environment

Rwanda Encourages Youth To Use Electric Motorcycles

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Rwanda has introduced the use of electric motorcycles as part of its efforts to protect the environment and cut fuel costs. Passengers and motorcyclists say the electric vehicles could dramatically change how Rwandans do business. James Musisi, 45, is one of 10 motorcyclists who have started to use the motorcycles in what is known as the moto-taxi business — motorcycle taxis. He says the vehicles are quiet, which means passengers are able to make phone calls as they’re taken to their destinations. They’re also relatively cheap. One electric bike costs $1,300 — less expensive than the $1,600 price for fuel motorcycles. Also, Musisi said, “There is no chain, no drum brake, and requires less [maintenance compared to] those that use fuel lubricant every week and have to change the oil.” Currently, there are 10 of the motorcycles running on Kigali’s roads, but more than 600 are being built. Two charging stations exist in Kigali. A moto-taxi driver has to bring an exhausted battery to take a charged one, which runs for 70 kilometers (43 miles). The price for recharging an electric vehicle is equal to the cost of the fuel for traditional cycles. In 2016, four entrepreneurs from different countries formed a start-up called Ampersand with a mission to transform Rwanda into a mass market for commercial electric motorcycles. Josh Whale, the company’s chief executive officer, said electric motorcycles, also known as e-Motos, have great potential in Rwanda — a country known for its environmental initiatives. “For electricity, we found that the grid is sufficiently reliable in Kigali,” he said. “There has been a lot of investment made in new transmission lines, which are operating well, so everything is good for us.” Environmental efforts Engineer Colleta Ruhamya, director-general of Rwanda’s Environment Management Authority, says this is another milestone for the […]

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eRIDE CLUB – The Largest Light Electric Vehicle Portal Officially Launched

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — eRIDE CLUB, the largest light electric vehicle (LEV) portal, today announced the launch of its website (www.erideclub.com) and eRIDE CLUB mobile app. Following in the footsteps of other pioneering rental and sharing services, plans in hospitality (e.g., AirBnB), ride-sharing (e.g., Uber, Lyft), scooter and e-bike rentals (e.g., Bird, Lime, Jump, Motivate), eRIDE CLUB is the first entity to provide rentals of all types of electric vehicles including scooters, e-bikes, mobility scooters, ATVs and electric cars. “Our goal is to provide affordable and sustainable transportation options for everyone to get around,” stated Julian Brown, the president of eRIDE CLUB. “Do you want an e-bike on your next Caribbean trip? Or a mobility scooter for your visiting grandparents? Maybe a scooter in Rome? We can arrange it all,” continued Brown. The eRIDE CLUB app (iOS and Android) allows members to access a huge database of LEV’s for rent or sale according to their current location or travel destination. Customers can choose from unique products and compare prices, while businesses can showcase and profit from their idle showroom products. Suppliers benefit from new markets, increased visibility and rewards. “Suppliers can use the app to list products, prices, pictures, features and availability, all in real time,” said Brown. eRIDE CLUB has already signed over 190 points of rental/sales across the globe. Presently, eRIDE CLUB is moving into Phase II of its plan, which will encompass acquiring 100,000 members and doubling its points of supply within the next six months. eRIDE CLUB is actively pursuing strategic alliances and investors worldwide to accelerate its strategy plan. eRIDE CLUB has signed a letter of intent with 2050 Motors, Inc. for investment to accelerate faster. As part of the transaction, which is expected to go to Definitive Agreement and

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Shared e-scooters aren’t as environmentally friendly as other transport options

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  A new study has found that e-scooters may be greener than most cars, but they can be less green than several other options. Washington DC: People who think electric scooters or e-scooters are environmentally friendly, take note! A new study has found that e-scooters may be greener than most cars, but they can be less green than several other options. “E-scooter companies tout themselves as having little or no carbon footprint, which is a bold statement,” said Jeremiah Johnson, the corresponding author of the study “We wanted to look broadly at the environmental impacts of shared e-scooters – and how that compares to other local transportation options.” To capture the impact of e-scooters, researchers looked at emissions associated with four aspects of each scooter’s life cycle: the production of the materials and components that go into each scooter; the manufacturing process; shipping the scooter from the manufacturer to its city of use; and collecting, charging and redistributing the scooters. The researchers also conducted a small-scale survey of e-scooter riders to see what modes of transportation they would have used if they hadn’t used an e-scooter. The researchers found that 49 per cent of riders would have biked or walked; 34 per cent would have used a car; 11 per cent would have taken a bus; and 7 per cent wouldn’t have taken the trip at all. In order to compare the impact of e-scooters to that of other transport options, the researchers looked at previously published life cycle analyses of cars, buses, electric mopeds, and bicycles. Researchers looked at four types of pollution and environmental impact: climate change impact; nutrient loading in water; respiratory health impacts related to air pollution; and acidification. The performance results were similar for all four types of pollution. “A lot of what we found

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EPA chief defends decision to pull out of Calif. mpg talks

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Washington — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler defended the Trump administration’s decision to pull out of talks with California about new rules for gas mileage. Speaking to reporters Thursday at the Washington Auto Show, Wheeler said he is confident the Trump administration’s proposal to roll back stringent rules that would require automakers to produce fleets that average more than 50 miles per gallon by 2025 will hold up in court if it is successfully finalized later this year. “Our goal from the beginning was a 50-state solution,” he said. “I met with (the California Air Resources Board) three times since taking the helm of EPA last July. But despite our best efforts, we could not reach a solution and decided to end the discussions. We embrace federalism and the role of states, but federalism does not mean that one state can dictate the standards for the entire nation.” Asked what would happen if California proceeds with a lawsuit that has already been filed over the proposal to rule back mileage rules, Wheeler said: “We’ll go to court if they do that. I believe we’re on firm legal footing and I believe that our standards will be upheld by the courts.” The Trump administration announced last year its intention to ease stringent gas-mileage rules that would have required fleets averaging more than 50 miles per gallon by 2025. The administration proposed a freeze in the mandate after 2020, when their lineups must average 39 mpg. Automakers cheered the decision to reopen the so-called midterm review they were promised when the Obama-era gas mileage rules were agreed to in 2011. But they hoped the Trump administration would quickly reach an agreement with California on a new set of rules to prevent a lengthy legal battle that would leave the mpg

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2019 federal spending package increases infrastructure funding

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It took a while, but a 2019 spending package was finally approved by Congress, signed by President Trump, and enacted February 15. In addition to the $1.375 billion for southwest border barriers, the package also includes full-year 2019 funding levels for important federal infrastructure programs, including the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Engineering News-Record reports. The 2019 package is the second year of a two-year, bipartisan House-Senate budget deal that included a pledge to raise overall federal infrastructure spending by $20 billion over 2017 levels. It sets the federal-aid highway obligation ceiling at $45.3 billion, up $1 billion, or 2 percent, from 2018 and equal to the amount authorized in the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), which comes from the Highway Trust Fund. The legislation also contains $3.25 billion more from the general fund for highways, up from $2.525 billion in 2018. A 2019 “bonus” amount includes $2.73 billion for states, up from $1.98 billion in 2018, and $475 million for bridge replacement and rehabilitation, more than double the 2018 amount. Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants received $900 million for 2019, down 40 percent from 2018, but it was not discontinued as President Trump suggested. The program was originally called Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER. The Federal Transit Administration will receive $13.4 billion for 2019, down $67 million from 2018, with transit formula grants getting $9.9 billion and capital investment grants receiving $2.5 billion, down from $2.6 billion in 2018. An additional $700 million, down from $834 million in 2018, goes for transit infrastructure grants, which include bus facilities and “state of good repair” projects. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program was frozen at 2018’s $3.35 billion, an amount that comes from the Airport and

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