Mon.Jun 25, 2012

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Independent testing shows 21.2% reduction in fuel consumption with XL Hybrids retrofit system

Green Car Congress

The XL Hybrids system in place. Click to enlarge. Testing at Environmental Solutions Worldwide Americas (ESWA), an EPA-certified vehicle laboratory, showed a 21.2% reduction in fuel consumption achieved with XL Hybrids’ aftermarket hybrid electric powertrain ( earlier post ) on a light-duty cargo van on the UDDS cycle (urban conditions). The company had been targeting a 20% reduction.

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2012 Tesla Model S All-Electric Sedan: Drive Reviews Roundup

Green Car Reports

On Friday, Tesla Motors delivered its first production Model S electric sedans to retail customers, an event the company webcast live. Watch the 26-0minute video above if you want to relive the glorious event. While Green Car Reports wasn't there, we've watched the deluge of coverage and read the handful of drive reviews published so far. Happy.

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Reports: Toyota and BMW to expand partnership on fuel-efficient vehicles, with Toyota providing hybrid and fuel cell technology to BMW

Green Car Congress

The Nikkei reported that Toyota Motor Corp. and BMW will expand their partnership, one aspect of which will be Toyota providing hybrid systems and fuel cell technology to BMW. Kyodo News also reported the same, attributing it to “Toyota sources”. The Nikkei report followed a story in German newsmagazine Der Spiegel on the likelihood of an expanded partnership between the two companies.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk: Half Of New Cars Will Be Electric In 15-20 Years

Green Car Reports

Last time Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk made a bet, with journalist Dan Neil about several aspects of the Model S, he won it. That same confidence and ambition has now led him to make another--that by the late 2020s, more than half of all new vehicles being manufactured will be electric. If you're raising an eyebrow right now, you aren't alone.

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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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Nissan JV in China investing $785M in new plant, targeting 2M units by 2015; 1,000 Venucia EVs for pilot in Dalian by 2014

Green Car Congress

The Venucia e-concept unveiled at the Beijing show in April. Click to enlarge. Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd. (DFL), Nissan’s joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group in China, will build a new manufacturing facility in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China with an investment of up to RMB 5 billion (USD $785 million). The Dalian plant, scheduled to begin manufacturing Nissan-branded passenger vehicles, will have an initial annual production capacity of 150,000 units by 2014, and will expand up to 300,000 un

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New 2014 Chevrolet Impala Eco Model To Join Cruze, Malibu

Green Car Reports

Buick has placed a major bet on its eAssist mild hybrid system, offering it as standard equipment on base versions of the 2012 Lacrosse and, more recently, the 2013 Regal as well. Now Chevrolet is planning to spread that same system--which the Bowtie Brand uses on the 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco on sale since early this year--to more models. And.

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More Trending

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2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid: 40-MPG Model For Mid-Size Sedan

Green Car Reports

Toyota's remorseless drive to maintain its largest-by-far share of the global hybrid vehicle market continues apace. The latest vehicle to add a hybrid variant is the all-new 2013 Toyota Avalon, the large, luxurious, mid-size front-wheel drive sedan sold only in North America. The 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid follows the model set by its competitors.

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2013 Toyota Avalon features both gasoline and hybrid powertrains; hybrid expects a 40-mpg combined EPA-rating

Green Car Congress

Avalon Hybrid. Click to enlarge. Toyota will introduce both gasoline and hybrid powertrain versions of the North American designed and engineered 2013 Avalon. Toyota anticipates the hybrid model will achieve an EPA-rating of 40 mpg US (5.88 L/100km) combined. The conventional 2013 Avalon will feature a proven 3.5-liter, DOHC V6 engine coupled with a six-speed automatic transaxle, which has been enhanced to offer more responsive and efficient performance.

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Want To Start An Electric Car Charging Company in CO? You Can, For Just $5,000

Green Car Reports

If you’ve been reading GreenCarReports for a while, you’ll know that Colorado loves its green cars, with more than double the national average of hybrid cars registered there and some pretty big tax credits available to those buying a plug-in car. Now, thanks to a change in law in the mountainous state, companies wanting to install.

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Kawasaki Heavy takes 2.2% stake in CompactGTL, completes the supply chain for delivery of commercial scale plants

Green Car Congress

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) has taken a minority shareholding (2.2%) in CompactGTL, a UK-based developer of modular gas-to-liquids (GTL) solutions. In addition, KHI has become a strategic supply chain partner to execute the reactor modularization for modular commercial-scale GTL pants. Commercial details of the agreement remain confidential. Sumitomo Corporation in 2010 also i took a minority shareholding in CompactGTL.

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

Brief

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2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel Coming Next January?

Green Car Reports

The 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee may not be long for this world, as Chrysler looks set to introduce a diesel variant next January, for the 2014 model year. Sources within Chrysler say that the 3.0-liter turbo diesel already available in Jeeps overseas will hit the U.S. market next year. With a five-speed automatic transmission, the diesel is capable.

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VG Energy launching commercial product for palm and algae oil production based on Metabolic Disruption Technology

Green Car Congress

VG Energy , a majority-owned subsidiary of Viral Genetics, is launching its first commercial product: LipidMax, a lipid enhancement compound based on VG’s Metabolic Disruption Technology (MDT) for use in the production of oils from algae and other plants or plant-like organisms. VG is currently verifying the chemical activity in industrial scale batches of LipidMax.

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2012 Toyota Yaris Vs 2012 Honda Fit: Subcompact Hatches Compared

Green Car Reports

The trendy 2012 Toyota Yaris is certainly an improvement on its predecessor, attracting a lot of attention wherever it goes. But can Toyota’s latest offering in the subcompact hatch war compete with the granddaddy of the segment, the venerable, flexible, upright but jaunty Honda Fit? Both cars provide seating for five, a choice of trim.

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Omnitek Engineering enters into agreement with refuse collection company to convert diesel engines to natural gas

Green Car Congress

Omnitek Engineering Corporation has entered into an agreement with a leading refuse collection company to convert 21 diesel-powered refuse collection trucks to operate on compressed natural gas under an Experimental Permit issued by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to validate the durability of components and collect performance and emissions data.

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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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Nissan Leaf: Does A Battery Inspection Give Peace Of Mind?

Green Car Reports

When a Nissan dealer services an all-electric Nissan Leaf, the garage’s diagnostic computer produces a Battery Information Sheet that can give the owner a an at-a-glance assessment of how healthy the battery is in his or her Leaf. But with several dozen Leaf owners, mainly in warmer states, reporting a loss in battery capacity--many within.

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Peugeot introduces third HYbrid4 model, the 508 sedan; 65 mpg US

Green Car Congress

Peugeot has applied its HYbrid4 technology ( earlier post ) to the third body style in the Peugeot model range: the 508 sedan. The full diesel hybrid reduces CO 2 emissions to 95 g/km. 508 HYbrid4 HY4 Berline. Click to enlarge. HYbrid4 designates the hybridization of a diesel engine (2.0 liter HDi FAP 120 kW / 163 bhp) with an rear-axle-mounted electric motor offering a maximum power output of 27 kW (37 bhp).

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2013 MINI Clubvan, Its First Truck, To Arrive This Fall

Green Car Reports

Anyone who's traveled overseas has seen the small car-based commercial vehicles common in the crowded cities of Europe and Asia. While U.S. workmen may use full-size Ford or Chevy vans, their European counterparts use smaller vans (and pickups too) based on compact or even subcompact models. But here, there have only been two such entries: the.

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KL Energy and Petrobras SA extend joint development agreement for cellulosic ethanol from bagasse

Green Car Congress

KL Energy Corporation successfully completed the first phase of the work program under the Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with Petrobras America, Inc. signed on 23 August 2010. All cellulosic ethanol produced from sugarcane bagasse in KLE’s demonstration plant in 2011 has been shipped to Petrobras SA in Brazil; KLE recorded the first cellulosic ethanol RIN credits issued by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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Louisiana's Latest Political Drama Involves Alt-Fuel Vehicles

Green Car Reports

There's a storm a-brewin' in Louisiana over alternative vehicle tax credits. (There's a sentence that didn't end like you'd expect.) In 2009, the state legislature passed Act 469 (PDF) which grants tax credits of up to $3,000 to anyone who purchases a low-emissions vehicle that runs on alternative fuel, "including but not limited to compressed.

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Brammo and VA Tech win TTXGP at Portland Raceway, after MotoCzysz pulls out

National Green Transportation

This weekend the TTXGP electric motorcycle race series came to Portland International Raceway, for not only electric motorcycle racing action, but as a showcase for green technologies, and green transportation choices. As a first in the TTXGP.

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BMW and Toyota to expand green car partnership?

Green Cars News

BMW and Toyota are expected to expand their cooperation beyond its current collaboration in electric car and diesel technology, according to Der Spiegel magazine. The German publication says that the two car giants are expected to make an announcement soon, although it is not known how the mag heard rumours of the expanding collaboration. It [.].

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Brammo and VA Tech win TTXGP at Portland Raceway, after MotoCzysz pulls out

National Green Transportation

This weekend the TTXGP electric motorcycle race series came to Portland International Raceway, for not only electric motorcycle racing action, but as a showcase for green technologies, and green transportation choices. As a first in the TTXGP.

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Fiat Punto slashes emissions

Green Cars News

Fiat’s new Punto offers emissions as low as 90g/km CO2 and efficiency as strong as 80.7 mpg on a combined cycle, thanks to its use of the carmaker’s range of award-winning economical engines. Already on sale, the new Punto is available as a three or five door model and a choice of six engine options. [.].

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Axion supplying PbC batteries to Norfolk Southern for all-battery switcher and working on line-haul hybrid locomotives; micro-hybrid and stationary expansion

Green Car Congress

The battery-electric NS-999, “under the long hood”. Source: NS. Click to enlarge. In April, Axion Power International Inc received an order from Norfolk Southern Corp (NS) for PbC lead-carbon batteries for use in an all-battery-powered switcher locomotive. ( Earlier post.) Axion Power said this first $400,000 purchase order is part of a $475,000 total purchase order, that will be used in the commissioning of Norfolk Southern’s NS-999 ( earlier post ).

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Misery for Manchester’s commuters

Green Cars News

For those of us familiar with Manchester’s transport networks it will come as now surprise to you that the city has been found to have the country’s most miserable commuters. Transport charity, Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) looked at train services in 11 cities across the UK, assessing them on affordability, overcrowding and punctuality. The [.].

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Federal-Mogul introduces new range of low- and zero-copper brake pad materials to meet new legislation

Green Car Congress

Federal-Mogul developed its Eco-Friction range ahead of legislations set to reduce the amount of copper that can be used in brake pads. Click to enlarge. Federal-Mogul Corporation has developed a range of zero-copper and low-copper brake pad formulations using a new. tribological fingerprinting process. The company says it has already secured new customer contracts for the low-copper and zero-copper Eco-Friction brake pads for vehicle platforms in North America and Europe.

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Toyota plans six more hybrids as Prius+ launches

Green Cars News

Toyota has plans to expand its current hybrid range to ten models by 2015, the carmaker revealed as it launches its fourth, the Prius+. The model joins the Prius hatchback, Auris and Yaris hybrid models as the firm plans to introduce a petrol-electric model of nearly every model it makes. “We chose an MPV [for [.].

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