If you grew up in a German-speaking country, you might well have come across the popular children’s story about the “Fliewatüüt”, an all-in-one vehicle that can fly, swim and drive. It was written by author Boy Lornsen and builds on an age-old dream held by technophiles: to see flying cars criss-crossing our skies one day. Thanks to advancements in drivetrain and battery technology and the possibilities afforded by semi-autonomous features, it now seems that this dream could well become a reality.

Official approval

AirCar – a dual-mode flying car developed by Klein Vision – was officially granted its airworthiness certificate by the Slovakian transport authorities back in January 2022. The pre-production model is powered by a 300-hp combustion engine and is also approved for use on the road. With its variable pitch propeller, the prototype achieves a speed of 300 km/h and a range of 1,000 kilometres.

The gyrocopter principle

Liberty, developed by the Dutch company PAL-V, uses the gyrocopter principle instead of rigid wings. Two Rotax combustion engines give the PAL-V vehicle the power it needs to fly. It has a range of 500 kilometres and a maximum trip time of three hours. Changing over from flight to driving mode takes mere minutes. The PAL-V Liberty is already approved for use on the road in Europe and is currently in the final phase of the airworthiness certification process.

Flying SUV

The working prototype of the Aska 5 was presented for the first time at CES 2023. This eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) vehicle has four seats and is the size of an SUV. Its hybrid drivetrain (lithium-ion batteries plus petrol-powered range extender) gives the Aska 5 a range of around 400 kilometres in the air. Starting in 2026, the company is also planning an on-demand ride service in major cities using a fleet of Aska vehicles.

Eight propellers

The “Model A” from the American company Alef is expected to enter the market at the end of 2025. It has a driving range of 320 kilometres and a flight range of 180 kilometres. The Model A features a distributed electric propulsion system and its eight propellers are not exposed. It comes with a variety of electronic safety systems, ranging from various stability systems to comprehensive diagnostic functions working in real time and obstacle detection and avoidance systems.

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Micromobility is a worldwide trend which aims to combine private transport, high traffic volumes and an efficient use of resources. E-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards and Segways make it possible for us to travel short distances quickly and easily. These trips can include getting from home to the nearest car sharing point or from the train station to work, for example. This significantly reduces the environmental footprint for mobility – firstly because they don’t take up much space, and secondly because of their efficiency.

“Modern transport solutions are characterised by differentiation and tailored use,” emphasises Markus Emmert, board member of German e-mobility association Bundesverband eMobilität. “Driving a two-tonne vehicle to transport two 10-kilo bags from the supermarket to your house within the same district is ecological insanity. We need incentives for smart transport services and for downsizing. In the case of computers or telephones, the market has long since decided this; in passenger transport, the car fixation prevents us from doing so.”

New class of vehicle

A new class of vehicle is expected to offer an alternative to large and expensive cars – Small or Sustainable Urban Mobility, SUM for short. Generally, these are two-seater electric quadricycles which stand out due to their ultra-compact size, accessibility (in reference to driver’s license class and price) and safety. The Renault Twizy, Mircolino 2.0 and Citroen Ami are among the first series-produced representatives of this class. The concept “…meets new needs and satisfies a new generation of customers seeking mobility and individual freedom, particularly teenagers and young adults,” says Vincent Cobée, Citroën CEO.

Improving profitability

Operators of shared micromobility services in particular have also significantly expanded their activities. However, according to the technological research company ABI Research, they have so far placed little emphasis on developing a sustainable business model.

“After years of rapid but disorderly expansion, most players have high idle vehicle rates and low profitability in various markets due to a mismatch between vehicle supply and demand,” explains Maite Bezerra, Smart Mobility & Automotive Industry Analyst at ABI Research.

It is, therefore, imperative to adopt measures to reduce costs. Vehicle charging alone makes up 50 percent of running costs. Along with rebalancing (the distribution of vehicles in the area of operation), these are the highest operating costs for shared micromobility. According to ABI Research, the costs of charging the batteries will drop by 30 to 60 percent with replaceable batteries, as the vehicles do not have to be transported to the warehouse separately. At the same time, the charging time can be cut from four hours to 15 minutes.

Replaceable batteries reduce costs

Lime, a leading global provider of micromobility solutions, equips its latest generation of e-scooters and e-bikes with standardised replaceable batteries which can be used in both types of vehicle. The new batteries can store almost an entire kilowatt hour of energy, which means the e-bikes need to be charged less often. This keeps down the number of battery changes by the local service team, and consequently also the number of service runs. At the same time, the user can drive more than twice as far with the new batteries in comparison to the industry standard, and the uptime of the vehicles increases.

650 cities offer shared micromobility services (as of February 2021).

Source: International Energy Agency IEA

Repairable batteries

To further improve the sustainability of batteries in micro-vehicles, the Bordeaux-based company Gouach is aiming to develop a battery which can be repaired in less than ten minutes. The hope is that this battery will reduce the amount of electronic waste and lower the carbon footprint of micromobility batteries by 70 percent. The idea is based on a study which reports that many defective batteries still have lots of properly functioning components. Gouach batteries are thus expected to have components that can be easily and safely replaced when they are faulty. According to a study by Magelan, Gouach batteries produce 2.6 times less CO2 than a conventional battery, need 2.5 times less water and are just as efficient.

Safety system for e-scooters

Another challenge for micromobility is the high accident rate. To solve this problem, the company Dock-Y has developed an AI-controlled system for e-scooters and similar vehicles which is based on sensors and camera technology. It recognises potential hazards early on and helps the user to avoid dangerous situations on public roads. Among the most important features are autonomous braking, the detection of pedestrians and crowds of people, all-round proximity sensor technology, progressive user alerts and an intelligent speed limiter.

Self-driving passenger transportation

The CiKoMa concept vehicle by Honda has already incorporated such intelligent systems. The user can summon the electric self-driving micromobility vehicle via voice control and communicate their exact pick-up point with words and gestures. CiKoMa is controlled “cooperatively” – the route can be directed by operating a joystick, assisted by the automatic driving technology.

The Citybot by EDAG goes even further. These are networked, autonomous robotic vehicles which can be linked to various utility modules such as trailer and rucksack modules. Thanks to this modular approach, Citybots can be used anywhere: for transporting people and goods, as city-cleaning vehicles or for private applications, which improves efficiency. The vehicles are not an isolated solution, rather an integral part of a demand-based and holistic transport system.

Last mile transportation

However, micromobility isn’t just an interesting prospect for passenger transportation. It also offers opportunities for the logistics industry to become more efficient and better conserve resources, especially for “last mile” transportation. One such solution is the mini-transporter by Onomotion. It combines the advantages of a fast, narrow and manoeuvrable cargo-bike with a weather-resistant cabin, a loading capacity of two cubic metres and a maximum payload of 220 kilogrammes in one exchangeable container. The pedelecs can use cycle paths, are quiet, don’t get stuck in traffic, don’t double park and don’t need any parking spaces. “Our goal is to rethink urban logistics and establish innovative mobility and logistics,” says Beres Seelbach, co-CEO and founder of Onomotion. “This will allow us to reduce traffic, space demands and emissions in cities, making them more liveable.”

Efficient e-scooters

Range per kilowatt hour:

1.3 kilometres for a petrol car

6.6 kilometres for an e-car

133 kilometres for an e-scooter

Source: Wired Magazin

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Almost two decades after Concorde’s last flight, supersonic airliners could soon take to the skies again. Several manufacturers have announced their intention to launch commercial supersonic aircraft in the next few years. However, unlike Concorde, these jets aim to have a very low environmental impact.

“Concorde was subject to air transport regulations that allowed higher emissions compared to aircraft flying in subsonic conditions. The new generation of supersonic jets will have to comply with the rules that apply to conventional aircraft,” explains Prof. Lars Enghardt, Head of the Engine Acoustics Department at the Institute of Propulsion Technology at the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

The organisation is currently looking into the environmental impact of a future fleet of supersonic aircraft, in order to specify data for new certification rules.

The supersonic range starts at a Mach speed greater than one. To achieve this at cruising altitude, an aircraft needs to be travelling at around 1,000 kilometres per hour. Today’s fastest business jets reach Mach 0.9, but the supersonic commercial airliners that are now planned are expected to cruise at speeds between Mach 1.8 and 2.2 – more than twice as fast as the planes available today. Major plane manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus did present concepts for supersonic passenger planes years ago, but things have gone quiet since then. These days, it is newcomers to the industry that are really powering ahead with the development work.

Supersonic speeds with eco-friendly jet fuel

Leading the charge is Boom Supersonic, which was only founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Denver. Its supersonic airliner is called “Overture” and the company already has orders for 130 of them. Overture is designed to transport 65 to 80 passengers at a speed of Mach 1.7 – twice as fast as the fastest airliners around today – and offers a range of 4,250 nautical miles. The aim is to fly some 600 routes across the world in half the time, including Miami to London in just under five hours and Los Angeles to Honolulu in three hours. Overture is planned to be rolled out as early as 2025 and carry its first passengers in 2029.

To make this a reality, the company is developing its own engine called “Symphony”.

“Developing a supersonic engine specifically for Overture offers by far the best value proposition for our customers,” comments Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “Through the Symphony programme, we can provide our customers with an economically and environmentally sustainable supersonic aeroplane – a combination unattainable with the current constraints of derivative engines and industry norms.”

Symphony will be a bespoke design leveraging proven technologies and materials to achieve optimal supersonic performance and efficiency. The new propulsion system used by Overture is designed to run on 100 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) – i.e. a sustainable jet fuel produced from non-fossil raw materials. The engine is also set to meet Chapter 14 noise levels, currently the most stringent level in the aviation industry.

“We believe in a world where more people can go to more places more often. Sustainable supersonic travel unlocks new possibilities for business relationships, prospects for vacation and opportunities for human connection.”

Blake Scholl, Founder & CEO, Boom Supersonic

Reducing noise emissions

Noise emissions are a particular problem with supersonic aircraft. A key cause of them, alongside the planes’ powerful engines, is what is known as the sonic boom. When an aircraft travels at supersonic speeds, waves linked to the change in air pressure are produced. These shock waves create a loud “boom” noise, which can be heard even if the aircraft is far away. This was one of the reasons why Concorde was only allowed to fly at supersonic speeds over the open sea. To reduce the sonic boom, NASA is working on a supersonic jet with a very special body shape. The company’s X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology X-plane is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound without generating a sonic boom. Its special, very long, stretched-out nose is intended to reduce the shock waves to such an extent that the noise heard by people on the ground is barely more than a dull ‘thump’ – if they even hear anything at all.

Travel at five times the speed of sound

Apart from Boom Supersonic, other start-ups are also working on developing supersonic passenger jets. For example, Hermeus is intending to build a jet that can achieve Mach 5. At this speed, a flight from New York to Paris would take a mere 90 minutes compared with seven and a half hours currently. Hermeus is aiming to keep the operating costs low, so that it can keep ticket prices affordable. Key to achieving this will be combining a conventional jet engine with a ramjet. In a ramjet engine, the air supplied to the combustion chamber is not compressed by moving parts such as a compressor. Instead, it is compressed solely by the high speed of the air as it flows in. The Hermeus engine is unique in the field of hypersonic technology, as most hypersonic platforms are powered by a rocket engine. However, this makes it more difficult to reuse the system and it is much more dangerous for passengers.

“When it comes to technology, we often hear the term ‘game-changing’,” says Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory, which has invested in Hermeus. “However, hypersonic aircraft and propulsion systems are truly game-changing, and will revolutionise how we travel, just as automobiles did in the last century.”

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Benefits of air taxis for the EU and Europe

• 100 percent reduction of local emissions for electric propulsion
• 73 percent faster delivery of organs between city hospitals possible
• 15 – 45 minutes of travel time between the city and airport saved on average thanks to Urban Air Mobility
• ~90,000 jobs created in Europe in 2030
• ~31 percent of global Urban Air Mobility market to be located in Europe in 2030
• ~4.2 billion euros market size in Europe in 2030
• 1,500 times less likely to be involved in a fatal accident compared to road transport on a passenger kilometre basis

The populations in cities throughout the world are growing rapidly. By 2030, 5.2 billion people will be living in urban areas – roughly a billion more than today. Brand-new transport concepts will, therefore, be required to manage this growth. A lot of hope is being placed on air taxis, as they will relieve the pressure on rail and road by making use of our airspace. According to the market researchers at Allied Market Research, the worldwide market for this will reach 30.7 billion dollars by 2031. According to calculations by management consultancy Roland Berger, the number of drones used as air taxis, airport shuttles and as part of inner-city flight services is set to grow exponentially in the coming years. It is predicted that by 2050 there will be approximately 160,000 autonomous electric drones in use worldwide.

Dirk Hoke, the CEO of Volocopter, is convinced that “in 2050, we will use electric air taxis the same way we use Uber today.”

On the market within just a few years

The first air taxi prototypes are already finished and waiting for approval. The concepts for eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) vary markedly – for example, the VoloCity air taxi from Volocopter is equipped with 18 all-electric rotors and looks like a futuristic helicopter. After a short test phase, it is expected to be able to fly completely autonomously. With a wingspan of eleven metres, there will be space for two passengers and their luggage. The air taxi company Lilium is developing a seven-seater with 30 rotors. The air taxi resembles a mini-jet with its wings that have collapsible electric rotors built in. The first commercial model is expected to arrive on the market in 2025, with a range of up to 250 kilometres.

An autonomous future

Initially, the majority of air taxis are expected to be operated by licensed professional pilots. In the long term, however, most air taxi concepts predict entirely autonomous operation. Wisk, on the other hand, is taking a somewhat different approach: their air taxis are expected to fly without pilots right from the get-go. The automated flying functions for this are based on the same technologies used by the “ordinary” autopilots found in current aeroplanes.

They will be supplemented by innovative technologies such as improved detection and avoidance functions as well as additional sensors. To make it easier for the aviation authorities to grant approval, no artificial intelligence is used. However, they will be controlled via a logic-controlled, process-based decision software program which will provide deterministic results. In addition, every flight will be monitored by a human in a ground control station who can intervene when necessary.

3 US dollars per passenger and mile – that’s how much a flight is expected to cost with a 6th generation Wisk air taxi.

2 billion US dollars is the cost of developing an air taxi to the point where it is ready for operation.

Source: Simpliflying.com/Wisk

New technical requirements

On top of the issue of control, there are a few more technical features that air taxis must consider. For example, interference resistance is an important safety requirement, as air taxis will be operating at lower altitudes within cities. That’s why Diehl is equipping Volocopter’s VoloCity with the so-called Fly-by-Light control system – this is particularly resistant to interference from electromagnetic influences such as mobile phones or transmission masts.

Unlike conventional Fly-by-Wire control systems, the electrical signals of the flight control computer are translated into optical signals and therefore controlled optoelectronically. To transmit measured data and commands, light signals sent via corresponding optical fibres are used now instead of electrical signals sent via copper wires.

Europe is defining the regulatory framework

Standards and regulations are, of course, also a prerequisite for the operation of air taxis. This includes modern airspace management and integration with existing air traffic control. In the future, manned and unmanned systems will operate alongside one another. In fact, the European Commission adopted a European Drone Strategy 2.0 at the end of 2022. This includes the vision for how to further develop the European drone market. The new strategy sets out how Europe can promote commercial drone operations on a large scale and how it can offer new opportunities in this sector. In addition, in January 2023 the so-called “U-Space” will be introduced. This is a European system for safely controlling drone traffic that is unique worldwide. Finally, in 2022 the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published requirements for the operation of air taxis in cities. The new regulatory framework covers the technical areas of airworthiness, air operations, flight crew licensing and rules of the air.

“With this, EASA becomes the first aviation regulator worldwide to release a comprehensive regulatory framework for operations of VTOL-capable aircraft, which will offer air taxi and similar services,” says EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky.

Investment from established airlines

For some time now, air taxis have no longer been just a vision of the future, demonstrated by the involvement of major players in today’s conventional aviation industry. In September 2022, the airline United announced an investment of 15 million US dollars in the eVTOL manufacturer Eve Air Mobility, as well as a conditional purchase agreement for 200 four-seater electric aircraft plus 200 options, with the first deliveries expected as early as 2026.

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Drones – and the distinct whirring noise from their small propellers – are becoming an increasingly familiar feature of our skies today. These small devices are becoming widespread and conquering more and more applications. Although the war in Ukraine has unfortunately put their military use in the spotlight, drones can now also be found in a wide range of professional sectors, where they make life easier for people and provide valuable assistance in many different scenarios.

Varied applications

Drones have become an established tool for agriculture and forestry work, in the energy and construction sector, for meteorology tasks, when surveying the Earth’s surface and even in the field of archaeology. With their special cameras, drones are able to take daylight shots or thermal images to identify cold bridges in buildings, for example. They rise to the air equipped with measuring devices to monitor the outside temperature, air pressure or humidity, and come equipped with sensors, lasers, infra-red scanners and radar. Their birds-eye view comes into its own for maintenance services and when determining whether infrastructure needs to be modernised.

430,700 drones in Germany (2021), 10 percent commercial use, 90 percent private use

385,500 drones were used in a private capacity in 2020. In 2019 it was still 455,000

45,200 drones were used commercially in 2020.In 2019 it was only 19,000

Source: Drone Industry Insights

Delivery drones

Drones are also increasingly being used as a reliable delivery method. “The willingness of many countries to relax drone-related restrictions or quickly grant waivers for their use has resulted in increased and accelerated awareness about the benefits that drones can offer in delivering a wide range of medicines and goods, especially in areas where infrastructure is lacking,” says Michael Blades, VP Research, Aerospace & Defense Practice, Frost & Sullivan. The consulting company expects the market for unmanned aircraft to be worth 22.28 billion US dollars by 2025.

There are now numerous examples of drones being used for logistics purposes. Wing, a subsidiary of Alphabet that specialises in drone deliveries, reported more than 140,000 deliveries to customers in 2021, an increase of 600 percent compared with 2020. Working in collaboration with Swiss Post, drone systems developer Matternet has been sending its drones out across the skies of Swiss cities for more than four years now, outside the pilot’s line of sight. In November 2021, Walmart joined forces with drone delivery company Zipline to launch an on-demand delivery service for health and consumer goods near its Arkansas headquarters. Manna, an autonomous drone delivery service for coffee and food in Ireland, states it has already made 65,000 deliveries and is planning to expand its service to Europe.

“Superhighways” for drones

A particular challenge restricting the use of drones today is that they are currently not allowed to be flown without a human pilot, except in rare cases where there is a flight ban for other aircraft. One solution is to set up fixed corridors with sensors on the ground monitoring the airspace above. These sensors can be more powerful than the systems installed on drones as they are not subject to any weight or energy consumption restrictions. Drones using the corridor simply connect to the sensor network, which then guides them to their destination and ensures they avoid any potential obstacles in the air.

The UK government recently announced that it had given the green light to drone corridors like this, with initiatives like the “Skyway” project, which aims to link up the airspace above Reading, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Coventry and Rugby. It is set to be realised over the next two years and, at some 265 kilometres long, would be the world’s biggest and longest network of “drone superhighways”. A mobile communications system would connect the drones to a control system to make them more aware of their surroundings and give them tactical instructions to avoid collisions. “Cellular connectivity, and a secure, resilient 4G and 5G mobile network, will continue to enable the rapid growth of the drone market,” comments Dave Pankhurst, Director of Drones at BT, a project partner.

Part and parcel of our airspace

To promote the use of drones, the European Union will in future set up a dedicated transport system, called U-Space, by means of an official EU regulation. U-Space areas enable drones to be safely integrated into the airspace above our heads, including sharing it with manned aircraft. This opens the door to the use of drones as a regular means of transport for things like logistics, agriculture, supplying hard-to-reach areas or transporting vital medical equipment. To investigate how U-Space areas can form part of real-life operations, the U-Space Sandbox test facility was set up jointly by the two German companies Droniq and Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS) at the Port of Hamburg. As part of this project, Droniq supplied a traffic management system for drones called the UAS Traffic Management System (UTM). It provides a combined picture of the manned and unmanned aircraft flying in the skies and offers other features for operating drones safely and efficiently beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS). The system consists of a system for the ground sensors and a transponder for locating the aircraft, known as the Hook-On-Device.

“With the launch of U-Spaces, the drone market will soon open a new and exciting chapter,” says Droniq CEO Jan-Eric Putze. Arndt Schoenemann, Chairman of the Executive Board at DFS, adds: “It is important to put the first U-Spaces into action to advance the safe integration of drones into airspace. Unmanned aviation is an important part of future air traffic, which will in certain fields become increasingly autonomous in its operations.”

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According to the International Energy Agency IEA, in 2021 the shipping industry was responsible for around two percent of global energy-related CO2 emissions. That doesn’t sound like much but given the great importance for world trade – more than 80 percent of global trade is handled by seagoing vessels – there are predictions that shipping could account for 17 percent of total annual CO2 emissions by 2050.

Recent increases in emissions

The industry is well aware of this fact. Accordingly, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted a greenhouse gas strategy to reduce the CO2 emissions per transport work as an average across international shipping by at least 40 percent by 2030 and by 70 percent by 2050, compared to 2008 levels. However, according to the ship broker Simpson Spence & Young, the carbon dioxide emissions from global shipping increased by 4.9 percent in 2021 in comparison to the previous year and are thus higher than in 2019. According to the ship broker’s annual industry outlook, the growth in emissions in 2021 represents an “inconvenient truth” for the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This means that much more comprehensive measures are needed to steer the maritime traffic sector towards the goal of “net zero emissions by 2050”.

Electric ferries have proven themselves

However, changes are afoot in the industry, with electrification also being promoted in this sector. The world’s first large car ferry with an electric motor used for regular scheduled-service operation started running back in 2015. The “Ampere” makes the 20-minute, six-kilometre trip across the Sognefjord 34 times a day. In 2022 the electric ferry “Ellen” set a new world record by travelling over 50 nautical miles – around 92 kilometres.

“Ellen is an excellent example of the future for electric transport. It’s cleaner, greener and more efficient than her fossil fuel competitors. Electrifying maritime transport is a clear-cut way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Kimmo Rauma, Vice President, Danfoss Editron.

The company provided the drivetrains and drive motors for the ferry. Cargo ships are also experimenting with electric motors. As one example, at the end of 2021 the “Yara Birkeland” was put into operation. The 80-metre-long container ship transports fertiliser from the Yara factory in Porsgrunn via inland waterways to the seaports of Larvik and Brevik, a journey of 31 nautical miles. To cover this distance, the “Yara Birkeland” is equipped with a battery capacity of 6.8 megawatt hours. “It will cut 1,000 tonnes of CO2 and replace 40,000 trips by diesel-powered trucks a year,” says Svein Tore Holsether, CEO of Yara.

Hydrogen as an alternative

However, battery-electric drives reach their limits in sea-faring vessels due to their limited range. Green hydrogen could therefore play an important role in the decarbonisation of the shipping industry, with regard to its potential to pioneer synthetic fuels as well as its direct use as a marine fuel. As a result, the DNV – the maritime industry’s leading global classification society – issued the Norwegian technology supplier HAV Group ASA provisional approval for their hydrogen-based energy system.

The system uses liquid hydrogen storage tanks and fuel cells and is designed to be retrofitted to two coastal cruise liners belonging to the shipping company Havila Kystruten. The concept ship “NYK Super Eco Ship 2050” – a car and lorry transporter – is also planning a drive system with hydrogen-powered fuel cells. In addition, a special hull is expected to reduce the energy demand by 70 percent as it weighs less and will reduce water friction using expelled air bubbles.

Methanol as a readily available solution

In contrast, Maersk is focussing on green methanol: “Green methanol is the best scalable green fuel solution for this decade, and we are excited to see several other shipowners choosing this path. It adds further momentum to the rapid scaling of availability needed to bring down the premium on green methanol and accelerate the evolution of climate neutral shipping,” says Palle Laursen, Chief Fleet & Technical Officer at Maersk.

The shipping company has already ordered 19 container ships which run on the green fuel and is currently securing the necessary production capacity with various manufacturers. Maersk is aiming to procure at least 730,000 tonnes of green methanol per year by the end of 2025.

Back to the roots

However, the shipping industry is also returning to a very traditional propulsion system: the sail – admittedly a more high-tech version. Take the planned “Orcelle Wind”, for example – in principle its sails are just vertical aircraft wings. They will be made from composite materials and controlled by a computer. Such “wing sails” generate more power, are more sturdy and are easier to control than their conventional counterpart.

The “Orcelle Wind” is being developed by the shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen and is a fully fledged roll-on/roll-off ship capable of transporting 7,000 cars and producing up to 90 percent fewer emissions than other ships. With a length of 220 metres and a height of around 100 metres up to the top of the sail, it will be the largest sailing ship in the world. If everything goes according to plan, the “Orcelle Wind” could be put into service in 2026.

17 percent of global CO2 emissions could be caused by shipping in 2050.

Source: S&P Global

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In contrast to road traffic, there have been driverless and fully automatic vehicles on the railways for a surprisingly long time – the first such trains were put into operation in 1981 in Kobe, Japan. Today, trains without drivers can be found in over 40 cities throughout the world, including Copenhagen, Paris, Singapore, Dubai and London. However, these are primarily underground trains which operate in closed environments.

As a result, work is now under way to bring highly or fully automated trains to the more open environments of freight, regional and long-distance transport as well. “Urban driverless systems in closed environments present different risks from networks in open environments,” says Oliver Lauxmann, Global Practice Group Leader in the Chief Underwriting Office – Liability at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. “Rail operational exposures vary widely and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Whatever software works in a mass-produced car won’t apply to all autonomous trains. The technology needs to be highly customised.”

The S-Bahn is driving itself

Nevertheless, at the end of 2021, during the ITS World Congress in Hamburg, German railway operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) presented the world’s first train that runs by itself in rail traffic. However, there are still drivers on board with the passengers to monitor the journey. Shunting – for example train turning – takes place without the involvement of the personnel. Dr Richard Lutz, CEO of DB, says: “With automated rail operations, we can offer our passengers a significantly expanded, more reliable and therefore improved service – without having to lay a single kilometre of new track.”

Autonomous trains are coming

Similar projects that are in the planning stage can also be found elsewhere. For example, the French state railway SNCF has announced the introduction of two autonomous trains which are expected to be rolled out by 2023. Under the leadership of the rail operator Proxion, a consortium in Finland is developing an ­autonomous freight train, also expected by 2023, for the short journeys needed by the steel and forestry industries.

“These are just some of the projects taking rail travel in a whole new direction, thanks to ‘smart’ technologies like artificial intelligence, or AI, robotics and the Internet of Things,” says Oliver Lauxmann. “Combined with the capabilities of data analytics, satellites, lidar, radar and 5G, they offer monitoring and safety systems with wide-reaching benefits.”

Rail traffic without signals

A central building block in the automation of European rail ­traffic is the European Train Control System (ETCS). It is designed to replace the old control and signal systems in the various countries and create a common European standard. ETCS enables rail traffic to run without signals. The information on whether or not the train is allowed to enter a particular section is displayed on a screen directly in the train. Based on information from the route atlas, exact positioning via sensors and predefined rules, the ­system monitors the train and can make the right decisions in good time to ensure safe train travel, even at high speeds.

10.11 billion US dollars the forecast volume of the market for autonomous trains in 2026.

100.1 billion US dollars the forecast volume of the global market for railway digitalisation in 2027.

Source: MarketsandMarkets

Automatic train operation

The second building block in digitalising the rail sector is automatic train operation (ATO). In principle, ATO is the “autopilot” for the railways. It consists of the train manufacturer’s vehicle-side equipment (ATO On-Board Unit – OBU) and the track-side module system (ATO-TS) on the rails. With ATO, the train accelerates and brakes automatically based on the optimum driving profile. This makes the response time between transmitting and reacting to the driving commands much faster than with manual control. 

Train radar

Automatic train operation also requires comprehensive sensor technology that the train can use to recognise obstacles on or near the tracks. In spring 2022, Alstom tested how such a ­system might look in Oosterhout, near Breda in the Netherlands. “The locomotive is able to detect both large obstacles such as a car and smaller ones such as a rabbit or human being, both during the day and at night,” says Abel Poelaert, Customer Director ­Alstom ­Benelux. The system is based on a high-resolution digital radar and ­multispectral electro-optics, which are supported by high-performance algorithms for classic and machine learning.

20 percent more efficient

According to a study by Strategy&, PwC’s strategy consulting business unit, the introduction of ETCS and the technologies that are based on it will make European rail traffic faster, more reliable and more efficient for the long term. Under certain framework conditions, combining ETCS and ATO would enable capacity and efficiency improvements of 10 to 20 percent because trains could run at closer intervals and timetables could be optimised. At the same time, safety would also increase significantly thanks to the modernisation and digitalisation of the train control systems.

The various levels of (railway) autonomy

GoA1: The automatic train protection (ATP) system checks whether the speed is consistent with the permitted limits and can trigger emergency braking. The train drivers start and stop the train, close the doors and take control in the case of a malfunction.

GoA2: The train also has equipment for automatic train operation (ATO), a safety device for operating automated trains. The train starts and stops automatically. The drivers close the doors and drive the train in the case of a malfunction.

GoA3: The system works without a driver and the train starts and stops automatically. The conductors close the doors and operate the train in the case of a malfunction.

GoA4: The train is completely autonomous (UTO = unattended train operation). The train starts and stops automatically, and the doors also close automatically. Likewise, the train is operated automatically in the case of a malfunction.

Revolutionary system changes are unlikely

In the context of track-based transport systems, completely new technologies are always being discussed – from the magnetic levitation train to underground freight transport systems and even systems which enable a dynamic change-over of passengers during the journey. Many of these solutions are actually in development – but at best they are likely to complement conventional trains with electric motors and wheels.

The study “Technologische Weiterentwicklung des Bahnsystems 2050” (“Further Technological Development of the Rail System 2050”), commissioned by the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (BAV), states: “However, experts do not currently regard the question of the type of drive as a question of the future, since we are currently unaware of anything better than the electric drive.”

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“To reconcile the increasing distances driven for goods transport with the need to keep transport emissions low, at MAN Truck & Bus we have decided to use battery-electric drives,” says Dr Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research and Development at MAN Truck & Bus.

In the research project NEFTON (commercial vehicle electrification for improving network links in the transport sector), the company has joined forces with five partners from industry and science. The project partners consider Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) with a charging capacity in the megawatt range as the key technology to achieving their objectives. Currently being tested are charging currents of 3,000 A, which enables an electric truck to be fully charged in 15 minutes. For this, the Technical University of Munich is collaborating with MAN Truck & Bus and the Deggendorf Institute of Technology to develop new concepts with charging capacities in the range of three megawatts.

Electric vehicles in long-distance public transport

By contrast, Danish bus company Vikingbus is soon set to put electric buses into operation; by the end of 2022, it had already ordered 31 fully electric, battery-powered buses from Mercedes-Benz. They will mainly be used in the community of Køge, on the longest city bus line in Denmark: sometimes the buses have to travel more than 500 kilometres a day. For this, the 31 buses are equipped with batteries with a high energy density and total capacity of 588 kilowatt hours.

An alternative to using large batteries is to charge batteries during the journey. In this case, the vehicles are equipped with a pantograph, which is essentially no different to what is already in use in trains: using a current collector, the truck or bus charges its battery during the journey via an overhead line.

These kinds of trucks are still only in operation within the scope of research projects. Nevertheless, the Austrian metropolis Vienna has already ordered 60 buses that have current collectors to enable fast charging with up to 300 kilowatts, thus increasing the range and operating times.

High ranges with hydrogen

“Despite the output of battery-electric drives, hydrogen still remains an interesting alternative,” says Axel Blume, Head of the “Climate-friendly commercial vehicles” team at the National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH): “In addition to battery and overhead line trucks, commercial vehicles with hydrogen fuel cell drives have huge potential to make road-based goods transport in Germany more sustainable and help to reach climate policy targets.”

In principle, hydrogen is a promising energy source for transport logistics due to its short refuelling times, high payload, application versatility and attractive range capacities. Recent announcements from different vehicle makers indicate that, by the end of the decade, around 50,000 hydrogen-powered heavy-duty commercial vehicles will be in operation in Europe, providing that the general conditions and the refuelling infrastructure are in place. Though at the moment they are still scarce.

Fuel cells for energy-intensive applications

December 2022 was the first time that a series-production hydrogen truck was approved to drive on public roads in Germany. It is operated by the company Hylane, who offer hydrogen trucks with different bodies and installed equipment on a user-based rental basis (“pay-per-use-model”), whereby customers only pay for the kilometres they have actually driven.

Sara Schiffer, Managing Director of Hylane says: “There are various different theoretical studies on using hydrogen, but not enough robust practical experience. As of today, our first vehicle will help us understand how the use of hydrogen in the mobility sector can be scaled up for the market in future.”

The “XCIENT Fuel Cell” Hyundai vehicle has a range of around 400 kilometres. The hydrogen is stored in seven tanks which, depending on the temperature, can be fully refuelled in eight to 20 minutes.

Another company that is looking into fuel cell trucks is Volvo, although the trucks are still in the test phase.

“Electric trucks with hydrogen-powered fuel cells are particularly suitable for long distances and heavy-duty, energy-intensive tasks. They could also be an option for countries that have limited possibilities to charge batteries,” explains Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks.

The manufacturer is expecting fuel-cell-powered electric trucks to reach a range that is comparable with many diesel trucks – up to 1,000 km – with a charging time of less than 15 minutes. However, Volvo isn’t planning to launch the truck to market until the second half of the current decade.

It is yet to be seen which system will ultimately win the race in the decarbonisation of commercial vehicles. There will most likely be a combination of different drives and energy sources – as varied as the applications in this sector.

In modern economies, 73 % of road-transported goods are hauled across distances of 150 km or less, and on routes for which no other mode of transport would be realistic. Less than 2 % are hauled across more than 1,000 km.

77 percent of all goods hauled in the European Union by road are transported by truck.

6.2 million trucks are in operation today on European roads.

0.2 percent of all current trucks have battery-electric drives.

Source: ACEA

 

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The first highly automated production vehicles that meet international requirements for a Level 3 system and are permitted to drive on public roads are already available on the market. These cars are able to take over the driving – although only on certain routes, for a restricted amount of time and in appropriate traffic situations. The person behind the steering wheel must always be able to take back control of the steering within a matter of seconds as soon as the system demands it.

“I don’t think we’re at the stage where we can have a snooze while the car drives us home after work,” says Uta Klawitter, Head of Central Legal Services and General Counsel at Audi. “For vehicles that are to be used in a private capacity, Europe still lacks technical frameworks for approving Level 4 automation. The earliest we can expect these is in 2024.”

Electric minibuses in scheduled services

If you’re lucky, you can already encounter certain driverless vehicles on some roads today. So-called “People Movers” are indeed already in operation in some cities, but only on a trial basis. For example, between summer 2021 and the end of June 2022, three highly automated e-minibuses were in service on two routes in Berlin. The shuttles, which were made by EasyMile, were able to detect traffic light systems thanks to V2X communication technology, and cross a main road thanks to LiDAR/3D vision systems which enabled them to detect open spaces and objects. By mid-May 2022, more than 20,000 passengers had already experienced what it is like to travel in a driverless vehicle – although, this is not entirely accurate: the shuttles still had a “chaperone” who could stop the minibus in an emergency, avoid potential obstacles and help mobility­impaired passengers.

On-demand transport in the Rhine-Main area

From 2023, the first autonomous on-demand vehicles are set to go into operation in the Rhine-Main area transport network, something that is expected to improve public transport across the region. With an autonomy capability of Level 4, the shuttles will be in operation in Darmstadt and the Offenbach region. People will be able to book them via the central on-demand app of the region’s transport association. “On-demand transportation is a highly attractive service for passengers, and so they offer huge potential for the mobility transition,” says Professor Knut Ringat, Managing Director of the RMV (Rhine-Main Transport Association).

“However, they are only economically viable on a large scale if they are in operation as an autonomous transport solution.”

A car that can park itself

An important milestone on the way to fully automated driving is Automated Valet Parking: the driver gets out of the car, for example at the airport, hands over control of the vehicle to the system via an app, and the car parks itself. For this, the vehicle is guided by smart sensors installed in the car park: camera ­systems in the car park monitor where the car is going and its surroundings, and provide the information required for steering the ­vehicle. This makes getting in and out of the car very convenient for the driver and saves them from having to hunt for a parking space. Furthermore, the individual vehicles can be parked in a much more space-saving manner, meaning that the total available parking area can be used 20 percent more efficiently. Other scenarios are also feasible: the vehicle drives itself through a car wash or to a charging robot, with any incurred costs being billed electronically, and the boot space of the parked car can be used as a parcel station by delivery services. None of these are dreams of the future: at the end of 2022, Bosch and Mercedes-Benz were given approval by the German Federal Office for Motor Traffic to develop such a fully automated parking system in car park P6 at Stuttgart Airport.

Car sharing with remote-­controlled cars

For those who can no longer wait to experience what it is like to drive around in an autonomous car, even within the city, can get a first impression in one of Vay’s vehicles. In this case, it is still a driver controlling the car, not technology, although the driver is not sitting in the car, but is at a teledrive station and driving the car remotely. The world’s first teledriving mobility service was launched for the car in 2022 in Hamburg.

“The electric car sharing fleet enables access to areas on a city’s outskirts that are not yet fully serviced by public transport, and thus offers a fast, convenient alternative to taking your own car, and helps to reduce traffic as well as noise and CO2 emissions,” says Anjes Tjarks, President of the Hamburg Authority for Transport and Mobility Transition.

Users can book a Vay car via an app that arrives within a matter of minutes, driven by a certified teledriver. The user then drives the vehicle themselves to their destination. Once there, they get out without having to park, as the teledriver takes back control of the car and teledrives the ­vehicle to the next customer. As the fully electric fleet will be able to operate at a high capacity, it will be able to reduce the number of vehicles as well as air pollution. The sharing nature of the service will also noticeably reduce road traffic as well as pressure to find a parking space. Alongside its teledriving project, Vay is also working on the gradual roll-out of autonomous driving functions in the system, as soon as this is safe and permissible.

However, Uta Klawitter from Audi says that the technology still has a number of challenges to overcome before we see fully automated vehicles driving through our towns and cities.

“It must be able to ensure that the highly automated driving functionality is seamless and, first and foremost, safe. Only then, and this is the second challenge, will it be accepted and trusted by society.”

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These days, private cars are still frequently considered an all-in-one solution for all mobility requirements: you can drive to the bakery around the corner or travel 1,000 kilometres with the whole family for a holiday by the sea. However, humans are increasingly realising that having your own car is neither ecological nor economically sustainable, because for most people, the car stands around unused for 96 percent of the time. But what is the alternative? Mobility as a Service, or MaaS for short, could be the answer.

Mobility solution at the press of a button

MaaS integrates different forms of transport and transport-related services in a single, comprehensive and needs-based mobility service. Users can access a mobility solution in just a single application and a single payment channel (instead of several ticketing and payment processes).

“The main concept of MaaS is to put the user at the centre of the transport services and to offer them tailored mobility solutions based on their individual needs,”

explains the European Mobility as a Service Alliance. The basis of this is to combine all available modes of transport – from walking and cycling, car sharing and using public transport, through to future air taxis. This gives passengers a flexible, seamless and uncomplicated travel experience at the press of a button and without having to use their own vehicle. Users receive real-time information about available transport options in one app and can use it to immediately book and pay for the one that is right for them.

Existing modes of transport, such as the private car or the train, are not excluded, but instead integrated. Maria Kamargianni, Professor of Transport Systems Innovation and Sustainability and the Head of MaaSLab at University College London (UCL) says:

“Public transport is the backbone of MaaS, and there are cities that are already meeting most user needs with this offering. When there is a good foundation and new things are launched on top of it, people will follow. But you need the foundation.”

Software as the technology basis

Digitalisation is the prerequisite for creating a MaaS offering, as explained by Paul Rogers, Sales and Marketing Director at Flowbird, a global provider of fare and payment systems for transport companies and authorities:

“Technology companies such as Flowbird have a key role to play in integrating transport network systems that contribute to a more seamless experience for people’s journeys. By making it easier to plan, pay for and fulfil journeys, we can support passengers and authorities and help to promote travel choices that support national and regional objectives, such as reducing congestion or lowering carbon emissions.”

There are three main technology solutions at the heart of a MaaS system: first of all, you need an app. Users can plan, book and pay for mobility services using the mobile application. In an ideal world, you would have different (providers of) transportation modes integrated in the app, for example bike sharing, public transport and hire cars. The network assets and systems are managed and monitored – including ticketing and payment infrastructure – via a cloud solution. Operators also have a real-time overview of the service and can analyse user behaviour and the use of different modes of transport.

The third element is the payment function: users can pay for mobility services from different providers (bike sharing, car sharing, public transport, etc.) using cEMV bankcards, a smartphone or smartwatch, or with smart tickets, for example. The basis for this are so-called “open payments”: they are helping to revolutionise financial services that fall under the general term “open banking” and enable third parties to access banking data in order to provide innovative services. Thanks to open payments, companies such as transport operators can manage and monitor payments without having to completely redesign their payment and ticketing systems. This enables the seamless connection of different transport service providers, who appear as a single service for the end user.

Open collaboration between all stakeholders

In order for MaaS to really work and be able to offer the best user experience, the various transport system service providers have to work together.

“A well-functioning MaaS ecosystem requires a lot of openness. Operators may be worried about losing their identity and brand, and so they prefer to have their own MaaS platforms or services that are only accessible to their own clients. But monopolising is not fair to the customer,”

says UCL Professor Maria Kamargianni. If the various stakeholders in the mobility sector can understand this, MaaS has the potential to revolutionise the transport industry, especially city transportation. It can reduce traffic and pollution because it makes using public transport more convenient and encourages people to leave their cars at home and use a common transport infrastructure.

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