The Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer Foton has concluded a development agreement with an un-named European partner for the development of a new electric light commercial vehicle. The time scale and different previous announcements indicate that the partner is likely to be the Piaggio Group.
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Commercial vehicle manufacturer Foton announces a significant order for electric city buses from Chile. The capital of Santiago de Chile expects 1,022 zero-emission buses to arrive, making this the biggest overseas order the Chinese company has ever had.
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In China, Great Wall subsidiary FTXT Energy Technology and their vehicle partners Dayun, Dongfeng and Foton, have supplied a fleet of 100 heavy-duty trucks with hydrogen fuel cells for a construction project in the province of Hebei.
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Electric buses and electric cars are to be produced in Egypt in the future. The Egyptian government has now reportedly reached agreements with Foton and Geely respectively.
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The automotive supplier ZF is stepping up its involvement in China with the construction of further plants and the expansion of development capacities. This includes the start of production of the 8-speed automatic transmission 8HP at the ZF factory in Shanghai, including a variant for plug-in hybrid drives.
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The revitalized vehicle manufacturer Borgward has a new owner: The Chinese start-up Ucar will take over 67% of shares from the previous owner Foton. Now they will decide on the possible return of the car brand to Bremen.
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Avevai, a start-up from Singapore is showing the first electric vehicles of their new Iona series at the Guangzhou Auto show in China. They developed the chassis of their electric van and small e-truck together with Daimler and Foton but the real innovation is in the system.
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The Chinese investor behind the potential comeback of Borgward has questioned the set-up of the factory in Bremen, while a new HQ was set up in Silicon Valley and a safety platform prototype for autonomous driving was introduced.
Read moreCharge as you go: Utah State University has begun construction of its Electric Vehicle Roadway (EVR) research facility. It will include a quarter-mile (400 metre) test track with wireless charging to test the possibility of charging while driving. The goal is to also test drivetrain designs, the integration of renewable energies and storage.
chargedevs.com
Battery-powered train: Network Rail introduced the first train with rechargeable batteries. The modified Class 379 Electrostar has a top speed of 50 mph and can travel up to 43 miles on one charge. It has been fitted with 80,000 AA-size batteries! While that sounds a lot, their weight is supposed to be less than that of a Li-ion battery in an EV.
express.co.uk, theengineer.co.uk (with video)
Quicker development of batteries: A new software by EC Power promises that Li-ion batteries can be developed more quickly and cost effective. The programme AutoLion offers advanced modelling tools that take into account electrochemistry as well as a wide range in temperature to provide reliable models.
chargedevs.com
Foton shows off new energy cars: It is the only self-owned exhibition in the industry. At its first show ever in Shandong in China last week, Chinese carmaker Foton auto presented its portfolio of new energy vehicles, including its SAUVANA SUV and the latest MPV.
autonews.gasgoo.com
Most clicked link on Wednesday was the Chinese copycat – the Rayttle E28 mini EV that looks a lot like the Renault Twizy.
carnewschina.com
