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While the European public transport community is preparing for electric buses and standardisation activities have already begun, with European standards expected to come into place 2019, followed by international standards in 2020, many cities are already implementing electric bus systems. In order to meet their needs, European bus manufacturers Irizar, Solaris, VDL and Volvo have agreed with charging system suppliers ABB, Heliox and Siemens to an open, transparent and voluntary approach. Common preferre

After what he called an ‘overwhelming response’, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced seven finalists for the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Smart City Challenge. The USDOT has pledged up to US$40 million to one city to help it define what it means to be a Smart City and become the country’s first city to fully integrate innovative technologies – self-driving cars, connected vehicles, and smart sensors – into their transportation network. The finalists are: Austin, Texas;

Ford Motor Company is investing in expanding its smart mobility development with the establishment of a new subsidiary, Ford Smart Mobility, which the company says is designed to compete like a startup company. Ford Smart Mobility will design and build mobility services on its own and collaborate with start-ups and tech companies. The subsidiary is part of Ford’s expanded business model to be both an auto and a mobility company. The company is continuing to focus on and investing in its core business – d

General Motors (GM) is to acquire Cruise Automation to add Cruise’s software expertise and rapid development capability to further accelerate GM’s development of autonomous vehicle technology. GM intends intend to invest significantly to further grow the talent base and capabilities already established by the Cruise team. The acquisition is GM’s latest step toward its goal of redefining the future of personal mobility. Since the beginning of the year, GM has entered into a strategic alliance with ride-sh

Slovakian government officials have finalised an agreement with JumpStartFund's Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) to explore building a local Hyperloop system, with the aim of creating future routes connecting Bratislava with Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary. According to HTT, a Bratislava to Vienna route could take about eight minutes at Hyperloop's full speed; a Bratislava to Budapest route just 10 minutes. A route between Bratislava and Kosice a distance of 400 kilometres (250 miles)

The recent accident in California involving a Google autonomous car and a bus “was not a surprise,” according to US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx. No one was hurt in the accident, which happened when Google’s Lexus RX-450H tried to avoid some sandbags placed around a storm drain and blocking its path; the car’s computer was said to be at fault. Speaking at the South by Southwest Interactive festival in Austin, Texas, Secretary Foxx told the BBC: “It's not a surprise that at some point there wo

Slovenia’s motorway management company Družba za Avtoceste v Republiki Sloveniji (DARS) has awarded a consortium of Q-Free and Telekom Slovenije the contract to deliver a nationwide truck tolling system for the country. Q-Free will provide the system delivery, including the enforcement back office, toll tags, service and maintenance for the US$111 million contract. Communications services provider Telekom Slovenije is a leading partner in the consortium and provides mobile and fixed communication se

Slovenia’s motorway management company Družba za Avtoceste v Republiki Sloveniji (DARS) has awarded a consortium of Q-Free and Telekom Slovenije the contract to deliver a nationwide truck tolling system for the country. Q-Free will provide the system delivery, including the enforcement back office, toll tags, service and maintenance for the US$111 million contract. Communications services provider Telekom Slovenije is a leading partner in the consortium and provides mobile and fixed communication se

Toyota Research Institute (TRI), which is developing which is artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles, has hired the software engineering team of Massachusetts-based Jaybridge Robotics, which has focused on reliable automation of industrial vehicles, working with partners across a range of industrial applications including agriculture, mining, marine, and rail. The former Jaybridge team has joined TRI's Cambridge, Massachusetts, facility. Like everyone else at TRI, they will be working closely wi

The Total Passango e-tag for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), which is already accepted in France, Spain, Portugal and the Belgian Liefkenshoek tunnel, will be accepted in Belgium from the beginning of 2017, as part of the new kilometre-based VIAPASS toll system. By the end of 2016, the tag will also be accepted in Austria and on the bridges linking Denmark to Sweden. Passango simplifies toll use and provides HGV drivers with access to electronic toll payment, easier management and additional services, as we

The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has launched its annual research review 2014-2015, containing a summary of 18 months of research activity at TRL, along with expert commentary on connected and automated vehicles; electric vehicles; healthy transport; safety and smart infrastructure. It also looks at implications of healthy transport on road networks, infrastructure and planning as the government announces ‘healthy towns’ and provides insight on the future for self-driving cars and their safet

Pursuing goals of zero emission vehicles and zero fatalities on the road, Nissan has unveiled its vision for intelligent mobility, based on safety innovations through autonomous technology such as high-stability control and high-reliability drive systems. At the core of Nissan intelligent mobility are three areas of innovation: Nissan Intelligent Driving spearheaded by Nissan’s autonomous drive technology, Piloted Drive, Nissan Intelligent Power and Nissan Intelligent Integration. Many of these advanc

A village in Derbyshire, UK, is tackling the issue of speeding drivers by installing the latest Swarco Traffic moveable vehicle activated signs (MVAS), lightweight portable signs designed specifically for parish councils to improve road safety and encourage safer driving speeds. Signs are installed at either end of the main road through the village, although there are three pairs of locations where the signs can be placed. Approved for use by Highways England, they are simple to deploy, feature a besp