“A cross between a Concorde, a railgun and an air hockey table”

We are all interested in innovation. Jonathan Morrison provided a good article in The Times about the hyperloop. EiD remembers when this was raised a few years ago. Now a Danish company is building an ultra-high-speed transportation system in the Middle East that could transform our approach to mobility.   Forget high-speed rail, hyperloop will … Continue reading “A cross between a Concorde, a railgun and an air hockey table”

The need for the aviation industry to act on reducing emissions is urgent

As we address climate change challenges, the transport sector is increasingly poses difficulties, in large part because of its dependence on fossil fuels and in part because of the reluctance to use fiscal instruments to reduce emissions. John Vida writes an important article in The Guardian explaining that with biofuel potential limited and emissions rising, … Continue reading The need for the aviation industry to act on reducing emissions is urgent

Diesel cars: cheating on environmental regulation is not a victimless crime

It started with Volkswagen and its dodgy emissions test results. It turns out there all diesel brands in Europe have a lot of explaining why the pollution is much worse than allowed under current regulations. An article on the Transport & Environment website reveals quite a shocking story. So, who is to blame? Dieselgate 1st … Continue reading Diesel cars: cheating on environmental regulation is not a victimless crime

The merger of two vehicle trends — automation and electrification

The energy transition is moving ahead at a dizzying pace. And this is true in transport. Chris Mooney writes in the Washington Post about a new study by the Rocky Mountain Institute that shows that we could “be on the verge of an energy and technology transformation to rival the sudden decline of the coal … Continue reading The merger of two vehicle trends — automation and electrification

Vehicles are polluting in more ways than simply emissions

Maybe it is because of the recent Volkswagen emissions enforcement scandal but our focus has been on unnecessary emissions and their impact. Gary Fuller writes a good article in The Guardian that some wear-particles from brakes and tyres are small enough to be inhaled, and the increase in wear-particles can outweigh the benefits of improvements … Continue reading Vehicles are polluting in more ways than simply emissions

There are growing options for reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency in road freight

We regularly talk about the low-carbon energy transition, but the transport sector struggles for alternatives. While there are growing efforts, it is important to stay focused on reducing emissions and improve fuel efficiency. An article on the American Journal of Transportation website about the “bold challenge” to increase fuel efficiency and reduce GHG emissions to … Continue reading There are growing options for reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency in road freight

Low-carbon alternatives exist to reduce emissions in the shipping industry

Tom Levitt writes in The Guardian about some of the possibilities to use wind power to reduce the emissions in global shipping.   Why aren't ships using wind-power to cut their climate footprint? MS Estraden looks, on first glance, like a normal cargo ship. Just another one of the 50,000 vessels transporting pretty much everything … Continue reading Low-carbon alternatives exist to reduce emissions in the shipping industry

The hydrogen future for vehicles has been slow to arrive but maybe that will change

Neal Boudette writes a good article in the New York Times about the increasing interest in fuel cells for vehicles. There have been efforts for many years without any market breakthrough. Could that change?   Water Out of the Tailpipe: A New Class of Electric Car Gains Traction Steve Manning, a financial consultant in Southern … Continue reading The hydrogen future for vehicles has been slow to arrive but maybe that will change

Signals 2016 – Towards green and smart mobility

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has recently published a new report on our evolving transport system. Transport plays a critical role in the way we live. Our food, clothes and household waste all need to be transported, contributing to our economy and quality of life. But the increasing use of planes, cars and other fossil-fuel … Continue reading Signals 2016 – Towards green and smart mobility