Automobiles
Want Greener Cars? Focus on Fuel Efficiency
Electric cars are great, but higher fuel economy for vehicles of all sizes is better
Transportation33 articles archived since 1845
Engineering
Rotating Sails Help to Revive Wind-Powered Shipping
A century-old concept, Flettner rotors, gets a fresh look as shippers cut back fuel
Computing
Quantum Sensors Could Let Autonomous Cars ‘See’ around Corners
High-precision metrology based on the peculiarities of the subatomic world
Aerospace
Electric Aviation Could Be Closer Than You Think
Enabling air travel to decarbonize
Aerospace
Birdlike Flight Formations Could Cut Airline Emissions
A bioinspired arrangement could save energy by allowing one plane to provide extra lift to another—if both aircraft can remain stable
Transportation
Energy Department Looks to Boost Hydrogen Fuel for Big Trucks
Hydrogen fuel weighs less than electric batteries, making it an attractive option for long-haul vehicles
Engineering
The First Subway in New York City Was a Cylindrical Car Pushed by Air
Scientific American editor Alfred Ely Beach revealed the secretly built wonder in 1870
Transportation
Search for a Cleaner Jet Fuel Leads to Sewage Plants
Researchers aim to short-circuit the decay process in organic waste to produce a potent, less carbon-intensive fuel
Weather
Drop in Global Travel May Have Hurt Weather Forecasts
Commercial planes and ships usually gather valuable data to feed into weather models
Engineering
High-Tech Ghost Ships Will Set Sail sans Sailors
Maritime technology groups are building robotic vessels to cross the oceans
Engineering
Silent and Simple Ion Engine Powers a Plane with No Moving Parts
Researchers fly the first atmospheric aircraft to use space-proven ionic thrust technology
Engineering
Are Autonomous Cars Really Safer Than Human Drivers?
Most comparisons between human drivers and automated vehicles have been at best uneven—and at worst unfair
Automobiles
Driverless Cars Will Face Moral Dilemmas
Autonomous vehicles may put people in life-or-death situations. Will the outcomes be decided by ethics or data?...
