Green Car Congress

JANUARY 6, 2012

A123 Systems is providing Li-ion battery cells for the new BMW ActiveHybrid 3 ( earlier post ) and ActiveHybrid 5 ( earlier post ) models to be shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week. (BMW is doing the Li-ion pack work itself.) Both models, which use a similar powertrain, are due to go on sale in the US in 2012. A123 Systems had earlier said that it was involved in BMW production programs. ( Earlier post.).

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Li-ion BMW Supplies Lithium Ion 331

Green Car Reports

JANUARY 6, 2012

Believe it or not, the humble Toyota Prius has been on sale in the U.S. for 12 years. While many of these original 2000 Priuses are still giving their owners the same gas milage they did when new, traction battery packs inside early cars are reaching the end of their predicted 10 year, 300,000 mile life. If the battery pack in your Toyota Prius.

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Prius 2000 Batteries Battery 163

National Green Transportation

JANUARY 5, 2012

We know that GM is intent on defusing the firestorm that erupted at the beginning of November with disclosure that a Chevy Volt battery pack had burst into fire last May. Today GM's Mary Barra and Mark.

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Volt GM Batteries Battery 76

Green Cars News

JANUARY 3, 2012

Tuesday 3 January, 2012. The Green Piece Column. A New Year and a new chance to cut down on excesses, right? No, I’m not talking food or drink, but excessive energy consumption. While 2011 was dubbed the ‘year of the electric car’ it looks like 2012 could be even more exciting in the world of [.].

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2012 Green 2011 Electric Cars 58

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 31, 2011

With Iran’s current threat to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to sanctions as a backdrop, the US Energy Information Agency issued an update to its “World Oil Transit Chokepoint” brief ( earlier post ), noting that “ Hormuz is the world’s most important oil chokepoint due to its daily oil flow of almost 17 million barrels in 2011, up from between 15.5-16.0 million bbl/d in 2009-2010.

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Oil Panama Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates 297

Green Car Reports

JANUARY 5, 2012

Engine coolant isn't something you often think about when considering the running costs of your car. Beyond regularly filling up the gas tank and changing the oil every so often, that other liquid doesn't really get a look in. If we told you that a special waterless coolant would improve your fuel efficiency ten percent, extend your engine's life.

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Engine MPG Oil Gas 134

Green Cars News

JANUARY 5, 2012

Renewable energy sources will save the UK an equivalent of £84 per person per year, according to chief scientific adviser to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Prof David Mackay. While the saving alone might sounds like music to our years, when contrasted with what continuing to import fossil fuels is projected to costs [.].

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Renewable Energy Climate Change Personal 54

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 2, 2012

A recent study by truck maker Volvo and tire manufacturer Michelin found that having the correct tires, tire pressure and wheel alignment can reduce truck fuel consumption by up to 14.5%. The two-week long, 1,000-km (621-mile) test conducted at Hällered, Volvo’s test circuit in Sweden, featured two Volvo FH 4x2 trucks, each equipped with a 500 hp 13-liter Euro 5 engine.

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Volvo Fuel Sweden Dealers 281

Green Car Reports

JANUARY 4, 2012

Last year, the electric-car revolution became real. After a late-Nineties false start, much gnashing of teeth, and years of promises, carmakers delivered more than 17,000 plug-in vehicles in the U.S. market during 2011. December sales numbers are being announced today. The relevant figures: Nissan sold 954 Leafs, for a 2011 total of 9,674, and.

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2011 Electric Cars Sale Nissan 129

National Green Transportation

JANUARY 5, 2012

We know that GM is intent on defusing the firestorm that erupted at the beginning of November with disclosure that a Chevy Volt battery pack had burst into fire last May. Today GM's Mary Barra and Mark.

Volt 54

Volt GM Batteries Battery 54

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Green Cars News

JANUARY 6, 2012

Registrations of pure electric cars topped 1,000 in the UK; in a year which saw the market for new cars shrink by 4.4 per cent. What’s more over 23,000 hybrids sold in the UK through 2011, the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal. In total, 1052 vehicles eligible for [.].

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Alternative Fuels 2011 Cars Sale 54

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 5, 2012

Former and realigned EPA research programs and strategic goals. Credit: ACS, Anastas 2012. Click to enlarge. In a paper published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology , Dr. Paul Anastas, Science Advisor to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as the Agency’s Assistant Administrator for Research and Development, outlines the principles of the EPA’s new research paradigm called “The Path Forward”, as well as the actions taken since 2010 to align EPA’s researc

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EPA Insight Environment 2010 268

Green Car Reports

JANUARY 6, 2012

For some time now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said its new vehicle, the upcoming Model X crossover electric car, would be unveiled int he first quarter of 2012. We just didn't know when, until now. In an interview with In an interview with Gigaom’s Katie Fehrenbacher, Musk confirmed that the 2013 Model X crossover SUV unveiling would take place.

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2013 SUV Tesla 2012 123

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 4, 2012

XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept. Click to enlarge. At the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Volvo Car Corporation will unveil the Volvo XC60 gasoline-electric Plug-in Hybrid Concept. In February 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show, Volvo introduced the diesel-electric V60 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) to go on sale in Europe later this year. ( Earlier post.

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Gasoline-Electric Plug-in Volvo Gasoline 268

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 6, 2012

UK Government plans to increase the motorway speed limit in England and Wales by 10 mph will have adverse effects on health, outweighing any economic benefits, claims an editorial published online in the British Medical Journal. The authors, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, criticize government proposals to raise the speed limit on all motorways in England and Wales from 70 mph (113 km/h) to 80 mph (129 km/h) by the year 2013.

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MPH United Kingdom London Pollution 252

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 4, 2012

Car-sharing network company Zipcar, Inc. announced a relationship with Barclays Capital under which Zipcar has issued a new series of variable funding notes pursuant to its asset backed securitization (ABS) facility in the principal amount of up to $50 million, increasing the total availability of ABS funding lines to $100 million. The terms of the new series of ABS notes represent a modest improvement on the terms of the currently outstanding series of ABS notes.

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Fleet United Kingdom Financing United States 252

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 31, 2011

BYD and the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) have finished construction on what may be the world’s largest battery energy storage station. This large utility-scale project, located in Zhangbei, Hebei Province, combines 140 MW of renewable energy generation (both wind and solar), 36 MWh of energy storage and a smart power transmission system. While there are renewable generation systems of this scale in service today, there are no battery systems of this size, the partners noted.

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Energy Storage Grid BYD Energy 247

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 31, 2011

On Thursday (29 December 2011), Judge Lawrence O’Neill of the US District Court for the Eastern District of California issued three separate rulings in a set of federal lawsuits challenging the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) ( Rocky Mountain Farmers Union et al v. Goldstene ). ( Earlier post.) One of the court’s rulings preliminarily enjoins the California Air Resources Board (ARB) from enforcing the LCFS regulation during the pendency of the litigation.

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California Oil Emissions Carbon 247

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 4, 2012

BASF will showcase some of its key automotive technology products, both existing and under development, at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. Among those will be the world’s first full plastic wheel concept that shows high potential for mass production, made from BASF's impact-resistant specialty polyamide Ultramid Structure. The wheel is more than 30% lighter than a standard production aluminum wheel and significantly contributes to vehicle weight reduction.

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Detroit Concept Auto Lithium Ion 246

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 5, 2012

The structural enhancements more evenly distribute the load to further protect the battery and the coolant lines in the event of a severe side crash. Click to enlarge. General Motors announced modifications to the vehicle structure and battery coolant system in the Chevrolet Volt that would further protect the battery from the possibility of an electrical fire occurring days or weeks after a severe crash.

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Volt GM Chevrolet Batteries 240

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 31, 2011

In California, gasoline consumption decreased 2.0% in the third quarter 2011 and declined 2.1% in September, according to figures from the state Board of Equalization. Diesel fuel consumption increased 6.6% in the third quarter and rose 7.0% in September compared to last year. In third quarter 2011, California’s gasoline consumption declined 2.0%, with a total of 3.727 billion gallons of gasoline compared to 3.803 billion gallons of gasoline in the third quarter last year.

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Gasoline California Diesel 2011 240

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 2, 2012

Lufthansa announced it will add the costs from the new European Union emissions trading system (ETS) to the fuel surcharge on tickets. Based on the average allowance price, Lufthansa anticipates total additional charges of €130 million (US$168 million) for 2012. In 2012, 82% of the necessary certificates for airlines will be free allocations; an additional 15% of the certificates must be purchased by the airlines, with 3% held back for new airlines.

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Emissions Price Climate Change Carbon 236

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 5, 2012

Despite continued heavy investment by automakers in electric propulsion technologies, 65% of global automotive executives don’t expect sales of electrified vehicles (from full-hybrids to fuel cell electric vehicles) to exceed 15% of annual global auto sales before 2025, according to the 13 th annual global automotive survey conducted by KPMG LLP, the US audit, tax, and advisory firm.

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Global Auto Sale Vehicles 236

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 6, 2012

Ford Motor Company plans to open a Silicon Valley-based Research Lab—its first dedicated R&D office on the west coast—to scout for new technology and to find new partners to innovate personal mobility solutions for the future. Ford Research and Innovation, the company’s advanced engineering arm, will open the new Silicon Valley lab in the first quarter.

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Ford San Francisco New York City Kits 231

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 5, 2012

Platts reported that Polish transport fuel producers can decrease their biofuel-blending requirements by 15% if they buy supplies from approved producers, according to an unnamed government source, citing a blending provision effective 1 January. In order to take advantage of the provision, transport fuel suppliers have to demonstrate that at least 70% of the biofuels they blend each year come from “registered producers,” both from Poland and other countries, said the source at Poland’s Agency o

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Poland 2012 Transportation Buy 231

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 3, 2012

Fisker Automotive announced that a majority of all customer cars and dealer-held vehicles affected by the recall involving A123-supplied battery packs ( earlier post ) have already had brand new battery packs fitted or the confirmed repair to the hose clamp assembly undertaken and are back in service, 2 weeks after Fisker was first made aware of the issue.

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Fisker Karma Batteries Battery 231

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 3, 2012

BASF, through BASF Biorenewable Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, is investing $30 million in Renmatix, the developer of the “Plantrose” process, a two-step supercritical hydrolysis method to produce sugars from biomass with less expense by utilizing water at elevated temperatures and pressures to quickly solubilize cellulose.( Earlier post.) The BASF subsidiary led a $50-million financing round, joined by new and existing investors.

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Financing Companies Renewable Water 231

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 4, 2012

Statoil’s has completed drilling of the Skinfaks South well in the North Sea has been completed; estimated volume is between 1.9 and 6.9 million barrels of oil equivalents. This marks the fourth infrastructure-near discovery in the Gullfaks area in a 10 month period. Skinfaks South. Click to enlarge. Gullfaks is a good example of how an area can develop after its first major discovery.

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Norway Oil 2012 Connect 230

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 6, 2012

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has extended the closing date for the Request for Information (RFI) on Total Costs of Ownership of Future Light-Duty Vehicles ( DE-FOA-0000592 , earlier post ). Responses should be emailed to TCORFI@go.doe.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on 30 January 2012. The RFI is a joint effort of the Fuel Cell Technologies Program (FCTP), Vehicle Technologies Program (VTP), and Biomass Program (OBP) within DOE-EERE.

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Cost Of Light Future Vehicles 225

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 6, 2012

Full-fuel-cycle GHG emissions estimates for reformulated gasoline pathways by LCA study. Nominal value of 70 g CO 2 /MJ for combustion emissions is applied evenly across all studies. Credit: ACS, Brandt 2012. Click to enlarge. In a paper published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology , Stanford University assistant professor Adam Brandt reviews a number of recent life cycle assessment (LCA) studies calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from oil sands extraction, upgradi

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Oil-Sands Oil Production Emissions 225

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 5, 2012

The West Virginia University (WVU)-based National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium ( NAFTC ) has created a suite of modern technology products that put knowledge about specific electric drive and alternative fuel vehicles at the fingertips of first responders. The NAFTC developed the smart phone app—known in the iPhone App Store as “QRG,” which stands for quick reference guide—for first responders who need to access information about electric drive and alternative fuel vehicles

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Alternative Fuels West Virginia Fuel Vehicles 225

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 4, 2012

DuPont and NexSteppe have entered into a collaboration to develop advanced feedstocks for biofuels, biopower and biobased products. The collaboration will focus on the development of new sweet sorghum and high biomass sorghum hybrids which will create additional feedstock options for these industries. In December 2011, NexSteppe announced it had raised $14 million in its second round of funding.

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Hybrid Renewable Fuel Brazil 225

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 6, 2012

Virent announced the issuance of five new US patents covering aspects of its catalytic BioForming platform. Three of the patents, US Patent Nºs. 8,053,615, 8,017,818 and 7,977,517, cover the production of various liquid fuels and chemicals related to its recent announced partnership with The Coca-Cola Company ( earlier post ) and its ongoing partnership with Royal Dutch Shell ( earlier post ).

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Wisconsin Honda Grant Convert 218

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 6, 2012

The average fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the US in December 2011 was 22.2 MPG—a 2.2% drop of 0.5 mpg from November 2011, according to the monthly assessment by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). The UMTRI Eco-Driving Index (EDI)—an index that estimates the average monthly emissions generated by an individual US driver—stood at 0.85 in October 2011 (a decrease of 15% from October 2007).

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Fuel Economy MPG Economy Fuel 218