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Researchers at Sweden’s SP Fire Research are involved in a project to develop safer battery systems for electrified vehicles, together with Atlas Copco, Chalmers University of Technology and Elforsk, with financial support from the Swedish Energy Agency. Lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion) offer great energy and power densities accompanied with long battery life time. In an abuse situation however, e.g. in case of mechanical deformation or overheating, the flammable electrolyte of the Li-ion battery might pos

Scania recently unveiled a 28-metre bi-articulated bus with a passenger capacity of up to 270 people aimed specifically at the Latin American bus rapid transit market. The bus is powered by Scania’s 360 hp front engine, with bodywork by Brazilian bus bodybuilders Caio or Neobus. The bus is equipped with five doors for an efficient and smooth passenger flow and, despite its higher price tag, Scania calculates that the passenger-per-kilometre cost is 40 percent lower compared with a conventional articulat

Volkswagen will cut investment plans at its biggest division by US$1.1 billion a year and step up development of electric vehicles (EV), as it battles to cope with the fallout from its cheating of diesel emissions tests, according to Reuters. The German company also said it would speed up cost cutting at the VW division, its largest by revenues, and put only the latest and ‘best environmental technology’ in diesel vehicles.

The PTV Group has expanded its international business with the opening of a new branch in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to improve infrastructure usage of in the South American market through a local office. PTV, which has operations worldwide, including in Mexico City, Portland, Oregon and Arlington, Washington, sees the move as further strengthening its position in the American market. The group now has 14 branches and subsidiaries across five continents, and some 600 employees, generating a turnover of US$90

Singapore's Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) have unveiled plans to start trialling self-driving vehicles, claiming this is another step towards the country’s long-term vision of deploying self-driving vehicles and mobility concepts to enhance and complement its multi-modal land transport system. Self-driving vehicle trials have already commenced in a 200 hectare business park and are expected to start in another area in December. The tests will be carried out by the Institu

The US House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade has released a number of staff drafted proposals as part of the committee’s ongoing work to keep families safe on America’s roads. The staff draft includes proposals to: Incentivise the adoption of crash avoidance technologies and other connected vehicle technologies that improve roadway safety and fuel efficiency; Improve recall awareness; Increase privacy and security protections for motorists; and modernise the Nation

Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre has developed a mobile phone-based navigation service which guides older users to the right address, even when lost in a strange town. The result of a European project, the service helps older people to use public transport, assisting them along the entire route. This intuitive navigation service differs from standard public transport applications by offering continuous guidance during the journey, walking directions to stops and destinations, and timetable and rea

Houston-based Trafficware has expanded its operations into Canada and appointed industry veteran Juwal Steiner to lead its Canadian operations as senior business development manager. For the Canadian market, Trafficware provides transportation authorities with direct access to a trusted technology and manufacturing solutions provider. Factory direct sales will encompass Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces while Fortran Traffic Systems will serve the Western Canada Provinces from Manitoba to Briti

Image Sensing Systems has announced the appointment of Andrew T. Berger to its Board of Directors. Berger is the managing member of AB Value Management, which serves as the General Partner of AB Value Partners. Berger has nearly two decades of experience in investment analysis, investment management and business consulting. From March 1998 to January 2002, he served as Equity Analyst for Value Line. Since February 2002, he has served as president of Walker's Manual, an investment publisher that he tra

The UK’s Transport Systems Catapult has identified key areas of development in the transport network in its traveller experience study, Traveller Needs, which comprised of 10,000 online questionnaire respondents, 50 company interviews, and 100 expert interviews. The research found that 75 per cent of journeys are characterised by pain-points, with 57 per cent of travellers always looking for ways to optimise their journey. Public transport is considered to be poor value for money with the ‘high cost

HaCon is expanding its international activities into the North American market, in a partnership with Bytemark that will see the two companies deliver new IT capabilities for transit agencies and accurate real-time transit information for passengers. Bytemark and HaCon are currently carrying out their first joint project for Capital Metro, the regional public transportation provider in Central Texas. In and around Austin, passengers will soon benefit from multimodal door-to-door trip planning, push notif

Drivers using the Dartford Crossing at peak times are saving around an hour and a half every week thanks to Dart Charge, according to Highways England. New figures released by Highways England show that journeys over the Dartford Crossing, which cost £62million (US$95 million) to convert to free-flow tolling, are up to 56 per cent faster than before payment barriers were removed. Drivers at peak times save up to 14 minutes southbound and seven minutes northbound.

Siemens has been awarded a US$112 million contract to build an additional 29 SD-160 light rail vehicles for Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD), extending the company’s 22-year relationship with RTD. The new vehicles are expected to be delivered early in 2018 and will be completely interoperable with the current system, continuing the potential for notable savings in maintenance and operation costs that RTD says it has achieved over the years.

The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) has awarded TransCore a US$85 million project to design, install and maintain a new, innovative electronic toll collection system for over 300 toll lanes, as part of an ongoing initiative to improve its transportation management system. TransCore will upgrade the system with its Infinity Digital Lane System, which consists of independent modules that can be easily replaced, upgraded or removed in the field without affecting lane operations, reducing long-ter

WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff has launched a series of technical forums with European rail specialists in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland. Its Swedish director Mats Önner and senior consultant Michael Fransson will share their knowledge and experience of upgrading signalling infrastructure on railways throughout Sweden, Norway and Denmark.