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Lux Research: despite cheap oil, niche plug-in vehicle sales will be resilient; conventional hybrids to be hardest hit

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In the likely case of only a gradual return to previous higher prices—which Lux calls the “cheap oil” scenario in its analysis—then electric vehicle (EV) sales will dip by 20% for a number of years, while plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales will dip by about 14% during that same period, the research firm found.

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Roskill: Green magnesium moving to commercial reality; China’s dominance under threat?

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Producers in Canada had conceded defeat by 2008 and the US industry was reduced to just one player that would probably not still be around were it not for punitive anti-dumping duties imposed on imports of Chinese magnesium. Then came the rapid ascent of production in China and with it a flood of low-cost magnesium.

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Nissan and ENEL announce V2G system, launch smart grid trials in Europe

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Endesa first showcased its V2G technology in 2008 in Smartcity Malaga, the Enel Group testing ground for smart cities.

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Nissan and Endesa collaborating to deliver vehicle-to-grid systems to market

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Using this equipment, a Nissan LEAF or e-NV200 owner can connect to charge at low-demand, and cheap tariff periods, with an option to then use the electricity stored in the vehicle’s battery at home when costs are higher, or even feed back to the grid with a net financial benefit.

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Penn State researchers developing methods to prolong operating life of valve regulated lead-acid batteries; electric locomotive as example

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The methods had to be nondestructive, simple and cheap—using as few sensors, electronics and supporting hardware as possible while still remaining effective at identifying and decreasing sulfation. In a recent study, the researchers looked for ways to improve regular battery management practices.

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ONR developing offensive autonomous swarming capability for unmanned surface vehicles; adapting JPL’s CARACaS

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In a 2008 brief on CARACaS, JPL engineers noted that the software was potentially applicable to diverse robotic systems that could include aircraft, spacecraft, ground vehicles, surface water vessels, and/or underwater vessels. —Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations.

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Jülich, ORNL researchers advance high energy density iron-air batteries

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In addition, their main constituent—iron—is an abundant and therefore cheap material. Both establishments have been collaborating closely on various scientific areas since 2008. Iron–air batteries are thus particularly interesting for a multitude of mobile applications in which space requirements play a large role.

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