Green Car Congress

JANUARY 29, 2012

On Friday 27 January, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) adopted the new Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) package that sets out the regulatory emissions and technology requirements for light-duty automobiles through model year 2025. ( Earlier post.) The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) regulation—one of the three main regulatory packages that constitute ACC—introduces a new regulatory vehicle category: the BEVx, or a battery-electric vehicle with a small “limp-home” range extending engine

Plug-in 300

Plug-in Plug Hybrid Vehicles 300

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 16, 2012

Countries such as China, India and Brazil, which have no Arctic territories, are now seeking admission to the Arctic Council as permanent observers. The issue has divided existing members, with Russia and Canada most strongly opposed. It is among the major questions with which Canada will have to grapple as it prepares to chair the Council next year, notes the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation, a Canadian public policy organization.

Climate Change 296

Climate Change Brazil India Japan 296

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 23, 2012

Japan-based JNC Corporation and its partners have completed construction of a bamboo-to-ethanol demonstration plant and have begun test runs. Bamboo is of interest as a biofuel feedstock as it does not compete with food. The bamboo raw material is procured from the city of Minamata. The demo plant at Kumamoto University saccharifies the bamboo to produce sugar, which is then fermented using genetically modified yeast developed at Sojo University.

Japan 290

Japan Universal Corporation 290

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 24, 2012

Royal DSM and POET, LLC, one of the world’s largest ethanol producers, have formed a joint venture to commercially demonstrate and license cellulosic bioethanol based on their proprietary and complementary technologies. POET–DSM Advanced Biofuels, LLC , is scheduled to start production in the second half of 2013 at one of the first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants in the United States.

South Dakota 285

South Dakota Iowa United States EPA 285

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 22, 2012

REL Matrix MMC brake rotor assembly for motorcycles. Click to enlarge. Michigan-based REL, Inc. , a developer of metal matrix composite (MMC) transportation and aerospace components, is teaming with researchers at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) to develop a next-generation aluminum composite brake rotor for automobiles potentially weighing 60% less than today’s cast iron rotors with triple the life expectancy.

Motorcycles 281

Motorcycles Automobile Fleet New York 281

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 2, 2012

A recent study by truck maker Volvo and tire manufacturer Michelin found that having the correct tires, tire pressure and wheel alignment can reduce truck fuel consumption by up to 14.5%. The two-week long, 1,000-km (621-mile) test conducted at Hällered, Volvo’s test circuit in Sweden, featured two Volvo FH 4x2 trucks, each equipped with a 500 hp 13-liter Euro 5 engine.

Volvo 281

Volvo Fuel Sweden Dealers 281

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 21, 2012

Honda has begun deliveries of the 2013 Fit EV ( earlier post ), with the first going to the city of Torrance today as one of the first major steps in the Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program. The program is a prelude to the limited retail market launch of the Fit EV with customers in California and Oregon this summer. City of Torrance gets its Fit EV.

Honda 277

Honda 2013 Los Angeles Lithium Ion 277

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 19, 2012

Gen Y’s strong affinity for hybrid vehicles could make it the “ generation that leads us away from traditional gasoline-powered vehicles ,” reports Craig Giffi, vice chairman and automotive practice leader at Deloitte LLP, after seeing the results of Deloitte’s annual survey of consumers and what they want in an automobile. (Deloitte defines Gen Y consumers as those currently ranging in age from 19 to 31.). 59% of Gen Y respondents surveyed prefer an electrified vehicle over any other type of ca

Hybrid 277

Hybrid Auto Vehicles Automobile 277

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 12, 2012

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc. has been awarded an engineering development contract from India automaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. to develop hydrogen systems for a mini-bus platform. Under this contract, Quantum will engineer and modify Mahindra’s 2.5L engine to run on hydrogen, while improving vehicle performance characteristics through enhanced electronic control software strategies and engine calibration.

Hydrogen 275

Hydrogen India Vehicles Light 275

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2012

Initially announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this month, Hyundai’s Lifetime Hybrid Battery Replacement Guarantee applies to all US 2012 model year Sonata Hybrids and is the first-of-its-kind in the industry. The Hyundai Lifetime Hybrid Battery Replacement Guarantee ensures that if the 2012 Sonata Hybrid lithium polymer battery fails, Hyundai will replace the battery and cover recycling costs for the old battery pack free of charge to the original own

Hybrid 271

Hybrid Batteries Battery Polymer 271

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 11, 2012

The eMO study. The front seats are mounted atop the 18.4 kWh air-cooled battery pack. Click to enlarge. Tata Technologies, a global provider of engineering services and product development IT, was selected by Michelin to display its electric MObility (eMO) engineering study EV as part of the Michelin Challenge Design display at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

Low Cost 268

Low Cost Detroit Engine Personal 268

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 5, 2012

Former and realigned EPA research programs and strategic goals. Credit: ACS, Anastas 2012. Click to enlarge. In a paper published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology , Dr. Paul Anastas, Science Advisor to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as the Agency’s Assistant Administrator for Research and Development, outlines the principles of the EPA’s new research paradigm called “The Path Forward”, as well as the actions taken since 2010 to align EPA’s researc

EPA 268

EPA Insight Environment 2010 268

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 27, 2012

Simplified palm oil biofuel lifecycle system diagram. Source: EPA. Click to enlarge. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conducted lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) analyses on biodiesel and renewable diesel produced from palm oil and estimated GHG emission reductions of 17% (81 (kgCO 2 e/mmBtu) and 11% (87 (kgCO 2 e/mmBtu) respectively for these biofuels compared to the statutory baseline (97 (kgCO 2 e/mmBtu) petroleum-based diesel fuel used in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) progra

EPA 268

EPA Oil Renewable Diesel 268

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 4, 2012

XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept. Click to enlarge. At the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Volvo Car Corporation will unveil the Volvo XC60 gasoline-electric Plug-in Hybrid Concept. In February 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show, Volvo introduced the diesel-electric V60 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) to go on sale in Europe later this year. ( Earlier post.

Gasoline-Electric 268

Gasoline-Electric Plug-in Volvo Gasoline 268

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 16, 2012

Criegee intermediates (CIs) play a central role in the formation of numerous atmospheric compounds. Welz et al. succeeded in isolating the simplest CI and reported direct kinetic measurements of its reactions with water, NO, NO 2 , and SO 2. Credit: Marston (2012), Photo credit: Daniel Stein/Istockphoto.com.Click to enlarge. Molecules called Criegee intermediates—carbonyl oxides—are important atmospheric reactants, but only indirect knowledge of their reaction kinetics has been avail

Ozone 268

Ozone Climate Change Climate 2012 268

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 23, 2012

Concept of the service and mobile app for renewable charging. Click to enlarge. OnStar and Google are working together to demonstrate a new OnStar service for managing the charging of Chevrolet Volts with renewable energy, using the 17 Chevrolet Volts in Google’s “Gfleet” based at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. The technology is enabled as OnStar receives a signal from PJM Interconnection that shows the percentage of available renewable energy on the grid.

Volt 265

Volt Google Renewable Chevrolet 265

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2012

Micro-hybrids will grow nearly eight-fold to 39 million vehicles in 2017 and create a $6.9 billion market for energy storage devices, according to a Lux Research report titled, “Every Last Drop: Micro- And Mild Hybrids Drive a Huge Market for Fuel-Efficient Vehicles.”. Micro-hybrids, which use a small battery to provide varying degrees of efficiency-boosting features, will dominate the automotive market, gaining 42% of the overall light-duty vehicle market, according to the report.

2017 262

2017 Market Hybrid Li-ion 262

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 26, 2012

Li-ion manufacturer Ener1, Inc. has initiated a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy case to implement a restructuring plan agreed on by its primary investors and lenders. Ener1 says the plan will significantly reduce its debt and provide up to $81 million to recapitalize itself to support its long-term business objectives and strategic plan. In 2009, Ener1 subsidiary EnerDel received $118.5 million in federal grant funding under the stimulus package.

Li-ion 261

Li-ion Stimulus Package Manufacturer Legal 261

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 19, 2012

The global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest since 1880, according to NASA scientists; nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000. NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, which monitors global surface temperatures on an ongoing basis, released an updated analysis that shows temperatures around the globe in 2011 compared to the average global temperature from the mid-20 th century.

2011 257

2011 2000 New York Global 257

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 13, 2012

National benefits of the CH 4 plus BC measures versus the reference scenario. Circle areas are proportional to values for (A and B) climate change, (C and D) human health (values for population over age 30), and (E and F) agriculture. Source: Shindell et al. Click to enlarge. A study by an international team of researchers, led by Drew Shindell of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York City, has identified 14 measures targeting methane and black carbon (BC) emissions that

Carbon 257

Carbon Ozone Emissions International 257

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 12, 2012

According to a new report from Pike Research, the worldwide market for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric medium- (MD) and heavy-duty (HD) trucks will grow at 92% in 2012, with total sales surpassing 19,000. Going forward, Pike expects the market to experience a compound annual growth rate of 47.2% between 2011 and 2017, reaching 100,746 truck sales by the end of that period.

Plug-in 257

Plug-in 2012 Plug Sale 257

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 24, 2012

In a paper published this month in the International Journal of Maritime Engineering , Paul Stott and Dr Peter Wright of Newcastle University, UK, suggest that the $6-billion Panama Canal expansion program offers the marine industry as a whole an opportunity to reduce its environmental impact. Expanded sections of the Panama Canal are due to open in 2014 following an eight-year program to widen and deepen the waterway in order to increase capacity for liner shipping.

Panama 255

Panama Mariner Industrial Industry 255

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 19, 2012

China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) and Saudi Aramco recently signed the joint venture agreement related to the ongoing development of Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company (YASREF) Limited, formerly the Red Sea Refining Company. ( Earlier post.). The joint venture agreement follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Saudi Aramco and Sinopec in March 2011.

Saudi Arabia 255

Saudi Arabia Oil Asia Gas 255

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 13, 2012

The California Energy Commission approved a first-in-the-nation energy efficiency standard that will reduce wasted energy by battery chargers commonly used to power cell phones, laptop computers, power tools, and other devices. The rules explicitly exclude devices used to charge a motor vehicle that is powered by an electric motor drawing current from rechargeable storage batteries, fuel cells, or other portable sources of electrical current, and which may include a nonelectrical source of power

Golf Cart 252

Golf Cart Energy Batteries Battery 252

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 11, 2012

The KSPG-FEV two-cylinder range extender. Click to enlarge. Automotive supplier KSPG Automotive (formerly Kolbenschmidt Pierburg), a subsidiary of Rheinmetall AG, and FEV have jointly developed a concept for a compact, 30 kW range extender for battery-electric vehicles. KSPG is showcasing the unit, along with other of its engine efficiency technologies such as the UniValve variable valve system, at the Detroit Auto Show.

Range 252

Range Gasoline-Electric Exhaust Engine 252

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 6, 2012

UK Government plans to increase the motorway speed limit in England and Wales by 10 mph will have adverse effects on health, outweighing any economic benefits, claims an editorial published online in the British Medical Journal. The authors, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, criticize government proposals to raise the speed limit on all motorways in England and Wales from 70 mph (113 km/h) to 80 mph (129 km/h) by the year 2013.

MPH 252

MPH United Kingdom London Pollution 252

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 4, 2012

Car-sharing network company Zipcar, Inc. announced a relationship with Barclays Capital under which Zipcar has issued a new series of variable funding notes pursuant to its asset backed securitization (ABS) facility in the principal amount of up to $50 million, increasing the total availability of ABS funding lines to $100 million. The terms of the new series of ABS notes represent a modest improvement on the terms of the currently outstanding series of ABS notes.

Fleet 252

Fleet United Kingdom Financing Canada 252

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 22, 2012

A new EU-funded project to deliver green traffic management systems in European cities and towns has launched. The three-year project, titled THE ISSUE (‘Traffic- Health-Environment. Intelligent Solutions Sustaining Urban Economies’), brings together research clusters from five European regions: the East Midlands in the United Kingdom, the Molise region in Italy, the Midi-Pyrenees and Aquitaine regions in France and the Mazovia region in Poland.

Green 247

Green United Kingdom Poland Environment 247

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2012

Borla Performance Industries , a leader in the design and manufacture of stainless steel performance exhaust, has an option to license a novel nanopore membrane technology developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Borla will combine this with its diesel exhaust technology to create a low-cost, novel system that doubles as a device to extract potable water from diesel and other internal combustion exhaust.

Exhaust 246

Exhaust Water Industrial Industry 246

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2012

Novozymes and India-based Sea6Energy have entered an exploratory research agreement jointly to develop a process for the production of biofuels from seaweed. The research alliance will use enzymes to convert seaweed-based carbohydrates to sugar, which can then be fermented to produce ethanol for fuel, fine chemicals, proteins for food, and fertilizers for plants.

Conversion 246

Conversion Fuel India Production 246

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 30, 2012

Schematic representation of the working principle behind a complete cycle of the desalination battery, showing how energy extraction can be accomplished: step 1, desalination; step 2, removal of the desalinated water and inlet of seawater; step 3, discharge of Na + and Cl ? in seawater; step 4, exchange to new seawater. Credit: ACS, Pasta et al. Click to enlarge.

Concept 246

Concept Batteries Battery Sodium 246

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 23, 2012

The UNECE Working Party on Pollution and Energy has approved a proposal to align the requirements on emissions from heavy-duty vehicle engines to the Euro VI legislation (EC Regulations 595/2009 and 582/2011), which enter into force in the European Union (EU) in January 2013. The amendment to Regulation Nº 49 (which covers the emission of pollutants by heavy duty vehicle engines) of the 1958 UNECE agreement on vehicle type approval and its mutual recognition will allow all non-EU parties to the

Emissions 246

Emissions Albania Bosnia Herzegovina 246

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 14, 2012

A better understanding of how algae can be used to make biofuels is the aim of a new joint project between UC Davis and the University of Tokyo, Japan. It is one of four new grants, jointly funded by the US National Science Foundation and the Japan Science and Technology Agency, to develop environment-friendly fuels and reduce pesticide use. The four grants, totaling $12 million (¥960 million), will be divided between the Japanese and US laboratories.

Davis 246

Davis Universal Japan Grant 246

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 9, 2012

ILX concept. Click to enlarge. Acura unveiled three new vehicles at the North American International Auto Show, including a concept version of the ILX hybrid luxury compact sedan (which will offer Acura’s first production hybrid as a model version); the NSX Concept, which presages the direction for Acura’s next-generation supercar; and a prototype of the 2013 RDX crossover sport utility vehicle.

Acura 246

Acura Hybrid Detroit Vehicles 246

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 4, 2012

BASF will showcase some of its key automotive technology products, both existing and under development, at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. Among those will be the world’s first full plastic wheel concept that shows high potential for mass production, made from BASF's impact-resistant specialty polyamide Ultramid Structure. The wheel is more than 30% lighter than a standard production aluminum wheel and significantly contributes to vehicle weight reduction.

Detroit 246

Detroit Concept Auto Lithium Ion 246

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 21, 2012

The California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO), California’s non-profit grid operator, released its new five-year (2012-2016) strategic plan. Between now and 2020, wind and solar generation will quadruple within the ISO transmission grid at the same time electric vehicle charging increases significantly. Advancements in technology including distributed generation such as storage as well as smart grid developments are also reshaping grid and market operations.

Grid 244

Grid Renewable California Electric Vehicles 244

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 16, 2012

The Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) has published its report on sustainability indicators for bioenergy. ( Earlier post.) The report represents the first global, government-level consensus on sustainability indicators for bioenergy and is intended as a resource in helping countries assess and develop sustainable production and use of bioenergy for electricity, heat and transport.

Transportation 244

Transportation Global Water Pollution 244