Way of the Future conference introduces clean-tech transport
i-Cleantech Flanders hosted the conference Weg van de Toekomst, which introduced a multitude of ideas on cleaning up transport
Cars of the future will be fully automated
But in fact, the Road of the Future already exists. It is the name of a prestigious project that transformed the N329, which connects the Dutch city of Oss with nearby industrial areas, the port and the rail infrastructure. “The previous road was old and could not cope with the increasing traffic,” explained Leo de Hoogt, who led the project.
Instead of a regular old renovation, local authorities decided to turn the N329 into an experiment for carbon-neutral and social transport.
About five years ago, the project team started to assemble ideas for the new motorway, which led to a roadmap designed in co-operation with local residents, businesses, knowledge centres and artists. This brainstorming process has resulted in an energy-neutral road that includes innovative projects with imaginative names, like Flowman, Magic Green and Pleasantpass.
The Flowman system puts lighted signs at the side of the road that show drivers the ideal speed to get through traffic without having to brake. Outside peak hours, cargo vehicles benefit from longer green-light periods, which the developers named the Magic Green method. PleasantPass uses riddles – a question at one end, and the answer at the other – and light panels to make cyclists feel better about riding through the dark tunnels.
The energy for the innovations is generated by solar panels at the roadsides, some of them placed on tree-like installations.
CityDepot’s clean logistics
The Dutch example provides much inspiration for Flanders, but that doesn’t mean there is a shortage of activity in the region. CityDepot CEO Marc Schepers, for example announced his company’s plans to expand from its base in Hasselt to Bruges and Ghent in 2014. CityDepot is a “logistics service centre” that develops efficient and green solutions for the distribution of cargo to city centres.
The growing popularity of e-commerce will only make our services more valuable
At its warehouse just outside of Hasselt, CityDepot streamlines deliveries to the centre of town by assembling all the different supplies for the shops and then distributing the whole load with eco-friendly vehicles. Schepers emphasised the importance of being a neutral organisation and promoting the economic profit for merchants. “The growing popularity of e-commerce will only make our services more valuable,” he said.
CEO Gunter De Pooter of VitaeMobility, specialised in sustainable mobility innovations, presented his scheme for the charging of electric cars. After declaring that the technological innovations are already available for use, he stressed the user friendliness of their infrastructure. “By placing platforms at, for example supermarkets, people don’t lose time while charging their car,” he explained.
The public sector was represented by, among others, Roger Kesteloot, director-general of Flemish transport authority De Lijn. Kesteloot showcased public transport projects that partially or fully operate on electricity and hydrogen. He also explained that De Lijn is looking to start a project in West Flanders to use biogas in the belbussen. A belbus only runs when passengers book their ride in advance.
Vegetal City
Kesteloot finally referred to the Vegetal City project of visionary architect and designer Luc Schuiten from Brussels. Schuiten has developed futuristic concepts, like “click cars” and “tractainers”. A click car is a small, fully automatic car that is guided by a system that interacts with other vehicles nearby. They would be powered and programmed to drive in convoys, so that they make more efficient use of the city space and consume less energy.
It sounds more utopian than it is
The tractainer is a similar concept for freight transport, consisting of modular units so that the vehicles can always be adapted to the requirements. “It sounds more utopian than it is,” said Kesteloot. “Such ideas about automated driving and modular units are creative interpretations of realistic blueprints for the future.”
Stefaan Van Thielen, general director of Continental Automotive Benelux in Mechelen, confirmed that revolutionary automated driving systems are being developed. According to Van Thielen, cars could be fully automated by 2025, so that drivers can just read their newspaper in the car without having to watch the road. “Much will depend, however, on the will of policymakers to adjust traffic legislation,” he said.
photo: Brussels architect Luc Schuiten’s click-car at an exhibition in Lyon
photo by Juste Philippe / BELGA
