July, 2014

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California Energy Commission approves $46.6M for hydrogen refueling and $2.8M for EV charging projects

Green Car Congress

'The California Energy Commission gave final approval for nearly $50 million in grant awards for hydrogen refueling and electric charging construction projects recommended for funding in notices of proposed awards published in April and May. California’s zero-emission vehicle goal is to get 1.5 million hydrogen, battery electric, and plug-in electric vehicles on the roadway by 2025.

Hydrogen 354
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New Lithium-Ion Battery Uses Peroxide To Boost Energy Density By 7 Times: Report

Green Car Reports

'All electric vehicles currently in production use some form of lithium-ion chemistry in their battery packs. Finding ways of improving that chemistry is therefore very important--the aim being to make future electric car batteries cheaper, more stable and more energy-dense for longer range. Researchers from the School of Engineering at the.

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Electric cars still cheaper to run, no matter what the BBC says

Green Cars News

'It’s very hard not to imagine someone sitting at a desk in the BBC news department tapping a chewed ball point pen on their desk as they mutter, ‘there must be another way we can spin an anti-electric car story, there must!’ Well, they obviously had a good day, the latest is a doozie. ‘Electric Ca[.].

BBC 77
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Tesla Motors really did break ground in Reno on Gigafactory

National Green Transportation

'On Thursday, the Tesla Motors letter to shareholders contained a verification of a some of us reported on the last couple weeks. Namely, there's a site near Reno Nevada where preparations are underway for what looked like.

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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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Let Us Now Murder AB 2145 Before It Kills Community Choice Power

Creative Greenius

'When we last wrote about AB 2145 it was after a trip to Sacramento to speak out against the bill at the Senate Energy Committee hearing on it. We told the bill’s author, Assemblyman Stephen Bradford that we wanted to bring Community Choice Power to the South Bay, especially cities like Inglewood and Gardena, where lowering electricity bills will have a big impact on homeowners and business owners.

Power 314
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Fraunhofer researchers take a different angle on wireless charging: from the front

Green Car Congress

'Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB in Erlangen, Germany are pursuing an alternative approach to inductive (wireless) charging for electric vehicles. Rather than mounting induction coils on the underside of the vehicle to work with floor-mounted charging stations, the Fraunhofer team has developed a system for charging the plug-in from the front end.

Charging 353

More Trending

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EPRI, 8 automakers and 15 utilities to create an open grid integration platform for plug-in electric vehicles

Green Car Congress

'The Electric Power Research Institute, 8 automakers and 15 utilities are working to develop and to demonstrate an open platform that would integrate plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) with smart grid technologies enabling utilities to support PEV charging regardless of location. The open platform will simplify and streamline V2G (vehicle-to-grid) communications, enabling PEVs to provide grid services and increasing the overall value proposition of plug-in vehicles.

EPRI 334
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Pilot at BMW Munich plant evaluating use in vehicle assembly of custom orthotic devices produced by 3D printing

Green Car Congress

'A pilot project in BMW’s Munich vehicle assembly plan is exploring the benefits of a new and innovative ergonomic tool—a flexible finger cot, which protects workers against excess strains on the thumb joints while carrying out certain assembly activities. The project is part of a dissertation in cooperation with the Department of Ergonomics at the Technical University of Munich.

BMW 328
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EIA: fuel economy improvements bring diminishing returns in fuel savings

Green Car Congress

'Improving fuel economy exhibits diminishing returns in fuel savings, according to a brief analysis by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). For example, switching from a 10-mile-per-gallon (mpg) vehicle to a 15-mpg vehicle saves more fuel and results in greater fuel cost savings than switching from a 25-mpg vehicle to a 75-mpg vehicle. Similarly, the fuel and cost savings of improving fuel economy from 12 mpg to 15 mpg are the same as increasing from 30 mpg to 60 mpg.

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Panasonic and Tesla sign Gigafactory agreement

Green Car Congress

'Panasonic Corporation and Tesla Motors, Inc. signed an agreement that lays out their cooperation on the construction of a large-scale battery manufacturing plant in the United States (the specific location yet to be announced) known as the Gigafactory. ( Earlier post.) During Tesla’s Q4 earnings call in February, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had noted that because Panasonic is Tesla’s primary partner on battery production, the “default assumption” was that Panasonic would continue to partner with Tesla

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

Brief

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Cummins ETHOS 2.8L optimized E-85 engine demonstrates 50-80% reduction in CO2 emissions in medium-duty truck

Green Car Congress

'The ETHOS 2.8L demo truck. Click to enlarge. Cummins has developed an E-85-specific engine and powertrain that reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 80% compared with a baseline gasoline-powered medium-duty truck. The work was jointly funded by Cummins and partners ($3,790,027) in partnership with the California Energy Commission (CEC) ($2,712,140).

Engine 319
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Crazy Diamond Performance develops mono-fuel CNG Chevrolet Cruze

Green Car Congress

'Crazy Diamond Performance (CDP) has developed a mono-fuel CNG Chevrolet Cruze, with intended market introduction no later than October 2014. The CDP CNG Cruze will certified to the cleanest emissions standard available for an internal combustion engine, according to CDP President Kevin Fern. Fern said that the 1.8L-equipped CNG Cruze outputs 20 hp and 24 ft-lbs torque over its competitor, while maintaining nearly the same fuel economy.

Chevrolet 316
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California Energy Commission selects 11 advanced biofuels projects for $43.6M in awards

Green Car Congress

'The California Energy Commission (CEC) has selected 11 biofuel projects projects—including gasoline substitutes, diesel substitutes and biomethane projects—for $43,633,421 in awards under a grant solicitation released in January for the development of new, or the modification of, existing California-based biofuel production facilities that can sustainably produce low carbon transportation fuels.

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Daimler and BMW jointly to develop and implement common wireless charging technology

Green Car Congress

'Daimler and BMW have agreed on jointly developing and implementing one common technology for wireless recharging high-voltage batteries of electric drive and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The wireless charging system consists of two components: a secondary coil integrated into the under tray of the car and a primary coil integrated into a floor plate that can be placed on a garage floor for instance.

BMW 312
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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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GKN to supply 500 electric flywheel hybrid drive systems to Go-Ahead Group for buses

Green Car Congress

'UK transport operator Go-Ahead Group has ordered 500 electric flywheel Gyrodrive systems from GKN Hybrid Power for use in buses. The Gyrodrive Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) system (featured in Audi’s LeMans-winning R18 e-tron quattro) harvests braking energy normally lost as heat. When the driver brakes, a traction motor on one of the axles slows the vehicle, generating electricity at the same time.

Hybrid 311
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Audi to demonstrate automated driving technology in Florida

Green Car Congress

'Audi will be the first to test its automated driving technology on the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in Tampa, Florida—which recently was designated as an automated driving and connected car test bed—using an Audi A7 equipped to handle piloted driving functions on freeway conditions up to 40 mph (64 km/h). Audi believes this initial version of piloted driving—Traffic Jam Pilot—could be available to consumers within five years.

Florida 308
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Researchers develop efficient technique to develop new materials with desired coefficient of friction

Green Car Congress

'Researchers at Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) have developed a highly efficient method for developing friction materials with a desired frictional property. Using the new method, it would be possible to find the appropriate crystal preferred orientation for coatings with the desired value of the coefficient of friction. The method, described in a paper in the journal Tribology Letters , could thus significantly accelerate the development of materials that have a frictio

Motor 307
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BMW Group and Samsung SDI expand partnership on electric drive batteries; i3, i8 and additional hybrid models

Green Car Congress

'The BMW Group and Samsung SDI have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to expand their supply relationship for battery cells for electro-mobility. Samsung SDI will supply the BMW Group with battery cells for the BMW i3, BMW i8 and additional hybrid models over the coming years. The most important elements of the agreement are the increase in quantities delivered over the medium-term in response to growing demand for electro-mobility, and further technological development of battery cells

BMW 304
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PNNL team develops hybrid Mg-Li battery; excellent rate performance, safety and stability

Green Car Congress

'Schematic illustration of the the hybrid Mg-Li battery designed in this work. This battery has a piece of Mg foil as the anode, Mo 6 S 8 as the cathode, and the electrolyte contains both Mg 2+ and Li +. Cheng et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have devised hybrid batteries assembled with a magnesium (Mg) metal anode; a Li + ion intercalation cathode (Mo 6 S 8 ), and a dual-salt electrolyte containing Mg 2+ and Li + ions.

Li-ion 295
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Map of public biogas filling stations in Finland

Green Car Congress

'Finland now has 21 CBG100 public biogas filling stations—i.e. they sell 100% compressed biogas (CBG). All are automatic stations that are always open (but for two of them a cash option is only available during office hours). These are to be joined by 20 more planned stations by 2016. The Finnish Biogas Association began mapping their locations in 2013.

Finland 294
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Bosch improves the mechanical vacuum pump

Green Car Congress

'Bosch has made the EVOII mechanical vacuum pump lighter and much more efficient, putting it on a par with more expensive electric vacuum pumps. The Bosch EVOII offers the best value for money on the market and reliably provides the vacuum for the brake booster, the company claims. The unit costs up to 75% less than comparable electric pumps, and offers CO 2 emissions of less than 0.4 grams per kilometer.

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Satellite study shows drought-stricken Colorado River Basin states depleting their groundwater

Green Car Congress

'A new satellite study finds more than 75% of the water loss in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin since late 2004 came from underground resources. The extent of groundwater loss may pose a greater threat to the water supply of the western United States than previously thought. The Colorado River Basin (black outline) supplies water to about 40 million people in seven states.

Colorado 285
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ABB and Volvo Buses partnering on fast-charging system for hybrid and electric buses

Green Car Congress

'ABB and Volvo Buses are partnering to co-develop and to commercialize electric and hybrid buses with open standards-based direct current (DC) fast charging systems. The cooperation will create a city-wide standardized charging system for electric and electric hybrid buses that can charge buses quickly through an automatic roof-top connection system at bus stops or through cabled charging systems overnight.

Volvo 281
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Space station droplet combustion experiments reveal cool-burning flames; potential to lead to better engines

Green Car Congress

'Isolated droplet combustion experiments performed on the International Space Station (ISS) by a team of international researchers have revealed a new type of cool-burning flames. The long durations of microgravity provided in the ISS enable the measurement of droplet and flame histories over an unprecedented range of conditions, enabling the discovery.

Engine 281
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Volvo XC90 SUV PHEV to offer up to 400 hp and low GHG emissions of around 60 g/km

Green Car Congress

'Powertrain of the Volvo XC90 Twin Engine PHEV. A two-liter, four-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged Drive-E gasoline engine powers the front wheels and an 80 hp (60 kW) electric motor drives the rear wheels. The battery pack is located in the center of the vehicle. Click to enlarge. Volvo Cars’ all-new XC90 SUV, to be launched later this year, will offer up to 400 horsepower (298 kW) but with CO 2 emissions as low as around 60 g/km (NEDC driving cycle).

Volvo 281
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IBM Research launches 10y project to support China in transforming national energy systems; “Green Horizon”

Green Car Congress

'IBM Research is launching a 10-year project to support China in transforming its national energy systems and protecting the health of citizens. Dubbed “Green Horizon”, the initiative sets out to surpass current global practices in three areas critical to China’s sustainable growth: air quality management; renewable energy forecasting; and energy optimization for industry.

China 275
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DOE awarding $11M to advance renewable carbon fiber production from biomass

Green Car Congress

'The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award up to $11.3 million for two projects that aim to advance the production of cost-competitive, high-performance carbon fiber material from renewable, non-food-based feedstocks, such as agricultural residues and woody biomass. Carbon fiber can lower the cost and improve performance of fuel-efficient vehicles and renewable energy components such as wind turbine blades.

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Refreshed 2014 Toyota Yaris features revamped 1.0L engine with switching between Atkinson and Otto cycles; new hybrid

Green Car Congress

'2014 Yaris Hybrid. Click to enlarge. Toyota’s refreshed 2014 Yaris for Europe offers a choice of four powertrains, including a thoroughly reworked 3-cylinder 1.0 gasoline unit that is the first member of a new family of 14 highly efficient engines to be launched by 2015. With a thermal efficiency of 37%, the engine delivers a combined-cycle fuel consumption of 4.1 l/100 (57.4 mpg US), and CO 2 emissions reduced to 95 g/km in conjunction with a stop/start system.

2014 273
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Rutgers chemists develop new high-performance, platinum-free electrocatalyst for electrolysis; licensing available

Green Car Congress

'Rutgers researchers have synthesized cobalt-embedded nitrogen-rich carbon nanotubes (NRCNTs) that 1) can efficiently electrocatalyze the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with activities close to that of costly platinum and 2) function well under acidic, neutral or basic media alike, allowing them to be coupled with the best available oxygen-evolving catalysts—which also play crucial roles in the overall water-splitting reaction.

Available 273
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Navigant forecasts MHD vehicle market to nearly double by 2035 with declining share of conventional engines; gases win out over electricity

Green Car Congress

'The number of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) in use worldwide will nearly double between 2014 and 2035, according to a new forecast report by Navigant Research. Navigant projects that annual MHDV sales will grow throughout the forecast period at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.4%. Alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs)—including battery-electric (BEVs), plug-in hybrid (PHEVs), propane autogas (PAGVs) and natural gas vehicles (NGVs)—will grow from 5.0% of the market in 2

Market 273
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Navigant forecasts 40% of new vehicles in 2030 will have some form of autonomous driving capability; 75% by 2035

Green Car Congress

'In a new research report (“ Autonomous Vehicles ”), Navigant Research forecasts that by 2030, about 40% of new vehicles sold will have some form of autonomous driving capability installed. The company expects this to increase to 75% by 2035. Although the first vehicles with some self-driving capability will come to market in 2020, Navigant said, it expects it will take another 5 years before volumes become significant.

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U Mich professor finds fuel cycle analysis for evaluating CO2 impacts of liquid fuels is fatally flawed; calls for focus on CO2 removal

Green Car Congress

'Fuel cycle analysis (FCA)—or “well-to-wheels analysis”—is a type lifecycle analysis (LCA) that examines fuel products and their supply chains, and that has greatly influenced climate-related research priorities and public policies for transportation fuels. However, in a major review of methods for evaluating the net CO 2 impacts of liquid transportation fuels, Professor John DeCicco at the University of Michigan Energy Institute (UMEI) compared FCA to other methods of analysis, and

Fuel 268
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Petrobras’ June oil production in Brazil up 1.7% exceeding 2M bpd; gas production reaches record

Green Car Congress

'Petrobras’s June oil production in Brazil averaged 2,008 thousand barrels/day (bpd), up 1.7% from May’s production of 1,975 thousand bpd. Including the production operated by Petrobras for its partners in Brazil, the volume reached 2,135 thousand bpd, up 2.1% from last month’s production of 2,092 thousand bpd. The company’s oil and natural gas production in Brazil in the same month was 2,426 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed), indicating a 1.6% rise from May (2,387 thousand boed)

Brazil 265
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First international commercial flight completed with direct sugar to hydrocarbon (DSHC) fuel

Green Car Congress

'Amyris has partnered with Brazilian airline GOL to fly the industry’s first commercial flight with sugarcane-derived farnesane, the recently approved renewable jet fuel. ( Earlier post.) The first flight, GOL flight 7725, departed from Orlando, Florida on 30 July 2014 and traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil. On 15 June, ASTM revised its jet fuel standard, paving the way for airlines to use Synthesized Iso-Paraffin (SIP) farnesane (generically, Direct Sugar to Hydrocarbon, DSHC) as a jet fuel componen