Radical closed-wing aircraft design could see greener skies take flight

An artist's view of the PrandtlPlane shows what future commercial aircrafts could look like.

Aviation is one of the most environmentally harmful forms of transportation, accounting for 3% of all EU greenhouse gas emissions. But new aircraft designs inspired by the work of an early 20th-century aviation engineer and natural substances such as honeycomb and grass could help to cut the environmental footprint of flying. With nearly 1 billion passengers … Read more

Shared data and shrinking aircraft seats to cut travel times in Europe

Seperating the traveller and luggage early on can significantly reduce waiting times during travel.

Aircraft seats that temporarily shrink and a joined-up transport system that allows people to easily plan a door-to-door journey could help shift people’s first choice of travel away from cars and towards public transport by reducing the time and effort involved. That’s the hope of scientists who are working to increase the level of multimodality … Read more

Electric ferries and joined-up shipping to turn sea travel green

Digital communication between ships could help optimise shipping routes and reduce fuel consumption.

Electric ferries and digital communication between ships could help in the quest to decarbonise maritime transport, a sector which is often perceived as being the green option but could still do much to lower its environmental footprint. The global shipping industry currently emits around 1000 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, but according to … Read more

Fleets of compact e-vehicles could help battle air pollution

Quiet, narrow and low-emission electric vehicles could be used in conjunction with public transport in cities to ease congestion and pollution.

by Gareth Willmer Lightweight electric mini-cars could soon be a common sight on the streets of Europe’s cities thanks to longer-lasting batteries, tilting and stackable design, and modular components to bring down the cost of mass production. It’s part of a push towards environmentally friendly transport options in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions … Read more