Air Quality & Weather Systems

On 14 December, MEPs in the Committee for the Environment (ENVI) voted to reject a weak proposal to measuring real driving emissions for NOx. FIA Region I had urged policymakers to reject the real driving emissions implementation measures that were on the table and instead call for the introduction of a realistic real driving emissions test. FIA Region I Director General, Jacob Bangsgaard, said: “MEPs have roundly rejected a weak proposal which would place no real pressure on vehicle manufacturers to im

In the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal, Germany's transport minister Alexander Dobrindt has announced that major automakers would have to disclose their engine software to state regulators, according to German website The Local. Dobrindt also announced there would be follow-up tests by the state motor transport authority KBA to double-check the results of exhaust tests ordered by the manufacturers. The minister said there would be "a comprehensive package of measures" to tighten the approval

Atkins North America is to play a key role in the development of a freeway that aims to boost safety, mobility and accessibility in Las Vegas. Considered the most important and ambitious project in Nevada Department of Transportation's (NDOT) history, it also accommodates regional economic redevelopment through improved access to downtown Las Vegas and the Resort Corridor. As design lead on the team led by Kiewit Infrastructure West, Atkins will manage all design and engineering services for NDOT’s Pr

Transportation information provider Inrix has announced a partnership with the UK’s Automobile Association (AA) to provide real-time road incident and traffic flow updates to the AA’s members. Inrix’s real-time traffic data now powers the traffic news on the AA’s website, providing live incident reports, road closures and congestion notices – all of which are also available to AA members through the AA app. The two companies have joined forces to help drivers avoid traffic congestion, including del

Just a month after questions relating to the CO2 figures measured on some of the Group's models arose, Volkswagen claims it has largely concluded the clarification of the matter. Following extensive internal investigations and measurement checks, it is now clear that almost all of these model variants do correspond to the CO2 figures originally determined. This means that these vehicles can be marketed and sold without any limitations. The suspicion that the fuel consumption figures of current productio

Exeter City Council and Devon County Council, working with a consortium led by IT services provider NTT Data, have unveiled a ground-breaking, two-year intelligent transport project for the area. Through the project, the group aims to identify solutions that will alleviate traffic congestion in and around Exeter, an historic city in the county of Devon, in south-west England. NTT Data will lead the consortium of traffic experts and specialist providers including Imtech Traffic & Infra, Vaisala, the Unive

A study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) claims that trucks in the European Union are no more fuel-efficient than they were a decade ago. The study, which analyses data from the European commercial trucking market, looking at key member states, manufacturers and fuel consumption trend, found that heavy-duty vehicles represent only four per cent of the on-road fleet in the European Union, but are responsible for 30 per cent of on-road CO2 emissions. In contrast, the study cla

Eight multilateral development banks have issued a joint statement, committing to accelerate their efforts to mitigate transport emissions and recognizing the need for more action on the resilience of transport to climate change. The sector accounts for about 60 per cent of global oil consumption, 27 per cent of all energy use, and 23 per cent of world energy-related CO2 emissions. In their statement, the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, CAF-Development Bank of Latin America, European

An analysis by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland of the emission targets from 159 countries indicates that, although nearly all the world’s countries have announced targets for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, more ambitious emission reductions are needed in order to limit global warming to two degrees. In addition, developing countries have recently joined the effort to slow down climate change by setting targets for reducing emissions. However, despite those targets, VTT says emissi

According to Chinese website Xinhua, Beijing is likely to trial a congestion charge in a bid to address its congestion and air quality. Close to 5.6 million vehicles vie for space on Beijing's roads and vehicle emissions account for 31 per cent of the city's smog sources, according to the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau.