MOTO GP

Jorge Martín, 2024 MotoGP champion

Spaniard Jorge Martín has been crowned 2024 MotoGP world champion, achieving Ducati's fourth title in the premier class, Pramac Racing's first and the first for an independent team in the MotoGP era.

With his second world title - after the one he won in Moto3 2018 also in Malaysia - Martín becomes the fifth Spanish rider to reach the pinnacle of motorcycling after Álex Crivillé, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Márquez and Joan Mir; being the first rider in history to achieve this after having won the MotoGP Rookies Cup.

Runner-up last year in 2023 after establishing himself as the best in the recently implemented Sprint, Martín started the year as the main 'outsider' to dethrone Pecco Bagnaia, who had managed to successfully defend the crown.

The start was really good, since in Losail he managed to win the Sprint and finish third in Bagnaia's victory in the race; He turned those results around in Portimao by completing the podium on Saturday and climbing to the top the next day to take the lead in the standings.

He saved the weekend at COTA with a fourth and a third while Maverick Viñales climbed to the top; and the ghosts returned in Jerez, when after winning the Sprint he crashed in the race, which Pecco Bagania took advantage of to take a new victory.

Ghosts that he had chased away at Le Mans with a fantastic double, but which began to return when Bagnaia linked together four consecutive victories while he finished second in Catalunya (after being fourth in the Sprint), third in Mugello (after a zero on Saturday), second again in Assen (also in the Sprint) and, above all, with the fall in Sachsenring when he was heading for another double and which cost him the lead against Bagnaia. He started his tactic of amassing points there and began to add 29 points at a time, by chaining three Grand Prix with second places on both Saturday and Sunday: at Silverstone he regained the lead after finishing behind Enea Bastianini, at Red Bull Ring he lost it again to an unstoppable Bagnaia and at Motorland he attacked it again in Marc Márquez's return to victory.

He lost a large part of his advantage in the first pass through Misano, where after winning on Saturday he crashed on Sunday and finished 15th in another victory for Márquez, but he returned to the plan of 29 points in the Emilia-Romagna event, where only Bastianini could beat him, to extend his advantage.

In Mandalika he again tasted the sweetness of victory in the race after having left empty-handed in the Sprint; in Motegi he minimised the blow dealt by Bagnaia in the form of a double by managing to be second in the race after finishing fourth in the Sprint; and at Phillip Island he bagged another huge haul of 32 points by winning on Saturday and only succumbing to Marc Márquez on Sunday.

With solidity as his banner, he closed the Chang round with two second places to hold off Bagnaia, whose fall in the Sepang Sprint gave the Madrid native his first chance at the title. The Italian saved it with his tenth Sunday win, but Jorge Martín's second position allowed him to arrive with a large cushion at the Barcelona Solidarity GP, where he has mathematically sealed the 2024 MotoGP title in the last race of the year.

Swinxy

 

AUTONEWS

AI can 'hear' when a lithium battery is about to catch fire

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a way to use sound to detect when lithium-ion batteries are about to catch fire. The NIST team included Wai Cheong "Andy" Tam and Anthony Putorti.

Lithium-ion batteries are all around us: They can be in your phone, in your laptop, in an e-bike or an electric car. There may be several within arm's reach and hundreds of them in your building.

These batteries are popular because they can store a lot of energy in a small space. That quality makes them useful, but also brings danger. If a lithium-ion battery gets too hot or is damaged, it can catch fire or even explode. And the risk of battery fires is growing. In 2023, the New York City fire department responded to 268 residential fires started by batteries in e-bikes, which caused 150 injuries and 18 deaths.

These fires are so dangerous because they get blisteringly hot, almost instantly. A battery can emit a jet of flame up to 1,100 C (2,012 F), almost as hot as a blowtorch, and it reaches that temperature in about a second. This differs dramatically from other kinds of residential fires, which typically start slower as a smolder or a small flame. With those fires, there is more time for the smoke to reach a smoke alarm and warn people of the danger.

In addition to heating up faster, a lithium-ion battery doesn't produce much smoke to detect during the first stages of failure. By the time that limited smoke activates a traditional smoke alarm, it may be too late to prevent the fire from spreading. So it would be helpful to have a way to detect these fires early.

"While watching videos of exploding batteries, I noticed something interesting," said Tam. "Right before the fire started, the safety valve in the battery broke and it made this little noise. I thought we might be able to use that." He was not the first to make this observation, but he wanted to see if he could test the idea for himself.

Before a lithium-ion battery catches fire, a chemical reaction causes pressure to build up inside. The battery starts to swell. Many lithium-ion battery cells can't expand because they have hard casings.

Many of these hard casings contain a safety valve designed to break and release this pressure. This breaking safety valve is the sound Tam heard in the videos. It's a distinctive click-hiss, a little like the sound of cracking open a bottle of soda.

Previous studies have observed that sound could be used in an early warning system. But there are many sounds in the world that are similar to a breaking safety valve, such as using a stapler or dropping a paper clip.

A detector would not be very useful if any random noise in a room triggered it. So the researchers needed software that could reliably recognize the sound of a breaking safety valve and not detect other noises. They decided to use AI. Tam and Putorti trained a machine learning algorithm to recognize this distinct noise.

To make the algorithm work, they first needed lots of examples of the sound. Through a collaboration with a laboratory at Xi'an University of Science and Technology, they recorded audio from 38 exploding batteries. Then they tweaked the speed and pitch of those recordings to expand them into more than 1,000 unique audio samples they could use to teach the software what a breaking safety valve sounds like.

The algorithm works remarkably well. Using a microphone mounted on a camera, the researchers detected the sound of an overheating battery 94% of the time.

"I tried to confuse the algorithm using all kinds of different noises, from recordings of people walking, to closing doors, to opening Coke cans," explained Tam. "Only a few of them confused the detector."

Tam presented the results of their study at the 13th Asia-Oceania Symposium on Fire Science and Technology. He and Putorti have applied for a patent and plan to continue this line of research with more types of batteries and microphones.

In their tests, they observed that the safety valve broke about two minutes before the battery failed catastrophically. They also plan to verify that warning time with more experiments on a wider range of batteries.

Once it's fully developed, this technology could be used to build a new kind of fire alarm. These alarms could be installed in homes and office buildings, or in places with lots of batteries like warehouses and electric vehicle parking garages. The advanced warning they provide could give people time to evacuate. The key to a healthy relationship with lithium-ion batteries might just be careful listening.

Provided by National Institute of Standards and Technology

 

AUTONEWS

Porsche says goodbye to the 911 Dakar with custom tricolor paintwork at the end of the series

After manufacturing 2,500 units, Porsche says goodbye to the 911 Dakar with the delivery of a special Sonderwunsch model to the Zuffenhausen factory. Extensively customized, this is a request from an Italian sports car collector.

In November 2022, Porsche presented the 911 Dakar, a sports vehicle as effective off the asphalt as it is on secondary roads. Its ground clearance is approximately 50 millimeters higher than that of a 911 Carrera with sports suspension. Off-road-specific details include front and rear tow hooks in red forged aluminum, as well as flared fenders and running boards. The 6-cylinder, 3.0-liter biturbo engine, with 480 hp and maximum torque of 570 Nm, provides impressive performance, accompanied by the distinct and passionate sound of the boxer engine.

The alloy wheels of this unique example are also painted in Signal yellow, with the rim in Lampedusa blue. The decoration was done entirely by hand and in close collaboration between the customer and Porsche designers. The Matrix LED headlights have a highlighted ring in Lampedusa blue. The stainless steel protective elements at the front and rear, as well as the running boards, are black.

Interior with yellow and black details...Inside, yellow appears in contrast to black, such as in the stitching and decorative strips on the dashboard, center console and door panels. The inscription ‘911 Dakar’ is embroidered with yellow Speed ​​thread on the headrests of the Plus sports seats. The gear selector of the 8-speed PDK transmission receives a Speed ​​yellow leather detail. When opening the doors, LEDs project the Sonderwunsch logo onto the floor. Due to extensive customization, this 911 Dakar was assembled to completion in the special order section.

The limited edition model was displayed at the Porsche Museum, but first received the full Sonderwunsch treatment, including an exclusive three-tone paint job. Signal yellow and Gentian blue metallic match perfectly with the Rallye design package, which evokes the look of the 1984 Paris-Dakar winning vehicle. A painted blue line between the two large color areas completes the ensemble. This blue hue, named Lampedusa after the Italian island in the Mediterranean, was created in collaboration with the car's new owner.

Before heading to its new home, visitors to the Porsche Museum will be able to admire it at the entrance, displayed alongside other unique examples from famous limited series.

Mundoquatrorodas

 

AUTONEWS

Green flight paths could unlock sustainable aviation, research suggests

"Green flight paths" between key global locations could help to fast-track fully decarbonized aviation, according to research led by an international team based at Heriot-Watt University in the United Kingdom and the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

The research, published in Energy and Environmental Science, recommends that a small number of long-haul flights with high passenger volumes, such as London to Dubai, could be used to establish these green flight paths by demonstrating and reporting on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

SAF are non-petroleum-based fuels that emit significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional fossil-based jet fuels.

Dubai and London Heathrow airports are two of the busiest airports in the world and the first and second highest ranked in the world terms of CO2 emissions from international flights, as well as total international passengers. London Heathrow is already a world leader in SAF ambition and is working towards a target of incorporating 11% of SAF into its overall fuel usage by 2030.

SAF is compatible with existing aviation fuel systems and can be used in current aircraft engines and infrastructure without requiring any modifications. This makes SAF easier to implement since airlines can use it with their current fleets, the study noted.

The green flight paths would encourage the "dedicated large-scale investment" needed to encourage the worldwide adoption of SAF.

Professor Steve Griffiths, Vice Chancellor for Research at the American University of Sharjah, is a sustainable energy expert and lead author of the paper.

He said, "The UAE and UK are both highly dependent on long-haul flights, so have a compelling opportunity to lead the establishment of green flight paths, to demonstrate and deploy sustainable aviation fuels. Establishing green flight paths has the potential to not only drive decarbonization of the aviation sector, but also lead to international cooperation for the development of SAF, and the related clean technologies needed to achieve net-zero by 2050 on a global scale."

Professor John Andresen, Associate Director of the Research Center for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) at Heriot-Watt University, co-authored the paper and is a chemical engineer with expertise in fuel processing technology. He said, "The concept of green flight paths is inspired by green shipping corridors, which are paving the way for net-zero shipping.

"A similar framework for prioritizing long-haul flight segments is becoming increasingly urgent, to drive the global production and use of net-zero SAF technologies."

Currently, widely available sustainable flights are a long way from being a reality. SAF provides a potential route to changing this. Since the chemical and physical characteristics of SAF are almost identical to conventional fuels, they can be safely mixed. However, figures from 2022 show SAF production is way off track, currently sitting at 0.1% of the 2050 net zero goal that has been set by the international community.

There are a number of reasons for this lack of progress, many of which are economic, the researchers explain. SAF production is costly and in its infancy, so significant investment is needed to de-risk and reduce the costs of production. Unlocking investment is key to developing the scalable solutions that will lead to much wider uptake of SAFs.

Targeting a small number of high-volume, long-haul routes would demonstrate the economic viability of the green flight path model because it would speed up the development of commercially viable SAF supply chains, the researchers say. These targeted global locations often lie geographically close to industry clusters already working towards decarbonization.

Coupling plans for green flight paths with the growing agenda for decarbonizing whole clusters of the economy—for example, industry or transport—offers the opportunity to tackle challenges in a coordinated, holistic way, the researchers add.

The research paper also makes a strong case for the "climate justice" of green flight paths. This is because only about 10% of the world's population currently take flights, so green flight paths rightly place the onus on countries benefiting the most from aviation to develop solutions to make it sustainable. Solutions that can be scaled out will also become increasingly important as worldwide incomes rise, along with a likely increase in demand for flights.

Provided by Heriot-Watt University

 

AUTONEWS

New Honda 2025 EV Concepts

Honda has already been active in the electric two-wheeler market with scooters and bicycles. Now, the Japanese manufacturer has revealed its first electric motorcycle at the annual Milan Motorcycle Show.

The high-performance model is known as the EV Fun Concept and was shown alongside its smaller sibling, the EV Urban Concept, an electric scooter that follows the same design line. Both models feature some impressive specs.

What Honda’s first electric motorcycle looks like:

The EV Fun Concept is styled like a naked sportbike, a type of motorcycle that has no fairing, leaving some components visible;

Based on Honda’s press release, the EV Fun Concept is expected to accelerate like a 650cc motorcycle;

Honda says the electric motorcycle will come with a fixed battery instead of a swappable one;

It seems like an odd decision, given that several models take advantage of the benefits of a removable battery. But there is an advantage to opting for a fixed configuration: Honda will be able to use all the available space on both bikes to accommodate a larger battery;

The estimated range is 100 km, which is below competitors such as the BMW CE 04;

Both bikes are compatible with CCS2 fast charging, meaning you can use almost any charging station to charge the electric vehicles;

Honda will also offer an app that can be linked to the bike to provide information about the motor, battery and overall condition of the bike.

The EV Urban Concept, on the other hand, is an electric scooter that appears to have been influenced by BMW's CE 04.

With plans to fully electrify its two-wheeler lineup by the 2040s, Honda has set lofty goals to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire product lineup by 2050.

The company aims to launch 30 electric motorcycles globally by 2030.

Mundoquatrorodas

 

AUTONEWS

Paved or unpaved? Dataset can improve road surface data for transportation, safety and economic development

Road surface information plays an essential role across multiple sectors, influencing everything from transportation safety to economic growth and environmental sustainability. Knowing whether a road is paved or unpaved can impact decision-making for route planning and emergency responses.

For instance, unpaved roads, especially when poorly maintained or affected by weather, increase the risk of accidents. Emergency services need accurate road surface information to choose the safest and most efficient routes, especially in regions with limited infrastructure.

Beyond safety, this data is also key to optimizing supply chains, supporting agricultural operations, and improving industrial logistics. Poor road conditions can lead to delays, higher transportation costs, and reduced efficiency, hindering economic development.

Road surface predictions based on Mapillary data for rural and urban areas (left/right half of the pie chart respectively) along with the percentage of roads in OpenStreetMap(OSM) with surface information (choropleth map) at country level. Paved and unpaved road information is marked by blue and orange segments and the size of the semi-circle refers to the total length of predicted roads for that country, where a larger size indicates a more extensive road network. Credit: arXiv (2024)

For navigation tools such as Google Maps, OpenStreetMap (OSM), and GPS systems, accurate road surface information is crucial, particularly in rural or underdeveloped areas. By enhancing the precision of navigation systems, road surface data improves both safety and efficiency on a global scale.

Recent advances in geospatial technology, driven by companies like Microsoft and Google, have promoted global mapping. Their efforts have enhanced the mapping of buildings and roads, particularly in underserved areas.

However, mapping is only the first step. Adding detailed information, like road surface types, improves the accuracy and usefulness of mapping data. Enriching OpenStreetMap (OSM) with these attributes makes it a more valuable tool for decision-making and supporting services worldwide.

Currently, only 33% of roads in OSM have surface type information, with a larger gap in developing regions. To tackle this issue, HeiGIT has released a global dataset on road surface types (paved or unpaved), contributing to humanitarian efforts, urban planning, and economic development.

The dataset has been meticulously curated with the help of big data, machine learning and geospatial analysis. The team has made significant strides in improving global road surface classification using cutting-edge deep learning techniques. A major challenge was posed by the diversity of road imagery, especially from crowdsourced platforms like Mapillary, which provides vast street-view images worldwide.

Visualization of road surface classification. Warmer colors (red, orange, and yellow) denote higher intensity activation levels, whereas cooler colors (e.g., blue and green) denote lower activation levels. Credit: arXiv (2024)

To produce a robust training dataset, the team organized a mapathon in July 2023 using the HeiGIT CrowdMap web application. Thirty volunteers came together and labeled 20,000 random Mapillary images from 39 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, classifying them as "paved," "unpaved," or "bad imagery." This labeling process created a reliable training set for the model.

Along the way, the team uncovered important trends in both urban and rural infrastructure related to global road surface data and Mapillary coverage. Mapillary's global coverage remains limited, with only 3.48% of OpenStreetMap (OSM) roads covered on average. Urban areas show better coverage at 8.88%, while rural regions fall behind with just 2.65%.

However, critical roads like motorways and trunks have significantly higher coverage, reaching 45%, and cities in Western Europe, North America, and Australia boast coverage rates as high as 70%.

In terms of global road surface trends, the analysis revealed notable differences between urban and rural areas. In most urban regions, paved roads make up 60%–80% of the network. In contrast, rural areas, especially in Africa and Asia, display much more variety in road surface types. Paved road coverage in these regions drops below 40%, with countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Rwanda, and Mozambique standing out for their lower paved road ratios.

The study also showed a strong correlation between road infrastructure and development levels, with countries that have higher Human Development Index (HDI) scores generally featuring more paved roads. Lower-HDI regions, particularly in rural areas, showed greater variation in surface quality.

The analysis also includes a visual map that illustrates road surface conditions and the extent of data available in OSM. Developed regions like North America and Europe are well-documented, with mostly paved roads, while regions in Africa, South America, and parts of Asia have more unpaved roads and less comprehensive surface data.

As road infrastructure remains a critical metric for socio-economic development, our global road surface dataset will provide valuable insights, helping to build a more connected and resilient world. The generated dataset is openly available in the The Humanitarian Data Exchange and as a preprint on the arXiv server. This enables further analysis in geospatial applications and computer vision modeling.

Ultimately, our road surface dataset is an essential resource for researchers, planners, and humanitarian organizations, bridging the gap in global infrastructure data and supporting goals related to transportation safety, economic growth, and environmental protection.

Provided by HeiGIT gGmbH

 

AUTONEWS

2025 Mercedes-AMG GT43 Is A 4-Cylinder Sports Car With An Audaciuos 6-Figure Price

Ay caramba, a four cylinder grand tourer for $107,000? That's what it'll cost buyers to own the new 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT43. Even if it's pricey up front, the car is actually now the cheapest in the whole AMG GT lineup, undercutting the AMG GT55 by $30k. That said, if an open-top experience is more of your thing, may we suggest the Mercedes-AMG SL43 for $6k less. You're welcome.

Mercedes-AMG has revealed pricing of the 2025 GT43 Coupe. Starting at $107,050, this positions the GT43 as the "entry level" model in the lineup, but it's far from being a slouch. In fact, the GT43 is Mercedes giving buyers (and Porsche 911 cross-shoppers) a proper lightweight, rear-wheel drive machine with a zesty turbocharged lump to sweeten the deal. 

Starting with the powertrain—the two-door has the longitudinally-mounted M139 2.0 liter turbocharged motor that produces a healthy 416 horses and 369 lb-ft of torque going to the rear wheels. (In comparison, the V8-powered GT55 makes 469 hp and 520 lb-ft channeled to all four wheels.) While not exactly brag-worthy at your local Cars and Coffee, the 2.0 liter engine is tried-and-true and is found in other models like the C63 hybrid, GLC63, CLA45, and even the Lotus Emira. 

Once on the road, the GT can punch zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds (the GT55 does it in 3.8 seconds), maxing out at roughly 174 mph. While the higher end GT versions get AMG's Ride Control suspension, it's not stock on the GT43; it's a paid option if buyers want greater control and versatility over their ride setup.

Of course, the stock suspension, smaller displacement engine, and lack of all-wheel drive usually mean a lighter, simpler, rawer driving experience. For those who want more power in a track-focused package, Mercedes will gladly sell you the AMG GT 63 Pro 4Matic+, a beast with 803 hp and loads of active and passive aero/cooling solutions.

The Mercedes-AMG GT43 is coming to dealers for $107,050 including destination and delivery. To think that an entry level GT costs more than a base Lexus LC 500 or Corvette E-Ray is quite eye-opening, although we think Mercedes true target is the Porsche 911 Carrera, which is $15k pricier.

Mundoquatrorodas