Category «Research»

Health impact of tire particles causing ‘increasing concern’

Scientists are increasingly concerned by the health impact of air pollution produced by the wear of vehicle tires. The particles are especially damaging due to the toxic chemicals they are made from, say scientists from Imperial College London. The Guardian reports about it. The warning follows UK government data showing that significantly more tiny pollution particles now come …

Research: supply-chain-focused measures of centrality and spread in metropolitan areas

Efficient freight transportation is necessary for the economic development of markets in metropolitan areas. Without it, the cost of goods increases, and larger negative externalities are produced, negatively impacting the quality of life. In this context, the efficiency of supply chains is strongly influenced by the spatial patterns of economic activities, given the role, freight …

Research: analysis of solutions for sustainable urban construction logistics

Implementation of construction projects is a determinant of the development of modern cities. However, this entails transport for supply purposes, significantly affecting the volume of freight transport in cities. Such a large share translates into a growing interest in more sustainable ways of organizing and providing construction-related transportation. A new paper presents research to build …

Assessment of readiness of a traffic environment for autonomous delivery robots

Autonomous delivery robots are a promising alternative for last-mile delivery. To realize the successful implementation of delivery robots in public spaces, it is important to study the interaction between robots and the traffic environment. The traffic environment includes the physical infrastructure and the objects using it, like cars and people. New research proposes an assessment …

Battery electric trucks produced in Europe can deliver the largest GHG emission reductions over their lifetime

From the extraction of raw materials to its operational phase, battery electric trucks produced in Europe today can deliver the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions over their lifetime, according to a new study by International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). To reach the Paris Agreement goal, Europe needs to decarbonize its trucks and buses, the …

Next phase for Amsterdam Roboat to boost future-proof urban mobility as a spin-off company

After six years of research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS Institute), Roboat has officially launched independently. The project, which focused on developing autonomous navigation technology for boats for urban and inland waterways, has now transitioned into a spin-off company that will scale up the technology …

Local rules for unaddressed mail work. The Amsterdam example

On 1 January 2018, the municipality of Amsterdam changed the system for the reception of unaddressed mail from presumed consent to explicit consent to reduce paper waste. This policy can be defined as a default nudge. The no-choice population received unaddressed mail in the presumed consent system but not in the new explicit consent system. …

McKinsey: why the economics of electrification make decarbonization transition different?

The economics of decarbonizing fleets are demonstrably viable. Now commercial transport operators need to identify the best way to capture value. McKinsey reports about it based on US data. These segment-specific dynamics are reflected in McKinsey’s financial projections. On a TCO basis, light-commercial vehicles LCVs are already “in the money,” and they expect medium-duty trucks …

ICCT: cost-effectiveness of CO2 reduction strategies for heavy trucks

A new paper by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) assesses the cost-effectiveness of different CO2 reduction strategies for the heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) sector. It examines the required HDV technology market share to meet mandated CO2 reduction targets and the corresponding decarbonization cost. The report also proposes HDV CO2 reduction targets up to 2040. The …