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Transportation

Aerial Ropeways: Automatic Cargo Transport for a Bargain

Cargo tramways can be fully or partly powered by gravity, and some deliver excess power that can be utilized to generate electricity or to drive cranes or machinery in nearby factories

The Velomobile: High-tech Bike or Low-tech Car?

The human power required to achieve a speed of 30 km/h in a velomobile is only 79 watts, compared to 271 watts on a normal bicycle.

Piston-powered aircraft from the 1950s were as fuel-efficient as the current average jet

Estimates about the fuel efficiency of aircraft ignore the record of the pre-jet era.

The Status Quo of Electric Cars: Better Batteries, Same Range

We don’t need better batteries, we need better cars.

Overview of Early Electric Cars (1895-1925)

One hundred years ago electric cars were a common sight on city streets in Europe and the United States.

Wood Gas Vehicles: Firewood in the Fuel Tank

During the Second World War, almost every motorised vehicle in continental Europe was converted to use firewood.

Trolley Canal Boats

Only four years after the first experimental trolleybus, an ordinary steam canal boat was adapted to a trolleyboat.

Cars: out of the way

We don’t need any new cycling infrastructure. What we need is to clear the current road infrastructure of inefficient vehicles and replace them with efficient ones.

Water Powered Cable Trains

Cable trains (or funiculars) are one of the most energy-efficient modes of transport out there.

Get Wired (Again): Trolleybuses and Trolleytrucks

Trolleybuses and trolleytrucks have all the advantages of electric cars – and none of their drawbacks.

Electric Road Trains

German engineer Max Schiemann was among the first engineers to develop a commercial trolleybus system for passengers at the turn of the 20th century. He also created some unique cargo systems.

Sailing at the Touch of a Button

If you want a revival of sail the high-tech way, you can have it.