Sat.Feb 11, 2017 - Fri.Feb 17, 2017

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Update: SAE J2954 wireless charging validation to 11kW, Recommended Practice to enable autonomous vehicle parking and charging in 2017

Green Car Congress

At the SAE 2017 Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Technologies Symposium last week, an overview of the plans for testing to validate power levels up to WPT 3, (11kW) for SAE J2954TM were shown along with a preview of the technology to be standardized in the upcoming Recommended Practice. ( Earlier post.). The SAE Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) and Alignment team has been working with the Idaho National Lab and US Department of Energy (DOE) regarding testing for the validation of WPT 1-2 (3.7-7.7kW) in 20

2017 290
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Big energy hugely underestimates electric cars, renewable power

Green Car Reports

Mass adoption of electric cars and renewable energy could significantly decrease global consumption of fossil fuels. But does the established energy industry view these new developments as a threat? In a recent report, ExxonMobil said coal could continue to provide the majority of the world's electricity-generation capacity in 2040, and that.

Renewable 127
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Review: Tesla Model X

Green Cars News

Supercar performance, SUV styling, seven seats, self-driving tech and the doors are borrowed from the Millennium Falcon. Anyone?

IDEA 55
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Mercedes-Benz starting small series production of heavy-duty Urban eTruck with electric drive this year for customer trials

Green Car Congress

Mercedes-Benz Trucks is bringing its all-electric heavy-duty truck ( earlier post ) to market in a small series this year. Following the presentation of the Urban eTruck with 25 t perm. GVW and a range of up to 200 km at the International Commercial Vehicle Show in 2016, the first vehicles will be delivered to customers this year. The electric truck is based on a three-axle truck, with the entire conventional drivetrain replaced by an electrically driven rear axle with electric motors directly a

Mercedes 261
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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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GKN, SDS begin production of all-wheel drive disconnect system in China; up to 4% improvement in fuel economy

Green Car Congress

GKN Driveline’s Chinese Joint Venture partner SDS has commenced production of its complete all-wheel drive (AWD) Disconnect system for small- to medium-sized vehicles in China. The system will initially feature on the Jeep Renegade built for the Chinese market by GAC Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Co., Ltd. (GAC FCA) in Guangzhou City, southern Guangdong Province.

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POSCO begins lithium production for first time in Korea; domestic supply for Samsung, LG; investing $261M in anode materials by 2020

Green Car Congress

Korea-based steel-maker POSCO has begun commercial production of lithium in Korea for the first time. On 7 February, POSCO held a ceremony for the completion of a PosLX (POSCO Lithium Extraction) plant with an annual capacity of 2,500 tons at its lithium plant at Gwangyang Works. At the opening ceremony—the attendees of which included Ung-beom Lee, president of LG Chem, and Nam-seong Cho, president of Samsung SDI—Jong-joo Kim, the director of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energ

2020 197

More Trending

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USC team uses mixed conduction membranes to suppress polysulfide shuttle in Li-S batteries

Green Car Congress

One of the major issues hobbling the commercialization of high energy-density lithium-sulfur batteries is the “polysulfide shuttle”—the shuttling of polysulfide ions between the cathode and anode. The polysulfide shuttle is a major technical issue that limits the electrical performance and cycle life of this type of battery. Addressing this polysulfide shuttle—which causes self-discharge, low charging efficiencies, and irreversible capacity losses—has been a major focus of rese

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Extensive rollout for GM 9-speed transmission in China

Green Car Congress

General Motors said it will rapidly and extensively deploy its new nine-speed automatic transmission in China, which is debuting in a high-volume SUV later this year. The state-of-the-art transmission, which optimizes efficiency, performance and refinement, will be adopted in 13 models in China from the Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac brands by 2020. The new nine-speed automatic offers a fuel efficiency improvement of up to 2% compared to a six-speed transmission.

China 186
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Wireless charging J2954 testing to 11 kW in 2017 for LD, HD starting up to 250 kW; autonomous charging and infrastructure proposal for California

Green Car Congress

SAE International is working to ensure that electric vehicle wireless power transfer systems from diverse manufacturers will interoperate seamlessly with each other to prepare for commercialization in 2020. The SAE TIR (Technical Information Report) J2954 provides guidance to ensure performance and safety of Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) Systems provided from one vendor as well as interoperability when parts of the system are provided from different vendors.

2017 186
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DOE to award up to $1.2M to project converting wastewater solids to biogas and liquid fuels; hydrothermal processing

Green Car Congress

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) announced a pilot hydrothermal wastewater processing project has been selected by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to receive up to $1.2 million in federal funding. SoCalGas is part of a consortium conducting the pilot, which will be required to share the cost at a minimum of 50% in order to receive federal funds.

Convert 174
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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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Georgia Tech team furthers four-stroke-cycle active-membrane piston reactor for enhanced SMR for H2 production

Green Car Congress

Steam methane reforming is currently the primary pathway for hydrogen production worldwide. However, due to its high operating temperature and use of sequential units for the reaction stages, industrial SMR does not scale down well for distributed, point-of-use applications such as fuel cell vehicle refueling stations. Seeking to develop an SMR system suited for such distributed applications, a team from Georgia Tech in 2014 proposed the sorption-enhanced CO 2 /H2 Active Membrane Piston reactor

Georgia 170
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BIOX commissions 90M gallon biodiesel production facility in Houston

Green Car Congress

BIOX Corporation announced that World Energy BIOX Biofuels LLC (WEBB), a 50/50 joint venture between World Energy and BIOX, has completed the commissioning of its 90-million US gallon (USG) (341 million liters) nameplate capacity biodiesel production facility in Houston, Texas. The facility started operating at full capacity in December 2016. The Houston facility operates two equal-sized production trains that combine to provide its nameplate capacity.

Houston 170
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Lux Research forecasts global biofuels output to rise to 67B GPY in 2022; advanced biofuels will nearly double to 9.6B GPY

Green Car Congress

New biofuel technology is finally starting to push aside traditional biofuels such as first-generation biodiesel, according to a new report by Lux Research. New facilities based on non-food feedstocks and producing novel fuels account for over half of new capacity deployment for the first time in the biofuel industry’s history, according to Lux. However, overall output will grow at a slower pace to 67 billion gallons a year (BGY) in 2022, from 59 BGY in 2016.

Global 170
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Report: A123 Systems wins $1B contract to supply Li-ion batteries for 48V systems to SAIC-GM

Green Car Congress

Automotive News China reports that Li-ion battery maker A123 Systems won a 6.9-billion CNY (US$1 billion) contract to supply 2.6 million Li-ion batteries for 48V systems to the SAIC-GM joint venture in China. The report comes via a statement by Wanxiang Group, the owner of A123 Systems. A123 initially entered into a partnership with SAIC Motor in 2009 with the formation of Advanced Traction Battery Systems (ATBS), a battery pack joint venture (JV) company.

Li-ion 170
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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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Cumulative worldwide sales of Toyota hybrids surpass 10 million units; Europe outpaces N America in 2016

Green Car Congress

Cumulative worldwide sales of Toyota Motor Corporation hybrids reached 10.05 million units as of 31 January, scooting past the 10-million unit mark. Toyota said that this milestone demonstrates the staying power of a technology that is now emerging as a mainstream solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. Toyota launched the Coaster Hybrid EV in August 1997 and the Prius—the world's first mass-produced hybrid passenger vehicle―in December of the same year.

2016 170
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Chevrolet 2017 Cruze Diesel EPA-rated at 52 mpg highway, 37 mpg combined; Tier 3 Bin 125

Green Car Congress

The 2017 Cruze Diesel Sedan ( earlier post ) fitted with the six-speed manual transmission offers an EPA-estimated highway mileage of 52 mpg (4.52 liters/100 km)—the highest highway fuel economy of any non-hybrid/non-EV in the US. The six-speed manual model returns an EPA-estimated city mileage of 30 mpg (7.83 l/100 km), resulting in 37 mpg (6.35 l/100 km) combined.

MPG 170
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NSF to award up to $4.8M for catalysis research, including fuels applications

Green Car Congress

The National Science Foundation will award up to $4.8 million ( PD-17-1401 ) to research projects focused on obtaining new basic understanding of catalytic materials and reactions, utilizing synthetic, theoretical, and experimental approaches. Target applications include fuels, specialty and bulk chemicals, environmental catalysis, biomass conversion to fuels and chemicals, conversion of greenhouse gases, and generation of solar hydrogen, as well as efficient routes to energy utilization.

Fuel 150
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Ace Ethanol to install D3MAX cellulosic ethanol pilot plant; “bolt-on” technology

Green Car Congress

D3MAX announced the completion and shipment of its pilot plant employing the patented D3MAX cellulosic ethanol technology. The pilot facility will be installed at ACE Ethanol, LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin, in late February. Installation is expected to be complete by mid-March with startup and testing at the facility taking place over the ensuing two months.

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Government of Canada awards $18.2M for aluminum autoparts and better Li-ion battery management

Green Car Congress

The Government of Canada is awarding a total of $18.2 million to two companies that have developed innovations with the potential to make cars lighter, more fuel efficient and, in the case of electric cars, better performing due to a longer battery life. Astrex Inc. of Lakeshore will receive a repayable contribution of up to $17 million from the Federal Economic Development Agency’s (FedDev Ontario) Advanced Manufacturing Fund.

Canada 150
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Chemical company INEOS to build “uncompromising” 4 x 4 off-roader to replace Land Rover Defender

Green Car Congress

Following the completion of a six-month feasibility study, global chemical company INEOS confirmed that it will go ahead and build a brand new “uncompromising” 4 x 4 off-roader. Although INEOS is one of the largest manufacturers in the world, it will be the first time that INEOS has produced such a vehicle. INEOS sees a gap in the market for such a vehicle following JLR’s decision to cease production of the Land Rover Defender.

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Ballard signs $25M deal with Broad-Ocean for manufacture & sales of 30 and 85 kW fuel cell systems in China

Green Car Congress

Ballard Power Systems has signed a definitive agreement relating to technology transfer, licensing and supply arrangements with strategic partner Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor Co., Ltd. (Broad-Ocean) for the assembly and sale of FCveloCity 30 kW and 85 kW fuel cell systems in China. Under the deal, Broad-Ocean will manufacture fuel cell modules in three strategic regions in China, including Shanghai.

China 150
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SEAT Componentes to manufacture new 6-speed manual for Volkswagen Group MQB platform; 450K units/year

Green Car Congress

The SEAT Componentes plant has been awarded the Volkswagen Group’s new MQ281 gearbox, a 6-speed manual gearbox that will be equipped in vehicles manufactured with the MQB platform. Located in El Prat de Llobregat, this is one of the facilities owned by the Volkswagen Group worldwide for the manufacture of transmissions, together with the ones in Kassel (Germany), Mladá Boleslav and Vrchlabi (Czech Republic), Córdoba (Argentina) and the four plants located in China (Tianjin, Dalian, Changchun and

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MAHLE acquires thermoelectric generator start-up O-Flexx

Green Car Congress

The MAHLE Group is expanding its expertise in the field of thermoelectrics by acquiring the start-up O-Flexx Technologies. O-Flexx specializes in thermoelectric generators; its R&D center and production facilities for both low- and high-temperature modules are based in Duisburg, Germany. The purchase price will not be disclosed. O-Flexx Technologies offers thermoelectric technology based on a thin-film approach combined with a cost-optimized, high-volume manufacturing process.

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TÜV lifecycle analysis shows Mercedes-Benz E 350 e PHEV cuts GHG footprint 44% compared to E 350 CGI; equivalent NOx

Green Car Congress

The Mercedes-Benz E 350 e plug-in hybrid ( earlier post ) has successfully completed the TÜV validation audit and received the Environmental Certificate. This award is based on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in which the independent experts at TÜV Süd (the German Technical Inspection Authority) comprehensively assess the environmental impact of the passenger car over its entire life cycle.

Mercedes 150
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GENIVI Alliance and Open Connectivity Foundation to collaborate on open standards in vehicle connectivity

Green Car Congress

The GENIVI Alliance, a community developing open source software and standards for the connected car and the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF), an Internet of Things (IoT) standards body, announced a liaison agreement. Under this agreement the two organizations will co-develop open standards for vehicle connectivity and vehicle data exchange, including a unified model for secure discovery and exchange of information between smart homes, connected cars and other IoT devices.

Connect 150
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Nemaska Lithium achieves Phase 1 plant milestone and triggers $3M installment payment from Johnson Matthey Battery Materials

Green Car Congress

Nemaska Lithium Inc. has received a $3-million installment payment from Johnson Matthey Battery Materials Ltd (JMBM) of Candiac, Québec, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson Matthey Plc. The installment payment was made after JMBM’s review and acceptance of the Operation Manuals for the Phase 1 Plant and receipt by Nemaska Lithium of the certificate of authorization to operate the Phase 1 Plant.

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NTU, JTC and SMRT to develop integrated transport solutions with joint research lab; “Mobility-as-a-Service Lab”

Green Car Congress

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), JTC and SMRT Services Pte Ltd (SMRT) have joined forces to develop innovative solutions that seamlessly integrate multiple modes of transportation, for better connectivity and accessibility. This is in line with the Government’s aim of making Singapore a living lab to develop and test new urban solutions.

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Ballard builds out China operations center for expanding fuel cell business

Green Car Congress

Ballard Power Systems has opened its first corporate office headquartered in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, China. This office will serve as the company’s initial operations center in China, supporting management, sales and business development, technical, after-sales and administrative support personnel. Thecompany also recently completed the registration of a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE) with the name of 广州市巴拉德动力系统有限公司 (Guangzhou Ballard Power Systems Co., Ltd.).

China 150
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GM, PSA discussing potential acquisition of Opel Vauxhall by PSA

Green Car Congress

General Motors and PSA Group are discussing , in the framework of exploring strategic initiatives, the potential acquisition of GM’s European operations as represented by Opel Vauxhall by PSA. GM and PSA have been implementing an alliance since 2012, covering, to date, three projects in Europe and generating substantial synergies for the two groups.

GM 150
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ARPA-E awards SwRI-led team up to $2.9M for connected and automated vehicle technology; NEXTCAR program

Green Car Congress

A team led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has been awarded up to $2.9 million in funding to develop connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies aimed at improving fuel economy by more than 20%. The project is part of ARPA-E’s Next-Generation Energy Technologies for Connected and Autonomous On-Road Vehicles (NEXTCAR) program. ( Earlier post.)s.

Connect 150
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Ballard in consortium with New Flyer to deploy 20 fuel cell electric buses in CA

Green Car Congress

Ballard Power Systems announced its membership in the “Fuel Cell Electric Bus Commercialization Consortium” (FCEBCC), a large-scale project for which funding has now been committed to support deployment of 20 zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell electric buses at two California transit agencies. Ten (10) buses are to be deployed with Alameda Contra-Costa Transit District (AC Transit) and 10 buses are to be deployed with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA).

Fuel 150
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ABB installs two OppCharge fast chargers for electric hybrid buses in Luxembourg City

Green Car Congress

ABB has installed two fast-chargers for electric hybrid buses at Luxembourg City’s central station. The chargers are based on OppCharge, an open interface for the automated charging of electric buses from any manufacturer ( earlier post ), and use a pantograph on the infrastructure to connect the bus to the charging point. Inaugurated by Ville de Luxembourg on 10 February 2017, the chargers will support 5 electric hybrid buses from Volvo, fully charging each vehicle with 150 kW of power in three

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BMW partners with QMerit to launch new BMW Installation Services digital platform for home charging

Green Car Congress

BMW of North America announced that QMerit will provide BMW i and BMW iPerformance drivers with customized installation of home charging solutions to enable convenient and reliable vehicle charging. Customers can begin the BMW Installation Services process at www.bmwcharging.com. Along with the BMW Charging Station, BMW Installation Services are part of the premium 360° Electric Lifestyle program of innovative products and services created for BMW i and iPerformance owners.

BMW 150
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State of South Carolina purchases 26 Blue Bird Vision Propane school buses

Green Car Congress

The state of South Carolina has purchased 26 new Blue Bird Vision Propane school buses to replace aging diesel buses. The first of the alternative-fueled buses are being deployed to service Dorchester and Berkeley counties. These clean-operating propane buses represent the largest order of alternative-fueled school buses that the state has placed in the last 30 years.