September, 2014

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Study finds rapid charging and draining doesn’t damage lithium-ion electrode as much as thought

Green Car Congress

'X-ray microscope snapshot of nanoparticles in a battery midway through charging. Particles range from fully charged (green) to intermediate charge (orange/yellow) to drained of charge (red) The scalebar equals 500 nm. (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory) Click to enlarge. A new study has found that rapid-charging a lithium-ion battery and using it to do high-power, rapidly draining work may not be as damaging as researchers had thought, and that the benefits of slow draining and charging may

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First Tesla Model S Convertible Built By Newport Engineering (Video)

Green Car Reports

'Electric-car buyers who want to feel the wind in their hair don''t have many choices. Aside from the 2014 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive--and the now-discontinued Tesla Roadster--electric convertibles haven''t been a segment in which carmakers have expressed much interest. However, a California firm has decided this could be a niche worth filling. ALSO.

Convert 167
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Riding 1000 miles in 24 hours on electric motorcycle creates Iron Butt Terry

National Green Transportation

'On Tuesday, Terry Hershner made history as the first person to ride an electric motorcycle over 1000 miles in 24 hours, following his historic win about two weeks ago in the Vetter Fuel Economy challenge. Both events shatter preconceived.

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Green Hero: Johnson Controls

Green Cars News

'Anyone who has ever been involved in the automotive industry will know all about its unsung heroes. Behind every successful brand and vehicle manufacturer sits a team of suppliers rich in expertise designing and building the parts that drive these motoring success stories. Now, for our latest Green[.].

Green 71
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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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Renault presents the 235 mpg EOLAB prototype; plug-in “Z.E. Hybrid”; targeting production

Green Car Congress

'EOLAB. Click to enlarge. Renault has presented EOLAB, a new prototype which explores ways to deliver ultra-low fuel consumption. EOLAB delivers NEDC combined cycle fuel consumption of 1 liter/100 km (235 mpg US), equivalent to 22g of CO 2 /km. To achieve such low figures, the designers focused their efforts on three main areas: minimizing weight; leveraging aerodynamics with active systems; and using the “Z.E.

Plug-in 370
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Wireless charging company WiTricity scaling up EV charging capability as well as itself

Green Car Congress

'WiTricity, the MIT spin-off commercializing strongly coupled magnetic resonance wireless charging technology for EVs as well as consumer devices, industrial, medical and military applications ( earlier post ), has work underway to deliver wireless charging systems capable of delivering 10s of kilowatts for plug-ins, compared to the current 3.3 or 6.6 kW, says CEO Alex Gruzen.

Charging 356

More Trending

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Lux: Tesla likely to miss 2020 vehicle target by >50%; Gigafactory to bring only modest reduction in costs, >50% overcapacity

Green Car Congress

'Lux Research forecasts that Tesla Motors’ Gigafactory—the announced new 35 GWh lithium-ion cell production facility that is the target of hot competition between five states ( earlier post )—will bring about only a modest reduction in Li-ion battery costs and create significant overcapacity, given likely Tesla EV sales in 2020 of less than half of the company’s targeted 500,000.

2020 337
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MAN shows TGX parallel diesel hybrid truck concept, previews CNG in TGM trucks at IAA; gearbox cooperation with Scania

Green Car Congress

'MANs TGX hybrid concept at IAA. Click to enlarge. At the IAA, MAN (part of the Volkswagen Group) presented a concept diesel-electric parallel hybrid version of its long-haul TGX truck. (MAN showed the Metropolis research truck, a range-extended electric refuse collection truck developed in collaboration with Benteler Engineering Services for use in the city, at IAA 2012, earlier post.

Diesel 322
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Boeing successfully flight tests new ceramic composite engine nozzle; reduces noise, weight and fuel use

Green Car Congress

'Boeing recently successfully flight-tested an innovative engine nozzle made of ceramic composites designed to reduce noise and weight and to lower fuel use. The ceramic matrix composite (CMC) nozzle, attached to a Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine, went through a series of tests on the ecoDemonstrator 787 Flight Test Airplane, including community noise testing, passing over a large acoustic array in Moses Lake, Wash.

Engine 321
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Soros signals Argentina’s shale is biggest place to be; doubles stake in YPF SA

Green Car Congress

'by James Stafford of Oilprice.com. One of the world’s legendary investors is upping his bet on Argentina’s shale oil and gas industry in a show of confidence for shale production in South America’s largest unconventional prize—and a big boost for both supermajors and smaller players making big waves in the heart of new discovery areas. George Soros has doubled his stake in YPF SA, the state-owned oil company in Argentina, which sits atop some of the world’s largest shale oil and gas resou

Argentina 319
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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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Boeing truck-mounted laser demonstrator destroys targets through wind and fog; “photons on target”, only diesel required

Green Car Congress

'Boeing and the US Army have demonstrated the capabilities of the truck-mounted High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator ( HEL MD ) under maritime conditions (i.e., wind and fog), successfully targeting a variety of aerial targets at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The demonstrator is the first mobile, high-energy laser, counter rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) platform to be built and demonstrated by the US Army.

Wind 316
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Southwest Airlines signs purchase agreement with Red Rock Biofuels for renewable jet fuel from forest residues; ~3M gallons per year

Green Car Congress

'Southwest Airlines has signed an agreement with Red Rock Biofuels LLC ( RRB ) to purchase low carbon renewable jet fuel, made using forest residues that will help reduce the risk of destructive wildfires in the Western United States. The airline’s agreement with RRB covers the purchase of approximately three million gallons per year. The blended product will be used at Southwest’s Bay Area operations with first delivery expected in 2016.

Purchase 312
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USDA closes on $105M loan guarantee to Fulcrum for biorefinery converting municipal waste to renewable jet fuel; first USDA loan for biojet

Green Car Congress

'The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has closed on a $105-million Biorefinery Assistance Program loan guarantee through Bank of America, N.A. to Fulcrum Sierra Biofuels, LLC to build a biorefinery to produce jet fuel from municipal solid waste (MSW) via a proprietary two-stage thermochemical process. ( Earlier post.). USDA Rural Development’s loan guarantee represents less than half of the $266 million project cost.

Waste 310
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Team led by Local Motors 3D-printing a car during 6-day IMTS

Green Car Congress

'The Strati is being 3D-printed at IMTS. Click to enlarge. A team led by Local Motors is 3D-printing a full vehicle body over 44 hours during the International Manufacturing Technology Show 2014 and will follow it up with a first drive set to take place the morning of Saturday, 13 September. Local Motors collaborated with Cincinnati Incorporated, a large-scale manufacturing system builder; Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a pioneer in advanced materials research; and SABIC to develop and va

Motor 303
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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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Peugeot showcasing 208 Hybrid Air 2L Demonstrator at Paris show

Green Car Congress

'PEUGEOT is showcasing its 208 HYbrid Air 2L Demonstrator at next month’s Paris Motor Show. The 2L stands for two liters per 100 km, equivalent to 118 mpg US, and is based on a production version of the Peugeot 208 1.2-liter PureTech 82 hp 5-seater Hatchback. Peugeot’s Hybrid Air ( earlier post ) is a full-hybrid solution combining compressed air and hydraulic power, with no battery required for energy storage.

Hybrid 301
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Honda to showcase new connected car and automated driving technologies at 2014 ITS World Congress in Detroit; driver-to-driver “virtual tow”

Green Car Congress

'Honda will showcase several of its latest developments in intelligent transportation technology at the 2014 ITS World Congress in Detroit, 7-11 September. Activities include the first US demonstration of Honda’s automated driving technology with capabilities such as automated freeway merging; exiting; and lane changing, which will be demonstrated on actual Detroit freeways, as well as a unique vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) “virtual tow” capability for assisting a driver in distress.

Congress 294
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Promised VW Passat plug-in hybrid to debut at Paris show; both sedan and wagon

Green Car Congress

'Passat GTE sedan. Click to enlarge. In his remarks before the opening of the Geneva Motora Show in March 2014, Volkswagen Group Chairman of the Board of Management Prof. Dr. Winterkorn said that a plug-in hybrid version of the Volkswagen Passat would join the Group’s range of low-CO 2 vehicles “soon.” ( Earlier post.). Accordingly, at the Paris Motor Show, Volkswagen will introduce the new Passat GTE plug-in hybrid, the Volkswagen brand’s third plug-in hybrid (after the XL1, earlier post and Go

Plug-in 290
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Citroën unveiling Cactus AIRFLOW 2L concept at Paris: Hybrid Air powertrain and 2L/100 km

Green Car Congress

'Citroën will unveil its new C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L concept at the Paris Motor Show. With the C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L concept, Citroën is demonstrating fuel consumption of 2l/100 km (118 mpg US) through the use of optimized design with a 20% improvement in aerodynamics; lower rolling resistance (Tall&Narrow) tires; efforts to use lighter parts and thus reduce overall vehicle weight by 100 kg; and the implementation of Hybrid Air technology ( earlier post ), which cuts fuel consumption by 30%.

Concept 290
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California passes 100K plug-in car sales; 40% of US plug-ins

Green Car Congress

'Californians have purchased more than 100,000 plug-in cars (PEVs) since the market started in 2010, according to figures gathered by the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative. Californians buy approximately 40% of all the PEVs sold in the US. According to data collected by the California Air Resources Board and new sales figures released this week from hybridcars.com and Baum & Associates, a Michigan-based market research firm, Californians bought 102,440 PEVs from December 2010 thr

Plug-in 284
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German researchers boost algal hydrogen production five-fold using metabolic engineering approach

Green Car Congress

'Scientists from the Max Planck Institutes for Chemical Energy Conversion and Coal Research and from the research group Photobiotechnology at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have discovered a way of increasing the efficiency of hydrogen production in microalgae by a factor of five by using a combined metabolic engineering approach. An open access paper on their work is published in the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science.

Hydrogen 278
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San Francisco orders 175 light rail cars from Siemens for $648M; option for 85 more

Green Car Congress

'San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has awarded Siemens a contract to deliver an initial 175 light rail cars for its Muni transit system at a value of US$648 million. Siemens, which beat CAF for the contract, will deliver a newly-developed light rail car based on its Model S200 for the San Francisco order. With an option for an additional 85 cars, this is one of the biggest orders for light rail cars ever placed in the USA.

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KIA prices 2015 Soul EV starting at $33,700

Green Car Congress

'Kia Motors America (KMA) announced pricing for the all-electric version of the Kia Soul. ( Earlier post.) Offered in two trims, Base and + (Plus), the 2015 Soul EV MSRP will be $33,700 (not including federal tax rebate of $7,500) for the Base and $35,700 for the Plus (not including federal tax rebate of $7,500). 2015 Soul EV +. Click to enlarge. With an expected introductory lease price of $249 per month, the Soul EV offers an EPA-estimated range of 93 miles (150 km) and 92 MPGe on the highway

2015 278
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Li-ion maker Boston-Power launches module system for EV and ESS applications; no-weld integration

Green Car Congress

'Li-ion battery maker Boston-Power Inc. ( earlier post ) recently launched its Ensemble Module System; a “kit” of standard components that provides OEMs and pack assemblers with a simple, cost-effective way to assemble large format battery pack solutions for electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage system (ESS) applications. Available in 155 Wh and 116 Wh increments, module designs can be created to meet a wide variety of voltage and capacity requirements.

Boston 275
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Study warns on possible air pollution link to neuroinflammatory, Alzheimer and Parkinson’s pathologies in megacity children

Green Car Congress

'Children living in polluted megacities are at increased risk for brain inflammation and neurodegenerative changes, including Alzheimer or Parkinson’s disease, according to a study led by University of Montana Professor Dr. Lilian Calderón-Garcidueñas and her colleagues. The study found when air particulate matter and their components such as metals are inhaled or swallowed, they pass through damaged barriers, including respiratory, gastrointestinal and the blood-brain barriers and can result in

Pollution 275
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Sion Li-S battery pack powers electric UAV on 11-day flight

Green Car Congress

'Sion Power announced that its proprietary lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries played a critical role in the Airbus Defence and Space Zephyr 7 prototype High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) aircraft completing a southern hemisphere winter weather flight of more than 11 days duration controlled by satellite communications. The Zephyr 7 is a solar/battery powered electric UAV with a wing span of 70 feet (22.5 m) and a weight of just over 110 lbs. (50 kg).

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UC Davis, ITDP study suggests global shift to public transport, NMT and away from cars could save $100T through 2050 and cut GHGs

Green Car Congress

'One of the more affordable ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions is to design cities to give people clean options for using public transportation, walking and cycling and to move away from car-centric development, according to a new report released by the University of California, Davis, and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP).

Davis 273
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Toyota and partners launching Cité lib by Ha:mo EV car sharing in Grenoble; ultracompact EVs complementing public transport

Green Car Congress

'Toyota i-ROAD and COMS for use in "Cité lib by Ha:mo" EV sharing trial in Grenoble, France. Click to enlarge. The City of Grenoble, France, its metropolitan area Grenoble-Alpes Metropole, EDF and its affiliate Sodetrel, Toyota Motor Corporation and Cité lib officially launched the new “Cité lib by Ha:mo” electric vehicle car-sharing service. ( Earlier post.).

Toyota 273
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Mayor of London backs diesel car scrappage scheme; London ranked 9th best world city in new air quality study

Green Car Congress

'The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has renewed calls for scrapping the most polluting diesel cars and giving drivers cash incentives to switch to cleaner vehicles as part of the evidence he gave to the Environmental Audit Committee today. The Mayor is supporting proposals for the UK Government to help motorists by offering between a ÂŁ1,000 and ÂŁ2,000 (US$1,614 to US$3,228) grant per vehicle for the most polluting diesels which are more than 12 months old.

London 273
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Mercedes-Benz receives license for testing autonomous vehicles on California roads; differences between Germany and US

Green Car Congress

'On 16 September 2014, California introduced a legal requirement for an official licence for testing vehicles in autonomous driving mode on public roads. On Senate Bill No. 1298 taking effect, Mercedes-Benz received a corresponding licence permitting it to test vehicles in autonomous driving mode in daily traffic on California''s roads. With the approval from the US federal state of California we can now take autonomous driving to a new level in the USA.

Germany 268
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Volvo Buses officially launches the all-new plug-in Electric Hybrid bus

Green Car Congress

'Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid with overhead conductive charging station and pantograph extended. Click to enlarge. As previously announced ( earlier post ), Volvo Buses will officially launch the new plug-in 7900 Electric Hybrid bus at the International IAA Commercial Vehicles show in September. The plug-in hybrid drive reduces diesel fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by up to 75%, compared to a conventional diesel bus.

Volvo 268
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Cadillac to offer advanced V2V and semi-automated driving technologies in certain 2017 MY vehicles

Green Car Congress

'Super Cruise, GM’s semi-automated driving technology, will come to market in a new 2017 Cadillac vehicle. Click to enlarge. Cadillac will begin offering advanced “intelligent and connected” vehicle technologies on certain 2017 model year vehicles, General Motors CEO Mary Barra said Sunday during her keynote address at the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) World Congress in Detroit.

Cadillac 262
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UMTRI: new vehicle fuel economy hits record high of 25.8 mpg in August

Green Car Congress

'The average fuel economy (window-sticker value) of new vehicles sold in the US in August was at a record high of 25.8 mpg (9.1 l/100 km)—up 0.2 mpg from the value in July, according to the latest monthly report from Dr. Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). Vehicle fuel economy is up 5.7 mpg since their first month of monitoring in October 2007.

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OPIS: Russia’s shipments of diesel to Europe surged 55% in first eight months of 2014

Green Car Congress

'Satellite tracking of oil cargoes by market reporting group OPIS shows that Europe’s dependence on Russia for road fuels in the 28 member countries has deepened significantly. Diesel imports from Russia are at a record in the first eight months of 2014, with Germany the most reliant, followed by France, and then the UK. Ultra-low-sulphur diesel exported from Russia to Europe surged 55% from January to August, compared to the same period last year, displacing India as the second-largest importer

2014 262
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Honeywell Global Turbo Forecast projects 49M turbocharged vehicle sales, $12B revenue per year by 2019

Green Car Congress

'The automotive turbocharging industry will generate $12 billion in revenue by equipping 49 million vehicles with turbochargers annually by 2019, according to Honeywell Turbo Technologies’ 2014 Global Turbo Forecast. The continued growth of turbocharging technologies will be driven by requirements for manufacturers to meet global environmental emissions regulations and bolstered by strong demand in emerging markets.

2019 261