October, 2011

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Group of 285 global investors with more than $20T in assets under management calls for urgent action on investment-grade climate change and energy policies; guidelines for governments

Green Car Congress

Saying that “ investment-grade climate change and clean energy policy is required to shift private sector investment from high-carbon to low-carbon assets ”, a group of 285 investors has urged governments and international policy makers to take new and meaningful steps in the fight against climate change. In a joint statement, the group, representing more than $20 trillion in assets under management, stressed the urgent need for policy action which stimulates private sector investmen

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The New Electric DeLorean

Electric Cars are for Girls

Because electric cars are all "back to the future", aren't they? I'm just surprised nobody thought of doing this before.

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BREAKING: Tesla Making Faster 2012 Model S, 0-60 In Under 4.5 Seconds

Green Car Reports

We already know a lot about the all-electric 2012 Tesla Model S sedan -- but at a press event ahead of tonight’s exclusive VIP event at the former Toyota NUMMI facility in Fremont, California, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced Tesla was making a faster Model S for those with a sporty side. Cutting the brisk 0-60 time of the standard Model S from.

2012 167
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GE and Nissan to work on integrating electric vehicles and smart grid

National Green Transportation

There are some among the powers-that-be who are salivating over the thought of vast parking lots full of electric vehicles, each plugged into the smart grid. Every so often this salivation bubbles up with articles glowing with.

Grid 104
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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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Biofuel market to double over next ten years

Green Cars News

The global market for biofuels is predicted to double over the next ten years as governments encourage their use, motivated by growing concerns about energy security and economic stagnation. At least 38 governments around the world have introduced blending mandates or targets to increase the production and consumption of biofuels in the transport sector, a [.].

Market 88
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MIT research team finds most efficient oxygen evolution reaction catalyst yet; potential for hydrogen production and rechargeable metal-air batteries

Green Car Congress

A team of MIT researchers lead by Prof. Yang Shao-Horn, in collaboration with Prof. John Goodenough from the University of Texas as Austin, has found one of the most effective catalysts yet discovered for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for use in water-splitting to produce hydrogen or in rechargeable metal-air batteries. The new compound, composed of cobalt, iron and oxygen with other metals (Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 Co 0.8 Fe 0.2 O 3–?

MIT 326

More Trending

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Siemens reports world record efficiency for combined cycle power plant of 60.75%

Green Car Congress

A new Siemens gas turbine operated in a combined cycle with a steam turbine in Irsching, Bavaria, has set a world record for efficiency, achieving net efficiency of 60.75% during the test run. The target was 60%; the previous generation of the turbine had an efficiency of 58.5%. The new turbine is designed to generate 400 megawatts (MW) alone and 600 MW when combined with a steam turbine.

Power 294
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KIT researchers develop fluoride-ion batteries; potential for much higher energy densities than conventional Li-ion batteries

Green Car Congress

Setup of the fluoride-ion battery: A fluoride-containing electrolyte separates the metal anode from the metal fluoride cathode. Click to enlarge. Researchers from the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) have developed and demonstrated secondary (i.e., rechargeable) battery cells based on a fluoride shuttle. A paper on their work is published in the RSC Journal of Materials Chemistry.

Li-ion 285
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AC Propulsion signs electric vehicle drivetrain and battery pack supply contract with Beiqi Foton Motor

Green Car Congress

AC Propulsion’s sister company e.motor Advance Corp. of Beijing (China) has entered into a supplier contract with Beiqi Foton Motor Co. of Beijing. The contract between the two companies provides that e.motor Advance will deliver 100 sets of its drivetrain and battery pack systems to Foton for their Midi-E electric car. The 100 Midi-E vehicles will be in service as taxis in the Yanqing area of Beijing in 2012.

Supplies 279
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Alan Taub: GM pushing on split-cycle engine technology in the lab; looking for low-load efficiency and packaging

Green Car Congress

Noting that split-cycle engine technology “ really looks promising ”, GM Vice President of Global Research and Development Dr. Alan Taub said that the company is putting on a “ major thrust ” in its R&D laboratory to see if it can get split-cycle technology “ moving ” He made the remarks during the introductory plenary session today at the DOE’s 17 th Directions in Engine-Efficiency and Emissions Research (DEER) Conference in Detroit.

GM 278
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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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New BMW 3 Series includes a new 4-cylinder TwinPower Turbo, 8-speed automatic and start-stop; ActiveHybrid 3 model in 2012

Green Car Congress

BMW revealed first details of the new sixth-generation 3 Series; the 3 Series accounts for one-fifth of the company’s global sales. The sixth generation of the 3 Series is larger than its predecessor, with a wide track (front + 37 mm, rear + 47 mm), increased length (+ 93 mm) and augmented wheelbase (+ 50 mm). Despite the larger dimensions, the new car has a curb weight 40 kilograms (88 lb) below that of its predecessor.

BMW 275
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EMBARQ report points to need to reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled per capita in the US to meet emission and oil consumption targets; sustainable VMT

Green Car Congress

Summary of Sustainable VMT per Capita in 2050, compared to 2010 levels, under the eight scenarios analyzed in the report. Data: EMBARQ. Click to enlarge. A report released earlier this summer by released by EMBARQ—the World Resources Institute’s Center for Sustainable Transport—found that the US must achieve significant improvements in vehicle technology and reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita to meet targeted reductions in oil consumption and greenhouse gases.

Oil 275
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EPA official: the future of the internal combustion engine is bright and clear

Green Car Congress

“ The future of the IC engine is bright and clear; I don’t think that could be any more obvious to all of us ,” said Byron Bunker, Director, Heavy Duty Engine Center, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, US Environmental Protection Agency during his remarks in a panel discussion on the role for internal combustion engines in the energy future at the US Department of Energy’s 2011 Directions in Engine-Efficiency and Emissions Research Conference (DEER) in Detroit.

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UT Austin team synthesizes molybdenum-antimony composite material for Li-ion anode; 3x the volumetric capacity of a graphite anode with better safety, but poor cycle life

Green Car Congress

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin report the synthesis of a molybdenum-antimony composite (Mo 3 Sb 7 –C) for use as anode material for a lithium-ion battery in a paper in the ACS Journal of Physical Chemistry C. With a discharge capacity of 518 mAh/g and 907 mAh/cm 3 and a tap density of 1.75 g/cm 3 for the composite, the Mo3Sb7–C composite anodes offer three times higher volumetric capacity than the graphite anode.

Li-ion 259
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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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Reports: GM to offer all-electric city car in US

Green Car Congress

The Detroit News reported that GM will announce on Wednesday it will introduce a full battery-electric city car in the US. Green Car Reports fleshed that basic item out with additional details: The vehicle is the Chevrolet Spark EV, unveiled as the Chevrolet Beat EV, in India. It is an conversion of the upcoming 2013 Chevrolet Spark/Beat minicar. ( Earlier post.).

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Researchers develop co-catalyst system for lower cost conversion of CO2 to CO; syngas for synfuels

Green Car Congress

The CO peak observed by gas chromatography as a. function of the total potential applied to the cell. (OC = open cell). Gas phase CO production is observed at an. applied potential of 1.5V—i.e., slightly above the 1.33V. equilibrium potential for the reaction. Rosen et al. Click to enlarge. A team from the University of Illinois and startup Dioxide Materials has developed an electrocatalytic system for the reduction of CO 2 to CO—a key component of artificial photosynthesis and thus

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GE unit invests with KGAL in 50-Mw Spanish concentrated solar power plant featuring molten salt energy storage

Green Car Congress

GE Energy Financial Services and German fund KGAL are jointly investing €111.1 million in a 50-megawatt parabolic trough concentrated solar power plant using molten salt energy storage in Torre de Miguel Sesmero, Badajoz, Spain. The GE unit and KGAL agreed to invest structured equity in Extresol II, developed by Spain-based ACS, Europe’s largest developer, builder and operator of solar thermal power plants.

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National Research Council report finds it unlikely the US will meet cellulosic biofuel mandates absent major innovation or a change in policies

Green Car Congress

In the absence of major technological innovations or policy changes, the United States is unlikely to meet cellulosic biofuel mandates under the current Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) by 2022, according to a new report from the National Research Council. Further, the report found, only in an economic environment characterized by high oil prices, technological breakthroughs, and a high implicit or actual carbon price would biofuels be cost-competitive with petroleum-based fuels.The report also su

Renewable 252
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Nissan to put New Mobility Concept EV on Yokohama streets from October

Green Car Congress

Integrity Exports. Nissan will begin trials of its New Mobility Concept EV on public roads starting in the area around Nissan’s HQ in Yokohama, Japan. The trial will also be extended to Aomori Prefecture (in the North) and Fukuoka Prefecture (in the South). Nissan New Mobility Concept. Click to enlarge. Nissan’s 2-seater, based on Renault’s Twizy, is 2.34 meters in length and 1.19 meters wide.

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MHI designs new bulk carrier enabling 25% reduction in CO2 emissions; ADM buying three

Green Car Congress

Bubbles under the vessel bottom of the new bulk carrier with MALS. Click to enlarge. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has designed a new bulk carrier equipped with the proprietary Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS), which reduces frictional resistance between the vessel hull and seawater using air bubbles produced at the vessel bottom, along with high-efficiency hull form and enhanced propulsion system.

Design 249
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Microbial enhanced oil recovery company Glori files for $115M IPO

Green Car Congress

Glori Energy, a company seeking to commercialize a microbial enhanced oil recovery technology ( earlier post ), filed an S-1 to go public with a proposed maximum yield of $115 million. Glori Energy’s AERO System (Activated Environment for the Recovery of Oil) technology stimulates the native microorganisms that reside in an oil reservoir to improve the recoverability of the trapped oil.

Oil 247
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Mitsubishi Chemical to produce formulated electrolyte for Li-ion batteries in China

Green Car Congress

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) will establish a new subsidiary in China in February 2012 to manufacture and sell formulated electrolyte for Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). Commercial operation is expected by the end of 2012. Battery production in China is expected to grow rapidly, both for the consumer electronics and for the emerging automotive applications.

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UMaine researchers develop new thermal deoxygenation process to convert biomass to hydrocarbon fuels; no catalysts or hydrogen required

Green Car Congress

A University of Maine chemical engineer and his research team have developed a new process—thermal deoxygenation (TDO)—to transform biomass, including forest residues, municipal solid waste, grasses, and construction wastes, into a hydrocarbon fuel oil. The process requires no catalysts or hydrogen, and is “ a spin on chemistry used to make acetone back in the 1800s ”, said M.

Hydrogen 247
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Mazda RX-8 production to end summer 2012; company says rotary engine development will continue

Green Car Congress

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced the Mazda RX-8 SPIRIT R, a special edition version of its four-door, four-seat rotary-engined sports car. Mazda will cease RX-8 production will end in June 2012 and SPIRIT R will be the final special edition model. The RX-8 SPIRIT R will go on sale from 24 November 2011 at all Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealerships throughout Japan.

Mazda 247
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Nissan displays 3 light commercial truck models using Nissan LEAF systems and components

Green Car Congress

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. exhibited five models from its Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) lineup, including three trucks all based on the Atlas 24 model equipped with Nissan LEAF components and other EV-related technologies at the 2011 Tokyo Truck Show: the e-NT400 Atlas Concept; the Atlas F24 Refrigerator Van by Li-ion Battery; and the Atlas F24 Power Supply Truck. e-NT400 Atlas Concept.

Nissan 240
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Siemens and BMW developing flexible rapid charging system for plug-ins that can use AC or DC

Green Car Congress

Siemens charging station and BMW ActiveE demonstrating the new flexible charging system. Click to enlarge. Siemens and BMW are developing a flexible rapid charging system to make it possible to use the same socket to charge up electric cars on either direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC). The work is part of the Modellregion Elektromobilität München – Drive eCharged project being funded by Germany’s Ministry of Transport, Building, and Urban Development.

DC 240
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ANSI Electric Vehicles Standards Panel to convene 2nd meeting in November

Green Car Congress

The ANSI Electric Vehicles Standards Panel (EVSP) will convene its second plenary meeting on 17-18 November 2011, in Arlington, Virginia, to continue work on a strategic roadmap identifying the standards and conformity assessment programs needed to enable the widespread acceptance and deployment of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure in the United States.

Standards 240
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Testing shows isobutanol fuel blends show promise for use in small engines, off-road vehicles

Green Car Congress

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) reported that a side-by-side evaluation of the performance, durability and emissions of ethanol and isobutanol fuel blends run by Briggs & Stratton (B&S) on its small engines found that isobutanol fuel blends (provided by Gevo) did not cause any irregular or unstable engine or performance issues. The results suggest that isobutanol could help meet the renewable fuel mandate with minimal to no impact on existing equipment and off-road vehicles.

Engine 239
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Volvo Car led CO2 reductions among European automakers in 2010 due partly to diesel success

Green Car Congress

2010 Fleet-average weight and fleet-average CO 2 emissions by carmaker, compared with EU target line. Source: T&E. Click to enlarge. The sixth annual analysis conducted by T&E, the European Federation for Transport and Environment, of new car CO 2 emissions in Europe ( 2011 Cars & CO 2 Report: How clean are Europe’s cars ) found that Volvo Car Corporation led the pack with a CO 2 reduction of 9%.

2010 239
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Daimlers car2go launches large-scale all-electric vehicle car-sharing fleet in Amsterdam

Green Car Congress

Part of the Amsterdam car2go EV fleet. Click to enlarge. Daimler subsidiary car2go launched one of the first large-scale all-electric vehicle car-sharing fleets in Amsterdam. Beginning 24 November, 300 smart fortwo electric drive vehicles will be available for on-demand mobility, without the necessity of returning them to a fixed rental station. Recharging of the electric vehicles is not mandatory after each rental, because the range of the smart fortwo electric drive is eight to ten times highe

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£13M European ecoDriver project seeks to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%

Green Car Congress

The University of Leeds (UK) is leading a £13-million (US$20.6-million), 4-year European project—ecoDriver—to develop innovative new technologies for both in-vehicle and remote devices, such as downloadable smartphone apps, that will help motorists to significantly reduce their fuel consumption by driving in a more energy-efficient way. The overall aim is to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%.

Fuel 236
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BMW offering Real Time Traffic Information (RTTI)

Green Car Congress

BMW is offering an advanced traffic information system that gives fast, accurate and reliable data about road conditions. Real Time Traffic Information (RTTI) is an enhanced BMW ConnectedDrive feature that is available on new BMW models and comes at no additional cost when customers order the BMW Professional navigation system and Bluetooth telephone preparation with telematics.

BMW 236
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BMW Group and PSA Peugeot Citroën officially launch vehicle electrification joint venture

Green Car Congress

One year after the two partners signed a memorandum of understanding, the joint venture formed by the BMW Group and PSA Peugeot Citroën to develop and manufacture hybrid and drive technology—BMW Peugeot Citroën Electrification ( earlier post )—is now up and running. Production of hybrid components for the electrification of both companies' models is scheduled to begin in 2015.

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Hydro-Québec and Technifin form partnership to license lithium titanate spinel oxide (LTO) technologies for Li-ion battery applications

Green Car Congress

Hydro-Québec (Canada) and Technifin (South Africa) have entered into an intellectual property collaboration agreement relating to the licensing of their respective intellectual property (IP) in lithium titanate spinel oxide (LTO) technologies, notably for lithium-ion battery applications. The Hydro-Québec/Technifin LTO patents comprise two separate groups of patent rights affording extensive worldwide protection for LTO technology.