In addition to the conventional V8 engine, there will be alternative drives for the sports car from 2023. Source: media.chevrolet.com After the GM group caused a stir last winter with the presentation of electronic components for classic cars , two new drive methods have now been announced for the prestigious Chevrolet Corvette sports car : a hybrid system and a fully electric version. The latter has a new function that increases the range . 10% more range thanks to heat recovery The "Ultimum Platform" on which all electrified GM vehicles are based. Source: media.gm.com Like all GM vehicles with electric drive, the electric version is based on the in-house “Ultimum platform” . A new patent in the battery system includes a heat pump that helps EVs charge and accelerate faster and increase range by up to 10% . This is achieved by the heat pump using the heat energy from the battery to heat up the interior by means of energy recovery . This creates better thermal conditions for the battery cells. According to Lawrence Ziehr, project leader of the "Ultimum" energy recovery, the energy generated can be used for a variety of applications: "We could do several things with this energy, including increasing the range of the EV and performing electrical functions such as heating and cooling even preconditioning our batteries for faster charging and acceleration. For example, we can heat up the interior of our e-vehicles faster in cold weather than comparable ICE vehicles.” The "Ultimum Platform" will not only power the featured classic cars and show cars…

The map shows the challenging and varied route. Source: group-media.mercedes-benz.com When we reported on the presentation of the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX in January , the target range was 1000 km+ per charge. What sounded like an ambitious project has now been confirmed. In a self- experiment , under real traffic conditions , Mercedes covered the route from the plant in Sindelfingen to the Côte d'Azur without a loading stop. 1008 km, 8.7 kWh average consumption & 15% remaining distance During the journey through Europe, the car defied various obstacles . So it was rainy and cold at the start . Furthermore, the German autobahn was sometimes driven at 140 km/h . Starting from Sindelfingen, Cassis on the French Riviera was reached in a good 12 hours . The route led, among other things, over various alpine roads in Switzerland and northern Italy . Despite this extended road trip, the data at the finish line were remarkable: The average consumption over the 1008 kilometers was just 8.7 kWh . The battery even had a remaining capacity of 15% (~14o kilometers). All of this at an average speed of a good 87 km/h . "Efficiency as a new currency" The Vision EQXX is not only convincing in the showroom, but also on the street. Source: group-media.mercedes-benz.com As part of the project, Markus Schäfer , Member of the Board of Management of the Mercedes-Benz Group, said: "With our successful road trip to southern France, we have shown that efficiency is the new currency . The VISION EQXX is the result of a comprehensive…

Do vacuuming and floor mopping in one go! Sounds like the dream of every cleaning muffle. With the Tesvor R5 suction wiper , this should be possible without any problems and efficiently. We found out for you in our practical test whether the device was convincing in everyday use . You can read our impressions of the Tesvor R5 here below. scope of delivery In addition to the real star of the show, the vacuum mop itself, there are a variety of accessories in the packaging. Among other things, an additional and highly effective filter and the brush attachment should   be highlighted. The cleaning of the Tesvor R5 is also user-friendly thanks to the  dismantling set and the cleaning brush. The full scope of delivery of the Tesvor R5 includes: Tesvor R5 suction wiper incl. hand holder water tank charging station power adapter Box for storing accessories additional brush attachment high performance filter Brush to clean the device replacement roller brush tool for disassembly Technical specifications In particular, the long running time of the vacuum wiper has it all. Thanks to the 3800 mAh battery, areas of up to 200 m² and a working time of 45 minutes are possible . This means that larger rooms can also be cleaned with the 255-watt wiper. However, it takes around 4 hours until the battery is fully charged again. The technical data at a glance: Dimensions (lxwxh): 330x350x1190mm Weight 5.2KG Battery life in general mode: 45 minutes Battery life at maximum suction: 15 minutes Battery capacity: 3800mAh Device power: 255 W…

Up to 12,000 employees are to be employed in the production complex. Source: tesla.com In the presence of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Tesla CEO Elon Musk , the first production site in Europe was opened in Grünheide (Brandenburg) . Compared to the branches in the USA and China, the Gigafactory in Germany should be the most advanced, sustainable and efficient so far, according to Musk . The $ 5.5 billion industrial complex is the largest of its kind since German reunification. Up to 500,000 cars per year After a long approval phase, the Gigafactory was officially opened. Source: tesla.com Tesla began construction of the car and battery factory on the site in May 2020 with preliminary permits. Since the German authorities have not yet guaranteed that a final permit will be obtained because a battery factory has been added to the site, approval was not granted until March of this year . This also explains the postponement of the start of production , which was actually planned for 2021 . In Grünheide, the carmaker wants to produce around 30,000 Tesla vehicles in the first six months . In the medium term, the capacity should level off at almost 500,000 cars per year . Tesla is currently lacking employees for this, however, when it opened, 2,600 of the 12,000 jobs were occupied. Incidentally, the Gigafactory should also generate 50 gigawatt hours of battery power. Automotive industry in Germany in upheaval The current Tesla model series at the in-house supercharger stations. Source: tesla.com In the field of electromobility , Volkswagen is…

Never again wipe the floor unsatisfactorily with a lot of effort and strength. Thanks to the Tesvor V8 cordless mop , that should be a thing of the past. With its motor-driven wiper , it should be child's play to bring the floor to a high gloss - and without streaks or water drops. We found out for you in our practical test whether the device was able to convince you of its strengths . You can read our impressions of the Tesvor V8 here below. scope of delivery In addition to the mop itself, which is operated with a handle , there are not too many accessories in the packaging. In addition to the device itself, the water tank is also worth mentioning. As the name suggests, it ensures that there is enough water available during cleaning. At the same time, it serves as a docking station, which can be used to charge the mop. The full scope of delivery of the Tesvor V8 includes: Tesvor V8 Mop (main part) connecting rod (connecting rod) handle water tank power adapter cleaning tool Technical specifications With the Tesvor V8, even large areas can be cleaned well . Thanks to the large water tank with 3 liters of clear water or 3.4 liters of waste water capacity , there is enough liquid. The low noise level of 50dB during operation is also very pleasant. For example, conversations can be held while cleaning. The technical data at a glance: Dimensions water tank (lxwxh): 325x276x173mm Dimensions mop (lxw): 1100x213mm Battery capacity: 2600mAh Device power:…

Apart from the three additional propellers on each wing, the hybrid aircraft is almost indistinguishable from a conventional aviator. Source: airbus.com Alternative fuels and new solutions in the field of sustainable traffic management particularly affect aviation , which has a major impact on the CO2 balance . After undertaking many development projects in the field of hydrogen fuel, Airbus has now announced that hybrid technology for aircraft has made a big step forward. EcoPulse , a hybrid system from Airbus, Darum and Safran, is scheduled to make its maiden flight later this year . In-house developed battery with 350 kW power A lot of development has gone into the shape and structural arrangement of the individual battery cells. Source: airbus.com In June 2021, Airbus successfully completed the wind tunnel test of the EcoPulse system. In the current calendar year, the demo plane is being assembled , which is also scheduled to celebrate its first flight in 2022. The battery itself is about 2.3 m long , 75 cm wide and 20 cm deep. It is mounted under the fuselage and integrated into a reinforced aerodynamic fairing . It is one of the two power sources of the demo plane, the other is an "e-Auxiliary Power Unit" (e-APU) from Safran. The battery of the EcoPulse system has an output of up to 350 kilowatts and generates up to 800 volts of direct current. Impressive values, especially considering the dead weight of only 350 kilograms . Innovation with future potential   In addition to the construction of the prototype, several sample batteries…

A rendering shows the Atom Touch in its possible final form. Source: atomiclimbs.com Tyler Hayes, the CEO of the start-up Atom Limbs , which produces artificial prostheses , has spoken with the online portal "interestingengineering.com", an exciting interview about the company's new, artificial arm and the problem of the prosthesis industry . We have summarized and translated the interview for you. Atom Touch: Decisive step towards applied bionics With the Atomic Touch, even demanding activities such as playing the piano should be possible again. Source: atomiclimbs.com According to Hayes, the Atom Touch is the first true artificial arm to hit the market. It will behave similarly to a normal arm , restoring a nearly full range of motion , allowing individual finger control, and being comfortable to wear all day while restoring a basic sense of touch . In addition, according to the CEO, the price should be more affordable than "normal" prostheses. The arm itself connects to a wearable device . This device serves as a kind of link between the arm and a piece of clothing. A brain-computer interface is built into the wearable device . It recognizes the signals from the body of the wearer. The company's long-term goal is for the artificial arm to function just like a real arm . It is important to establish a connection to the nervous system . At the moment this is not the case. However, the Atom Touch is designed so that anyone whose arm has been amputated can also use the artificial arm. It is non-invasive and can…

Externally, the various models differ only marginally. Source: tcl.com The Chinese manufacturer TCL presented a total of five new devices at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, ​​one of the largest trade fairs for mobile devices . In Europe, TCL was previously known for its price-conscious smart TVs . A similar approach is now being used with smartphones. The devices presented especially for the European market are in the entry-level segment with prices between €139 and €249 . Below we have summarized the most important information about the new models for you: TCL 30 5G The TCL 30 5G is the spearhead of the new releases. Source: tcl.com The best equipped device is the TCL 30 5G. It is the only smartphone in the series that supports 5G . It also comes with a 6.7-inch Full HD (1080p) display with OLED technology, which houses a 13-megapixel teardrop- shaped front camera. A triple camera system with a 50 megapixel main camera , a 2 megapixel depth sensor and a 2 megapixel macro camera is used as the main camera. The MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset provides the necessary computing power for the mobile device equipped with a 5,010 mAh battery. From Aprilthe phone will go on sale at a price of €249 . TCL 30 Plus & TCL 30 The TCL 30+ is the mid-range device for Europe. Source: tcl.com The TCL 30 Plus (RRP €199 ) and the TCL 30 (RRP €179 ) have a lot in common . Both have the same 6.7-inch display and triple camera as the…

The new models differ not only in size. Camera systems, display resolution and the S-Pen are not available on every S22. Source: samsung.com As part of the "Galaxy Unpacked 2022" , an event organized by the South Korean tech giant Samsung , the manufacturer's new top-of-the-line smartphone series was presented. A total of three different models with different display sizes were presented. There are also differences between the devices in terms of storage, cameras and other features. Prototype leaks have been confirmed The first "leaks" of a prototype of the phone were already published in December last year . It caused quite a stir when the Galaxy S22 Ultra , the most feature-rich device, inherited the S-Pen from the Samsung Galaxy Note series . The camera arrangement was also significantly more differentiated compared to its predecessors. Both the camera arrangement and the S-Pen have also been carried over into the series device. So the news that Samsung is discontinuing the Note range isn't too surprising. Below we have summarized the most important technical data and functions of the three new Samsung smartphones for you: Samsung Galaxy S22 The different color variants of the Galaxy S22 offer something for every taste. Source: samsung.com With the “Standard” S22, you get a 6.1-inch display with a resolution of 2,340×1,080 pixels (Full HD+) and well -known AMOLED technology from €849 . As in all new S22 models in Europe, the computing power is provided by an in-house Exynos 2200 SoC . In the USA, the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is used . All…

The appearance of the hydrogen-powered V8 engine is almost indistinguishable from that of the petrol engine. Source: yamaha-motor.eu Alternative drives that do not use fossil fuels show what the near future of engines in private transport will look like. The clear top dogs are the electric drives with battery systems, such as in the STI E-RA from Subaru . However, Toyota has presented an additional alternative and shows a conventional 5.0 liter V8 engine with CO₂-neutral hydrogen drive instead of petrol injection. Petrol engine converted in cooperation with Yamaha This Toyota racing car is already being used with a hydrogen internal combustion engine. Source: global.toyota.com The starting point for the project was a 5.0 liter V8 engine with 32 valves , which is installed in the Lexus RC-F sports car, for example . In its petrol version, it delivers 464 hp and offers 520 Nm of torque. In order not to be dependent on fossil energy suppliers, some components have been modified so that the unit can be operated with hydrogen . To this end, Toyota has joined forces with the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha . At Yamaha, the injection system was rebuilt and the cylinder heads and intake manifold were adjusted. The "hydrogen V8" thus achieves almost identical performance values ​​as its petrol-driven brother: 450 hp and 540 Nm of torque are specified. The engine also retains another feature that should not be neglected . The characteristic sound of a V8 is confusingly similar to that of the petrol engine in the hydrogen variant. In addition, combustion is faster…