CHARGED Electric Vehicles Magazine – July-August 2019

46

THE VEHICLES

Image courtesy of AVID Technology

Image courtesy of ABB

The UK government has awarded EV component manu-
facturer AVID Technology and construction machinery
giant Caterpillar €33 million (about $41.7 million) to
develop fully electric construction machinery.
The funding, which is made possible by the UK’s Ad-
vanced Propulsion Centre, will benefit 32 companies and
create 2,230 jobs, according to a government statement.
Ian Constance, Chief Executive of the Advanced
Propulsion Centre, said, “Supporting the development of
cutting-edge low-carbon vehicle technology is crucial to
ensuring we have a robust supply chain that enables the
future of the UK automotive industry. We must continue
to collaborate across sectors in order to boost innovation
in many aspects of the industry so we can take advantage
of export opportunities to other markets.”

AVID Technology and

Caterpillar receive $42 million

from UK to develop electric

construction machinery

An independent study for

ABB by marine consultancy

Deltamarin has found that

the ABB Azipod electric

propulsion system for ferries

could save up to $1.7 million

in annual fuel costs per

vessel.

By simulating a transit on

seven existing ferry routes,

researchers found that a fer-

ry equipped with twin 10 MW mid-power-range Azipod

units consumed less fuel compared to a similar vessel

powered by a traditional shaftline propulsion system.

Thanks to this lower fuel consumption, ABB says an

Azipod-powered ferry could reduce CO2 emissions by

approximately 10,000 tons per year, equivalent to about

2,200 passenger cars per year.

ABB says the global ferry industry is facing increased

pressure to meet the International Maritime Organiza-

tion’s target of reducing annual emissions by 30 percent

by 2025.

To help ferries improve energy efficiency and lower

emissions, the company is launching a new series of mid-

power-range Azipod propulsion systems in June 2019.

The latest series will be available in the 7.5 to 14.5 MW

power range and will fill the gap between the low-power

and high-power ranges of Azipod propulsors already on

the market. With this expansion, the Azipod propulsion

family now covers the power range of 1-22 MW.

In the Azipod propulsion system, the electric drive

motor is in a submerged pod outside the ship’s hull. It

can rotate 360 degrees to increase maneuverability and

operating efficiency. According to ABB, the system is

proven to cut fuel consumption by up to 20% compared

to traditional shaftline propulsion systems.

Electric marine propulsion

system can save $1.7 million in

fuel costs annually