Fuel efficiency

Everyone knows that walking on soft sand is more difficult than walking on a hard sidewalk. By the same token, MIT scientists are now suggesting that if road surfaces were to be made stiffer, large trucks would use less fuel.

Researchers at MIT have developed a smart curved surface that can morph at will to reduce drag, generating a series of small, evenly spaced dimples that make it resemble the outside of a golf ball.

Shipping ports are major sources of pollution, due in part to anchored or docked ships using diesel generators to keep their systems powered up. A year from now, however, the Port of Honolulu will be trying out a mobile hydrogen fuel cell unit, as a more eco-friendly and fuel-saving alternative.

As part of a two-year pilot project, the US Department of Energy will be using fuel cells to power the refrigeration units of four cold transport trailers.

The EcoSpeed app takes into account various factors, such as the number of traffic stops, speed limits and local traffic conditions, to plot the most fuel-efficient route.

Journalist Pierce Hoover and his 13-year old son are crossing the U.S. in a home-built pedelec vehicle, determined to use no more power in a day than would be used by leaving an electric light bulb switched on.

Cargill Ocean Transportation has announced that it will be installing a SkySails wind propulsion system on one of its cargo ships, the largest ever to receive such technology.

A five year Shell Eco Marathon fuel efficiency record has been smashed by a team of French students.