November, 2013

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Field test shows Volvo Buses’ plug-in hybrid reduces fuel consumption by 81% and energy consumption by 61%; 21 mpg

Green Car Congress

'Volvo Bus’ plug-in hybrid. The pantograph for rapid charging can be seen on the roof. Click to enlarge. Field tests being conducted in Gothenburg show that Volvo Buses’ plug-in hybrid reduces fuel consumption by 81% and total energy consumption (diesel plus electricity) by 61% compared to a comparable Euro 5 diesel bus. ( Earlier post.). The field test in Gothenburg began in June 2013 and includes three plug-in hybrid buses, the batteries of which are rapidly recharged at the terminals.

Plug-in 362
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South Bay Parents Welcome Mexican Drug Cartel Funding For Local Schools’ DARE Program

Creative Greenius

'We have to get the money from somewhere,” say parents. “And there were no strings attached. Since we’re using the money for drug prevention we don’t think this is hypocritical at all. We still tell our kids that drugs are bad and to stay off them. You tell us – if we don’t take the money from them where else are we going to get it?

Chevron 319
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Tesla Fires: What We Know, And What We Need To Find Out

Green Car Reports

'There have now been three separate fires among roughly 20,000 Tesla Model S electric luxury sedans on the world''s highways. The most recent one, two days ago, seems to have set off a fresh round of Internet fulmination--combined with much opining on what the news would do to the falling stock price of Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA]. So let''s pull.

Tesla 166
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Electric van (unofficially) sets new record for distance travelled in one day

Green Cars News

'Battery-swapping station operator Greenway has unofficially set a new world record for the most distance travelled in an electric van in a 24 hour period, covering an amazing 2,048.2 kilometres (1,272 miles). The Slovakian start-up, which runs a series of battery-swapping station for electric ve[.].

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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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Tesla Motors takes the initiative to extinguish Model S fire worries

National Green Transportation

'Tesla Motors announced on Tuesday measures meant to address concerns over fire risk in the Tesla Model S, reiterating the overall safety of that company's electric luxury car. Since October 1, 2013, three Tesla Model S&#39.

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Berkeley Lab team demonstrates high-rate, high-energy, long-life Li/S battery in the lab; looking for industry partners

Green Car Congress

'Long-term cycling test results of the Li/S cell with CTAB-modified S?GO composite cathodes. This result represents the longest cycle life (exceeding 1,500 cycles) with an extremely low decay rate (0.039% per cycle) demonstrated so far for a Li/S cell. Credit: ACS, Song et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have demonstrated in the laboratory a lithium-sulfur (Li/S) battery that has more than twice the specific energy of lithi

Li-ion 359

More Trending

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Study estimates 6% of lung cancer deaths in US and UK attributable to diesel exhaust

Green Car Congress

'In 2012, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified diesel engine exhaust (DEE) as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). ( Earlier post.). Now, a study by researchers from the Netherlands, the US, and France estimates that approximately 6% of annual lung cancer deaths in the US and UK—combining both environmental and occupational exposures—may be due to DEE exposure.

Exhaust 353
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Ford recalling Focus Electrics over electric powertrain propulsion failure

Green Car Congress

'Ford Motor is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Focus Electric vehicles manufactured from 15 September 15, 2011 through August 23, 2013. In the affected vehicles, a powertrain control module software fault may result in a sudden loss of motive power, increasing the risk of a crash. According to the defect information report Ford filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 2,456 vehicles in the US and federalized territories are potentially affected.

Ford 352
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Škoda Electric introduces its first battery-electric bus; second fast-charging model slated for next year

Green Car Congress

'In September, Czechoslovakia-based Škoda Electric introduced its first battery-electric bus. The company wants to build on the success of its trolleybuses, of which several hundred will be produced next year mainly for foreign customers. Škoda has also developed a hydrogen-powered and a hybrid bus. There is a growing emphasis in the world on reducing the negative impacts of transportation on the environment.

Batteries 316
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Brookings analysts recommend against repeating cash for clunkers program in future recession

Green Car Congress

'According to a new paper and policy brief by Brookings, the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) or “cash for clunkers” program, launched during the height of the recession with the intention of stimulating the economy and reducing emissions, actually resulted in only a small and short-lived impact on GDP; a higher implied cost per job created than alternative fiscal stimulus programs; and a higher cost per ton of CO 2 reduced than what would be achieved through a policy such as a carbon tax or c

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

Brief

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Mercedes-Benz reports on 3.3M km of B-Class Fuel Cell testing, looks ahead to next generation

Green Car Congress

'While Hyundai, Toyota and Honda seized much attention over their presentations of fuel cell rollout plans (in the case of Hyundai) and concepts (in the case of Honda and Toyota) at the Los Angeles and Tokyo auto shows, Daimler used EVS27 in Barcelona as a forum to report on its 3.3 million kilometers (2 million miles) of experience with the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Fuel Cell fleet as well as the main technical targets envisioned for the next generation fuel cell electric car. ( Earlier post.).

Mercedes 300
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Zero Waste Energy breaks ground on organic waste to CNG fuel facility

Green Car Congress

'Zero Waste Energy, LLC (ZWE) broke ground on an anaerobic digestion facility in South San Francisco, CA that will convert organic waste into compressed natural gas (CNG) and compost. The Blue Line Biogenic CNG facility will convert 11,200 TPY of food and green waste into 100,000+ diesel equivalent gallons of CNG fuel. The company estimates that each collection vehicle will gather enough organic waste during just one route to fuel it for an entire day, creating a closed-loop system.

Waste 299
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Volkswagen combines XL1 powertrain with up! for the twin up! concept plug-in diesel hybrid; 214 mpg

Green Car Congress

'Introducing the twin up! Click to enlarge. Volkswagen presented the twin up! concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show. Equipped with a plug-in hybrid system from the super-efficient XL1 ( earlier post ), the four-seater based on the up! city car achieves combined fuel consumption of 1.1 liters per 100 km (214 mpg US ) (NEDC), with corresponding CO 2 emissions of 27 g/km.

Plug-in 297
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Ford recalling nearly 140,000 2013 Escapes with 1.6L EcoBoost engines over fire potential

Green Car Congress

'Ford Motor Company is recalling 139,917 model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured 5 October 2011 through 2 June 2013 and equipped with 1.6L EcoBoost engines. These vehicles may experience localized overheating of the engine cylinder head which may cause cracks that could allow oil to leak; leaking engine oil may come into contact with a hot engine surface, potentially resulting in an engine compartment fire.

Escape 296
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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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ABI forecasts global V2V penetration in new cars to reach 69% in 2027

Green Car Congress

'ABI Research projects that global V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle communication) penetration in new cars will increase from 10.9% in 2018 to 69% in 2027. Huge interest in autonomous driving across the automotive ecosystem firmly positions V2X technology and applications as a key component of driverless car systems. However, some OEMs are claiming some forms of (semi)-autonomous driving can be achieved by just using in-vehicle ADAS-sensors.

Global 290
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JRC study finds 8 metals for low-carbon energy technologies at risk of shortages; EVs, wind and solar, and lighting the applications of most concern

Green Car Congress

'A new European Joint Research Centre (JRC) study looking into the supply of raw materials for the manufacture of low-carbon energy technologies found that eight metals were at high risk of shortages. The applications, i.e. technologies, of particular concern as a result are electric vehicles, wind and solar energy, and lighting. The risk arises from EU dependency on imports, growing demand worldwide and geopolitical reasons.

Wind 290
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New 4-cylinder 2.3L EcoBoost on Lincoln MKC small SUV; future EcoBoost prospects

Green Car Congress

'Lincoln MKC is the first to get the new 2.3L EcoBoost. Click to enlarge. The all-new 2015 Lincoln MKC small premium utility, unveiled last week, offers an all-new engine—a 2.3-liter EcoBoost gasoline turbocharged direct injection (GTDI) four-cylinder unit. Ford says the engine can deliver up to 15% better fuel economy than comparable six-cylinder engines.

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Serving My Country – My Patriotic Duty

Creative Greenius

'Robert Earl Bushweit (right) runs into his Detroit buddy, Percy, in a captured German town during WWII. And The River Opens For The Righteous. On this Veteran’s Day 2013 I honor my father-in-law, Bob Bushweit for his service starting at the age of 18 in World War II where he fought as a member of Patton’s Third Army across Africa and Europe and actually did preserve our freedom and our democracy as part of the greatest generation. .

Al Gore 286
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Toyota to develop hybrid vehicles with two Chinese partners

Green Car Congress

'The Nikkei reports that Toyota plans to develop hybrid vehicles with two Chinese automakers; Toyota made the announcement at the Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition. Toyota will collaborate with the R&D divisions of its passenger-car joint ventures with China FAW Group and Guangzhou Automobile Group to seek to make hybrids that can handle various road conditions and suit the preferred riding comfort of local consumers.

Chinese 285
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Government of Québec awards $675k to Lion Bus for electric school bus; part of $516M transportation electrification strategy

Green Car Congress

'Québec’s Ministry of Natural Resources has awarded Lion Bus Inc. C$675,000 (US$643 million) for a project to develop an all-electric school bus. This project follows the recent release of the $516-million (US$492-million) Transportation Electrification Strategy, recently made public by the government. Our government wants to make Québec a world leader in the electrification of transportation.

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Nissan testing LEAF as electrical power storage and supply for office buildings; LEAF-to-Building a development of LEAF-to-Home

Green Car Congress

'Nissan reports a successful early field test of a system that will allow companies to regulate their electricity bills using the batteries of Nissan LEAFs used by their staff to commute to work. “Vehicle-To-Building” allows up to six Nissan LEAF EVs to be connected to a building’s power distribution board. Charging is phased during the day so at peak hours, when electricity is most expensive, the building draws power from the cars.

Nissan 277
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GM and Detroit Renewable Energy partner on project to convert municipal solid waste to process heat for assembly plant

Green Car Congress

'General Motors and Detroit Renewable Energy are partnering on a renewable energy project to turn solid municipal waste from Metro Detroit into process steam that will be used to heat and cool portions of GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. Click to enlarge. The steam will travel 8,300 feet through a pipe originating at Detroit Renewable Power and ending at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant.

Detroit 277
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EIA forecasts Bakken oil production will top 1M barrels per day next month; >10% of US oil production

Green Car Congress

'The latest monthly update of estimated crude oil production in the Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana shows total wellhead output topping 1 million barrels of oil per day (bbl/d) next month. The update appears in the most recent issue of the US Energy Information Administration’s Drilling Productivity Report (DPR). The Bakken region now accounts for a little over 10% of total U.S. oil production and is the fourth region (along with the Gulf of Mexico, Eagle Ford, and Permian basins) curr

Oil 270
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Nissan carries out first public road test of Autonomous Drive on expressways in Japan

Green Car Congress

'Nissan Motor Corporation has carried out the first public road test of Autonomous Drive (AD) ( earlier post ) on a Japanese highway. A Nissan LEAF electric vehicle equipped with the technology took to the Sagami Expressway in Kanagawa prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, with the prefecture’s Governor, Yuji Kuroiwa, and Nissan Vice Chairman Toshiyuki Shiga, on board.

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Anderman report sees strongest growth for full-hybrid systems; Li-ion batteries for hybrids may be in short supply

Green Car Congress

'Low-cost 14V micro hybrid systems and full (strong) hybrid (i.e., systems with limited electric drive) architectures at 140-300V are entering strong growth phases, while the future of intermediate systems—those falling between the high-voltage full hybrids and the low-voltage stop-start systems—is less clear, according to “Assessing the Future of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles: The 2014 xEV Industry Insider Report” by Dr.

Li-ion 265
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California Energy Commission to award up to $6M to EV charging infrastructure projects

Green Car Congress

'The California Energy Commission (CEC) has issued a $6-million competitive grant solicitation ( PON-13-606 ) to fund the buildout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the four following categories: Destination Charging: This category is for destinations that may attract people to travel “medium-to-long” distances from their home and where the vehicle would tend to be parked for more than one hour.

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CMU study finds limited dedicated residential parking and charging a significant barrier to mainstream EV adoption

Green Car Congress

'Selected forecasts of US PEV sales with barriers to fleet penetration from limited residential charging infrastructure. Traut et al. Click to enlarge. An analysis by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University of parking and charging availability for electric vehicles in the US has concluded that limited availability of dedicated residential parking—and hence charging opportunities—is a significant barrier to mainstream electric vehicle adoption.

Charging 262
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Euro VI Stralis Hi-Way cuts fuel consumption 2.33% compared to Euro V model

Green Car Congress

'TÜV, one of the leading European technical certification centers, has certified that the Iveco Stralis Hi-Way Euro VI reduces fuel consumption 2.33% compared to the previous Euro V version, due to the catalytic reduction system HI-eSCR (High Efficiency SCR) patented by FPT Industrial and the aerodynamic optimizations introduced with the new cab. Stralis Hi-Way Euro VI.

Fuel 261
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Advanced pre-collision safety system in 2014 Lexus LS helps avoid frontal collisions

Green Car Congress

'The Lexus flagship 2014 LS sedan offers an Advanced Pre-Collision System (A-PCS) with collision avoidance assist designed to detect obstacles and bring the car to a full stop if needed. This system is designed to assist the driver in avoiding or mitigating collisions with vehicles and pedestrians under a wide range of city and highway speeds, by day or night.

Lexus 261
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Chevron Confirms first oil production from deepwater Papa-Terra offshore Brazil

Green Car Congress

'Chevron’s Brazilian subsidiary and Petrobras have started crude oil production from Papa-Terra’s floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) offshore Brazil. Papa-Terra has installed capacity to produce 140,000 barrels of heavy crude per day; the project is estimated to recover 380 million barrels of oil. Chevron holds a 37.5% interest in the Papa-Terra field, while Petrobras, the project operator, has the remaining 62.5%.

Chevron 261
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Shanghai-Volkswagen produces 10 millionth vehicle in China

Green Car Congress

'Volkswagen marked the production of the 10 millionth vehicle by Shanghai-Volkswagen, a joint venture of Volkswagen and SAIC Motor Corporation Ltd. Volkswagen produced its first vehicle in Shanghai, a Volkswagen Santana, in April 1983. With more than 4.2 million units produced, the Santana is a prominent feature on the roads of China to this day. Shanghai-Volkswagen established its own development department in 1990 and commissioned a test facility in 1997 and its own design centre in 2003.

China 261
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Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi to provide financial assistance for EV charging infrastructure in Japan

Green Car Congress

'Toyota Motor Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation have agreed on the details of specific financial assistance they will provide to installers of charging stations for electric vehicles (PHVs, PHEVs, and EVs). This announcement follows an agreement the four companies announced in July jointly to promote the construction of a user-friendly network of charging infrastructures. ( Earlier post.).

Japan 261
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Audi wins SPE award for plastic turbocharged air duct

Green Car Congress

'At the recent 43rd-Annual SPE (Society of Plastics Engineers) Automotive Innovation Awards Competition, Audi took the Powertrain category award for its turbocharged air duct applied on the A4 and A5 TDI and TFSI. Click to enlarge. The component, supplied by Röchling Automotive , combines the air-intake duct with charge air cooler and integrates both into the intake manifold, reducing air-intake loop volume by up to 50% (for better engine response) while also lowering package space 40% and part

Audi 259
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Daimler takes 12% stake in Chinese parter BAIC Motor; first non-Chinese automotive company to acquire an interest in a Chinese OEM

Green Car Congress

'Daimler AG is taking a major step forward in its China strategy with the closing of the company’s 12% investment in long-standing partner BAIC Motor, the passenger car unit of Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC Group), one of the top automotive companies in China. This marks the first investment by a non-Chinese automotive company in a Chinese OEM. The official closing of the transaction followed a short time after the signing of the investment agreement between the two companies in Stuttgart earli

Chinese 259