Sat.Feb 06, 2016 - Fri.Feb 12, 2016

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NREL analysis of Proterra electric bus demo finds average fuel economy nearly 4x that of CNG baseline buses

Green Car Congress

Proterra battery-electric buses in service in a 12- vehicle demonstration by Foothill Transit in California offered significant fuel savings compared to similar conventional vehicles, according to a recently published analysis of the results of the demonstration by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The NREL team found, inter alia , that the battery-electric buses (BEBs)had an overall average efficiency of 2.15 kWh per mile on the service route, which equated to 17.48 miles per die

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Tesla Model 3 Unveil By March 31, Deposits Accepted That Day

Green Car Reports

Tesla Motors held its quarterly conference call yesterday for its fourth-quarter and 2015 full-year financial results, and some of the numbers weren't great. But for eager buyers and Tesla advocates, the most important news concerned the upcoming Model 3, the company's third generation of electric cars. Long promised to deliver 200 miles at a.

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Tesla Model 3 might not have auto pilot, Tesla to be profitable in Q4 2016

National Green Transportation

On Wednesday, Tesla Motors released Q4 2015 financial results showing that while the company had steep losses again, that free cash flow had improved. Now that the Tesla Model X is in production, Tesla management claim that Tesla&#39.

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NREL process boosts production of ethanol from algae

Green Car Congress

A new biorefinery process developed by scientists at the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has proven to be significantly more effective at producing ethanol from algae than previous research. The process, dubbed Combined Algal Processing (CAP), is detailed in an open-access paper in the journal Algal Research. The research follows work previously done at NREL and published in 2014 in The Royal Society of Chemistry’s journal Green Chemistry.

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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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DOE to award up to $11.3M for biomass-to-hydrocarbon biofuels pathways; MEGA-BIO

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) will provide up to $11.3 million in funding to develop flexible biomass-to-hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that can be modified to produce advanced fuels and/or products based on external factors, such as market demand. ( DE-FOA-0001433 : MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts To Enable Biofuels.). These pathways can consist of a route to a platform chemical that could be converted to products or renewable hydrocarbon fuels or a route that co-produces chemicals and rene

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CMU study finds that coal retirement is needed for EVs to reduce air pollution

Green Car Congress

Electric vehicles charged in coal-heavy regions can create more human health and environmental damages from life cycle air emissions than gasoline vehicles, according to a new consequential life cycle analysis by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University. However, the anticipated—albeit now possibly delayed, per the recent Supreme Court decision—retirement of coal-fired power plants will make electric vehicles more competitive on an air emissions basis, the researchers found.

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BMW introduces iPerformance designation, starting with three 7-Series plug-ins

Green Car Congress

At the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, BMW will officially introduce the new iPerformance model designation, which will be given to all BMW plug-in hybrid vehicles starting in July 2016, as a visible indicator of the transfer of technology from BMW i to the BMW core brand. In order to make BMW’s electrification strategy visible from the outside, all iPerformance models will display a BMW i logo on the front side panel, BMW i-style blue elements in the kidney grille and wheel hubs, and an eDrive logo

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Opel launching Euro cousin of Chevy Bolt EV next year: Ampera-e

Green Car Congress

Opel will introduce a five-door, five-seat battery electric vehicle next year in Europe. Cousin to the US Chevy Bolt ( earlier post ), the new Ampera-e will be “affordably priced”, Opel said. Opel Ampera-e Click to enlarge. The compact proportions of the Ampera-e are driven by the battery pack being mounted flat, under the vehicle floor. The efficient packaging of the battery also enables a roomy interior providing comfortable seating for five passengers and trunk space comparable with that of a

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Beijing, Argonne researchers develop new solid-state Li-ion battery; glassy nanocomposite electrolyte with ILs

Green Car Congress

Researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology and Argonne National Laboratory have developed a new solid-state Li-ion battery technology, consisting of a solid nanocomposite electrolyte using porous silica matrices with in situ immobilizing Li + -conducting ionic liquids; mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) as anode material, and LiCoO 2 (LCO), LiNi ⅓ Co ⅓ Mn ⅓ O 2 (NCM), or LiFePO 4 (LFP) as cathode material.

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TM4 supplying motor and inverter to Ballard for FCvelocity-HD7 module for fuel cell vehicles

Green Car Congress

Ballard Power Systems has selected TM4 Inc. for the supply of electric motors and inverters to be coupled with new compressor units for Ballard’s seventh-generation FCvelocity-HD7 power module. FCvelocity-HD7 offers a number of advantages in the areas of performance, integration, cost reduction and market leadership. The TM4 MOTIVE series of high rpm motors was selected by Ballard for its proven reliability, quality and high power density.

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

Brief

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Purdue team uses pollen grains as basis for carbon architectures for Li-ion anodes

Green Car Congress

A team at Purdue University has used pollens as the basis for carbon architectures for anodes in energy storage devices. As reported in an open-access paper in Nature’s Scientific Reports , Jialiang Tang and Vilas Pol converted bee pollen and cattail pollen grains into carbon microstructures through a facile, one-step, solid-state pyrolysis process in an inert atmosphere.

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Study finds household and outdoor air pollution contributes to more than 5.5 million premature deaths worldwide per year

Green Car Congress

New research shows that household (indoor) and outdoor air pollution contribute to more than 5.5 million premature deaths every year. More than half of deaths occur in two of the world’s fastest growing economies, China and India. In the context of the Global Burden of Disease 2013 study ( earlier post ), researchers from Canada, the United States, China and India quantified air pollution levels and attributable health impacts for 188 countries for the period 1990-2013.

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UK companies in $2.5M project to develop marine magnetically geared propulsion motor; potential 10% efficiency gain

Green Car Congress

Rolls Royce, magnetic gear company Magnomatics and electric motor company ATB Laurence Scott are partnering in a two-year, £1.7-million (US$2.5-million) project to develop an electric Magnetically Geared Propulsion Motor (MGPM) for marine applications. Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, is providing £925,708 (US$1.3 million) in funding. A magnetic gear uses permanent magnets to transmit torque between an input and output shaft without mechanical contact.

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Audi showcases Q7 e-tron PHEV, piloted driving at Berlinale

Green Car Congress

Audi is deploying some 300 vehicles at the 66 th Berlin International Film Festival ( Berlinale ), roughly 100 of which are equipped with hybrid drivetrains. The stars of this year’s Berlinale will ride to the Berlinale Palast in the new Audi Q7 e-tron quattro. ( Earlier post.). Audi marked another technical milestone at the Berlinale with a driverless VIP shuttle: a piloted Audi A8 L W12.

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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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JetBlue Launches JetBlue Technology Ventures; 1st US airline-backed VC subsidiary for travel startups

Green Car Congress

US airline JetBlue has launched JetBlue Technology Ventures , a wholly owned subsidiary that will invest in, incubate and partner with early stage startups at the intersection of technology, travel and hospitality. As the first corporate venture capital subsidiary in Silicon Valley backed by a US airline, JetBlue Technology Ventures will operate from the GSVlabs campus in the heart of Silicon Valley.

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Novelis offering automakers RC5754 high recycled content aluminum alloy

Green Car Congress

Novelis announced that its RC5754 alloy, a new automotive product designed to contain up to 75% recycled content, has been successfully integrated into the structural components of high volume production passenger vehicles. RC5754 was developed with Jaguar Land Rover and serves as a key component of Jaguar’s REALCAR (REcycled ALuminium CAR) project.

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Toyota to build production version of C-HR hybrid concept in Turkey

Green Car Congress

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) confirmed European production for a production version of the C-HR concept crossover ( earlier post ). The new hybrid will be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Turkey (TMMT) in Sakarya, Turkey, in what marks the first time a hybrid-powered vehicle will be produced in the country. This will be TME’s third plant to produce hybrid vehicles in the Europe region, after Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK in Burnaston, Derbyshire (Auris Hybrid and Auris Touring Sport Hybrid) and

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Cal Energy Commission awards $1.5M to Berkeley to advance open-source advanced smart charging technology; OpenVBOSS

Green Car Congress

The California Energy Commission is awarding the University of California, Berkeley $1.5 million to develop an advanced smart charging technology that maintains plug-in electric vehicle consumer needs while reducing charging loads, to achieve electricity grid benefits. The project will focus on controlling the charging of PEVs in residential and small commercial settings using a novel and flexible open-source, open-software architecture charge communication and control platform.

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HARMAN joins Intelligent Car Coalition for connected car innovation

Green Car Congress

HARMAN International Industries has joined the Intelligent Car Coalition , the leading advocacy group for pro-innovation connected car public policy. In joining the Intelligent Car Coalition, HARMAN continues its work collaborating with companies and trade associations in the communications and automotive industries to support understanding of how connected car technologies impact federal legislative and regulatory initiatives.

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Mitsui invests additional C$25M in Bioamber Sarnia bio-succinic acid venture

Green Car Congress

Renewable materials company BioAmber announced that Mitsui & Co. Ltd., its partner in the Sarnia bio-based succinic acid plant, is investing an additional C$25 million (US$18 million) in the joint venture for 10% of the equity, increasing its stake from 30% to 40%. Mitsui will also play a stronger role in the commercialization of bio-succinic acid produced in Sarnia, providing dedicated resources alongside BioAmber’s commercial team.

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Tesla projects GAAP profit in Q4 2016; 80k-90k new Model S and Model X in 2016

Green Car Congress

In its Q4 and Full Year 2015 update , Tesla projected being net cash flow positive and achieving non-GAAP profitability for the year, even factoring in a $1.5-billion investment to add more production capacity, start cell production at the Gigafactory, and establish additional customer support infrastructure. Tesla expects moderate GAAP profitability is expected in the fourth quarter.

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UPS to expand use of renewable natural gas; liquefied renewable natural gas in Texas

Green Car Congress

UPS has expanded its agreement with Clean Energy Fuels to use up to 500,000 gallon equivalents of renewable liquefied natural gas (RLNG) annually in Texas. UPS stations in Houston and Mesquite will dispense the RLNG to a fleet of about 140 UPS tractors. The deal builds on UPS’s current agreement with Clean Energy Fuels whereby UPS is using approximately 1.5 million gallon equivalents of renewable compressed natural gas (RCNG) annually in California where UPS operates nearly 400 CNG vehicles. ( E

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Ford develops wearable device and smartphone app for assembly plant

Green Car Congress

Ford has developed a wearable device, which is connected to a smartphone app, enabling production line workers to make faster and more accurate quality checks on new vehicles. Ford looks to roll-out the wrist-worn Portable Quality Assurance Device to other plants after successful pilot project in Valencia, Spain. Previously, workers at Valencia used a paper-based system that involved walking back and forth more than one kilometer daily to access information on desktop PCs.

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UBC study links traffic air pollution exposure during pregnancy with asthma risk

Green Car Congress

Babies born to mothers exposed to air pollution from traffic during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing asthma before the age of six, according to new University of British Columbia (UBC) research published in the European Respiratory Journal. Our study results highlight the danger of exposure to pollution while babies are still in the womb.

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UK study finds fifth of car fuel-efficiency savings eroded by increased driving; long-term rebound effect

Green Car Congress

Around a fifth of the energy-saving benefits of fuel-efficient cars are eroded because people end up driving them more, according to a study into British motoring habits over the last 40 years. Using data from 1970 to 2011, energy experts at the University of Sussex found a long-term rebound effect among British car-drivers of around 20%. Published in an open access paper in the February issue of the journal Energy Economics , this is the first estimation of this rebound effect—a term used

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Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell drivers pass million-mile mark

Green Car Congress

Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell drivers have accumulated more than 1,000,000 miles on the roads and highways of Southern California while emitting only clean water and replacing approximately 385 tons of CO 2 emissions that would have been emitted from vehicles of similar size. Hyundai has delivered nearly 100 Tucson Fuel Cell crossovers since its introduction in June 2014. ( Earlier post.).

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UC Riverside reinforcement-learning-based real-time energy management system can improve PHEV efficiency by almost 12%

Green Car Congress

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering have demonstrated that a new, data-driven, reinforcement-learning-based, real-time energy management system (EMS) can improve the efficiency of current plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by almost 12% compared to the standard, binary mode control strategy. The UCR EMS optimizes the power-split control in real time while learning the optimal decisions from historical driving cycles.

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U Minnesota researchers create synthetic biopathway to turn biomass into green products; “bio-spandex” and more

Green Car Congress

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have engineered a new synthetic biopathway that can more efficiently and cost-effectively turn agricultural waste such corn stover and orange peels into a variety of useful products ranging from spandex to chicken feed. The study was published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. In this study, researchers looked at turning lignocellulosic biomass to produce useful products to avoid the “food versus chemical” purposes.

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New ICAO aircraft CO2 standard one step closer to final adoption after recommendation by CAEP

Green Car Congress

An aircraft CO 2 emissions standard has made further and important headway at the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The new environmental measure was unanimously recommended by the 170 international experts on ICAO’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection ( CAEP ), paving the way for its ultimate adoption by the UN agency’s 36-State Governing Council.

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Iowa State team develops hybrid technology to create biorenewable nylon

Green Car Congress

Engineers at Iowa State University have developed a hybrid process that combines bio- and electrocatalysis to convert glucose into bio-based unsaturated nylon-6,6—which has the advantage of an extra double bond in its backbone that can be used to tailor the polymer’s properties. Their study is published in the 12 Feb. issue of the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition as the cover paper.

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New study links traffic-related air pollution to facial dark spots

Green Car Congress

A large-scale study that included women from Germany and China has demonstrated a link between levels of traffic-related air pollution and air pollution-associated gases with the formation of dark spots on the skin, known as lentigenes, or liver spots. The most pronounced changes were observed on the cheeks of Asian women over the age of 50. The report is published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

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First UAV test flight with Cella solid-state hydrogen storage and fuel-cell power system

Green Car Congress

The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) recently completed a UAV test flight using Cella Energy’s hydrogen-based power system. The system is based on Cella’s solid, nanostructured chemical hydride hydrogen storage material which is capable of releasing large quantities of hydrogen when heated. Cella Energy is a spin-off from STFC’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK. ( Earlier post.).

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New algorithm improves speed and accuracy of pedestrian detection; cascade detection + deep learning

Green Car Congress

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have developed a pedestrian detection system that performs in near real-time (2-4 frames per second) and with higher accuracy (close to half the error) compared to existing systems. The technology, which incorporates deep learning models, could be used in “smart” vehicles, robotics and image and video search systems.

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Ford and Pivotal collaborate on software platform for FordPass

Green Car Congress

Ford is working with platform-as-a-service (PaaS) provider Pivotal to build a software platform supporting FordPass, announced at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) ( earlier post ), that will enable the company to innovate rapidly and to iterate on new applications and mobility solutions for consumers. FordPass, described as a free digital, physical and personal platform, is an ambitious new customer service product that incorporates software services and apps, human agents and

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