Sat.May 28, 2011 - Fri.Jun 03, 2011

article thumbnail

Virent produces biogasoline reformate from cellulosics, with molecular composition similar to petroleum reformate stream

Green Car Congress

Gas chromatography (samples stacked for clarity) shows the similarity between Virent’s BioFormate gasoline and a typical petroleum reformate used at a refinery. Source: Virent. Click to enlarge. Virent Energy Systems, a recipient of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) February 2010 grant to the National Advanced Biofuels Consortium (NABC) ( earlier post ), and its feedstock supply and upstream conditioning partners have successfully converted corn stover and loblolly pine materials into a. renew

Gasoline 285
article thumbnail

Nissan Doubles Leaf Sales, Volt Stays Steady: Some Perspective, Please

Green Car Reports

Sigh. Here we go again. It's the first of the month, which means that auto journalists are scrambling to put together their monthly sales reports. Sales in May weren't great, for a variety of reasons: higher prices and shortages of some Japanese models, among others. Unusual scrutiny But the most dismal part of the monthly process is watching the.

Sale 163
article thumbnail

Atomkraft? Nein, Danke.

Plugs and Cars

Germany calls it quits on nuclear power. Last plant to close in 2022. Today about 25% of Germany's electricity comes from nukes. The U.S. gets just under 20% of its electricity from nuclear.

Germany 113
article thumbnail

780 Miles in a 2011 Nissan Leaf in One Day? Yes, But. (Video)

All Cars Electric

We love hearing about the weird and whacky things some electric vehicle enthusiasts and early adopters are doing with their cars, but the latest in a long-line of Nissan Leaf-based tests has left us feeling a little perplexed. 24 hours, one car In a recent YouTube video, a team of intrepid Dutch electric vehicle enthusiasts set themselves the task.

Nissan 107
article thumbnail

How serious is Norway about climate change? So much that its streetlights self-dim

emissions global warming Norway climate change carbon dioxide youtube lighting

article thumbnail

Bacterial enzyme converts carbon monoxide to hydrocarbons

Green Car Congress

Researchers at Utah State University report on an engineered bacterial enzyme—a molybdenum (Mo) nitrogenase—capable of converting carbon monoxide into usable hydrocarbons in a reaction similar to Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. A open access paper on their work appears in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Nitrogenase is the bacterial enzyme responsible. for the biological reduction of N 2 to ammonia (NH 3 ), accounting for more than half of the input of fixed nitrogen into the biogeoch

Convert 278
article thumbnail

Mercedes-Benz Buddies Up To Build More Hydrogen Fuel Stations

Green Car Reports

There was a time when hydrogen powered cars were all the rage in green car circles. They either came with advanced fuel cell electric drivetrains, the most notable being the Honda FCX Clarity and more recent Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell, two models which regular customers could actually lease, or with regular internal combustion engines converted.

Mercedes 130

More Trending

article thumbnail

Nissan Takes On Le Mans With Nismo RC Electric Race Car

All Cars Electric

Ask most electric vehicle fans to name an electric car best suited to the race track and the chance are the super sexy Tesla Roadster will get mentioned long before the 2011 Nissan Leaf. But a few months ago NIssan’s motorsport division unveiled its own electric racing car concept based on the humble five-door all-electric hatchback - the.

Nissan 90
article thumbnail

Renault launches the worlds biggest automotive industry solar roof project

Green Car Congress

In partnership with Gestamp Solar , Renault is launching the world’s biggest solar energy project in the automotive industry by installing solar roof panels at its French plants. Solar panels will cover the roofs of the delivery and shipping centers at the Douai, Maubeuge, Flins, Batilly and Sandouville sites, and the staff parking lots at Maubeuge and Cléon.

Solar 261
article thumbnail

Audi A2 e-tron Electric Car Concept Headed To Frankfurt Auto Show: Report

Green Car Reports

The last we heard Audi was working on a new generation of its slow selling but technologically advanced A2 hatchback for launch in 2015. According to latest reports, a concept version of this new A2 could be revealed as early as the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show this September, and it’s expected to be classified as an e-tron model, meaning.

Audi 109
article thumbnail

Fukushima oil spill and explosion

Plugs and Cars

A oil spill has been detected, and another explosion occurred, at Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, here. How Japan uses public works projects, including gyms and swimming pools, to buy acquiescence for its nuclear projects, here.

Oil 100
article thumbnail

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

Brief

article thumbnail

By Royal Appointment? Electric Cars Welcome in Prince of Wales' Eco-village

All Cars Electric

While many in the United Kingdom doubt that he will accede his mother Queen Elizabeth II to the throne and become King, HRH the Prince of Wales has never been one to shy away from helping his subjects combine quintessential British values with new technology. His latest project does exactly that, combining the unlikely bedfellows of rural.

article thumbnail

New Lithium-intercalated graphene materials good candidates for Li-ion battery applications

Green Car Congress

Variation in discharge capacity vs. cycle number for graphite, RGO, and Li-RGO cycled at a current rate of 25 mA/g between 3.0 and 0.02 V vs Li/Li +. in a 1 M solution of LiPF 6 in a 1:1 (v/v) mixture of ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) as the electrolyte. Credit: ACS, Kumar et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at Rice University, with colleagues from the US Army Research Laboratory and Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors report on the development of a novel approach f

Li-ion 259
article thumbnail

2011 Chevy Volt Gets Five Stars For Overall Safety From NHTSA

Green Car Reports

Well, log another notch in the bedpost: One more safety myth--that electric cars will be more dangerous than regular ones in a crash--has now been slain. Five weeks ago, the Insurance Industry for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave top ratings for crash safety to both the 2011 Nissan Leaf and the 2011 Chevy Volt, the pair of new plug-in electric cars on.

2011 111
article thumbnail

GE debuts solar carport project

Green Cars News

With more than a 25 year lifespan, the GE Electric Vehicle Solar Carport has made its debut in Plainville, Connecticut. The company has teamed up with Inovateus Solar LLC, a national solar power distributor and integrator, to install the carport. With solar energy and smart grid technology, it will fully charge up to 13 electric [.].

Solar 58
article thumbnail

ExxonMobil announces 6th oil discovery offshore Guyana with Ranger-1; Guyana may move from non-producer to regional powerhouse

Oil

article thumbnail

Exclusive: Top Gear's Spoof Electric-Car Episode Leaked (Video)

All Cars Electric

It doesn’t take a scientist to tell you that the team behind BBC’s Top Gear really don’t like electric cars. Everything from the humble G-Wiz through to the mighty Tesla Roadster and the fresh-faced Nissan Leaf have fallen foul of their comical but factually inept portrayal of electric cars. But the latest video Top Gear video.

G-Wiz 86
article thumbnail

IEA estimates energy-related CO2 emissions in 2010 highest in history; 80% of projected 2020 emissions from the power sector are already locked in

Green Car Congress

Energy-related carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2010 were the highest in history, according to the latest estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA). After a dip in 2009 caused by the global financial crisis, emissions are estimated to have climbed to a record 30.6 Gigatonnes (Gt), a 5% jump from the previous record year in 2008, when levels reached 29.3 Gt.

2010 257
article thumbnail

Ford's Gas Mileage Goals Spawn 3-Cylinder Engine, New Hybrids

Green Car Reports

Smaller, more efficient engines that equal the power of larger, lazier ones are how automakers all over the world plan to raise fuel economy. Today Ford [NYSE:F] doubled down on engineering as the best way to boost gas mileage, with announcements about three separate technologies it plans to use in U.S. market vehicles. It not only said it would.

Gas 105
article thumbnail

What will make you switch to a plug-in vehicle? The Green Piece

Green Cars News

Tuesday 31 May, 2011. The Green Piece Column. Electric cars and plug-in hybrids are slowly seeping into society but it will still take a bold motorist to be among the early adopters of the technology. However, a global study by Accenture revealed that the majority of consumers would actually consider a plug-in electric vehicle as [.].

Plug-in 57
article thumbnail

Mitsubishi Turns 2012 ?i' into Portable Emergency Power Station

All Cars Electric

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) isn’t a new concept, and is the name given to technology which gives plug-in vehicles the ability to feed power stored in their battery packs back to the utility company at points of peak electrical demand. But we’ve yet to see the technology being implemented in mainstream electric cars - at least, not yet. Now.

article thumbnail

European Electric Vehicle Congress 2011

Green Car Congress

A new conference in Europe aims to foster discussion between research institutes, industry, NGOs and public authorities to ensure that the needs and constraints from these different stakeholders are mutually well understood and that the most appropriate products for electrified vehicles are selected for market introduction. The European Electric Vehicle Congress (EEVC-2011) will be held in Brussels, 26–28 October 2011, and is organized by Frédéric Vergels, who has served as the Secretary G

Congress 253
article thumbnail

This Summer's Six Best Convertibles For Great Gas Mileage

Green Car Reports

Summer is finally upon us and that means convertible owners will be cruising the highways with their tops down and the wind in their hair. Convertibles are traditionally more fuel hungry than their hard-top siblings due to the extra weight the vehicles carry, not only from their automated folding roofs but also the additional strengthening.

Convert 102
article thumbnail

Drivers want green cars to be luxurious

Green Cars News

Fleets are driving demand for ‘no compromise’ luxury green cars according to a new survey from Swedish car maker Volvo. The car maker’s recent DRIVe report surveyed more than 250 fleet operators, of which drivers rated the level of luxury a car could offer was the second most important factor when it came to choosing [.].

article thumbnail

Nissan: 12,000 Leafs Will Be Sold in U.S. by End of 2011

All Cars Electric

Yesterday the monthly sales figures for the 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Chevrolet Volt were released, giving rise to the usual slew of articles picking apart the buying decisions of U.S. car buyers. But behind the traditional media frenzy on the first of every month as plug-in vehicle sales figures are released comes the news that Nissan says it can.

2011 70
article thumbnail

Ford adds 3-cylinder, 1.0L EcoBoost engine and 8-speed transmission to lineup; new hybrid transmission in 2012

Green Car Congress

Ford is adding a 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder engine—the first three-cylinder engine Ford has built for a regular production car—and an new eight-speed automatic transmission to its line-up. Ford had previewed the small EcoBoost turbocharged gasoline direct injection unit, and had confirmed it for production, at Auto China 2010 in Beijing. ( Earlier post.).

Ford 247
article thumbnail

Are Volt Dealers Really Pocketing Federal Rebates? Maybe Not

Green Car Reports

It doesn’t take a scientist to figure out that the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is in high demand right now--despite its May sales numbers, which are behind those of the 2011 Nissan Leaf. But despite General Motors’ planned increase in production, buying the plug-in hybrid is a little more complicated than walking into your local Chevrolet.

Volt 100
article thumbnail

Electric scooter rental heads to London

Green Cars News

If cycling is not for you and electric cars have yet to win you over then there maybe an alternative, set for imminent arrival in London. Plans are now well underway to launch a a nationwide series of electric scooter rental scheme to build on the success of the ‘Boris Bikes’ scheme in London. More [.].

London 51
article thumbnail

Daimler CEO: 1 Million Electric Cars in Germany by 2020? Not Likely

All Cars Electric

It may only be two weeks since Germany’s Chancellor Merkel announced that her government would help bring 1 million plug-in vehicles to the roads of Germany by 2020 but her bold goal is already being dismissed as impossible by the very automakers her Government is planning to help. Enter Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche. Talking to the German Bild.

Germany 67
article thumbnail

Study finds renewable fuels from hydrotreated vegetable oils outperform transesterified lipids and BTL from woody material in environmental lifecycle impacts and costs

Green Car Congress

GHG emission comparison between fossil diesel, transesterified lipids, HVO and woody BTL. GD = HVO; RSO = Rapeseed Oil; SBO = Soybean oil; Biodiesel = Transesterified lipids. Sunde et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers in Norway reviewing the lifecycle impacts and costs of three renewable fuels—(1) transesterified lipids, (2) hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVO), and (3) woody biomass-to-liquid (BTL) Fischer-Tropsch diesel—and feedstocks found that HVO made from wastes or by-products suc

Oil 239
article thumbnail

What Really Killed The Cadillac SRX Plug-In? It's Complicated

Green Car Reports

When a major automaker cancels an innovative plug-in hybrid vehicle program, that's big news. If it's General Motors, that goes double, given the politics that continue to swirl around GM's bankruptcy and the U.S. government's ongoing ownership of part of the company. So it was news when GMInsideNews reported that a lack of performance from the.

Plug-in 99
article thumbnail

New hydrogen fuel pumps for Germany

Green Cars News

Germany is set to gain twenty new hydrogen filling stations over the next three years as part of a partnership project between car giant Daimler and the Linde technology group. The new stations will be set up in Stuttgart,Berlin and Hamburg, as the country develops all important infrastructure to facilitate the use of hydrogen fuel [.].

Germany 51
article thumbnail

Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid Wagon Prototype: First Test Drive (Video)

All Cars Electric

A few weeks ago we were invited to the Challenge Bibendum - an auto-industry event devoted to fuel economy and green vehicles - in order to drive the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid Station Wagon. We’ve already shared our own first drive report with you, but now it’s time to share our video review of the same test-drive. The car we drove was.

Volvo 65
article thumbnail

Volvo Trucks begins sales of heavy-duty dual-fuel FM MethaneDiesel

Green Car Congress

Engine installation D13C-gas. Click to enlarge. Volvo Trucks is expanding its alternative fuel program with the launch of the new dual-fuel Volvo FM MethaneDiesel. This makes Volvo the first truck manufacturer in Europe to offer gas-powered regional distribution trucks that can also meet long-haul application requirements. In 2010, Volvo Powertrain signed a 5-year supply agreement with Clean Air Power Ltd., a developer of dual-fuel technology. ( Earlier post.

Volvo 236
article thumbnail

2001-2003 Toyota Prius Recall: Steering Nut On Early Hybrids

Green Car Reports

Toyota has issued a recall notice for its very earliest hybrids, the 2001 through 2003 Prius sedan models. The company will replace the pinion-shaft attachment nuts in the electric power steering box, which could loosen over time if the wheel is "repeatedly and strongly turned" to the full-lock position, Toyota said. Drivers with loose nuts may.

2001 102
article thumbnail

CO2 emissions at highest levels in history

Green Cars News

You may have thought that we are starting to win the battle against carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions – however, new figures from the International Energy Agency suggest the opposite is true. It finds that energy related CO2 emissions in 2010 were actually at their highest levels in history after a dip in 2009 and represented [.].

CO2 50