Transport

China has revolutionised new cars and it is only the beginning. The China Society of Automotive Engineers has come together to show carmakers and third-party suppliers aren’t sitting on their laurels and are planning a big 2027. These are the trends and tech to revolutionise it all again in 2027, according to the gaggle of engineers. This game-changing technology is becoming a reality. The futuristic cells are entering the pilot production stage with an energy density of 400Wh/kg, which is more than double that of conventional electric car batteries. Solid-state batteries are said to be more energy dense, less fire prone and faster to charge than current batteries. This means range can be doubled, or carmakers can use batteries half the size for the same driving range as current EVs. This will allow for lighter, more efficient EVs and will make electric utes, 4WDs and sports cars more palatable.  Nearly every carmaker and battery supplier on the planet is working on this. Watch this space. Harnessing the stored energy inside a car’s battery to power homes and neighbourhoods during times of high power demand and emergencies is the holy grail of EV capabilities. This technology isn’t just being trialled in China, but is also being tested in Australia where is is arguably more valuable. V2G when paired with solar can effectively allow owners to live off the grid and to earn money by sending power back to the grid during peak times. The infrastructure is what is holding it up, the majority of electric cars are not yet set up to handle V2G and it can void the warranty if owners try to use the tech now. Chinese carmakers such as BYD, Geely, MG and others are trialling die-casting using a magnesium alloy which is lighter, stronger and better at reducing vibration than current materials. The die-casting method will make for more affordable construction methods thanks to reduced components, while the material will make EVs more efficient and pleasant to drive via increased structural rigidity and reduction of NVH. This new tech could revolutionise mining operations with a group of trucks following a prescribed route - from the mine to port for example - with one elad vehicle and several following it along major roads. This helps reduce the cost of freight, improve safety and reduce fuel use due to the following vehicles benefitting from reduced drag. 3D printing is common, but an emerging tech is 3D printing using metal. It can be used to make vehicle structures and complex single-piece mouldings. There are numerous constraints currently with the technology, but it has the potential to reduce weight from fewer parts used. It can improve strength, durability and crash safety performance by creating a stiffer structure with fewer welds. The engineers society believe there will be significant breakthroughs next year. Low-cost metal powders are expected to be used as building materials, plus layer thickness to make sturdier structures and improved printing performance. This works by cars and infrastructure all talking to each other to help make collaborative scenarios.  This can help improve road safety with advanced identification of hazards and reduced crash scenarios. It can also help reduce traffic with traffic lights prioritising the flow of traffic in real time rather than on set parameters. It also allows for better pedestrian safety with the cars able to effectively see around corners and other blind spots thanks to integration with static infrastructure and public cameras.

When the current HiAce was launched in 2019, it was a no-brainer that this sixth-generation model would continue - or probably increase - Toyota's long-standing dominance of Australia's mid-sized (2.5-3.5 tonne GVM) commercial van market.

Transporting a car remotely is a bit of a boom industry right now. Online shopping for classic and collector cars, and motorbikes, has never been more popular as COVID-19 restrictions make travel (particularly interstate travel) impossible. But that also means that actually getting the purchase to its new owner requires the services of a transport company that can legally operate under those same

Don't go scooting down dark streets in fear anymore - you can now share your location on a Neuron rental e-scooter.

There’s long been a bit of a stench around diesel, but with the Volkswagen scandal and big cities in Europe now considering banning them, it seems to be a fuel source that’s more on the nose than ever

After what feels like a lifetime of unfulfilled promises, the only thing that seems more unlikely than flying cars actually taking off is that they might turn out to be a good idea, and yet a new study has shown they might be better for the environment th

Urban mobility company Lime has announced a new subscription service for its scooter and e-bike services in Australia. The LimePass subscription forgoes the $1 per ride fee that users would usually pay - instead, customers who are frequent users can subscribe to the service for $5.99 per week. So, if you use a Lime scooter or e-bike more than six times a week, you’ll be ahead. The service offers unlimited unlocks of bikes or scooters to users, though the usual distance-based charging remains. Mitchell Price, Lime’s head of government relations, said this subscription plan is the first of its kind in the world or urban mobility. “We know that more than 50 per cent of our riders worldwide trust Lime for their commutes and personal daily trips around the city. With our new LimePass service, we’re proud to offer them a more cost-efficient way to get around town and manage their busy schedules.” The subscription service is able to be activated through the Lime smartphone app. The company has also announced a new Group Ride function recently, which launched in Brisbane. Group Ride allows a single user to unlock multiple scooters using one account, and the brand reckons it could appeal to those who want to see their city with their friends or family.

Olympic and Paralympic Games partner Toyota has revealed its new APM (Accessible People Mover) electric vehicle, which will provide mobility for staff and visitors at the Tokyo 2020 Games. The APM is specifically designed to transport people to events and venues, including athletes and staff related to the Games, as well as visitors with particular accessibility needs such as elderly, disabled, pregnant people, and families with small children.  Toyota will employ around 200 units, and will also utilise the APM at non-event sites such as the Olympic Village. The vehicle is powered by a low-power, battery-electric powertrain, which provides 100 kilometres of driving range and a maximum speed of 19km/h. In the standard configuration, the APM has three seating rows. A driver and front passenger can use the front row, while the second row provides seating for three, and the third row provides seating for two.  When transporting passengers in wheelchairs, the layout can be adjusted to place one wheelchair rider in the second row, with anchor plates and ramps to improve safety.  The APM can also cater to injured event-goers, with a configuration that hosts relief staff workers and a stretcher.  It is unclear what will come of the 200 Toyota APM units once the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games comes to pass.

Are there trucks that can be driven on a car licence? How light is a “light truck”? The answer to all your car licence truck questions are right here.

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) leader Bill Shorten has proposed a plan to ramp up new EV sales to the point where they will make up half of all new-vehicle registrations by 2030, while also targeting the same result for government fleets by 2025. The EV strategy is part of the ALP's broader Climate Change Action Plan, and if new vehicle sales remain steady until 2030 it would represent approximately 600,000 new EVs hitting the road per year. It has not been specified in the plan whether the 50 per cent target includes hybrids such as the Toyota Prius or Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, or whether it is reserved for battery-electric vehicles like the BMW i3 or Hyundai Kona Electric. To spur a greater uptake, the ALP will introduce a financial incentive that allows businesses to immediately deduct 20 per cent off the price of any new EV valued over $20,000, while also mandating changes to EV charging infrastructure on both a federal and state level. According to estimates by Price Waterhouse Coopers, the policy can result in up to $2.9 billion being added to the economy by the end of the decade if the 50 per cent figure is reached, while also creating around 13,400 new jobs. The ALP is also proposing a vehicle emissions standard of 105 grams of CO2 per km for light vehicles – the same as in the US – however a clear timeline has not been disclosed. An emission standard will be applied to the retailer instead of the manufacturer, which according to the plan will "allow retailers to meet the standards by offsetting high-emissions car sales with low- or zero-emissions car sales". Australia's current best-selling passenger car, the Toyota Corolla, currently emits 148g/km of CO2 when equipped with the 2.0-litre petrol engine. The ALP has also flagged a refresh of the country's truck fleet while improving public transport networks, which account for nearly 20 per cent of air pollutants. Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) chief executive Tony Weber said Labor's policy will need extensive planning across the industry to be successful. "We have been calling for the implementation of an achievable emissions target for some time, so we welcome the opportunity to discuss this in more detail," he said. "The key is to implement achievable emissions targets, designed in consultation with industry, as part of the transport sector's contribution to lower overall emissions. "A well-thought-out introductory plan that includes tariff and tax relief, financial and non-financial incentives, and the provision of comprehensive infrastructure will need to be implemented if the targets are to be achieved." Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) CEO David Blackhall said the onus for low-emission sales should fall on the manufacturer, and not the car seller. "We accept the opposition's invitation to consult on the timeline and coverage of vehicle emissions standards but are concerned over the reference to these standards applying to car retailers," he said. "In the US and the EU, it is the manufacturer not the retailer that needs to adhere to vehicle emissions standards. "Dealers have limited influence over the product mix and the decision as to what cars are imported into Australia is entirely at the discretion of the manufacturers. In the end, dealers can only sell cars supplied to them."