[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6822\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFleets of compact e-vehicles could help battle air pollution\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s part of a push towards environmentally friendly transport options in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the sector. In 2015, transport accounted for a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eea.europa.eu\/data-and-maps\/indicators\/transport-emissions-of-greenhouse-gases\/transport-emissions-of-greenhouse-gases-10\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Equarter of all emissions\u003C\/a\u003E in the EU.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese small, light electric vehicles fall into the same transport category as scooters and three-wheelers, and are known as electric L-category vehicles, or ELVs. The idea is that they could help people change the way in which they use transport to improve their quality of life as well as the environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Narrow-track electric L-category vehicles especially are gaining recognition as vehicles that can cater to the average commuter\u2019s needs while emitting less, taking up less space and being quieter than cars,\u2019 said Serena Fruttaldo, project dissemination manager with a research project called RESOLVE.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project\u2019s main goal is to develop a manufacturing base of power train solutions ready to be applied to a large number of L-category vehicles. Its consortium includes two leading motorcycle manufacturers, Piaggio and KTM, plus a range of other manufacturers and organisations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERESOLVE is also developing components that would allow electric vehicles to tilt when they go around corners, with the aim of attracting people away from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles and into ELVs for daily urban commutes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u0026#039;The future is really promising for electric urban mobility.\u0026#039;\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003ESerena Fruttaldo, Project Dissemination Manager, RESOLVE\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGrowing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESales of hybrid and all-electric vehicles together are still estimated to account for only about 1% of the total EU market, but the segment has been growing in recent years. A recent economic report by ING bank predicts that\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ing.com\/Newsroom\/All-news\/Electric-cars-will-take-over-threatening-European-car-industry.htm\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Eall new car models sold in Europe will be electric\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;by 2035.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERESOLVE is also addressing the overall riding experience of electric vehicles \u2013 for example, by developing strategies to address concerns over the distance the vehicle can travel before the battery goes flat, and by understanding how tilting ELV vehicles could coexist on the streets with motorbikes, cars, heavy goods vehicles, public transport and bicycles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut it\u2019s more than just a set of wheels that needs to be transformed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The future is really promising for electric urban mobility,\u2019 said Fruttaldo. \u2018But the development of this kind of mobility needs the growth of infrastructures, smart services, sharing services and so on.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, other researchers are hoping to build on the success of bike-sharing schemes by designing stackable ELVs that people could pick up and drop off at different stations and which could then be easily redistributed around a city as required.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo save space, the vehicles could be stacked at the station and towed in trains of up to eight by an operator to redistribute them from full to empty collection points, with the goal of ensuring a continuous level of vehicle availability across all stations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea is for ELVs to be used in conjunction with other transport options in order to replace private vehicles in urban and suburban settings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMobility-as-a-service\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Richard Mounce, a transport researcher at the University of Aberdeen, UK, who works on the ESPRIT project, believes that systems such as this could assist in a shift towards the concept of mobility-as-a-service, whereby people could purchase a package of mobility options served by different modes of transport. ESPRIT vehicles could also be optimally positioned to target particular users, such as commuters, at particular times of day.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFares for use would be set depending on the local context, such as the price for public transport in the region and fuel costs, said Dr Mounce.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The important thing is that ESPRIT should not be in competition with public transport, but instead should complement it,\u2019 he added.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Stackable ELVs could be easily redistributed around cities to be available for people at specific times and places. Image credit - ESPRIT\u0022 height=\u0022443\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/ESPRIT-Train4.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022Stackable ELVs could be easily redistributed around cities to be available for people at specific times and places. Image credit - ESPRIT\u0022 width=\u0022983\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EStackable ELVs could be easily redistributed around cities to be available for people at specific times and places. Image credit - ESPRIT\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project has already built three prototypes of its vehicle and successfully driven them in a road train. However, it is as yet unclear what the regulations will be on ELVs and permissions would have to be gained at an EU level and in member states, said Dr Mounce. Furthermore, although ESPRIT plans to demonstrate a six-vehicle road train before the end of the project, the full eight-vehicle version will have been demonstrated only within a computer simulation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018There needs to be more research done on the modelling side, but also work on how to push it forward towards the market,\u2019 he said. Dr Mounce predicts that a full pilot would be feasible in two or three years\u2019 time, with possible larger-scale uptake over the next five to 10 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut increasing the popularity of ELVs means that there will have to be a ready supply of vehicles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Michael Karner at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.v2c2.at\/en\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EVirtual Vehicle Research Center\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Austria said: \u2018Today, the L-category vehicle market is not really in mass production.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe manages a project called EU-LIVE, which is developing a modular way of building electric and hybrid vehicles that allows the sharing and interchange of component parts between different vehicles and also reuses modified parts from the traditional automotive industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis means costs can be slashed and a variety of ELVs can be produced with limited time and effort. \u2018With modular components, you can really bring the time for development and manufacturing down,\u2019 said Dr Karner.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 12-strong industrial consortium built physical prototypes of a battery-only electric vehicle (BEV) in the form of a scooter, and a three-wheeled plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that is lightweight and narrow compared to cars, handles well in traffic and uses in-wheel motors and rotating doors to save space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Karner says the new wave of electric vehicles should be easier and quicker to recharge than current models, reducing the need for sophisticated equipment at specialist electric charging points. \u2018You could add a plug onto some of the lighting on streets,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Karner predicts that if the prototypes were taken forward, they could become commercially available in two to four years\u2019 time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018With the ongoing discussion about air pollution in cities causing possible traffic restrictions, and the concept and style of mobility itself currently undergoing transformation, I think there is a strong pull towards innovative solutions for clean and flexible transport,\u2019 said Dr Karner.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research in this article has been funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3\u003ETRA conference\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EThe Transport Research Arena conference (TRA) is Europe\u2019s main transport research event and every two years brings together researchers, professionals and policymakers to discuss the latest innovations in transport.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn the table for discussion in 2018 are topics including automated driving, zero-emissions ships and \u2013 for the first time \u2013 aviation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe conference is co-organised by the European Commission and relevant European Technology Platforms, which are industry-led bodies that work to promote innovation in sectors such as automotive, rail, shipping and logistics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt will be held from 16-19 April 2018 in Vienna, Austria, and more than 3 000 participants are expected. 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