Concrete Roads More Durable, Cheap, Umahi Insists

The Minister of Works, David Umahi has reiterated that concrete has been discovered to be more durable and cost effective in the construction of roads in some parts of the country. A statement by the Director of Press FMW, Mrs Blessing Lere-Adams, disclosed that the minister said this during a meeting with Directors of the Ministry in Abuja. The meeting was held for the purposes of clarification on pavements built with concrete and asphalt. Umahi said there were a lot of advantages in using concrete in road construction, stressing that roads built with concrete could last for 50 years without having issues of portholes or washout. “Concrete roads have a longer lifespan, it can withstand heavy traffic loads, low maintenance, less affected by temperature fluctuations. “A lot of advantages accrue to the use of concrete to construct roads, concrete roads last longer, compared to asphalt roads, reducing the need for frequent repairs and maintenance. “It is stronger and can withstand heavy traffic loads, it also has low maintenance,” Umahi said. Umahi, however, stated that nobody was insisting that all ongoing road construction in the nation should be changed to concrete. He said such could happen under some conditions, including roads constructed with asphalt pavement must be on concrete shoulder, with an alternative design on the road shoulder. He added that some of the contractors were still working with obsolete and old machines. He encouraged the directors to come to him for any suggestion or logical argument, saying that the mission of Tinubu’s administration was to improve on the road infrastructure across the nation for the good of all. “I am appealing to our consciences to see ourselves as people going to the same direction and pursuing the same agenda for the betterment of all. “All those in the field are the same with people in the office. Services in the office is what is keeping the services in the site,” Umahi said. 

BMW iX5 Hydrogen Completes Intensive Hot-Weather Testing

The vehicles in the BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet, which were launched in February this year, have completed an intensive round of hot-weather testing in the United Arab Emirates for the first time. The car’s fuel cell drive system performed impressively in the face of temperatures rising to 45°C, as well as sand and dust, varying gradients and significant fluctuations in humidity. The highly efficient fuel cell system, the two hydrogen tanks, the electric motor and the power battery teamed up with the central vehicle control unit to demonstrate their outstanding performance and state of readiness. The Munich-based development team examined both the functionality of all the electric systems under the extreme conditions and the provision of the cooling power to enable the full performance of the vehicle. The vehicles were able to ensure the driving dynamics for which BMW is renowned. Vehicles from the pilot fleet are currently in action in Europe, Japan, Korea, China, the USA and the Middle East. The aim is to shine a spotlight on the everyday usability of hydrogen-powered vehicles, and beyond that to gain important knowledge for the development of a potential series-produced model. The BMW Group is using the pilot fleet to provide support on a regional level for the development of a refueling infrastructure which can be used with 700-bar refuelling technology across all categories of vehicle – from passenger cars and small vans to buses and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Synergies between different areas of application also offer important scope for developing a strong network of suppliers in hydrogen technology and reducing costs. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen combines long-distance capability and short refueling stops with locally emission-free driving. Provided the relevant framework is in place, the hydrogen fuel cell technology has the potential to serve as another pillar in the BMW Group’s future drive system portfolio. As part of its ongoing transformation, the BMW Group is applying a “technology-open” approach when it comes to drive systems. The company is therefore adapting to different customer requirements, infrastructure standards and political and regulatory landscapes in the various regions of the world. This flexibility puts the BMW Group in the position to respond quickly to changing requirements in the markets in any situation and to present an attractive offer for as many customers as possible at all times. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen has a fuel cell system generating output of 125 kW/170 hp and a highly integrated drive unit using fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology (the electric motor, transmission and power electronics are grouped together in a compact housing). The output of the overall drive system is 295 kW / 401 hp. The hydrogen needed to power the fuel cell is stored in a pair of 700-bar tanks made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). Together, these tanks can hold around six kilograms of hydrogen. This storage capacity gives the BMW iX5 Hydrogen a range of 504 km (313 miles) in the WLTP cycle.

Toyota to begin production of longer-lasting EV batteries by 2026

Toyota has announced exciting advancements in batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), which are pointing to longer battery life by as early as 2026. The breakthrough occurred on two fronts: increased optimization of lithium-ion batteries and advancements in solid-state batteries for EVs. Findings for lithium-ion batteries will result in increased battery life and shorter charging time, common concerns among prospective EV buyers. Current EVs allow for approximately 330 miles on one charge, while the updated battery could handle up to 621 miles. Solid-state batteries would take that even further, allowing for approximately 745 miles on one charge. Created for items like pacemakers and smartwatches, they are similar in structure to lithium-ion batteries but historically have not been durable enough to support EVs. Toyota’s new breakthrough could put EVs with solid-state batteries on the market by 2027, and they have mentioned zeroing in on a more affordable manufacturing process — leaning more on automated processing than human labor on an assembly line. Currently, it costs about half as much to power an electric car as it does a gasoline-powered vehicle. Public charging costs are expensed by the minute — meaning that with the breakthroughs in battery life, owning an EV will become even more affordable. On top of that, there are federal and local monetary incentives depending on where you live, and EVs require less maintenance overall. EVs also leave a much smaller impact on the environment. Just one electric car on the road can save 1.6 tons of pollution annually, while gas-powered vehicles produce, on average, over 10,000 pounds of harmful gases per year.