News

One day we may look back and wonder how 40-ton lorries were ever allowed to rumble through our villages and city streets. Though they make up only 3% of vehicles, lorries account for one quarter of Europe’s road transport emissions - a figure that's expected to grow as traffic increases further. On top of that, heavy goods vehicles are...

At £270, the Solar-Charged Jacket by Vollebak is expensive, but it is undeniably clever; its fabric glows in the dark. With just two hours’ charge from sunshine or any other light source, it can still be glowing up to 12 hours later. And even on cloudy days, daylight is bright enough to charge it up. At 230g the jacket is lightweight and...

Like a bicycle, the umbrella is a design of such beautiful simplicity that it no longer needs to evolve, but that doesn't stop people trying to make improvements. For more than three millennia people have protected themselves against rain with umbrellas, but it's only recently that some have suggested they should be adapted for use by...

All cars travelling in cities including Paris, Lyon or Grenobles are now required to carry anti-pollution stickers which indicate the age and 'environmental classification' of the vehicle. The round stickers correspond to six different vehicle classes defined according to air pollutant emissions. In certain French cities the correct sticker...

Whether you want to keep your bicycle away from the prying eyes of thieves, or simply consider it a work of art worthy of a place on the wall, the Cycloc Endo is for you. Vertical cycle storage can work well in spacious homes, or those with a garage, but probably make most sense at the office (we have them fitted here at the ETA...

Elsewhere in Europe, where legislators have embraced a new breed of electric bicycle known as a speed pedelecs, bike builders are becoming ever more creative with the tech. As with other bikes in its class, the Rayvolt Bike Cruzer is capable of speeds of up to 30 mph. It has most of its functions controlled via an app and costs from 2,400...

When thieves come for your bicycle in the dead of night they have a significant advantage. You are asleep. They have time to prise open sheds and dismantle locks in peace. There is no real alternative to a good insurance policy, but there are simple and cost-effective ways to make a thief's life more difficult. Poacher alarms use a simple...

German firm Dethleffs has launched the world's first fully electric motorhome at the Dusseldorf Caravan Show this week. The outside of the Iveco camper is plastered with 31 square metres of thin-film solar panels capable of generating up to 3,000 watts of electricity. In order to make the vehicle as efficient as possible, Dethleffs has used...

Mercedes-Benz is to invest 50 million dollars in new on-demand minibus services in London and other European cities, which will work like Uber. The first vehicles to be used by the service will be from the Vaneo range, but the long-term aim is for Mercedes to provide purpose-built minibuses optimized for on-demand shared rides, including...

Most of us who live in cities eventually become blind to blight caused by the endless rows of cars parked along every street. We become immune to the visual clutter and numb to the road danger to which they contribute. We forget that the streets on which we live are for people first. However, there are those who make a stand. Environmental...