Green Car Congress
APRIL 13, 2013
'Toyota Motor Europe (TME) posted 2013 first quarter sales of 197,309 Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Europe. During that period, Toyota and Lexus full hybrid sales reached 38,673, up 82.3% from the same period last year. Full hybrid models now constitute around 20% of total Toyota and Lexus sales in the first quarter, doubling from the same period in 2012.
Green Car Reports
APRIL 16, 2013
'If early ownership experiences are to believed, there''s not a lot wrong with driving a Tesla Model S. The performance is great, it''s luxurious, quiet, has a great electric range. but there''s still one thing that bugs owners. One thing they wish wasn''t part of the Model S ownership experience. Yep, that''s right--driving other cars. Model S owners.
DIY Electric Car
APRIL 15, 2013
'Wiring up the pack. After doing 70% of it, I read on evworks that it''s a good idea to clean the terminals with a wire brush to remove aluminium oxide. So disconnected all the cells and BMS cabling. A whole day "wasted" - except that it will hopefully perform better with the lower resistance. I was surprised at the change in colour/albedo on some of the terminals, I''d never noticed they were oxidised.
Green Cars News
APRIL 18, 2013
'The new, updated Nissan LEAF has been named the best green car of the year, in a list completely dominated by hybrids and electric car models. US residual values experts at Kelley Blue Book have drawn up their annual list of the 10 Best Green Cars for 2013, placing the new electric supermini at the [.].
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Green Car Congress
APRIL 17, 2013
'At SAE World Congress in Detroit, Honda engineers presented several papers on the development of the new Accord plug-in hybrid, describing work on the new gasoline engine (which will also be featured in the coming full hybrid version of the Accord), and the development of the new two-motor system. Through the end of March, Honda has sold 45 units of the new plug-in, which went on limited sale earlier this year.
Green Car Reports
APRIL 17, 2013
'The established German luxury brands--Mercedes-Benz and BMW--have sold cars in the U.S. for decades. So how could Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] possibly be beating them at their own game? The answer lies in how you define sales: It appears that the Tesla Model S electric sport sedan is outselling both the BMW 7-Series and the Mercedes-Benz S Class in.
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Green Car Congress
APRIL 16, 2013
'General Motors has begun manufacturing the electric motor for the Spark EV at its Baltimore Operations plant in White Marsh, Md. ( Earlier post.). The heart of the Spark EV’s propulsion system is the GM-designed, oil-cooled, permanent magnet motor. Putting more than half a million road miles on development versions of the Spark EV enabled engineers to optimize the performance of the motor by using a specifically designed bar-wound copper stator and unique rotor configuration.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 16, 2013
'Babcock & Wilcox subsidiary Babcock & Wilcox mPower and the US Department of Energy (DOE) signed a Cooperative Agreement for funding made available through DOE’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Licensing Technical Support Program for the development and licensing of B&W’s mPower technology. ( Earlier post.). The B&W mPower reactor is an advanced integral pressurized water reactor designed to generate 180 MW of electricity.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 18, 2013
'The ESCII, along with projections for three scenarios. To meet 2DS targets, the index needs to decline by 5.7% by 2020, and 64% by 2050. Source: IEA. Click to enlarge. In a fairly bleak assessment of global progress towards low-carbon energy, the International Energy Agency (IEA) concluded that, despite a few bright spots such as the rapid expansion of renewable technologies and the growth of hybrid and EV sales, the progress is far below that required to achieve a 2 °C pathway—i.e.,
Green Car Congress
APRIL 17, 2013
'Material selection for the Venza aluminum BIW. Click to enlarge. A new study by EDAG Group, commissioned by the Aluminum in Transportation Group of the US Aluminum Association, finds that an all-aluminum body in white (BIW) can deliver potential mass savings in the 35 – 40% range over a base steel BIW. This, when combined with secondary mass savings and other design changes, could boost fuel economy by around 18%.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 19, 2013
'The California Air Resources Board voted to approve a date of 1 January 2014 officially to link California’s cap-and-trade program with that of the Canadian Province of Québec. California and Québec have worked together over the past four years to develop their respective cap-and-trade programs to provide for potential linkage. That joint effort and experience help ensure that the two programs will complement one another and provide covered facilities in both jurisdictions with the benefits of
Green Car Congress
APRIL 16, 2013
'Protean Electric introduced its production in-wheel motor at the 2013 Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit. ( Earlier post.). The motors reside in the space behind the wheel. Protean’s new production motor provides a 25% increase in peak torque compared with the previous generation’s design and can deliver 1,000 N·m (735 lb-ft) and 75 kW (100 hp).
Green Car Congress
APRIL 13, 2013
'The US and China will initiate a Climate Change Working Group to determine and finalize ways in which they can advance cooperation on technology, research, conservation, and alternative and renewable energy. The Working Group was outlined in a joint statement on climate change issued by the two countries, which asserted that “ the increasing dangers presented by climate change measured against the inadequacy of the global response requires a more focused and urgent initiative.”.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 19, 2013
'A study by a team from Ford Motor Company and AVL has concluded that a mid-level ethanol blend—greater than E20 but less than E40—appears to be attractive as a long-term future fuel for the US for use in engines optimized for the higher octane blend. The team presented a paper on their work at the 2013 SAE World Congress in Detroit. Ford engineers also presented two other papers evaluating the effects of low to mid-level ethanol blends in spark-ignited engines at the conference.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 13, 2013
'Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has completed its three-year plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) demonstration project jointly carried out with Électricité de France (EDF) and the City and the Urban Community of Strasbourg in France. The partners revealed the final conclusions collected from this large-scale demonstration, in which approximately 70 units of the Prius PHV were provided to Strasbourg.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 17, 2013
'Cumulative global sales of TMC hybrid models as of 31 March 2013. Click to enlarge. Cumulative global sales of Toyota Motor Corporation’s (TMC’s) hybrid vehicles—including plug-in hybrids— topped the 5 million unit mark as of 31 March 2013, reaching 5.125 million units. Of the global total, sales in the US have accounted for nearly 2 million units (1,951,243).
Green Car Congress
APRIL 15, 2013
'The memory effect of the battery is written in a cycle with partial charging (here, 50% of the battery’s storage capacity) followed by complete discharge. In the subsequent cycle, the memory effect is evident through an overvoltage (small “bump”) at precisely the same point at which the partial charging cycle terminates. On the extreme right, the normal voltage curve is shown for comparison.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 15, 2013
'Researchers from the US and France have synthesized a niobium dioxide material that shows high capability for both the rapid storage and release of energy and could be used in a supercapacitor. A paper describing the kinetics of charge storage in Nb 2 O 5 is published in Nature Materials. Pseudocapacitance is commonly associated with surface or near-surface reversible redox reactions, as observed with RuO 2 ·xH 2 O in an acidic electrolyte.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 19, 2013
'GM unveiled a new Buick Riviera concept vehicle in Shanghai on the eve of Auto Shanghai 2013. The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is the fourth global concept vehicle jointly developed by GM’s Shanghai GM and Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) joint ventures in Shanghai. The new Riviera has adopted BIP (Buick Intelligent Performance) technology.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 19, 2013
'At Auto Shanghai 2013, Dana is presenting a new single-speed Spicer electric vehicle gearbox designed especially for the high-speed electric vehicle motor. Available immediately, it features a 10.86:1 gear ratio and maximum torque of 265 N·m (189 lb-ft). In addition, the custom-made gearbox and high-quality helical gears provide premium NVH performance, the company said.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 19, 2013
'Researchers at Michigan Technological University have developed a technique to grow aligned nanoforests of manganese dioxide nanorods with an optimal crystal structure (?-MnO 2 ). The new materials may enable higher-performance redox capacitors. Redox (reduction-oxidation) capacitors are hybrids between physical supercapacitors, which release a burst of energy and discharge quickly, and batteries, which store more energy and release it gradually over a longer period.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 14, 2013
'The US Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a Request for Information ( DE-FOA-0000908 , RFI-0000003) regarding the potential environmental impacts of engineered high energy crops, such as those being investigated under the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA-E) Plants Engineered to Replace Oil ( PETRO ) program ( earlier post ), and potential future DOE programs to support the development and demonstration of such crops through field trials.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 19, 2013
'CrossBlue Coupé. Click to enlarge. At the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show, Volkswagen will introduce the “CrossBlue Coupé” concept plug-in hybrid SUV. The automaker introduced the “CrossBlue SUV” concept—developed specifically for the US and Canada—at the North American International Auto Show earlier this year. ( Earlier post ). The CrossBlue Coupé is powered by a plug-in hybrid system comprising a V6 turbo direct gasoline injection engine (TSI) and two electric motors; maximum system powe
Green Car Congress
APRIL 18, 2013
'GM announced that the new 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel ( earlier post ) delivers an EPA-estimated 46 mpg US (5.1 l/100 km) on the highway—better than any non-hybrid passenger car in the US. It will be available in certain cities this spring and nationwide and in Canada in early fall. Equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, the latest addition to the Cruze powertrain family has an estimated range of 700 highway miles (1,127 km) on one tank of diesel fuel, based on the
Green Car Congress
APRIL 16, 2013
'Cobalt Technologies has successfully completed a production campaign of bio n-butanol at a fermentation scale greater than 100,000 liters (26,400 gallons US). The performance demonstrates scalability by replicating the performance previously obtained at both the 10-liter bench scale and the 4,000-liter pilot scale. This scale validation is a crucial stepping stone to finalizing any commercial project, since scale up to a commercial fermentor is under 10x, well within industry norms, the company
Green Car Congress
APRIL 16, 2013
'The USDA is extending for five years its agreement to work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other partners to help develop a viable biofuel for the aviation industry. The new agreement, which includes partners from the commercial aviation sector, follows the initial success of the 2010-2012 “Farm to Fly” initiative. The federal government and its partners hope to support the annual production of 1 billion gallons of drop in aviation biofuel by 2018.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 16, 2013
'Nissan and FedEx Express have begun testing of the 100% electric e-NV200 commercial vehicle in Singapore. ( Earlier post.) This is a part of the comprehensive field testing program announced jointly by Nissan and FedEx Express at the Hannover Motor Show (Germany) last fall. Trial results and feedback will continue to shape the development of the all-electric urban delivery compact van and related software.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 16, 2013
'At the recent auto, motor und sport-Kongress 2013 in Stuttgart, Schaeffler presented the latest development version of its E-Wheel Drive electric wheel hub drive. The in-wheel drive is applied in a Ford Fiesta-based development vehicle created in cooperation with Ford. The compact vehicle is driven using two Schaeffler E-Wheel Drives that are installed in the rear wheel arches.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 15, 2013
'Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. have signed an agreement under which both companies will jointly develop a new generation of advanced technology 9- and 10-speed automatic transmissions for cars, crossovers, SUVs and trucks. The new transmissions, to be built in both front- and rear-wheel drive variants, will improve vehicle performance and increase fuel economy.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 14, 2013
'UK-based TMO Renewables (TMO) and Usina Santa Maria Ltda have entered into an agreement to form a joint venture to build the first commercial production plant in Brazil to convert sugar cane waste (bagasse) to cellulosic bioethanol. TMO signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Usina Santa Maria Ltda to build Brazil’s first cellulosic bioethanol production facility in São Paulo state.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 19, 2013
'A study by a team of researchers from France and the US found that the origin of volatile hydrocarbons, other than methane, present in city air is mainly gasoline-powered vehicles. The study also shows that the proportion of gaseous aromatic compounds—apart from benzene—in hydrocarbon emissions is two to three times greater in pollution plumes in Paris than in Los Angeles, even though the total quantity of hydrocarbons emitted in Los Angeles remains considerably greater than in Pari
Green Car Congress
APRIL 19, 2013
'Johnson Controls will provide its Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) advanced lead-acid battery technology to power the Chery Jaguar Land Rover Start-Stop and other vehicles made in China to serve the China market. Start-Stop systems help reduce fuel consumption as the engine shuts off when the vehicle comes to a stop in traffic or at a red light. The battery restarts the engine when the driver’s foot releases the brake pedal or engages the clutch.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 19, 2013
'Researchers at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany) report in the journal Angewandte Chemie their development of an enhanced platinum catalyst for the steam reforming of methanol to release hydrogen. A central problem of renewable energy technology lies in the great variation of energy generated (i.e., intermittency). One proposed solution is methanol-based hydrogen storage.
Green Car Congress
APRIL 19, 2013
'Mercedes-Benz will show the Concept GLA compact premium-class SUV at the Auto Shanghai motor show (21 to 29 April 2013. The new concept vehicle is powered by a 4-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine rated at 155 kW (211 hp) with a displacement of 1991 cc. Its power is transmitted to the road via the 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission and 4MATIC all-wheel drive.
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