Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 10, 2014

Kia Motors America (KMA) unveiled the 2014 Optima Hybrid mid-size sedan at the Chicago Auto Show last week. The 2014 Optima Hybrid builds upon the advancements of its gasoline-powered sibling, which went on sale in late-fall of last year. Available in LX and EX trims, the 2014 Optima Hybrid features carryover refinements for smoothness and drivability, including a 47 hp (35 kW) electric traction motor, a strong Hybrid Starter Generator (HSG) and a 47 kW lithium polymer battery. .

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 20, 2014

As of 31 July, fiscal 2014 tax revenue from sales of compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) motor fuel totaled $2,178,199, according to the Texas state Comptroller’s office. State forecasters projected fiscal 2014 natural gas motor fuel tax revenue of $992,000, equal to sales of 6.6

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Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 5, 2014

Honda is adding the 2014 Civic Hybrid and Civic Natural Gas models to its 2014 Civic lineup in the US. The 2014 Honda Civic Hybrid has an improved EPA rating of 44/47/45 mpg city/highway/combined (5.3/5.0/5.2 The 2014 Civic Hybrid is on-sale today with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at $24,635. l/100 km), up from the 2013 model’s 44/44/44 mpg.

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Green Car Congress

APRIL 1, 2014

At the beginning of 2014, there were more than 400,000 electric cars—battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and range-extended electric vehicles—on the road worldwide, according to an analysis by Zentrums für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) in Germany. Accumulated number of xEVs in leading global markets. Annual growth rate over the past three years is more than 100%. Click to enlarge.

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Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 4, 2014

2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. The 3.6-liter V6 EcoDiesel-powered 2014 Ram 1500 pickup ( earlier post ) has earned a 28-mpg (8.4 l/100 km) highway, a rating that stands for model-year 2014. The Ram 1500 now owns the half-ton pickup segment’s top two spots in the EPA’s 2014 highway fuel-economy rankings. Pricing for the 2014 Ram 1500 starts at $24,200, plus $1,195 destination. Click to enlarge.

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Green Car Congress

JUNE 30, 2014

Mitsubishi Motors’ iMiEV Evolution III all-electric racecars ( earlier post ) took first and second place in the the Electric Modified Division of the 2014 edition of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. With a time of 9 minutes 08 seconds 188, Greg Tracy won the Electric Modified Division honors and 2 nd overall—just a few seconds shy of taking the overall win. Meanwhile, Hiroshi Masuoka set a time of 9 minutes 12 seconds 204, finishing 2 nd in the division and 3 rd overall.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 8, 2014

During 2014, the global plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) industry is poised to grow by 86% and will surpass more than 346,000 new vehicles sold, according to a new white paper—“ Electric Vehicles: 10 Predictions for 2014 ”—published by Navigant Research. Navigant’s 10 predictions of significant trends shaping the PEV market in 2014 are: Click to enlarge. Tesla is also readying the Model X, a more affordable crossover for launch by the end of 2014.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 30, 2014

The Volkswagen Group was the top global R&D spender in 2014, according to The 2014 Global Innovation 1000 report from consultancy Strategy& (formerly Booz & Company). billion on R&D in 2014 according to the report, was followed closely by Samsung ($13.4 In terms of the report’s ranking of the most innovative companies, of the world’s automakers only Tesla made the top 10 (coming in fifth place with 2014 R&D spending of $200 million).

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 9, 2014

The new 2015 Audi Q3 compact SUV will arrive in the US in the Fall of 2014, joining the Q5 and Q7. The Q3 will make its US debut at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit next week; Audi originally unveiled the Q3 in April 2011. Earlier post.). The Audi Q3 will initially be powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) 2.0-liter TFSI gasoline engine mated with a six-speed Tiptronic transmission. The engine will deliver 207 lb-ft (281 N·m) of torque.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

Diesel imports from Russia are at a record in the first eight months of 2014, with Germany the most reliant, followed by France, and then the UK. million b/d by 2019, from just over 1 million b/d in 2013, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its Medium-Term Market Report 2014, released in June. Satellite tracking of oil cargoes by market reporting group OPIS shows that Europe’s dependence on Russia for road fuels in the 28 member countries has deepened significantly.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 8, 2014

From January through June 2014, Ford sold approximately 120,000 1.0-liter EcoBoost vehicles, compared with 104,000 during the first six months of 2013—an increase of more than 15%. For the first half of 2014, 1.0-liter EcoBoost models made up 47% of all B-MAX multi-activity vehicles sold, 33% of Focus sales, and 30% of Fiesta sales. The 1.0-liter EcoBoost was in June again named the 2014 International Engine of the Year.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 2, 2014

The California Air Resources Board is accepting applications for the 2014 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Awards. The 2014 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Awards nomination period is between1 Oct. 2014, and 1 Dec.2014. The awards are annually bestowed upon scientists, policy makers, community leaders and educators who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of clean air and climate change science, technology and policy.

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Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

General Motors and its joint ventures sold their 3 millionth vehicle in China in 2014. Cadillac sales in China in the first ten months of 2014 increased 57.9% In the first 10 months of 2014, sales by GM and its joint ventures in China increased 10.7% This is the second consecutive year that GM has reached the milestone, a month earlier than last year.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

The latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) expects 2014 gasoline consumption to be 8.82 million barrels per day (2 billion gallons) higher than last November’s forecast, which was close to the average 2014 consumption forecast across the 12 editions of STEO published in 2013. The STEO forecast of 2014 gasoline consumption was generally declining between January 2013 and September 2013, but has risen over the past year.

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 27, 2014

Volvo Trucks’ 2014 heavy-duty engines are providing greater fuel efficiency than anticipated, delivering up to a 3% fuel efficiency improvement compared with their 2013 counterparts, according to the company. Introduction of our SCR-equipped models yielded a 5 percent fuel efficiency increase, and we’re pleased to announce that our 2014 engine lineup is delivering up to an additional 3 percent savings.

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2014 2013 Volvo Engine 210

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 30, 2014

The Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) published its summary report (1,193 pages) from the 2014 Annual Merit Review (AMR) and Peer Evaluation Meeting held June 16-20. The VTO Merit Review is held jointly with the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) Merit Review.

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Green Car Congress

APRIL 18, 2014

Magna International’s Magna Exteriors operating unit is producing the North American automotive industry’s first all-thermoplastic, fully recyclable liftgate module for the 2014 Nissan Rogue crossover utility vehicle. The Rogue liftgate is unique in that all materials are fully olefinic and therefore fully recyclable at the end of the vehicle’s life, and it features the first painted outer panel made from thermoplastic olefin.

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Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 21, 2014

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will not finalize the 2014 applicable percentage standards (the 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations, RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program until sometime next year. In a notice to be published in the Federal Register , the agency said that it intends to take action on the 2014 standards rule in 2015 prior to or in conjunction with action on the 2015 standards rule.

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Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) has posted the 2014 edition of its annual Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Progress Report —a nearly 1,000-page document. A new catalyst synthesized in 2014, which consists of a platinum-nickel alloy nanoframe covered by a thin platinum skin, has a performance more than 30 times higher than conventional platinum on carbon catalysts.

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 1, 2014

At the Geneva Motor Show, Fiat will introduce the MY 2014 Fiat 500, featuring a wide range of engines including the new two-cylinder 105 hp 0.9 TwinAir Turbo also offered in the Alfa Romeo MiTo sport mini. Earlier post.). Combined with a six-speed manual gearbox, the new 0.9 TwinAir engine delivers 105 hp (78 kW) at 5,500 rpm with a maximum torque of 145 N·m (107 lb-ft) at 2,000 rpm. The Fiat 500 with the 105 HP 0.9

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Green Car Congress

JULY 1, 2014

China’s Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET) recently released its 2014 Green Car China Annual Report , an evaluation of mainstream vehicles on sale in China by their lifecycle impacts and their health impacts. Among the results of the Green rankings for all vehicles: 2014 China Green Car ratings. 2014 Top 5 Green Rated of China’s 2013 Top 50 Sales. Only hybrids performed very well on both the green rating and the smog index. Source: iCET. Click to enlarge.

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2014 China Green Green Cars 210

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

Mahindra Racing, the motor sports division of the India-based Mahindra Group, unveiled India’s first Formula E battery-electric race car, capable of reaching speeds of up to 225 km/h (140 mph), at Auto Expo 2014 in Delhi. In a bid to create awareness about electric vehicles as well as help advance EV technology, the FIA has organized the Formula E Championship which begins in September 2014 and will include 10 races in its first season.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 8, 2014

In recognition of the 300,000 km milestone, Daimler AG was honored with the “ f-cell Award 2014 ” given by Ministry of Environment, Climate, Protection and Energy Sector Baden-Württemberg and the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS). “ A B-Class F-CELL fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) ( earlier post ) from Mercedes-Benz’ current FCEV fleet has achieved a continuous running record of more than 300,000 kilometers (186,411 miles) under normal everyday conditions.

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 30, 2014

Other recipients of the spring 2014 MITEI seed grants are: Assessment of technologies at different scales to monetize natural gas under uncertain and dynamic conditions; Paul Barton, chemical engineering. The MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) announced its latest round of seed grants to support early-stage innovative energy projects. A total of more than $1.6 million was awarded to 11 projects, each lasting up to two years.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 1, 2014

GM was the first automaker to pass the million-unit milestone in both 2014 and 2013. GM’s medium-sized Chevrolet, GMC and Buick crossovers, which were redesigned for the 2014 model year, were up 14% compared with last July, led by a 25% increase in Chevrolet Traverse deliveries. Sales of General Motors crossovers and trucks, which include pickups, vans and SUVs, surged by double-digits in July, pushing combined sales for the year to 1,048,114 through July.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

Honda will showcase several of its latest developments in intelligent transportation technology at the 2014 ITS World Congress in Detroit, 7-11 September. Honda is also leading the industry in the deployment of rearview cameras, to be offered as standard equipment on all model year 2015 Honda and Acura vehicles (having been offered on more than 95% of model year 2014 vehicles).

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Green Car Congress

JULY 16, 2014

2014 Yaris Hybrid. Toyota’s refreshed 2014 Yaris for Europe offers a choice of four powertrains, including a thoroughly reworked 3-cylinder 1.0 Complementing the reduction in unwanted vibration through increased body stiffness and suspension re-tuning, the new 2014 Yaris also benefits from a marked reduction in interior noise levels. D-4D at the beginning of 2014 and now the new Yaris. Click to enlarge.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 25, 2014

certification from the California Air Resources Board (ARB) for the compressed natural gas (CNG) Dedicated conversion system for the 2014 Ford 6.2L and 2014 F-150 3.7L Altech-Eco Corporation has obtained Executive Order (E.O.) V8 F-250/350 pickups with Ford-supplied CNG gaseous prepped engine. The dedicated version converts the vehicle to operate 100% on CNG, which allows users to take advantage of using CNG as a cleaner burning and more economical alternative fuel.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 8, 2014

The GREET (The Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation Model) team at Argonne National Laboratory has released a new version of the widely used GREET lifecycle analysis tool, GREET 2014. GREET 2014 provides a fully graphical toolbox with which users can perform life cycle analysis simulations of alternative transportation fuels and vehicle technologies with just a few clicks.

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Green Car Congress

MAY 8, 2014

The Volkswagen Group continues to make progress on the way to its goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable automaker, according to its 2014 sustainability report. By the end of 2014, a total of 14 models from various Group brands will feature an all-electric or hybrid powertrain.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 17, 2014

Between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2014, Nissan transferred out 663.6 As of September 2014, more than 100,000 ZEVs and plug-in hybrids are on California roads. ZEV credit balances by vehicle type as of 30 September 2014. Nissan led with California ZEV credit transfers out during the last report period. Click to enlarge.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 6, 2014

Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase its Adaptive LED Headlights (ALH) next-generation headlamp technology at CEATEC JAPAN 2014, a comprehensive exhibition of cutting-edge IT and electronics. CEATEC JAPAN 2014 runs from Tuesday, 7 October through Saturday, 11 October 11 at the Makuhari Messe convention complex in Tokyo.

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Green Car Congress

JULY 23, 2014

2014 ECOTEC 2.5L Ninety-seven percent of customers in the US who purchased a 2014 or 2015 Malibu—accounting for about 83,000 vehicles—opted for the 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder base engine (LKW) equipped with standard stop/start technology, according to GM. The 2014 Malibu was the first in its segment with a standard engine featuring fuel-saving stop/start technology. I-4 iVLC DI (LKW) with stop/start. Click to enlarge.

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Green Car Congress

JULY 31, 2014

Five small cars, all 2014 models, earn an acceptable rating, two earn marginal and four earn poor ratings for occupant protection in a small overlap crash in the Institute’s latest round of evaluations. The other two are the 2014 Kia Forte, a small car, and the 2012 Prius v, a mid-size hybrid. That’s still the case with the 2014 versions of both cars. Small overlap front crash test ratings for small cars, 2014 models. Scion xB (built after Feb 2014).

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 31, 2014

The US DOE recently awarded $17 million to 17 FY 2014 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II projects to further develop Phase I projects and to produce a prototype or equivalent within two years. Selected vehicle and hydrogen technology projects are: FY 2014 SBIR Phase II vehicle projects. FY 2014 SBIR Phase II hydrogen and fuel cell projects.

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Green Car Congress

APRIL 14, 2014

General Motors and its joint ventures sold their 1 millionth vehicle in China in 2014. As a point of comparison, GM’s four brands in the US (Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac) have delivered 649,637 vehicles during the first three months of 2014. This is the eighth consecutive year that GM has sold more than one million vehicles in a calendar year, and the earliest it has reached the 1 million mark.

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Green Car Congress

JUNE 25, 2014

Automakers took the top four slots in the 50 Best Global Green Brands list for 2014, published by Fortune magazine in conjunction with the consulting firm Deloitte and Interbrand. 2014 rank. 2014 gap score. Ford bumped last year’s leader, Toyota, to take the top spot. Toyota came in second, followed by Honda and Nissan. Panasonic was in fifth place. The list was first created in 2011.

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Green Car Reports

JUNE 3, 2014

Those cars are the 2014 BMW i3 and the 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive. This summer, buyers will have the option of two electric cars that on the surface, offer very similar attributes. Both are from Germany, for a start. Each has a very similar price tag. Each offers four doors and a liftback-style luggage area. And since we''ve driven

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 18, 2014

Volkswagen of America announced that the new 2.0-liter EA288 diesel engine will power the 2015 Golf, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, and Jetta, all of which are set to arrive in dealer showrooms in the second half of 2014. Main modules of development of the EA288 diesel. Click to enlarge.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 8, 2014

Consultancy Frost &Sullivan has selected UK-based lithium-sulfur battery developer OXIS Energy to receive the 2014 European Frost & Sullivan Award for Technology Innovation. OXIS Energy has developed a lithium-sulfur battery technology that resolves some of the issues in the batteries currently used in military, automotive, and solar energy storage applications.

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Green Car Congress

JUNE 9, 2014

In addition to the new, more efficient internal combustion engine, the 2014 R18 powertrain concept, for the first time, features the integration of two hybrid systems: ERS-K and ERS-H. Audi is racing three R18 e-quattros at Le Mans. Click to enlarge. The Audi R18 e-tron quattro diesel hybrids ( earlier post ) that will race at Le Mans this coming weekend (14-15 June) are the lightest and most fuel efficient LMP1 racers has yet to bring to the track.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 26, 2014

As a comparison, the 2014 Impreza with automatic is EPA-rated at 27 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined.). Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, will debut an upgraded Subaru Impreza compact 4-door and 5-door models on the US market later this year as part of its 2015 lineup.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

kbaar for trucks at IAA 2014. The Opbrid Tr?kbaar. kbaar. Click to enlarge. Spain-based Opbrid, the provider of the overhead pantograph-based ultra-fast charging Opbrid B?sbaar sbaar V3 for buses ( earlier post ), is introducing the Opbrid Tr?kbaar The system for the automatic fast charging of heavy-duty electric trucks is 100% compatible with the standards-based B?sbaar. sbaar. The Opbrid Tr?kbaar kbaar and B?sbaar

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