Latest news with #Zeno
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Love Ferrante? Read this intelligent Neapolitan writer
On Nisida, an island off the coast of Naples and site of a notorious juvenile prison, one inmate called Zeno – a 15-year-old who has been detained for shooting and killing another boy – is given a simple task by his Italian teacher, Ms Martina: write down what you're thinking, and you'll get furlough for Christmas. Zeno duly complies. And so through a run of sprawling entries that make up Francesca Maria Benvenuto's engrossing debut novel, So People Know It's Me, we learn about Zeno's life both before prison and inside it. There's his impoverished upbringing, which forced his mother to resort to sex work; descriptions of friends he's made on the inside, among them a guard called Franco; his girlfriend, Natalina; and the story of his slow capture by a world of criminal drug gangs that has led him to where he is now. Almost instantly, we see that Benvenuto is presenting us with that most tempting of literary archetypes: the loveable rogue, who despite having committed some of the most awful acts imaginable, still wins our sympathy through charm, and – in the case of a young criminal such as Zeno – the glimpses of innocence he occasionally betrays. We see this, and we prepare ourselves not to be taken in by it. Only here, through the unusual twists and turns of Benvenuto's narrative, the trick of the archetype works on us all the same. Compelling though this is, So People Know It's Me has an equally strong sales pitch: Benvenuto is an accomplished criminal lawyer who has defended minors in court. Her book draws from the experiences of her mother who – just like Ms Martina – worked as a teacher on Nisida, home to a very real prison for young people. And yet Benvenuto avoids wielding that authority too heavily. She never bashes over our heads the very legitimate moral problems of housing minors in a prison complex as on Nisida; rather, intimate experience affords her an empathy that feels real without being sentimental. Zeno is under no illusions that what he has done is wrong – but that does not make him less human or beyond hope. With time, his simple writing exercise becomes a project of self-realisation; near the end of the novel, Zeno begins to envision a life for himself beyond prison, perhaps even as a writer. As befits her setting near Naples, Benvenuto's original prose blends Italian with Neapolitan. Inevitably, the translator Elizabeth Harris has replaced this interplay between two languages with just one: but the more diminished English, with Zeno's voice peppered with vague colloquialisms, feels as though it belongs everywhere and nowhere at once ('she don't got no problems'). And where Harris has let the occasional Neapolitan word or phrase stand on its own – strunz, scornacchiato, 'nnammurata – we're only reminded of a layer of meaning that has been lost. This dualism is important, though: in particular, I'm left wondering where Benvenuto might have originally slipped into Neapolitan to distinguish between other dualities, such as between social classes or children and adults. (That isn't to criticise Harris's work, however. Another translator might have cast the Neapolitan in another mutually intelligible dialect – imagine a back and forth between English and Scots – but the specificities of Italy would still be lost.) But perhaps this musing is all too hypothetical, and in any case, the unavoidable compromises of translation aren't enough to detract from Benvenuto's strength as a storyteller. Her messaging is similarly deft: everybody is simultaneously the product of structural problems and also not, as Zeno proves. Good people can arise even from difficult circumstances and vice versa. That's a philosophy that survives change and iteration – and is always worth retelling.
NDTV
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
Zeno Emara Electric Motorcycle Launched At Rs 64,000; Offers 100-Km Range
New Delhi: Bengaluru-based Zeno on Tuesday launched its first electric motorcycle Emara in the Indian market. Zeno Emara can be bought in three ways: full ownership and battery as a service (BaaS )in prepaid and postpaid methods. The Zeno Emara has been launched at Rs 1.19 lakh (ex-showroom) for full ownership (product + two batteries). The company is offering a Rs 19,000 discount as an introductory offer for the first 5,000 orders. Similarly, the motorcycle can be bought under the BaaS subscription for Rs 79,000 and the company is offering a Rs 15,000 discount for the first 5,000 orders. Zeno Emara: Subscription Charges In the initial phase, two prepaid subscriptions are available with the Zeno Emara: pre-paid and post-paid. Owners, who opt for a pre-paid model, will have two options, curated around the daily riding range. The basic plan will cost Rs 1,500/month, ensuring 48 kWh of energy, suitable for a daily riding range of 40 kilometres or less. The advanced plan is for those who ride 100 kilometres and most, and the plan will cost Rs 2,500/month (120 kWh of energy). The post-paid or pay-as-you-go plan for Zeno Emara will cost the rider Rs 52 per kWh. Zeno Emara: Battery, Range, Charging and Motor Zeno Emara electric motorcycle has twin swappable batteries, each carrying 2 kWh of energy. The 4 kWh battery pack offers a real-world range of 100 kilometres. The 500-watt onboard charger will take roughly five hours to fully charge the batteries. The optional DC fast charger takes 90 minutes to fully charge the batteries. Powering the Zeno Emara is a 4 kW (peak: 8 kW) motor, which is torque-rated at 330 Nm. The claimed top speed is 95 kmph. Zeno Emara Battery Zeno Emara: Design, Features and Cycle Parts Zeno Emara is positioned as an EV alternative for 100-150 cc internal combustion motorcycles. It features all-LED lights, 17-inch wheels, disc brakes, telescopic and twin-coil suspensions, a long seat, a USB charger and colored-digital display. Zeno has emphasised on modularity of Emara. The payload is 250 kilograms and the body can be customised into several options, depending upon the customer needs. Zeno Emara: Delivery and Planning Zeno has set up its manufacturing hub in Delhi NCR and plans to roll out the motorcycles in the market in early 2026, starting with Bangalore. The facility has a capacity of 1,000 motorcycles a month, which can be scaled up based on demand. The company has opened pre-bookings for Rs 999. Zeno Emara comes with a 5-year/50,000 kilometres warranty on vehicle, motor and battery. The company is also working on an ADV based on the Emara, which is expected in 2026.
India Today
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- India Today
Zeno Emara launched in India at Rs 64,000. Know all the details
Bengaluru-based electric mobility startup Zeno has officially entered India's two-wheeler EV space with the launch of Emara. The company calls their electric motorcycle the country's first Sport Utility Electric Motorcycle (SUEM). According to the company, Emara is designed specifically for mass-market commuters, and it aims to fill the large gap in the 100-150cc motorcycle segment, currently dominated by petrol models like the Hero Splendor and Honda Shine. The company was founded by former senior leaders from Tesla, Ola Electric, Apple, and Ather, bringing together global experience with a local vision. advertisementCEO Michael Spencer highlighted Emara's versatile utility, calling it 'tough enough for a full day's work, stylish enough for a date night, and flexible enough to charge however and wherever our customers need.'The Emara boasts a 250kg load capacity, the company states that the load capacity is more than double that of its closest EV competitor. The bike features 30% gradeability, 190mm ground clearance, and a 4kWh onboard battery (expandable to 8kWh) delivering a real-world range of 100km. It is powered by an 8kW peak motor and reaches a top speed of 95 km/h. Riders also benefit from up to 150 litres of lockable storage through add-on accessories. advertisement A major innovation from Zeno is its multi-modal charging ecosystem—a first for India. Emara users can choose between battery swapping, fast charging (at Zeno or any public Type 6 charger), or home charging. This patent-pending technology aims to eliminate range anxiety while giving customers total freedom over how they charge. Zeno plans to begin deploying charging infrastructure in key areas by late 2025 and aims to roll out 20,000 charge points across India by 2029, ensuring that no rider is more than 2.5 km away from a Zeno charging facility in launch also brings flexible and accessible pricing to the market. Customers can either purchase the bike with the battery (full ownership) or opt for the Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) model, where they buy the bike and subscribe to battery use. Under full ownership, the standard price is Rs 1,19,000, with pre-order offers starting at Rs 1,00,000 for the first 5,000 units. In the BaaS model, the bike is priced at Rs 79,000, with early bird pricing starting at Rs 64,000. BaaS subscribers can choose between prepaid energy plans—Rs 1,500/month for 48kWh (approx 40km/day) or Rs 2,500/month for 120kWh (approx 100 km/day)—or go with a postpaid option at Rs 52 per kWh. Full Ownership Standard price: Rs 1,19,000Pre-order pricing:First 5,000 orders: Rs 1,00,000Next 5,000 orders: Rs 1,04,00010,000-20,000 orders: Rs 1,09,000Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS)Standard price: INR 79,000Pre-order Pricing:First 5,000 orders: Rs 64,000Next 5,000 orders: Rs 69,000Next 10,000 orders: Rs 74,000Pre-orders for the Emara are now open, with customers able to reserve their unit by paying Rs 935 via the Zeno website or mobile app. Those who book early will receive exclusive discounted pricing and priority delivery slots, with shipments scheduled to begin in early to Auto Today Magazine
Fast Company
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fast Company
This ex-Tesla employee just launched a cheap electric motorcycle
Tesla sales continue to plunge. But a former Tesla employee's startup now has a long waiting list for a very different type of product: an electric motorcycle aimed at customers in Africa and South Asia. The startup, called Zeno, officially launched its first product today, a sport utility electric motorcycle called the Emara. Ranging from $1,000 to $1,500 depending on the market, it's designed to be cheaper than gas alternatives—and do a better job of carrying heavy loads or multiple passengers on rough roads. The battery, which is sold separately, can either be charged or instantly switched out at swapping stations. After a soft launch with several dozen customers in small Kenyan cities several months ago, it already has loyal fans. Zeno's founder and CEO, Michael Spencer, had never been a car guy. Instead, he'd worked at Tesla because of its bigger vision for sustainable energy—how battery storage and solar power fit in with mobility, and what it would take to replace fossil fuels at a larger scale. But then he realized it would be possible to work faster outside of Tesla. Spencer left Tesla in 2022, after four years of scaling up the Model 3 and Y, deploying Superchargers, and leading the company's energy business. 'I had a pretty deep understanding of what was and wasn't working at Tesla,' he says. He also had worked in Africa in the past, and recognized that the fastest growth in greenhouse gas emissions was happening in emerging economies. 'I came to some conclusions that the original Tesla master plan was going to be, somewhat paradoxically, easier to execute on and accomplish and achieve in emerging markets,' Spencer says. '[These are] markets where there's still a lot of greenfield development opportunity for energy infrastructure. A large portion of the population isn't grid connected yet, but is being grid connected quickly. GDP growth is increasing, the middle class is growing, and energy consumption is increasing.' One point of intervention: motorcycles. When someone living in a country like Kenya earns enough money to buy a vehicle, it's typically a gas motorcycle. Spencer saw an opening for a better electric version. Chinese manufacturers make electric scooters, but they aren't well suited to the common use in Africa: three or four passengers, with heavy loads, on rugged, bumpy roads. High-end electric motorcycle brands for other markets, like Damon, were unaffordable. Other companies hadn't focused on redesigning the standard, mass-market 150cc motorcycle from the ground up. 'We started with a similar thesis as we did at Tesla, which is, whatever we make has to be as good or better than the options that [customers] have currently,' says Spencer. 'It has to be a more delightful vehicle to operate. We set out to create a better vehicle than the most popular 150cc motorbikes: carry more load, go faster, handle rougher terrain, go up steeper hills. Better across all of those, but then still affordable and accessible.' Adding performance and range to the vehicle added cost. So to make it affordable, the startup had to rethink the business model. Customers have the option to buy the bike without a battery—the most expensive part—and then rent batteries at swapping stations. 'It allows you to treat the vehicle and the battery separately, as two different commercial assets, and allows you to sell the vehicle up front more affordably and spread the cost of the battery out over time,' Spencer says. 'And it solves for range. You can swap a battery at a Coca-Cola-sized vending machine. In about half the time it takes to fuel a motorbike, you can get another charged battery and sufficient range.' The biggest draw for customers is cost: Gas motorcycle drivers in Africa routinely spend more on fuel, in absolute terms, than commuters in California. In relative terms, it's much more: a $3,000 annual fuel bill can be 30% to 50% of their income. When the company soft-launched the product in small towns in East Africa several months ago, with a small network of charging stations, the first customers immediately saw a financial benefit. 'From the day after they've purchased it, they're seeing their take-home income going up 25%, or in some cases 35% or 40%. It's like going to somebody who commutes from Oakland to Palo Alto who drives a Toyota Corolla and makes $100,000 a year and saying, 'Look, switch to a Model 3, and you're going to now see your take-home income go to $125,000 a year,'' Spencer says. The cost was critical for investors. 'One piece of the puzzle for us is, do the economics work, or are you asking somebody to pay a green premium?' says Mike Winterfield, founder and managing partner at Active Impact Investments, which invested in a seed round in 2023 and another follow-on round in 2024 along with Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures, and others. (Zeno has raised $17.92 million to date.) 'Like, oh, I want a motorbike that's better for the environment, so I'll pay a little bit more—we don't like that. We like stuff that's cheaper, better, faster already for the consumer, and the environment is a drag-along benefit, so there isn't sales friction.' The design was another selling point. Some competitors were also working on electric motorcycles for the African market, but they 'sort of like slapped together components from other bike manufacturers and ended up with something that was subpar, and getting quite poor reviews from their early customers,' Winterfield says. Zeno, he says, 'built something that customers adored' from the beginning. The batteries can play another role: When they're plugged in to charge, they can support the grid by charging when demand is low. Customers can also take the batteries home. If they have access to electricity at home, they can charge the batteries there. But if they don't, the batteries can charge other devices when they're not in the bikes. 'We've got customers today who are driving all day on their motorbikes, swapping at swap stations, and then cooking on their batteries with energy-efficient induction cookstoves,' Spencer says. 'And then repeating the cycle the next day.' Through word of mouth, the company has already built up a waitlist of thousands of people, ranging from families who want to use the motorcycles to take children to school and run errands to ride-hailing drivers who use motorcycles on Uber-like platforms. Today's official launch opens up the first product to preorders in Kenya and India. The company is designed to scale rapidly, from building the product to charging infrastructure, and it plans to expand to other parts of Africa and Asia, Spencer says. While a small number of the motorcycles are already on roads, the company plans to deliver the next set of vehicles in 2026.
Geek Wire
14-05-2025
- Business
- Geek Wire
Zeno Power raises $50M for next-gen nuclear batteries
GeekWire's startup coverage documents the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and venture capital directory . An artist's conception shows a lunar rover powered by a nuclear battery. (Zeno Power Illustration) Zeno Power, a startup that's headquartered in Seattle as well as Washington, D.C., today announced the completion of a $50 million funding round to boost the development of nuclear batteries for maritime and space applications. The Series B round was led by Hanaco Ventures, with participation from Seraphim, Balerion Space Ventures, JAWS, Vanderbilt University, RiverPark Ventures, Stage 1 Ventures, 7i Capital, Beyond Earth Ventures and others. The fresh funding follows a $20 million Series A round in 2022 and brings total investment to $70 million. Zeno got its start at Vanderbilt in 2018 with the goal of creating new types of radioisotope power systems. Radioisotope thermoelectric generators, or RTGs, have been around for decades — for example, for space missions ranging from the Apollo moonshots to the years-long treks of Mars rovers. Those power systems depended on plutonium-238, but Zeno is pioneering lightweight systems that use strontium-90 instead. Strontium-90 is produced as a byproduct in nuclear fission reactors and could serve as an abundant fuel for power-generating systems. In 2023, Zeno worked with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to demonstrate a strontium-based heat source. The company is also looking at americium-241 as a potential fuel source for nuclear batteries. Since its founding, Zeno has secured more than $60 million in contracts from the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA to provide radioisotope power systems for applications where traditional power sources fall short — for example, to provide long-lasting energy for seabed infrastructure, satellites and lunar landers. 'With great power competition rising, the ocean floor, Arctic and lunar surface are becoming the front lines of global security and economic progress – but they remain energy deserts,' Zeno co-founder and CEO Tyler Bernstein said in a news release. 'With this round of funding, we're on track to demonstrate full-scale systems in 2026 and deliver the first commercially built nuclear batteries to power frontier environments by 2027.' An artist's conception shows Zeno's radioisotope power system on the seafloor. (Zeno Power Illustration) Last month, Zeno announced an agreement with iSpace-U.S. for the joint development of technologies that enable lunar missions to survive the harsh lunar night. The companies are targeting a demonstration mission by as early as 2027. Zeno says it has more than 65 team members and aims to boost that number to more than 100 by the end of the year. Jonathan Segal, a co-founder who serves as Zeno's chief operating officer, told GeekWire in an email that about 45 of those team members are currently working full time in the Seattle area. He expects the Seattle-area contingent to rise to roughly 60 employees by year's end. Also today, Zeno announced that retired Navy Adm. John M. Richardson has joined the company's board of directors. Richardson served as the director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program from 2012 to 2015, and as chief of naval operations from 2015 until his retirement from the Navy in 2019. In addition to his role at Zeno, Richardson is a member of Boeing's board of directors. In today's news release, Richardson said he was 'proud to join Zeno Power at a strategic moment for nuclear innovation.' 'Zeno's nuclear batteries provide safe, reliable and long-lasting power from the seabed to space, where traditional energy sources can't reach,' he said. 'Competition is on in these newly contested domains, and Zeno will help power us forward to stay ahead.'
