Born… as a historical necessity To learn more about one of the oldest and largest railway systems in the world, RFI Interviewed engineer Ta Quang Anh, working at the French National Railway Corporation (SNCF) about the birth of the French railway network. The engineer said that the French railway industry was “conceived” in the first three decades of the nineteenth century. Appearing more slowly in England, where the first steam engine was mounted on railcarts in trade fairs from about the mid-1810s, the birth of the French railway network was also in the similar scene, as a historical necessity. That necessary background is the final stage of the First Industrial Revolution in Europe, the period of the meeting between supply and demand. Regarding demand, in the economic field, it is the need to transport finished products in large quantities, especially in the mining industry and later in chemicals, textiles, and agriculture. In the political field, it is the need to plan territory, unify transportation and administration in a large country with many diverse geographical and cultural characteristics. The achievements of metallurgical technology have enabled the production of quality steels for train wheels and tracks, especially with production capacity for thousands of kilometers of track. In terms of supply, it’s the ability to respond to technology. This is also the intersection of two technological factors that have both developed to the necessary maturity at that time. On the one hand, the achievement of metallurgical technology has allowed the production of quality steels for train wheels and tracks, especially with production capacity for thousands of kilometers of track. On the other hand, in the mechanical and steam engine industry, the soul of the industrial revolution, despite overcoming barriers to liberate labor, is still an inspiring creative ground for optimization in terms of technology. performance and size. On the French side, in 1823, the first railway, 18 km long, connected a coal mine from the vicinity of Saint-Etienne down to a port of the Loire in Andrézieux. Although only using gravity to transport coal to the river port and using horse power to pull construction materials in the opposite direction, in terms of infrastructure, this is considered the first line of the French and European railway network. continent. Only 7 years later, another 58 km line connecting Saint-Etienne with Lyon was also put into operation. This was the first time in France, the steam locomotive improved by French engineer Marc Seguin was put into use instead of horses with a record speed of 12 km/h at that time. A year later, in 1831, the line also began carrying passengers. In 1823, the first railway, 18 km long, connected a coal mine from the vicinity of Saint-Etienne down to a port of the Loire in Andrézieux. In 1814, at the very beginning of the world’s railway history, when it first appeared in England, a strategic report was submitted to Emperor Napoleon by Chief Engineer Moisson-Desroches, highlighting the importance of it. of planning a railway network of seven lines radiating from Paris to all parts of the “hexagonal country”. By 1837, the strategic idea of ​​Moisson-Desroches was concretized in the planning of Alexis Legrand, then the General Architect of roads and mines of France. The drawing that later became known as the “Legrand Star” was the first planning map of the French railway industry. Also in 1837, the first dedicated passenger railway was put into operation, connecting Paris to the suburb of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. On paper and in the field, 1837 can thus be considered the “AD” year of the French railway history. Before World War I, nearly 60,000 km of Line 1 covered France, a sixfold increase in about 60 years. After about 15 years of relatively spontaneous development (since the railway law 1842 stipulates the model of railway socialization), by the end of 1858-early 1859, the railway agreement between the State and 6 railway companies was established. iron is an important legal corridor for network development. This agreement is meant to divide the development market share of private companies authorized by the State to develop the arterial railway system. In 1865, the law was expanded to allow local governments to be authorized to build and operate branch and cross lines for railway companies. The period of the second half of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth century, with the development stimulus mechanisms of the central and local governments, was the period of breakthrough development of the French railway network, at least in terms of total length of routes in the whole system. By the time of World War I, nearly 60,000 km of Line 1 (now about 30,000 km) covered France, a sixfold increase in about 60 years. All provincial administrative sub-areas are connected to the railway network. Also during the early twentieth century, power options such as electric and diesel were also tested and developed for locomotives. The birth of the SNCF was the result of the nationalization of the railway industry in favor of the plan to electrify the entire railway network, a proactive step after the energy and economic crisis of the 1930s. In 1938, the National Railway Corporation (SNCF) was established. The entire 42,700 km of railway with debts and more than half a million railway employees are combined into one. The birth of the SNCF was the result of the nationalization of the railway industry in favor of the plan to electrify the entire railway network, a proactive step after the energy and economic crisis of the 1930s. This was considered the optimal political-economic choice at that time, in the context that the precursor private companies of SNCF faced a lot of financial difficulties after a period of overheating development in terms of terminal infrastructure. In the nineteenth century and especially after the years of World War I there was no source of income, which was followed by the Great Depression of 1929. Railway unions, representing more than half a million workers, became industrial unions are very vocal in society, contributing significantly to workers’ movements. A breakthrough in quality The operating speed at that time was 260km/h, in the same year, the design and test speed reached a world record at 380km/h. The birth of the TGV opens a new breakthrough development phase for the French railway industry. Unlike the breakthrough period in infrastructure in the second half of the 19th century, TGV has “miniatured” France and even Europe with only 3-4 hours of travel. During the period 1990-2010, many domestic TGV routes were inaugurated, notably the Eurostar route running through 50 km of the English Channel tunnel to the UK, the Thalys route going to Belgium and the Netherlands… In 1997, the State separated the infrastructure management part from the SNCF by establishing the National Railway Network (RFF). This is the first step of France when implementing commitments on competition in the field of rail transport in the European Union (EU). In 2015, RFF re-entered a member company of SNCF, after having spun off the mining part into another independent subsidiary in the group. In 1981, France put into operation the first high-speed train line TGV connecting Paris and Lyon. In 2007, France once again broke the world record for the test speed of the express train at 574.8 km/h. To date, this is still the world record for train technology running on rails. In 2020, the state monopoly on train operation officially ends. During the last 30 years of the twentieth century, the absolutely safe operation of 400 tons of steel on rails at 320 km/h has always been a technological icon in the ground passenger transport industry. TGV technology is exported and transferred to many countries, in Europe, to the US, Morocco and even Korea. For the French, TGV is a “national pride”. According to a poll of the French population, the TGV is considered one of the most important inventions of the 20th century, along with the computer, mobile phone and microwave oven. For the passenger railway industry, TGV was born as a lifeline in the context of the energy crisis of the 1970s, the aging of the traditional railway system from nearly 150 years made the railway no longer an option. number one choice for travel needs as highways thrive and air routes become increasingly accessible to price segments. In passenger transport, the decisive factor is not necessarily the speed of travel, but the sum of travel time, comfort, safety and, of course, price. TGV was born to most harmoniously meet these factors. TGV routes connect the centers of major cities (in France and later in Europe, both mainland and British islands) in the journey with moderate time, high safety, good service quality. The railway network in France is operated by the French National Railways Corporation (SNCF). For those doing railway engineering and technology, TGV’s 20 years of conception, 40 years of exploitation, perfection and development has been and will be an inspiration for technical innovation initiatives in many years. fields, from structural infrastructure, energy, signal information to rolling stock; from the construction and manufacturing industry to the maintenance industry. According to engineer Ta Quang Anh, the nearly 200-year history of formation and development is an advantage of French railways. In the world, besides the UK, there is no country as “rail age” as France. This is a great advantage in terms of experience. The coverage of the French railway network compared to the entire geographical territory is very high. Although France is not a country with a very high percentage of urban population, according to one statistic, about 89% of the French population live less than 10 km from a train station (in cities like Paris, this distance is much smaller). . This contributes significantly to the formation of habits and the need to use railways for transportation. About 89% of the French population lives less than 10 km from the station (in cities like Paris, this distance is much smaller). This contributes significantly to the formation of habits and the need to use railways for transportation. On the other hand, rail transport in France with over 80% electrification is a fundamentally environmentally friendly transport industry. With such a large coverage, in the medium and long term future, with the commitments of the French Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the framework of global environmental agreements, railway transport (both cargo and passengers) will undoubtedly remain key government priorities. As more than 80% of the railway network is electrified, with France’s civil nuclear power capacity, the French railway industry has a huge advantage in terms of energy initiative over most railway countries. However, the French railway industry also faces some limitations. A prime example is the British railway industry, which has been in decline since the late twentieth century. In the case of the French railway industry, in terms of people, changing production habits is no longer suitable for the application of modern means and production methods, in many cases, encountering resistance from the government itself. old experiences. In terms of infrastructure, most of the French railway network was designed and built before the twentieth century. Adapting to climate change is a big challenge for network maintenance and repair. TGV is a legacy engineering innovation based on ballast rock infrastructure and wheel-rail contact. But if you want to increase the speed of operation to over 400 km/h, such infrastructure is likely no longer suitable, especially when put on the balance sheet with the cost of maintenance. Of course, train speed is not a prerequisite, but if France decides to race in this direction, it must accept going slower than other countries that have developed or transferred technology for maglev infrastructure. such as Germany, Japan, China.

Specifically, in terms of appearance, the Audi Q4 e-tron family has taken a new step in the field of electric vehicle design language. The body lines of the Audi Q4 e-tron concept car and Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron concept car unveiled in early 2019 have been mass-produced on these two compact SUVs. At the same time, thanks to the short front suspension and large-size wheel design, the body proportions of the two cars are impressive and the lines are full of muscle. At the rear of the car, a light strip connects all the taillight units. The extremely low roofline design of the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron coupé style also runs through the very expressive rear of the car. The rear spoiler is located above the two-part window, which takes into account practicality and aerodynamics. There are a total of eight colors for car painting, including the new metallic aurora violet (aurora violet). In addition to the basic version, the series also includes two upgraded versions and S line appearance kits are optional. Aika Motors understands that according to customer requirements, the Audi Q4 e-tron family can be equipped with Matrix LED headlights, which can always maximize the illumination of the road as much as possible without affecting other road users. Digital lighting effects are also the world’s first: the driver can switch between four lighting effects through the MMI touch screen operating system. In the interior, the design of Audi Q4 e-tron and Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron is exactly the same. The entire cockpit is divided into four digital areas, namely Audi virtual cockpit, natural language voice control, central MMI touch screen and new enhancements. Realistic head-up display (optional). The new car uses a full LCD instrument panel with a four-spoke touch-operated steering wheel, and the central control center uses an embedded MMI multimedia touch screen. In addition, the new car also uses a button-type electronic shift mechanism. The augmented reality head-up display of the Audi Q4 e-tron is an optional component. It can feed back corresponding information through the front windshield and the two individually controllable AR hardware between the driver, and can drive with a virtual floating image. About ten meters in front of the driver, driving information about navigation is projected. In addition, the available space inside the Audi Q4 e-tron and Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron is comparable to that of a full-size SUV. Among them, the Audi Q4 e-tron luggage compartment volume can reach 520-1490L; while the Sportback model with an electric luggage compartment tailgate has a luggage compartment volume of 535-1460L. It is worth mentioning that these two compact electric SUVs also come standard with a number of driving assistance systems, including predictive efficiency assist, which supports forward-looking driving efficiency optimization. In addition, like other equipment, the optional auxiliary system is divided into different kits. These kits are equipped with adaptive cruise assist (adaptive cruise assist) system, which can provide vehicle owners with lateral and longitudinal assistance at various speeds. In the power section, the Audi Q4 e-tron series includes three different drive configurations. Among them, the Audi Q4 35 e-tron is a rear-wheel drive with an electric motor and the output power is 125kW; the Audi Q4 40 e-tron is a rear-wheel drive with an electric motor and the output power is 150kW, 520km endurance under WLTP conditions; the top version Audi Q4 50 e-tron quattro uses dual-motor all-wheel drive, with a maximum output of 220kW (299 horsepower), and it only takes 6.2s to accelerate from 100 kilometers.

This is part of the agreement the two signed last Friday. The deal will see JD become the latest Chinese Internet company to join the smart electrification craze that is transforming the auto industry day by day. Enovate said both sides will also work on digital marketing to get the startup up and running as soon as possible. “We will share resources in a number of different aspects, from branding and products to users and channels of distribution and consumption,” said Yu Songyao, senior executive at Enovate. . A new energy Enovate sedan attracts the attention of visitors at the Guangzhou auto show. JD, also known as Jingdong and formerly 360buy, is a Chinese e-commerce company headquartered in Beijing. The company is one of two giant B2C retailers in China by transaction volume and revenue, a member of Fortune Global 500. In other words, JD is the 2nd largest e-commerce company in China, just behind Alibaba. Forging partnerships with big internet companies is crucial, analysts say, as the chance to stand out is slimmer for lesser-known startups. Early adopters like Tesla and Nio are gaining ground, traditional carmakers including Volkswagen are also launching their own electric cars, so the door for latecomers is closing. quickly, must really try and be quick. Statistics show that Nio sold 20,060 vehicles in the first three months of this year, up 422.7 percent year-on-year. Volkswagen said it expects to sell 100,000 electric vehicles in China this year. Late last month, Nezha, another little-known electric car startup, announced a partnership with Chinese internet security company Qihoo 360. The company will become the second largest shareholder as it leads Nezha’s 3 billion yuan ($467 million) Series D fundraising effort. According to analysts, Internet security is becoming an essential issue as vehicles get smarter and 360 Security is seeking this investment to open up a platform for its products. on smart cars. Nezha CEO Zhang Yong said Qihoo 360 will provide the startup with technical help and facilitate financing for the company. “For us, the top task now is survival,” Zhang said. Founded in 2014, Nezha has sold more than 35,000 vehicles across its two car models. The company’s sales in the first quarter of 2021 increased fivefold, to more than 7,400 vehicles. Optional Toyota “knock down” Hyundai from the top position in the electric vehicle market

It was from a sarcastic comment of the online community on Twitter that the news that the Ford Bronco was being developed an all-electric version immediately became a phenomenon discussed on American car forums. Specifically, shortly after Ford announced the F-150 Lightning, a Tesla supporter commented asking Ford CEO Jim Farley if they are truly committed to a future centered around electric vehicles, why new product lines like Ford Bronco does not have this option? In response, the Ford leader asked this person, “Why do you think we don’t have one?”. Immediately, many American newspapers questioned the Ford spokesman, but the American brand temporarily declined to comment on the feasibility of the project. In 2018, Ford said it would have 7 electric vehicle lines launched before the end of 2022 with a commitment that electrified versions will target the best-selling car series such as Bronco, Escape, Explorer, Mustang and F. -150. Information about the Ford Bronco Hybrid, since then, has generally not been much except for a short video with the digital dashboard on the SUV showing the EV Coaching feature from last year. If Ford is still developing an electrified version of the Bronco from 2018 to now, the 2022 milestone they announced before is completely doable. Reference: Carscoops

Edit | 1 At present, with the increasingly stringent domestic emission regulations and tax requirements, domestic small-displacement turbocharged engines are in the heat of the industry. In the high-end market, Chinese auto brands do not have large-displacement engines and self-developed high-end transmissions to match them. But this situation has been broken. On April 19, Great Wall Motor Hive Yichuang released the first domestically-developed 3.0T+9AT/9HAT powertrain. It is understood that this powertrain consists of the 6Z30 engine independently developed by Great Wall Motors and the first domestic 9-speed hydraulic automatic transmission/the first domestic P2 hybrid 9-speed hydraulic automatic transmission. The new powertrain will be used for vertical placement. The layout of the Great Wall Motors tank platform will be mass-produced within this year. As the flagship power of Great Wall Motor’s high-efficiency fuel technology route, the 6Z30 3.0T engine adopts a V-type 6-cylinder type, adopts dual injection system, Miller cycle, dual VGT supercharger, intake manifold integrated water-cooled intercooler, and full map engine Oil pump and other technologies can output 260kW maximum power and 500N·m maximum torque, and currently have the strongest performance attributes among Chinese auto brands’ 3.0L displacement engines. This engine has strong low torque, and the official said it can burst out 340N·m of torque at 1000rpm, which can cover a variety of off-road life related products such as large SUVs, pickups, and RVs. At the same time, this engine meets the national 6b+RDE, Euro VI d, SULEV30 and other emission standards. It is matched with 9AT and 9HAT transmissions. Among them, the 9AT transmission is an advanced transmission used in the vertical high-efficiency fuel power system; the 9HAT transmission is a P2 hybrid transmission used in the hybrid power system. Great Wall Motor’s 9AT transmission is the first 9-speed hydraulic automatic transmission in China. It adopts the self-developed hydraulic automatic transmission structure scheme optimization program and intelligent integrated electronic hydraulic module and other technologies, hoping to achieve a breakthrough in transmission performance. Under the condition that the transmission size is controllable, the transmission load capacity of up to 600N·m is realized. Based on the powerful torque support of the 3.0T engine, the 9AT transmission sets the three gears 7, 8, and 9 as overspeed gears to improve the fuel economy performance of the vehicle. In daily driving, the 9th gear can be engaged when the vehicle speed reaches about 90km/h. The 9HAT transmission released this time is the first P2 hybrid 9-speed hydraulic automatic transmission in China. On the basis of 9AT, 9HAT adds a high-power P2 hybrid motor, which can realize the pure electric or hybrid drive mode of the whole vehicle. The transmission load capacity of up to 750N·m can be achieved while the transmission size is controllable, which further improves the power and ride comfort of the vehicle. In the end, the 3.0T+9HAT powertrain can achieve a total system power of 410kW and a peak torque of 750N·m. Last year, Great Wall Motors released a multi-platform strategy. Among them, the lemon hybrid DHT, 4N20 2.0T+9DCT/9HDCT, P4 three-in-one pure electric bridge in the “Lemon platform” has formed a system power from 35kW to 320kW, and the installed models are from Layout from A00 to D.

Accordingly, in 2021, the enterprise expects net revenue of 5,375 billion dong, after-tax profit of 806.4 billion dong, up by 289.76 percent and 302.7 percent respectively compared to the implementation in 2020. Of the VND 5,375 billion net revenue, VND 4,030 billion came from the real estate sector; 3,203.5 billion VND from construction and trade; 1,156.6 billion dong in the energy sector; 300 billion VND in production and agriculture; VND 323.7 billion in other fields; and revenue deductions are -3,638.7 billion. It is expected that by 2021 there will be 400 MWp of solar power generated. BCG’s 2021 strategy will continue to define itself as a leading development group in the renewable energy sector in Vietnam. In particular, the research and development to the LNG gas power segment, the total power output in the portfolio is from 2,000 MW to 2025. For the real estate sector, quickly complete unfinished projects in 2020 to record revenue for 2021, observe the market and deploy new projects cautiously on the basis of making use of available land. In the construction field, Tracodi has become a leading construction contractor in Vietnam. In addition, the enterprise also submits to shareholders the 2020 dividend plan at the rate of 10%. Of which, 8% is in cash and 2% is in stocks. It is known that in the annual shareholders meeting in 2020, the enterprise expects dividends to be 12%. Thus, the dividend rate has decreased 2% compared to the plan. Entering 2021, the dividend rate is expected to increase to 12%. It is known that dividends in 2020 are expected to be paid in the second quarter or the third quarter of 2021. A noteworthy content is that the business plans to continue offering to sell 148.77 million shares, equivalent to a rate of 50% to existing shareholders at the price of 12,000 VND / share. The amount expected to mobilize is 1,785.24 billion for the purpose of supplementing working capital of the business. Expected time is quarter III / 2021. Previously, the enterprise has just successfully offered to sell 68 million shares to existing shareholders at the price of 10,000 dong / share in March 2021. In addition, the enterprise also plans to offer 60 million individual shares to supplement working capital, the expected time in 2021. Closing the session on March 23, BCG shares stood at the reference price of 12,850 dong / share.