January, 2017

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Stuttgart authorizes Mercedes-Benz to test autonomous vehicles on public roads

Green Car Congress

The Stuttgart government bureau recently authorized Mercedes-Benz to test next-generation autonomous vehicles on public roads. The aim of the autonomous test vehicle fleet—based on the Mercedes-Benz V class—is to test the latest sensor generations and the DAVOS (Daimler Autonomous Vehicle Operating System) system intensively in real traffic.

Mercedes 261
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More solar energy was added in 2016 than natural gas or wind

Green Car Reports

Renewable-energy growth has accelerated in 2016, but this may go down as a milestone year for one renewable-energy source in particular. Together, all renewable-energy sources are expected to account for 8 percent of U.S. electricity-generation capacity in 2017, according to the Department of Energy, and solar energy is responsible for most of.

2016 160
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NSK demonstrates transmission-equipped wheel hub motor

Green Car Congress

NSK Ltd. has successfully demonstrated the first transmission-equipped wheel hub motor, designed to improve the environmental performance, safety, and comfort of automobiles. Building on the knowledge it has gained from the prototype wheel hub motor it developed, NSK is aiming to commercialize wheel hub components such as the hub unit bearing with built-in speed reducer, the one-way clutch unit, the miniature cage and roller bearing, and the anti-corrosion bearing.

Motor 237
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Oberon Fuels, Mack Trucks, and New York City Department of Sanitation begin first customer demonstration of a DME-powered Mack Truck

Green Car Congress

Oberon Fuels, a producer of clean-burning Dimethyl Ether (DME) transportation fuel ( earlier post ), announced the first customer demonstration of a DME-powered Mack truck, a Mack Pinnacle. Oberon and Mack are working with the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) to run the vehicle at the Fresh Kills Landfill and evaluate performance and overall drivability.

New York 232
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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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XL Hybrids upfit system now available to state & municipal fleets in all 50 states via Massachusetts public fleet contract

Green Car Congress

XL Hybrids announced that the company has been selected by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Operational Services Division (OSD), to be a vendor on the newly released Advanced Vehicle Technology statewide contract VEH102. This multi-year contract allows public fleets nationwide to purchase the XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System as both an upfit and retrofit product through an established public contracting mechanism with competitive volume pricing.

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Sales of Neste MY Renewable Diesel expands to Neste Truck stations for heavy vehicles in Finland

Green Car Congress

The distribution of Neste MY Renewable Diesel, produced entirely from waste and residues, has expanded to the Neste Truck network for heavy vehicles in Finland. The product enables up to 90% lower greenhouse gas emissions throughout the life cycle of the fuel compared to conventional fossil diesel. At the beginning of the year, we launched Neste MY Renewable Diesel at stations for light vehicles, and now we are expanding the product to the Neste Truck network.

Finland 227

More Trending

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ICCT: real-world NOx from Euro 6 diesel passenger cars more than 2x Euro VI diesel trucks

Green Car Congress

In Europe, the average amount of NO x present in exhaust emissions from modern diesel passenger cars under real-world conditions is more than double the levels from modern trucks and buses, according to a new briefing paper released by the independent research organization International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). The ICCT paper shows data for 24 Euro VI buses and trucks, some tested on a chassis dynamometer by the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), and others tested on-road

Diesel 223
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Electric airplane sets ascent record with Siemens drive system

Green Car Congress

An electric-drive Extra 330LE aerobatics plane recently set a world record in ascent in the category of “Electric aircraft weighing up to 1,000 kilograms. The pilot reached an altitude of 3,000 meters in only four minutes and 22 seconds, beating the previous record by one minute and 10 seconds. The airplane rose into the air at 11.5 meters per second.

Electric 217
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Achates Power building 2.7L opposed-piston light-duty engine; exceeding CAFE 2025, Tier 3 targets at lower cost

Green Car Congress

Stemming from a major project partially funded with a $9-million grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) to develop an opposed-piston two-stroke gasoline compression ignition engine (OPGCI) ( earlier post ), Achates Power announced it is developing a 2.7-liter, 3-cylinder (i.e., six-piston) light-duty version of its opposed piston engine (OPE) in both diesel- and gasoline-fueled versions.

Light 217
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GKN Driveline providing eTransmission to StreetScooter electric vans

Green Car Congress

GKN Driveline is supplying its innovative electric drive technology to StreetScooter , the electric vehicle company owned by Deutsche Post DHL Group. GKN’s Family 2 eTransmission system transmits torque from the eMotor to the wheels of a new StreetScooter zero-emission pure electric van. GKN’s system has an output torque of up to 2000 N·m in a compact package with superior noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) characteristics and efficiency.

Li-ion 215
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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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Panasonic Automotive and IBM partner to develop cognitive vehicle infotainment system with Watson

Green Car Congress

At CES 2017, Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America introduced the Panasonic Cognitive Infotainment platform designed to provide OEMs and fleet providers a set of cognitive vehicle solutions combining Panasonic’s infotainment expertise with IBM’s Watson and cloud technologies. The platform leverages Watson cognitive capabilities, including deep natural language processing and understanding, to answer questions and provide recommendations as well as directions while en route.

Vehicles 210
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NuScale Power submits industry-first certification application for small modular reactor to NRC

Green Car Congress

NuScale Power formally announced the submittal of a Design Certification Application (DCA) for their innovative small modular reactor (SMR) design ( earlier post ) to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for their review and approval. This is the first SMR DCA to be submitted to the NRC and marks a significant milestone for NuScale and the power generation industry.

Powered 209
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Honda to add new dedicated hybrid model with i-MMD in US in 2018; hybrid system to expand to light trucks

Green Car Congress

Honda will produce a new dedicated hybrid model in the US for nationwide in 2018, as part of the Honda Electrification Initiative, which will expand the company’s portfolio of electrified vehicles. Honda set a global target for two-thirds of all sales to come from electrified models by 2030 and to halve its total company CO 2 emissions from 2000 levels by 2050.

Honda 207
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Chinese battery company takes 22% stake in Valmet Automotive; strategic partnership for EVs

Green Car Congress

China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL), a leading global provider of battery and energy storage solutions, has taken a 22% stake in Finland-based Valmet Automotive as part of a new strategic partnership in electric automotive solutions. Simultaneously CATL has subscribed to new shares issued by Valmet Automotive for a 22 % ownership in the company.

Chinese 204
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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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UC Irvine acquiring 20 electric buses from BYD to convert fleet to all-electric

Green Car Congress

The University of California, Irvine is poised to be the first college campus in the US to convert its buses to an all-electric fleet. The student-funded and -operated Anteater Express shuttle service is acquiring 20 buses from BYD for $15 million. The vehicles are being built at the company’s Lancaster plant to roll onto campus for the 2017-18 academic year, joining a hydrogen electric bus to provide more than 2 million pollution-free rides annually.

Convert 204
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Dutch #ichargesmart charging app boosts share of renewable energy in battery; now available for Tesla home charging

Green Car Congress

Jedlix , a subsidiary of Dutch renewable energy company Eneco, has made its smart charging app available to all home-charging Tesla drivers. A previously conducted test among 40 Tesla drivers demonstrated that the app increases the share of renewable energy in the battery and reduces costs. Jedlix’ mission is that, in time, all cars will run on renewable energy.

Renewable 203
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EPA and CARB charge Fiat-Chrysler with using undeclared emission control devices in 3.0L diesels

Green Car Congress

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of violation ( NOV ) to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. and FCA US LLC (collectively FCA) for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act for installing and failing to disclose at least eight auxiliary emissions control devices (AECDs) in light-duty model year 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 trucks with 3.0-liter diesel engines sold in the United States.

EPA 200
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Reseachers attribute suddent surge in China PEV sales to massive subsidies and huge non-monetary incentives

Green Car Congress

Sales of plug-in vehicles (PEVs) in China—battery-electric and plug-in hybrid—suddenly soared 343% in 2015 to about 331,000 units—more than 3 times the number sold in the US that year. China-based BYD is now the world’s leading manaufacturer of PEVs, jumping ahead of Nissan and Tesla. Six other China OEMs are among the top 20 PEV manufacturers.

China 200
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ChargePoint introduces modular Express Plus EV fast-charging platform; up to 400 kW

Green Car Congress

ChargePoint announced ChargePoint Express Plus, an ultra-fast DC charging solution that can deliver up to 400 kW. It supports charging voltages ranging from 200 volts (V) to 1000 V including today’s 400 V cars and 750 V buses, and tomorrow’s 800 V cars. A modular platform designed for businesses and charging centers along major roadways or transit depots, Express Plus can charge today’s newest electric vehicles, such as the Chevy Bolt EV, at their maximum rate; is equipped to charge upcoming EVs

Charging 199
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Ford adding hybrid F-150 & Mustang, PHEV Transit, new BEV SUV by 2020; $700M for Flat Rock for EV production; cancels $1.6B Mexico plant

Green Car Congress

Ford detailed seven of the 13 new global electrified vehicles it plans to introduce in the next five years, including hybrid versions of the iconic F-150 pickup and Mustang in the US, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Transit Custom van in Europe and a fully electric SUV with an expected range of at least 300 miles (483 km) for customers globally. The automaker also announced plans to invest $700 million to expand its Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan into a factory that will build high-tech autonomous

F-150 199
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Volkswagen AG agrees to plead guilty and pay $4.3B in criminal and civil penalties; 6 execs and employees indicted

Green Car Congress

Volkswagen AG has agreed with the US government to resolve criminal and federal environmental and other civil claims against the company relating to the diesel emissions cheating débâcle. As part of the resolution, Volkswagen has agreed to plead guilty to three criminal felony counts, to pay penalties and fines totaling $4.3 billion, and to a series of measures to further strengthen its compliance and control systems, including the appointment of an independent monitor for a period of three year

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IUPUI-based engineering startup receives $225,000 NSF grant for solid-state H2 storage

Green Car Congress

A startup based on work conducted at the School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has received a one-year STTR Phase I grant of $225,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support development of a novel solid-state hydrogen storage system based on catalytically-modified porous silicon. Peter Schubert, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Richard G.

Grant 195
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Torotrak shifting strategic focus in response to electrification trend; focus on KERS, away from V-Charge

Green Car Congress

UK-based Torotrak, a developer and supplier of emissions reduction and fuel efficiency technology for vehicles, is refocusing its strategy based on its understanding of how the priorities for many players in the European passenger car market—Torotrak’s customers—have profoundly changed in recent months. The Torotrak Group has three main product lines: Flybrid flywheel-based kinetic energy recovery (KERS); Torotrak variable drive transmissions for use in powertrains and auxiliary devi

Charging 190
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BP Energy Outlook: 30% growth in global demand to 2035; fuel demand continues to rise, even with EVs & fuel efficiency

Green Car Congress

The 2017 edition of the BP Energy Outlook , published today, forecasts that global demand for energy will increase by around 30% between 2015 and 2035, an average growth of 1.3% per year. However, this growth in energy demand is significantly lower than the 3.4% per year rise expected in global GDP, reflecting improved energy efficiency driven by technology improvements and environmental concerns.

Fuel 190
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UCR team’s new evolutionary-algorithm-based EMS for PHEVs can deliver >30% fuel savings than conventional controls

Green Car Congress

Engineers at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) have developed a new online energy management system (EMS) based on an evolutionary algorithm for plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) that they say can improve PHEV fuel efficiency by more than 30%. A paper describing the research was recently accepted for publication in the journal IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems.

PHEV 190
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Route Monkey working with NQIT to develop transport & mobility algorithms for quantum computers

Green Car Congress

Scotland-based route optimization specialist Route Monkey, a unit of telematics and big data company Trakm8, is working on a new generation of transport and mobility algorithms for quantum computers. Route Monkey already works with Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh on creating and enhancing innovative algorithms for transport and travel ( earlier post ).

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Honda of Canada Mfg. to invest $492M in Ontario manufacturing plants; $83.6M in government grants

Green Car Congress

Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM), a division of Honda Canada Inc., will invest $492 million over the next three years to allow the company to modernize its Ontario manufacturing facilities and to improve its manufacturing carbon footprint significantly—part of Honda’s global initiatives. The new investment brings Honda’s total Canadian facilities investment to over $4.7 billion.

Canada 188
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Volvo Cars to establish new shared mobility business unit

Green Car Congress

Volvo Cars will establish a new shared mobility business unit as part of a broad expansion of its car sharing and mobility services strategy. The new business unit will be based around Sunfleet , one of the world’s first car sharing companies that has been operated by Volvo since 1998. Based in Sweden, Sunfleet has around 50,000 subscribers generating approximately 250,000 transactions in more than 50 Swedish cities.

Volvo 186
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GM posts 2016 delivery record in China; 3.87M vehicles, more than 1/3 of global sales

Green Car Congress

General Motors and its joint ventures delivered a record 3,870,587 vehicles in China in 2016, which was an increase of 7.1% from the previous high in 2015. China remained GM’s largest market in terms of retail sales for the fifth consecutive year, accounting for more than one-third of the company’s global sales. For comparison, GM brands reported retail sales in the US of 2,446,582 vehicles for CY 2016.

2016 186
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Tesla and Panasonic begin production of Li-ion cells at Gigafactory

Green Car Congress

Tesla and Panasonic have begun mass production of high-performance cylindrical “2170” (21mm diameter, 70mm height) lithium-ion battery cells at the Gigafactory in Nevada. The output will first be used in Tesla’s energy storage products and then in the Model 3. The 2170 cell was jointly designed and engineered by Tesla and Panasonic to offer the best performance at the lowest production cost in what they determined to be an optimal form factor for both electric vehicles and energy products.

Li-ion 186
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Viking Grace LNG ferry to install rotor sail; first LNG/wind electric propulsion hybrid ship

Green Car Congress

Norsepower Oy Ltd., a provider of low- maintenance, software-operated, and data-verified auxiliary wind propulsion systems, signed an agreement with Finnish shipping company Viking Line to install its Rotor Sail Solution onboard the M/S Viking Grace , an LNG-fueled cruise ferry. The 57,565 GT M/S Viking Grace currently operates in the archipelago between Turku (Finland) and Stockholm (Sweden), and is already one of the most environmentally-friendly cruise ferries in the global maritime industry.

Wind 183
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NEVS receives EV production license in China

Green Car Congress

The Chinese government approved NEVS’ application to start production of electric vehicles in its manufacturing plant in Tianjin. The electric vehicle production license approved by the Chinese National Development Reform Commission (NDRC) is required in order to manufacture electric vehicles in China. NEVS is the first joint venture company with investors from outside China that is granted a New Energy Passenger Vehicle Project investment approval by NDRC.

China 183
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S. Korean organizations collaborate on development of near-supersonic (~1,000 km/h) Korean Hyperloop train

Green Car Congress

The Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) signed a multi-year strategic partnership agreement with seven Korean research institutes—KICT (Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology); KOTI (Korea Transport Institute); KIMM (Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials); KERI (Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute); ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute); KRRI (Korea Railroad Research Institute); and Hanyang University—to ac

Universal 183
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Ford running 12-month trial of 20 plug-in hybrid Transit Custom vans in London

Green Car Congress

Ford is launching a multi-million pound project designed to help improve air quality in London. The project, supported by Transport for London, features a 12-month trial of 20 new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Transit Custom vans that reduce local emissions by running solely on electric power for the majority of city trips such as deliveries or maintenance work.

London 183