Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Mercedes-Benz F 125! research vehicle. Click to enlarge. Mercedes-Benz presented the F125! research vehicle (the “125” marking 125 years of the automobile), a fuel-cell plug-in hybrid with a range of more than 1,000 km (621 miles) that anticipates more than two generations of vehicles to 2025 and beyond. The F125!, intended to demonstrate emission-free individual mobility in the luxury segment in the future, incorporates already well-proven concepts and technologies which are not yet

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Electric Cars are for Girls

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Broadcasting live with Ustream.as if you needed one more good reason to drive an electric car.

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Green Car Reports

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

BMW has taken a radical departure from its traditional brand of teutonic sedans with its "i" range. The i3 is a carbon-bodied electric city car and the i8 a plug-in hybrid sports coupe, and both display wild styling and high-tech features. We were at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show to get a closer look. BMW i8 Plug-In Hybrid Sports Coupe The i8 is.

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Green Cars News

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

September 13, 2011. The Green Piece Column. Huge motoring events don’t occur quite as regularly as they used to since the industry’s slump during the global recession – so it’s no wonder then that this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, which opens its doors to the Press today (September 13) and to the public on Thursday [.].

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Federal-Mogul’s Advanced Corona Ignition System (ACIS, left) uses a high-energy, high frequency electrical field to produce repeatable, controlled ionization, creating multiple streams of ions to ignite the fuel mixture throughout the combustion chamber, whereas conventional spark ignition (right) creates only a small arc in the gap between the electrodes of a spark plug.

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Electric Cars are for Girls

SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

What would it take to convert a Saturn SC2 to electric? The information on web sites is all over the place. Some want $5,000.

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Green Cars News

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Last week I got my first chance to try out motorised two wheel transport. As a keen cyclist, I’m used to being a vulnerable road user and taking to two wheels around the test arena at the Ecovelocity in London actually felt like quite a natural transition to me. But is it enough to make [.].

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

Ford has confirmed that the first production applications for the new 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine ( earlier post ) will be three models in the European product range: first the Focus, followed by C-MAX and the all-new Ford B-MAX. The new 1.0-liter engine is the latest addition to Ford’s global family of EcoBoost engines, which currently range in capacity from 1.6 to 3.5 liters globally.

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Electric Cars are for Girls

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

What basic type of electric motor does the GM Volt use? And what does it weigh? How could I get a schematic diagram?

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Green Car Reports

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Although it’s almost a year since the 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Chevrolet Volt officially launched in key electric car markets, the majority of the U.S. population have yet to see their first highway capable electric car. So its no surprise that automakers are spending a lot of time and energy trying to educate buyers in as-yet unexplored.

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Green Cars News

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

TomTom and Renault have revealed a new in-dash sat nav system specifically designed for electric cars which will be fitted as standard to the car maker’s Fluence Z.E electric model, due to launch next year. The Carminat TomTom Z.E LIVE sat nav receives information from the battery on its current state of charge, which is [.].

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

A Kia Optima Hybrid ( earlier post ) driven by hypermiler Wayne Gerdes and his colleague Chris Bernius set a new Guinness World Record for the lowest fuel consumption in a hybrid gasoline vehicle while driving through all 48 adjoining US states. ( Earlier post.). Gerdes and Bernius successfully piloted a factory-standard 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid sedan through a 7,899 mile (12,712 km) route across America and achieved an average fuel consumption of 64.55 mpg US (3.64 l/100 km), beating the car’s of

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 11, 2011

A team from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia and the Universidad de Valencia has synthesized a hybrid graphene-nickel/manganese mixed oxide that, when used as an anode material for Li-ion batteries, shows a maximum capacity of 1030 mAhg -1 during the first discharge; capacity values higher than 400 mAhg -1 were still achieved after 10 cycles.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

SG Biofuels (SGB) has teamed with JETBIO, leader of a multi-stakeholder initiative including Airbus, the Inter-American Development Bank, Bioventures Brasil, Rio Pardo Bioenergia, Air BP and TAM Airlines, to accelerate the production of crude Jatropha oil as a source for aviation biojet fuel in Brazil. SGB will work with Bioventures Brasil, an energy crop project developer, and other program partners on a multi-phased program leading to the deployment of 75,000 acres of intercropped Jatropha pla

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

2012 Sonic. Click to enlarge. The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic with the Ecotec 1.4L turbo delivers an EPA-estimated 40 mpg US (5.9 L/100km) on the highway with a six-speed manual transmission and city fuel economy of 29 mpg (8.1 L/100km), resulting in 33 mpg US (7.1 L/100km) combined. The Sonic’s highway fuel economy makes it one of the most fuel-efficient small cars in the market, with fuel economy equivalent to the 2012 Ford Fiesta SFE and on a par with the 2012 Hyundai Accent.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

The BRABUS 4WD Full Electric. Click to enlarge. Boston-Power, Inc. ( earlier post ) and Protean Electric ( earlier post ) are working together to provide the lithium-ion battery systems and electric in-wheel motor solutions for two new advanced BRABUS vehicles based on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. (Protean CEO Bob Purcell is also on Boston-Power’s Board of Directors.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Shell and The University of Texas at Austin signed a five-year agreement to invest $7.5 million to address short- and long-term challenges facing the growing worldwide unconventional oil and gas industry. Shale gas is abundant, widely used, and a growing source of energy in the United States. According to the US Energy Information Administration, shale gas, tight gas,and coalbed methane accounted for 50% of US production in 2009 and are expected to account for 75% of production by 2035.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

The new Concept You show car is an example of coming designs based on the SPA. Click to enlarge. Volvo Car Corporation is building its technological future is based on two in-house developed strategies: a scalable vehicle architecture which in principle means that most Volvo models can be built on the same production line irrespective of vehicle size and complexity; and a new engine range consisting solely of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. ( Earlier post.).

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Delphi Automotive has equipped several test vehicles with its Wireless Charging System, a wireless energy transfer system featuring technology developed by WiTricity Corporation. ( Earlier post.) Delphi is displaying the technology at this year’s IAA International Motor Show. Engineers have installed the Delphi Wireless Charging System on multiple test vehicles, and have confirmed that system performance meets automotive market requirements, according to Randy Sumner, director, global hybr

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

SB LiMotive cell, module and pack. Click to enlarge. SB LiMotive, the Samsung SDI-Bosch Li-ion 50:50 joint venture formed in 2008 ( earlier post ) has been working on developing automotive lithium-ion energy-storage systems, including various sizes of cell, entire battery systems, and battery management systems, as well as its production capacity. By 2013, SB LiMotive will have an annual manufacturing capacity that is sufficient to produce batteries for some 50,000 electric vehicles; by 2015 cap

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Fiat presented the new Panda city car at the Frankfurt International Motor Show; production will begin in the last quarter of 2011. The new Panda initially will be available with front-wheel drive, with a 4x4 joining later, and will offer a range of 4 engines, 3 gasoline and 1 diesel. The bifuel 80 hp 0.9 TwinAir Turbo Natural Power (gasoline/methane) and 69 hp 1.2 EasyPower (gasoline/LPG) will follow.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

The Concept B-Class E-CELL PLUS. Click to enlarge. Mercedes-Benz is presenting its first electric vehicle with Range Extender at the 2011 Frankfurt International Motor Show: the Concept B-Class E-CELL PLUS. Equipped with a Li-ion battery pack from Deutsche Accumotive (a joint venture of Daimler and Evonik), the E-CELL PLUS has a battery-only range of up to 100 km (62 miles).

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Saft inaugurated an advanced automated lithium-ion battery factory in Jacksonville, Florida. This high-volume production facility will build advanced lithium-ion cells and batteries for energy storage for renewable energy, smart grid support, broadband back-up power, transportation and defense. Saft’s 16 th facility worldwide includes the production of 1 MW of solar power from the largest rooftop photovoltaic system in Florida and fully-automated, totally flexible production lines capable of bui

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 10, 2011

The Nikkei reports that Honda will restart production of minicars for Japan (cars with engine displacements of 660 cc or less) after a hiatus of more than four years. Honda stopped making cars with engine displacements of 660 cc or less in June 2007, farming out production to subsidiary Yachiyo Industry Co. Since then Honda’s sales in the segment have tumbled, falling by half to 160,000 cars a year.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

The European Parliament is calling for fast action to reduce non-CO 2 climate forcers including black carbon soot, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), methane, and ground-level ozone, which together are responsible for nearly half of climate forcing. The Parliament’s call for action came in a Resolution passed today by an overwhelming majority (578 to 51 with 22 abstentions).

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Proton Holdings Berhad and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) are in “serious discussion” for strategic collaboration to further strengthen the competitiveness of both Proton and MMC in the global marketplace. The collaborative items being considered between the two parties are set to cover areas and activities such as: Joint production of engines in Malaysia; Consignment production of MMC-brand vehicles at Proton facilities; Sharing of major parts and components between MMC’s

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Enbridge liquid pipelines with Athabasca twinning project shown. Click to enlarge. Enbridge Inc. will twin the southern section of its Athabasca Pipeline from the Kirby Lake, Alberta terminal to the Hardisty, Alberta crude oil hub at an estimated cost of approximately C$1.2 billion (US$1.2 billion). The twin line will initially add approximately 450,000 barrels per day (bpd) of capacity between these points, with low cost expansion potential to 800,000 bpd.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Among the vehicles Chevrolet is presenting at the Frankfurt Motor Show is the new Aveo with a 1.3L diesel engine and resulting fuel consumption of as low as 3.6 L/100km (65 mpg US). The 1.3-liter turbo-diesel in the new Aveo is the first diesel unit to be fitted into a Chevrolet small car in Europe. As of this autumn, a 1.3-liter turbo-diesel unit with start/stop functionality will complement the 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6-liter gasoline engines that are already available with the new Aveo.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

World nuclear fuel markets are likely to suffer very little noticeable impact from events at Fukushima, according to the latest edition of the World Nuclear Association (WNA) biennial supply and demand report. According to the WNA report, Global Nuclear Fuel Market: Supply and Demand 2011-2030 , it is still too early to assess the full impact of the Fukushima accident on the world nuclear fuel market.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

The Volkswagen Group will invest around €62.4 billion (US$85.4 billion) in its Automotive Division in the coming five years. The ratio of capital expenditure to sales revenue will be at a competitive level of around 6% on average in the period from 2012 to 2016. Investments in property, plant and equipment will account for €49.8 billion (US$68.7 billion), almost 80% of the total.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

AeroVironment has installed electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at the Marriott Waikiki in Hawaii. The new chargers are part of Hawaii’s growing charging infrastructure currently being deployed to support electric vehicles. In March of this year AeroVironment received a $820,000 contract from the Hawaii EV Ready Grants Program. AeroVironment also announced plans to install additional charging stations at Outrigger’s OHANA Waikiki East, Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk and Wailea Beach Marri

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

The steam hydrogasification reaction is one component of a three-step process for the production of fuels. Click to enlarge. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside’s Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CERT) at the Bourns College of Engineering have received two grants to further explore a steam hydrogasification process they developed to convert waste into fuels. ( Earlier post.).

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

The total worldwide manufacturing capacity of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles will greatly exceed supply unless demand by automakers increases significantly in the short-term, according to new research by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). As a result of the overcapacity, battery prices are poised to fall. Automakers have committed to producing up to 839,000 plug-in electric vehicles worldwide by 2013, up from just 124,000 to be delivered by the end of 2011.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Overview of AliphaJet process. Click to enlarge. AliphaJet , Inc., a collaborative venture between SynGest Inc. and Unitel Technologies, has says it has developed and successfully demonstrated a cost-effective catalytic method for making jet biofuel from renewable products such as plant and animal triglycerides and/or fatty acids. The development of the AliphaJet process was led by Dr.

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