Street lighting is not only bad for the environment but it also encourages crime and is often ineffective at reducing road accidents, the Royal Commission of Environmental Pollution (RCEP) has claimed.

On the publication of its new report ‘Artifical Light in the Environment’, the commission said that there was an ‘urgent need’ for Government to recognise that artificial light is a harmful pollutant when used inefficiently.

The report studied the effect of ‘light pollution’ as it is know, which causes the loss view of the night sky and stars to find how it impacts on people as well as on nature and ecosystems. Artificial lighting is not just an energy drain, costing councils millions in electricity to operate each year and contributing to the UK’s carbon footprint but the light itself is know to play havoc with plants and animals and can even be damaging to human health. The orange glow often seen at night in urban areas has already been blamed for altering the behavioural patterns of animals and for causing stress in humans.

Although street lighting is useful to create a sense of security and enable mobility during night time according to the report, artificial light can also adversely encourage crime rather than discourage it. Badly designed and located street lighting can cause glare leading to the creation of dark shadows which can help rather than hinder criminal activity.

Meanwhile street lighting is effective at reducing road accidents in areas where cars and pedestrians meet such as residential roads but is ineffective on motorways.

Sir John Lawton, Chair of the Commission, said: “We heard evidence to suggest that more light isn’t always better in terms of reducing crime or the incidence of road traffic accidents.

“There are around 7½ million road lights in the UK. Over 2 million are nearly 30 years old and will therefore need to be replaced in the next couple of years. This presents a real opportunity for local authorities to think about minimising the negative impacts of stray light, for the benefit of both nature and the general public.”

The Commission also raised concerns about a move towards replacing existing yellow/orange road lighting, which does not affect many organisms, with more modern broader wavelength lighting, which is likely to be detected by a greater number and variety of organisms, could lead to significant impacts on natural systems.

The RCEP is calling on local authorities to consider alternatives to simply providing more light, such as using new lighting technologies coming on-stream, and dimming or turning off lights in quieter areas where they are not needed.

Japanese manufacturer Nissan has made it clear that it sees electric power as the future of the automotive industry – and now it is working on a lithium-ion battery that can power an electric car for 190 miles on a single charge.

According to reports in the Nikkei, the distance would be nearly double the range of the LEAF, Nissan’s first all-electric car that is scheduled to go on sale in late 2010 across Japan, the United States and Europe. Now, Nissan hopes to have the new battery ready to be incorporated in electric vehicles by 2015.

The incredible advancement has been achieved by adding nickel and cobalt to the main material of a lithium-ion battery’s positive electrode, manganese. The enhanced battery can store about twice as much electricity as batteries with positive electrodes that are only made from manganese.

Reports in the Nikkei suggest that the battery will be robust enough for practical use and able to withstand about 1,000 charge cycles. The company estimates that the battery will cost about the same as regular lithium-ion batteries to produce as it only contains a small amount of the expensive cobalt.

The news follows on from company chief executive Carlos Ghosn’s declaration that Nissan would make rechargeable batteries for electric cars a “core business” at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Not to be outdone by its Japanese rivals, Mazda will lead the way in a new project aimed at testing a low carbon transport system that uses clean energy.

The company will provide three Mazda Demios (Mazda2s) for conversion to electric vehicles as part of the project in collaboration with Itochu Corporation and other companies in conjunction with Tsukuba City for the Tsukuba Environmental Style Test Project that is scheduled to begin in March, 2010. The aim of the project is to assess a low carbon energy network composed of electric vehicles, fixed battery stations, solar panels, a car sharing service and rapid chargers.

Mazda has adopted a policy aimed at improving its internal combustion engines and then combine them with electric devices. This includes the i-stop idling stop system, regenerative braking and hybrid systems. Now it aims to strengthen the base of future research and development activities.

Its main initiatives will include testing the viability of reusing electric vehicle batteries in fixed battery stations; testing a model to optimally use renewable energy in electric vehicles; and testing the viability of a new electric vehicle car sharing system to accelerate a low-carbon transport society. 

The additional organisations that will play a role in the project include the Itochu Corporation as the project leader; Family Mart, which will provide sites at convenience stores; Itochu Enex, which will provide sites at service stations; Kyuki which will provide rapid charges; Think and Tokyo R&D, which will both provide electric vehicles; and EnerDel Inc US, which will supply vehicle batteries and fixed batteries.

Also contributing will be Seiko Electric for fixed battery system integration; Itochu Techno-Solutions for ICT technology and a data centre; Windcar Car with a sharing service; Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation and Nippon Car Solutions both for car sharing; and Ecosystem Japan with solar panel systems.

Its spiritual home may be in Germany, but after enjoying significant growth in South America, Volkswagen will invest €2.3billion in new products and manufacturing capacity expansion in Brazil between 2009 and 2014.

Having set a target to sell one million vehicles a year in the country within five years, Volkswagen will spend big to support the development of new products and the expansion capacity of Anchieta Taubate and its engine plant in San Carlos.

Currently, Volkswagen do Brazil has a daily production capacity of 3,000 vehicles and is already the country’s largest car manufacturer. Indeed Volkswagen also has the largest dealer network in the Brazilian automotive industry with 600 dealers located across the country. Deliveries to customers have risen by 70 per cent since 2005 to 585,000 units in 2008 with local production expected to exceed 800,000 vehicles this year.

During this year and next year, Volkswagen will launch 26 product innovations in the country having already rejuvenated its product range over the last two years with the introduction of the new Gol, Saveiro, Voyage and Fox. The new Cross Fox will debut at the end of November, with the Passat CC, Tiguan and Eos available as imports.

Brazil is widely viewed as a market with huge growth potential – statistics indicate that there is currently only one vehicle per seven inhabitants of the country, compared to Germany where there is one vehicle for every two inhabitants. Vehicle density is expected to grow rapidly in Brazil to one vehicle per four inhabitants over the next five years.

UK based Elektromotive is making headway in the electric vehicle recharging market after appointing ThePluginCompany to install networks of charging stations across Belgium and Luxembourg.

Pilot schemes will begin almost straightaway, with 20 Elektrobay units to be installed in the country by the end of the year with further rollouts planned in 2010.

The first project starts in Brussels at the headquarters of LeasePlan, the world’s largest vehicle management and leasing provider. Installations at other LeasePlan locations will follow next year, supporting the company’s commitment to increasing the availability of both low and zero emission vehicles within its European fleet.

In addition, Elektromotive and The PluginCompany will work together to educate businesses and legislators in Belgium and Luxembourg about the benefits of zero emission motoring as well as the need for compatible recharging infrastructures. They will then detail the steps that can be taken to quickly implement the Elektrobay networks ahead of the arrival of new electric and plug-in hybrids which are scheduled to be launched over the next three years.

The first Elektrobay was introduced in Westminster, London, in 2006 and by December 2009 there will be more than 120 across the capital with a further 90 charging stations installed in cities and shopping centres around the UK. Elektromotive has also exported its technology to the Netherlands, Iceland, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Germany and Sweden.

With the staff of the California Air Resources Board suggesting that the regulations for zero emission vehicles need to be revamped, the board will now conduct a public meeting to determine whether a so-called ‘ZEV II’ will get the green light.

A board meeting is scheduled for December 9-10 in Sacramento with the objective to receive feedback on staff’s preliminary assessment and to provide the board with views on how a revised zero emission vehicle programme could complement the revisions to the low emission vehicle programme that is expected to be proposed late next summer.

It is the latest in a series of events that began in March 2008 when the Air Resources Board adopted resolution 08-24 directing staff to review the low emission vehicle programmes, strengthen the zero emission vehicle programme for model years 2015 and beyond, and focus on zero emission vehicles and advanced technology.

The recommendations include:

- A shift from zero emission vehicle regulation to address greenhouse gas emission reductions as well as criteria pollutants emission reductions.

- Partial zero emission vehicles to be removed from the zero emission vehicle regulation as they are now commercial.

- Advanced technology, such as hybrids, to be removed from the zero emission vehicle regulation as they are now commercial.

- The setting of a goal to help low greenhouse gas emitting technologies to commercialisation including fuel cell vehicles, electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

A white paper has been published summarising possible changes to the regulation along with attachments on the Air Resources Board website, which you can visit here.

Improved combustion, lower fuel consumption and fewer emissions – they are the goals of the new Fiat 1.3 Multijet II diesel engine – which will make its first appearance in the Fiat 500 and 500C models.

The engine, which comes with start and stop fitted as standard, has a maximum output of 95hp at 4,000rpm and delivers a torque of 200Nm at 1,500rpm.

The new power unit delivers a top speed of 112mph and accelerates from 0-62mph in 10.7seconds with low consumption and emissions at 60.3mpg and 104g/km respectively. It has been developed by Fiat Powertrain Technologies and is the second generation of the Multijet power units.

The first was capable of managing up to five consecutive injections in the same combustion cycle and was based on a hydraulic servovalve with an unbalanced shutter that required small sealing diameters and longer strokes. Now, the Multijet II uses a balanced hydraulic servo valve which allows a larger sealing diameter with reduced shutter strokes.

The 95hp engine on the Fiat 500 and Fiat 500C models will be equipped with a variable geometry turbocharger that ensures optimum turbo-charging throughout the operating range. Fuel consumption has been cut by up to eight per cent thanks to the start and stop system that switches the engine off temporarily and then restarts it. The engine also features a particulate filter to improve efficiency even more, particularly in the first few moments of cold starting.  

The new engine will be available on all trim levels with an on-the-road list price that starts at €13,900.

The potential sale of General Motors’ Saab brand has fallen through after Koenigsegg Group AB terminated its agreement to purchase the company.

GM and Koenigsegg had initially signed a stock purchase agreement regarding the sale of 100 per cent of the shares of Saab Automobile AB in August. Conditions to the sale included funding commitments with Swedish Government support and guarantees; as well as transitional assistance from GM. In September, Koenigsegg then signed a memorandum of understanding with Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings Co Ltd in an effort to explore growth opportunities in the Chinese market for Saab Automobile and BIAC.

Now however, the sale has fallen through with the news confirmed by GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson who said he was “very disappointed”. He commented that many people had worked tirelessly to create a substantial plan for the future of Saab and that the company would now take several days to assess the situation and evaluate what the next step should be.

The decision comes just a month after General Motors decided not to sell the Opel/Vauxhall brand – it is currently working on the reorganisation and financing of the brand.

The advancement of the US Smart Grid has taken another significant step forward after the US Department of Energy agreed to award $620million to projects across the country aimed at advancing Smart Grid technologies and integrated systems.

In total, 32 projects will benefit including those focusing on large-scale energy storage; distribution and transmission system monitoring devices; plug-in vehicles; and smart meters.

The funding has been divided into two areas: the first group, consisting of 16 awards, totals $435million and supports fully integrated Smart Grid demonstrations in 21 states. The second group features another 16 awards at a total of $185million aimed at funding utility scale energy storage projects that will enhance both the reliability and the efficiency of the grid.

Several of the projects will involve regional demonstrations of plug-in vehicles, including:

-         Columbus Southern Power Company – Will demonstrate smart grid infrastructure for 110,000 customers in the state and will include 13 different technologies from the substation to the customer including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

-         Los Angeles Department of Water and Power – Along with a consortium of local research institutions, this project deploys smart grid systems at partners’ university campus properties and technology transfer laboratories. It will gather data on how customers use energy in a variety of systems and how to integrate plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on to the grid.

-         Centre for the Commercialisation of Electric Technologies – The project includes the installation of synchrophasors to enhance monitoring of grid conditions as variable wind resources move through the system as well as looking at the use of integrated technologies including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

-         Pecan Street Project – Focuses on developing and implementing an Energy Internet micro-grid in Austin, Texas, to build on existing Smart Grid programmes. It will link 1,000 residential smart meters, 75 commercial meters and plug-in electric vehicle charging sites.

-         NSTAR Electric & Gas Corporation – The project will demonstrate the use of advanced sensors and monitoring instrumentation networks in downtown Boston to boost reliability and safety. It will also increase the system’s capacity to integrate technologies such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Researchers at the City College of New York are developing a new way to generate power for planes and road vehicles, which would source electricity from air flow.

Using short, flexible piezoelectric cantilever beams which convert the kinetic energy of motion into electricity, the researchers believe the power generated could scavenge otherwise wasted energy from the environment.

Their idea was presented at the 62^nd Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics at the Minneapolis Convention Centre. The researchers experimentally investigated devices placed inside turbulent wakes of circular cylinders at Reynolds numbers of 10,000 and found that the power could run some systems, such as batteries, that would be used to charge control panels and small electronic devices.

When the device is placed in the wake of a cylinder the flow of air causes the devices to vibrate in resonance. On the roof of a car, they would shake in a more unsteady flow known as a turbulent boundary layer.

Two mechanisms contribute to the driving force – the first is the impingement of induced flow and the second is the low pressure core region which is present at the opposite side of the beam. When they combine, the beam generates maximum energy output that varies dependent on the location of the wake.