February, 2014

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DENSO to test wireless charging system using refrigerated truck

Green Car Congress

'DENSO Corporation will begin a ten-month field test of its wireless inductive battery charging system in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The field test is intended to identify any potential operational issues and also look at ways to enhance the convenience of wireless charging. The field test will begin on 24Feb. and end in December 2014. Power transmission and power receiver pads.

Charging 380
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A Few Words on Eco Terrorists, Cowards and Courage

Creative Greenius

'Last night at the Hermosa Beach City Council meeting I heard an ignorant little man reference my favorite Edward Abbey book, “The Monkey Wrench Gang,” which I read the year it came out – in 1975 as a senior in high school. It’s true. I am that young. The little man cited the book to accuse a friend of mine of being an “eco terrorist” because he had used the term “monkey wrench” on his Facebook page.

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Here's Why Electric Cars Will Succeed: Owners Just Adore Them

Green Car Reports

'Imagine you''re a carmaker, and you found you could build a type of vehicle that customers all absolutely adored. Not just liked. Not just said, "Yeah, it''s fine, it does what I need"--but out-and-out loved, cherished, talked about incessantly, and recommended to everyone they met, all the time. Those cars exist today. They''re called electric cars.

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BMW i3 electric car named UK Car of the Year

Green Cars News

'Alternative vehicles are finally making an impact in the UK: and this has been emphasised by an electric car walking away with one of the most prestigious honours available. The BMW i3 electric car has been named as the UK Car of the Year 2014, while also scooping the best super-mini title. Vot[.].

BMW 83
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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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VW unveils Golf GTE, plug-in hybrid with 31 miles electric range, 157 MPG

National Green Transportation

'On Thursday, Volkswagen unveiled the Plug-in Hybrid Golf GTE, making this the first automobile model line (the Golf GT) with a full range of drive train alternatives. Offering a 31 mile electric-only driving range, a total of.

Plug-in 73
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UC Davis process produces gasoline-range hydrocarbons from biomass-derived levulinic acid; field-to-tank yield of >60% claimed

Green Car Congress

'GC-MS chromatogram of the liquid products obtained after hydrodeoxygenation of angelica lactone dimer. Source: Mascal et al. SI. Click to enlarge. Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a process for the production of branched C 7 –C 10 hydrocarbons in the gasoline volatility range from biomass-derived levulinic acid with good yield, operating under relatively mild conditions, with short reaction times.

Davis 360

More Trending

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Study finds diesel derived by pyrolysis of plastic grocery bags suitable for blending with petroleum diesel

Green Car Congress

'High-density polyethylene (HDPE) grocery bags can be successfully pyrolyzed to alternative diesel fuel, according to a new study by a team from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service ARS. Pyrolysis of the waste plastic grocery bags followed by distillation resulted in a liquid hydrocarbon mixture with an average structure consisting mostly of saturated

Diesel 332
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Senators introduce bill to encourage US production of thorium and rare earth minerals

Green Car Congress

'US Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Joe Manchin (W. Va.) introduced the “National Rare Earth Cooperative Act of 2014” this week, bipartisan legislation to encourage US production of rare earth metals (and thorium), relieving US dependence on China’s rare earth minerals. Noting that thorium is a mildly radioactive element commonly associated with the lanthanide elements in the most heavy rare earth deposits that are located in the United States and elsewhere, and that current regulations regulations

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2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel earns 28 mpg highway; best in segment

Green Car Congress

'2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. Click to enlarge. The 3.6-liter V6 EcoDiesel-powered 2014 Ram 1500 pickup ( earlier post ) has earned a 28-mpg (8.4 l/100 km) rating from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—the best highway-cycle test result achieved yet by a full-size, half-ton pickup. It also exceeds the EPA highway rating for the top-ranked small pickup.

2014 326
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Sumitomo installs first large-scale power system using used EV batteries

Green Car Congress

'Sumitomo Corporation has developed and installed the first large-scale power storage system which utilizes used batteries collected from electric vehicles. This commercial scale storage system, built on Yume-shima Island, Osaka, will begin operating in February 2014. Sumitomo Corporation created the joint venture company, 4R Energy Corporation , in collaboration with Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in September 2010, to address the secondary use of EV lithium-ion batteries. ( Earlier post.

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

Brief

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DOE to award up to $12M for technologies to produce renewable carbon fiber from biomass

Green Car Congress

'The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award ( DE-FOA-0000996 ) up to $12 million in funding to advance the development of a cost-competitive pathway to produce high-performance carbon fiber for vehicle lightweighting from renewable non-food biomass. Reducing a vehicle’s weight by just 10% can improve fuel economy by 6% to 8%. Carbon fiber composites are lightweight, yet strong, materials that can greatly improve vehicle fuel efficiency when incorporated into structural and non-structural compo

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IHS Automotive forecasts global production of plug-in vehicles to rise by 67% this year

Green Car Congress

'Global electric vehicle production forecast for 2014. Source: IHS Automotive. Click to enlarge. Driven by tighter emission standards in Europe, worldwide production of plug-in electric vehicles(PEVs)—including both battery-electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models—will increase by 67% this year, according to IHS Automotive, driven by Polk.

Plug-in 314
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Nissan and Bhutan partner on national EV strategy

Green Car Congress

'Nissan has entered into an agreement with the Royal Government of Bhutan with the shared goal of achieving the nation’s transition to an electric vehicle fleet. The agreement follows talks between the Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn in Thimphu last year. Ghosn returned to the capital of Bhutan to make the announcement alongside the Prime Minister.

Bhutan 305
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ARPA-E awarding $30M to 12 hybrid solar projects; conversion and storage

Green Car Congress

'The US Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) is awarding $30 million in funding to 12 projects through its Full-Spectrum Optimized Conversion and Utilization of Sunlight (FOCUS) program, which is aimed at developing new hybrid solar energy converters and hybrid energy storage systems that can deliver low-cost, high-efficiency solar energy on demand. ( Earlier post.).

Solar 300
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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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Tesla outlines scheme for $4-5B battery Gigafactory; announces $1.6B offering

Green Car Congress

'The planned cell output of the Gigafactory in 2020 exceeds 2013 global production by current manufacturers, Tesla said. Click to enlarge. Via a post on its website, Tesla Motors outlined its plan for its future battery “Gigafactory”, projected to require between $4-5 billion in investment from Tesla and its partners by 2020, with a resulting cell capacity of up to 35 GWh/year and pack capacity of up to 50 GWh/y to service a projected 500,000 Tesla electric vehicles per year.

Batteries 299
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Study finds 20-25% of EV range lost as psychological safety buffer; driver assistance systems could shrink that buffer

Green Car Congress

'Adaptive control of range resources. Drivers compare the current range situation with their range level reference values, which are driven by certain trait and coping skill variables. As a result, coping strategies are adapted (e.g., drive more economically, do not use EV). This leads to a certain efficiency of range utilization. Source: Franke (2014) Click to enlarge.

Range 294
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MHI to supply 2 electric buses featuring MLIX Li-ion batteries for Kitakyushu City

Green Car Congress

'Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) will supply two electric buses to serve in a transportation system being planned by the city of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The buses—full-size, low-floor models for the city’s regular route network—will operate on MHI’s high-performance “ MLIX ” lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. In combination with a lighter body enabled by the partial adoption of carbon fiber construction, the new buses will be able to operate continuously over

Li-ion 291
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Elio Motors selects Comau for powertrain and automated assembly systems for 3-wheel vehicles

Green Car Congress

'Elio Motors has selected Comau Inc., a global leader in the development and implementation of engineering solutions for sustainable automation and production, as its automation partner to build its three-wheel, high efficiency vehicle. Comau will provide Elio with powertrain and automated assembly systems. Slated to begin production in the fourth quarter of 2014 and available in the US by the first quarter of 2015, the Elio will be built in a plant in Shreveport, LA.

Motor 291
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Magna to introduce lightweight natural gas vehicle concept at Geneva; less than 49 gCO2/km

Green Car Congress

'MILA Blue. Click to enlarge. To showcase its capabilities, global automotive supplier Magna International Inc. will showcase the MILA Blue vehicle concept at the Geneva Motor Show 2014. MILA Blue is a natural-gas powered, A-segment lightweight vehicle that produces less than 49g CO 2 /km. MILA Blue, the seventh concept vehicle in the MILA family , represents a new lightweight design approach.

Concept 290
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M5BAT 5MW storage system integrates multiple battery technologies

Green Car Congress

'The E.ON Energy Research Center at RWTH Aachen University, E.ON electric utility company, battery manufacturers Exide and beta-motion and inverter manufacturer SMA Solar Technology AG (SMA) have joined forces to build the first multi-technology, modular large-scale 5MW battery storage system. The unique feature of the M5BAT (Modular Multimegawatt, Multitechnology Medium-Voltage Battery Storage System) storage system lies in its modular design, which combines different battery technologies for o

Batteries 290
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Audi testing find e-ethanol and e-diesel produced by Joule often perform better than conventional counterparts

Green Car Congress

'Audi investigating its e-fuels in an optical research engine using laser-induced fluorescence. Click to enlarge. Audi testing of synthetic ethanol (Audi e-ethanol = Joule Sunflow-E) and synthetic diesel (Audi e-diesel = Joule Sunflow-D), produced in partnership with Joule ( earlier post ) in a pressure chamber and optical research engine has shown that the Audi e-fuels often perform better than their conventional counterparts.

Audi 285
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Major freight railroads and DOT agree to new operating practices for moving crude oil by rail

Green Car Congress

'The nation’s major freight railroads joined US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in announcing a rail operations safety initiative that will institute new voluntary operating practices for moving crude oil by rail. The announcement only covers steps related to crude by rail operations; additional issues, such as tank car standards and proper shipper classification of crude oil, are being addressed separately.

Oil 281
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Tesla shipped 6,892 Model S units in Q4 2013, 22,477 full year; battery Gigafactory announcement next week

Green Car Congress

'Tesla Motors announced record deliveries of 6,892 Model S vehicles worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2013, with 22,477 vehicles in the full year. For the quarter, non-GAAP revenue was $761 million, up 26% from Q3. GAAP revenue for Q4 was $615 million, up 43% from Q3. Q4 non-GAAP net income was $46 million, or $0.33 per share, while Q4 GAAP net loss was $16 million or $(0.13) per share.

2013 281
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Toyota to begin wireless vehicle charging system verification testing

Green Car Congress

'Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) will begin verification testing of its newly developed wireless battery charging system for plug-in electric vehicles—such as plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles—in late February in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The system can charge a vehicle parked in alignment over a coil on the surface of the ground, making the charging process simpler and more convenient.

Toyota 281
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Mitsubishi Electric develops EV motor drive system with built-in silicon carbide inverter

Green Car Congress

'Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has developed a prototype electric vehicle (EV) motor drive system with a built-in silicon-carbide inverter. The EV motor drive system, the smallest of its kind, will enable manufacturers to develop EVs offering more passenger space and greater energy efficiency. Prototype motor. Click to enlarge. Mitsubishi Electric plans to commercialize its new EV motor system after finalizing technologies for motor/inverter cooling, further downsizing and additional efficienc

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Oregon governor directs DEQ to move ahead with Clean Fuels Program

Green Car Congress

'Oregon Governor Kitzhaber recently announced a new initiative to maximize the economic development potential of clean fuels in Oregon, directing the Department of Environmental Quality to move forward with full implementation of Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program and announcing a new Clean Fuels Work Advisory Committee. Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program currently is in a state of suspended animation, the governor’s office said.

Oregon 278
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Tata and Westport introduce new 5L engine with GEMDi dual-fuel technology, new 3.8L SI gas engine

Green Car Congress

'Tata 5L engine with GEMdi. Click to enlarge. Westport Innovations Inc. unveiled its newest proprietary dual-fuel technology: Westport gas enhanced methane diesel (Westport GEMDi), applied to Tata Motors’ new 5-liter dual-fuel methane-diesel engine. Westport GEMDi technology enables engine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to offer a fully integrated, high performance engine optimized for dual fuel operation.

Engine 278
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Honda recalls Fit Hybrids and Vezel Hybrids in Japan; 3rd recall due to problems with 7-speed DCT

Green Car Congress

'Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced a voluntary recall of the all-new Fit Hybrid ( earlier post ) and Vezel Hybrid ( earlier post ) produced in Japan from July 2013 through February 2014 due to a problem with the software program controlling the 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) which could cause non-engagement of gears, a delay in the ability to begin driving or the inability to move at all.

Honda 278
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SwRI develops D-EGR demonstrator highlighting fuel-efficient, cost-effective engine; 10% and above fuel economy improvements

Green Car Congress

'Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has built a demonstrator vehicle, based on a 2012 Buick Regal GS, incorporating the latest D-EGR (dedicated EGR) technology ( earlier post ), an outgrowth of SwRI’s HEDGE (High Efficiency Dilute Gasoline Engine) consortium projects ( earlier post ). The vehicle is currently delivering about a ~13% improvement on the FTP and 10% on the HwFET cycles, according to Dr.

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Audi A3 g-tron goes on sale in Germany; CO2-neutral in e-gas mode

Green Car Congress

'Advance sales of the Audi A3 g-tron began at dealerships in Germany, at a base price of €25,900 (US$35,400). Its 1.4-liter TFSI engine developing 81 kW (110 hp) can be operated using either natural gas, e-gas generated by Audi ( earlier post ) or gasoline. In pure e-gas mode, using the Audi e-gas fuel card, the g-tron is CO 2 -neutral, Audi says. Audi A3 g-tron.

Audi 275
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Calif. ARB releases GHG scoping plan update; more ZEVs, “LEV IV”, MD and HD regulations; ZEV for trucks; more LCFS

Green Car Congress

'The California Air Resources Board released the draft proposed first update to the AB 32 Scoping Plan, which guides development and implementation of California’s greenhouse gas emission reduction programs. The Air Resources Board is required to update the Scoping Plan every five years. Among the actions proposed or considered in the transportation sector include aggressive implementation of the light-duty Zero Emission Vehicle standard; LEV IV emissions regulations for the light-duty fleet pos

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Renault unveils Next Two autonomous electric vehicle prototype for 2020

Green Car Congress

'The Next Two prototype. Click to enlarge. Renault has unveiled the Next Two concept—the company’s current vision of an autonomous drive (AD) capable electric vehicle for the year 2020. The Next Two prototype—based on a Renault ZOE—focuses on two areas: the delegation of driving functions under certain conditions and connectivity. Using sensor technologies, Next Two enables the delegation of driving functions from the driver to the car in congested traffic up to km/h (18.6 mph)

2020 273
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Magnetic eCVT could replace conventional hybrid mechanical eCVT with likely 1-2% fuel economy improvement and other benefits

Green Car Congress

'MAGSPLIT is intended to replace mechanical eCVTs with a combination motor/magnetic gear. Source: Magnomatics. Click to enlarge. At the SAE 2014 Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Technologies Symposium in San Diego, Chris Kirby, founder and Managing Director of UK-based Magnomatics , presented an overview of the company’s second-generation MAGSPLIT ( Mag netic Power Split ) eCVT system, a compact magnetic transmission designed to replace both the mechanical planetary gearset and motor/generator that for

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Proterra sells seven battery-electric transit buses to Nashville MTA

Green Car Congress

'US-based Proterra Inc recently announced the sale of seven battery-electric buses and an electric charging station to Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (Nashville MTA). The buses are slated to be built at Proterra’s manufacturing facility in Greenville, S.C. and delivered to Nashville this year. The funds for the zero-emission electric buses and the electric charging station are the result of Nashville MTA’s successful application for a federal Clean Fuels grant and local matching funds

Nashville 268