ÉTS

Research in Land Transportation: Safeguarding the Environment and Ensuring Safety

Automobile, rail and maritime travel are growing, along with the challenges they impose in terms of logistics, security and the environment. Innovations that not so long ago fell within the realm of science-fiction will soon revolutionize the transportation of people and goods. Security issues and safeguarding the environment motivate citizens to question their existing practices. The land transportation sector is on the verge of a major shift, and ÉTS researchers will be there to contribute. xx

Strategic Directions in Land Transportation Research

Optimize terrestrial transportation. Reduce the environmental impacts of combustion vehicles before they disappear to the benefit of electric cars. Create electrical networks equipped with communication infrastructure and advanced management that will ensure the stability and the optimal use of electric cars… 

These are some of the issues that the 16 ÉTS professors who lead research activities in land transportation are trying to resolve. 

Their work is focused on the following strategic directions:   

  • Intelligent microgrids;
  • Advanced modelling of electrical networks;
  • Electric vehicles;
  • Data security;
  • High efficiency energy conversion;
  • Electronic commerce;
  • Logistics chains and intermodality;
  • Planning for uncertainties;
  • New high-performance fuels;
  • Performance of thermal engines;
  • Smart sensors.

Research Chairs

All the research chairs

Research Units 

All the research units

The Canadian Land Transportation Sector

According to data from the SAAQ (Québec’s automobile insurance corporation), the automobile fleet increased by 34% between 2000 and 2014. This growth in the number of cars comes with an increase in trips, which causes many issues in the areas of traffic fluidity, network protection, user safety and reduction of the ecological footprint. 

As for the Canadian rail network, it is an important engine of the Canadian economy and an interesting alternative to automobile transportation, because it helps reduce road congestion and polluting emissions. The Canadian railway industry, whose network is among the biggest in the world, must face up to security challenges related to its size.

Finally, many initiatives have been launched to develop maritime transportation. Several rely on research projects cross linked to the health of ecosystems, to monitoring, marine safety and security as well as sustainable and intelligent maritime transportation.

The growing expectations and the highly competitive nature of the market require the development of new, high-performance alloys.
Mohammad Jahazi and High-strength metallic: advanced knowledge for an age-old activity

High-strength metallic alloys are frequently used in the transportation and energy industries. Mohammad Jahazi, professor and researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, works on forming and joining these alloys.

Learn more
May 13 - Land Transportation Urbanloop: Tomorrow’s Personal Transportation