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Solvay to produce silica from rice husk ash for tires in Europe, expansion plans in N America

Green Car Congress

Solvay is investing at its Livorno, Italy site to launch the company’s first unit of circular highly dispersible silica (HDS) made with bio-based sodium silicate derived from rice husk ash (RHA). This new generation of precipitated silica will also address the needs of the home & personal care and the feed & food industries.

America 218
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Forget the Milano EV – Alfa Romeo changes name to something non-Italian-sounding

Baua Electric

The ongoing tensions between Italy and Alfa Romeo’s parent company Stellantis reached a head last week when the Italian government told the automaker that naming its upcoming Alfa Romeo EV the Milano was against the law because the car will be built in Poland. but this issue is more about Italy vs. Stellantis than anything else.

Italy 52
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China’s Chery to set up shop in Europe

Baua Electric

Back in March, Chery was reportedly in talks with Italy – another European country where EVs have an incredibly low market share – about building a plant there, but sources say that those plans stalled and the company is moving ahead with Spain. It’s free, with no sales calls until you choose an installer. Get started here.

Chery 52
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Aptera claims enough crowdfunding to make solar EV

Baua Electric

The company on Friday announced the completion of its Accelerator Program, which allowed those investors contributing $10,000 or more to secure one of the first 2,000 build slots for the vehicle. In November 2022 it announced a supply agreement Italy’s C.P.C. Group for carbon-fiber bodywork.

Aptera 52
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Video Friday: Resilient Bugbots

Cars That Think

Skydio ] Voxel robots have been extensively simulated because they’re easy to simulated, but not extensively built because they’re hard to build. With the RPD 35, a two-person crew can install pile more productivity than traditional methods. But here are some that actually work. Paper ] Thanks, Bram! ARL ] Thanks, Kostas!

MIT 107
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Taking the Measure of the Earthquake That Destroyed Tokyo

Cars That Think

In Tokyo, the fires merged into a firestorm so intense that it created its own wind system and set alight the city’s many wooden buildings. Earthquake-prone areas have invested heavily in making their buildings and infrastructure as earthquake-resilient as possible. Survivors rushed to seek safety.

Japan 126
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Abandoned History: The Apple Electric Car Project, Rest in Peace (2014-2024)

The Truth About Cars

Shortly thereafter an Apple board member stated Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs (1955-2011) suggested the company could build an EV around the time Tesla arrived on the automotive scene in 2008. In theory, Apple would equip Transporter vans with autonomous tech at Italdesign (a VW property) in Italy.&

2014 114