Sat.Jan 18, 2014 - Fri.Jan 24, 2014

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Virginia Tech researchers develop high-energy-density sugar “biobattery”, an enzymatic fuel cell

Green Car Congress

'A Virginia Tech research team led by Dr. Y.H. Percival Zhang has developed a high-energy-density sugar “biobattery”—a sugar-fueled fuel cell based on a synthetic enzymatic pathway. This enzymatic fuel cell is based on non-immobilized enzymes that exhibit a maximum power output of 0.8?mW?cm ?2 and a maximum current density of 6?mA?cm ?2 —far higher than the values for systems based on immobilized enzymes.

Virginia 343
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Electric Cars & Solar: Will They Make Gasoline & Utilities Obsolete?

Green Car Reports

'These are interesting times in the automotive and electric-utility businesses. While the reasons are different, it turns out they may intersect. It''s been quietly discussed among electric utilities that increasing amounts of distributed solar power and other renewable energy may destroy their business model. The worry is that if consumers can.

Solar 167
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Honda expands renewable energy use with new wind turbines

Green Cars News

'Honda is to become the first major automotive firm to ensure its US manufacturing facilities have a substantial wind power capabilities. The company this week activated two newly installed wind turbines at its plant in Russell’s Point, Ohio which are expected to generate 10,000 megawatt hours (MWh[.].

Wind 66
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Study finds engines emit exhaust nanoparticles even when not fueled during engine braking

Green Car Congress

'Exhaust particle size distributions measured by ELPI (color map) and particle concentration measured by CPC (white line) during individual engine braking conditions (speed change from 32 km/h to 0 km/h). The starting point of engine braking is marked by a vertical green line, and the end point is marked by a vertical red line. The exhaust sample was taken from the exhaust manifold.

Exhaust 319
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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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Study first to quantify amount of US pollution resulting from Chinese manufacturing for exports

Green Car Congress

'Average annual percentage of black carbon pollution related to Chinese exports. Credit: Lin et al. Click to enlarge. Chinese air pollution blowing across the Pacific Ocean is often caused by the manufacturing of goods there for export to the US and Europe, according to findings of a new study to be published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Pollution 318
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Mitsubishi delivered 8,197 Outlander PHEVs in Europe by end of 2013; 8,009 to The Netherlands

Green Car Congress

'First launched in selected European markets (The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland) in October 2013, Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid) ( earlier post ) collected more than 12,000 orders in these markets. These orders have already translated into 8,197 deliveries to end-customers by the end of December, of which 8,009 units went to The Netherlands, the latter boosted by a tax scheme favorable to eco-friendly technologies such as low-emission vehicles.

More Trending

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Boeing, UAE partners make progress with oilseed halophytes as feedstock for renewable jet fuel; desert plants fed by seawater

Green Car Congress

'Boeing and research partners in the United Arab Emirates have made breakthroughs in sustainable aviation biofuel development, finding that desert plants fed by seawater (the oilseed-producing halophyte Salicornia bigelovii ) can produce biofuel more efficiently than other well-known feedstocks. ( Earlier post.) The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium ( SBRC ), affiliated with the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, will test these findings in a project that could supp

UAE 294
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RMIT researchers develop concept “proton flow battery”

Green Car Congress

'RMIT University (Australia) researchers have developed a concept battery based on storing protons produced by splitting water—a reversible fuel cell with integrated solid proton storage electrode. As only an inflow of water is needed in the charge mode, and air in discharge mode, the system is called a “proton flow battery”. This new concept has the potential to increase roundtrip efficiency compared to the conventional hydrogen-based electrical energy storage system by eliminating the in

Concept 291
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CMU researchers find controlled charging of PHEVs can cut cost of integration into electricity system by 54-73%; higher benefits with wind power

Green Car Congress

'In a new study published in the journal Applied Energy , Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) researchers found that controlled charging of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) reduces the costs of integrating the vehicles into an electricity system by 54–73% depending on the scenario. More specifically, controlled charging can cut the cost of integrating PHEVs approximately in half.

Wind 286
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Nissan LEAF global sales reach 100,000 units

Green Car Congress

'Nissan LEAF global sales have reached the 100,000 mark; the 100,000 th unit is being bought by a customer in the United Kingdom. The Nissan LEAF, the first mass-produced battery-electric vehicle, remains the best-selling EV, with a 45% market share. Since its launch in December 2010 Nissan has seen the pace of sales increase consistently and 2013 was a record year.

Nissan 277
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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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Renault Energy’s Sport F1 hybrid Power Unit; competing with intelligent energy management, not just power

Green Car Congress

'Exploded view of the parts of the power unit: 1.6l turbocharged V6 engine; battery; turbocharger; MGU-K; and MGU-H. Click to enlarge. Renault’s Energy F1-2014 hybrid Power Unit ( earlier post ), designed and developed for the FIA Formula One World Championship this year, is ready for the track; the 2014 season kicks off in Australia on 16 March. New FIA regulations are driving energy efficiency levels higher this year, with two types of energy propelling the cars.

Power 275
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Scuderi Split-Cycle Engine Consortium targeting direct-injection diesel, natural gas development

Green Car Congress

'The newly formed Scuderi Split-Cycle (SSC) Engine Consortium is having its first meeting at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas on 23 January. The SSC consortium currently comprises the Scuderi Group, SwRI, Hino Motors ( earlier post ) and two suppliers, according to Stephen Scuderi, vice president of the Group. The SSC Consortium—a two-year project—has two initial goals, said Scuderi.

Engine 275
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Samsung researchers propose novel electrolyte system to enable high-capacity Li-metal anodes with large areal capacities

Green Car Congress

'Although lithium metal is a promising anode material for Li-ion rechargeable batteries due to its theoretical high capacity (3,860?mAh g ?1 —i.e., ~10x that of the 372?mAh g ?1 of graphite anodes), it fails to meet cycle life and safety requirements due to electrolyte decomposition and dendrite formation on the surfaces of the lithium metal anodes during cycling.

Li-ion 268
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FedEx Express and Nissan to begin testing e-NV200 battery-electric van in DC

Green Car Congress

'FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., and Nissan will begin testing the Nissan e-NV200 battery-electric compact cargo vehicle under real world conditions in Washington, D.C. This test marks the first time the vehicle will be running in North America. FedEx Express and Nissan have conducted similar e-NV200 tests with fleets in Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Brazil.

Nissan 268
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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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Ford kicks off new automated driving research projects with MIT and Stanford University

Green Car Congress

'Ford Fusion Hybrid automated research vehicle with four LiDAR sensors. Click to enlarge. Building on the capabilities of the automated Ford Fusion Hybrid research vehicle unveiled last month ( earlier post ), Ford is working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University to research and to develop solutions to some of the technical challenges surrounding automated driving.

MIT 257
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Subaru debuts next-generation EyeSight system; three new ADAS technologies coming this year

Green Car Congress

'The EyeSight system. Click to enlarge. Subaru of America, Inc. has introduced a new and improved version of its EyeSight driver assistance system. The new system now features color stereo cameras which deliver an approximately 40% longer and wider detection range; brake light detection; and full functionality when the speed differential between the Eyesight-equipped car and another vehicle is up to 30 mph (48 km/h), up from 19 mph (31 km/h) previously.

MPH 255
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Linde joins DOE’s H2USA to help promote fuel cell electric vehicles and build infrastructure

Green Car Congress

'Linde North America has joined the US Department of Energy’s H 2 USA, a public-private partnership formed in May 2013 focused on advancing hydrogen fueling infrastructure to support cleaner transportation energy options for US consumers. ( Earlier post.). The mission of H 2 USA is to promote the commercial introduction and widespread adoption of fuel cell electrical vehicles (FCEVs) across America through creation of a public-private collaboration to overcome the hurdle of establishing hydrogen

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DOE issues $10M incubator FOA for batteries, power electronics, engines, materials, fuels and lubricants

Green Car Congress

'The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE’s) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) issued an Incubator Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOAs) for a total of approximately $10 million. ( DE-FOA-0000988 ). EERE is focused on achieving well?defined mid?to?long term clean energy goals for the US, and in that context has established multi?

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Honeywell partners with Asahi Glass to boost production of HFO-1234yf

Green Car Congress

'Honeywell has entered into a supply agreement with Asahi Glass Company Ltd. (AGC) to increase production for HFO-1234yf, a new refrigerant for automobiles with a global warming potential (GWP) of less than 1. This GWP is 99.9% lower than that of the current refrigerant in use, HFC-134a, and even lower than the GWP of CO 2. AGC will manufacture HFO-1234yf in Japan, and Honeywell will market the product to customers in the U.S, Europe and Asia.

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Geothermics reports on first magma-enhanced geothermal system; Krafla in Iceland

Green Car Congress

'In 2009, a borehole drilled at Krafla (a caldera in northeast Iceland) as part of the Icelandic Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) unexpectedly penetrated into magma (molten rock) at only 2,100 meters (6,890 feet) depth, with a temperature of 900-1000 °C. The borehole, IDDP-1, was the first in a series of wells being drilled by the IDDP in Iceland in the search for high-temperature geothermal resources.

Iceland 239
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Former Dow Kokam acquires assets of MAHY E-Cell from Magna and Hyundai

Green Car Congress

'XALT Energy, LLC (formerly known as Dow Kokam) has acquired the assets of MAHY E-Cell, a joint venture between Magna International of America, Inc., a subsidiary of Magna International Inc. (Magna) of Canada and HHI Battery Co, Ltd., a subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) of South Korea. In exchange for their contribution of MAHY E-Cell’s assets and a cash investment into the joint venture, Magna and HHI received a minority interest in MBP Investors, LLC, the majority owner of XALT Ener

Hyundai 236
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EnerG2 introduces silicon-carbon composite for Li-ion anodes; 5x improvement in cycle life over silicon

Green Car Congress

'EnerG2, a company manufacturing advanced nano-structured materials for next-generation energy storage, has introduced a carbon and silicon composite to boost lithium-ion battery capacity and power performance. The new silicon-carbon composite solution leverages EnerG2’s polymer chemistry-based approach and come less than one year after its launch of production of hard carbons tailored for Li-ion anodes. ( Earlier post.).

Li-ion 236
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Toyota launches fully redesigned Voxy and Noah minivans in Japan; class-first hybrid system

Green Car Congress

'Noah G (hybrid model with options). Click to enlarge. In Japan, Toyota Motor Corporation launched the completely redesigned Voxy minivan through Netz dealers, and the completely redesigned Noah minivan through Toyota Corolla dealers; hybrid models are scheduled for release on 14 February. Monthly sales targets for Japan are 4,600 units for Voxy and 3,400 units for Noah.

Minivan 236
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China approves joint venture between the Volvo Group and Dongfeng Motor Group

Green Car Congress

'China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) approved the establishment of a joint venture between the Volvo Group and Dongfeng Motor Group Company Limited. Before completion of the transaction, additional authority approvals are to be obtained. As announced in January 2013, AB Volvo signed an agreement with the Chinese vehicle manufacturer Dongfeng Motor Group Company Limited (DFG) to acquire 45% of a new subsidiary of DFG, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicles (DFCV), which will include t

Volvo 231
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DENSO develops highly standardized automotive climate control unit

Green Car Congress

'Global automotive supplier DENSO has developed a new automotive climate control unit that can be used for a wide variety of vehicles ranging from compact to luxury cars. Conventional climate control units are often designed and tailored to each vehicle model, but this product has a new structure which enabled to standardize components while realizing required performance.

Climate 231
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NASA and DLR plan joint research flights to test alternative jet fuels

Green Car Congress

'Coming together within IFAR, the International Forum of Aviation Research, the US space agency NASA and Germany’s DLR are planning their first joint research flights to investigate alternative fuels. A two-week campaign in May 2014 based at Edwards Air Force Base in California will enable the scientists to test how engines operate with various biofuel compositions.

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Study shows recent increase in US households without a vehicle

Green Car Congress

'A new report by Dr. Michael Sivak at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) shows a recent increase in the proportion of US households without a vehicle. Sivak performed two analyses on data from the American Community Survey. The first analysis examined the changes in this proportion of US households without a vehicle for the entire US from 2005 through 2012.

San Jose 230
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Volvo CE Braås facility now powered entirely by renewable energy

Green Car Congress

'At the end of December 2013, Volvo Construction Equipment’s (CE) Braås facility, a 45,000 m 2 -site in southern Sweden, which specializes in the design and manufacture of articulated haulers, became powered entirely by renewable energy sources, including wind, biomass and hydropower. This follows in the footsteps of the Volvo Group’s trucks facility in Ghent which sets the standard for emissions-free industrial manufacturing in 2007.

Volvo 230
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Austrian transport company orders 220 biodiesel-powered trucks from Scania

Green Car Congress

'Austrian haulier Nothegger Transport has ordered 220 trucks from Scania with biodiesel engines which meet Euro 6 requirements and are designed for 100-percent biodiesel operation. This major order follows the introduction of Scania’s 13-litre 450 hp engine, which meets Euro 6 standard for biodiesel operation. ( Earlier post.). Nothegger has ordered 2-axle tractors, intended primarily for long-haulage, as well as 3-axle rigid trucks.

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Report: LG Chem obtains patent for Li-ion battery separator in Europe, Japan

Green Car Congress

'Yonhap News reported that South Korea-based LG Chem Ltd. said that it has obtained a patent for its safety-reinforced separator (SRS), a key component of lithium-ion polymer batteries, in Europe and Japan. SRS uses nanoscale ceramic particles to prevent internal short circuits. The separator offers excellent abuse tolerance due to its thermal and mechanical strength. ( Earlier post.).

Li-ion 225
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ZPM launches crowd-sourced funding campaign to build compressed-air cars in US

Green Car Congress

'Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM), the US licensee for Luxembourg-based MDI, the developer of the AirPod compressed-air car ( earlier post , earlier post ), has launched an indiegogo campaign to crowd-source $300,000 to fund US-based production of the AirPod. ZPM has attained rights to build the first of several modular plants in the United States; Hawaii is the anticipated location of the first production plant.

Building 220
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2015 Lincoln Navigator replaces 5.4L V8 with new 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine

Green Car Congress

'Ford’s Lincoln Motor Company introduced the new 2015 Navigator luxury SUV, which will make its public debut at the Chicago Auto Show on 6 Feb. The new Navigator replaces the 5.4-liter V8 that has powered Navigator models for years with a more powerful and fuel-efficient standard 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine. The twin turbocharged, direct injection engine is projected to deliver at least 370 hp (276 kW) and 430 lb-ft (583 N·m) of torque, according to preliminary test data.

2015 220
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U Texas at Austin researchers rewire yeast for high lipid generation; 60x improvement over parent strains

Green Car Congress

'Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering have rewired the native metabolism of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica for superior production of lipids (lipogenesis). Tri-level metabolic control resulted in saturated cells containing upwards of 90% lipid content and titres exceeding 25?g?l ?1 lipids—a 60-fold improvement over parental strain and conditions.

Austin 220
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Constellium and UACJ plan JV in US to produce Body-in-White aluminium sheet for the automotive industry

Green Car Congress

'Constellium N.V, a global aluminum products company formerly known as Alcan Engineered Products and headquartered in Amsterdam, and UACJ Corporation ( UACJ ), a Japan-based global aluminum manufacturer, are joining forces with a view to supply and market aluminum Body-in-White sheet to the North American automotive industry. To achieve this goal, Constellium and UACJ, through Tri-Arrows Aluminum Inc.