Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

FHSPV flywheel CVT system layout. Click to enlarge. A research vehicle fitted with a flywheel hybrid system including stop-start has demonstrated improvements in fuel economy of up to 22.4% in the new European ARTEMIS test cycles. Developed by a consortium of British companies as part of the Government-supported Flywheel Hybrid System for Premium Vehicles (FHSPV) program, the mechanically-driven flywheel system delivers up to 80 bhp (82 PS, 60 kW) of recovered energy from a self-contained hybrid

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DIY Electric Car

SEPTEMBER 3, 2011

I have a dirty secret, I like free stuff and I think you do too. Lately I find myself charged on public charging. No, I technically rarely "have-to" use the thin boxes popping up all over town. I've had facility folks come over twice now to tell me, "Those spaces aren't open!" I fluff my feathers and point to my charging cord and extort. "Oh yes I am, and I have a card to prove it" Yes, I carry my card with pride and I'm not afraid to tell those gasaholics a thing or two!

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DIY Volt Charging Google 157

Green Car Reports

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

Imagine the scenario: You’re heading to a meeting and leave your shiny 2011 Nissan Leaf electric car plugged in at the local charging station, confident that it will have enough charge to get you back home when you return in a few hours. Then you return to find another electric car owner has unplugged your car to charge their own vehicle.

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Re-Charge Charging Nissan 2011 146

Electric Cars are for Girls

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

If you decide to keep the transmission, but also lock it in gear, I've heard of locking it in any from first to third, but let's say second gear, and

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Conversion 102

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

Although the burning of natural gas emits far less carbon dioxide than coal, a new study by Tom Wigley, a senior research associate at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and an adjunct professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia, concludes that a greater reliance on natural gas would fail to significantly slow down climate change.

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Coal Climate Gas Global 334

National Green Transportation

SEPTEMBER 4, 2011

In todays finale of the TTXGP 2011 North America electric motorcycle race series, MotoCzysz won by a large margin, and Brammo ended up winning with the North American championship title. The race featured a rematch between MotoCzysz and Lightning.

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Electric Cars are for Girls

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

How do I choose right battery for my electric vehicle? Not the type one but rather the capacity of the battery(e.

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Batteries Battery Electric Vehicles Vehicles 102

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Reversible Li extraction capacity of nanoSi electrodes with alginate, CMC and PVDF binders vs. cycle number collected for the current density of 4200 mA g –1 for cells cycled in the potential window of 0.01-1 V vs. Li/Li +. Click to enlarge. Researchers from Clemson University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have identified a promising new binder material for lithium-ion battery electrodes that not only could boost energy storage, but also eliminate the use of toxic compounds now used to

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Li-ion Lithium Ion Batteries Battery 301

Green Cars News

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

German giants the BMW Group has once again come out as the top automotive company in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI). It is the seventh consecutive year that BMW has been named most sustainable automotive company and it is also the only motoring company to feature in the indexes since they were established in [.].

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BMW Companies Motor Motors 86

Green Car Reports

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

The 2011 Mazda2 is already one of the most fun small cars on the market, sharing its platform with Ford's Fiesta. It's pretty economical too, but with Mazda's next generation of gasoline engine, it'll become very efficient indeed. The 1.3-liter Skyactiv-G unit soon to be found in the Mazda2 gets 30 kilometers per liter on Japan's 10-15 mode test.

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Mazda Japan Hybrid 2011 137

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Electric Cars are for Girls

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

How could I add an on-board gasoline-powered electric generator to power my electric conversion pick-up?

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Gasoline Gasoline-Electric Range Conversion 102

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

Total US exports of finished petroleum products have increased more than 60% since 2007 as markets have become more globally integrated, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). This trend is driven primarily by finished motor gasoline and distillate fuel oil which are increasingly exported to Latin America. Annual U.S. exports of gasoline and distillate increased by 133% and 144%, respectively, from 2007 to 2010.

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National Green Transportation

SEPTEMBER 3, 2011

An exciting lineup of electric motorcycle race teams is on hand for the TTXGP North American series finale this weekend at the Miller Motorsports Park outside Salt Lake City Utah (see Final race in TTXGP's 2011 North American.

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2011 Utah Electric Motorcycles Motorcycles 70

Green Car Reports

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

When El Rey -- the final Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle to ever be made -- rolled off the Mexican production line on July 30, 2003, many Volkswagen fans around the world mourned the end of a 60-year production run. And with over 21.5 million original Volkswagen Beetles made, the VW Bug still holds the title as the longest-running and most-manufactured.

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All-Electric 2003 Electric Cars Electric 136

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Electric Cars are for Girls

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

I'm planning to stretch and convert my long-wheelbase Land-Rover Defender to a six-wheeler (i.e.

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Land Rover Conversion Electric Cars Hybrid 102

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 4, 2011

The battery housing made of lightweight component materials weighs only 35 kg (77 lbs)—25% less than traditional solutions made of steel. Credit: Fraunhofer ICT. Click to enlarge. Engineers from the Fraunhofer Institutes for Chemical Technology ICT in Pfinztal, for Mechanics of Materials IWM, for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF and for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach Institut EMI, have developed a lightweight, fiber-reinforced composite battery housing for electric vehicle

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Batteries Battery Production Carbon Fiber 273

Green Cars News

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

An amazing 95 per cent of participants involved in electric car trials run by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) said they didn’t find using an electric vehicle anymore difficult than their conventional combustion cars. What’s more is that while all participants reported that they were suffering with range anxiety at the start of the trial, [.].

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Electric Cars Range Cars Electric 62

Green Car Reports

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

It's been the official policy of the Chinese government-industrial complex for a while now that the country wants to dominate the electric-car business. While only a handful of highway-capable plug-in cars are sold today in China, the country's industrial overseers are nothing if not ambitious. Enter General Motors, which will put its Chevrolet.

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China Electric Cars Volt General Motors 122

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 5, 2011

The Volvo Car Corporation is introducing a new, downsized engine range consisting solely of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. The upcoming four-cylinder VEA (Volvo Environmental Architecture) engine range includes common rail diesels and direct injected gasoline engines. It covers the range from high-power and -torque variants to fuel-efficient derivatives.

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Downsizing Fuel Economy Volvo Economy 268

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 5, 2011

In May, the 82 nd Texas Legislature passed and the Governor Rick Perry signed House Bill 1353 , which took effect on 1 September. This legislation allows the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to create a 75-mph speed limit on sections of the highway system found to be reasonable and safe through a speed study. The bill also eliminates the speed limit distinction between day and night and between cars and trucks.

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Texas MPH Davis 2002 259

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

The types of vehicles consumers select has by far the most dominant impact on on-road fuel economy—the best vehicle currently available for sale in the US is nine times more fuel efficient than the worst vehicle. However, remaining factors over which a driver has control—route selection; vehicle load; vehicle maintenance; and the driver’s own behavior—can contribute in total to about a 45% reduction in the on-road fuel economy per driver (i.e., a fuel economy penalty), ac

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Fuel Economy Economy Fuel North America 252

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

Integrity Exports. Honda is teaming up with ANA (All Nippon Airways) at the request of HySUT (The Research Association of Hydrogen Supply/Utilization Technology) to offer the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle as a limo service to passengers on international flights at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport from 5 September 2011. HySUT was founded in July 2009 with the aim of establishing hydrogen supply infrastructure and to improve hydrogen business environment.

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Honda Fuel Hydrogen Auto Industry 247

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

Honda will unveil a cleaner, “higher quality” MY2012 Insight hybrid at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The revised 5-door hatchback will have lower CO 2 emissions of 96 g/km (according to Honda data), achieved through enhanced aerodynamics and powertrain efficiency. In Europe, the MY2011 Insight carries a rating of 101 or 105 g/km, depending upon model.

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Insight Honda Hybrid Cleaner 246

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

Embraer and GE held a series of test flights this week, with an Embraer 170 jet flying from the Company’s Gavião Peixoto facilities. The purpose of the tests was to benchmark the operational characteristics of the airplane and its GE CF34-8E engines when powered by HEFA (Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids) fuel (bio-jet) under a broad range of unique flight conditions.

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Fuel Brazil 2011 Future 246

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 4, 2011

Engineers from the University of Houston and the University of Texas report that waterflooding with a surfactant—thereby altering the wettability of oil reservoir rocks—can increase oil recovery from 62 to 85%. In their paper in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels, they say the increase is “ significant, and needs to be evaluated at the field scale.

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Oil Engine Polymer Water 244

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 5, 2011

Dr. Nico Kämpchen on an automated test drive. Click to enlarge. Engineers at BMW Group Research and Technology are developing advanced automated driver assistance systems for the highway. Researchers have equipped a BMW 5 sedan with intelligent software as well as vision assistance and environment detection systems. The prototype system can autonomously control acceleration and braking, and it can safely pass slower vehicles.

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BMW Environment MPH Concept 239

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

US EPA Region 9 8-hour ozone trends, 1979-2000. Source: EPA. Click to enlarge. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the 8-hour ozone air quality plans—which include their attainment demonstrations, enforceable commitments and reductions from new technologies—for California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV) and South Coast (SC) areas, two of the worst air quality areas left in the country.

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Ozone EPA Pollution 2002 236

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

The Scuderi Group released findings from a computer simulation study measuring the performance of the Scuderi split-cycle engine modeled against the European class of “high economy” vehicles. The data showed that a turbocharged/air-hybridized Scuderi Engine ( earlier post ) can achieve at least 64 mpg US (3.7 liters per 100 km) while emitting 85 g CO 2 /km.

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MPG San Antonio Emissions Engine 236

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

Researchers from Japan and Mexico have developed a one-step hydrotreatment process over catalysts containing Ni-Mo and solid acids for the conversion of vegetable oils (Jatropha, palm and canola) to renewable diesel and LPG fuels. A paper on their work appears in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels. Jatropha oil produced the highest yield (wt %) of renewable diesel (83.5%), with 4.9% LPG.

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Oil Diesel Renewable Conversion 230

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

The new Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 ( earlier post ), the first full diesel hybrid light-duty passenger vehicle on the market, is now available to pre-order. Having sold out of the 3008 HYbrid4 limited edition ( earlier post ), the range offers two versions: a 99 g/km CO 2 and a 104 g/km CO 2 version. HYbrid4 designates the hybridization of a diesel engine (2.0 liter HDi FAP 120 kW / 163 bhp) with an rear-axle-mounted electric motor offering a maximum power output of 27 kW (37 bhp).

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Diesel Sale Electric Electrical 225

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

General Motors and its joint ventures in China set an August sales record en route to the third-best sales month in 2011. Domestic vehicle sales rose 13.4% on an annual basis to 205,885 units. For the first eight months of 2011, GM and its joint ventures sold a record 1,652,693 vehicles in China, which was up 5.4% from the same period last year. Sales of passenger cars by Shanghai GM in China rose 21.7% to 98,674 units.

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GM China Sale Buick 225

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 3, 2011

Royal Dutch Shell plc. signed a new version of its cooperation agreement with Ukraine covering Shell’s involvement in shale gas extraction and diversification of energy resources mining in Ukraine. The agreement between the Ukrainian public company Ukrgazvydobuvannia and Shell plc. stipulates the future cooperation in the area of exploration and extraction of hydrocarbons in Dnipro-Donetsk basin, Central Ukraine.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

As part of a Tullow-operated joint venture, Shell confirmed an oil discovery in the Guyane Maritime permit approximately 150 kilometers offshore French Guiana. The GM-ES-1 well is being drilled in a water depth of more than 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) and to date has drilled to a depth of 5,711 meters (18,737 feet). The well has encountered over 70-meters of net oil pay in two objectives.

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Oil 2009 GM 2010 223

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

BP announced today the drilling of a successful appraisal well in a previously untested northern segment of the Mad Dog field in the deepwater US Gulf of Mexico. The well results confirm a significant resource extension for the Mad Dog Field complex, which includes the existing field, in production since 2005, and appraisal drilling of the Mad Dog South field in 2008 and 2009.

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