7 Innovations That Make You Commute Smarter
by Alex Vermeule posted May 12th, 2009 at 18:02
Fossil fuels used for transportation contribute to over 13% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Wouldn’t you like to make a positive contribution to reduce the effect of your travel?
According to consulting firm McKinsey you can by using small technology innovations. More innovations are becoming available each day and allow you to choose a more eco-friendly way of travel.
What would you use to make your commute smarter?
1. Paddle Assisted Bicycle
Dutch company Gazelle created a bicycle that allows you bike between 50 – 75 km (~40 miles) without exhausting yourself. It supports your cycling efforts by providing electric paddle assistance. The motor that helps you is situated in the front hub of the bike and is powered by a battery located under your luggage rack. Gazelle has won the Bike of the Year 2009 award with their Chamonix Innergy electric bike and for about 2000 EUR you get some very smart technology. For more details, check out their Orange Innergy video on Vimeo.
2. Maglev Train
The Maglev Train is based on a system called magnetic levitation, maglev for short. It propels a vehicle by using the levitation from a very large number of magnets. A great example of a maglev vehicle is the Shanghai-Pudong Maglev Monorail (top speed 501 km/h – 311 mph).
The systems is in operation in many places today and is very efficient when compared to other forms of transportation. The energy cost of traveling 500 – 750 km by maglev is 10 times less when compared to a plain. It is 2 to 3 times less when compared to a regular train. The calculation for this is based on greenhouse gas emission per passenger kilometer. When you get the change to travel with one of these, make sure you do.
3. Electric Dicycle
A dicycle is a vehicle with two parallel wheels. A well known dicycle is the Segway PT, a self-balancing vehicle for one person. It is powered by electricity and allows you to travel much faster than you would normally walk or jog. It is designed to mimic the process of walking and you can move it by leaning into the direction you want to go. It might seem a little too futuristic however, police forces and governments are starting to use it in urban areas. Segway even has designed a special version, the i2 Police.
4. Hybrid Car
In 2000, the first hybrid production car was introduced by Toyota. Today, almost every car maker is working on producing this type of vehicle. Some skeptic claim that hybrid cars are not eco-friendly when looking at their lifetime energy costs (the lifecycle from designing, producing, operating, retiring and disposing). However, 80-90% of the energy is consumed during the operating phase of a car. This is where the hybrid cars score very well. Next, their batteries can be fully recycled making the carbon footprint significantly lower when comparing to a non-hybrid. You can choose from several hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid and hopefully soon the hybrid version of Tato Nano, also known as the $2200 production car.
5. Electric Scooter
An electric scooter has some great advantages over a gasoline version. First of all, you drive an almost silent vehicle and it is far more economic to operate (~25 %). Most important, it does not produce any exhaust gasses. Research from the University in Utrecht (Holland) shows that the exhaust gasses from a gasoline powered scooter contain a very large amount of fine particles, even more than a car or truck. These fine particles are linked to health hazards such as heart disease, altered lung function and even lung cancer. As electric scooters do not produce these fine particles, you help minimize the negative effect on air quality. The other great news is that they are just as expensive and look just as pretty as gasoline scooters. So why not get one of these?
6. Personal Urban Mobility & Accessibility (aka PUMA)
Although not yet available, what about a two passengers Segway PT? Segway has developed a working prototype (dubbed Personal Urban Mobility & Accessibility) that demonstrates a dramatically different approach to urban mobility. It is an electric two-seat vehicle with just two wheels, which could allow people to travel around cities more quickly, safely, quietly and cleanly. Is this the future of urban transportation?
7. Personal Air and Land Vehicle (PAL-V)
Do you remember Dr. Emmet Brown in the movie classic Back to the Future? He was the inventor of the flying Delorean and ended the movie with the memorable quote ‘Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads…’
Now, Dutch company PAL-V Europe NV is working on a solution that will make this dream a reality (unfortunately, not the time machine part though <grin>). Their PAL-V ONE is a hybrid of a gyrocopter and a car and according to PAL-V, their vehicle is the ultimate solution to the increasing congestion in our cities. There already is a training facility where you can learn to operate a similar device (the auto-gyro) as you will need a license. The plan is to launch the product in 2011. For more information, check out the PAL-V website.
What would you choose?
Do you make a conscious decision when you commute? Are there eco-friendly alternatives you can use? Feel free to share your thoughts via the comments!
Tags: Dicycles, Eco-Friendly, Electric Bicyles, Hybrid Cars, Maglev Trains, Sustainable Transportation, Technology Innovation
Categories: Inspiration, Technology Innovation
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Since I moved to San Francisco I’ve become much more eco-friendly. While I did literally everything with the car in Holland, I’m doing the opposite here. I bike to work weather permitting and take as much public transportation as possible.
I think a regular bike made with eco-friendly materials and processes is plenty smart already! Exercise is an added benefit. What we need are better bike lanes (like alongside that mag-lev track, hehe)
But I've always wanted an autogyro. Ever since Mad Max. Not too much juice, don't need roads, land almost anywhere.