Joule and Smart Transportation

Did you know that Optimal Energy has developed a proto-type electrical car? I seem to have missed this .... it debuted at the Paris Motor Show in October of 2008 to international acclaim.

Joule is a a zero-emission vehicle that is approximately five times more energy efficient than petrol or diesel vehicles. Joule is battery operated and recharges from any electrical source. Furthermore, Joule’s lithium-ion batteries are recyclable and contain no heavy metals.

Joule is a six-seater passenger car with a range of 400 kilometer, a 0-60 time of 4.8 seconds, and a top speed of 135 km/h. Production will take place in South Africa and the venture is in conjunction with the Department of Science and Technology.

Joule's interior and body was designed by Keith Helfet, who is famous for his designs of Jaguar’s F-type concept and XK220.

This is a great example of how South Africa is helping to reduce pollution. Couple this together with less less congested motorways and we are onto something massive. The proposed Open Road Tolling System by South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL), together with initiatives like Gautrain, could be the foundation of a future smart transportation system.

Now we add in some intelligence like the system that is being developed by Garmap and Netstar that collects real-time information from over 50000 cars to determine congestion. This information is then transmitted to users and displayed on a mobile using an on-screen map. Users will then be in a position to manage their travel to reduce congestion and the environmental impact thereof. Pretty damn smart :)

What we now need to do is to bring this all together to ensure that we have a transportation network that reduces the impact on the environment, improves productivity, and improves the lives of people in South Africa.

This is achievable - we just "need to want it".