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If cars were fitted with ‘black box’ data recorders similar to those installed in aircraft, drivers would be 10 per cent less likely to be involved in a fatal collision and their repair bills would fall by as much as 25 per cent, according to a major study commissioned by the European commission. In the event of a crash, the in-car black...

Eddie Stobart, the trans-European haulage company, is hoping to reduce its annual CO2 emissions by 8,600 tonnes by taking 30 of its articulated lorries off the roads between southern Spain and England in favour of a weekly low-carbon rail freight trip. The Eddie Stobart train was loaded in Valencia on Tuesday with 30 refrigerated containers...

Nissan may be just about to start building the LEAF, the world’s first mass-produced electric car, but the company is already planning the vehicle’s successor; a two-seat city car that tilts like a motorcycle and uses a ‘car robotics-style’ crash avoidance system that directs the vehicle’s path away from obstacles. The Land Glider uses a...

The latest human-powered vehicle (HPV) from America is unlike any other bicycle that has come before it; the car/bike hybrid is based on a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado and sacrifices any attempt at efficiency or speed in return for traffic-stopping style. Photo reproduced by kind permission of John...

Cyclists in Lancashire have received a boost this week. The Highways Agency, an executive branch of the Department for Transport, has revealed that it has injected £220,000 into a cycling project along the A585 near Fleetwood. Under the scheme, construction work will be carried out on an 800 metre stretch of Amounderness Way at...

Dozens of major companies have committed themselves to the government’s new ‘cycle to work’ initiative. Under the scheme, private and public sector employers are encouraging their staff to ditch cars and public transport options for bikes, by providing enhanced cycling facilities. Designated storage spaces, changing areas and access to the...

Researchers in America are claiming to have found a "realistic" fuel alternative in pond algae. An increasing number of scientists are involved in the development of algae as a commercial fuel alterative and according to a team at Florida International University, algae-derived biofuel will be available sooner than expected. "I think it’s...

A hydrogen-powered fuel cell version of the Suzuki Burgman scooter will be tested in Britain from January 2010. Suzuki unveiled the bike at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show this month, and now a small number of the scooters will be making their way to Britain for testing by motoring journalists from the beginning of next year. The Burgman fuel...

Two British firms have joined forces to provide sustainably-produced hydrogen for use as a car fuel ITM Power sells technology that enables electricity generated from renewable sources to be converted into hydrogen, and researchers from its new partner Revolve claim to have developed a conversion mechanism that enables the average internal...

The latest folding bicycle has a neat solution to the problem of what to do when this type of bike needs carrying – the Bergmönch incorporates a backpack into its frame. The bike has an aluminium frame, full suspension, adjustable air suspension and disc brakes to make it ideally suited for off-road downhill riding, which is just as well as...