Transportation
From autonomous EVs to electric planes, from hydrogen trains to biofuel transportation, check out the most recent developments on how we’re moving transportation towards a more sustainable future in the good news section below.
America now has a stretch of highway paved with recycled plastic
A newly repaved stretch of highway in Oroville, California, looks like an ordinary road. But it’s the first highway in the country to be paved in part with recycled plastic—the equivalent of roughly 150,000 plastic bottles per mile of the three-lane road. The change in materials makes the Read More...
Plantain fibers could help engineers build stronger and lighter cars
Carbon fiber has long been touted for its incredible material properties, including being extremely durable and lightweight at the same time. Although these properties are precisely what car manufacturers are looking for in materials for building cars, carbon fiber is still very expensive to Read More...
Sleeper trains in Europe are making a comeback due to Covid-19
For all their promise of romance and adventure, Europe’s sleeper trains appeared to have reached the end of the line. Pressured by high operation costs and forsaken by travelers for budget airlines, a decision by the German rail operator Deutsche Bahn to terminate the service connecting Paris to Read More...
Engineers create “no touch” touchscreen to reduce distracted drivers
More and more passenger cars have touchscreen technology to control entertainment, navigation, or temperature control systems. The problem is that users can often miss the correct item—for example, due to acceleration or vibrations from road conditions—and have to reselect, meaning that their Read More...
France is bringing back the freight train in a push to green the economy
Over the last couple of decades, trains have steadily lost ground to lorries to transport goods from one end to the other. And while trucks are more convenient, as they enable more flexible point-to-point operation, they are also significantly more carbon-polluting. In France though, the freight Read More...
Londoners are commuting safely to work on open air double-decker buses
With the coronavirus being shown to spread more rapidly in indoor spaces, a London-based company is offering commuters an alternative way to get to work: double-decker open-topped buses. London has 233 roof-less tourist buses, but with tourism at a standstill, on-demand bus company Snap wants to Read More...
Our public transit systems can help us fight racism. Here's how
In the US, the opportunities afforded to people can often rely on how connected their communities are transportation-wise. This is something Darnell Grisby knows well. Growing up as a Black man in Southern California during the 1980s and 1990s, Darnell Grisby saw how limited public transportation Read More...
These stickers help people with disabilities get a seat on public transit
“Please offer me a seat. Not all disabilities are visible,” reads a new sticker that’s available to buy online, intended for disabled people who struggle to find seating on public transit. The idea is the brainchild of Catherine Callahan, who volunteers with Bay Area Rapid Transit, the Read More...
New York State will invest $750 million in EV charging infrastructure
Alongside 14 other states, New York recently announced that it will electrify all its trucks, vans, and buses by 2050 - in what could be one of the most comprehensive efforts to cut diesel engine pollution in the US. Now, in a bid to pave the way for real progress towards its zero-emissions goal, Read More...
Germany is offering generous subsidies to lure people to switch to EVs
If you’re looking to buy an electric vehicle in Germany, you’re in luck! Government subsidies aimed at boosting an electric kickstart to the auto industry means leasing the best-selling five-door Renault Zoe EV is now essentially free. Individuals and families who put off buying a new Read More...