The International Transport Forum (ITF) presentedits latest projectionsat the global summit of transport ministers, and they don’t look encouraging for the planet’s environmental goals. Specifically, global transport activity is expected to more than double by 2050, while traffic emissions will rise by 16% compared to 2015. And that’s even if existing commitments to cut down carbon emissions are carried out. Based on projections from 2015, today urban mobility is responsible for 40%of all CO2 emissions from the movement of people....

Electric cars have the potential to help in our fight against climate disaster. For example, if all cars in the UK were electric, the country’semissions would drop by 12%. But electric cars might also be able to address another issue that’s affecting people around the world. Traffic-related fatalities are theeighth leading cause of deathfor people of all ages – ahead of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis – and the number one cause of death forchildren and young adults....

Biden might be pushing for electrification, but Americans aren’t onboard. Well, that’s whatastudybyDeloittehas found at least. Amongst the 1,031 American respondents,nearly two-thirds preferred sticking to conventional gas-guzzlers for their next vehicle purchase. Some 17% would consider a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), while only 5% would get a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), or a battery electric vehicle (BEV). Conversely, consumer interest in BEVs is highest in South Korea (23%), China (17%), and Germany (15%)....

The world has embraced the fact that EVs are happening. We have accepted that almost 1.5 billion petrol and diesel-fuelled cars will be pensioned off because of what’s under their hood. But as we stand on the cusp of a new era, the sobering reality is that simply making the switch to electric is no longer enough. The sustainability status quo The 1.5-degree pathway outlined in The Paris Agreement demands we halve emissions by 2030, and eliminate them altogether by 2050....

You don’t see many electric cars towing caravans, do you? On one hand, EVs make great towing machines. They can be quite weighty, so stability is never an issue. They have tonnes of torque, so pulling a load is never a struggle. But there’s one issue, range. Attaching a trailer that’s heavy and ruins the car’s aerodynamics can have a dramatic impact on how far you can actually drive. But how much impact?...