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EMX Powertrain writes history in FIM E-Xplorer World Cup
Dutch manufacturer EMX has taken the victory in the first ever FIM E- Xplorer World Cup race in Barcelona - Sandra Gomez and Jorge Zaragoza making history for MIE Racing Electric team , who are participating in the first season of the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup with electric motocross bikes from the Dutch manufacturer EMX Powertrain . The launch of the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup has created a new class in which electric all-terrain motorcycles compete against each other in a championship format . The World Cup consists of five events , run on different terrains . Consisting of eight teams , each with one female and one male rider , the five races are designed to show what electric all-terrain motorcycles are capable of . During the season , the championship visits Spain , Switzerland , France , the United States and Asia . The championship races will be run on a variety of surfaces , making it clear from race to race which electric allterrain bike platform and concept has the advantage in a range of conditions and on a range of surfaces and terrain . In addition to the Japanese MIE Racing Electric team that triumphed in Barcelona , Australia ' s FLAIR Riders team is also using the EMX XF30 . Each team is supported by EMX Powertrain
EU boost for eFuel
The rhetoric from the European Union over the future of internal combustion engines has started to change - opening the door to a future of eFuelpowered vehicles where previously there ' s been a single-minded focus on battery-electric vehicles . Although the EU has yet to legislate on a date for the end of ICE-powered motorcycle sales , there are rules in place that will see all carbon-emitting new cars removed from sale by 2035 . Previously , these rules have been
' the combustion engine could get a stay of execution '
interpreted to include a ban on eFuel vehicles , which use so-called ' drop-in ' liquid hydrocarbon fuels to replace petrol or diesel . These fuels can be created from carbon dioxide harvested from the atmosphere and combined with ' green ' hydrogen , so they remove as much greenhouse gas from the atmosphere during their manufacture as they later emit when burnt . The result is that while an eFuel-powered ICE vehicle still emits carbon dioxide , its net impact on global warming is zero .
It ' s already a route that ' s interesting the motorcycle industry , with MotoGP due to adopt a 40 % eFuel mix next year and shift to 100 % eFuel by 2027 , with F1 moving to eFuel in 2026 . The aviation industry is also a driving force behind the technology : it ' s not viable to create intercontinental airliners using zero-emissions electric or hydrogen fuel in the immediate future , and the power-to-weight and powerto-volume issues of those technologies are still seemingly insurmountable problems . Meanwhile , eFuel arguably allows a switch to carbon-neutrality without changing the underlying technologies of combustion engines and jets , whether they ' re for road transport , shipping or aviation . There are still stumbling blocks , of course . Technologies to make large volumes of eFuel are still in the prototype stage , although there ' s a pilot plant in Chile , created by Porsche and Siemens Energy , that ' s pumping out 130,000 litres per year and intends to ramp up to 550 million litres per year by the end of the decade . The electrolysis to derive hydrogen from water to create eFuel is relatively energy-intensive , but provided the plants use abundant solar , wave or wind power to achieve it , there ' s no environmental impact . Germany ' s government , a coalition of engineers throughout the season . Founded by motocross enthusiast and former racer Elmar Dohms , participation in the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup is in line with EMX Powertrain ' s goal of developing new technologies for future products . " The championship contributes to the ambition to take emission-free racing to the next level while focusing on diversity and equality ," says Elmar . " It is also a platform that showcases the potential of electric racing , and the quality of the competing motorcycles . At EMX Powertrain we have been working on the development of our all-electric motocross bike since 2018 . " Thanks to a collaboration with the Dutch motorcycle association KNMV , ELEO Technologies and Yamaha Motor Europe , we have created a bike that combines the proven chassis of the Yamaha YZF with a high-performance electric powertrain . " The EMX XF30 delivers 40 hp and an
Greens , Social Democrats and the business-oriented Free Democratic Party , has been pushing for the EU to allow eFuel-powered combustion engines even after the planned 2035 cut-off for carbon-emitting vehicles .
' drop-in liquid hydrocarbon fuels '
The country ' s automotive industry is a clear reason for such interest , but it ' s a technology that could prove essential for motorcycling . Unlike cars , where there ' s abundant room for batteries and a few hundred kilos of extra weight goes almost unnoticed , motorcycles have no such luxury , and the challenge of building an electric bike that can match current
impressive 720 Nm of torque thanks to the use of a 4,500 WH battery . The combination of the proven chassis with the EMX Powertrain developed drivetrain and associated battery management system has created a perfect balance . " As a result , the EMX XF30 is an electric dirt bike in which the characteristics of a conventional dirt bike are retained , combined with a powerful yet silent electric powertrain ." www . emx-powertrain . com
expectations from combustion engine models in terms of performance , range , weight , handling and cost has so far proved impossible to meet . Finally , eFuels offer the tempting prospect that they could allow not only future vehicles to be environmentally friendly , but also allow existing combustion-engine machines to become carbon-neutral . If the fuels are brewed as exact drop-in replacements for petrol , they could allow the existing fleet to go green without the huge investment - both financial and environmental in terms of raw materials - needed for a wholesale shift to electric vehicles . Plus , the economic , social and environmental advantages of not having to completely overhaul established infrastructure is an often overlooked but huge additional benefit .
18 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - JUNE / JULY 2023 www . idnmag . com