This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
A survey by Germany’s BDEW (Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft), an association of energy and water companies, found that the number of public charge points in the country has grown to 7,407 as of the end of 2016. 890 new charging points have been added to since mid-2016—an increase of almost 12%. 292 of the new points are DC fast charging.
Even before Elon Musk engineered Tesla's acquisition of SolarCity, the two companies were collaborating. SolarCity was already controlled by Musk, who believes its solar-energy business can be reinforced and complemented by Tesla's energy-storage business. Last year, Tesla announced a joint project with SolarCity to install a large battery farm.
CDP Technologies, the OEM sales division of Crazy Diamond Performance Inc., will offer a new aftermarket gaseous fuels-prepped cylinder head package for GM 6.0L engines. The new CDP cylinder head will be available for the popular GM engines that have been, or are slated to be, converted to a gaseous alternative fuel engine. One of the components in Crazy Diamond Performance’s upcoming CDP TorqueDrive (TD) engine, CDP’s new cylinder head has been engineered to incorporate higher airflow, strength
At the Geneva Auto Show, the China-based Hybrid Kinetic group unveiled the H600 microturbine range-extended electric vehicle sedan concept, produced together with its vehicle design and engineering partner, Pininfarina. The 60 kW microturbine range extender delivers 40% efficiency, low emissions, and a 10000-hour maintenance interval. The 30 kWh battery pack has a long life span (50,000 charging/discharging cycles) as well as high energy density (300 Wh/kg); it can sustain a very high charging r
Air Products, a leader in hydrogen fueling and infrastructure worldwide, has achieved a pricing milestone at several California fueling stations, which are now offering hydrogen to fuel cell electric vehicle customers at less than $10 per kilogram. Advancements in fueling technology and a greater volume of vehicles now using the stations were important factors in allowing the pricing move to less than $10 per hydrogen kilogram ($9.99/kg).
In the UK, increasing pressure to reduce the impact of pollution from vehicles has led to growing interest in the introduction of Clean Air Zones and Low Emission Zones. However, such mitigation measures are expensive to design and implement and, while street level air quality monitoring can highlight the problem in the form of the local hot spots at which exceedances occur, it does not provide information on which of the passing vehicles are the most polluting.
Alstom successfully performed the first test run at 80 km/h (50 mph) of the fuel cell passenger train Coradia iLint ( earlier post ) on its own test track in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony (Germany). An extensive test campaign will be conducted in Germany and Czech Republic in the coming months before the Coradia iLint performs its first passenger test runs on the Buxtehude–Bremervörde–Bremerhaven–Cuxhaven (Germany) route beginning of 2018.
Alstom successfully performed the first test run at 80 km/h (50 mph) of the fuel cell passenger train Coradia iLint ( earlier post ) on its own test track in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony (Germany). An extensive test campaign will be conducted in Germany and Czech Republic in the coming months before the Coradia iLint performs its first passenger test runs on the Buxtehude–Bremervörde–Bremerhaven–Cuxhaven (Germany) route beginning of 2018.
In pursuit of lower vehicle weight to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency, Magna International Inc., in cooperation with Ford Motor Company, developed a prototype carbon fiber composite subframe which reduces mass by 34% compared to making a stamped steel equivalent. The subframe is a key part of a vehicle’s structure, typically providing a place to attach the engine and wheels while also contributing rigidity and crash management.
The State of California, San Bernardino Council of Governments (SBCOG) and partners Daylight Transport and BYD Motors celebrated the arrival of the first of 27 electric yard and service trucks for freight and rail yards in three disadvantaged communities in San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Fontana. The demonstration truck project is funded by $9 million from the State’s climate change-fighting cap-and-trade program and another $10.2 million in cash and in-kind matching funds.
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has received Volkswagen’s (VW) first 30-month Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Investment Plan. This Plan is The Plan, required by California’s partial settlement with VW over the use of illegal defeat devices, describes how VW is proposing to spend the first $200 million in California on ZEV fueling infrastructure (including the development and maintenance of ZEV charging stations), public awareness, increasing ZEV access, and a green city demonstration.
A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge has reported the light-driven photoreforming of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin to H 2 using semiconducting cadmium sulfide quantum dots in alkaline aqueous solution. The system operates under visible light, is stable beyond six days and is even able to reform unprocessed lignocellulose, such as wood and paper, under solar irradiation at room temperature, presenting an inexpensive route to drive aqueous proton reduction to H 2 through waste
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have synthesized a new class of fluorinated sulfone electrolytes to enable high-voltage, high-energy Li-ion batteries. A paper on their work is published in the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science. The Argonne researchers evaluated the physical and electrochemical properties of the new sulfone-based electrolytes in a high voltage LiN i0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2 / graphite cell cycled at 4.6 V.
Nissan, Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, PSA Groupe, NUVVE, Frederiksberg Forsyning, Enel, Insero and DTU (Technical University of Denmark) Electrical Engineering (PowerLabDK) are partnering in the Danish project Parker to develop a universal definition for grid integration for electric vehicles. Parker’s objective is to validate that series-produced electric vehicles—as part of an operational vehicle fleet—can support the power grid by becoming a vertically int
At the Geneva Motor Show, the Volkswagen Group is introducing Sedric (self-driving car)—an SAE Level 5 autonomous battery-electric vehicle concept. Sedric is the first concept car from the Volkswagen Group (as opposed to being a concept car developed by one of the Group brands). It was conceived, developed and built at the Volkswagen Group Future Center in Potsdam in collaboration with Volkswagen Group Research in Wolfsburg.
Scientists at Rice University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Chile are proposing that quantum-controlled motion of nuclei, starting from the nanometer-size ground state of a molecule, can potentially overcome some of the difficulties of thermonuclear fusion by compression of a fuel pellet or in a bulk plasma. Their report on quantum-controlled fusion suggests that rather than heating atoms to temperatures found inside the sun or smashing them in a collider,
The London Taxi Company (LTC) officially opened the UK’s first car plant dedicated solely to the production of range-extended electric vehicles. The new vehicle plant in Ansty, Coventry, will build the world’s first purpose-built, mass-market electric taxi. LTC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Geely, has invested more than £300-million (US$374-million) in the new site and the next-generation London taxi, which will be produced at the plant and exported around the world.
With the EPA re-opening its Mid-Term Review of GHG standards for 2022-2025 for light-duty vehicles ( earlier post ), and with NHTSA yet to weigh in on its Mid-Term evaluation of fuel economy standards for the same period, a team from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has published a report analyzing emerging vehicle efficiency technologies; their ability to achieve lower emission levels; and their costs in the 2025–2030 timeframe.
A 50:50 by volume blend of conventional Jet A aviation fuel and an aviation biofuel made from Camelina reduces soot particle number and mass emissions from the aircraft by 50 to 70% compared to conventional fuel, YYYY according to a new study published in the scientific journal Nature. The findings are based on an international flight experiment between NASA, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada.
Volvo Trucks North America is expanding its connected vehicle services with new Remote Programming to increase truck uptime, reduce downtime costs, and improve vehicle efficiency, all through powertrain software and parameter updates. Remote Programming, which leverages Volvo’s factory-installed telematics hardware, allows Volvo customers to perform over-the-air (OTA) powertrain software and parameter updates anywhere in the US and Canada where a cellular connection is available, and at the disc
According to data gathered by the US Department of Energy (DOE) from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), new vehicle fuel economy in the US has improved 33% from 1980-2016, despite a 120% increase in horsepower and 47% improvement in acceleration (measured by time to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph). The data are based on sales-weighted averages.
Volvo Cars announced a range of updates to its global connected services program and its Sensus in-car user interface, starting with the new XC60 and the company’s existing and new 90 Series cars. First, Volvo Cars is expanding its In-car Delivery service, a part of the Volvo On Call smartphone app, which launched in 2015 and allows one-time digital access for deliveries to a car, to five additional countries during 2017.
On the first day of a two-day board meeting—the second day of which (Friday 24 March) will consider the Advanced Clean Cars Midterm Review—the California Air Resources Board (ARB) took a number of climate and air quality actions. CARB approved the State Strategy for the State Implementation Plan ( State SIP Strategy ), which describes CARB’s commitment for further reducing vehicle emissions needed to meet federal air quality standards over the next 15 years.
Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by 70% by 2050 and completely phased-out by 2060 with a net positive economic outlook, according to new findings released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). Perspectives for the Energy Transition: Investment Needs for a Low-Carbon Energy Transition —a joint study by IRENA and the IEA—launched on the occasion of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, presents the
Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions were flat for a third straight year in 2016 even as the global economy grew, according to the International Energy Agency. The data signal a continuing decoupling of emissions and economic activity. This was the result of growing renewable power generation, switches from coal to natural gas, improvements in energy efficiency, as well as structural changes in the global economy.
Lucid Motors, a Silicon Valley-based electric vehicle company, announced that the base version of its first vehicle, the Lucid Air luxury sedan ( earlier post ), will have a starting price of $52,500 after federal tax credits. Customers can place a $2,500 deposit to reserve a car at lucidmotors.com/car/reserve. Above the base Lucid Air, a number of upgrades will be available.
Acura’s first hybrid SUV, the 2017 MDX Sport Hybrid ( earlier post ), will arrive at showrooms in early April with more than 30 additional horsepower and a 45 percent higher EPA city fuel economy rating as compared to the conventionally-powered MDX SH-AWD. With a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at $51,9601, a premium of $1,500 over the conventional MDX SH-AWD, the MDX Sport Hybrid applies Acura’s innovative three-motor Sport Hybrid Super Handling-All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) syst
Cadillac introduces Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications this month in the CTS performance sedan, which is in production now. V2V-equipped vehicles share information that can be used to alert drivers to upcoming potential hazards, laying the groundwork for a connected, safer future. Cadillac’s V2V solution uses Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) and GPS and can handle 1,000 messages per second from vehicles up to nearly 1,000 feet away.
Detroit Electric has signed a joint venture deal with Far East Smarter Energy Group of China, which has helped secure a total investment of $1.8 billion dollars for the development and production of a range of electric vehicles over the next three years. The joint venture will invest US$370 million into Detroit Electric’s European operations over the next four years.
On 19-20 January, the US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), and national laboratories hosted a stakeholder listening day for the Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative in Livermore, California. ( Earlier post.) Co-Optima is a broad, joint effort to co-optimize the development of efficient engines and low greenhouse-gas fuels for on-road vehicles with the goal of reducing petroleum consumption by 30% by 2030 beyond wh
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has developed a working model of an ultra-compact silicon carbide (SiC) inverter for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that is believed to be the world’s smallest SiC device of its type at just five liters volume. It also is believed to offer the world’s highest power density of 86 kVA / L for two-motor HEVs, thanks to incorporation of full-SiC power semiconductor modules that achieve superior heat dissipation.
Volkswagen introduced the new Arteon five-door fastback at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Based on the Sport Coupe Concept GTE plug-in hybrid shown in 2015 at the Geneva show ( earlier post ), the new Arteon will sit above the Passat in the Volkswagen line-up, and will replace the CC. The newly developed MQB-based fastback model initially offers a choice of three gasoline and three diesel engines.
Audi intends to acquire fully Silvercar Inc., a shared mobility company, to expand its digital mobility solutions and services. The two companies have worked together since 2012, developing and delivering innovative consumer mobility offerings under the Audi mobility, Silvercar and Dealerware brands. In 2015, Audi led in a $28 million Series C investment in Silvercar. ( Earlier post.).
ŠKODA will stage the world premiere of the VISION E electric concept vehicle at the upcoming Shanghai Motor Show 2017 (19 – 28 April). The five-door SUV coupé can travel up to 500 km (311 miles) on purely electric power and meets the level 3 requirements for autonomous driving. ŠKODA, a member of the Volkswagen Group, is intensively pursuing the electrification of its model range, and will be offering five purely electric models in various segments by 2025.
Buick announced that it will shortly launch the Velite 5, its first extended range electric vehicle (EREV), in China. Leveraging GM’s proven EREV technology as shown in the Chevy Volt and the Cadillac CT6 Plug-In, the Velite 5 also offers advanced connectivity and safety technologies. The Velite 5 is equipped with GM’s latest electric drive system that features the company’s patented EVT electronic controlled intelligent variable transmission.
The Citroën Berlingo leisure activity vehicle is now available with an electric drivetrain. Supplementing the range of 3-cylinder PureTech gasoline engines and BlueHDi diesel engines, the new E-Berlingo Multispace model targets motorists looking to combine all the versatility of the Berlingo for their day-to-day use, leisure pursuits and professional activities with the advantages of an electric drivetrain.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 5,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content