Sat.Aug 09, 2014 - Fri.Aug 15, 2014

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Schaeffler introduces new automatic bicycle gearshift system

Green Car Congress

'Schaeffler is presenting the new automatic bicycle gearshift system FAG-VELOMATIC at EUROBIKE 2014. Whether going uphill, downhill, or on the flat, on a conventional bike, with a derailleur or hub gears, or on an e-bike, the FAG-VELOMATIC calculates the optimum gear and shifting point based on the cadence, force, wheel speed, and gradient. This ensures excellent riding comfort with maximum flexibility.

Standards 339
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Tesla Roadster To Get Replacement Battery, 400-Mile Range: Musk

Green Car Reports

'Retrofitting new powertrains to used cars isn''t something that automakers have done, historically--but electric cars may change that rule. Now, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has suggested that the Silicon Valley electric-car maker will offer a replacement battery for the 2008-2012 Tesla Roadsters that were its first production cars. Musk''s.

Miles 167
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Robert Llewellyn: Should I raid the pension pot to buy a Tesla Model S?

Green Cars News

'In January I drove a Nissan LEAF from London to Edinburgh, it was cold and we had the heater on. We stopped to charge eight times. Twenty minutes charge each time, we never got close to empty. We did it in 13 hours, it wasnt difficult in any technical or range anxiety sense, but it was quite a sc[.].

Buy 74
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EY: oil & gas megaproject overruns to cost industry more than $500B

Green Car Congress

'A new report by EY finds that 64% of multibillion-dollar, technically and operationally demanding oil & gas megaprojects continue to exceed budgets, with 73% missing project schedule deadlines. On average, current project estimated completion costs were 59% above the initial estimate. In absolute terms, the cumulative cost of the projects reviewed for the report has increased to $1.7T from an original estimate of $1.2T, representing an incremental increase of $500B.

Oil 311
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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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Toyota???s Carter: we???re on the cusp of the automotive hydrogen age

Green Car Congress

'In his talk at the 2014 J.P. Morgan Auto Conference in New York, Bob Carter, Toyota Motor Sales (USA) Senior Vice President, Automotive Operations said that the company in spending an average of more than $1 million an hour this year on R&D. Carter said that a prime example of the R&D focus is the hydrogen fuel cell sedan to be launched to the public in California next summer ( earlier post ) and, he suggested, thereafter to the East Coast.

Hydrogen 299
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Using magnesium alloy waste for hydrogen storage materials

Green Car Congress

'Researchers have shown that magnesium industrial wastes of AZ91 alloy and Mg-10 wt.% Gd alloy can be used for the production of hydrogen storage materials. A paper on their work is published in the Journal of Power Sources. The team of researchers, from Germany, Denmark, Italy and Sweden, investigated the properties of the alloys by means of volumetric technique; in situ synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction (SR-PXD); and calorimetric methods.

Waste 294

More Trending

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Rosneft and ExxonMobil start drilling in the Arctic Kara Sea

Green Car Congress

'Rosneft and ExxonMobil joint venture company Karmorneftegaz began drilling of Universitetskaya-1, the Russian Federations northernmost well, using the West Alpha rig in the Kara Sea. The Kara Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean north of West Siberia. ( Earlier post.). Click to enlarge. The start of the drilling was launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a video teleconference with head of Rosneft Igor Sechin and head of ExxonMobil Russia Glenn Waller who were both present on the dri

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BYD electric bus logs 746 miles in 24h period

Green Car Congress

'The Antelope Valley Transit Authoritys (AVTA) and BYD operators have put AVTAs new BYD electric bus through a 24-hour marathon ride that looped from Rosamond to Palmdale (California) a total of 18 times. The BYD bus traveled 746 miles (1,201 km) over the 24-hour period, operating in three shifts. Each shift logged between 240 and 256 miles (386 and 412 km) before recharging the battery.

BYD 277
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Report: BYD to begin production of lithium manganese iron phosphate batteries for EVs in 2015

Green Car Congress

'Shanghai Metals Market. BYD Auto will begin production of a new high-energy density battery in 2015 and apply them in its vehicles, according to board secretary Wu Jing-sheng, as cited by Chinas Securities Times. BYD reportedly plans to add manganese to its lithium iron phosphate cathode material to improve the range of electric vehicles and reduce costs.

BYD 275
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Tesla boosts Model S drive unit warranty; 8 years, “infinite” miles

Green Car Congress

'Tesla Motors has increased the Model S drive unit warranty to match that of the battery pack—i.e., the 85 kWh Model S, the company’s most popular model, now has an 8-year, “infinite-mile” warranty on both the battery pack and drive unit. The warranty extension will apply retroactively to all Model S vehicles ever produced. There is also no limit on the number of owners during the warranty period.

Miles 268
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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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FAA to select Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in FY 2015

Green Car Congress

'The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to select competitively a Center of Excellence (COE) for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in fiscal year 2015. The goal is to create a cost-sharing relationship between academia, industry, and government that will focus on research areas of primary interest to the FAA and the US unmanned aircraft systems community.

2015 257
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Mercedes-Benz to use new steel pistons in V6 diesel of E 350 BlueTEC

Green Car Congress

'Mercedes-Benz will replace conventional aluminum pistons with a new generation of steel pistons in the V6 diesel engine of the E 350 BlueTEC in September. Combined with the innovative NANOSLIDE ( earlier post ) cylinder bore coating technology and the aluminum housing, the advantages of the shift include lower fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions. Mercedes-Benz has already announced the coming use of steel pistons in the OM 626 four-cylinder diesel produced by Renault and applied in the C-Class

Mercedes 255
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Virent receives EPA fuel registration for BioForm biogasoline blends up to 45%

Green Car Congress

'Gas chromatographs (samples stacked for clarity) of Virents BioFormate biogasoline reformate vs. conventional petroleum reformate. Source: Virent. Click to enlarge. Virent has received fuel registration from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its BioForm drop-in biogasoline in blends of up to 45%. ( Earlier post.) As a registered fuel, Virents biogasoline can now be used in on-highway motor vehicles.

EPA 252
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UC Davis researchers suggest we may be at the beginning of a real hydrogen transition in transportation

Green Car Congress

'Researchers at the Institute of Transportation Studies University of California, Davis suggest that a number of positive trends indicate that we may be seeing the beginning of a real hydrogen transition in transportation, despite earlier starts that fizzled. This is far from certain, they acknowledge in a new NextSTEPS whitepaper, as hydrogen faces a range of challenges, from economic to societal, before it can be implemented as a large-scale transportation fuel.

Davis 250
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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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RIKEN researchers develop bio-inspired catalyst that splits water at neutral pH

Green Car Congress

'Plants use photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars and oxygen. The process starts in a cluster of manganese, calcium and oxygen atoms at the heart of a protein complex called photosystem II, which splits water to form oxygen gas, protons and electrons. Numerous researchers have attempted to develop synthetic catalysts that mimic this cluster, using light or electricity to convert water into fuels such as hydrogen gas.

Water 246
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DOE seeking feedback on distributed wind energy systems

Green Car Congress

'The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Wind Program is seeking ( DE-FOA-0001155 ) feedback from the wind industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders regarding the Energy Department’s new perspective on Distributed Wind Research & Development (R&D) focus areas in order to inform future activities and priorities.

Wind 244
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Improved performance of dual carbon battery with new electrolyte mixture

Green Car Congress

'Prof. Dr. Martin Winter and his colleagues at the University of Mnster report promising results for the use of graphite as both the anode and cathode material in a so-called dual-graphite or dual-carbon cell ( earlier post ) based on anion intercalation. Dr. Winter and his colleagues have been working with anion intercalation in dual carbon cells for several years.

Carbon 239
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Cellunolix sawdust to ethanol plant to be built in Finland

Green Car Congress

'North European Bio Tech Oy (NEB) has made an investment decision concerning the construction of a bioethanol plant on the Renforsin Ranta industrial estate in Kajaani, Finland. The raw material for the plant will be sawdust from local sources. The plant will be delivered by St1 Biofuels Oy, which is responsible for design, permits and coordination and will be operating the plant once it is completed.

Finland 231
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Emissions study suggests E10 + renewable hydrocarbons a high bioenergy alternative for conventional cars

Green Car Congress

'Researchers from VTT Technical Research Center of Finland and Neste Oil analyzed the exhaust emissions from three different spark ignition engine technologies—multipoint fuel injection (MPFI); direct-injection spark-ignition (DISI); and flex-fuel (FFV)—using different biofuels—low- and high-concentration ethanol blends; isobutanol; and biohydrocarbons.

Emissions 231
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New study on Holocene conundrum suggests need for reexamination of both proxy data and climate models

Green Car Congress

'In an open access paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , researchers from the US, China and Europe re-examine the “Holocene conundrum”—a contradiction between the results of reconstructed data records and model-based climate simulations. Marine and terrestrial proxy temperature records suggest global cooling during the Late Holocene period, following the peak warming of the Holocene Thermal Maximum (?

Climate 231
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Ford, DTE Energy to build Michigan’s largest solar array; second largest solar carport in the Midwest

Green Car Congress

'Ford Motor Company is teaming with DTE Energy to build Michigan’s largest solar array at Ford World Headquarters. The project, funded by DTE Energy, will provide employees with 360 covered parking spaces and 30 charging stations for plug-in electric vehicles such as the company’s Ford Fusion Energi and C-MAX Hybrid Energi. A kiosk will also be on site offering general information to visitors about solar power and specific details about the Ford carport.

Solar 231
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Greenlots and BMW Group Asia Partner to provide Singapore???s first electric vehicle network

Green Car Congress

'California-based Greenlots, a global provider of open standards-based technology solutions for electric vehicle (EV) networks, has partnered with BMW Group Asia to provide Singapore with its first Home and Public Charging network as part of BMWs 360 ELECTRIC program. Designed to cover BMW i owners from an all-round perspective, 360 ELECTRIC comprises four key pillars that will come standard with the purchase of every BMW i model: (1) Public Charging; (2) Home Charging; (3) Flexible Mobil

Singapore 231
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UN Secretary-General assembles high-level advisory group on sustainable transport

Green Car Congress

'The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has formed a 12-member advisory group charged with promoting sustainable transport systems to further growth and development while protecting the environment and limiting the impact on climate change. The group will be led by Olof Persson, CEO of the Volvo Group, and Carolina Toh, the mayor of Santiago, Chile.

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Report: Mazda to sell diesel hybrid cars in Japan and Europe in FY16

Green Car Congress

'The Yomiuri Shimbun reports that Mazda Motor Corp. will begin selling diesel hybrid passenger cars in Japan and Europe as early as fiscal 2016. Using a diesel-fueled engine as the main drive source, Mazda will develop a system in which an engine-powered small motor will play a supporting role. Mazda aims to develop diesel-powered hybrid cars that can travel about 40 kilometers per liter [94 mpg US or 2.5 l/100 km] of light oil—about 30 percent farther than ordinary diesel-powered vehicles

Mazda 225
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Molecular shuttle speeds up hydrogen production by the photocatalytic splitting of water

Green Car Congress

'In their latest experiments with semiconductor nanocrystals as light absorbers, physicists led by Professor Jochen Feldmann (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, LMU Munich), in collaboration with a team of chemists under the direction of Professor Andrey Rogach (City University of Hong Kong), have succeeded in significantly increasing the yield of hydrogen produced by the photocatalytic splitting of water.

Water 218
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Polestar modestly optimizes Volvo V60 diesel Plug-in Hybrid

Green Car Congress

'Polestar, the motorsport and performance collaboration with Volvo Cars, has introduced a modest Performance optimization of the Volvo V60 diesel Plug-in Hybrid. ( Earlier post.) The Polestar optimization increases the power output to a total of 298 hp (222 kW) and 670 N·m (494 lb-ft), making it the strongest ever diesel model from Volvo. The new optimization boosts the power of the 5-cylinder, 2.4-liter turbodiesel diesel engine by 15 hp and 30 N·m, including an optimized power gr

Volvo 218
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ANL team reports new electrolyte additive for high-voltage Li-ion chemistry

Green Car Congress

'In a paper published in the Journal of the Electrochemical Society , a team from Argonne National Laboratory reports identifying a fluorinated carbonate compound as an electrolyte additive capable of stabilizing the new fluorinated electrolyte/electrode interphase in a high-voltage spinel LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 /graphite cell. The Argonne team is working on a larger DOE-funded project to develop advanced electrolyte materials that can significantly improve the electrochemical performance of high-v

Li-ion 218
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Volvo Trucks boosts fuel savings with MY 2016 enhancements

Green Car Congress

'Volvo Trucks’ model year 2016 VN series heavy-duty highway tractors will deliver greater fuel savings than previous generation models through an assortment of aerodynamic and powertrain enhancements. Further sculpting of airflow around the exterior and underneath the hood improves fuel efficiency by up to 3.5%. Volvo’s new XE-Adaptive Gearing and Torque Management options can provide fuel efficiency improvements of more than 2.5%.

Volvo 218
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Cornell researchers stabilize lithium metal anodes using halide salt in liquid electrolyte

Green Car Congress

'A team at Cornell University led by Dr. Lynden Archer has used simple liquid electrolytes reinforced with halogenated salt blends to stabilize lithium metal anodes in a rechargeable battery. The cells exhibit stable long-term cycling at room temperature over hundreds of cycles of charge and discharge and thousands of operating hours. In a paper published in the journal Nature Materials , they report that the addition of the salts to the electrolyte spontaneously creates nanostructured surface c

Recharge 218
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NEVS: we???re not insolvent, suppliers will eventually be paid

Green Car Congress

'National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), the financially struggling company resurrecting the Saab brand, issued a statement saying that while it does not have enough liquid cash as today to pay all outstanding debt, it is not insolvent; its assets are larger than its debt. ( Earlier post.) NEVS added that it cannot say exactly when, but its suppliers will get paid.

Sweden 218
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Study characterizes compounds used in hydraulic fracturing; further work needed

Green Car Congress

'Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of the Pacific have identified 81 common hydraulic fracturing (HF) chemical additives and categorized them according to their functions. The team determined the physical and chemical characteristics of these additives using publicly available chemical information databases. Among their findings presented today at the 248 th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS): 54 of the compounds are organic;

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Lux: future use of wide bandgap materials in power electronics will reduce EV cost

Green Car Congress

'Power savings in plug-in vehicles versus total savings per car. Source: Lux. Click to enlarge. Using wide bandgap (WBG) materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN)s for power electronics can improve efficiency and thereby reduce the high cost of battery packs, according to a new report from Lux Research. In the new report Silicon vs.

Power 218
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Rice University lab study suggests foam may maximize enhanced oil recovery efforts

Green Car Congress

'Results of a Rice University laboratory study suggests that using foam may maximize enhanced oil recovery (EOR). In the experiments, foam pumped into an experimental rig that mimicked the flow paths deep underground proved better at removing oil from formations with low permeability than common techniques involving water, gas, surfactants or combinations of the three.

Oil 218
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Nafion-coated cathode to overcome polysulfide dissolution in Li-S batteries

Green Car Congress

'One of the main limiters to the commercialization of high energy density lithium-sulfur batteries is the dissolution of long-chain lithium polysulfides into the electrolyte, which limits cycling performance. A team from Korea University is addressing this problem by developing a novel Nafion-coated NiCrAl/S cathode and using lithium powder as an anode.