Liberty Launches Electric Van DELIVER that looks like a discarded sci-fi prop

This funky-looking electric van prototype is built as a new generation of urban delivery vehicles developed by the DELIVER consortium, first shown to the public recently in Masstricht, Netherlands. It is the product of a European design process, which focuses on reducing the environmental impact of light commercial vehicles in urban areas. The acronym stands for Design of Electric Light Vans for Environment-Impact Reduction , and was funded in part by the European Union, and a group of auto and parts makers including Fiat. Volkswagen and Michelin as well as many universities and several European cities.

At present, no production plans for the van have been announced, though there’s nothing really standing between the DELIVER van and actual production. It features a Michelin electric motor, rated at 57 kW, in each rear wheel hub, and there is also a two speed gear case in each rear hub. The prototype has 18% more load carrying capacity than a conventional van of similar wheelbase, thanks to its electric drivetrain, and features a range of 62 miles, with a top speed of more than 60 mph. But the DELIVER is not just about reducing pollution in European cities. It has a clever driver’s compartment designed to increase driver efficiency and reduce fatigue.

The B-pillar is omitted on the curb side of the vehicle, allowing the installation of a step out door for the driver.
This makes it easier to get in and out of the van, reducing delivery times, and because the main entrance faces the curb, the driver is never faced with the perils of oncoming traffic.
The DELIVER van may have a face that only a mother could love, but its emphasis on compact size, greater load carrying capacity, high efficiency, and low environmental impact make it a strong candidate for the delivery van of the future in the Old World.

Dutch company launches new-generation urban wind turbines

Could a new generation of wind turbines on residential rooftops be on the way? Saying no might be easy when imagining blade noise, if nothing else. The idea of wind turbines for generating energy in households may draw several arguments against the idea. One may argue the yield from current-generation turbines would be too low, along with having to put up with the noisy blades. A group based in Rotterdam which describes itself as an "R&D" company "built on the re-invented formulas, drawings and principles of Archimedes" is out to change minds. On Tuesday, the company, also called The Archimedes, unveiled its Liam F1 Urban Wind Turbine. The Liam, according to the company, ushers in a "totally new generation of wind turbines for domestic use."

The company said that the turbine easily fits on the roof of a house just as would solar panels. The Liam F1 generates an average of 1,500 kilowatt-hour of energy at a wind-speed of 5m/s, which resembles half of the power consumption of a common household. In combination with solar-panels on the roof, a household could be totally self-supporting for its own energy needs. The Archimedes CEO Richard Ruijtenbeek said, "when there is wind you use the energy produced by the wind turbine; when the sun is shining you use the solar cells to produce the energy."

Because of its design, the Liam addresses limitations of efficiency and noise. The inventor, Marinus Mieremet, company CTO, created a type of turbine that is virtually soundless. The Liam is based on "the laws of nature and the theoretics of the Greek mathematician Archimedes." The form of the Liam is a Nautilus shell. The Liam automatically like a pennant goes for the optimal position of the wind, pointing into the wind for maximum yield.

According to Mieremet the yield is 80 percent of the maximum that is theoretically feasible.