January, 2012

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Researchers engineer E. Coli to produce ethanol directly from brown seaweed with yield equivalent to ~80% of the theoretical maximum

Green Car Congress

Design of the microbial platform for production of biofuels and renewable commodity chemical compounds from macroalgae. Wargacki et al. Click to enlarge. A team of scientists from Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) in Berkeley, California, ( earlier post ) has engineered a strain of Eschericia coli to break down and then to ferment alginate—one of the most abundant sugars in brown algae, but a sugar that industrial microbes can’t metabolize—into ethanol.

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Greenius Plants Tree to Help Restore Hope

Creative Greenius

Man, I can’t believe it’s been over a month now since I wrote in this space about the villainous and vile vandals who destroyed the trees and native plants at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park over Thanksgiving. But time has afterburners when the holidays roll around especially when your friendly neighborhood Greenius is in such demand locally.

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NEDRA: The National Electric Drag Racing Association

Electric Cars are for Girls

Interview with Mike Willmon, president of NEDRA - the National Electric Drag Racing Association. Not surprisingly, we're talking about driving really, really fast in electric cars.

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Chevrolet Volt: Range-Extended Electric Car Ultimate Guide

Green Car Reports

The Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car has been on sale for over a year now. You might have caught our previous guide to the Volt, but so much can happen in such a short space of time that there's always something new to add. Over the next few pages you'll find links to all sorts of information about the Volt. This page deals with the.

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How serious is Norway about climate change? So much that its streetlights self-dim

emissions global warming Norway climate change carbon dioxide youtube lighting

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Ener1 enters bankruptcy with cooperation of stakeholders, plans restructuring

National Green Transportation

Ever since the bankruptcy of Think last spring, Indiana based battery manufacturer Ener1 has been in trouble. Not only was Think a major customer of Ener1, Ener1's large stake in Think was a big bet on that.

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Just bone idle: Should you leave your engine running or not? The Green Piece.

Green Cars News

Tuesday, 24 January 2012. The Green Piece Column. As the London Mayor Boris Johnson launches a campaign to combat idling engines (see story) we take a look at just what happens when you needlessly leave your engine running. You might think that sometimes it is more efficient to leave the engine on or that stopping [.].

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More Trending

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BMW introduces new 6-cylinder in-line diesel with 3 turbochargers for new M Performance models

Green Car Congress

BMW has introduced a new range of M Performance Automobiles featuring a new 6-cylinder in-line diesel developed exclusively for those applications. The engines, which feature three turbochargers, deliver maximum output reaching 280 kW/381 hp and peak torque of 740 N·m (546 lb-ft). The new engine is applied in the BMW M550d xDrive Sedan, BMW M550d xDrive Touring, BMW X5 M50d and BMW X6 M50d.

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City of Bogota, Columbia launches electric taxi pilot; part of C40-CCI EV Network

Green Car Congress

The City of Bogota, Colombia, has launched a pilot project to spur the use of electric vehicles in Bogota’s center-city taxi fleet. The first taxis are expected to be operational in the city in the next few months. The project was developed in close collaboration with the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) Cities program and its partner the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group ( C40 ); it is a direct result of Bogota’s active participation in the C40-CCI Electric Vehicle Network of 15 global cities

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Chevrolet led US passenger car sales in 2011

Green Car Congress

Chevrolet led all automakers in US passenger car sales in 2011 and posted its largest year-over-year retail sales increase in 35 years, due in large part to strong sales of the Cruze compact sedan. Chevrolet compact car sales almost doubled compared with 2010. Chevrolet sold more than 763,000 passenger cars in 2011. Products included the Sonic subcompact, Cruze compact sedan, Volt electric car, Malibu and Impala sedans, and Camaro and Corvette sporty cars.

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Zero Motorcycles, Jiangsu Xinri E-Vehicle score highest in new Pike Research assessment of electric motorcycle and scooter manufacturers

Green Car Congress

Pike Pulse Grid for electric motorcycles and scooters. Click to enlarge. According to a new Pike Pulse report published by Pike Research, the two electric motorcycle and scooter manufacturers who are best positioned to take advantage of upcoming shifts in the market are Zero Motorcycles and Jiangsu Xinri E-Vehicle. The market for electric motorcycle and electric scooters is nascent in most regions of the world, except for Asia-Pacific.

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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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Opel expanding and enhancing its LPG offerings; new 1.4L LPG Turbo EcoFlex for Astra and Meriva

Green Car Congress

The Opel Meriva can now be ordered with the 1.4 liter LPG Turbo ecoFLEX dual fuel engine. Click to enlarge. Opel is expanding and enhancing its Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) offer. The Astra 5-door hatchback, the Astra Sports Tourer and the Meriva can now be ordered with the new 1.4 liter LPG Turbo ecoFLEX engine. The dual fuel engine can operate in LPG and gasoline mode and is available in two power versions: 103 kW/140 hp with 200 N·m/148 lb-ft of torque in the Astra 5-door and Sports T

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California’s newly ZEV rule introduces the BEVx; ARB staff expects these vehicles to play a longer-term role than plug-in hybrids

Green Car Congress

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

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India, China, Brazil, Japan, other non-Arctic countries want a voice on Arctic Council; interest in climate change impact and access to resources

Green Car Congress

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.

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Japan-based JNC completes bamboo-to-ethanol demonstration plant

Green Car Congress

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.

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ExxonMobil announces 6th oil discovery offshore Guyana with Ranger-1; Guyana may move from non-producer to regional powerhouse

Oil

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DSM and POET form major JV for cellulosic bioethanol; POET to decline $105M DOE loan guarantee

Green Car Congress

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.

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REL teams with NY-Poly to create lightweight, ultra-durable automotive brake rotor; up to 60% lighter, 3x the life

Green Car Congress

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.

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Volvo Trucks/Michelin study finds correct tires, pressure and wheel alignment can reduce truck fuel consumption up to 14.5%

Green Car Congress

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.

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Honda begins deliveries of 2013 Fit EV; first unit to City of Torrance

Green Car Congress

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.

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Deloitte suggests Gen Y’s embrace of hybrid vehicles may be auto market’s tipping point

Green Car Congress

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

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Mahindra & Mahindra awards Quantum contract for hydrogen ICE vehicle development

Green Car Congress

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.

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Hyundai’s lifetime hybrid battery guarantee

Green Car Congress

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

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Tata Technologies displays eMO low-cost city EV engineering study at Detroit Show

Green Car Congress

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.

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Dr. Paul Anastas outlines EPA’s new research paradigm, The Path Forward; realigning EPA research around sustainability

Green Car Congress

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

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EPA finds that both biodiesel and renewable diesel from palm oil fail to meet GHG reduction threshold for RFS program

Green Car Congress

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

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Volvo to unveil XC60 gasoline-electric Plug-in Hybrid Concept at Detroit show; system targeted for US and China markets

Green Car Congress

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.

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US and UK researchers report direct measurement of key atmospheric reactant; more rapid formation of secondary aerosols

Green Car Congress

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

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OnStar and Google demonstrate concept service for managing charging Chevrolet Volts with renewable energy

Green Car Congress

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.

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Lux forecasts micro-hybrids to grow to 39M vehicles in 2017, creating a $6.9B battery market

Green Car Congress

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.

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Li-ion manufacturer Ener1 files pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Green Car Congress

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.

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NASA finds 2011 ninth warmest year on record; GISS team concludes slowdown of warming likely to prove illusory

Green Car Congress

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.

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International study identifies 14 key measures to reduce methane and black carbon emissions; reduction in projected global mean warming of ~0.5 °C by 2050

Green Car Congress

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

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Pike forecasts sales of hybrid and plug-in medium and heavy duty trucks to nearly double in 2012

Green Car Congress

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.

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Newcastle Univ. researchers say expansion of Panama Canal could help reduce carbon footprint of marine industry

Green Car Congress

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.

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Sinopec, Saudi Aramco Sign 400 Kbpd Yanbu refinery JV agreement

Green Car Congress

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.