Transport

Level 3 automation, where the car handles all aspects of driving with the driver on standby, is being tested in Sweden. Image courtesy of Volvo cars

10 March 2017

Split-second decisions – navigating the fine line between man and machine

Today’s self-driving car isn’t exactly autonomous – the driver has to be able to take over in a pinch, and therein lies the roadblock researchers are trying to overcome.

The MV Faina cargo ship was hijacked by pirates in 2008. Image credit: ‘MV-Faina-Pirates’ by the U.S. Navy is in the pubic domain

transport | security

21 February 2017

Thermal cameras sweep the horizon as pirate scanners trialled

It looks like a standard radar screen, but the technology behind the red flashing dots that alert the crew of an ocean tanker to the presence of pirates is highly sophisticated.

Hydrogen-powered vehicles and refuelling stations are popping up around Europe in an effort to reduce air pollution. Image courtesy of HyFIVE

transport | public–private partnerships | open innovation

19 October 2016

Crossing Europe on the hydrogen highway

From Bergen in Norway to Bolzano in Italy, specialised refuelling stations mean that drivers of hydrogen-powered cars can now travel right across Europe.

Vice-President Sefcovic wants European car manufacturers to become sustainable leaders on a global level. Image credit: EC Audiovisual Service / Georges Boulougouris

environment | transport

09 September 2016

R&D can steer transport sector towards green economy – Vice-President Šefčovič

Following recent vehicle emission scandals, confidence in sustainable mobility has taken a big hit. But research and development (R&D) could help the European transport sector get back on track and stay ahead of international competition, according to Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Energy Union.

Electric roads could charge cars while they’re on the go, or waiting at a traffic light. Image courtesy of Pixabay/ stuart150

transport

28 June 2016

Electric roads to charge your car as you drive

Plugging your electric car into a charging station could become a thing of the past as researchers are developing electric roads that can charge your car while waiting at a traffic light or even on the move.

Researchers are designing planes that can travel at eight times the speed of sound. Credit: Pixabay/ joelfotos

transport

22 June 2016

Brussels to Tokyo in two hours

A typical flight from Brussels to Tokyo takes over 11 hours – but imagine if that time was shaved to just two and a quarter.

Researchers are using new technologies such as magnetic brakes and sleepers made from recycled tyres to make the next generation of rail travel greener, quieter and more durable. Image courtesy of Metro Madrid

transport | energy | open innovation

27 April 2016

Europe’s future railways will generate energy

Electricity-generating tracks, longer-lasting brakes and more energy-efficient trains could help to decrease the environmental footprint of the billions of railway journeys taken across Europe each year.

The EU has launched two prizes to create clean engines that can reduce car emissions. Image credit: Pixabay/ elec_trick0

transport | open innovation

21 April 2016

Two clean engine prizes to tackle European air quality

The race is on to design a clean engine that can be retrofitted into existing vehicles, and a low-emission, highly fuel efficient engine of the future, after the EU launched two prizes worth a combined EUR 5 million in a bid to improve Europe’s air quality and restore faith in the European automotive sector.

Steve Phillips is the secretary general of the Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR), which helped organise a truck platoon challenge that ended in Rotterdam on 6 April. Photo courtesy of Steve Phillips

transport | interview

11 April 2016

Success of truck platooning challenge clears way for real-life convoys – Steve Phillips, CEDR

The successful arrival in Rotterdam of six convoys of connected smart trucks from different points across Europe shows that cross-border truck platooning is feasible and operational challenges can be overcome, according to Steve Phillips, Secretary General of the Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR), which helped to organise the challenge.

Researchers are looking at ways to reduce cars’ nitrogen oxides, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Image courtesy of Amminex

transport | open innovation

06 April 2016

Solid ammonia reduces Copenhagen bus emissions by 90 %

Tanks of solid ammonia, see-through motors and hybrid engines are just some of the technologies that are helping bring diesel pollution down to record-breaking lows.