The transition from fossil to renewable fuels is one of the most important challenges of the future. The SUN-to-LIQUID project takes on this challenge by producing renewable transportation fuels from water and CO2 with concentrated sunlight: The project, which is funded by the EU and Switzerland, now succeeded to demonstrate the first synthesis of solar kerosene. […]
Smart Device Detects Food Contaminants in Real Time
Some consumers place importance on locally grown or organic food. Others want the products they purchase to look and taste good. Yet others focus on low prices. However, no matter what their other requirements, everyone would like their food to be free of contaminants, which makes it quite worrying that over 97 percent of European […]
Combined Technologies for Hybrid Composite Car Parts
A fully automated prototype production cell is up and running, manufacturing hybrid composite material parts. This success underlines the potential for automotive and other industrial sectors to replace existing metal parts with lightweight multi-material components. The production cell is located at the site of an industrial partner in the EU-funded FlexHyJoin (Flexible production cell for […]
New Technology Aims to Boost Wind Energy Efficiency in Europe
Researchers are developing tools to substantially reduce the operations and maintenance costs of wind farms. The novel tools will be tested on three European wind farms in 2020. The EU has set an ambitious goal to become a world leader in renewable energy. Given that this is a relatively young industry, renewable sources aren’t exploited as […]
Hydrokinetic Energy from Running Water Cleanly Charges Electrical Vehicles
Lif-E-Buoy takes advantage of the natural hydrokinetic energy of running water—abundantly available in most river-based urban centers—to generate clean energy for electric vehicles and infrastructure. EU-supported for the lif-E-Buoy project has enabled researchers to undertake a feasibility study into the production of the first commercial hydro powered electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. While the steady […]
Innovative Steering System Meets Needs of Disabled and Autonomous Driving
Current adaptable systems that enable people with physical disabilities to drive compare poorly with conventional vehicle controls like steering wheels. An EU initiative has addressed this challenge. The physically impaired may be unable to drive cars with a standard steering wheel, depending on the type of disability, and need a customised input device like a […]
Heating Up the Electric Vehicle Market
When driving your car on a cold winter day, you probably don’t even think about staying warm. You simply start the engine, adjust the heat and set off. The reason you don’t freeze while driving is that the car’s internal combustion engine produces residual heat that warms up the inside of the vehicle. But as […]
Toward Temperature-Resilient EVs
The OSEM-EV project has come up with an entirely new concept of heat management for electric cars. These advances should enable a new generation of EVs with a greater and more predictable driving range. Limited driving range is widely acknowledged as being the main obstacle to electric vehicle (EV) market growth. And whilst increased capacity […]
Semiconductors for Higher Efficiency, Comfort and Affordability of EVs
Electric cars are increasingly complex and frequently recalled. But does it necessarily have to be that way? A post-market in-vehicle diagnostics system and semiconductor-based technologies developed under the 3Ccar project promise greater integration of car systems, as well as constant monitoring and updates to prevent failures. 3Ccar (Integrated Components for Complexity Control in affordable electrified […]
The Bus of the Future
By 2050, two thirds of the world’s population will live in cities. Finding ways to improve mobility for these people has now become a priority. Studies show that the most efficient way to travel in densely populated areas in terms of urban space and energy consumption is by public transport. The EU-funded EBSF_2 project is […]