May, 2018

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Toyota moves to expand mass-production of fuel cell stacks and hydrogen tanks towards ten-fold increase post-2020

Green Car Congress

Toyota projects that global sales of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) will increase significantly after 2020 to at least 30,000 per year from today’s 3,000. To prepare for this growth, the company unveiled plans for two major new facilities: a brand-new building near its original automobile factory for expanding fuel cell (FC) stack mass production, and a new line in an existing plant to manufacture high-pressure hydrogen tanks.

Hydrogen 321
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Japanese automakers team up to solidify next-gen batteries

Green Car Reports

Facing competition from American scientists, Japanese automakers are teaming up to develop solid-state lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, according to a Nikkei report. Some engineers see solid state batteries as the holy grail for cars because they are safer and have higher energy density than today's lithium-ion batteries. That can give.

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Potholes – Britain’s nuisance

Greenways Insurance

They’re a major contributor to axle and suspension failure, causing British motorists £2.8 billion every year and authorities £30 million in compensation; but due to lack of funding, potholes are a common sight on UK roads. The fact is that authorities are underfunded by around £1 billion every year. Even if they had sufficient funding, it would take 12 years to get on top of the backlog.

Legal 52
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Electric Highway comes to Queenstown with opening of first Fast Charger

ChargeNet

A new electric vehicle (EV) fast charger is now open for business in Queenstown, just in time for winter travellers making their way to New Zealand’s most popular tourist destination. The DC fast charger, installed and managed by ChargeNet NZ and supported by EECA through their Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, is conveniently located at […].

DC 52
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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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Everything you need to know about the April 2018 diesel ‘road tax’ changes

Green Cars News

Revised car tax rates came into force on 1 April, meaning that drivers of new diesel vehicles will face higher first-year tax bands.

Tax 48
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Lightning Systems converting 35-foot diesel buses to battery-electrics in Boulder; cost-effective electrification

Green Car Congress

Lightning Systems, a global developer of zero-emission solutions for commercial fleets, is partnering with the City of Boulder and transit provider Via Mobility Services to repower diesel buses with battery-electric systems. The first demonstration vehicle will be on the road this summer and will give the bus more than 200 miles of all-electric range.

Convert 320

More Trending

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Workhorse, Plug Power deliver electric delivery van with fuel cell range extender to Fedex; in standard delivery route

Green Car Congress

Plug Power Inc. and Workhorse Group, Inc. have delivered to FedEx Express its first North American fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) delivery van for on-road use. The Class-5 EGEN delivery van is built by Workhorse Group and charged by a Plug Power ProGen hydrogen fuel cell system (2 x 10 kW). The vehicle is currently in service at the FedEx facility in Menands, NY.

Plug-in 275
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Groupe PSA selects Punch Powertrain for future electrified transmission systems; 48V configuration up first

Green Car Congress

Groupe PSA has selected transmission provider Punch Powertrain as the supplier of its next-generation e-DCT electrified transmission systems by 2022. Groupe PSA has been actively accelerating its shift to electrified vehicles (Mild-hybrid, MHEV), Electric Vehicles (EV) and Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) with the aim of developing an electrified offering covering 100% of its range by 2025.

Future 268
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Proterra introduces new high power interoperable EV charging technology; J1772- and J3105-compliant, OCPP

Green Car Congress

At the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Bus & Paratransit Conference, electric bus manufacturer Proterra has introduced high-power charging options to make a 100% electric bus fleet more easily achievable. North American cities, counties and transit agencies are announcing zero-emission fleet goals. The development of universal technology standards will accelerate this transition, and Proterra is actively working to promote interoperability across technology platforms.

Charging 264
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Study associates in-utero exposure to PM2.5 pollution with higher blood pressure in childhood

Green Car Congress

Children who were exposed to higher levels of PM 2.5 air pollution during the third trimester of their mother’s pregnancy had a higher risk of elevated blood pressure in childhood, according to new research by a team led by researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension. Fine particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less (PM 2.5 ) is a form of air pollution produced by motor vehicles and the burning of oil, coal and biomass, and has been shown to e

Pollution 262
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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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API reports record US petroleum production in April: 10.543 million b/d; strongest April demand since 2007

Green Car Congress

April saw the US produce a record 10,543,000 barrels per day (MBD) of oil, according to data from the American Petroleum Institute. The first four months of this year also saw US petroleum demand average 750,000 barrels a day above the same period in 2017 despite higher prices. Total petroleum products delivered to the domestic market in April 2018 were 20,308,000 b/d—a seasonal decrease of 1.5% from March but 3.8% above April 2017.

2007 259
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German power-to-gas facility opens green methanation plant; €28M STORE&GO project

Green Car Congress

A methanation plant expansion to the existing power-to-gas (PtG) facility in Falkenhagen, Germany has officially opened as part of the international €28-million (US$33.5-million) STORE&GO research project. Construction on the methanation plant began in July 2017. While the current facility feeds pure hydrogen (“WindGas”) directly into the gas grid, the new methanation plant provides for the generation of “green” methane.

Store 258
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San Francisco commits to all-electric bus fleet By 2035; MUNI Board approves pilot program

Green Car Congress

San Francisco Mayor Mark Farrell and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which operates MUNI (the city’s public transit), announced San Francisco’s commitment to have an all-electric bus fleet by 2035. SFMTA will only purchase all-electric buses starting in 2025 to meet the goal for 2035. The SFMTA Board of Directors on Tuesday approved a resolution supporting the commitment towards an all-electric bus fleet along with a pilot program to evaluate and implement battery elec

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Volvo Trucks presents second electric truck model in three weeks: Volvo FE Electric

Green Car Congress

Just three weeks after the unveiling of Volvo Trucks’ first all-electric truck, the Volvo FL Electric ( earlier post ), the company is expanding its product range with a second electric truck. The Volvo FE Electric is designed for heavier city distribution and refuse transport operations with gross weights of up to 27 tonnes. Sales will commence in Europe in 2019.

Volvo 253
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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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ION ENergy exits stealth mode with launch of UDYR 48V Li-ion battery for two- and three-wheelers

Green Car Congress

ION Energy, a startup energy storage company, launched UDYR, an intelligent, modular and portable 48V, 32 Ah lithium-ion battery supported by ION’s proprietary battery management system, software platform, and backend analytics. UDYR is built with NMC cells from LG Chem. The battery is natively compatible with most electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers allowing automotive OEMs globally to use UDYR as a drop-in solution and accelerate their speed to market.

Li-ion 250
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MCI J4500e electric coach prototype reaches highway speed and reliability targets in test runs; on sale in 2020

Green Car Congress

Motor Coach Industries (MCI), the US subsidiary of New Flyer Industries Inc. (NFI Group), the largest transit bus and motor coach manufacturer and parts distributor in North America, announced that its all-electric J4500e prototype—a battery-electric version of J4500 coach—successfully completed its phase one testing. MCI said that the coach ran flawlessly at both low and high speeds up to a sustained 70 mph (113 km/h) on the highway.

2020 246
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Geely/Volvo awards Maxwell Technologies with ultracapacitor subsystem design win for 2020 model year platforms; mild- and plug-in hybrids

Green Car Congress

Maxwell Technologies, a leading developer and manufacturer of capacitive energy storage and power delivery solutions, announced a technology partnership with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely), the parent company of leading brands such as Volvo and Geely Auto. The partnership focuses on the integration of state-of-the-art ultracapacitors and advanced power conversion electronics into Geely’s global automotive vehicle lineup in support of their fleet electrification strategy.

Plug-in 236
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Toyota Research Institute constructing automated vehicle test facility in Michigan

Green Car Congress

Toyota Research Institute (TRI) is constructing a closed-course test facility to develop automated vehicle technology. Construction permits were filed this week to transform an approximately 60-acre site at Michigan Technical Resource Park (MITRP) in Ottawa Lake. When it becomes operational this October, the new site will be used exclusively by TRI to safely replicate demanding “edge case” driving scenarios, too dangerous to perform on public roads.

Michigan 236
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Study finds car dealerships pose significant barrier to EV adoption

Green Car Congress

A new study by a team from Aarhus University in Denmark has found that car dealerships pose a significant barrier to electric vehicle adoption at the point of sale due to a perceived lack of business case viability in relation to gasoline and diesel vehicles. Their study is published in the journal Nature. In 126 “mystery shopper” experiences at 82 car dealerships across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the team found that that dealers were dismissive of EVs; misinformed shoppers on

Iceland 231
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Maxwell puts lifetime value of ultracap subsystem deal with Geely/Volvo at ~$100M

Green Car Congress

Maxwell Technologies is putting the lifetime value of its recently announced deal to provide ultracapacitor-based subsystems to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely), the parent company of leading brands such as Volvo and Geely Auto ( earlier post ), at $100 million. Under the deal, Maxwell will provide multi-cell ultracapacitor subsystems with power electronics that will be applied in Geely and Volvo mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Volvo 231
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UPS to deploy 35 ARRIVAL purpose-built lightweight electric delivery vans in London and Paris

Green Car Congress

UPS is working with UK-based technology firm ARRIVAL to develop a pilot fleet of 35 electric delivery vehicles (EVs) to be trialed in London and Paris. These zero tailpipe emission, lightweight composite vehicles have a battery range of more than 150 miles (240 kilometers), which is significantly higher than other EVs currently in service. The vehicles will also come equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that help to improve safety and reduce driver fatigue.

London 225
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Anheuser-Busch orders 800 Nikola hydrogen-fuel-cell range-extended electric semi-trucks

Green Car Congress

Anheuser-Busch has placed an order for up to 800 hydrogen-fuel-cell range-extended electric semi-trucks from Nikola Motor Company. The trucks—which will be able to travel between 500 and 1,200 miles and be refilled within 20 minutes, reducing idle time—are expected to be integrated into Anheuser-Busch’s dedicated fleet beginning in 2020.

Hydrogen 225
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Revolve Technologies working with Ford for hybrid ECUs

Green Car Congress

Ford has appointed UK-based Revolve Technologies , a specialist powertrain, engineering and development business, as its sole European Quality Calibration Modifier (QCM), giving the company access to Ford engine technical information. As engine designs become ever more complex, optimizing for new applications is an increasing challenge that requires access to complex data sets.

Ford 223
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How crude-oil prices influence gasoline prices

Green Car Congress

by Michael Sivak. Gasoline is one of the products refined from crude oil. Thus, the price of crude oil should have a strong influence on the price of gasoline. However, the retail price of gasoline includes other costs as well. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that in the United States from 2008 to 2017, crude oil represented only 61% of the retail price of gasoline.

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BMW Group 1st international automaker to obtain autonomous driving road test license in China; new R&D center in Beijing

Green Car Congress

On 14 May 2018, BMW Group officially obtained the Shanghai Intelligent Connected Autonomous Driving Test License, issued by the Intelligent Connected Vehicle Road Test Promotion Team—consisting of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau and Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission.

BMW 220
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SoftBank to invest $2.25B in GM Cruise; GM to add $1.1B; driving large-scale AV deployment

Green Car Congress

SoftBank Vision Fund will invest $2.25 billion in GM Cruise Holdings LLC (GM Cruise), further strengthening the company’s plans to commercialize autonomous vehicle (AV) technology at large scale. GM will also invest $1.1 billion in GM Cruise upon closing of the transaction. The investments value GM Cruise at $11.5 billion. GM has made significant progress toward realizing the dream of completely automated driving to dramatically reduce fatalities, emissions and congestion.

GM 210
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Scenario study suggests increased vehicle electrification in Europe increases demand for gas in power sector; limited ability for power-to-gas

Green Car Congress

A study published by the Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) has explored the possible impact of increased electrification of road transportation and domestic heating and cooking on the energy system (electricity and gas), as well as on CO 2 emissions and on GDP. The study is based on a set of scenarios for 2050 of electrification in five European countries: Austria (AT), Belgium (BE), France (FR), Germany (DE) and the Netherlands (NL).

Gas 210
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BNEF: E-buses to surge even faster than EVs; supply of cobalt potential risk to the pace of growth

Green Car Congress

The electrification of road transport will move into top gear in the second half of the 2020s, due to tumbling battery costs and larger-scale manufacturing, with sales of electric cars surging to 28%, and those of electric buses to 84%, of their respective global markets by 2030. The latest long-term forecast from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) shows sales of electric vehicles (EVs) increasing from a record 1.1 million worldwide last year to 11 million in 2025, and then surging to 30 millio

Supplies 210
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Volvo Cars and Volvo Trucks share live vehicle data to improve traffic safety

Green Car Congress

Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, and leading truck maker Volvo Trucks (independent companies despite the names) are collaborating to share real-time data to expand coverage of the companies’ connected safety technology—cloud-based systems that allow vehicle to communicate with each other and alert drivers of nearby hazards. Volvo Trucks is introducing a cloud-based service, Connected Safety, which allows Volvo trucks and Volvo cars to automatically alert each other to hazardous traffic s

Volvo 210
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NYC to use REG renewable diesel in more than 1,000 city vehicles, including many sanitation trucks

Green Car Congress

The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) will, for the first time, use renewable diesel, a low-emissions, 99% petroleum-free fuel, to power more than 1,000 City government vehicles, including in large vehicles such as sanitation trucks. The renewable diesel used by NYC will be produced domestically by Renewable Energy Group (REG) and will be distributed by Sprague Energy.

Renewable 210
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Lion Electric unveils eLionM electric midi/minibus at Movin’On

Green Car Congress

At the Movin’On 2018 mobility summit in Montreal, Québec-based Lion Electric unveiled its 100% electric midi/minibus, the eLionM. The low-floor vehicle will be able to travel up to 75 miles (120 km) (one 80 kWh pack) or 150 miles (240 km) (two 80 kWh packs) per charge. The eLionM features a 149 kW (200 hp) traction motor, embedded 19.2 kW charger (J1772), and high-performance batteries from LG Chem.

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SoCalGas introduces STARS solar hydrogen generation system at California Air Resources Board Symposium

Green Car Congress

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) introduced an innovative new solar-powered hydrogen generation system during the California Air Resources Board Technology Expo and Symposium at the University of California, Riverside. The project is a partnership between SoCalGas, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the STARS Corporation. The generation system uses sunlight to convert natural gas and water into hydrogen and capture the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to prevent carbon emissions.

Solar 207
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Volkswagen innovates with aerodynamics for electric I.D. R Pikes Peak racer

Green Car Congress

In preparation for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 2018, the Volkswagen Motorsport team has engineered the aerodynamics of the I.D. R Pikes Peak ( earlier post )—the brand’s first fully-electric racing car—specifically to tackle the famous hill climb. The goal at the race, which takes place on 24 June in Colorado Springs, CO, is to break the record in the class for electric prototypes, which currently stands at 8:57.118 minutes.

Wind 207
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Mercedes-Benz to invest ~€500M to produce electric compact EQ model at Hambach plant

Green Car Congress

Mercedes-Benz Cars is expanding its production capacities for electric cars in Europe. The Hambach plant in France, which currently produces smart brand electric vehicles, will produce a compact electric car of the new product and technology brand EQ. Mercedes-Benz Cars plans to launch more than ten electric cars by 2022 throughout all segments, from smart to large SUVs.

Mercedes 207