wire - news in brief

The federal government has plans to tax electric vehicles to secure funding for road infrastructure.

An EPFL engineer has developed a forecasting model that factors in not just our commuting habits, but also our activities during the day.

AMAG Classic and Empa have jointly conducted a detailed and scientifically sound investigation into the compatibility of synthetic gasoline in classic cars. Engine components were tested for over a year and driving tests were carried out with selected classic cars. The result: classic cars can also be operated in a climate-friendly manner in the future, as synthetic gasoline can be used in older engines without hesitation.

Eight stakeholders from business, science and the public sector launched the first project for wireless charging of electric vehicles in Switzerland at the end of November 2023.

What happens when cities gear their road space primarily to the needs of cyclists and e-bikers? On a new popular-science website, researchers use examples from the city of Zurich to show what such an "E-Bike City" could one day look like. What would the streets look like if a city took half its traffic space and gave it to cycling and e-biking?

The range of transport services for people with disabilities varies greatly in Switzerland and is difficult to access due to complex organization and high prices.

We provide transport companies with information about our mobility behavior when we use various modes of transportation. Researchers at the University of Basel and two technology and mobility consulting companies have jointly investigated what requirements could be put in place to ensure this mobility data is better utilized.

The ZHAW requires additional space in Winterthur. The canton of Zurich will coordinate the further development of the university closely with the city of Winterthur and align it with its planning.

Students from ETH Zurich and Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts have broken the previous world record for acceleration with their hand-built electric racing car, mythen.

New vehicles are responsible for around ten percent of plastic demand in the EU, and the automotive sector is the number one consumer of raw materials like aluminum, magnesium, platinum group metals, and rare earth elements.

The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and the Swiss start-up Metafuels are developing a new process for producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). They are now collaborating on the construction and operation of the first pilot plant on the PSI campus to validate the technology and prepare it for large-scale commercial deployment in the near future.

Summer Series - Bachelor's project (5). Delivering sustainability in traffic is no easy feat. Could software that globally coordinates cars to avoid traffic jams and congestion be the answer? In 2019 drivers in Rome lost an average of 166 hours to traffic jams and congestion.

Eight ETH students are working on battery and hydrogen versions of an electric aircraft as part of the e-Sling focus project.

Synthetic fuels can make a contribution to achieving climate targets. But can they be used in conventional combustion engines without any problems? This question is being investigated by Empa in collaboration with the Swiss car importer AMAG.

EPFL has joined six other Swiss research institutions in CircuBAT, an initiative selected for the first Innosuisse Flagship program, in order to develop a circular business model for lithium-ion batteries.

Kurt Heutschi, a senior scientist in Empa's Acoustics / Noise Control lab, explains what noise does and why we perceive sound so differently.

The navigation software group HERE is taking over a software tool developed by Migros and Empa and making it available worldwide.

Kurt Heutschi, a senior scientist in Empa's Acoustics / Noise Control lab, explains what noise does and why we perceive sound so differently.

Together with teams from England and Germany, researchers developed a monitoring system for aircraft components.

Ambitions to make hydrogen a key energy carrier for a climate friendly future are misguided, says Anthony Patt.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed the process technology that can produce carbon-neutral transportation fuels from sunlight and air.

Urban brownfields represent a major challenge to sustainable transition that remains difficult to overcome.

UZH Space Hub and Airbus Defence and Space are sending an experiment into space on the next resupply flight to the International Space Station (ISS) with the aim of advancing the industrial production of human tissue in microgravity.

A team of EPFL engineers, in association with local businesses and authorities, are testing novel algorithms for the deployment of greener EV fast-charging stations.

Sociologists at EPFL conducted a survey of the factors that prompt people to select one form of transportation over another, and then compared the results from cities across Switzerland.

For Switzerland to become climate neutral, there's no way around electric mobility. But to get e-cars going, the public must push for charging stations where people live, argues Anthony Patt.

Cars that autonomously navigate from A to B are expected to be a common sight in a few years from now.

As part of his Master's project at EPFL's Urban Sociology Laboratory (LASUR) , Felix Boesch conducted a survey on the combined use of bicycles and trains in the Lausanne and Nyon urban agglomerations.

Olga Fink develops artificial intelligence algorithms for industrial assets, rolling stock and power plants.

During more than 90 approaches to Zurich Airport conducted under the leadership of the Swiss SkyLab Foundation, researchers from Empa and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) tested an assistance system that supports pilots via a display during quiet and, at the same time, fuel-efficient approaches. The results show a measurable reduction in noise emissions and fuel consumption.

Using exhaust gas measurements taken from the roadside, a team from the University of York and Empa was able to prove the Dieselgate scandal has led to positive results. The forced retrofitting of thousands of VW diesel engines saves the environment throughout Europe considerable amounts of Nitrogen oxide (NO x ).

The global economy is seeking to recover from the crisis caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, with the expected return to normalcy that could take several months, if not more.

Approach and landing are among the most complex phases of a flight.

The number of registrations of electric cars is rising sharply. But where to put old batteries' The association of Swiss car importers, "auto-schweiz", is striving for a recycling solution for the entire industry.

Diesel vans are dirtier in winter than many know: Where there are still gaps in emissions legislation, soot particles and nitrogen oxides (NOx) continue to be produced.

Empa is presenting sustainable fuels of the future at the Petroleum Association's stand in Hall 6 of the Geneva Motor Show.

For his thesis, EPFL PhD student Raphaël Lamotte studied rush-hour traffic congestion. He suggests implementing a system whereby commuters reserve time on a special traffic lane - like booking a seat on a flight - to help cities accommodate a growing number of car-sharing programs and, eventually, self-driving cars.

This year's Swiss Aerosol Award goes to Maria Muñoz. The Empa researcher investigated the emission behavior of so-called GDI engines (gasoline-direct injection).

Two EPFL researchers have just published a book highlighting the need for cities to adopt adequate governance mechanisms for their transportation systems.

A team of EPFL students will take part in the Swiss Train Challenge this Friday. The goal is to set foot in each of Switzerland's 26 cantons in less than 24 hours - relying solely on the country's public transport network.

The eDumper dump truck is the largest electric vehicle in the world and will be in operation in a quarry in Péry in the Bernese Jura from 20 April.