November, 2009

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Researchers Develop Solid-State, Rechargeable Lithium-Air Battery; Potential to Exceed 1,000 Wh/kg

Green Car Congress

Sample UDRI solid-state, rechargeable lithium-air batteries, and Dr. Binod Kumar. Click to enlarge. Engineers at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) have developed a solid-state, rechargeable lithium-air battery. When fully developed, the battery could exceed specific energies of 1,000 Wh/kg in practical applications, the researchers wrote in a paper published online 13 November in the Journal of the Electrochemical Society.

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Rejoice My Tongan Brothers and Sisters! You Will Soon Be Rid of Your Ridiculous Royal Family & You Can Now Save Yourselves

Creative Greenius

For months now I’ve tried to work with King George Topou V and the rest of the Royal Family of Tonga in an attempt to inform them about the risks their kingdom faces from climate change and to get them to act on behalf of their people. It’s been a frustrating, nonproductive process full of long delays and zero sense of urgency on the part of the King, the Queen and assorted princesses and wanna-be princesses.

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Chevy Volt gets a Chirpy Sound

Electric Cars are for Girls

Remember when blessed silence was a GOOD thing? Well, not anymore. Apparently, those treehugging Prius drivers have been inadvertently mowing down pedestrians in their path from Starbucks to Pilates, so GM is talking to the National Federation for the Blind about how they can add a level of noise pollution to electric cars. Apparently involves a non-birdly "automotive" chirping.

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PBS looks into the Electric Future

Revenge of the Electric Car

Ahead of the Copenhagen summit, PBS look into the electric future in Denmark — and checks. in with Project Better Place. Watch the show here. Tags: In the Media International Projects denmark project better place.

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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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GM's Second Electric Car After Chevy Volt To Be Cadillac Converj

Green Car Reports

General Motors will follow its 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car with a production version of the Cadillac Converj concept car revealed at this year's Detroit Auto Show. It's been an open question for a while now: What will be the next vehicle to use GM's Voltec series hybrid electric-car platform? The Opel/Vauxhall.

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Switching to electric cars ‘could increase emissions’

Green Cars News

The idea that a wholesale switch to electric cars would automatically reduce CO2 emissions and dependence on oil is one of a number of myths dispelled by a major new report conducted on behalf of the Environmental Transport Association (ETA). The report found that whilst there were significant potential environmental benefits to be had from a switch to electric vehicles, these were wholly dependent on changes in the way electricity was generated, energy taxed and CO2 emissions regulated.

More Trending

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A Dumbed Down Copenhagen For the Age of Stupid. It’s Time to Reach & Teach, Tell & Sell

Creative Greenius

With President Obama and the rest of the leaders of the world’s biggest polluting nations kicking the ball down the field on climate change and effectively pulling the rug out from under all of us who have been targeting the Copenhagen climate talks as the moment we must seize, our response must recognize the obvious. Despite the historic gains we’ve made building the 350 movement across the planet in the past year, we have not captured the hearts and minds of the general public or t

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Chevy Volt gets a Chirpy Sound

Electric Cars are for Girls

Remember when blessed silence was a GOOD thing? Well, not anymore. Apparently, those treehugging Prius drivers have been inadvertently mowing down pedestrians in their path from Starbucks to Pilates, so GM is talking to the National Federation for the Blind about how they can add a level of noise pollution to electric cars. Apparently involves a non-birdly "automotive" chirping.

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Aptera delays 2e until 2010

Revenge of the Electric Car

Big changes at Aptera … more details ( plus official press release ) after the jump: Officially Official: Aptera production pushed back to 2010. By Domenick Yoney for Autobloggreen. According to the company, fund raising efforts didn’t keep pace with vehicle development and so they’re taking measures to slow the burn, as it were. One of those unfortunate actions involved laying off an unspecified number of employees, though one of them, co-founder Steve Fambro, has said he will

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Will Electric Cars Destroy Your Neighborhood Power Grid? No, But.

Green Car Reports

Over the next 12 months, carmakers will introduce several new plug-in electric vehicles. One question that's frequently asked of GreenCarReports.com--and many others too: Does recharging electric cars pose a threat to the electricity grid? The 2010 Fisker Karma and the 2011 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrids, among other electric-drive vehicles, are.

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

Brief

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Author Compares Vegan Hummer Driver to Meat Eating Prius Driver, Says Hummer Driver is Better for Environment

All Cars Electric

Last week author Michael Pollan made a statement that upset many. His words, "A vegan in a Hummer has a lighter carbon footprint that a beef eater in a Prius." Obviously his claim drew immediate criticism, but is there any truth to his words? Well, it turns out that Pollan was indeed wrong across the board. Gidon Eschel and Pamela.

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US and China Presidents Announce US-China Electric Vehicles Initiative, Six Other Measures to Strengthen Cooperation Between the Countries on Energy Issues

Green Car Congress

In Beijing, US President Barack Obama and China President Hu Jintao announced a package of seven measures to strengthen cooperation between the United States and China on clean energy, including: a Clean Energy Research Center; Electric Vehicles Initiative; Energy Efficiency Action Plan; Renewable Energy Partnership; 21 st Century Coal; Shale Gas Initiative; and Energy Cooperation Program.

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Top Ten Greenhouse Gasers in California Currently Destroying Your Childrens’ Future

Creative Greenius

Chevron Refinery, El Segundo, California. Here they are, folks, the very Hot List of Global Warming’s Worst Merchants of Death. The for-profit companies who put the money they rake in from burning fossil fuels ahead of the safety, welfare and well being of your kids, of your parents, of your grandparents and of everyone you hold near and dear.

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Charging an Electric Car with a Wind Turbine

Electric Cars are for Girls

1. Is it possible to charge your electric car with a wind turbine, and which type of wind turbine will charge it like overnight? 500 watt, 1 kw, 2.

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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 Prepping IPO

Revenge of the Electric Car

Tesla Model S Photo: Caroline McCarthy/CNET. Rumors are circling that Tesla is preparing an IPO, although no one at Tesla is yet talking. More details at: Electric-car maker Tesla preparing IPO. “Tesla would mark the first public offering from a U.S. automaker since Henry Ford’s Ford Motor debuted its shares in 1956. The IPO represents a landmark in the resurgence of electric-car technology that most carmakers had dismissed as impractical until recently.

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2011 Toyota Prius Station Wagon To Feature Lithium-Ion Battery

Green Car Reports

We've known for a while that Toyota plans to introduce more Prius body styles to expand the reach of its most recognized and iconic hybrid car. Now, images of a possible 2011 Toyota Prius station wagon have hit the media. At least in Japan. Woody Thompson, proprietor of Woody's Car Site, points us to an image he reproduced from BestCar, a.

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I-MiEV Crowned With Car Technology of the Year Award

All Cars Electric

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is a front-runner in the electric vehicle segment. The company has pioneered this recent surge into electric vehicles and the i-MiEV can claim the rights to numerous firsts and achievements. Now Mitsubishi can add another accomplishment to the list for its i-MiEV. The i-MiEV was crowned with the Car Technology of.

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INEOS Bio Begins Advanced Waste-to-Ethanol Plant Feasibility Study

Green Car Congress

The INEOS Bio waste-to-ethanol process, originally developed by BRI. Click to enlarge. INEOS Bio, a subsidiary of INEOS, the world’s third-largest chemicals company, has started a feasibility study for a plant in the UK to convert locally generated biodegradable household and commercial wastes into carbon neutral road transport fuel and clean electricity, using the INEOS Bio technology process. ( Earlier post.).

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Mercedes to launch hybrid on Monday

Green Cars News

Motorists in the US can count down the hours until the launch of the new Mercedes ML450 HYBRID. The German manufacturer will offer the two-mode hybrid as part of a special lease option from Monday, with a monthly lease price of $659 for 36 months and $549 for 60 months. The vehicle uses a 3.5litre V6 petrol engine and a two-mode hybrid system to produce 46 per cent better fuel economy than a comparable V8-powered ML550 model.

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Converting an Electric Boat

Electric Cars are for Girls

I have a 10,000 lb. boat with dual Volvo outdrives that are 1.89/1 with 14 by 15 props. Would electric motors work here? Yes. Jack Knopf in Texas.

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Hey, Torrance City Council! Was That $80,000 Check You Took From Exxon A Bribe? Hush Money? Or Did You Just Sell Your Soul?

Creative Greenius

BREAKING NEWS: CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD JUST RELEASED BLOCKBUSTER GREENHOUSE GAS REPORT OF STATE’S WORST POLLUTERS AND GLOBAL WARMERS. TORRANCE EXXON REFINERY RANKS #6 IN CALIFORNIA, EL SEGUNDO CHEVRON REFINERY IS #4. Click on the breaking news above and you’ll finally get to see the greenhouse gas numbers on our two local climate changing refineries that I’ve been demanding for a year now.

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Do Hybrids Hit Pedestrians More Often? NHTSA Report May Say So

Green Car Reports

Advocates for the blind have long been pushing for hybrid and electric cars to make some kind of artificial noise at low speeds, to alert people with vision impairment of their presence when operating in all-electric mode, which is quieter. But data on whether electric-drive cars actually hit pedestrians more often has been lacking. Now, a.

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New Nickel-Lithium Battery Has Ultra-High Energy Density

All Cars Electric

Researchers at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) have succeeded in making the world's first Ni-Li battery, a formulation that holds more than 3.5 times the energy of Li-ion batteries and doesn't run the risk of catching fire. By including a membrane made of the recently developed glass-ceramic.

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Study Concludes That Class 8 Truck Fuel Consumption Could Be Reduced By Up to 50% By 2017 Using Existing and Emerging Technologies; Current Payback Requirements Could Forestall Implementation

Green Car Congress

A new study released today by the Northeast States Center for a Clean Air Future (NESCCAF) and the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) found that fuel consumption of Class 8 trucks and the resultant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be reduced up to 50% with the adoption of current and developing technologies and new operational measures by 2017.

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Solar power becomes flexible and more efficient

Green Cars News

Solar power could become cheaper and a more practical energy solution thanks to research into specially designed fibre optics. Converting sunlight to electricity might no longer mean large panels of photovoltaic cells atop flat surfaces like roofs. Using zinc oxide nanostructures grown on optical fibers and coated with dye-sensitized solar cell materials, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new type of three-dimensional photovoltaic system.

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Study of Sustainable Value in Automobile Manufacturing Finds Mixed Performance for Most OEMs, BMW and Toyota as the Clear Leaders

Green Car Congress

Sustainable Value Margin—the ratio of Sustainable Value to sales—for each of the evaluated manufacturers. BMW and Toyota are consistent leaders in sustainable value. Click to enlarge. A survey of the sustainability performance of 17 of the world’s leading automakers has found a mixed pattern when it comes to the sustainability performance of most of the car manufacturers.

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Quantum Technologies to Acquire Schneider Power, Signs Letter of Intent New Energy Systems for Investment in Quantum Solar

Green Car Congress

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc. will acquire in a stock-for-stock exchange all of the outstanding common shares of Schneider Power, a Canada-based wind and solar power generation company. Quantum, an advanced propulsion systems, energy storage technology, and alternative fuel vehicle company, provides the Q-drive system to Fisker. The transaction is expected to close in 2Q 2010.

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SAIC Displays Six Models of New Energy Vehicles to Be Used at Expo 2010; Commercialization Plans for Hybrid, PHEV and BEVs by 2012

Green Car Congress

At the China International Industry Fair held earlier in November in Shanghai, SAIC Group displayed six models of new energy vehicles, which will serve the Expo 2010. Of those models, two made their premiere at the Fair. The models were the Shenchi Brand 4-seat battery-electric car; the Shenchi Brand 11-seat fuel cell vehicle; the Shanghai Brand fuel cell car; the Shanghai Brand hybrid; the Buick LaCrosse hybrid; and the UNDP fuel cell bus.

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DOE Awarding $620M for Smart Grid Demonstration and Energy Storage Projects

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy is awarding $620 million for projects around the country to demonstrate advanced Smart Grid technologies and integrated systems. These 32 demonstration projects, which include large-scale energy storage, smart meters, distribution and transmission system monitoring devices, plug-in vehicles, and a range of other smart technologies, will act as models for deploying integrated Smart Grid systems on a broader scale.

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Sanyo to Begin Mass Production of Li-ion Systems for Power Storage and Light Electric Vehicle Applications

Green Car Congress

Sanyo Li-ion systems for power storage (left) and light electric vehicle (right) applications. Click to enlarge. Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. has developed two new lithium-ion battery systems and will begin mass production of the new products in March 2010. Initial monthly production for each system will be 500 units. The Standard Battery System for Electric Motors (EVB-101) can be used to power light electric vehicles that are in the R&D or small-scale mass production stages.

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EPA Reports Fifth Consecutive Annual Increase in US New Vehicle Fuel Economy; Up 9% Since 2004, Back to Levels of Early 1980s

Green Car Congress

Adjusted CO 2 emissions and adjusted fuel economy by model year. Source: EPA. Click to enlarge. For the fifth consecutive year, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reporting an increase in new vehicle fuel efficiency with a corresponding decrease in average carbon dioxide emissions for new US cars and light duty trucks. This marks the first time that data for CO 2 emissions are included in the annual report, Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy

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Hyperion Unveils Design of its Small Modular Nuclear Reactor, the Hyperion Power Module

Green Car Congress

At the recent Annual Winter Conference of the American Nuclear Society in Washington, and simultaneously at the “Powering Toward 2020” conference in London, England, Hyperion Power Generation Inc. revealed the design for the first version of its Hyperion Power Module (HPM), a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) that it intends to have licensed and manufactured at facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

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Accenture Reports Identifies 12 Disruptive Technologies Most Likely to Transform Supply and Demand of Transport Fuels and Cut Emissions Within Next 10 Years

Green Car Congress

Accenture timeline for evolution of electrification technologies, the “game-changing” subset of the disruptive technologies. Source: Accenture. Click to enlarge. Accenture has identified 12 technologies that it concludes have the potential to disrupt the current views of transport fuels supply, demand and GHG emissions over the next 10 years.

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Porsche Offers Li-ion Starter Battery Option

Green Car Congress

The new Li-ion starter battery. Click to enlarge. Porsche will offer a lithium-ion starter battery option—the first automaker to do so—as of January 2010 for the 911 GT3, 911 GT 3 RS, and Boxster Spyder. Weighing less than 6 kg (13 lb), the new battery is more than 10 kg or 22 (lb) lighter than a conventional 60 Ah lead battery. The 12.8V, 18 Ah lithium iron-phosphate pack from Gaia is delivered as a separate unit together with the car and may subsequently be fitted as an alternative to the regu

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