Global Scans · Transport · Weekly Summary

• [New] Electricity demand in the United States is expected to rise significantly over the coming decades, driven by factors including data centers, the growing electrification of industry, and everyday energy needs like heating, cooling, and transportation. The Nuclear Threat Initiative
• [New] Companies including TuSimple, Embark, and Waymo are developing autonomous trucking solutions that could transform the freight transportation industry. Programming Helper
• [New] Industry forecasts project double-digit rate increases for freight transportation in 2026, costs that will inevitably be embedded in the final price of consumer goods. Exponential Technology Inc.
• [New] Rail demand could increase by 97% by 2050, leading to more integrated transport networks. www.greenunion.co.uk
• [New] The Department for Transport's 'Climate adaptation strategy for transport' aims to put in place resilience standards by 2030 for how the UK transport system will be prepared for more frequent flooding, heatwaves and storms. Fleet News
• [New] In Moscow in 2026, robotic taxis could be used to transport ordinary passengers. "First Tech" - www1.ru
• [New] A study from the Grantham Research Institute at LSE finds that advanced applications of artificial intelligence across power systems, transport networks, and industrial processes could reduce global emissions by billions of tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually by 2035. Responsible Asset Owners Global Symposium
• [New] Car-sharing will become an integral part of the transportation ecosystem in the United States. Statista
• [New] The challenges that lie ahead in 2026 will require sophisticated and innovative thinking to overcome, but they also bring fresh opportunity to create enhanced, multifaceted solutions that go beyond transport ticketing to create dynamic, interconnected ecosystems. Calypso
• [New] Government-led smart city and national transformation programs, such as Vision 2030, are acting as major catalysts by prioritizing connected infrastructure, intelligent transport systems, and digitally managed public services that rely heavily on M2M connectivity. Precedence Research
• [New] Not only could the India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) be delayed; so too could vital land routes to Central Asia and Russia, including the International North-South Transport Corridor, the proposed Chabahar-Central Asia rail links and operations at Chabahar port itself. Founding Fuel
• [New] By 2050, the hyperloop transport network would cover the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Poland, totaling approximately 6,207 km. Railway PRO
• [New] Robotaxis and autonomous vehicles have the potential to reshape the global transportation industry, supported by advances in AI and automation. Roundhill Investments
• [New] Hydrogen transport infrastructure is developing at half the pace of other clean technologies, creating a bottleneck that could put billions in clean energy investment at risk, new research from Heriot-Watt University shows. Heriot-Watt University
• [New] Sustainability continues to be a defining theme across air transport innovation, reflecting the global industry's commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Future Travel Experience
• [New] Electricity demand could increase by 50% to 90% over the next two decades, driven by the electrification of heating and transportation and the development of energy intensive projects and industry such as data centers. Utility Dive
• [New] Data centers will generate more than 40% of North American electricity consumption growth by 2050, with 20-29% of growth coming from industry, 10-19% from hydrogen production, another 10-19% from transportation electrification, and less than 10% from building electrification. Electrification Coalition
• [New] Data centers will account for 90 of the 166 gigawatts of total expected peak load growth, manufacturing will contribute another 30 GW, and the combined electrification of building, transportation, mining, and other loads will account for the remaining 46 GW. Electrification Coalition
• [New] Induced demand works for active transportation: Researchers at the University of Cambridge in England found that building more bike lanes and transit infrastructure will induce demand for active transportation. Urban Milwaukee
• [New] The African Development Bank approved a $76.37 million facility to upgrade highways in Somalia, a move expected to improve regional connectivity, lower transport costs and support trade, particularly for goods moving between Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. Dawan Africa

Last updated: 30 January 2026