MIT researchers at its SENSEable City Laboratory have unveiled a project in Copenhagen aimed at transforming bicycle use, promoting urban sustainability and building new connections between the city’s cyclists. The project, called SmartBiking, will utilize a novel self-organizing smart-tag system that will allow the city’s residents to exchange basic information and share their relative positioning with each other.

As part of the project, a prototype of a smart bicycle is being developed in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab’s Smart Cities Group. This hybrid bicycle harvests the energy created when braking and releases it while cycling. All hybrid-drive elements, including the battery, are packed in the rear wheel, which becomes a self-contained component that could be retrofitted on most existing bicycles.

A considerable fraction of [Copenhagen’s] energy comes from renewable sources and, unlike a few decades ago, 30 to 40 percent of its citizens use bicycles as their primary method of transportation. So our challenge was, ‘How can we enhance these dynamics of sustainability? And how can we use technology to make them more widespread?’
—Carlo Ratti, Director of MIT’s SENSEable City Lab, which is overseeing the Smart Biking project

Rumors that Toyota will send its iQ super subcompact to America appear to be true -- with one twist. Our sources indicate the iQ will debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November not as a Toyota, but as the latest addition to the Scion lineup.

Even though the tiny three-plus-one seat iQ (three adults, one child) was designed for Europe and Japan, there is a strong business case for bringing it here as a Scion.

Toyota, busy with the launch of the next-generation Prius, doesn't need another small gas sipper to steal its marketing thunder -- particularly one that could poach sales from the Yaris, the brand's other high miler.

The California Air Resources Board has begun enforcing recently enacted anti-idling program for diesel engines that will reduce particulate matter emissions throughout the state.

California ARB staff and local air quality officials throughout the state will monitor sleeper berths and commercial on and off-road diesel vehicles where they operate. First time violations, idling for greater than five minutes, will receive a minimum civil penalty of $300. Subsequent penalties can be from $1,000 to $10,000. Owners, renters or lessees will be responsible for the penalty.

Regulations limiting idling of on-road commercial diesel-engine vehicles to five minutes have been in effect for several years now and for sleeper berth trucks since January of 2008. The regulations addressing the idling of off-road diesel vehicles became effective in June of 2008. Industries were given a grace period allowing them to inform themselves and their staff of the new requirements.

Car manufacturers have cut average new car CO2 emissions by their biggest ever margin, reducing emissions by 3.8% over the first nine months of 2008. The average new car now emits just 158.6g/km, down from 164.9g/km at the end of 2007 and 16.4% down on the 189.8g/km base in 1997.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders' (SMMT) ninth annual sustainability report, to be launched today at the House of Commons, shows vehicle manufacturers continue to make significant reductions in the environmental impact of its products, throughout the whole life cycle of the vehicle.

Biofuels are still not available everywhere, but the new I-65 "biofuels corridor" means that from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast it's now possible to get some ethanol into your flexfuel tank. The corridor officially opened on yesterday with events in Indiana marking the end of a two-year project that began with a $1.3 million grant from the DOE to improve the E85 infrastructure in the Hoosier state. Basically, this means that there are regularly-spaced E85 pumps along I-65 now. Biodiesel, specifically B20, is also part of the promotion. The list of involved agencies and groups is somewhat numbing: Energy.IN.gov, Central Indiana Clean Cities Alliance, General Motors, South Shore Clean Cities, BioTenn, Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition, Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn, U.S. Department of Energy and American Lung Association of Indiana.

Fiat and AKQA have developed eco:Drive. A motor and technology first for linking drivers with in-car telemetry -- improving fuel efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions.

eco:Drive is the very latest in digital integrated technology. It is an easy-to-use computer application that connects your car to your PC. Using cutting-edge analytic software, eco:Drive dissects and evaluates your driving style and shows you ways to cut down on fuel consumption, reducing your CO2 emissions and saving you money. In fact, with consistent use of the application, you can expect to reduce your CO2 emissions by up to 15 per cent.