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Jason Ford
News editor
Getting there, going abroad and designing at home
The rise of the electric vehicle is gathering pace, thanks in part to smart grid technology, the integration of renewable energy, and necessary changing infrastructure.
This bullish assessment has been made by the organisers of Electric Vehicles - Understanding the rise of eMobility, a two day event taking place in London this week.
They claim in publicity material that automotive manufacturers have embraced the opportunity as an incremental shift towards carbon reduction, battery manufacturers are realising their future business case and the need to develop more sophisticated storage platforms, and utilities are seeking further understanding on how infrastructure changes and the electric transport market will impact supply and demand.
The conference, taking place at the Copthorne Hotel, will address perspectives from the industry, government, utilities, automotive, consumer, battery manufacturers and infrastructure providers, and enable attendees a full and in-depth overview of the current value chain.
Transport is very much on the agenda at Liverpool John Moores University this Thursday.
The North West Transportation Lecture 2012: The role of transport in delivering low-carbon growth will look at the challenges presented by supporting economic growth whilst minimizing carbon consumption and the impact this has on transport policy.
The 2012 Joint Institutes’ Lecture – organised by the Transport Planning Society – will hear from a panel of experts on what can be, and is being, done to meet these challenges, including how alternatives to the car help to support and deliver growth, and the necessity of changing travel behaviour.
In the Midlands, Aston University is opening its doors this Wednesday to present a research showcase evening.
The evening, which is free to attend and geared toward representatives from businesses and public sector organizations, will include short presentations from leading academics in areas including bioenergy, entrepreneurship and language used by female executives. Arrival will be from 4.30pm for drinks and canapés and the event will include time to speak with leading Aston researchers and to network with other attendees.
If the thought of a winter’s evening in Birmingham leaves you yearning for a fresh start then head to Edinburgh this weekend to see if your engineering talents could be better utilised in Australia, New Zealand or Canada.
The organizers of Canada Live & Down Under Live say engineering skills are in demand overseas and attendees are encouraged to come along to meet employers and recruiters who have real jobs in both countries.
Attendees will also be able to talk to immigration agents, migration specialists and a host of other specialists who are expert in every aspect of the emigration process.
Finally, what - other than being consumer products - do the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, the Meridian Audio M80 Hi-Fi and the Kenwood Juice Extractor have in common?
The answer is that they are a small selection of products born out of design in Cambridge over the past 40 years.
Readers have just ten days to catch the Design Icons exhibition currently taking place in Cambridge, which also includes the Sinclair C5 electric vehicle and the Moss Table, a concept that uses moss to produce energy through photosynthesis to potentially power low energy devices. Click here to learn more.
Readers' comments (4)
Ken R | 13 Feb 2012 12:49 pm
Hello Jason
Read through your article and feel you have lost sight of your engineering readership.
Organisation spelt with a Z and what is a ”current value chain.” Sounds like meaningless American Management speak and confuses rather than impresses.
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20 Cent | 13 Feb 2012 4:46 pm
What is the rush to report every small item with a link to electric vehicles. Does the Engineer magazine management have shares in the technology? Every article sounds like a positive spin advertisement.
The truth; electric vehicles are still hamstrung by lack of range, long refueling times, excessive manufacturing costs and sale price, dubious durability, and onerous recycling costs. Unless governments raise taxes on petrol and diesel to artificially force the issue they will always be a niche market.
Please concentrate on reporting mainstream engineering in mainstream articles and niche engineering in niche articles.
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Editor's comments | 13 Feb 2012 4:46 pm
The Monday Briefing is a round up of notable events that we hope will be of interest to our readership. Electric vehicles are emerging as an alternative to petrol or diesel driven vehicles and events for stakeholders form part of this evolution.
Barrie J Yates | 13 Feb 2012 4:55 pm
Electric Vehicles are part of the future for our transport. BUT to cope we need a huge increase in electricity generation. This in reality means building a fleet of Nuclear Stations. As they work best at a constant output, they are ideal for overnight charging of vehicle batteries.
Sorry I'm late, the wind didn't blow today, will not be an acceptable excuse for flat batteries! When will our leaders realise that reliance on Wind Power is a waste of money?
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mike blamey | 17 Feb 2012 3:45 pm
Like the comments about 'air-power' being something that politicians dream up: the advantage they have is that their air is already hot! Presumably even more energy intensive,
I am reminded of a joke told by my grandfather.
Favoured son leaves home for Australia in the 30s. Every month he writes home defining his successes and calling such 'another feather in his cap' This goes on for several years
Come the start of bad times, he is destitute and writes to his parents for the money to return home.
'Tell you what son, take all those feathers out of your cap, put them elsewhere in your body and fly home.'
Wind power has many uses: some even positive. I hope that the 'towers' that are starting to litter the country and seas of our island will actually create more energy than they consume. But if politicians are involved, I doubt it!
Mike B
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