Esegui ricerca
Eco-vehicles
Urban scenarios of decarbonisation: the last-mile logistics challenge Urban scenarios of decarbonisation: the last-mile logistics challenge

Home deliveries generate increasing traffic and carbon emissions in urban centres, particularly in the last mile. The solution? Pool deliveries and use electric vehicles. But cities trying to do so are discovering that this apparently simple transition requires negotiation with multiple stakeholders and a lot of innovation, as proven by the experiences of Trento (Italy) and Gotheborg (Sweden).

The charge of the electric brigade The charge of the electric brigade

To fight CO2 emissions, European cities from Finland to Spain are investing in fleets of electric vehicles and their charging infrastructures. More importantly, when given the chance, people are changing their personal mobility habits. Pamplona has been surprised by the enthusiastic take-up of its shared e-bike service, while Tampere’s personal mobility CO2 calculator is helping citizens to visualize and minimize the  carbon impact of their movements.

March 2023
Electric, for sure. Sustainable, it depends. How green is my battery? Electric, for sure. Sustainable, it depends. How green is my battery?

E-car batteries are crucial to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement, but can also have a high social and environmental toll. Experts warn of the urgency of a sustainable value chain and recommend an innovative solution: e-vehicles connected to buildings and repurposed batteries, to optimize the energy consumption.

February 2023
Tracking materials for sustainability: the battery passport Tracking materials for sustainability: the battery passport

Batteries are key drivers of the energy transition, but experts agree: for them to unleash their potential, the entire value chain must be tracked. A dedicated tool, which has just been presented in Davos, records their environmental and social footprint: the battery passport

January 2023
Pandemic semiconductor problems are set to shape electric vehicle battery manufacturing Pandemic semiconductor problems are set to shape electric vehicle battery manufacturing

Manufacturing cuts put cars at the back of the queue for silicon chips. Now, electric vehicles are set to increasingly use silicon in their batteries too, and the industry is therefore making dramatic changes in how it gets its critical components.

May 2022
Life cycle assessments reveal electric vehicle roll out hazards Life cycle assessments reveal electric vehicle roll out hazards

During COP26, Volvo admitted increased production emissions in its C40 Recharge model, underlining the need for life cycle assessments (LCAs) to help battery development. Extending LCAs beyond greenhouse gas emissions to resource scarcity and social issues already suggests that the world needs more than just lithium-ion battery technology.

November 2021
Hydrogen cars with zero emissions at the tailpipe, ready to spread widely Hydrogen cars with zero emissions at the tailpipe, ready to spread widely

Hydrogen based technology in the electric transport sector is competing with traditional fuels like diesel and gasoline for long distances. It is quiet, needs reasonable time for refuelling and it releases water only

November 2019
Towards the next generation of electric vehicles Towards the next generation of electric vehicles

A compact and modular drivetrain that fits different size of electric cars aims to reduce range anxiety holding back more consumers from going green

June 2019
Electric cars: current trends make for a shocking change Electric cars: current trends make for a shocking change

While vehicle manufacturers invest in research, authorities are working to improve charging infrastructure to support consumers’ growing interest in the sector. The day when electric cars dominate the passenger transport market no longer seems quite so distant

May 2019
Smart city platform to monitor electric mobility Smart city platform to monitor electric mobility

The focus of this year´s European Mobility Week, from 16 to 22 September, is “mix and move“, an encouragement for citizens to change how they travel. Boosting electric mobility is crucial for this, and Valladolid, Spain, is testing solutions and aiming to be a “lighthouse” city for clean transport in Europe

September 2018
Electric mobility: opportunities and challenges Electric mobility: opportunities and challenges

Emissions generated by transport in Europe are still on the rise, while the electric vehicle sector is struggling to take off. The main obstacles to the spread of e-mobility are the limited batteries on the market and the underdeveloped infrastructure

September 2018
Dr Robin Hickman: “To lower  CO2 emissions, act across policy areas, vehicle technologies and behaviours.” Dr Robin Hickman: “To lower CO2 emissions, act across policy areas, vehicle technologies and behaviours.”

Dr Robin Hickman, research fellow at the Transport Studies Unit at the University of Oxford and Associate Director of transport research at the Halcrow Group, talked about his sustainable transport research.

January 2012
Eco-friendly trains with hybrid energy storage Eco-friendly trains with hybrid energy storage

Researchers are investigating how to make diesel-powered trains more eco-friendly. One way is to implement a hybrid energy storage system that both could lower fuel consumption up to 13 percent and reduce harmful idling emissions.

January 2012
Nano Powered Cars Nano Powered Cars

How can electric cars increase their driving range before they need to stop and recharge? Traditional batteries cannot keep up with the high storage demand but the complete redesign of lithium ion batteries open up new possibilities

May 2011
Progress in the development of rechargeable batteries through nanotechnology Progress in the development of rechargeable batteries through nanotechnology

Researchers are testing different ways of improving rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and nanotechnology plays an important role in the development. The aim is to offer batteries that have fast charge and discharge rates as well as high stored energy per mass. This can make electric vehicles a competitive alternative to petrol-powered vehicles

May 2011
Dr. Mario Conte: “Ionic liquids make new and better-performing supercapacitators greener” Dr. Mario Conte: “Ionic liquids make new and better-performing supercapacitators greener”

The supercapacitators that Dr Mario Conte develops with his European partners in the ILHYPOS project will be used to enhance the batteries in electric vehicles as well as hybrids or those using combustible batteries; besides that, they will be more environmentally-friendly thanks to the use of ionic liquids

May 2011
Dr. Jörg WIND: “Performance of vehicles with fuel cells is twice as high as those with combustion engines, but safety issues cannot be neglected” Dr. Jörg WIND: “Performance of vehicles with fuel cells is twice as high as those with combustion engines, but safety issues cannot be neglected”

Hybrid electric cars offer many advantages for the future. On the road, they don't produce any greenhouse gas emissions and are also twice as efficient in terms of energy, but safety systems have to be developed to make these vehicles trustworthy

March 2011
Tune Up Your Electric Car! Tune Up Your Electric Car!

A new invention by Italian researchers could provide a significant boost in the performance and efficiency of electric cars. “The ILHYPOS supercapacitor can improve the performance of your electric vehicle, particularly the power, efficiency and duration of the battery”, says Mario Conte project coordinator of the European Research Project ILHYPOS

February 2011
Michael Melz: “Reducing weight to achieve better fuel efficiency is the right approach. But it is one among many ways” Michael Melz: “Reducing weight to achieve better fuel efficiency is the right approach. But it is one among many ways”

A reduction of 100 kilograms sounds impressive. But if you compare the cars of today with the cars our parents used to drive, something odd emerges

August 2010
Dr. Martin Goede: “Not a super light car, but a 35% lighter body than the standard used today. Still an important step to limit car emissions” Dr. Martin Goede: “Not a super light car, but a 35% lighter body than the standard used today. Still an important step to limit car emissions”

The European Union limits car emissions. A challenge that the industry now tries to tackle through weight reduction

August 2010
Page: