Green Car Congress

JUNE 8, 2011

Electric and hybrid cars generate more carbon emissions during their production than current conventional vehicles, but still have a lower carbon footprint overall, according to a new report prepared by Ricardo for, and in collaboration with, the expert membership of the UK’s Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership that includes major vehicle manufacturers and oil companies.

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Gasoline-Electric Carbon Vehicles Hybrid 399

Creative Greenius

JUNE 4, 2011

I took an unexpected trip in the Wayback Machine last week while I was on vacation with the lovely and talented Debra just outside Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park here in America’s most beautiful state, California. We like to rent a house in the town of Three Rivers when we go up there and we’ve always found different, very cool places to stay on Vacation Rental By Owner (vrbo.com).

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Al Gore Gore Sierra Gas-Electric 277

Electric Cars are for Girls

JUNE 24, 2011

Tesla is "discontinuing" the Roadster we've all come to love, and they're concentrating their attention on the new Model S. "Click for more info" below to see photos of the Model S at Mashable. Don't worry, Roadster fans! It seems the Tesla Roadster is being revamped and a new 2.0 version will be coming out. Eventually. Quote: "In the next several years.

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Tesla 229

Green Car Reports

JUNE 1, 2011

Sigh. Here we go again. It's the first of the month, which means that auto journalists are scrambling to put together their monthly sales reports. Sales in May weren't great, for a variety of reasons: higher prices and shortages of some Japanese models, among others. Unusual scrutiny But the most dismal part of the monthly process is watching the.

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Volt Nissan Sale Auto 155

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All Cars Electric

JUNE 30, 2011

Almost every Tesla Roadster owner is probably a car enthusiast, but Mike Koenigs is also a true clean-power activist. First, he set up a “Life with Tesla” website when he got his car. Now he's doing the final editing of an extended video meant to spread the word about the fun and freedom that comes with owning an all-electric car, in.

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Electric Cars Tesla Cars Electric 110

National Green Transportation

JUNE 27, 2011

Among the action at Sunday's REFUEL race was a match between Brammo and Mission Motors. (see REFUEL brings Tesla's and more to Laguna Seca for 3rd year of electric racing) The race was significant in.

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Tesla Motor Motors Motoring 94

Green Cars News

JUNE 28, 2011

June 28, 2011. The Green Piece Column. For every blog and article written hyping the virtues of electric cars as the transportation method of the future, there are just as many belittling their credentials – and with Tesla announcing the end of production for its Roadster (see article) last week and electric car maker Think [.].

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Electric Cars Cars Electric Electrical 64

Electric Cars are for Girls

JUNE 22, 2011

New treatment for range anxiety: AAA. Triple A is planning to add mobile charging units in California, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington.including some with 500V charging capability.

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Charging Tennessee Oregon Georgia 229

Green Car Reports

JUNE 8, 2011

Most Nissan Leaf owners are passionate about their electric cars, especially the earliest ones who've already taken delivery. But not all of them have served three tours of military duty, including service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tim Goodrich was posted to Afghanistan as an avionics technician, supporting the AWACS planes that feed aerial.

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Electric Cars Iraq Cars Electric 136

All Cars Electric

JUNE 2, 2011

We love hearing about the weird and whacky things some electric vehicle enthusiasts and early adopters are doing with their cars, but the latest in a long-line of Nissan Leaf-based tests has left us feeling a little perplexed. 24 hours, one car In a recent YouTube video, a team of intrepid Dutch electric vehicle enthusiasts set themselves the task.

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Nissan Electric Vehicles Miles 2011 107

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National Green Transportation

JUNE 10, 2011

GM made a pair of announcements today that they will begin taking orders for the 2012 Volt today, that they will expand production of the 2012 Volt, and they will lower the price. Taken together these changes suggest they.

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Volt GM 2012 Plug-in 94

Green Car Congress

JUNE 24, 2011

US President Barack Obama today launched the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP), a national effort bringing together industry, universities, and the federal government to invest in emerging technologies such as information technology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. The President’s plan, which leverages existing programs and proposals, will invest more than $500 million to jumpstart this effort.

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Manufacturer Ford Obama United States 341

Green Cars News

JUNE 14, 2011

Congested road conditions are a bane in the lives of any of us concerned about saving fuel and money. With that in mind then Brussels will be the city to avoid, according to a new study from the sat nav peps at TomTom. The Belgian capital topped the traffic study as the most congested city [.].

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Europe Fuel Green 64

Green Car Congress

JUNE 12, 2011

Former Le Mans Winner Frank Biela driving the Audi e-tron Spyder. Click to enlarge. Audi is presenting the Audi e-tron Spyder concept plug-in diesel hybrid car ( earlier post ) against the backdrop of “Le Mans vers le futur,” an event held in Le Mans as a venue for manufacturers to showcase innovative drivetrain technologies. Along with the e-tron Spyder, Audi sent an Audi Q5 hybrid quattro ( earlier post , earlier post ).

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Audi Plug-in Hybrid Plug 329

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Green Car Congress

JUNE 25, 2011

The Nevada legislature passed AB 511 , authorizing the use of autonomous (i.e., driverless) vehicles; the bill was approved by the Governor on 16 June and it enters into law. Ryan Calo, Director of the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School observes that this appears to be the first law officially to sanction the technology. The new law charges the Nevada Department of Transportation (DOT) with setting safety and performance standards and requires it to designate areas where driv

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Nevada Vehicles Cars Transportation 304

Green Car Congress

JUNE 19, 2011

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of American Adults think it is at least somewhat likely they will purchase a car that runs on something other than gasoline in the next 10 years. Forty-eight percent (48%) say they are not likely to do so. These findings include 21% who are Very Likely to purchase an alternative fuel car during the next decade and 18% who are Not At All Likely to do so.

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Alternative Fuels Cars Fuel Purchase 304

Green Car Congress

JUNE 28, 2011

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. is adding more than 4,000 new, fuel efficient vehicle. As part of that, within the next two months FedEx Express will place 24 new all-electric vehicles into service, expanding to three new cities and more than doubling its fleet to 43 all-electric vehicles while growing the diversity of suppliers it uses for electric vehicles.

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All-Electric Fleet Electric Vehicles Vehicles 304

Green Car Congress

JUNE 27, 2011

Brushless motor design. Click to enlarge. Federal-Mogul Corporation has developed an electrical brushless diesel fuel pump for on- and off-highway engines with significantly improved durability. The technology suits 12V and 24V applications and is available for diesel engines typically used in the medium- and heavy-duty on-highway sector and in the construction, stationary, marine and agricultural sectors.

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Fuel Economy Diesel Fuel Electric 302

Green Car Congress

JUNE 10, 2011

MIT and the IEA both have newly released reports exploring the potential for and impact of a major expansion in global usage of natural gas, given the current re-evaluation of global supplies. ( Earlier post.) Although the reports both focus strongly on the increased use of natural gas in power generation, they also explore the likely impact of increased natural gas use on transportation.

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MIT Gas Gasoline-Electric Gas-Electric 299

Green Car Congress

JUNE 27, 2011

Exposed chassis of the winner. The gold box with the AC Propulsion logo is the AC Propulsion Power Electronics Unit (PEU), which contains power electronics and integrated charger, which supports charging at up to 18 kW. Click to enlarge. The Yokohama Tire -sponsored electric race car using AC Propulsion’s proprietary electric drive system broke its own 2010 record at the 89 th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

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Power Powered Lithium Ion Motor 287

Green Car Congress

JUNE 29, 2011

Gevo, a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, recently announced that it had presented positive test results from fit-for-purpose testing of its renewable kerosene produced from isobutanol to ASTM’s alcohol to jet (ATJ) task force (D02J006 Alcohol to Jet TF). The ATJ task force consists of technical experts from a wide stakeholder group including jet engine manufacturers, governmental bodies, fuel manufacturers, third-party testing laboratories, academics and airframe manufacturers

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Fuel Renewable Engine Polymer 285

Green Car Congress

JUNE 26, 2011

The staff of California Air Resources Board (ARB) is in the process of developing a proposal for Board’s consideration later this year to amend California’s Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV) regulations. The proposed amendments, known as LEV III, ask for more stringent tailpipe and greenhouse gas emission standards for new passenger vehicles sold between 2018 and 2025. ( Earlier post.

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California Gasoline-Electric Emissions Gas-Electric 285

Green Car Congress

JUNE 23, 2011

The concept of the Ricardo Split-Cycle engine. The recuperated engine uses isothermal compression via cryogenic injection to enable significant exhaust to compressed gas heat transfer. Source: Neville Jackson. Click to enlarge. Ricardo and the University of Brighton will model and evaluate an advanced split-cycle combustion system aimed at substantially reducing the carbon emissions of heavy-duty vehicles.

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Vehicles Exhaust Gas-Electric Engine 285

Green Car Congress

JUNE 6, 2011

Overview of Carbon Sciences’ process. Click to enlarge. Carbon Sciences, Inc., a technology developer focusing on the conversion of carbon dioxide and methane to fuels, plans to produce samples of diesel fuel in an end-to-end process demonstration. In December 2010, Carbon Sciences announced a worldwide exclusive license agreement with the University of Saskatchewan (UOS), Canada, for catalyst technology for the dry reforming of methane with CO 2. ( Earlier post.

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Diesel Carbon Fuel CO2 285

Green Car Congress

JUNE 3, 2011

Gas chromatography (samples stacked for clarity) shows the similarity between Virent’s BioFormate gasoline and a typical petroleum reformate used at a refinery. Source: Virent. Click to enlarge. Virent Energy Systems, a recipient of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) February 2010 grant to the National Advanced Biofuels Consortium (NABC) ( earlier post ), and its feedstock supply and upstream conditioning partners have successfully converted corn stover and loblolly pine materials into a. renew

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Gasoline Hydrogen Renewable Convert 285

Green Car Congress

JUNE 23, 2011

Siemens Drive Technologies Division supplied the integrated drive train for the first series-hybrid electric aircraft. Source: Siemens. Click to enlarge. Siemens, Diamond Aircraft and EADS have built an aircraft equipped with a series hybrid electric drive system. The partners are presenting the two-seater motor glider DA36 E-Star at the Paris Air Show Le Bourget 2011 (until 26 June) in daily flight shows.

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Hybrid Electric Electrical Motor 284

Green Car Congress

JUNE 21, 2011

In 2006, Honda set a goal to reduce global CO 2 emissions from use of its motorcycles, automobiles and power products by 10% by the end of 2010 compared to year 2000 levels. In 2010, the goal was attained by all products. Honda has now set a goal to reduce CO 2 emissions from its global products by 30% by the end of 2020 compared to year 2000 levels.

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Honda Emissions Global CO2 277

Green Car Congress

JUNE 15, 2011

The EV-neo. Click to enlarge. Honda will begin a European demonstration program of the battery-electric EV-neo scooter in conjunction with Barcelona City Council (Spain) beginning in July 2011. Honda will provide Barcelona City Council with 18 EV-neos for the period of one year. Montesa Honda, Barcelona City Council and RACC, Spain’s leading Automobile Club will work together to carry out daily research and monitoring activities on the EV-neo’s usage in Barcelona.

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Honda Electric Electrical Lithium Ion 277

Green Car Congress

JUNE 4, 2011

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) has issued a funding opportunity announcement (DE-FOA-0000554) for up to $12 million in cost-shared projects to develop and make available to the market in three years smart-grid capable Level 2 electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) at half of the current costs of commercially available EVSE with comparable functionalities.

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Charging Cost Of Grid Electric Vehicles 274

Green Car Congress

JUNE 28, 2011

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have demonstrated a new method for the direct conversion of heat to electricity using a multiferroic alloy, Ni 45 Co 5 Mn 40 Sn 10 , which they had discovered earlier (Srivastava 2010). An open access paper on the work appears in the journal Advanced Energy Materials. The researchers say the material could use waste heat from a car’s exhaust to produce electricity for charging the battery.

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Minnesota Electric Electrical Conversion 268

Green Car Congress

JUNE 17, 2011

(A) Energy storage potential (ESP) based on annual production of the elements. The elements in brackets at the right side of the labels are the limiting elements in each couple. (B) ESP based on the reserve base of the elements. *ESP well beyond the limit of the figure. (C) Extraction costs of the elements in the couples, calculated from the USGS prices of the elements.

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Li-ion Ni-Li Batteries Battery 268

Green Car Congress

JUNE 17, 2011

The team from Virginia Tech University received top honors as overall winners of EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge after designing and building an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) using E85 (ethanol). Virginia Tech competed against 15 other universities to take home the top prize of the three-year competition sponsored by the Department of Energy and General Motors.

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Virginia Electric Vehicles General Motors Extended Range 262

Green Car Congress

JUNE 9, 2011

Ford Motor Company is tripling production capacity of its electrified vehicle lineup through 2013 to more than 100,000 units, further boosting volumes of its C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid ( earlier post ), which begin production next year. Today, Ford sells approximately 35,000 electrified vehicles a year, led by the Fusion Hybrid and Escape Hybrid.

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Green Car Congress

JUNE 14, 2011

Starting in spring 2012, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), in collaboration with Nomura Real Estate Development Co. Ltd., Daikyo Incorporated and Toyota Housing Corporation, plans to launch a condominium-based car-sharing program using plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. Two condominiums in Tokyo and one condominium in Aichi Prefecture will each receive two of a total of six Prius Plug-in Hybrid and iQ-based electric vehicle units managed by nearby Toyota vehicle rental and lease companies.

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Prius Plug-in Toyota Plug 261