Sat.May 08, 2010 - Fri.May 14, 2010

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Torotrak and Rotrex Establish Joint Venture to Speed Introduction of Variable Drive Compressor Technology for Boosting

Green Car Congress

A Rotrex supercharger. Source: Rotrex. Click to enlarge. UK-based variable drive specialist Torotrak has formed a 50-50 joint venture with Denmark-based centrifugal supercharger firm Rotrex. The new venture, which will be called “Rotrak”, will add Torotrak’s variable speed traction drive to Rotrex’ supercharging technology to address the automotive industry’s need for affordable, effective engine downsizing technologies.

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Greenius on Patch.com: Refineries Are Too Close for Comfort

Creative Greenius

If you live in Hermosa Beach, you are the envy of people all over this planet. It’s easy to get jaded and take it for granted if you’re a local, or to lose sight of 99 percent of the world’s population who would gladly swap places with you if given the chance. The beach, the ocean, the weather, the fresh coastal air blowing in, the Hermosa Beach culture and lifestyle–they all combine to build an image of a SoCal paradise.

Chevron 150
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finished up plate-mounted

DIY Electric Car

Finished up the mounting plate today, cut down the shaft with a 4"cuttoff grinder and premounted the motor and tranny on the bench. It looks like a god fit! And my concentricity looks great. I have the 2" connector being machined in the shop, 1-1/8th keyed on the motor side and I poped the spline out of the clutch and the machinist will lathe it and press it into the tranny side.

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Oil Spill Containment Attempt Fails

Plugs and Cars

“I wouldn’t say it has failed yet,” said Doug Suttles, the operating officer for exploration and production for BP, the company that was leasing the oil rig when it exploded April 20. “What I would say is what we attempted to do last night didn’t work.” The slick, which has already come ashore on the Chandeleur Islands off southeast Louisiana, is projected to curl west in the next three days, threatening not only the Mississippi River Delta but also miles of Louisiana coastline to the west of th

Oil 100
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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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Ford Increases Use of Recycled Paper, Cuts Use of Paper from Virgin Sources by 6,000 Tons

Green Car Congress

In the past year, Ford Motor Company has increased its use of paper from recycled content instead of virgin sources for all its high-volume, consumer and employee printing projects. The results is a reduction in the use of paper made exclusively from virgin sources by 6,000 tons—the equivalent of a loaded freight train with two locomotives and 100 cars.

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Toyota Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Car To Come In 2015, For $50,000

Green Car Reports

Toyota's first production vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell will be a sedan model with the range of a gasoline model, said a company executive last week. It will be priced at roughly $50,000, and go on sale in 2015. That's more expensive than upcoming electric vehicles like the 2011 Nissan Leaf, to be priced at $32,800, and the 2011.

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More Trending

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Proof that General Motors is going green

Green Cars News

If you were wondering whether or not General Motors is truly throwing its weight behind green technology then take a look at its list of 1,300 patents filed last year – more than half of them were devoted to green innovations. A study released by the Intellectual Capital Merchant Banc firm Ocean Tomo LLC looked into [.]. Tags: Green cars Green credentials Latest news general motors GM GM Global Research and Development green innovations green patents green technology new catalyst material shape

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US DOE Awarding Up To $62M for Concentrating Solar Power Research and Development

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy has selected 13 projects for investment of up to $62 million over five years to research, develop, and demonstrate Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems capable of providing low-cost electrical power. CSP technologies concentrate the sun’s energy and capture that energy as heat, which then drives an engine or turbine to produce electrical power.

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2011 Chevy Cruze Green Oil Filter: Everything Old Is New Again

Green Car Reports

Sometimes a "new" green idea is actually just the way we used to do things, before disposability and convenience became primary consumer values. Consider the "cartridge filter" that GM touts on the Ecotec engines fitted to its new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. Instead of a one-piece metal cannister that's removed and tossed out every time the oil is.

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Snapped on the Street: Fiat 500 Electric Car Visits Palo Alto

All Cars Electric

The great thing about having your company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, is that you never quite know what you'll see on the street. There are lots of expensive cars like BMWs and Bentleys floating around. There are also a disproportionate number of Tesla Roadsters, since the company is based in Silicon Valley. But sometimes you get.

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

Brief

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Global auto industry receives $44 billion for greener cars

Green Cars News

The global automotive industry is receiving close to US$44 billion from governments around the world to develop alternative fuel technologies, analysts at Deloitte reveal. The market for alternative fuel vehicles is being strongly supported economic stimulus packages and other government programs in at least 13 markets. “Consumer demand for greener vehicles as well as new regulations [.].

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Ghosn: Renault-Nissan Will Have Capacity for 500,000 EVs Per Year

Green Car Congress

Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn said on Wednesday during a FY 2009 financial results presentation in Yokohama that when the Nissan LEAF goes on sale this year—as the first of the eight all-electric models to launch—the Renault-Nissan Alliance will be the first to mass-market affordable zero-emission vehicles, backed by battery capacity of 500,000 units.

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Prius Plug-In Hybrid: It Won't Compete With the Leaf or Volt

Green Car Reports

We've been thinking a lot about the prototype 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid since our test drive of a prototype last month. And about the rest of the plug-in cars that will come to market over the next two years. To our surprise, we decided we don't think buyers will directly compare the Prius Plug-In to such electric vehicles as the 2011.

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Nissan, GM Are Right to Quiz Potential Electric-Car Buyers

All Cars Electric

Nissan has been criticized by consumers and EV owners alike for the online questionnaire that accompanies the signup process for reserving a 2011 Nissan Leaf. As part of the process, Nissan tries to ascertain if potential customers have a lifestyle compatible with the Leaf's range, recharging requirements and specifications. While many advocates.

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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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How dangerous is ethanol to your car? The Green Piece

Green Cars News

Tuesday 11 May 2010: The Green Piece Column. Ethanol is supposed to be a solution to modern day motoring needs, helping to reduce our reliance on petroleum and cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, could it also be a problem too? Last week, the Auto Alliance, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and the American Petroleum Institute urged [.].

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MIT Researchers Identify New Low-Cost Water-Splitting Catalyst

Green Car Congress

MIT Prof. Daniel Nocera and his associates have found another formulation, based on inexpensive and widely available materials, that can efficiently catalyze the splitting of water molecules using electricity. In 2008, Nocera and his team reported developing a water-splitting catalyst that is easily prepared from earth-abundant materials (cobalt and phosphorous) and operates in benign conditions: pH neutral water at room temperature and 1 atm pressure. ( Earlier post.).

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3 Green-Car Trends: Smaller Cars, More Turbos, Luxury Hybrids

Green Car Reports

Everyone has opinions. But if you had to wrap up what's happening in green cars today by naming three trends, what would they be? The ever-eager publicists at auto-classified site AutoTrader.com sent us their list of three changes in the world of eco-friendly vehicles. We've reproduced them below, along with some commentary of our own. "In the.

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Lutz Predicts Range-Extended EVs Like Chevy Volt Here To Stay

All Cars Electric

With GM's 2011 Chevrolet Volt now in pre-production and due to launch in November 2010, Former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz fully supports range-extended electric vehicles but remains doubtful of the near future of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. In an interview with GM-Volt.com before his retirement, the 78-year-old veteran of the automotive industry.

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Ford makes recycling commitment

Green Cars News

Ford is determined that its green efforts aren’t only restricted to the fuelling of a new line-up of vehicles – it has also increased its use of recycled paper. Over the past year, the company has reduced the use of paper made from virgin sources by 6,000 tons – the equivalent of a loaded freight train [.]. Tags: Ford Green cars Latest news Ford recycling Ford recycling paper Forest Stewardship Council recycled paper recycling efforts.

Ford 48
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GM and Hawaii Gas Company to Collaborate on Hydrogen Infrastructure Pilot; Different Approach to Provisioning Fueling Stations

Green Car Congress

TGC infrastructure follows the populated core on Oahu. Click to enlarge. General Motors and Hawaii’s The Gas Company (TGC), the state’s major gas energy provider, are collaborating on a hydrogen infrastructure project. TGC produces hydrogen along with synthetic natural gas and delivers it in its utility gas stream, with more than 5% hydrogen content today; it has the capability of producing more H 2 through its renewable biogas initiative.

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Hybrid Range Rover Sport Coming In 2013, Previewed By New Range_e

Green Car Reports

Land Rovers have long been the definition of gas-guzzling SUVs that environmentalists love to hate--that may all be about to change, however. With the development of a hybrid vehicle, the automaker stands a good chance of becoming one of the greenest companies around. Land Rover's pledge to become environmentally friendly is starting to result in.

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Electric-Car Buyers Will Rethink Range Needs If Price Is Right

All Cars Electric

A survey conducted by MBA students at the University of Michigan shows that contrary to popular belief, a large percentage of potential electric vehicle buyers would be willing to trade off vehicle range for price. The survey, released by Norwegian based electric car company Think, appears to have two main camps of users. One is willing to reduce.

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New Government plans electric car charging network

Green Cars News

The new government is set to support the introduction of a new charging infrastructure, it has been revealed today. Following the announcement that Conservative MP Phil Hammond will lead the new Department for Transport as part of the coalition government (see story), it has been revealed that the Tory/Lib Dem alliance is set to promote [.]. Tags: Green credentials David Cameron electric car government network tax.

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EC Releases Communication on European Strategy for Clean and Energy-efficient Vehicles; Special Focus on EVs

Green Car Congress

The European Commission recently released a Communication to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee on a European strategy for encouraging the development and uptake of clean and energy-efficient heavy- (buses and trucks) and light-duty vehicles (cars and vans) as well as two- and three-wheelers and quadricycles.

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Saturday Selection: Stuff Sort-of-Relevant To Green Cars

Green Car Reports

We read a lot of stuff here to cover the world of green cars. No surprise there. But there's a lot we see that doesn't lend itself to a full article, though we hate to let it pass by altogether. So this is a new type of piece, one that brings together stuff that's sort-of-relevant to green cars, driving, energy politics, urban design.

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Why Can't Toyota's Plug-In Prius Recharge Its Larger Battery?

All Cars Electric

Toyota has come under some fire from electric-vehicle enthusiasts for what some perceive as a grudging, halfhearted approach to building vehicles that plug in. Its first U.S.-market plug-in vehicle--not including a thousand or so RAV4 electric crossovers a decade ago--will be the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid. It's a modified Prius with a.

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Haiwaii to trial GM’s hydrogen fuel cars

Green Cars News

General Motors (GM) is to trial its hydrogen fuel cell prototypes in Haiwaii after the car giant announced a collaboration with one of the state’s biggest energy company, The Gas Company (TGC). Using the island of Oahu as a base, GM will trial its Chevrolet fuel cell concept cars while TGC plans to use its [.]. Tags: Hydrogen fuel gas GM Haiwaii hydrogen synthetic gas TGC.

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Green Technology Patents Represent More Than Half of GM 2009 Filings

Green Car Congress

One of GM’s innovations involves the creation of a shape memory alloy (SMA) heat engine for power generation from waste engine heat. Source: GM. Click to enlarge. More than half of the 1,300 patents filed by General Motors Co. in 2009 are green innovations, evidence of the rapid development by GM researchers and engineers. A study of the patent activity of the top-15 global automakers released by the Intellectual Capital Merchant Banc firm Ocean Tomo, LLC highlighted GM’s leadership in this area

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GM Testing Hydrogen Fuel Infrastructure In Sunny Hawaii

Green Car Reports

Electric powered vehicles are widely perceived to be the way forward for personal transport. Fuel cell vehicles, which create electricity by combining hydrogen with oxygen, offer many advantages over traditional battery-based systems thanks to the relatively energy-dense storage of hydrogen in tanks. However, the biggest hurdle to a hydrogen.

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Detroit University Now Offering Degrees In The EV Field

All Cars Electric

There is a wealth of budding electric vehicle (EV) builders all around the country, tinkering away on do-it-yourself conversions in their backyards. Now they have an avenue to study their passion for EVs at a university level thanks to three new programs being offered by Wayne State University in Detroit. All based around the field of electric.

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Hammond named new Transport Secretary

Green Cars News

Conservative MP, Philip Hammond has been named the new Transport Secretary of the coalition government, as the new PM announces his cabinet. Hammond, the MP for Runnymede and Weybridge,g previously served as trade and industry spokesman. As a Liberal and Conservative government begin office this week, under the new Prime Minister David Cameron, much remains [.].

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International Study Explores Combustion Chemistry of Biofuels

Green Car Congress

A team of researchers from Germany, the US and China has examined the combustion chemistry of the compounds constituting typical current biofuels, including alcohols, ethers and esters. A paper on the work is on the cover of the 10 May edition of the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition. Participating research institutions included Bielefeld University (Germany); Cornell University (US); Sandia National Laboratories (US); University of Science and Technology of China (China); Lawrence

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Why Can't 'Flex-Fuel' Clean Diesels Run Entirely On Biodiesel?

Green Car Reports

Our article last week on Ford's doubling of its flex-fuel models included a mention that diesel models of the new 2011 Ford Super Duty pickup trucks will run on either pure diesel fuel or a mix of up to 20 percent biodiesel, known as B20. Reader Suzanne Johnson responded with the following question: I live near a biodiesel production facility and.

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Nissan Posts Q1 Losses, Confident of Future Leaf Success.

All Cars Electric

Nissan Motor Company, the maker of the 2011 Leaf EV, posted today a net loss of $125 million for the first quarter of 2010 and a $45.8 million profit for the full fiscal year ending March 2010 -- a distinct improvement on the $2.9 billion loss for the financial year ending March 2009. With orders for the 2011 Leaf expected to reach 25,000 by the.

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