s an eyebrow-raising target, but even before the Hongguang Mini, Wuling had a track record for producing winners in a market that’s defining the new era of driving. Set up in 2002, the Chinese-American JV built its business selling microvans: dependable sliding-door workhorses that earned the nickname ‘the bread box car’ in Mandarin, and were China’s top-selling passenger vehicle in 2017. Millions of them ply the country’s roads, used by contractors and delivery drivers alike.

The buyers of those gas-guzzling gray vans are almost exclusively male, which makes Wuling’s pivot to the Hongguang Mini -- which has a top speed of 100 kilometers (62 miles) an hour and 12-inch wheels -- all the more extraordinary. Shortly after its debut last July, the automaker realized the vehicle was gaining a following among young women, a phenomenon it leaned into with an approach that bends conventional wisdom about how cars are sold.

“Our company’s mentality is to produce whatever people need," Wuling’s head of branding and marketing, Zhang Yiqin, said in an interview. “We keep close tabs on our users. The hurdles to electric car adoption can only be cleared when consumers find using them a comfortable thing."

To that end, Zhang has staffed his team with employees who understand the Hongguang Mini’s customer base, which is now around two-thirds female. At 35, he jokes he’s the elder statesman of the group whose age averages around 27. Slogans like ‘Young and Eager’ are splashed across the walls of Wuling’s headquarters in Liuzhou, a city that’s embraced EVs alongside the company with 30% of all car sales electric last year, the highest rate in China, according to WAYS Information Technology.

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I know, you probably haven't even driven one yet, let alone seriously contemplated buying one, so the prediction may sound a bit bold, but bear with me.

We are in the middle of the biggest revolution in motoring since Henry Ford's first production line started turning back in 1913.

And it is likely to happen much more quickly than you imagine.

Many industry observers believe we have already passed the tipping point where sales of electric vehicles (EVs) will very rapidly overwhelm petrol and diesel cars.

​It is certainly what the world's big car makers think.

Jaguar plans to sell only electric cars from 2025, Volvo from 2030 and last week the British sportscar company Lotus said it would follow suit, selling only electric models from 2028.

Jaguar I-Pace (I-PACE) battery-electric crossover SUV on display at Brussels Expo on January 9, 2020 in Brussels
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
Jaguar plans to sell only electric cars from 2025

And it isn't just premium brands.

General Motors says it will make only electric vehicles by 2035, Ford says all vehicles sold in Europe will be electric by 2030 and VW says 70% of its sales will be electric by 2030.

This isn't a fad, this isn't greenwashing.

Yes, the fact many governments around the world are setting targets to ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles gives impetus to the process.

But what makes the end of the internal combustion engine inevitable is a technological revolution. And technological revolutions tend to happen very quickly.

This revolution will be electric
Look at the internet.

By my reckoning, the EV market is about where the internet was around the late 1990s or early 2000s.

Back then, there was a big buzz about this new thing with computers talking to each other.

Jeff Bezos had set up Amazon, and Google was beginning to take over from the likes of Altavista, Ask Jeeves and Yahoo. Some of the companies involved had racked up eye-popping valuations.

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Intelligent Backup Power can send juice from the Lightning's battery into your home's electrical system in a blackout, no extension cords required.

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck is packed with surprises and groundbreaking innovations, from its independent rear suspension to the Mega Power Frunk (which offers more cargo space than a Toyota Corolla sedan), to its unbelievably low starting price. But arguably, this EV's most significant innovation is its ability to run your entire home during a blackout.

Believe it or not, this battery-powered truck can really power your house when the lights go out, and better still, doing so won't require a rat's nest of extension cords or even a portable generator. What Ford calls Intelligent Backup Power enables this all-electric rig to feed power from its enormous battery pack through its hardwired wall charger directly into your home's electrical system.

As you might suspect, electric cars store positively enormous amounts of energy in their batteries. After all, it takes a lot of juice to move a multi-ton vehicle at interstate speeds for hundreds of miles. When it goes on sale next year, the new Lightning will offer two battery pack sizes, the smaller of which should provide 230 miles of range and the bigger one about 300. Ford hasn't said how large these electron reservoirs are, but we're estimating they'll clock in at roughly 110 and 150 kWh, respectively.

​The F-150 Lightning can provide up to 9.6 kW of power output. According to Ford, that's more than enough to fully power a house at any one time, and considering the size of the battery, it could do that for at least three days (based on a daily average of 30 kWh). The automaker says you can make that power last for up to 10 days if you ration the electricity accordingly. Kind of like hypermiling for your home.

Provided the Lightning is plugged in, Ford's Intelligent Backup Power system works automatically (though you can manually configure it if you prefer), switching on when there's an electrical interruption. It feeds power from the truck's prodigious battery pack back to the 80-amp, 240-volt home charger, then the juice gets routed to an inverter, which magically transforms it from DC to AC, and finally that sweet, sweet electricity gets routed to all the plugs, lights and appliances in your home. It's pretty neat stuff.

Later, the F-150 Lightning will also be able to power your house during the day when electricity rates are higher and then recharge overnight when the juice costs less. This has the potential to significantly reduce owners' electricity bills.

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Viritech Apricale will be made in limited run of just 25 BRITISH startup Viritech has announced that it will produce a 1,100bhp hydrogen-powered hypercar at the MIRA technology park in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

The car, says Viritech, will act as a launch point for hydrogen technology that it hopes to implement in a number of carbon-heavy industries including aerospace, marine, distributed power and heavy freighting.

The Apricale, which shares its name with a medieval mountainous village in northwestern Italy, will be one of the first hydrogen powered hypercars, along with the outrageous Hyperion XP-1, described by its Californian manufacturer as “space technology for the road”.

Viritech has not publicly unveiled stats for the Apricale, but Autocar claims that it will pack 1,100bhp and that the car maker is targeting a range of around 500 miles.

Hydrogen hypercar with 1,100bhp to be made in Warwickshire

In comparison, Hyperion claims that the XP-1 will have more than 1,000 miles of range, a 0-60mph time of less than 2.2 seconds and a top speed of 220mph. A functioning prototype was unveiled and demonstrated on roads near Las Vegas earlier this year.

The Apricale will also have to compete with battery-electric supercars such as the upcoming Lotus Evija and Tesla Roadster. Tesla claims that the Roadster, whose release has been delayed until next year, will have more than 620 miles of range, a top speed of over 250mph and a 0-60mph time of less than two seconds.

In hydrogen powered cars, electricity is created through a reaction between compressed hydrogen gas and oxygen, rather than stored in a battery. They tend to be lighter than battery-electric cars, and much quicker to refuel. However, buying and refuelling a hydrogen car is expensive, due to the relative scarcity of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs).

Hydrogen hypercar with 1,100bhp to be made in Warwickshire

The Apricale project will be led by Matt Faulks, an ex-Formula One engineer who claims to have two decades of experience in motorsport and low-volume production car engineering. He described the Apricale as a “statement of intent”, and claimed that it will demonstrate “how hydrogen vehicles can overcome several limitations of battery technologies”.

He specifically noted the issue of mass compounding, whereby increasing the range of an electric car means that its mass must be increased (battery-electric cars with longer ranges tend to have bigger batteries).

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With the start of sales of three new heavy-duty all-electric models this year, truck manufacturer Volvo Trucks believes the time is right for a rapid upswing in electrification of heavy-duty road transport.
This positive outlook is based on the ability of Volvo’s electric trucks to meet a broad variety of transport needs.

In Europe, almost half of all truck transport could be electrified in the near future.

Large national and international transport buyers are showing strong interest in electric vehicles (EVs). This is being driven by their own ambitious climate goals, as well as consumers demand for decarbonisation and cleaner transports.

“More and more transport companies are realising the need to start their electrification journey right now – both with the environment in mind and for competitive reasons to satisfy customer requirements for sustainable shipping. With our wide and deep offering, it is completely feasible for far more transport companies to go electric,” says Volvo Trucks president Roger Alm.

With the start of sales of the new electric Volvo FH and Volvo FM models, electrified transport is now possible not only for urban areas but also for regional traffic between cities. In addition, the new electric Volvo FMX model is creating new ways to make construction transport operations both quieter and cleaner.

Production of the new electric models for Europe will start in the second half of 2022. These join the Volvo FL Electric and Volvo FE Electric for urban transport that have been in serial production since 2019 for the same market. In North America, sales of the Volvo VNR Electric started in December last year. With the sales start of the new truck models, Volvo Trucks now has a line-up of six medium and heavy duty electric trucks, which makes it the most complete commercial electric truck range in the industry.


With the addition of the new products with higher load capacities, more powerful drivelines and range of up to 300 km, Volvo Trucks’ electric portfolio could cover about 45% of all goods transported in Europe today. This makes it possible to make an important contribution to lower the climate impact from road freight, which according to official statistics accounts for about 6% of total carbon emissions in Europe.

“There is huge potential to electrify truck transport in Europe, and also in other parts of the world, in the very near future. To prove this, we have set the ambitious goal to have electric trucks account for half of our sales in Europe by 2030. And these three new heavy-duty trucks we are now launching mark a giant step towards reaching this target,” notes Alm.


In addition to the EVs, Volvo Trucks’ electrification programme includes a complete eco-system with numerous service, maintenance and financing solutions, as well as other options that can help facilitate an easier and faster transition to electrified transport. The holistic setup will help customers stay productive and in control of their new electric transport fleet.

“These complete electrified transport solutions that we, along with our global network of dealers and service workshops, can provide will play a vital role in ensuring our customers’ success,” notes Alm.

Looking further ahead, even long-distance heavy-duty transport will be attainable with EVs. To meet the challenging demands for both high load capacity and a much longer range, Volvo Trucks plans to use hydrogen fuel cells to generate the electricity.

“This technology is developing rapidly and our ambition is also to make the long driving distances electrified, using both batteries and fuel cells. Our aim is to start selling fuel-cell electric trucks in the second part of this decade and we are confident we can make this happen,” concludes Alm.

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E-Movement, the Formula E Bid company, has confirmed its intention and plans to host a Formula E race using a street circuit in the heart of Cape Town.
e-Movement chairperson Iain Banner says there has been positive progress since the members of Formula E operations completed a feasibility study during a site visit to the city in September last year.

“The objective of the study was to assess the suitability of Cape Town as a possible venue for a round of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in future seasons.

“Three possible circuit layouts have been identified and we are now in the process of exploring these possibilities with the City of Cape Town and other interested parties,” explains Banner.
 
“As a starting point, the preliminary track layout and how it fits into the existing fabric of the precinct – as well as the future development proposals around the identified track – were all key factors in assessing the City of Cape Town’s suitability.

“The primary objective was to design a suitable circuit layout that will have minimum impact on the city, require minimum construction work, cause minimum disruption to general public and traffic, and, crucially, leave a lasting legacy.”

Banner adds that the proposed event will simultaneously anchor a renewable energy week, comprising a major conference and exhibition in an industry which he believes is poised “for rapid growth over the next decade”.

Councillor JP Smith, a member of Cape Town’s mayoral committee, has welcomed the positive outcome of the feasibility study.

“The event is so much more than an E-Prix – it provides an opportunity to position the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape region as the pioneering renewable energy hub of South Africa.

“The event would not only showcase the natural beauty of our city, but such an event places Cape Town at the forefront of alternative and green energy initiatives, and serves as a catalyst for attracting investment and creating employment in a sector for which major growth is projected in the foreseeable future.”

Jaguar Land Rover South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa marketing director Lisa Mallett is equally pleased with the momentum building around the event.

“Jaguar is at the forefront of electric mobility globally, and has made massive strides in electrification right here in South Africa.

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Today, Hyundai and Kia confirmed that they are investing €100 million ($111 million USD) in UK-based electric vehicle startup Arrival, and they will work together on new vehicles. 
 
We have previously reported on Arrival when they unveiled a neat-looking all-electric delivery truck and scored contracts with the Royal Mail and UPS.

When first unveiling the vehicle in 2017, Arrival talked about “revolutionary ultra-lightweight composite materials that significantly reduce the weight of the vehicle, and by combining this technology with Arrival’s custom built hardware, including power electronics and motors, the cost of operating has been reduced by more than 50%.”

They say that they optimized the maximum range to weight ratio for inner city deliveries with battery packs enabling up to 100 miles of range on 3.5, 6, and 7.5 tonne trucks.

For the UPS trucks,  Arrival said that they will have “a battery range of more than 150 miles (240 kilometers).”

Now Hyundai plans to use Arrival’s technology:
Through the course of the partnership, Arrival, Hyundai, and Kia will use Arrival’s flexible skateboard platforms and technologies to create new purpose-built electric vehicles (PBVs) across multiple vehicle categories. Hyundai and Kia will leverage Arrival’s novel microfactories and software innovation while Arrival will benefit from the OEM’s global footprint and economies of scale. This will help accelerate the ‘Two Track’ strategy adopted by Hyundai, to bring zero-emissions battery and fuel cell technologies to the commercial vehicle market.

CEO of Arrival Denis Sverdlov commented on the announcement:
Arrival has created a game-changing product category — Generation 2 Electric Vehicles. Hyundai and KIA make world-class vehicles with uncompromising quality. This strategic partnership will empower our companies to scale Generation 2 Electric Vehicles globally.

What Arrival refers to “Generation 2 Electric Vehicles” are EVs built from the ground up to be electric versus what the company calls “Generation 1 Electric Vehicles,” which they see has conversions of existing vehicle models to be produced with electric drivetrains.

Albert Biermann, president and head of the research and development division at Hyundai Motor Group, also commented on the new partnership:

The eco-friendly vehicle market in Europe is expected to grow rapidly due to reinforcement of environmental regulations. Through the joint development of commercial electric vehicles with Arrival, we will be able to gain a competitive advantage and progressively establish our leadership in the global eco-friendly vehicle market.

Youngcho Chi, president and chief innovation officer at Hyundai Motor Group, added:

This investment is part of an open innovation strategy pursued by Hyundai and Kia. We will accelerate investment and cooperation with companies with advanced technology such as Arrival, to respond to the rapidly changing eco-friendly vehicle market.

They didn’t release a timeline for bringing an electric vehicle to market together, but they did note that Arrival could take advantage of Hyundai’s mass production expertise to scale.

Diesel fumes and the growl of a hardworking engine are usually part of the stop-start process of tracking animals on the twice-daily game drives that are central to any high-end safari experience in Africa. It’s not unusual to spend six to eight hours a day in an open 4×4 vehicle traversing rough terrain. Now, the entrepreneurial owner of Cheetah Plains, a new turbo-luxe lodge in South Africa, has introduced a game-changing electric vehicle designed to enhance the experience while being kind to the environment.

Zero emissions were the initial incentive behind the design of the new safari trucks, which cost about $100,000 each. (That’s double the price of a regular safari vehicle.) But the byproduct of the environmentally friendly fleet of Toyota Land Cruisers— which are fitted with the latest Tesla battery technology and, fully charged, can drive for hours over any terrain—is a nearly silent safari, meaning closer encounters to lions, leopards, giraffes, elephants, and the rest of the native wildlife in the 45,000-acre Sabi Sands Game Reserve. For wildlife photographers, in particular, the real advantage is the low hum of the engine and the unobtrusiveness of gliding quietly through the bush.

Cheetah Plains is the latest property to launch in the Sabi Sand, a private game reserve made up of mainly family-owned concessions. At around $8,500 per acre, the Sabi Sand is the most expensive land under conservation in South Africa. Along with all of its native predators, sightings of its famous leopards are the reason why safari-goers pay top dollar to vacation at its swanky lodges.

In line with its boundary-pushing approach to game viewing, Cheetah Plains offers just three private villas, each designed with cutting-edge sustainability credentials by Cape Town–based architect Stefan Antoni, who is better known for designing futuristic luxury hotels in places like Thailand and the Seychelles than safari lodges in Africa. The houses have the latest in gray-water recycling systems and, by April, will operate 100 percent on solar power.

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