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1) Due to a significant development of electric bikes, the Austrian Railways will install sockets for recharging "E-bikes" in the spaces reserved for bikes of high-speed trains.

In Switzerland, the bus company PostBus and rail operator SBB also interested in the subject, as 50,000 electric bikes were sold in 2011 and their users wish to benefit from a service battery charging stations railways and roads, trains and buses. Therefore, SBB plans to equip all new trains of electrical outlets standards. As the company PostBus it already accepts conventional bicycles in his bus, but encounters obstacles in the "E-Bikes" because of their weight. Buses can carry two bikes today by way of this type. However, in order to better take into account the popularity of the electric bicycle, the two companies are already offering to rent their clients in several stations.

2) An Israeli has invented a bicycle recycled cardboard, water resistant. It is covered with a layer of solid material brown and white, making the finished product similar to a bicycle light plastic. Brakes and pedals are metal prototype, but the final version will be made with organic materials. The wheels are rubber coated reconstructed based on old car tires and do not need to be inflated, which should avoid punctures.

This bike very light (nine pounds), can support a person weighing up to 140 pounds, only requires virtually no maintenance and has a lifespan of two years. Its production cost is between seven and ten euros and minimum selling price should be fifteen euros. Production will start in six months with three models, including a city coupled with an electric motor and marketing could begin in about a year. In the United States there are similar concepts based on bamboo.

3) In Spain, a student has developed a suitcase, "Hop", which is doing well, but becomes independent even if it is in the field of vision of its owner. To do this, the luggage with four wheels is connected via Bluetooth to a smartphone, which sends a signa l.

In theory, the bag can take up to fifteen pounds, could advance to 10 km / h but its speed is actually slower and requires a surface circulation perfectly smooth and flat. She sneaks travelers and avoiding obstacles in its path. For now, the sale price of this prototype is not disclosed and it has not yet been validated by the airlines.

by Christine Raynard, Policy Officer at Department of Sustainable Development (DSD).