In our home town of Coventry, the UK’s first all-electric ambulance has been launched by the West Midlands Ambulance Service. Here, Roger Brereton, head of sales at steering components manufacturer Pailton Engineering, highlights some of the recent progress toward low carbon emergency services vehicles and the engineering challenges that remain.

In the US sci-fi sitcom Futurama, the protagonist Fry is blasted forward in time to New Year 2999 where he finds he is still, alas, a humble pizza delivery boy. Recent trends suggest, however, that many deliveries will soon be fulfilled by automated technologies, whether that is automated trucks, drones or robots. Here, Roger Brereton, head of sales at steering systems specialist Pailton Engineering, looks at why some experts are expecting a greater role for automation in deliveries sooner than you might think.

In November 2000, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an ergonomics standard to prevent debilitating work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Four months later, the standard was culled — ouch. Roger Brereton, head of sales at Pailton Engineering, explains why this was a bad decision and investigates the importance of ergonomic design in bus manufacturing.