Open AccessDesign of a sustainable personal mobility system (SPMS)
Author(s) -
Ralph O. Buchal,
Adam Day,
Jrw Robinson
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
proceedings of the ... ceea conference
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2371-5243
DOI - 10.24908/pceea.v0i0.3602
Subject(s) - greenhouse gas , sustainability , personal mobility , renewable energy , environmental economics , sustainable transport , theme (computing) , sustainable development , global warming , engineering management , transport engineering , business , engineering , computer science , telecommunications , climate change , economics , ecology , electrical engineering , law , political science , biology , operating system
Engineers must consider social and environmental impacts of engineering, particularly sustainability. Student design projects should help develop this competency. A suitable theme is design to address the challenge of global warming. Personal transportation is a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and students at Western have worked for several years on the design of a Sustainable Personal Mobility System (SPMS). SPMS is a vehicle sharing system using ultralight electric vehicles (ULVs) powered by renewable energy. Western undergraduate students have developed and analysed the SPMS concept, and have concluded that it is feasible to provide convenient and cost-effective personal mobility while reducing GHG by at least 85% compared to private cars. The design of a suitable ULV would be an excellent new direction for student projects, including existing solar car teams.