December, 2011

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WHO report urges greater attention to improved land use, rapid transit, cycling and walking to achieve health co-benefits from transport GHG emissions mitigation

Green Car Congress

Urban density is one of the most important determinants of car use and transport-related energy consumption in cities. Source: WHO report. Click to enlarge. Among strategies to reduce CO 2 emissions in the transport sector, a shift to active transport (walking and cycling) and rapid transit/public transport combined with improved land use can yield much greater immediate health “co-benefits” than improving fuel and vehicle efficiencies, according to a new WHO (World Health Organization) report.

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Join the Greenius to Defeat Vile Vandals & Restore Hope & Trees

Creative Greenius

Let me tell you how pissed off I was the day after Thanksgiving when I read this headline in the Daily Breeze: “ Vandals Uproot Saplings Planted by Youngsters “ The story in a nutshell read, “ Forget the financial loss. Vandals crushed a lot more than that this week when they ripped out fledgling oak trees and smashed other plants being cultivated by dozens of young people from across the South Bay in Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park. “ It steamed my chaps and I wasn̵

Cars 276
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International Hot Rod Association Welcomes Electric Cars

Electric Cars are for Girls

"For your average drag race fan, this change opens a new and exciting chapter on the drag race scene, not seen since the likes of the inception of the electric vehicle itself.

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Chevy Volt Electric Car Owners Most Satisfied, Consumer Reports Says

Green Car Reports

Despite the NHTSA inquiry into battery-pack fires following severe crash tests of the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car, the car's 5,000 or so owners to date seem to be unworried. Comments on Volt owner forums largely dismiss worries about any risk of fire during accidents, and many owners still seem ecstatically happy with their cars. So.

Volt 167
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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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Tesla reveals price and options for the 2012 Model S electric sedan

National Green Transportation

While Tesla Motors is best known for the Roadster, an all electric super-sports-car, their eyes all along have been on a business plan to develop modest priced electric cars. The Tesla Model S, to go on sale.

Price 87
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E.ON launches electric car tariff for EV users

Green Cars News

Energy firm E.ON is the latest to launch a electric car tariff designed for those with their own electric car to recharge. A trial two year plan called ‘E.ON EV Miles’ will cover the cost of charging an electric car for as little as £236 a year, compared to the typical annual refuelling cost of [.].

More Trending

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DOE to award more than $7M to four projects to advance hydrogen storage

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy is awarding more than $7 million to fund four 3-year projects in California, Washington and Oregon to advance hydrogen storage technologies to be used in fuel-cell-electric vehicles. The selected organizations will provide close to $2 million in cost share. The projects focus on lowering the cost of compressed hydrogen storage systems and on developing advanced materials for hydrogen storage.

Hydrogen 330
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IBM and University of Guadalajara create Smarter Cities Exploration Center; transportation pilot seeks to reduce commuting time in city by 15%

Green Car Congress

IBM and the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) in Mexico have created a Smarter Cities Exploration Center. Supported by technical and intellectual guidance of IBM’s global research lab experts, the Center will be the first of its kind in Latin America, tasked with the mission to design solutions to tackle infrastructure challenges faced by Guadalajara—Mexico’s second-largest city—and other cities around the world.

Universal 329
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Evatran plans trials of Plugless Power wireless charging technology with commercial partners for early 2012; outfitting Volts and LEAFs

Green Car Congress

Plugless Power system components. Click to enlarge. Evatran, a developer of wireless charging systems for electric vehicles ( earlier post ), has signed contracts with six commercial participants to outfit their Chevrolet Volt and Nissan LEAF models with pre-production Plugless Power wireless charging systems. Plugless Power is a Level 2 (240V at 30A, 3.3 kW rated power output) inductive charging system, with a transfer efficiency of 90%.

2012 329
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Fjord1 launches world’s largest gas ferry on Boknafjord

Green Car Congress

Norwegian transportation company Fjord1 launched the MF Boknafjord , the world’s largest gas ferry. The new ferry, delivered by Fiskerstrand BLRT AS, will serve the Arsvågen-Mortavika route on the Boknafjord in Rogaland County. MF Boknafjord. Click to enlarge. The new gas-operated ferry is designed by Multi Maritime AS in Førde, Western Norway and has a total length of 129.9m, a maximum width of 19.2m and a capacity of 242 passenger cars or 22 heavy goods vehicles in combination with passenger c

Gas 326
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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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Valeo acquires electric supercharger business from Controlled Power

Green Car Congress

As part of its strategy of developing solutions to reduce CO 2 emissions, Valeo has acquired the Variable Torque Enhancement System (VTES) ( earlier post ) business of UK automotive technology development company Controlled Power Technologies (CPT). VTES will be integrated into Valeo’s Powertrain Systems Business Group with immediate effect. With this move, Valeo becomes the first automotive supplier to offer its customers a range of electric superchargers.

Power 326
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Nikkei reports Mitsubishi Motors to release electric light truck in FY12

Green Car Congress

The Nikkei reported that Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has started developing an electric light truck—its third electric vehicle—with a fiscal 2012 launch in mind. The new EV reportedly will be targeted at farmers, contractors and others who use light trucks for their work—applications in which limited range is less of an issue. The electric light truck will allow users to recharge its battery off normal household power outlets.

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California ARB releases three studies showing fine particle pollution a threat to cardiovascular health

Green Car Congress

ARB regulates two size classes of particles: up to 10 microns (PM 10 ) and up to 2.5 microns in size (PM 2.5 ). PM 2.5 particles are a subset of PM 10. Source: ARB. Click to enlarge. Three new studies released by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) show that exposure to airborne fine-particulate matter significantly elevates the risk for premature deaths from heart disease in older adults and elevates incidence of strokes among post-menopausal women.

Pollution 319
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U-M study finds substantial change in age composition of US drivers between 1983 and 2008; younger drivers represent smaller portions of their age groups

Green Car Congress

Changes in percentage of teenagers with driver’s licenses, 1983 to 2008. Data: Sivak and Schoettle. Click to enlarge. The age composition of US drivers has changed substantially between 1983 and 2008, according to a new study by University of Michigan researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle, published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention.

2008 319
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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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Toyota launches Aqua compact hybrid in Japan; targeting 12,000 units per month in sales

Green Car Congress

The Aqua hybrid. Click to enlarge. Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) launched the Aqua gasoline-electric compact hybrid—to be marketed as the Prius c in the US—in Japan. The Aqua features a small 1.5-liter Toyota Hybrid System II (THS II) with reduction gear, which achieves fuel efficiency of 35.4 km/L (83.3 mpg US, 2.8 L/100km) under the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s (MLIT’s) JC08 test cycle and 40.0 km/L (94 mpg US, 2.5 L/100km) under the MLIT 10-1

Japan 309
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Pike Research survey finds strong fundamental US consumer interest in EVs; price remains a significant barrier

Green Car Congress

To assess consumer demand, preferences, and price sensitivity for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Pike Research conducted a web-based survey of 1,051 US consumers in the fall of 2011 using a nationally representative and demographically balanced sample. The survey found that, based on Americans’ driving and commute patterns, PEVs should be a strong fit for a large number of consumers.

Price 307
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Mitsubishi Motors develops new eco-friendly floor mats using plant-based fibers

Green Car Congress

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC), working with EIDAIKAKO Co., Ltd., MRC Pylen Co., Ltd. and Toyota Tsusho Corporation, has developed a new floor mat made using plant-based bio-polyethylene (bio-PE) fiber to add to its lineup of proprietary plant-based “Green Plastic” products. The company plans to start production of the new floor mats in the summer of 2012.

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Marangoni displays Evoque HFI-R show car with Bigas International hydrogen-CNG dual-fuel system

Green Car Congress

Marangoni Tire, the Italian tire specialist, presented its latest show car, the Marangoni Evoque HFI-R, at the Bologna Motor Show earlier this month.Evoque HFI-R. Click to enlarge. The Marangoni Evoque HFI-R, based on a Si4 2.0 Turbo gasoline engine model, has been tuned to deliver 300 bhp, but still manages to significantly reduce fuel consumption and harmful emissions by exploiting combined hydrogen and natural gas technology.

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US EIA reminder: Strait of Hormuz world’s most important oil chokepoint; almost 20% of oil traded worldwide

Green Car Congress

With Iran’s current threat to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to sanctions as a backdrop, the US Energy Information Agency issued an update to its “World Oil Transit Chokepoint” brief ( earlier post ), noting that “ Hormuz is the world’s most important oil chokepoint due to its daily oil flow of almost 17 million barrels in 2011, up from between 15.5-16.0 million bbl/d in 2009-2010.

Oil 297
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New Holland showcases farm-ready hydrogen fuel cell NH2 tractor at Agritechnica; in service at La Bellotta Energy Independent Farm from summer 2012

Green Car Congress

The NH 2 hydrogen fuel cell tractor. Click to enlarge. New Holland previewed the farm-ready version of the hydrogen fuel cell NH 2 tractor ( earlier post ) at the Agritechnica international agricultural machinery show in Hannover in November. Derived from the New Holland T6.140 production model, the new tractor will operate all the implements required for different seasonal operations: soil preparation, seeding, baling, transport, and front loader applications.

Hydrogen 297
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Summary of decisions from Durban climate conference

Green Car Congress

Countries meeting in Durban, South Africa, managed to deliver an agreement after an extension to negotiations. Governments at the COP17 meeting decided to adopt some form of a universal legal agreement on climate change as soon. as possible, but not later than 2015. Work on this is to begin immediately under a new group called the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action.

Climate 294
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Argonne study finds shale gas GHG lifecycle emissions 6% lower than natural gas, 23% lower than gasoline and 33% lower than coal; upstream methane leakage a key contributor

Green Car Congress

Life-cycle GHG emissions per MJ of fuel produced and combusted for both 100-year and 20-year time horizons. Gasoline section shows results for fuel derived from both conventional oil and oil sands. Expansion bars show the components of fuel production. Credit: ACS, Burnham et al. Click to enlarge. The base results from a study by a team at the Center for Transportation Research, Argonne National Laboratory indicate that shale gas life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are 6% lower than conven

Gas 284
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Pike forecasts global investment in intelligent transportation systems will total $13.1B through 2017

Green Car Congress

Forecast global spending on ITS. Source: Pike Research. Click to enlarge. The concept of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) encompasses a wide range of systems and applications. In a new report, Pike Research focuses on four key smart transportation sectors—traffic management systems; smart charging for plug-in electric vehicles; public transportation systems; and vehicle-to-vehicle systems—and forecasts a global investment in these totaling $13.2 billion by 2017.

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Süd-Chemie and LG Chem to establish joint venture to manufacture Lithium Iron Phosphate for Li-ion batteries; other advanced olivine structures in the plan

Green Car Congress

Süd-Chemie AG and LG Chem, Ltd. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a joint venture for high-volume production of superior quality Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP); LFP is a cost-effective, safe and eco-friendly cathode material for use in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Süd-Chemie, a member of the LFP licensing alliance established earlier this year with Hydro-Québec, Université de Montréal and CNRS ( earlier post ) and with several years of experience in manufacturing

Li-ion 281
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Nebraska provides TransCanada with map identifying Sandhills Regions to be avoided in designing alternative route for Keystone XL pipeline

Green Car Congress

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) has released a map of the areas that it considers to be Nebraska Sandhills, based on an analysis of a variety of existing data. NDEQ is conveying this to TransCanada for reference as the company develops a proposed new route for the Nebraska portion of the Keystone XL pipeline. NDEQ Director Mike Linder said this was an important step resulting from legislation which was passed in November relating to the development of an alternative route

Nebraska 278
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WVU NAFTC partners with Tesla Motors for professional development and electric drive vehicle first responder safety training

Green Car Congress

The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) will hold its upcoming Electric Drive Vehicle First Responder Safety Training at the Tesla Motors headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. Scheduled for 6-7 Dec., the train-the-trainer workshop is the fifth of its kind to ensure first responders nationwide have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of electric drive vehicle accident response procedures.

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Battelle-R&D Magazine forecast predicts 5.2% growth in 2012 global R&D spending to $1.4+T, largely driven by Asian economies; US companies and tech providers to boost energy R&D spending by 23.1% to $6.7B

Green Car Congress

Global R&D spending 2011. Size of circle reflects the relative amount of annual R&D spending by the country noted. Source: 2012 Global R&D Funding Forecast. Click to enlarge. The Battelle-R&D Magazine annual Global R&D Funding Forecast concludes that global research and development (R&D) spending will grow by about 5.2% in 2012 to more than $1.4 trillion.

2012 277
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GM to introduce new 2.0L direct-injected turbo engine in Cadillac ATS

Green Car Congress

The direct injected 2.0 L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with an estimated 270 horsepower (201 kW), will be among the powertrain options available in the all-new 2013 Cadillac ATS compact luxury sedan. Click to enlarge. GM will debut a new high-performance 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the new 2013 Cadillac ATS compact luxury sedan, which will be revealed at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in January.

Cadillac 273
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LanzaTech receives $3M contract from FAA for alcohol-to-jet project; one of 8 awards worth total of $7.7M

Green Car Congress

Different pathways to jet fuel. Alcohol-to-jet (bottom) is currently being explored by an ASTM Working Group. Source: Byogy. Click to enlarge. LanzaTech has received a US$3-million contract from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), through the Department of Transportation’s John A. Volpe Center, to accelerate commercial availability of alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) renewable drop-in aviation fuel. ( Earlier post.).

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Pike forecasts $1.4B market for EV telematics by 2017

Green Car Congress

Cumulative light-duty PEV deployments by segment, world markets: 2011-2017. Source: Pike Research. Click to enlarge. Nearly nine out of ten plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) sold this year will include at least a basic telematics package, and that percentage will likely grow to 94% by 2017, according to a new report from Pike Research. Annual revenue from worldwide sales of electric vehicle telematics will total $1.4 billion by 2017, Pike forecasts.

2017 261
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Ford targeting 30% reduction in water used per vehicle by 2015

Green Car Congress

Ford plans to cut the amount of water used to make each vehicle 30% globally by 2015, compared with the amount of water used per vehicle in 2009. If Ford meets the 30% goal, the amount of water used to make a vehicle will have dropped from 9.5 m 3 (2,510 gallons US) in 2000 to approximately 3.5 m 3 (925 gallons US) in 2015. Ford is also developing year-over-year efficiency targets as part of its annual environmental business planning process and has established a cross-functional team spanning s

Water 257
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SRI developing process for co-gasification of methane and coal to produce liquid transportation fuels; negligible water consumption, no CO2

Green Car Congress

Top: Conventional F-T process. Bottom: SRI process. Click to enlarge. Researchers from SRI International (SRI) are developing a methane-and-coal-to-liquids process that consumes negligible amounts of water and does not generate carbon dioxide. Based on data from bench-scale tests, SRI engineers estimate that the capital cost for a full-scale plant using SRI’s process would be less than half that of a conventional coal-to-liquids (CTL) plant using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS).

Coal 257
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DOE report finds some materials for EVs and other clean energy technologies at risk of supply disruptions in the short term; risks decreasing in medium- and long-term

Green Car Congress

Materials in clean energy technologies and components. Source: DOE. Click to enlarge. Several clean energy technologies—including electric vehicles, wind turbines, PV thin films and fluorescent lighting—use materials at risk of supply disruptions in the short term, with risks generally decreasing in the medium- and long-terms, according to the newly released 2011 Critical Materials Strategy report from the US Department of Energy (DOE).

Supplies 256
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Siemens and partners optimizing electric motors for cars and aircraft

Green Car Congress

Siemens Corporate Technology and partners are pursuing several research projects aimed at improving the range and efficiency of electric motors. In the project PELiKAn (Power Electronics in Kraftfahrzeugen. und Aeronautik, or “Power Electronics in Motor Vehicles and Aeronautics), the aim is to use highly efficient power electronics to improve efficiency in aircraft and motor vehicles.

Motor 253