When will the electric car rule the road? Herbert Diess, the chief executive of Germany's Volkswagen Group, talks to Anne McElvoy and Simon Wright, The Economist’s Industry editor, about its plans to switch from the internal-combustion engine to electrification. More than a dozen countries have set a date for when they will prohibit sales of fossil-fuelled cars -- but are these plans realistic? He also tells us why his daughter doesn’t own a car and who he thinks will win the electrification race.

European line-up all electric or plug-in hybrid by mid-2026 ►  All-electric range on sale by 2030 ►  Strategic alliance with VW to expand  

With software driving tomorrow’s automotive innovations, R&D organizations must quickly master its intricacies.

An experiment with the ‘one-minute city’ gives priority to pedestrians and cyclists

Research done by TNO, Bosch and Shimano shows: additional communication improves a car’s emergency brake system.

It has been announced that the new Urban Data Access Platform (UDAP) in the Netherlands is now fully operational, with all existing intelligent traffic light controllers (iTLCs) now linked to the platform.

An active, varied plinth is crucial for the development of an attractive city. A longer return for the project developer should also not be a taboo, argues Eugène Franken.

With the advent of the electric camper van, holidaymakers have the opportunity to take sustainable trips. The first European model hails from a Dutch factory.

Mannheim scholars explore the impact of smart cities and AI on urban life and social inequality in practical use cases.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted mobility, and its effects will linger well into next year. How will changing consumer preferences, technologies, and regulations shape the market in 2021?

By teaching flying robots optical flow and distance estimation techniques with the help of artificial intelligence, flying and landing goes much smoother.

Scriptie betreffende de veiligheid tussen automatische voertuigen en fietsers. De onderzoeksvraag die centraal staat is: How to promote road safety between SAE-level 4 Automated Vehicles and cyclists in mixed traffic environments outside city limits?

Thanks to the subsidy from the Dutch government, the initiative now has the thirty million euros needed for the construction of a Hyperloop test center in Groningen.

"I am Cora van Nieuwenhuizen. Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management of The Netherlands. I have an invitation for all fellow travellers on the road to a climate-resilient future."

Exclusive: first factory production means recharging could soon be as fast as filling up petrol or diesel vehicles

There won’t be much of a shift away from private vehicles in North America over the coming decade—largely because there aren’t many incentives for drivers to change their behavior. But Europeans may ditch private vehicles for robo-shuttles and robo-taxis, and in Greater China, people may increasingly change to bus and rail.

“We would like to know whose drone is flying – from where, to where, on what path and altitude – just like with planes, only closer to the ground”

Our planet is getting warmer, which has a growing impact on our societies and economies. We need to adapt to a new, more extreme climate.

Next year, Toyota will launch the prototype of a battery on the market which, according to our columnist Jan Wouters, will lead to the second electric revolution.

Rapportage over de impact van COVID zoals opgesteld door CapGemini samen met hun Indiase researchers. In dit rapport treft je aan wat de impact is op de prioriteiten in mobiliteit en hoe je zou kunnen herprioriteren, de impact op gedrag en deels ook beleving (wat mensen verwachten te doen) en de economie (met name retail).

The current era of computing is witnessing a huge amount of data being generated with every passing moment. This massive data if nourished effectively can open new horizons for the computing world. The modern world is slowly but surely moving towards the automation age where every entity and object is being automated to perform desired tasks without the need of human interventions. This has made the lives of people more convenient and comfortable.

This dashboard provides insight into all data relevant to the mobility domain and available within the Netherlands for use via the telecom network in the Netherlands, whether or not subject to conditions.

There is a pressing need for road authorities to take a proactive role in the deployment of automated vehicles on the existing road network. This requires a comprehensive understanding of the driving environment characteristics that affect the performance of automated vehicles. In this context, a field test with Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane Keeping Systems (LKS)-enabled vehicles was conducted in the Netherlands.

Helsinki and Amsterdam have worked together to each launch an Artificial Intelligence Register, which they describe as “a window to the AI systems that the cities use”. The registers are thought to be the first of their kind in the world.

Quantifies the value of data shared digitally between vehicles and road authorities, and recommends an action plan for delivery.

The Data Task Force website has been updated! So if you want to know more about Live Vehicle, Crowd and Infrastructure Data improving road safety across Europe, then go here.

This report examines various potential socioeconomic impacts surrounding the deployment of automated and autonomous vehicles in road transport, as well as factors that will influence such impacts.

On March 2, 2020, ProRail Stations welcomed me at their office in Utrecht, where I would start the last phase of the master’s programme in Spatial Planning. Writing my master’s thesis, but at the same time, having the opportunity to be part of an organisation that always had my interest, was something I desperately was looking forward to.

Mobility as a Service is seen as the next revolution in mobility. One of the challenges is to better respond to the needs of the user. It's not easy to get car users to change to other forms of mobility. And financial incentives alone are not sufficient. What motives do travellers need in order to change their behavior? 

The German company Vector Informatik has released vConnect, a new over-the-air solution based on a modular framework - from the backend services to the vehicle.

Disruptions in the auto industry will result in billions lost, with recovery years away. Yet companies that reimagine their operations will perform best in the next normal.

Italy is considering transporting future corona vaccines by drone. A trial this week went very smoothly.

With the arrival of COVID-19, road congestion largely disappeared and public transport ridership plummeted overnight, as businesses laid off employees or pivoted to remote work. The significant changes to how we live and work could have lasting implications. Increased remote working and learning will reduce the demand for mobility and may make the demand more flexible over time. Additionally, an expected shift away from public transport threatens the sustainability, safety, inclusiveness and quality of our mobility system

Battery-powered charging stations, a self-propelled passenger transport system with 100 million kilometres travelled and smart radar systems.

Tesla's CEO envisions “batteries that cost half as much” within a few years as the company's continued emphasis on manufacturing and cutting costs delivers a fifth consecutive quarter of profitability.

Airbus and Volvo advocate the development of green hydrogen technology to power trucks and aircraft engines at the European Commission.

Micromobility has the potential to better connect people with public transit, reduce reliance on private cars, and make the most of existing space, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

By 2030, regulations and incentives in China and Europe will likely propel electric-vehicle market share to at least a third of all light-vehicle sales. In the United States, that much market share would require an aggressive pickup in sales.

Walking improves health and cuts pollution but most cities still dominated by cars, says report

On 7 October 2020, the Ministry of Transport and Communications arranged a ministerial Meeting on Connected and Automated driving. The aim of the meeting was to speed up the European cooperation for promoting transport automation. The meeting conclusions state that transport automation should be based on a human-centred approach.

Government has nominated ‘clean hydrogen’ using gas and CCS but for many countries ‘clean’ already means without fossil fuels

Singapore, Helsinki and Zurich have come top in the 2020 Smart City Index, in a year that saw many European cities fall in the rankings. The Smart City Index ranks cities based on economic and technological data, as well as by their citizens’ perceptions of how “smart” their cities are.

Today, the international research project ‘5G-Blueprint', a public-private partnership involving parties from the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, has its official collaboration kick-off in the (virtual) presence of EU representatives. The project partners are to discuss the 3 years project goals and expectations of the various stakeholders. The 28 consortium partners will investigate how to increase the efficiency of transport and logistics – also across borders - using ‘tele-operation’ technology.

The automotive industry could abate 66 percent of emissions from their material production at no extra cost by 2030—if industry participants work together and start now.

The European Commission has published today a report by an independent group of experts on Ethics of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs). Who should be responsible in case of a collision when there is no human driver? How can ethical and responsible data sharing by CAVs be ensured? Are pedestrians and cyclists more at risk with CAVs in traffic? In this new report, the Expert Group outlines twenty recommendations on road safety, privacy, fairness, AI explainability and responsibility for the development and deployment of connected and automated vehicles.

This is an interim report by the first group of Use Cases that have been and will be delivered from Talking Traffic to various road users. This is based on an initial, broad sample (significantly broader in time and geography than a single intersection or route) from the data of the two largest service providers within the Talking Traffic partnership.

This is an interim report by the first group of Use Cases that have been and will be delivered from Talking Traffic to various road users. This is based on an initial, broad sample (significantly broader in time and geography than a single intersection or route) from the data of the two largest service providers within the Talking Traffic partnership.

In the past year, Deloitte has had the privilege of joining with the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure & Water (‘The Ministry’) to set up the ‘Action Programme for Hybrid Aviation’ (‘AHEV’). This programme establishes a long-term vision and plan and executes disruption for the creation of a ‘zero-emission aviation industry in 2070 – or as soon as possible’. Hybrid electric aviation is strongly viewed as one of the more promising avenues to achieve this.

As sales of battery electric vehicles increase, OEMs need to focus on R&D excellence, flexible manufacturing, and value-chain integration to improve profitability.

Natural gas-powered vehicles have been the industry's preferred form of alternative fuel for years, but while investments continue, 2020 is shaping up to be the year that electric breaks through.

Trust, innovation, and data are the keys to the smart city of tomorrow

Zero-emissions aeroplanes that use AMMONIA as jet fuel rather than kerosene could take to the skies 'within years', British scientists claim

Inland shipping can make the transport of goods more ecological. The EU project IW-NET aims to provide the necessary digital tools.

It is important to note the distinction between the hacked apps and the traffic lights to which these were connected (i.e. conventional traffic light platforms) on the one hand, and the hundreds of intelligent traffic lights throughout the country that fall under the Talking Traffic partnership (i.e. the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, local authorities, and some 20 companies in the private sector) and the apps it makes use of in a coordinated manner, on the other. It should be emphasised that the latter were not hacked. The 1200 smart traffic lights as mentioned in the media are part of the Talking Traffic data chain.

With the arrival of COVID-19, road congestion largely disappeared and public transport ridership plummeted overnight, as businesses laid off employees or pivoted to remote work. The significant changes to how we live and work could have lasting implications. Increased remote working and learning will reduce the demand for mobility and may make the demand more flexible over time. Additionally, an expected shift away from public transport threatens the sustainability, safety, inclusiveness and quality of our mobility system.

A new bill provides regulations for “roadable aircraft”: vehicles that are a hybrid between a plane and an automobile.

The sales of battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars tipped over the two-million-vehicle mark for the first time in 2019. In this Deloitte report, we take a new approach to market segmentation and exemplify how to seize opportunities and manage risks.

Electric vehicles could also send their stored electricity surplus back to the home so that green electricity is optimally utilized.

McKinsey’s recent analysis of global electric-vehicle markets shows both challenges and opportunities ahead.

The European Commission has today unveiled its hydrogen strategy and officially launched the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance to deliver on it.

In a pandemic, passengers are wary of shared mobility. However, insights gleaned from our new global auto consumer survey can help pave the way toward a strong recovery—if done right.

The Technology company Lightyear from Helmond (the Netherlands) has secured two new partners with BOM Brabant Ventures and Sioux Technologies. Lightyear develops electric cars with an energy-efficient design and integrated solar panels. Depending on the weather conditions, drivers can drive up to twenty thousand kilometers per year using sunlight. The Lightyear launch is scheduled for the end of 2021. According to the parties, the company has the potential to become a key business for the regional manufacturing industry. Last year, Lightyear launched its first on-road prototype, the Ligh­tyear One.

Can the power industry simultaneously decarbonize generation, propel the transition to electric vehicles, and keep the lights on?

To regain momentum after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, the players in this market must reconsider their strategies.

The ecommerce giant is buying Zoox, which is designing autonomous robotaxis. Beware Uber and Lyft.

A group of economists from Austria, Germany, and France proposes an even more radical economic recovery program than the European Union. In their view, the EU recovery fund could be increased from the 750 billion euros proposed by the European Commission to as much as 2,000 billion euros. It should also be given a truly European face, in which the sustainability of energy supply and ultra-fast train connections play a major role.

Of all the world’s industries, shipping is surely among its most technophobic. A Boeing 787 airliner produces about 500 times as much data per day as the biggest container ships. Most sea cargo travels with paper “bills of lading” rather than e-tickets. Some shipping firms still deal with customers mainly by fax.

We asked 150 smart cities policy makers and practitioners one question: "If there was a data set you wish you had access to during this current health pandemic (COVID-19), what would it be?"

Advances in transportation technology—e-scooters and bike share, Lyft & Uber, and autonomous vehicles—are beginning to have profound impacts on cities. New mobility is changing not only how we travel, but also urban form and development itself. In the near future, we can expect differences in what public transit looks like, the layout of cities, and the places we spend our time. In turn, these changes will likely have additional effects on land use, street design, parking, housing, equity, and municipal finance. Will cities be ready to meet these changes? Rather than be swept along in the wake of change, how can communities intelligently guide urban density, sprawl, vitality, economics and sustainability?

After years of hype, many people feel AI has failed to deliver, says Tim Cross

Most people know that flying is the safest mode of transportation, but we certainly don’t always feel this to be true. Although driving offers far more potential pitfalls than flying, many people aren’t as apprehensive when getting into their car and driving to work as they are when boarding a plane and then climbing to an altitude of 33,000 feet.

One central place where companies and self-employed people from the mobility sector can inspire and motivate each other in developing concepts for the future. Plus, a place where investors can see at a glance what Berlin has to offer in terms of start-ups in this field. This was Timon Rupp’s idea behind his company The Drivery when he started renting out the first studios in the Ullsteinhaus building on Tempelhofer Hafen in Berlin, Germany just over a year ago.

Governments are keen to get employees back to work in order to limit the economic damage of covid-19. And some companies will also be eager to send employees out in search of clients. But a vaccine is unlikely to be ready for at least another 12 months. So the next business trip you make might be an endurance test. Imagine the public announcements that travellers will hear.

Currently, the trend points out at the continued growth in the global demand for mobility. With the increase in urbanisation, people prefer using a personal vehicle thereby resulting in an increase in the impact on the environment and CO2 emission. As the need of the hour is to combat this rapid urbanisation in our way of life, several mobility players have come up with a green fleet of vehicles that bring about sustainability in the industry.

Hey Siri! Are the latest vehicle infotainment systems reducing road safety more than cannabis or alcohol?

Road markings redrawn after cyclists demand more space to comply with Covid-19 rules.

Lessons learned in automotive safety that can be applied in current Covid situation and other challenges ...

The disruption from the pandemic will be much worse.

As early as 2013 it was clear to Christian Flechl: e-mobility is the future. But what bothered him though, were the inconvenient charging systems. At a time when everything was becoming wireless, it seemed that the endless fuss with the charging station cables no longer seemed to keep up with the times. In collaboration with car manufacturers, he developed an automated universal charging system for all types of cars.

Sutherland Avenue in the London borough of Westminster is the first street in the United Kingdom to have its lampposts converted into charging stations for electric vehicles. Over the next few weeks, a further two adjoining streets will be fitted with charging stations.

Here are some ways that cities and rail operators can shape the mobility system to incorporate new technologies.

The freight hauling pilot program between UPS and autonomous driving company TuSimple is set to switch up a gear, with a doubling of deliveries and a new route. 

Having been severely impacted by the outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), citizens of all sections of society have chosen to fight back. As an essential pillar of the domestic economy, the automobile industry is reacting with determination. All players, including traditional OEMs, new entrant automakers, dealerships, suppliers and financial services providers are rapidly evaluating the influence of the epidemic and taking action to overcome its challenges hand-in-hand with customers and employees.

Tech companies have been forced to respond to the ongoing COIVD-19 pandemic. While tech giants like Amazon and Google have sent their employees to work from home, some companies have made more drastic changes to their business.  Rideshare giant Uber has decided to expand its sick leave pay to drivers diagnosed with the virus while remaining operational in affected areas.  Meanwhile, e-scooter provider Lime is pulling its scooters from California and Washington. 

Scheme will enhance city’s reputation as a bicycling capital of Europe

VW says EV owners will be able to charge when production exceeds demand and sell power back to the grid during peak electricity usage.

It's the bet that saved Australia tens of millions of dollars.

The 800-metre Blauwe Loper will only be accessible to cyclists, pedestrians – and bats.

Despite €16.3bn in EU funding, cities have failed to get people on to bikes or buses, report says.

Despite €16.3bn in EU funding, cities have failed to get people on to bikes or buses, report says

According to a new expert ranking, Copenhagen and Bern are the most liveable cities in Europe.

BP’s new chief executive has set an ambitious target to shrink the oil firm’s carbon footprint to net zero by 2050 by cutting more greenhouse gas emissions every year than produced by the whole of the UK.

The number of electric buses in Western Europe is skyrocketing. In the past year, more E-buses were registered than between the years 2012 and 2018 combined. This was the outcome of a study by Chatrou CME Solutions.

The plan is to use the Canoo platform to enable spacious interiors and flexibility in future Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles.

Britain’s biggest city has almost ground to a halt, thanks to the rise of Uber, delivery drivers – and cycle lanes. Can anything be done to end the gridlock and pollution?

A study by the European Transport Safety Council, which took place over the last decade, the Netherlands is the second most “dangerous” place for cyclists. Only Ireland recorded a higher increase in cyclist deaths.

Airlines and passengers alike are flying into a world of flygskam and flying taxis.

Technology-driven ecosystems are emerging in the automotive industry. Here’s what companies need to know about the new automotive technology stack, the players driving this transformation, and the issues they are grappling with.

Since 1979, the World Economic Forum has been taking the temperature of long-term economic growth and productivity in its Global Competitiveness Report. The 2019 edition covers 141 economies, accounting for 99% of the world’s GDP – and finds that, a decade on from the global financial crisis, most economies are still stuck in a cycle of low productivity growth.

After delivering record profits in 2017, global automakers have faced several challenges over the past 12 months. Can the industry find a sustainable path to value creation in this disruptive environment?