Published 8 January
Cities are home to over 70 % of the EU population and account for some 85 % of the Union's GDP. Most journeys begin and end in cities. In many urban areas, however, increasing demand for urban mobility has created a situation that is not sustainable: severe congestion, poor air quality, noise emissions and high levels of CO2 emissions. Urban congestion jeopardises EU goals for a competitive and resource-efficient transport system. .With the Urban Mobility Package, the Commission reinforces its supporting measures in the area of urban tr
Published: 19 December 2013
Volvo Cars will play a leading role in the world’s first large-scale autonomous driving pilot project in which 100 self-driving Volvo cars will use public roads in everyday driving conditions around the Swedish city of Gothenburg.The ground-breaking project ‘Drive Me – Self-driving cars for sustainable mobility’ is a joint initiative between Volvo Car Group, the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Transport Agency, Lindholmen Science Park and the City of Gothenburg.Published: 7 August 2013
Buses that operate silently and with no emissions, which pick up passengers at indoor stops and run on renewable electricity — this will be the reality for an ultramodern bus route in Gothenburg starting in 2015. The technology will provide completely new opportunities for public transport in the cities of the future. Behind the initiative is the Volvo Group, in collaboration with the Swedish Energy Agency, Västra Götaland Region, the City of Gothenburg, Göteborg Energi, Västtrafik, Lindholmen Science Park and Johanneberg Science Park.Published: 19 March 2013
Road fatalities across the EU have decreased by 9% in 2012. According to new figures published by the European Commission today, 2012 saw the lowest number of people killed in road traffic in EU countries since the first data were collected.Vice-President Siim Kallas, Commissioner for transport, said, "2012 was a landmark year for European road safety, with the lowest ever number of road deaths recorded. A 9% decrease means that 3,000 lives were saved last year. It is hugely encouraging to see these kinds of results. StPublished: 28 February 2013
The European Commission published today new guidelines on how Member States should use financial incentives to best increase demand for low CO2 emission vehicles.Currently, rules on financial incentives differ across the EU, but a common framework could help facilitate the assembly of larger quantities of such vehicles, prompting lower prices for consumers. Incentives can be useful instruments to foster the low CO2 producing vehicle industry, but they can also create trade distortionsPublished: 20 February 2013
Geely Holding, majority owner of Volvo Car Corporation (Volvo Cars) and Geely, will establish a Research and Development Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Centre will develop a new modular architecture and set of components for future C-segment cars, addressing the needs of both Volvo Cars and Geely. The Centre will be run by Mats Fägerhag, currently Vice President at Product Strategy within Volvo Cars, and leverage on the Volvo technology leadership within Geely Holding. The new R&D Centre will employ approximately 200Published: 24 January 2013
The European Commission today announced an ambitious package of measures to ensure the build-up of alternative fuel stations across Europe with common standards for their design and use. Policy initiatives so far have mostly addressed the actual fuels and vehicles, without considering fuels distribution. Efforts to provide incentives have been un-co-ordinated and insufficient.Clean fuel is being held back by three main barriers: the high cost of vehicles, a low level of consumer acceptance, and the lack of recharging and refuelPublished 18. December 2012
PRESS RELEASE: Chalmers University of Technology is one of five partners behind a new centre for research on traffic safety, which opened today in Beijing. The China Sweden Research Centre for Traffic Safety signals closer cooperation between Sweden and China in the field of transportation.In China, which is the world's largest market for passenger cars and heavy trucks, traffic safety has emerged as an increasingly important issue for both the ChinePublished: 31.October 2012
Europe takes a major step forward in vehicle safety on 1 November 2012 as a basket of new safety requirements for new types of motor vehicles comes into force. Measures which become mandatory include safety belt reminders, safety requirements for electric vehicles, easier child seat anchorages (ISOFIX), better protection of passengers against the displacement of luggage in case of the accident and tyre pressure monitoring system. In addition, cars will be also equipped with gear shift indicators tPublished: 8.November 2012
The action plan presented by the European Commission today (see IP/12/1187) aims to help strengthening the EU's automotive industry between now and 2020. It builds on the vision for industry competitiveness and sustainability in 2020 and recommendations how to achieve this vision contained in CARS 21 Final Report (MEMO/12/419). On this basis, the Commission proposes concrete actions to be takpublished 8.November 2012
With 12 million sector-related jobs the automotive industry is vital for Europe's prosperity and job creation. The EU needs to maintain a world-class car industry, producing the most energy efficient and safe vehicles globally and providing high-skilled jobs to millions. To make this happen, the European Commission tabled today the CARS 2020 Action Plan aimed at reinforcing this industry's competitiveness and sustainability heading towards 2020.The Commission proposes a massive innovative push bySAFER Insight is the first comprehensive portal in advanced traffic safety education on an international level. The purpose of SAFER Insight is to provide you, as a student or professional, with courses and seminars in vehicle and traffic safety.Further information: http://www.saferinsight.se/
12 December 2012Paris Town Hall, Paris (France)Invitation.pdf
Published 3.July 2012
An exciting trend in West Sweden is the new OEMs who combine experience and knowhow from conventional vehicle manufacturing with innovative technology. They begin small but aim high and have clear objectives — low environmental impact and high energy efficiency with a focus on professional users.
Third overall position on the competition in which they challenged 70 universities from all over the world The team “Squadra corse” of the Politecnico di Torino is back on the podium, last weekend they won third place overall in the Formula SAE Italy Electric on the circuit of Varano de Melegari (PR), an outstanding result. The competition, in its eighth edition, saw 2,000 students coming from 70 universities from all over the world, who competed in the planning, design and construction of vehicles manufactured entirely by them. It is a real engineering challenge, with t
Published 17.September 2012 Lindholmen Science Park has been granted 9 million SEK by Vinnova to the CLOSER project SENDSMART. Fifteen partners in Gothenburg will invest the same amount, over a two-year period. The project will develop and introduce new solutions for goods transport in Gothenburg.The SENDSMART project will be led by CLOSER, the Swedish arena for transport efficiency, at Lindholmen Science Park. A consortium has been formed for the project, where fifteen parties in Gothenburg jointly invest the same amount as Vinnova.&n
Published 13 July 2012
Vehicle checks are fundamental to road safety. More than 5 people die on Europe's roads every day in accidents linked to technical failure. So today the European Commission has adopted new rules to toughen
In May this year the testing facility AstaZero received green light to start construction. AstaZero is currently the only test facility in the world specifically developed for tests and research surrounding active safety. The facility is strategically placed in the centre of the West Sweden automotive cluster and the assembled expertise that exists within the field of safety.
The headquarters of the Piedmont Region Directorate for Innovation, Research and University hosted on the 16th of May 2012 the "SAGE - Regional Workshop Torino".
With this workshop the Italian partners of the SAGE consortium – Regione Piemonte, Politecnico di Torino and Centro Ricerche - illustrated SAGE project and activities to more than 80 participants, but also:
Three days (19. – 21. March) the SAGE consortium worked on cooperation strategies for safe and green vehicle concepts in the future.„Future urban mobility“The meeting took place in the New Town Hall and the IT-Speicher in Regensburg. It has been organised by the City of Regensburg that also coordinates the Regensburg e-mobility cluster. Among the more than 25 participants were representatives of the automotive cluster Paris, the region of western Sweden and the region Piedmont with the city Torino, also members oft he automotive cluster Warsaw. A region respectively
Published 29 March 2012
Progress in cutting road fatalities significantly slowed last year (to -2%) compared with a very promising EU-wide reduction throughout the last decade (on average -6%), according to new figures published today by the European Commission. Worse still, some EU Member States, like Germany and Sweden, who have very strong safety records, now show a significant increase in deaths. In other Member States, like Poland and Belgium – already lagging behind in road safety – the number of deaths went up. The problem of motorcycles – wherePublished 02 February 2012
The European Union's climate commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, has warned about expanding the use of biofuels as the EU executive finalises an assessment of the potentially damaging effects they may have over the earth's climate. She spoke to EurActiv as part of a wide-ranging exclusive interview on sustainability issues.
A draft CommiPublished 27 January 2012 - Updated 30 January 2012
Greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels such as palm oil, soybean and rapeseed are higher than those for fossil fuels when the effects of Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) are counted, according to leaked EU data seen by EurActiv.
The default values assigned to the biofuels compare to those from Canada’s oil sands – also known as tar sands – according to the figures, which should be released along with long-awaited legislative proposals on biofuels in the spring.A spokespersonPublished 13 January 2012
Hydrogen vehicles are nimble, quiet and easy on the environment, and auto manufacturers are eyeing a commercial launch within a few years despite a lack of infrastructure for refuelling stations.
But the vehicles that the European Commission has touted for their low emissions are years away from capturing anything more than a niche market.Sales of hydrogen vehicles in Europe are expected to reach 100,
29-30 November 2011On the 29th and 30th of November, the SAGE consortium met at Lindholmen Science Park in Gothenburg Sweden. The kick off conference is the first activity for SAGE even if the project formally started on the 1st of November.Here are some impressions of the meeting:
SAGE brochure
SAGE Newsletter #5–6
