Green Car Congress

AUGUST 8, 2017

The SOLETAIR project ( earlier post ) has produced its first 200 liters of synthetic fuel from solar energy and the air’s carbon dioxide via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Project partners include INERATEC, a spinoff of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), VTT Technical Research Center of Finland and Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT). The mobile chemical pilot plant produces gasoline, diesel, and kerosene from regenerative hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

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Green Car Reports

AUGUST 29, 2017

Sometimes it's best not to dare the public to do the research, especially if you're trying to persuade them of something that isn't true. Almost two years ago, Inside Climate News published a significant expose that confirmed Exxon's own scientists had agreed that human carbon emissions contributed to global warming as early as July 1977. But as.

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Green Cars News

AUGUST 10, 2017

It was reported last month that UK vehicle theft has increased 20% in recent years, and recent evidence suggests that a new computerised ‘relay’ style

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Creative Greenius

AUGUST 21, 2017

Ladies and gentlemen your friendly neighborhood Greenius has hit the wall. I am dog tired. And I’m cranky – angry even – I’ve got no patience left. My lips no longer pucker to kiss politicians ass and I find that I can no longer suffer fools gladly. I need a break, right now, before I snap. So I’m finally taking one. A year-long one.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 11, 2017

Siemens has been commissioned by the German state of Hesse to build an overhead contact line for electrified freight transport on a ten-kilometer stretch of autobahn. The line will supply electricity for the electric drive of a hybrid truck. Siemens originally presented its innovative “eHighway” concept in 2012. ( Earlier post.) The system will be installed on the A5 federal autobahn between the Zeppelinheim/Cargo City Süd interchange at the Frankfurt Airport and the Darmstadt/Weiterstadt interc

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 30, 2017

Amminex is introducing BlueFit: a hardware retrofit solution aimed at lowering NO x emissions on older diesel cars to meet and surpass the latest Euro 6 standard. BlueFit comprises two key elements: a scaled-down version of the ASDS (Ammonia Storage and Delivery System) that is already used on commercial vehicles ( earlier post ) and an SCR catalyst.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 11, 2017

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) reached. settlements with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UPRR) to resolve violations of the state’s drayage truck regulation, which requires cleanup of trucks servicing the state’s busy ports and intermodal rail yards. An investigation by CARB’s Enforcement Division documented that both companies had failed to accurately report all the required information for noncompliant trucks entering 12 separat

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California Los Angeles Pollution Diesel 244

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 14, 2017

Registration of model year 2016 plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in New Jersey was up 79% over 2015, according to a recent analysis by ChargEVC , a diverse coalition of organizations and companies that support growth of the electric vehicle market. New Jersey now has more than 10,000 PEVs on the road, 60% of which have been sold in the last two years.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 19, 2017

Volkswagen announced it will put the battery-electric I.D. BUZZ microbus concept into production. Volkswagen presented the concept at the Detroit Auto Show in January. ( Earlier post.) The Chairmen of the Boards of Management of the Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands, Dr Herbert Diess and Dr Eckhard Scholz, announced the decision today at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 4, 2017

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and Mazda Motor Corporation (Mazda) signed an agreement to enter a business and capital alliance, with the aim of further strengthening their partnership. The companies agreed to: 1) establish a joint venture that produces vehicles in the United States; 2) jointly develop technologies for electric vehicles; 3) jointly develop connected-car technology; 4) collaborate on advanced safety technologies; and 5) expand complementary products.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 25, 2017

Researchers have achieved a significant boost in the storage capacity of magnesium-ion batteries through a new design for the cathode and a new understanding of the electrolyte. In an open-access paper in the journal Nature Communications , they report a battery chemistry that utilizes magnesium mono-chloride cations in expanded titanium disulfide. The battery demonstrates the reversible intercalation of 1 and 1.7 magnesium monochloride cations per titanium at 25 and 60 °C, respectively, corresp

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 22, 2017

According to a new study by Bosch, the use of e-fuels—synthetic fuels based on renewable energy—in Europe by 2050 as a scheduled supplement to electrification could save up to 2.8 gigatons of CO 2 : three times Germany’s carbon-dioxide emissions in 2016. The calculation is based on an assumed e-fuels blend of 1% in 2025, 10% in 2030, 40% in 2040 and completely replacing the fossil fuel share by 2050.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 7, 2017

Through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) negotiated by the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Technology Transfer and Outreach Office, ARL and Brown University researchers are attempting to address the difficulty of characterizing and then engineering the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer that forms on the anode of lithium ion batteries, with particular emphasis on experimental silicon anodes with very high capacities for lithium.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 3, 2017

Researchers at the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) have discovered that a nano-galvanic aluminum-based powder of their design splits water on contact, producing hydrogen and oxygen. Scientists have known for a long time that hydrogen can be produced by adding a catalyst—such as sodium or potassium hydroxide or an acid—to aluminum. However, these methods take time, elevated temperature, and added electricity.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 15, 2017

Lithium-air (or lithium-oxygen) batteries potentially could offer three times the gravimetric energy of current Li-ion batteries (3500 Wh/kg at the cell level); as such, they are looked to a potential solution for long-range EVs. However, tests of various approaches to creating such batteries have produced conflicting and confusing results, as well as controversies over how to explain them.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 7, 2017

Tesla intends to offer, subject to market and other conditions, $1.5 billion in aggregate principal amount of its senior notes due 202. The Notes will be senior unsecured debt obligations of Tesla. The interest rate, redemption prices and other terms of the Notes are to be determined. Tesla intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to further strengthen its balance sheet during this period of rapid scaling with the launch of Model 3, and for general corporate purposes.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 24, 2017

UK-based ULEMCo has developed a fuel-cell-based unit that will extend vehicle range by supplying additional power to the standard Nissan e-NV200 van. With the combination of the on-board hydrogen storage and fuel cell module, the van will have a range of more than 150 miles (241 km) when laden, satisfying the range requirements of most average daily delivery operations for this size of van.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 31, 2017

A new study commissioned by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) investigates the real-world emissions of four Euro 6 passenger cars—one gasoline and three diesel vehicles with different aftertreatment technologies—tested under variable conditions. The investigation was conducted by the Laboratory of Applied Thermodynamics, of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and its spin-off company, Emisia.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 31, 2017

Volkswagen has developed a special automatic climate control system—“Air Care Climatronic”—which keeps pollen, fungal spores and particulates out from entering the car. The air purification system is available for all current Golf, Touran, Tiguan, Passat models as well as the new Polo and Arteon. It uses an air quality sensor with an active biogenic filter that is more effective than conventional pollen filters.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 28, 2017

Magnis Resources Limited, part of a consortium aspiring to build a Li-ion gigafactory in Australia ( earlier post ), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with German Lithium-ion battery consortium TerraE-Holding GmbH (TerraE) for the supply of raw materials. TerraE-Holding GmbH has organized 17 major companies and research institutions into a consortium to handle planning for building large-scale lithium ion battery cell manufacturing in Germany. ( Earlier post.).

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 21, 2017

Canada-based GreenPower Motor Company ( earlier post ) and its California factory direct dealer, School Bus Sales of California, have secured commitments for eleven batteery-electric Synapse 72 school buses from six different school districts in South Coast and North Coast California districts. The two have been giving demonstrations of the Synapse 72 electric school bus to school districts and charter schools selected by the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the North Coast Unifie

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 17, 2017

Toyota and Servco Pacific Inc. (Servco) have partnered to test a new car-sharing technology in Honolulu. The suite of software and services is an important part of Toyota’s Mobility Services Platform (MSPF) which will offer various functions to enable a more convenient mobility experience. When the employee-only pilot testing program concludes, Servco, the distributor of Toyota vehicles in Hawaii, will use the car-sharing technology to launch a new Honolulu-based car share business by the end of

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 14, 2017

Researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Columbia University surveyed more than 1,200 people in Austin, Texas, to examine how their habits changed after Uber and Lyft pulled drivers out of the city due to a local law change. In May 2016, Austin voters blocked a ballot measure that would have allowed the companies to keep using their own background-check systems.

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Austin Texas Transportation 2017 186

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 11, 2017

Traffic is a major source of harmful pollutants; daily peak exposures tend to occur near roadways or while traveling—or being stuck—on them. For example, a team at the University of Surrey found that particulate pollution levels inside cars are up to 40% higher when the vehicle is stuck in a traffic jam or stopped at a red traffic light compared to free-flowing traffic conditions. ( Earlier post.).

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 10, 2017

New analysis commissioned by Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit organization working with investors and companies, suggests that national fuel economy and emissions standards can help increase the viability and international competitiveness of domestic automakers and suppliers. The analysis prepared by Alan Baum, founder and principal of Baum and Associates, proposes that legacy automakers are experiencing low stock valuations and cutting jobs and expenses largely due to two factors: Overall dema

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 8, 2017

Mazda Motor Corporation announced “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030,” a new long-term vision for technology development that looks ahead to the year 2030. As part of the new technology to achieve this vision, the company disclosed plans to introduce a next-generation gasoline engine called SKYACTIV-X in 2019. SKYACTIV-X—which Mazda believes will be the first commercial gasoline engine to use compression ignition—uses a proprietary combustion method called Spark Controlled Compression Ignit

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 5, 2017

The state of Minnesota will implement a new biodiesel standard next spring, as Minnesota moves to a 20% biodiesel blend (B20) at pumps across the state. This new standard builds on Minnesota’s national leadership—in 2005, Minnesota became the first state in the nation to require all diesel fuel to have a blend of at least 2% biodiesel (B2). Beginning in May 2018, B20 will be sold at filling stations across Minnesota during summer months, when higher biodiesel blends can be used reliably.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 2, 2017

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has introduced its first 3D-printed spare part made of metal (an aluminum-silicon material), a thermostat cover for truck and Unimog models from older model series. In contrast to the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) process used in plastics 3D printing, 3D printing of metallic components uses Selective Laser Melting (SLM). In the case of the thermostat cover, for example, the powdered aluminium/silicon material (ALSi 10 Mg) is applied in individual layers and melted by an en

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Parts Mercedes Engine Production 186

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 31, 2017

Swiss R&D company nanoFlowcell Holdings ( earlier post ) is in discussions with Formula E Holdings on nanoFlowcell’s participation in the FIA Formula E Championship and intent to enter with a Formula E race car with nanoFlowcell 48VOLT flow-cell drive. The nanoFlowcell is a compact flow battery operated with two ionic liquid electrolytes (bi-ION). At the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, nanoFlowcell introduced the QUANT 48V electric sports car with a new version of the company’s 48-volt low-

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Motor Motors Motoring Volt 170

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 31, 2017

Two new tests for measuring emissions from cars and vans will come into force in the EU tomorrow. The new laboratory test, the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure ( WLTP ), will introduce more realistic testing conditions for measuring pollutant and CO 2 emissions than the previous, outdated lab test (NEDC). It thus provides a more accurate basis for measuring a vehicle’s fuel consumption and emissions.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 31, 2017

Last February, D3MAX, LLC announced the completion and shipment of its pilot plant employing the patented D3MAX cellulosic ethanol technology to Ace Ethanol, LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin. Pilot testing of the patented D3MAX corn fiber-to-ethanol process has been successful, allowing D3MAX to move to the next stage of commercial deployment—the design of a full-scale D3MAX plant at Ace Ethanol.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 30, 2017

MINI will present the new MINI Electric Concept design study at the IAA Cars 2017 show in Frankfurt am Main. Designed for use in urban areas, this concept car offers a window into how pure-electric day-to-day mobility might look in the years ahead. MINI will present an all-electric series-production model in 2019. It has been nearly ten years since MINI took a significant, pioneering step with the MINI E ( earlier post ) and laid the foundations at the BMW Group for the development of electric m

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All-Electric Mini E Concept 2019 170

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 30, 2017

Ballard Power Systems announced that a fuel cell electric bus powered by Ballard’s FCveloCity-HD6 fuel cells has achieved a new durability record with more than 25,000 hours of revenue service. This is equivalent to operating a bus on a 14-hour daily schedule, 5-days per week for 6.9 years with no significant maintenance to the fuel cell stack, a core engine component.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 29, 2017

Schaeffler has selected NCTE as a technology partner for torque sensor technology and and will exclusively offer a joint portfolio from the two companies covering sensor bearing products for the bike and e-bike market. This cooperation between Schaeffler and the sensor technology supplier NCTE results in a portfolio of mechatronic components for the bike and e-bike market.

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