Innovation, the diesel engine and vehicle markets: Evidence from OECD engine patents

This paper uses a patent data set to identify factors fostering innovation of diesel engines between 1974 and 2010 in the OECD region. The propensity of engine producers to innovate grew by 1.9 standard deviations after the expansion of the car market, by 0.7 standard deviations following a shift in the EU fuel economy standard, and by 0.23 standard deviations. The propensity to develop emissions control techniques was positively influenced by pollution control laws introduced in Japan, in the US, and in the EU, but not with the expansion of the car market. Furthermore, a decline in loan rates stimulated the propensity to develop emissions control techniques, which were simultaneously crowded out by increases in publicly-funded transport research and development. Innovation activities in engine efficiency are explained by market size, loan rates and by (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) diesel prices, inclusive of taxes. Price effects on innovation, outweigh that of the US corporate average fuel economy standards. Innovation is also positively influenced by past transport research and development. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Estimating the grid payments necessary to compensate additional costs to prospective electric vehicle owners who provide vehicle-to-grid ancillary services

The provision of ancillary services in the smart grid by electric vehicles is attractive to grid operators. Vehicles must be aggregated to meet the minimum power requirements of providing ancillary services to the grid. Likely aggregator revenues are insufficient to cover the additional battery degradation costs which would be borne by an existing electric vehicle owner. Moreover, aggregator revenues are insufficient to make electric vehicles competitive with conventional vehicles and encourage uptake by prospective consumers. Net annual costs and hourly compensation payments to electric vehicle owners were most sensitive to battery cost. The fleet provided firm fast reserve from 1900 h for 0.42 h, up to 2.7 h in the best cases. At best, likely aggregator revenue was 20 times less than the compensation required, up to 27,500 times at worst. The electric vehicle fleet may not be large enough to meet the firm fast reserve power and duration requirements until 2020. However, it may not be until 2030 that enough vehicles have been sold to provide this service cost-effectively. Even then, many more electric vehicles will be needed to meet the power level and duration requirements, both more often and for longer to enable participation in an all-day, everyday ancillary services market.The authors acknowledge the funding provided for this work by the Oxford Martin School

Looking Over the Horizon: Transport and Global Warming

A 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from UK transport by 2030 is possible, argue Robin Hickman and David Banister, but only if we can we move beyond our complacent car addiction and take radical and concerted action to bring about behavioural, cultural and consumer change

11-{[2-(3-Fluoro­phen­yl)eth­yl](meth­yl)amino}­penta­cyclo­[5.4.0.02,6.03,10.05,9]undecan-8-one

In the title compound, C20H22FNO, the distances close to the carbonyl and amine are: N—O = 3.232 (4) Å and N—C = 2.666 (5) Å. The crystal packing is unremarkable

Backcasting for Lower Transport Carbon Emissions

Robin Hickman, Olu Ashiru and David Banister examine the technological and social changes ahead if we are to meet targets for carbon dioxide emissions in the transport secto