ITS Monday: Edition 27 2024

Want to buy an electric car but unsure you can justify it? Here’s how the arguments against EVs stack up

From The Conversation, co-authored by John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney and Andrea Pellegrini, Lecturer, Sustainable Mobility, University of Sydney. “So you’re thinking of buying an electric car. Perhaps you want to save money on fuel, or reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, or both. After all, for Australia to reach net zero it needs to electrify vehicles (and expand public transport use). But you’ve heard arguments against electric cars: they have limited range and many owners can’t easily charge at home. They cost too much, resale values are poor and insurance costs are higher than for other cars. They’re also heavier and cause more damage to our roads. Alarmingly, the mining of some minerals used to make them involves modern-day slavery. Are these concerns warranted? Let’s walk through them.”

Related iMOVE article:

• Electric Vehicles: Info, Projects & Resources
  
• Alternative Fuels: Info, Projects & Resources
• FACTS: A Framework for an Australian Clean Transport Strategy
• The Conductor Series: The electrification of transport

Related iMOVE projects:

• EV batteries: Repair, refurbish, repurpose, recycle
• Second lives for electric vehicle batteries

Stress, lethargy, congestion: the unhealthy symptoms of Sydney’s transport system

“As toll prices continue to rise quarter on quarter, traffic congestion only seems to be getting worse. We often hear that Sydney is the most tolled city in the world, yet Australia’s most populous city still manages to have one of the slowest average speeds during peak hour, globally – 23km/h – according to the TomTom Traffic index.”

Related iMOVE content:

• Traffic Congestion: Info, Projects, and Resources
• The 30-minute city: Small decisions for big gains

Lighted crosswalks make drivers more apt to yield to pedestrians

“In areas with few streetlights, drivers are more than 3 times as likely to yield to pedestrians at illuminated crosswalks than at dark ones, a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows. At lighted crosswalks that also include flashing yellow warning beacons, drivers are more than 13 times as likely to yield.”

Related iMOVE project:

• Your Street, Your Say: Better streets for Darebin
• Safer cycling infrastructure: Design and policy

Related iMOVE content:

• Road Safety:Info, Projects, and Resources

NEC and Hayden AI team up to improve road safety for buses

“The vision AI platform will aid in keeping dedicated transit zones and cycle lanes clear of parking violations and reduce double parking that blocks roadways. Decreasing collisions will help in protecting passengers as they get on and off the bus.”

Related iMOVE content:

• Road Safety:Info, Projects, and Resources

Innovative smart seats aim to improve feelings of safety in public spaces

“UNSW Sydney industrial designers, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) urban technology planners and Transport for NSW have launched a new smart seating project to help enhance the usability and inclusivity of public space. The innovative outdoor benches feature motion-activated LED lighting and are monitored by AI technology to learn more about how people interact with their urban environments.”