Transport

Rethinking transport: Driving Europe towards sustainable mobility

As cutting emissions out of transport gains in political and scientific importance, Diego Garcia Carvajal writes during European Mobility Week that the time is ripe to embrace electric cars on a grand scale.

World’s first hydrogen train leaves station in Germany

The world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger train service began operating in Germany on Sunday (16 September), while EU ministers debated the future potential of the clean fuel at an informal summit in Austria this week.

From transport to street lighting: The emergence of smart city platforms

Uber and Airbnb have shown how city services can be transformed by platform offerings. Developing the right platforms will be key for cities to ensure that their economies, environment, and services are fit for the future, writes Eric Woods.

EC should not rush connected car proposals

DG MOVE has a very important decision to make this autumn. Under its own timetable, it is due to release fast-track proposals to define the technical solutions connected cars will be bound by for years to come.

Mayors call for annual Europe-wide car-free day

The mayors of Brussels and Paris have called for an annual car-free day for all of Europe, citing initiatives in their cities that have driven down pollution. But a recent damning report by the EU Court of Auditors revealed there is plenty of work left to do.

Hard Brexit may stop Eurostar trains entering France: French minister

Eurostar trains heading from London to Paris may not be allowed into France if there is no Brexit deal and sufficient preparations have not been made, France's European Affairs minister said on Thursday (13 September).

TRACECA could have been the backbone of Belt and Road

In the early 1990’s, the EU had actually paved the way for Euro-Asian connectivity programmes with TRACECA, a programme meant to promote regional transport dialogue. However, its attention to the initiative dwindled over the years, writes Nicola Contessi.

Ryanair CEO warns hard Brexit will ground flights

Ryanair's chief executive stepped up his warning about the risk of flights between Britain and Europe being grounded for days in the wake of Britain's exit from the European Union next March, saying there had been no assurances on the issue.

British Airways hacking: Data breach strikes thousands of customers

A highly coordinated cyber attack has hit the UK's largest airline, British Airways, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of customers, with masses of financial and personal data stolen by hackers in what BA boss Alex Cruz called "a very sophisticated, malicious attack."

‘Chicken and egg’ electric cars spark debate about battery charging

Carmakers and e-mobility advocates continue to be at odds over whether lack of choice of electric vehicles or lack of charging infrastructure is the main thing holding Europe back from embracing a transport revolution. A new study insists that there are chargers-a-plenty already.

CO2 limits on cars risk ‘social catastrophe’, industry says

The European Commission may have underestimated the impact a “forced push” for more electric cars could have on EU jobs, Europe's leading carmaker association has said as lawmakers begin in earnest to look into newly proposed limits on CO2 emissions.

Europe can lead the way in driverless vehicles, MEPs say

The EU should take steps to accelerate the process of putting self-driving vehicles onto Europe's roads to avoid being left behind China and the US, MEPs in the European Parliament’s transport committee said during a debate on Wednesday (29 August).

‘Absurd’ Genoa bridge collapse triggers nationalisation row

Italy’s deputy prime ministers are in disagreement over whether the country’s motorway network should be nationalised following the tragic bridge collapse in Genoa on 14 August.

Truck makers push back against EU’s first ever CO2 limits

The European Commission’s proposal to mandate a 15% cut in CO2 emission from trucks by 2025 is overly ambitious, according to industry association ACEA, which said a 7% objective would be more “realistic” given the technologies currently available.

Merkel speaks out against more ambitious EU climate targets

German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke against setting more ambitious EU climate targets on Sunday (26 August) but supported the idea of a transition towards a decarbonised transport sector. 

Electric trucks are necessary and coming anyway

Electric trucks will come – and fast. More and more studies show that they are not only feasible to build, but also profitable to operate. And zero emission trucks will be needed to meet the Paris climate goals, write Stef Cornelis and Thomas Earl.

No toying around with air quality for city dwellers

Vehicle access restrictions have come under fire from the FIA motor car users group, which argues they are a whimsical instrument that cities spontaneously decided to employ. In fact, it was the car industry that was playing with real-world driving emissions, writes Karen Vancluysen.

Shipping giant announces trial run of Arctic sea route

Danish shipping company Maersk will this week send for the first time one of its ships along the Northern Sea Route, an Arctic shipping lane along Russia’s northern coastline that is set to become more important as climate change makes it more viable.

Stricter CO2 standards for vehicles are not the reason for job losses

Despite negative media reports, environmental regulation cannot be blamed for the coming upheavals in the automobile sector. Daniel Rieger explains.

Italy PM declares state of emergency after bridge collapse killed 39

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte declared on Wednesday (15 August) a state of emergency covering the region around Genoa after a bridge collapse killed 39 people and severed the port city's mainland corridor with southern France.

Ryanair laments ‘unnecessary’ strike, as pilots aim to ‘strengthen our rights’

Ryanair pilots in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden are staging a 24-hour strike on Friday (August 10) in one of the most severe examples of strike action in the company’s history. The low-cost carrier has branded the action "unjustified" and "unnecessary".

EURACTIV’s summer picks

It’s been a busy first half of the year, so as we take a well-earned short break this summer, catch up on some of the timeless stories that already made waves in 2018.

Devil in the detail of Europe’s 2050 transport model

As the EU puts together a mid-century climate strategy, Carlos Calvo Ambel explains how the Commission’s choice of modelling could be severely underestimating what emission cuts can be gained from the transport sector.