The Future of the Electric Car Analyzed
Siemens electric prototype car.
The green revolution for cars is just around the corner. The electric car is part of the almost immediate future, although certainly challenges first have to be met, such as the availability of good supply and recharging networks, the development of more autonomous batteries, and the perfection of electric engines. These issues as well as many others were discussed at the I Cumbre Universitaria del Vehículo Eléctrico (1st Conference on the Electric Car) held at the Leganes campus of Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), where more than 100 experts in the field debated how to confront such issues and presented some major projects in this area.
The spark was ignited more than 10 years ago by the arrival of the first hybrid vehicle in the market, a vehicle which combines a traditional combustion engine with an electric one. But since then the panorama has changed and we now speak of “total electrification” of cars; some consultants say that within 10 years the percentage of electric cars could even reach 25%. In addition, this could result in very important savings in energy and environmental benefits, based on the data from the sector. And in the case of the electric car, 46% of the energy released by batteries is spent in propulsion, which indicates an efficiency level that is between 10% and 30% higher, with respect to the conventional combustion engine. (more…)
Britain’s First Dual Fuel Bus Will Cut Emissions by Half
A consortium brought together by low carbon experts at the University of East Anglia is today launching the first bus in the UK to run on clean, biomethane gas. (UEA)
A consortium brought together by low carbon experts at the University of East Anglia (UEA) is today launching the first bus in the UK to run on clean, biomethane gas.
The innovative dual-fuel diesel-biomethane powered bus will reduce pollutant emissions and greenhouse gas emissions by around a half. It is hoped the technology will be rolled out to bus fleets across the country and further afield.
The bus will make its first public showing at LCV 2009, the UK’s leading exhibition of low carbon vehicle technology. The event takes place at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire on September 9 and 10. (more…)
Climate and Transport — What Does the Future Hold?
How will climate change affect when, where and how we travel? And how should this influence those planning the transport systems of the future? These questions are being addressed by The University of Nottingham as part of a consortium of UK universities in a new four-year, £1.5m research project — FUTURENET.
This innovative project will ask how we can make the UK’s transport system resistant to climate change, starting with what the system will look like in 2050. (more…)
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