August, 2010

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Study Concludes Peak Coal Will Occur Close to 2011

Green Car Congress

A multi-Hubbert analysis of coal production by Tadeusz Patzek at The University of Texas at Austin and Gregory Croft at the University of California, Berkeley concludes that the global peak of coal production from existing coalfields will occur close to the year 2011. The HHV of global production is likely to peak in 2011 at 160 EJ/y, and the peak carbon emissions from coal burning will also peak in 2011 at 4.0 Gt C (15 Gt CO 2 ) per year, according to the study.

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Greenpeace Los Angeles Kicking Ass on Chemical Risks

Creative Greenius

While every elected official I know in the Los Angeles area has been silent and invisible on the issue of chemical plant security over the past year, our true heroes at Greenpeace Los Angeles have been kicking ass and taking names when it comes to keeping this issue on the front burner, informing the public and calling for the necessary action. Chemical plants using poison gases and other lethal toxic compounds surround our highest population areas here in So.

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GM’s assembly line delivers bouncing baby Volt

Revenge of the Electric Car

Chris Paine and the Revenge crew (Sean, Craig, Jessie, and Jessica) are proud to say that they are among the first film crews ever to professionally film mass production of an EV. (Of course, this is mostly because no one has made them in so long.) Since GM will be one of the first to the EV market with its Volt in 2011, we came to film them being put together through the multiple stages of the car manufacturing process.

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Only One Hybrid Car Pays Back Its Owners; Know Which One?

Green Car Reports

One of the criticisms of hybrid cars has historically been that there's no payback, especially given the cheap gasoline prices in the U.S. The extra money you spend on a hybrid isn't returned in gas savings, say critics. Well, that may be true, especially when regular gasoline is averaging $2.77 a gallon this week. But as we often point out, most.

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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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40 Percent Of U.S. Adults Want To Test Drive An EV

All Cars Electric

In news that will no doubt be music to the ears of any manufacturer planning to sell an electric vehicle, new research by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) finds that two fifths of US adults are interested in test driving an EV. The study reveals that consumers are interested in the improved environmental quality and potential cost.

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Do electric vehicle batteries harm the environment?

Green Cars News

Electric vehicles may be seen as a strong environmental solution, but what if their batteries have a negative effect on the environment? Well, a team from Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology decided to put this to the test. They compiled a detailed lifecycle inventory of a lithium-ion battery with a rough lifecycle [.]. Tags: Electric cars Green cars Latest news Lithium-ion batteries do batteries harm the environment electric vehicle batteries electric vehicles Enviro

More Trending

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Remy and MotoCzysz to Start Production of a Revolutionary Electric Drive System- The D1g1tal Dr1ve

National Green Transportation

Yesterday MotoCzysz announced a partnership with their motor supplier, Remy International, to deliver an electric drive system to the market under the D1G1tal Dr1ve brand name. MotoCzysz is one of the handful of motorcycle race teams racing with electric motorcycles. They have raced twice on the Isle of Man, winning the 2010 TT Zero race, and more recently they raced at Laguna Seca, winning against the TTXGP champion Lightning Motors in a very close race.

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Send us your EV REVENGE stories

Revenge of the Electric Car

Since the release of Who Killed the Electric Car? in 2006 and a steady stream of fan mail from all over the world, we can really sense a global community of electric car supporters who want to see all-electric vehicles replace the inefficient and costly gas-powered cars on the roads. And every now and then we hear about someone like Roque Haines and our electric hearts completely melt.

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Corvette Could Go Hybrid, Says GM Head Engineer; World To End?

Green Car Reports

Last week, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, GM's vice president of global vehicle engineering, set to rest rumors of a mid-engine next-generation Chevrolet Corvette. That got a lot of attention among Corvette fans. But a footnote to the story was that Stracke said not only that a hybrid Corvette was possible, but that such a powertrain would be "an.

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Electric Pot Car From Canada Creates Big Bong In EV World

All Cars Electric

As we're faced with an increasingly large world population and ever-dwindling resources the race is on to produce cars that not only produce zero tailpipe emissions, but ones that are green to manufacture too. But what is the ultimate material for cars? Steel is strong, but hardly light enough to make ultra-efficient vehicles. Many plastics are.

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

Brief

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Survey says: Americans don’t understand energy use

Green Cars News

Americans have a “very poor understanding of energy use and savings” – that’s the damning verdict of a new survey by researchers from Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University and Ohio State University. They found that many of the participants in the survey believed they can save energy with small behavioural changes that actually achieve very [.].

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Ford and Portland General Electric Partner to Prepare Region for EVs

Green Car Congress

Ford Motor Company and Portland General Electric will collaborate to help prepare the city of Portland and the Pacific Northwest for the operation of electric vehicles. Ford and PGE will work together to share information on charging needs and requirements to ensure the electrical grid can support the necessary demand for electric vehicles, as well as partner on consumer education outreach around electric vehicles.

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TTXGP says arrivederci to TTXGP Italy and heads to Assen with TTXGP Euro in its place

National Green Transportation

The TTXGP 2010 race season has been in a constant state of flux the whole year, so we should not be surprised at the latest news. Last week a couple blog posts surfaced claiming that the often rescheduled TTXGP Italy races were being canceled. Over the following days the TTXGP Twitter account was sending updates like "New track and dates set. Sadly can't share till tomorrow" and "Waiting for clearances for press release" Today they released an announcement that indeed the

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General Motors Kicks Off National Electric Vehicle Training Tour For First Responders

Green Car Congress

by Jack Rosebro. A Chicago Fire Department firefighter using a hydraulic. cutter to remove the roof off of a pre-production Chevrolet Volt. during a demonstration at the 2010 Fire-Rescue Conference. International in Chicago. Click to enlarge. Using a pre-production example of the Chevrolet Volt as a teaching tool, General Motors launched a nationwide electric vehicle training tour and outreach project for emergency personnel this week at the 2010 Fire-Rescue International Conference in Chicago.

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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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EPA, DOT Propose New Fuel Economy Labels; Addressing GHG Emissions, Fuel Consumption and Advanced Technology Vehicles

Green Car Congress

Four samples of the first proposed label design with the letter grade. From left to right: EV, PHEV, gasoline/diesel, gasoline/diesel. Color is integral to the new schemes. Source: EPA. Click to enlarge. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are jointly proposing changes to the fuel economy labels consumers see on the window of new vehicles in dealer showrooms.

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Americans Using Less Energy Overall and Using More Renewable Energy Resources

Green Car Congress

The United States used significantly less coal and petroleum in 2009 than in 2008, and significantly more wind power. There also was a decline in natural gas use and increases in solar, hydro and geothermal power according to the most recent energy flow charts released by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Energy use tends to follow the level of economic activity, and that level declined last year.

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Perspective: The Gulf Coast Claims Facility Limits BP’s Liability and Guarantees Continued Operation in the Gulf of Mexico

Green Car Congress

In an article posted on the Donovan Law Group website, Brian Donovan, attorney, marine engineer and CEO of Renergie, Inc. contends that the structure of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) limits BP’s liability via the systematic postponement, reduction or denial of claims against BP; guarantees BP’s continued long-term operation in the offshore Gulf of Mexico E&P sector; and is not necessary to ensure that victims of the BP oil spill are fully compensated for incurred damages.

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Peugeots Diesel 3008 Hybrid4

Green Car Congress

Peugeot’s 3008 Hybrid4. Click to enlarge. Peugeot has provided more details on its diesel 3008 Hybrid4, due to go onsale in Europe in the spring of 2011. ( Earlier post.) The hybrid crossover, to be produced in France (in Sochaux and Mulhouse), will be the first full hybrid diesel to hit the market. The 3008 HYbrid4 is powered by a 2.0-liter HDi FAP 120 kW (163 bhp) diesel engine with an electric motor offering a maximum power output of 27 kW (37 bhp).

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SunHydro to Receive 10 Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicles

Green Car Congress

SunHydro announced an agreement with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. (TMS) to place 10 Toyota Advanced Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles (FCHV-adv) in the Connecticut area this fall. The vehicles will support the new SunHydro solar-powered hydrogen fueling station, located at Proton Energy Systems’ headquarters in Wallingford, Conn. SunHydro is leading the development of an East Coast Hydrogen Highway, which will make it possible to drive a fuel cell vehicle from Maine to Florida.

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New Solar Energy Conversion Process Could Boost Efficiency

Green Car Congress

Stanford engineers have developed a process—photon-enhanced thermionic emission, PETE—that simultaneously uses the light and heat of the sun to generate electricity in a way that could make solar power production more than twice as efficient as existing methods. (a) Energy diagram of the PETE process. Photoexcitation increases the conduction-band population, leading to larger thermionic currents and enabling the device to harvest both photon and heat energy.

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Renewable Chemicals and Advanced Biofuels Company Gevo Files for IPO; Non-binding Letter of Intent with United Airlines for Renewable Jet Fuel

Green Car Congress

Gevo has a low capital cost retrofit strategy for ethanol plants to produce isobutanol for direct use; for use in the production of plastics, materials, rubber and other polymers; and for use in the production of hydrocarbon fuels. Click to enlarge. Gevo, Inc., a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company that converts renewable raw materials into isobutanol and renewable hydrocarbons that can be directly integrated on a “drop in” basis into existing fuel and chemical products, has filed

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2011 Ford Explorer 85% Recyclable

Green Car Congress

The 2011 Ford Explorer is 85% recyclable. The new SUV leverages Ford’s use of bio foam and recycled fabric in its interior, as well as recycled steel in select exterior parts. Ford is reducing its use of virgin steel by an estimated 119 tons a year by making Explorer’s noise-dampening fender baffles from the steel left over from stamping out the door openings of F-150 body sides.

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ZeTek Efforts on Fuel Cell London Cabs Reach Back to 1998

Green Car Congress

The plug-in hybrid fuel cell London Taxi recently unveiled by Intelligent Energy, Lotus Engineering, LTI Vehicles and TRW Conekt ( earlier post ) is the latest in a set of attempts to apply fuel cell technology to London cabs. ZeTek Power Plc, which has since gone out of business, developed its first prototype London fuel cell taxi in 1998. ZeTek fuel cell system installed in a cab.

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Ceres Opens Brazil Subsidiary To Develop Sweet Sorghum Crop Business

Green Car Congress

Ceres, Inc. earlier this month established a subsidiary in Brasil focused on developing sweet sorghum as a feedstock for the ethanol industry. The company’s goal is to be the first supplier of new hybrids with high levels of sugar. Ceres Chief Financial Officer Paul Kuc has been appointed as the interim leader of the subsidiary, which will be based in São Paulo under the name Ceres Sementes do Brasil Ltda.

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Consumer Electronics Assn Study Finds 40% of American Adults Likely to Test Drive an EV

Green Car Congress

Forty percent of consumers report they are likely to test drive an electric vehicle, according to a new study of online American adults from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The study, Electric Vehicles: The Future of Driving , suggests electric vehicles entice consumers with improved environmental quality and potential cost savings, but leave them with questions about battery life and convenience of battery charging.

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Alternative Fuel Systems Working on CNG 3-Wheeler with Baja

Green Car Congress

Canada-based Alternative Fuel Systems Inc., together with Indian partner Advantek Fuel Systems Pvt. Ltd., is working with Bajaj Auto Limited on a development project involving the compressed natural gas fuelled version of a three-wheeled commercial delivery vehicle. Bajaj Auto is ranked as the fourth largest two- and three-wheeler manufacturer. Bajaj has sent a prototype vehicle to AFS in Calgary for testing.

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Scientists Map Origin of Large, Underwater Hydrocarbon Plume in Gulf

Green Car Congress

Scientists funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and affiliated with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have detected a plume of hydrocarbons-not pure oil, but with oil compounds-at least 22 miles long and more than 3,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, a residue of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The 1.2-mile-wide, 650-foot-high plume of trapped hydrocarbons was detected during a ten-day subsurface sampling effort from 19-28 June 2010 near the wellhead.

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Foton Motor and Freescale Semiconductor Establish Automotive Joint Lab; Focus Includes EV and Hybrid Technology

Green Car Congress

China-based Foton Motor and Freescale Semiconductor have established the Foton-Freescale Automotive Joint Lab. The lab is Foton Motor’s first formal cooperation project in automotive electronics. The Foton-Freescale Automotive Joint Lab is committed to co-developing silicon, software and system-level solutions for use in the next generation of Foton vehicles.

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Public-Private Partnership Testing Low-Speed EVs in SoCal

Green Car Congress

The Local Use Vehicle (LUV) Project is testing low-speed, all-electric vehicles in several communities in southwest Los Angeles County. In a public-private partnership, the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG), with a grant from the South Coast Air Quality District, approached Enterprise Fleet Management to lease and operate six, zero-emission, short-range vehicles.

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Researchers Identify Four Genes That Improve Ethanol Tolerance in Yeast; Potential Components of a Genetic Toolbox

Green Car Congress

Researchers from S. Korea and the US have developed a strain of yeast with increased alcohol tolerance that could lead to more efficient and economical production of alcohol-based biofuels. Yeast produces alcohol through microbial fermentation; however, at a certain concentration, the biofuels that are being created become toxic to the yeast used in making them, said Yong-Su Jin, an assistant professor of microbial genomics in the U of I Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and a facul

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DOE and Beacon Power Finalize $43M Loan Guarantee for Flywheel Energy Storage Project in New York State

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has finalized a $43-million loan guarantee for Beacon Power Corporation’s 20 megawatt innovative flywheel energy storage plant in Stephentown, NY. Beacon’s Gen 4 flywheel system is specifically designed to perform frequency regulation on utility grids by absorbing and discharging energy to balance power generation and consumption on the electric grid.

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InterAcademy Council Report Terms UN IPCC Process a Success Overall, Calls for Reform in Management Structure

Green Car Congress

A new report from the InterAcademy Council, an organization of the world’s science academies, including the US National Academy of Sciences, found that the process used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to produce its periodic assessment reports has been a success overall, but that IPCC needs to reform its management structure, strengthen its procedures, and become more transparent to handle increasingly complex climate assessments and greater public scrutiny.

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Report Finds That Urgent Changes in Transport Financing Required to Enable More Sustainable Transportation Globally

Green Car Congress

Changes in how transport is financed are essential if cities and nations are to deal effectively with the rapid growth in motor vehicle traffic and related environmental and health problems, including climate change, according to a new report by the Transport Research Laboratory released at Fifth Regional EST Forum in Asia by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and the Partnership for Sustainable Low Carbon Transport.

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Kia Motors to Unveil New EV Concept at Paris Show

Green Car Congress

Kia Motors has released a few images of the POP, an all-new electric concept vehicle that the company will reveal at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. POP is a 3-meter, three-seater targeted at the city car segment. . The Kia POP. Click to enlarge. . Detail of front. Click to enlarge. Tags: Brief.

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