Air Quality & Weather Systems

Four cities have been awarded significant funds to promote green vehicle technology after successfully bidding for a share of a multi-million pot created to support the take-up of plug-in electric cars across the UK. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced the winners of the Go Ultra Low City Scheme, after the successful cities proposed a number of initiatives to support greener vehicles as part of a government competition.

In the wake of the VW emissions scandal in late 2015, the European Commission has published its proposed revision of vehicle type approval legislation. In a clear effort towards reform, the Commission calls for market surveillance for vehicles after their release. The proposal increases the oversight of type approval authorities and introduces regular checks from independent market surveillance authorities.

Lufft’s new WS800 weather sensor detects lightning and other environmental parameters including ambient temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, rainfall intensity and volume as well as global radiation. It detects the radiated electromagnetic waves of a thunderbolt and Lufft said the WS800 is resistance to electromagnetic radiation, which occurs on high speed train rails. The unit is small enough fit into the existing housing of the WS700 and communicates with the stan

Dynamic message sign (DMS) manufacturer SES America (SESA) has developed an enhanced version of traditional LED blank out signs with a practical design for custom solutions, which is says is ideal for displaying three to four messages or symbols as an alternative to full matrix DMS messaging.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has rejected Volkswagen Group of America’s submitted recall plan for 2-litre diesel passenger vehicles sold in California between 2009 and 2015, saying it is incomplete. CARB also notified VW of violations of California air quality regulations associated with the company’s use of a ‘defeat device’ in those cars. "Volkswagen made a decision to cheat on emissions tests and then tried to cover it up,” said CARB Chair Mary D. Nichols. “They continued and compounded

For ITS to gain the recognition it deserves, Q-Free’s Knut Evensen argues that the sector must have a coherent message and avoid confusing the wider community with a bewildering array of terms and acronyms. Any industry or group of people will develop its own lexicon over time. The process is near-inevitable, as individuals’ knowledge bases increase and evolve, and terms for common wisdom are created and become truncated, or even slang. A danger, though, as a relatively small group looks to admit large numb

The European Parliament has voted to approve the creation of an inquiry committee to investigate breaches of EU rules on car emission measurements. The committee will be tasked with carrying out a thorough investigation of the VW scandal. Following this examination, it will aim to set up a new procedure that will effectively prohibit similar emissions cheating in the future.

The UK’s Freight Transport Association (FTA) says exempting cars from the proposed Clean Air Zones in five English cities is a missed opportunity to significantly improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that Birmingham, Leeds, Southampton, Nottingham and Derby would be required to introduce Clean Air Zones to reduce concentrations of nitrogen dioxide by 2020 at the latest.

SES America’s energy efficient M6000 series of dynamic messaging signs, which require no cooling or ventilation systems, has recently received full approval for application anywhere on the Georgia highway system. The M6000, available in both colour and amber, comes in assortment of sizes or if needed customisation is entirely viable. The amber signs can be supplied in either solar or mains power versions. The M6000 utilises web based software in conjunction with SESA’s SCUV6 dynamic message sign co

The International Association of Public Transport, UITP, has welcomed the landmark climate agreement made in Paris at the weekend but reminds governments that more must be done to bridge the emissions gap. The agreement was made by 195 nations, with, for the first time, all nations committing to a common cause on climate action based on their historic, current and future responsibilities. According to UITP, despite the landmark deal, the promises given by countries to curb their emissions in the run-u