The motorway of the future: Five ways our M-roads are set to change - from 80mph limits and emission-capturing tunnels to overhead charging cables for e-lorries

Could e-highways be coming to the UK? Overhead lines on motorways could help all but eliminate road freight pollution, a new report claims

Installing overhead charging cables to power fleets of electric lorries would almost entirely eliminate UK road freight transport emissions by the late 2030s, according to a new government-funded report published this month.

The Centre for Sustainable Road Freight's white paper on 'e-highways' said they would cost an estimated £19.3billion to implement the overhead lines, similar to those used on the rail network, but the savings from the technology would pay back the investment within 15 years.

It's the latest measure being considered by government to reduce motorway pollution as part of a wider Clean Air plan.

Other proposals, which include changes to the 70mph speed limit, emission-capturing tunnels and barriers, and huge electric-car charging forecourts, would - if given the green light - drastically change the look of the country's fastest-moving roads.

The overhead lines are similar to those used on the rail network and lorries would be able to connect to them using rigs attached to the roof of the cab

1. E-highways: What are they and how would they work?

The SRF has looked into the eco benefits of introducing catenary cables in lane one of 4,300 miles of the UK's busiest motorways for freight. 

The charging lines link to lorries fitted with extendable rigs known as a pantographs, which would be mounted to the cabs of electric trucks.

The energy from the cables would be able to power the lorry's electric motor en route but also recharge an onboard battery so the vehicle could reach their final destinations away from an e-highway while still using electric power.

The report says the Government could tax the electricity used by electrified lorries, enabling it to recover not just the costs of the installation but also the revenues lost from taxation of diesel fuel.

The overhead catenary system is described in the paper as a 'safe technology' that's commonplace in the railway sector. 

They can be built into motorways using overhead structures that holds two catenary cable systems. 

These wires supply the positive and negative electrical circuit that is picked up through a pantograph collector on the roof of the HGV. 

A lorry would be free to leave the wires to overtake or complete its journey away from the catenary using a separate on-board battery, which would be approximately the size of an electric car battery, also providing zero tailpipe emissions at all times.  

Rigs on top of electric or hybrid HGVs would be able to link to the charging cables to not only power the electric motors in the lorries but also charge their batteries so they can continue on journeys away from e-highways while still using electric power

The overhead catenary system is described in the paper as a 'safe technology' that's commonplace in the railway sector

The SRF report claims that the initial phase of installing e-highway technology on the busiest freight roads would take two years, cost £5.6billion and electrify the major routes that account for almost a third of all HGV use in the UK.

Two more phases will follow to expand an electrified network for the next generation of low-emission freight lorries. 

The overhead lines would be powered by the national electricity grid, which is likely to set alarm bells ringing as concerns continue to mount about an increase in demand and eventual strain  that will be caused when more drivers switch to electric vehicles that will commonly be charging overnight.

That said, the UK National Grid has also this week released a report looking into making its future sustainable, highlighting intentions for it to be carbon emissions negative by 2033 as it switches to renewable energy supplies.

E-highways are already being developed and tested at makeshift sites in Germany, Sweden and the US by tech firm Siemens and HGV-maker Scania.

This image shows a track with electric overhead contact wire for hybrid trucks on e-Highway in Luebeck, Germany

The Guardian reports that officials from the UK's Department for Transport were scheduled to visit a test sites in Germany in March, but the trip was suspended due to the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic.

Academics at SRF said a near-£20billion investment in the technology in the UK would put all but the remotest parts of the country within reach of electric trucks by the late 2030s.

The centre is backed by government research grants and industry partners, including major freight businesses such as John Lewis, Sainsbury's and Tesco. 

While the thought over overhead lines above a motorway might sound like an extreme measure, the government is coming under increasing pressure to find ways of reducing pollution levels on major roads.

Officials from the UK¿s Department for Transport were scheduled to visit the test sites in Germany in March, but the trip was suspended due to the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic

The road freight sector is widely known to be a significant contributor to the climate crisis, accounting for five per cent of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions in 2018, according to government figures.

Last week, This is Money reported on Highways England's failure to spend a £75million fund aimed at reducing motorway-related emissions over the last five years.  

Other significant changes to motorways we might see

Motorists are already having to get their heads around the concept of 'smart motorways', which includes overhead gantries that provide speed-limit and lane-closure information, and four-lane routes without a hard shoulder.

But, along with e-highways, there are plenty of other suggestions being put forward for the adaptations of major trunk roads to curb harmful-emissions levels.

This is Money has outlined four additional measures being mulled to reduce air pollution and promote electric-car ownership that could entirely change the landscape of the motorways we know... 

The Government has already toyed with the concept of installing emission tunnels on UK motorways to stop harmful pollutants spreading to nearby communities

2. Use of 'pollution tunnels' to contain emissions 

Highways England in 2017 confirmed it was considering covering stretches of motorway in 'emission tunnels' to protect locals from dangerous levels of pollution.

The agency said in an air quality strategy that it is exploring the possibility of building physical canopies around main roads to soak up car fumes.

In its report, Highways England says it is 'investigating if we can reduce the costs to construct a canopy, which is a tunnel-like structure designed to prevent vehicle emissions reaching our neighbours'.

A scheme in the Netherlands was seen as the litmus test, which uses cantilevered canopies built over the most polluted sections of motorways to trap damaging pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), which have been closely linked to causing thousands of premature deaths each year.

Highways England is already trialling the use of air quality barriers that also shield nearby towns and cities from the harmful pollutants emitted by cars, vans and HGVs

3. More emissions barriers to block pollutants escaping into nearby towns

Highways England is already trialling 'air quality barriers' around the country, with the first erected on the M62 near Simister, Greater Manchester in 2015, costing £2.5million.

These were four-metre-high structures running along either side of a 100-metre long stretch of the road, which were later increased to a height of six metres in 2016.

Further trials, which use a barrier coated in a mineral polymer material to absorb nitrogen dioxide, have also been put in place at various locations.

According to Highways England, the barriers, which have been tested in other European countries work by 'dispersing emissions and can act as an effective safeguard to communities near busy roads'. 

A review of NOx emissions levels at motorways in England could see some having speed limits reduced from next year, though the Transport Secretary is also believed to be considering an increase to the national speed limit on motorways for the future when most will be driving EVs

4. Lower speed limits to cut NOx outputs from petrol and diesel vehicles - then increase it to reduce journey times when electric cars are mainstream

Highways England, the Department for Transport and the Joint Air Quality Unit have reviewed 101 sections of the strategic road network and assessed their compliance with legal limits for NOx.

However, the result of this review will not be published until next year, when the company will name which motorways requiring mitigation - and this could mean lowered speed limits.

There are already speed limit reduction trials in place on four section of UK motorway that have been identified among the sections where NOx levels are illegally high.

These are parts of the M32 near Bristol, the A1 at Blaydon, Tyneside, the M4 around Harlington, London, and the M621 in close proximity to Leeds, with most of these sections being cut by 10mph to 60mph.

Highways England suggested more trials were due to go ahead before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. 

However, there is a counter argument for the surge in electric cars on British roads to pave the way for the limit to be increased by 10mph rather than reduced to cut journey times without impacting on pollution. 

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, told a debate at the Conservative party conference last year: 'On 80mph speed limits, I've been thinking about this issue and maybe even sought advice on the subject of late.

'I think there is an argument for looking at our speed limits, both in terms of higher speed limits and actually lower limits – 20mph outside of schools.

'When it was last looked at in 2011, reviewing the last submission to ministers on the subject, it was thought the carbon emission addition would be too great.'

Mr Shapps said being the owner of an electric car made him reconsider whether the emissions impact of an increased motorway speed limit would 'still be the case'.

Specially-created electric forecourts are being built around the country to supply rapid charging solutions for plug-in car owners who are using their low-emission cars for long journeys 

5. Arrival of new supercharging forecourts for electric vehicles 

The first of a £1billion nationwide network of more than 100 custom-built electric forecourts opens this summer near Braintree in Essex, close to the M11 motorway. 

The company behind the network, Gridserve, says it will charge 24 electric vehicles at once with superchargers that can deliver up to 350kW of charging power that will allow motorists to charge their vehicles within 20 to 30 minutes while they grab a coffee or do a bit of shopping, and much faster in the future as battery technologies mature.

It aims to have a full UK-wide network operational within five years on busy routes and near powerful grid connections close to towns, cities and major transport hubs. 

The project has been backed by a £4.9million grant from Innovate UK and could see more pop up around busy motorways to supplement EV owners on extended journeys using the network.

Engineers drawing inspiration from nature and developing new drone technology

Drone plane near miss

Industrial and commercial drones have proven to be useful and versatile amid the coronavirus outbreak. As people are instructed to isolate at home unless there is an urgent matter that requires them to head out, alternate forms of logistics have been introduced. Depending on the area, essential goods such as groceries, prescription medication, and others can be delivered. Moreover, some hospitals are even using these machines for delivering medical supplies and collecting samples for testing. Now, engineers are testing new technology for future unmanned platforms.

With a few exceptions, modern drones use propellers and are normally patterned around a quadcopter configuration. Nevertheless, experts want to come up with new mechanics to achieve flight with remarkable manoeuvrability. Hence, a team of researchers have crafted a prototype called an ornithopter which is inspired by how certain animals fly. Reports describe its design as close to that of a human-powered machine from Leonardo da Vinci's sketches.

The paper -- published last week in Science Robotics -- is authored by an international group of experts from Singapore, Taiwan, China, and Australia. Weighing in at only 26 grams, the lightweight drone is using a special elastic mechanism which is great at minimising wobble. Tests show that the robot can quickly assess the situation and recover from unexpected changes to its orientation. Furthermore, it supposedly consumes 40 percent less electricity than conventional drones.

The team noted: "The aerobatic maneuvers of swifts could be very useful for micro aerial vehicle missions. Rapid arrests and turns would allow flight in cluttered and unstructured spaces. However, these decelerating aerobatic maneuvers have been difficult to demonstrate in flapping wing craft to date because of limited thrust and control authority."

Meanwhile, it seems the researchers have developed a system that allows the ornithopter to fly indoors, which has been a challenge for older models. National Chiao Tung University of Taiwan's associate professor in mechanical engineering, Lau Gih-Keong, stated: "Other future applications include indoor pollination of plants such as strawberries in greenhouse or other fruit in vertical farm."

Quadcopters, on the other hand, can easily damage vegetation with their propellers. The team admits that improvements need to be made to make it a feasible replacement for current platforms. They hope to build larger versions that can handle heavier payloads and maintain its dynamic flight capabilities.

Deepfake footage of Nixon reading Apollo 'disaster' speech highlights misinformation dangers

A manipulated video of President Nixon’s Apollo 11 address to the nation has been released online to highlight the dangers of media misinformation.

The deepfake video uses deep-learning and artificial-intelligence technology to create doctored footage that depicts Nixon falsely announcing that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became stranded on the moon during the 1969 landing.

“Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace,” a voice actor impersonating president Nixon says in the doctored video.

“In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood,” he continues.

“Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man's search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.”

The seven-minute documentary, produced by Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Centre for Advanced Virtuality, is titled “In Event of Moon Disaster” and brings to life the speech written by William Safire as a contingency in case the landing went awry.

In reality, Armstrong and Aldrin landed safely on the moon on 20 July, 1969, and later safely returned to earth alongside crewmate Michael Collins, meaning the speech was never used.

"This alternative history shows how new technologies can obfuscate the truth around us, encouraging our audience to think carefully about the media they encounter daily," project co-leader Francesca Panetta, XR Creative Director at MIT Virtuality, told Space.com in a statement.

The documentary has been selected by several film festivals since its debut in 2019 as an art installation in a 1960s-era living room.

BBC's The Luminaries: Grisly secrets behind TV's Gold Rush drama exposed

BBC's The Luminaries: Grisly secrets behind TV's Gold Rush drama expose

The gang lay in wait, hidden in the thick bush in deepest rural New Zealand as their victims neared.

It was a dull afternoon in June 1866 when the quartet of a gold miner, two storekeepers and a businessman were journeying along a track with heavy sacks of gold and money.

Unfortunately for them, the Burgess Gang knew this and their leader was growing impatient.

When the travellers and their packhorse came trotting along, the bloodthirsty gang sprung, ordering them to lie face-down on the ground.

Their hands were bound and they were searched for gold but the gang could not risk their victims getting away to tell the police.

Black and white landscape photograph of Otira Gorge near the town of Hokitika

The first was strangled, but it took too long, so the rest were shot.

“I presented the gun, and shot him behind the right ear; his life’s blood welled from him, and he died instantaneously.”

This callous description of the last murder is in the 46-page confession of London-born Richard Burgess, a criminal but also a writer hailed by American writer Mark Twain as “without peer in the literature of murder”.

Burgess’s gang terrorised miners and prospectors in mid-19th century New Zealand, setting of BBC drama The Luminaries, starring Eve Hewson.

Based on the novel by Eleanor Catton, the drama, which ends on Sunday, follows a young couple who arrive in the gun-toting town of Hokitika to seek their fortune – the same town where Burgess’s real life gang was formed in 1866.

Burgess is one of the most prolific murderers in New Zealand’s history, described as “a cruel assassin”.

He is thought to have killed up to 30.

Eve Hewson stars in the BBC drama

His extraordinary tale was uncovered using records and historical newspapers from ancestry website Findmypast.

Born in 1829 and raised in London’s Hatton Garden, Burgess had a love of and talent for literature.

But he also had a criminal streak which began with petty crime and grew to violent robberies, for which he was transported to Melbourne in 1847.

In and out of Australian prisons for most of his later teens and early 20s, Burgess, a “smart dapper little fellow, 5ft and 4-and-half inches, fresh complexion, brown hair, hazel eyes”, would rove the goldfields of Melbourne and rob miners.

Burgess

When those crimes finally caught up with him, he spent eight years in prison boats off the coast of Melbourne – as mainland jails had become so overrun.

It’s thought this torturous spell is what turned him into a monster.

In jail he met Thomas Kelly, and once released in 1862 they headed to the goldfield region of Otago in New Zealand to prey on miners.

After another stint in prison, Burgess and Kelly fled to Hokitika.

Levy

“Hokitika looked like a Wild West town, something from a Hollywood set,” says Professor Lyndon Fraser, a historian at New Zealand’s Canterbury University.

“When you look at the Luminaries period, the key thing is the Australian connection. The Burgess Gang, like other bush rangers, were ex-crims from Britain transported to the eastern Australian colonies. Most men and women who end up on goldfields came from there.

“The goldfields entertainer Charles Thatcher used to call them ‘the smoking, drinking, cursing crowd’.”

Burgess and Kelly formed a gang with Australian Joseph “Flash Tom” Sullivan and they recruited William Levy – a seller of stolen goods who passed on information about possible targets.

Sullivan

In the Rose Shamrock and Thistle Hotel billiard saloon, their regular haunt, they plotted their next crime.

Two weeks before they murdered the four unfortunates in the bush, the gang were on the road to Greymouth about 25 miles north of Hokitika.

Through Levy, they learned a gold buyer called Edward Fox was due to pass through and saw an opportunity.

After a big drinking session, the gang waited in the bush. Prof Fraser explains: “The plan was to ambush him as he came down the track and take the gold, simple. But the tragedy is it was a mistake – they had the wrong man.”

Kelly

They attacked a surveyor called George Dobson, son of prominent British engineer Edward, who was scouting out the best place for his father to build a railway.

In a panic, they strangled him and buried his body in a shallow grave.

“It was a huge scandal,” Prof Fraser says. “All the papers were lamenting it. Up to that point there had been great excitement over the prospect of gold bringing money into the province.

“It was the first time they were seeing the dark side that comes with gold.”

The town of Dobson was named after him and still has a memorial to him. The Burgess gang’s bloody spree was only just starting, but Dobson’s death eventually led to their demise.

George Dobson was murdered by the Burgess Gang in 1866

“The unusual thing about the Burgess mob is they were prepared to kill,” says Prof Fraser. “The danger with bush ranger groups is that someone’s going to tell and eventually you’ll get caught.”

Two weeks after Dobson’s murder, the gang targeted the group of four – Felix Mathieu, James Dudley, John Kempthorne and James de Pontius – on the Maungatapu Track.

Burgess’s confession adds: “Sullivan took De Pontius to the left of where Kempthorne was sitting. I took Math-ieu to the right. I tied a strap round his legs, and shot him with a revolver.”

But the travellers were soon noticed missing and a reward was offered.

View of the town of Hokitika with Southern Alps in the background

After seeing a poster offering a pardon “for any ac- complice not specifically involved in the murders”, Sullivan turned traitor.

Claiming he had no involvement in any killings, he told police where to find all the bodies and about Dobson’s murder.

Burgess, Kelly and Levy were caught and jailed in the town of Nelson. A jury took less than an hour to find the men guilty of murder. Only Sullivan was spared the death penalty.

A special triple gallows was built. Burgess chose a noose in the centre of as “a prelude to heaven” and declared he “had no more fear of death than he had of going to a wedding”, even going so far as to kiss it, a newspaper said.

Burgess could have been an author if he hadn’t taken a violent road, and his writing was held in high regard.

But in New Zealand, he will never be idolised. “These guys were not romanticised,” Prof Fraser says.

“They were seen as really awful people that should have justice dispensed on them. He may have been linked to more murders than we can ever know.”