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Skeleton Technologies , an energy-storage start-up located in Tartu, Estonia, was recently awarded a US patent ( #7,803,345 ) on its nanoporous carbon powder supercapacitor material. The material possesses very high surface area and a high packing of nanopores, according to Skeleton, which aims to commercialize the carbon material and supercapacitor technology.
"I don't know if you noticed, but (the oil companies) are doing just fine on their own." This is probably my favorite line from Pres. Obama's SOTU address tonight. A million electric cars on American roads by 2015!
US transportation GHG emissions under the Base Case and three Mitigation Scenarios. Source: Greene and Plotkin (2011). Click to enlarge. A new study published by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change finds that combined actions across three fronts—technology, policy, and consumer behavior—could deliver up to a 65% reduction in transportation emissions from current levels by 2050.
The XL1 prototype PHEV. Click to enlarge. Volkswagen is staging the world debut of its XL1 diesel plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) prototype at the Qatar Motor Show this week. The prototype, representing the third evolutionary stage of Volkswagen’s 1-liter car strategy ( earlier post ), features combined fuel consumption of 0.9 L/100 km (261 mpg US), according to VW.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car will be the first to offer Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicles (EVs) for daily and weekly rentals later this month. The Volt vehicles will be available at the Mark Christopher Auto Center in Ontario, Calif., along with a new charging station. There are more than 5,000 Enterprise Rent-A-Car neighborhood and airport offices, including the Mark Christopher Auto Center site, located within 15 miles of 90% of the US population.
At the end of January, Mercedes-Benz will launch the F-CELL World Drive— a circumnavigation of the world with the series-produced fuel cell vehicle, the B-Class F-CELL. Mercedes-Benz intends to use the F-CELL World Drive is to demonstrate the efficiency and suitability for everyday use of fuel cell technology, and at the same time campaign for the development of a global hydrogen filling station network.
Planned hydrogen infrastructure, with four major metro areas linked. Click to enlarge. A coalition of 13 major Japanese automakers and energy companies—including Toyota, Honda and Nissan—are joining together to expand the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) in 2015 and develop the hydrogen supply network throughout Japan. The two groups are looking to the government to join them in forming various strategies to support their joint efforts and to gain greater public acc
Planned hydrogen infrastructure, with four major metro areas linked. Click to enlarge. A coalition of 13 major Japanese automakers and energy companies—including Toyota, Honda and Nissan—are joining together to expand the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) in 2015 and develop the hydrogen supply network throughout Japan. The two groups are looking to the government to join them in forming various strategies to support their joint efforts and to gain greater public acc
by Jack Rosebro. Mitsubishi will introduce 8 xEVs by FY 2015. Click to enlarge. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) plans to introduce eight hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and battery-powered (BEV) models by fiscal year 2015 in anticipation that demand for low-carbon, fuel-efficient automobiles will expand worldwide. Concurrently, the company will focus on producing new compact vehicles and SUVs in emerging markets, and will strengthen manufacturing capabilities in China, Russia, and Thail
Scientists found that in 14 independent studies, the yields of two Agave species greatly exceeded the yields of other biofuel feedstocks, such as corn, soybean, sorghum, and wheat. Additionally, even more productive Agave species that have not yet been evaluated exist. Agaves are succulents with large rosettes of thick fleshy leaves. One species, Agave azul is used in the production of tequila.
The electric flywheel next to the driver seat. Click to enlarge. Porsche unveiled the 918 RSR at the North American International Auto Show, combining the flywheel technology of the 911 GT3 R hybrid ( earlier post ) and the design of the 918 Spyder. The mid-engine coupé 918 RSR, is the motor sports version of the 918 Spyder concept car. The V8 engine in the 918 RSR is a further development of the direct injection engine from the successful RS Spyder race car and now offers an output of 563 hp (4
First on-road SARTRE mini-platoon. Click to enlarge. The EU-financed SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) project has carried out the first successful demonstration of its vehicle platooning technology at the Volvo Proving Ground close to Gothenburg, Sweden. ( Earlier post.) This marks the first time the EU-financed development teams in SARTRE have tried their systems together outside the simulators.
The Barclays Cycle Superhighways are 12 radial routes aimed at making it safer and easier to commute by bike between outer and inner London on direct and continuous cycle routes. Source: TfL. Click to enlarge. New figures show that the number of cyclists along the first two Barclays Cycle Superhighway routes in London, which run from Merton to the City and Barking to Tower Gateway ( earlier post ), has risen by 70% with increases of 100% or more seen on some sections during peak hours.
Scania has received an order for 158 buses from public transport company Keolis Sverige in Sweden. The delivery to Keolis consists of urban, suburban and intercity buses. The majority, 123 urban and suburban buses, will be used in the greater Stockholm area, where Keolis operates for Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL). Scania has previously delivered ethanol- and biogas-fuelled vehicles to Keolis, and the new buses will be equipped with engines for the renewable fuels ethanol and rapeseed methyl es
Example of micro fibers produced with 20 wt % AB (ammonia borane) in water as core solution, showing smooth (nonporous) and cylindrical (noncollapsed) fibers; from a 2010 paper by the scientific team. Credit: ACS, Kurban et al. Click to enlarge. Cella Energy , a new spin-off company from STFC’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK, is seeking to further develop and commercialize a novel hydrogen storage technology—a way to nanostructure and encapsulate complex chemical hydride material
People’s Daily. State Grid Corp. of China (SGCC) plans to build more electric charging stations in Beijing and several other cities this year to meet rising demand for electric vehicles. The country’s dominant electric power transmission company will build a network of charging stations in Beijing, Tianjin, Hefei and Nanchang this year, the Beijing News quoted SGCC general manager Liu Zhenya as saying.
A recent white paper by Leslie Bromberg of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center and Wai K. Cheng of the Sloan Automotive Laboratory assessing the prospects for methanol as an alternative transportation fuel in the US concludes that methanol is a safe and viable transportation fuel, although it not as good as ethanol in terms of energy density and ease of handling.
Ford EcoMode is a software application available on the new Ford Focus that rates driver behavior impacting fuel economy and then offers up simple hints on how to improve eco-driving skills through a scoring system. EcoMode measures driver behavior for parameters such as gear shifting, anticipation (driving as constant as possible) and speed displaying performance on the instrument cluster screen.
Cutaway of the new pack in the ie:3 demonstrator. Click to enlarge. Johnson Controls unveiled its next-generation Li-ion battery cell and pack, applied in the new ie:3 (“inspired efficiency”) battery-electric demonstrator vehicle (BEV) at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Johnson Controls Saft hard-case prismatic 30 Ah cell (the 30M) uses NMC cathode materials—a mixed oxide material containing nickel, manganese and cobalt—and is targeted for batte
Ford is focused on lightweighting as a key enabling technology for lowering fuel consumption in combustion-engined vehicles (ICE) and for extending the range—and the size—of battery electric vehicles (EVs). Ford made a splash at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit with the introduction of 10 C-segment cars, including a new hybrid and plug-in hybrid based on the C-MAX ( earlier post )—this following on the roll-out the prior week of the Ford Focus Elect
The MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) has released a report on the proceedings—and papers that informed those proceedings—of the 8 April 2010 symposium on The Electrification of the Transportation System: Issues and Opportunities. The symposium was sponsored by the MIT Energy Initiative, together with Ormat, Hess, Cummins and Entergy. The symposium was organized into four panels that addressed key issues: (1) Why vehicle electrification matters; (2) vehicle technologies; (3) infrastructu
Volvo Cars, A-hus and Vattenfall recently launched the six-month One Tonne Life project—an attempt by a family (the Lindells) to cut their carbon dioxide yearly emissions from seven tonnes per person to a more sustainable one tonne. Car. Volvo has provided a C30 Electric ( earlier post ) for use in the project. The Volvo C30 Electric is powered by a 24 kWh Li-ion battery pack (22.7 kWh used to power the car) that is recharged via a regular wall socket.
DB has lowered its advanced lithium-ion battery cost projection by about 30% for 2012. Click to enlarge. In a December 2010 research note on the 2011 outlook for the oil market, Deutsche Bank (DB) analysts have revised their earlier expectations of the pace of near-term transportation electrification trends (slower) and gasoline demand (greater) but note that the developments in the global transportation sector in 2010 have increased their confidence “ in the pace and breadth of the long-t
The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) in California has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for Public Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure and installation for local jurisdictions within the Monterey Bay Area. Transportation in the Monterey Bay Area is dominated by use of the personal automobile, AMBAG said, noting that a large mode shift to biking or transit, is not expected to occur even as gas prices increase.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University, Israel (TAU) have found that the exoskeleton of the Oriental hornet can harvest solar energy. Results of their study were recently published in the journal Naturwissenschaften. Previously, entomologists noted that Oriental hornets, unlike other wasps and bees, are active in the afternoon rather than the morning when the sun is just rising.
Technip, in association with Nénuphar, Converteam and EDF Energies nouvelles recently launched the Vertiwind project to test a pre-industrial prototype of a vertical-axis offshore floating wind turbine. The partners of the project are Seal Engineering, ISITV, IFP Energies nouvelles, Arts et Métiers, Bureau Veritas, Oceanide. Free of the constraints related to the foundations of fixed wind turbines, the Vertiwind concept opens new perspectives for wind farms offshore numerous countries notably in
EU-funded scientists are piloting a service that will allow people to determine the best way of making journeys in cities. As well as helping individuals find the most efficient route and travel mode, the systems should cut congestion and lower the environmental impacts of road transport. The system was presented to representatives from industry and service providers, as well as city and regional officials, at an event in Vienna, Austria, on 25 January.
Audi used the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Audi to highlight an array of vehicle communications and infotainment ideas, among them a further exploration of its car-to-car technology (Car-2-X) that could reduce fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions. In contrast to today’s telematics systems, Car-2-X communication does not require a central service provider to pool and process information.
If the US military increases its use of alternative jet and naval fuels that can be produced from coal or various renewable resources, including seed oils, waste oils and algae, there will be no direct benefit to the nation’s armed forces, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Any benefits from investment in alternative fuels by the US Department of Defense will accrue to the nation as a whole rather than to mission-specific needs of the military, the researchers concluded.
The Ford Focus Electric. Click to enlarge. Ford Motor Company officially unveiled the Focus Electric—the company’s first all-electric passenger car. ( Earlier post.). The five-door electric hatchback leverages Ford’s global C-car platform shared by the gasoline and diesel-powered Focus models. Both Focus gasoline and electric variants to be sold in North America will be built at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., with production powered in part by one of the largest solar ener
Chevy Volt Powermat. Click to enlarge. General Motors and Powermat, a provider of wireless charging technology for mobile personal devices, announced a commercial agreement that will eliminate the need for charging cords for personal electronic devices in many future Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac products beginning mid-2012. GM Ventures, the company’s venture capital subsidiary headed by Jon Lauckner, who helped create the Volt concept, will invest $5 million in Powermat to accelerate the t
PC-Aero, a German aircraft design, engineering and consulting company for general and business aviation, in December 2010 successfully performed the static tests on the 1-seat Elektra One prototype electric powered aircraft ( earlier post ) for German Ultralight Certification. Static testing of the Elektra One. Copyright: DULV. Click to enlarge. The structure of the aircraft (wing, fuselage and tails) was loaded up to limit load.
Nanoscoops for high-power anodes. Credit: ACS, Krishnan et al. Click to enlarge. A team at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has developed a functionally strain-graded carbon-aluminum-silicon anode architecture that overcomes the normally poor performance of Li-ion batteries for high power applications involving ultrafast charging/discharging rates.
Examples of degradation effects causing Li-ion battery power or capacity fading. Source: Roland Matthé, GM. Click to enlarge. With the Volt extended range electric vehicle and the Leaf battery electric vehicle now on the market, joining an ever increasing array of hybrids, and with next-generation versions of all of these already in the works, automakers and battery manufacturers provided some insight at the recent Automotive Advanced Battery Conference (AABC) in Pasadena into their learn
At the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Volvo Cars will unveil the V60 diesel Plug-in Hybrid—a virtually production-ready car with carbon dioxide emissions below 50 g/km, which translates into fuel consumption of some 1.9 L/100 km (124 mpg US). ( Earlier post.) All-electric range is up to 50 km (31 miles), with combined range being apprpoximately 1,200 km (746 miles).
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