Bikes have been a hot ticket item during the Covid pandemic as more people look for recreational activities and outdoor transportation. With more bikes and other forms of micromobility on the road, transportation experts say the moment is prime for a transit upheaval in the United States. Here’s how the Covid bike boom could change the way Americans get to work and around major cities.
Category Archives: Transportation
Health: ‘Travel Bubbles’- Can They Revive Air Travel?
Travel bubbles are under development in some places in an effort to revive air travel, which has plummeted during the pandemic. WSJ explains how reopening the skies without quarantine requirements at both ends of a trip could help reboot the global economy.
Illustration: Crystal Tai
Car Technology: Hyundai Introduces ‘Electric-Only Platform’ For 2021 (Video)
Hyundai says it will introduce an electric vehicle-only platform early next year that will use its own battery technology to cut production time and costs.
Tech: ‘2021 Toyota Mirai’ – Enhanced Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Car (Video)
The 2021 Toyota Mirai is the second generation of zero emission hydrogen fuel cell electric sedan.
One of the principal aims for the new 2021 Mirai has been to give the car a stronger emotional appeal, making it a car that people will be attracted to by its looks and the way it drives, as well its eco-performance. The new GA-L platform and Toyota’s advances in FCEV technologies have made this possible. Toyota’s new fuel cell stack and fuel cell power converter (FCPC) have been developed specifically for use with the GA-L platform.
The designers have been able to bring all the elements together in the stack frame (including the water pumps, intercooler, air conditioning and air compressors and the hydrogen recirculation pump) with each part made smaller and lighter, while at the same time improving performance. The stack case itself has been made smaller by using Friction Stir Welding, reducing the gap between the fuel cell and casing.
The new Mirai is equipped with lithium-ion high-voltage battery in place of the current model’s nickel-metal hydride unit. Although smaller in size, it is more energy-dense, giving higher output and superior environmental performance. Containing 84 cells, it has a 310.8 rated voltage compared to 244.8, and a 4.0 Ah capacity, versus 6.5 Ah. Overall weight has been reduced from 46.9 to 44.6 kg. The output has improved from 25.5 kW x 10 seconds to 31.5 kW x 10 seconds.
The battery’s smaller dimensions have allowed it to be positioned behind the rear seats, avoiding intrusion in the load compartment. An optimised air-cooling path has been designed, with discreet inlets either side of the rear seats. The environmental benefit of driving the Toyota Mirai go beyond zero emissions to “negative emissions” – the car effectively cleans the air as it moves. A Toyota innovation, a catalyst-type filter is incorporated in the air intake.
As air is drawn into the vehicle to supply the fuel cell, an electric charge on the non-woven fabric filter element captures microscopic particles of pollutants, including sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrous oxides (NOx) and PM 2.5 particulates. The system is effective in removing 90 to 100% of particles between 0 and 2.5 microns in diameter from the air as it passes into the fuel cell system.
Top Train Travel: ‘Rocky Mountaineer’ In The Canadian Rockies (Video)
This train not only provides sustainable travel through the gorgeous Canadian Rockies, it supports efforts to preserve the environment throughout Canada.
Travel through the legendary Spiral Tunnels, traverse the Continental Divide, and be inspired as you wind through mountain passes and dramatic canyons. Experience the only passenger rail service on this historic rail route by Rocky Mountaineer, celebrated for connecting Canada from East to West.
Aviation: Covid May Spur Carbon-Neutral Flights
As much of the aviation industry fights to survive the coronavirus pandemic, some economists and engineers see the crisis as an opportunity to use stimulus funds to propel air travel to a carbon-neutral future.
Photo illustration: George Downs
Aircraft: ‘Science Of How Helicopters Fly’ (Video)
The science required for a helicopter to achieve flight is a lot more complicated than it might seem.
Ocean Transport: ‘Are Renewable Ships Possible?’
The shipping industry plays a critical role in the global economy, carrying approximately 90% of the total tonnage of world’s traded goods. Shipping propulsion has changed radically since the mid-19th century, from the renewable energy of sail power, to the coal power of steamships, to the predominance of heavy fuel oil and marine diesel oil. But renewable energy technologies could transform the global shipping fleet again, at all levels and scales.
Tech: ‘Why Electric Cars Took So Long To Develop’
Electric cars have been around since the mid 19th century… So why didn’t they catch on sooner? Telegraph motoring journalist Paul Hudson explains the long journey EVs have gone through, from almost extinction in postwar Britain, up to present day and their pivotal role in the future of driving. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advi..
Top New Motorhomes: ‘STX Eila Edition One’ – “5 Star Hotel On Wheels” (Video)
The STX eila edition one is a new advanced motorhome. This special edition truck has been made and designed in cooperation with eila, the hospitality rental park.
From the outside, its deep dark grey color is highlighted with a decent yellow accent. On the inside, the finest materials ensure a whole new level of a motorhome experience. Three super-sized pop-outs accomplish generous space for the master bedroom, kitchen, extra-large bathroom, an additional lounge area and even a workspace. A lot of extras are hidden in the smaller details such as the invisible phone chargers in the wooden surfaces or the high-quality black leather seats in the driver cabin.
This motorhome is all-inclusive and contains every special feature a 5-star hotel could provide.
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