Tris by Fiat Professional: sometimes they come back

From Fiat Professional comes a revival of the legendary “Ape,” produced by Piaggio for 76 years. This new proposal is called “Tris”, it’s fully electric, and its powertrain borrows components already used in the Fiat Topolino and Citroën Ami At the end of 2024, Piaggio announced the end of production for the Ape—a vehicle that, since 1948, had played a significant role in Italy’s economic and social development. In a world that moves faster by the day and imposes increasingly strict emission standards, the charming, smoky, and rickety three-wheeler from…

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Kawasaki Corleo: riding the future

Kawasaki Corleo

Kawasaki Corleo, a four-legged robotic vehicle concept powered by a hydrogen engine that aims to revolutionize individual off-road mobility within the next 25 years, presented at Expo 2025 Exactly ten years after the Milan edition, Expo returns this year to Japan—specifically Osaka—focusing on the technological evolution of a more environmentally sustainable future. Technology-driven innovation has long been a cornerstone of Japan’s development, especially since the post-World War II era, with the nation continuously pioneering advanced solutions that often set global trends. With this same forward-looking ambition, Kawasaki introduces “Corleo”—a quadruped…

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Bieffe Project Mimì: technological excellence in search of a market

Bieffe Project Mimì

Born from the collaboration between Bieffe Project and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, “Mimì” is an innovative compact vehicle designed to meet urban logistics needs. It is offered with either full electric or hydrogen fuel cell propulsion, supported by solid-state supercapacitors. Despite being a technological excellence, its commercial future remains uncertain Compact commercial vehicles are a fundamental solution for urban transport and for the operations of small and medium-sized enterprises. In this segment, particularly in Italy, the Piaggio “Porter” and Piaggio “Ape” have made history in commercial mobility…

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Tricycles category L5e: different country…different three wheels

Different countries…different cars. The European directive 2002/24/CE of 18 March 2002 has divided mopeds and motorcycles into seven different categories, one of which, that of tricycles category L5e, in Germany is giving rise to a series of transformations aimed at making the most popular city cars drivable even at 16 years of age In Germany, it was established that young people aged at least 16 could drive tricycles homologated under the “L5e” category—vehicles with a maximum power output of 20 horsepower, a top speed not exceeding 90 kilometers per hour,…

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The future of road freight transport: the study

trasporto su gomma

The German institute Fraunhofer ISI in Karlsruhe, tasked with investigating the societal impacts of innovation, has published a study on the future of road freight transport. The institute developed a forecast for 2030 based on current growth rates in traffic volume and analyzed the most frequently used routes across Europe, identifying 20,000 potential locations for truck charging stations. .Taking into account current driving time regulations for truck drivers and assuming that each truck has a minimum range of 400 kilometers, the institute optimized the charging network. The analysis concluded that…

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More sustainable sea transport

According to the International Maritime Organization, in recent years the global maritime industry has improved its carbon footprint but the sector’s total greenhouse gas emissions are 90 percent higher than in 2008, so much so that last January in Europe the Emissions trading system “ETS” has also been applied to maritime transport. According to the Organization, it is necessary to have low-emission energy sources capable of providing at least five percent of the energy used by ships by 2030 and this is because the sector is continuously expanding and it…

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Man Truck & Bus launches hydrogen-powered trucks

Man Truck & Bus has officially confirmed the market launch of an initial limited series of 200 trucks with hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines. These units will be operational in 2025 in Europe with select customers in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Iceland. The new vehicles, named MAN “hTgx,” will be equipped for heavy-duty transport. The combustion engine, the “H45,” was first introduced at recent industrial and off-highway exhibitions. The engine is derived from the “D38” diesel engine and is capable of delivering up to 520 horsepower. The vehicles will be…

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Igus “Rcyl,” the first urban bike made with 90% recycled materials

igus rcyl

The “Rcyl” bicycle, designed and manufactured by Igus, a German company specializing in the production of high-performance plastic components, is now in production and on sale for around 1,200 euros. Active for some time in various industrial sectors as a component supplier, the company decided in 2022 to launch the “Igus-Bike” project, aimed at creating a bicycle made with the highest possible percentage of recycled plastic. After two years of development, the project has taken shape, resulting in a product that is 50 percent constructed from plastic derived from recycled…

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Bmw, Continental, and DeepDrive united for electric vehicles.

The electric motor is built by the German startup DeepDrive, a dual radial flow rotor available in power ratings of 18, 150, and 180 kilowatts. The first operates at 54 volts targeting light urban vehicles, while the other two operate at a voltage of 420 volts, aiming to equip vehicles for a broader range. The main feature of both units is their discoid and cylindrical shapes, which prompted BMW and Continental to consider the possibility of forming a strategic partnership with DeepDrive to develop a combined unit designed to be…

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