April, 2017

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Finland’s oldest ferry goes all electric with Visedo

Green Car Congress

The oldest operating ferry in Finland will on Saturday become the nation’s first all-electric passenger vessel after being fitted with Visedo power. The City of Turku will officially re-launch the historic Föri ferry tomorrow, complete with a new zero-emission electric drivetrain that will deliver greater efficiency, less noise and reduced operating costs.

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Tesla Model S battery life: what the data show so far

Green Car Reports

Perhaps the biggest question in buyers' minds over electric cars is how long the batteries will last. Most new-car buyers have mobile phones whose batteries have only lasted a couple of years, perhaps less. Even as electric-car battery packs are warranted against outright failure for eight or 10 years, how much degradation should owners.

Batteries 156
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You can now learn to drive in the BMW i8 supercar

Green Cars News

Small, easy to park and not enough power to get you in any trouble. That’s what most people get when they step into their driving instructor’s car.

BMW 41
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A123: Increasing 48V battery power up to ~25 kW enables advanced mild hybrid capabilities with greater fuel savings

Green Car Congress

In a paper presented at SAE WCX 2017 this week in Detroit, engineers at Li-ion battery maker A123 Systems conclude that 48V battery packs with strong power (up to ~25 kW) and HEV-level energy capabilities (<200Wh for most scenarios) are needed to enable advanced mild hybird (MHEV) capabilities, with optimal power-to-energy ratios between 30 and 160.

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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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BorgWarner 48V eBooster electrically driven compressor debuts on Daimler engine

Green Car Congress

BorgWarner’ 48-volt eBooster electrically driven compressor is making its debut in Daimler’s latest 3.0-liter gasoline engine. The engine will feature the eBooster technology matched with a BorgWarner-supplied turbocharger to improve fuel efficiency, enhance low-end torque and deliver boost on demand without any perceptible turbo lag. BorgWarner’s eBooster electrically driven compressor delivers boost on demand until the turbocharger takes over, improving boost at low engine speeds and nearly el

Engine 259
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New study shows that inhaled nanoparticles can travel into the blood and accumulate

Green Car Congress

A study by researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands has found that nanoparticles, such as those found in air pollution, can travel into the blood and accumulate in diseased blood vessels. The study, published in the journal ACS Nano , suggests that air pollution nanoparticles are able to get into the bloodstream to cause heart disease.

Pollution 253

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Bollinger Motors shows chassis for its battery-electric sport utility truck

Green Car Congress

Bollinger Motors, a 2014 startup developing a battery-electric sport utility truck, revealed the first images of the chassis structure which will underpin its upcoming vehicle. The truck will make its global debut at a media event this summer in Bollinger Motors’ home state of New York. The all-aluminum chassis with a high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steel rollover structure is designed for optimal off-road vehicle proportions.

Motor 244
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New prototype rechargeable lithium-nitrogen battery

Green Car Congress

As the most abundant gas in Earth’s atmosphere, nitrogen has been an attractive option as a source of renewable energy. But nitrogen gas—which consists of two nitrogen atoms held together by a strong, triple covalent bond—doesn’t break apart under normal conditions, presenting a challenge to scientists who want to transfer the chemical energy of the bond into electricity.

Recharge 225
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California ARB petitions US EPA for “Tier 5” stricter locomotive emissions standards

Green Car Congress

In an effort to accelerate the movement to zero- or near-zero emission locomotives, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) has petitioned the US EPA take action to adopt more stringent emission standards for locomotives. These new standards are to include standards for newly manufactured locomotives (which ARB refers to as “Tier 5”), and a new standard for Tier 4 locomotives upon remanufacture.

EPA 225
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KAUST team alters atomic composition of MoS2 to boost performance as water-splitting catalyst for H2 production

Green Car Congress

Researchers at KAUST have developed and used a novel way of increasing the chemical reactivity of a two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide material to produce a cheap and effective catalyst for water splitting to produce hydrogen. This technique may also have potential benefits for other manufacturing industries. One route to hydrogen generation is by electrolysis: passing an electrical current through water via two electrodes to cause a chemical reaction that breaks the water molecule into its co

Water 225
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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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Dalia Research: Globally, 40% would consider an EV, but held back by logistics

Green Car Congress

Worldwide, 40% of those planning to buy a car within the next five years say they are likely to buy all-electric (even though not all of them would be able to afford one at foreseeable price points), according to findings from Dalia Research’s global mobility study. The percentage is higher among those who are looking to buy a replacement for their current car (44%), and lower among those who have never owned a car (36%).

Global 210
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Government of Canada awarding $1.625 million for two public hydrogen stations in Toronto

Green Car Congress

The Government of Canada is awarding $1,625,000 in funding for the construction of two public hydrogen stations in the Greater Toronto Area to support a new Canadian market for fuel-cell vehicles. The project proponent, Hydrogenics Corporation, is a Canadian company that has been involved since 2000 in more than 50 hydrogen refueling station projects around the world.

Canada 210
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Siemens-powered electric plane sets two new speed records; first aerotow

Green Car Congress

The Extra 330LE aerobatic plane, powered by a propulsion system from Siemens ( earlier post ), set two new speed records. At the Dinslaken Schwarze Heide airfield in Germany, the electric aircraft reached a top speed of around 337.50 km/h (209.7 mph) over a distance of three kilometers. The speed achieved by pilot Walter Extra was 13.48 km/h faster than the previous record, which had been set by US pilot William M.

Power 210
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Oita team develops new process for producing hydrogen from ammonia without external heat source

Green Car Congress

Researchers at Oita University in Japan have developed an innovative process for the production of hydrogen from ammonia without the need for an external heat source to initiate or maintain the reaction. An open access paper on their work is published in the journal Science Advances. Liquid ammonia (NH 3 ) has been considered as a carrier (storage medium) for hydrogen that could alleviate the challenges of transporting, handling and storing hydrogen for commercial applications.

Hydrogen 207
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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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PNNL, GM team develops design principle for stable silicon anodes for Li-ion batteries

Green Car Congress

A team from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), with colleagues from General Motors R&D, has developed a design principle for stable high-capacity Li-ion battery silicon (Si) anodes of controlled thickness swelling, and synthesized a porous Si/C-graphite electrode as an example. Experimental data from the porous Si/C-graphite electrode showed excellent agreement with the theoretical design.

Li-ion 207
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Volkswagen introduces new Coasting 2.0 micro hybrid system and new natural gas engine at Vienna Motor Symposium

Green Car Congress

At the 38 th Vienna Motor Symposium Volkswagen is introducing a new, more fuel-efficient “Coasting - Engine off” micro hybrid system—which shuts off the engine completely—as well as a new, compact three-cylinder natural gas engine for the Polo. Volkswagen is also highlighting its spectrum of efficiency and electrification solutions all the way to further optimized battery-powered propulsion as in the new e-Golf and the coming new MEB-based electric vehicles exemplified by its series

Gas 207
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Neste to use May Day doughnut fat for renewable diesel feedstock

Green Car Congress

In the spirit of circular economics, Neste and Fazer Bakery in Finland are joining forces with the “Doughnut Trick” campaign. The oil used to fry Fazer Bakery’s May Day doughnuts will be recycled by refining it to produce Neste MY renewable diesel. The value of the fuel will be donated to the Finnish chapter of the charity SOS Children’s Village International.

Renewable 207
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NREL sets new world efficiency record for solar hydrogen production: 16.2%

Green Car Congress

Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recaptured the record for highest efficiency in solar hydrogen production via a photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting process. The new solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency record is 16.2%, topping a reported 14% efficiency in 2015 by an international team made up of researchers from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, TU Ilmenau, Fraunhofer ISE and the California Institute of Technology.

Solar 207
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Ford introduces new Intelligent Speed Limiter in Europe

Green Car Congress

Ford’s Intelligent Speed Limiter technology, being introduced in Europe, can automatically help prevent drivers from exceeding speed limits—both when driving in their own country, and while driving abroad. Intelligent Speed Limiter combines the functionality of two Ford technologies: Adjustable Speed Limiter – enables drivers to manually set a maximum vehicle speed; and.

Europe 199
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Toyota North America unveils hydrogen-fuel-cell heavy-duty truck proof-of-concept; twin Mirai fuel cell stacks

Green Car Congress

Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (TMNA) revealed “Project Portal”—a hydrogen fuel cell system designed for heavy-duty trucks applied in a Class 8 truck for use at the Port of Los Angeles (POLA). Announced at a press conference with Port officials and representatives from California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC), the zero-emission truck proof-of-concept will take part in a feasibility study examining the potential of fuel cell technology in heavy duty

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Toyota R&D study finds drivers show significantly more gray matter in brain regions than non-drivers

Green Car Congress

A brain study by researchers from Toyota Central R&D Laboratories, along with a colleague from Japan’s National Institute of Physiological Sciences, has found that drivers show significantly greater gray matter (GM) volume in the left cerebellar hemisphere—which has been associated with cognitive rather than motor functioning—than non-drivers.

Toyota 199
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Suzuki, Toshiba and Denso to form JV to produce automotive Li-ion battery packs in India

Green Car Congress

Suzuki Motor Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, and Denso Corporation have reached basic agreement on establishing a joint venture company for production of automotive lithium-ion battery packs in India, and signed the agreement. The initial capital expenditure will be ¥20 billion (US$184 million). The joint venture company will be capitalized at ¥2 billion (US$18.4 million), with the planned participation ratio of Suzuki 50%, Toshiba 40% and Denso 10% respectively.

Suzuki 191
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Schaeffler highlights latest version of UniAir electrohydraulic valve control at Vienna

Green Car Congress

At the Vienna Motor Symposium, Schaeffler is highlighting the latest generation of its UniAir fully-variable electrohydraulic valve control system, first introduced in volume production in 2009. The latest generation of UniAir also now allows vehicles in the upper-class automobile market to operate more economically and with lower emissions. UniAir controls the engine valves based on cycles and offers an extended range of strategic options for matching engine operation to specific situations and

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Hyundai Mobis develops compact, integrated 48V mild hybrid system

Green Car Congress

Automotive supplier Hyundai Mobis has developed the core technologies of a compact, integrated 48V mild hybrid system. Hyundai Mobis developed the “converter integrated 48V battery system” on its own and it is making the final preparations for mass-production scheduled for next year. Hyundai Mobis integrated the converter and the battery system—formerly applied separately—into one system.

Hyundai 186
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Wind-powered offshore enhanced oil recovery concept moves closer to implementation

Green Car Congress

The DNV GL-led joint industry project, WIN WIN (WINd powered Water INjection), has completed its first phase and determined that wind power could be used to power offshore water injection. The project is currently moving into its second phase, which includes refining and testing the electrical systems, and investigating possibilities for broader applications.

Wind 186
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Ford exploring use of bamboo in cars

Green Car Congress

Over the past several years, has Ford worked with suppliers to evaluate the viability of using bamboo in vehicle interiors and to make extra strong parts by combining it with plastic. The team has found that bamboo performs comprehensively better than other tested synthetic and natural fibers in a range of materials tests, from tensile strength tests to impact strength tests.

Ford 186
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Mercedes-Benz adds extended ADAS functions to coming S-Class; step toward autonomy

Green Car Congress

Mercedes-Benz will offer extended driving assistance functions in the new S‑Class this autumn, taking a further, major step towards autonomous driving. Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC and Active Steering Assist now support the driver even more conveniently in keeping a safe distance and steering, and the vehicle speed is now also automatically adjusted in bends and at road junctions.

Mercedes 186
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Ford announces China electrification push with new Mondeo PHEV and long-range electric SUV; 70% electrified line-up by 2025

Green Car Congress

In Shanghai, Ford Motor Company outlined an ambitious vehicle electrification strategy for the China market, confirming two new electrified vehicles for China and a broad range of electrified vehicles by 2025. The Mondeo Energi, to be launched in early 2018, will be the first plug-in hybrid to be manufactured by the Changan Ford JV. Ford also confirmed plans to bring an all-new fully electric small SUV to China within five years; the electric SUV will feature a range of up to 450 km (279 miles)

China 186
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Next-gen Audi A8 introduces new four-material space frame; light weight and rigid

Green Car Congress

For the next generation of the Audi A8, an intelligent mix of four materials—aluminum, steel, magnesium and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP)—is being used for the first time in the weight-bearing body structure—more materials than in any of the brand’s previous production models. The resulting low weight and impressive rigidity—the upcoming flagship’s torsional rigidity surpasses the predecessor model’s rigidity value by up to 24%—from the multi-material const

Audi 186
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SwRI’s single-cylinder engines available for combustion research; light-, medium- and heavy-duty applications

Green Car Congress

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has designed and manufactured two advanced single-cylinder engines for combustion research and development. The engines, one for light- and medium-duty applications and one for heavy-duty applications, can accommodate either multi-cylinder or single-cylinder heads through a custom cylinder barrel and head support shelf.

Light 186
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Ford favoring bulk-type solid-state battery for next-gen energy storage

Green Car Congress

Ford is exploring a variety of “beyond Li-ion” solutions, including Lithium-sulfur, Lithium-air and solid-state lithium-ion batteries. Of those, Ford is currently favoring a solid-state solution for several reasons, among them the better volumetric energy density this approach offers, said Ford engineer Venkat Anandan in a presentation at SAE WCX 17 in Detroit this week.

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Volvo Cars CEO urges government & industry to share safety-related traffic data; will skip Level 3 autonomy

Green Car Congress

Volvo Cars is urging governments and car makers to share traffic data in order to improve global traffic safety, Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive, told a conference at the European Commission in Brussels on Monday. Sharing anonymized data related to traffic safety in real-time can provide a strong boost to overall traffic safety while safeguarding the privacy of individual road users, Samuelsson said.

Volvo 186
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California Governor signs $52B fuel tax and vehicle fee bill for transportation infrastructure; $100 ZEV fee

Green Car Congress

California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed into law SB1 , the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. The bill will raise $52.4 billion over the next decade through an increase in fuel taxes and vehicle fees—including on zero emission vehicles (ZEVs)—to fix roads, freeways and bridges in communities across California and put more dollars toward transit and safety.

Fuel Tax 170
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DENSO and IBIDEN to collaborate on next-generation vehicle exhaust systems and vehicle electrification

Green Car Congress

Global automotive supplier DENSO Corporation and electronics and ceramics company IBIDEN Co., Ltd. form ed a capital and business alliance jointly to develop next-generation vehicle exhaust systems. This collaboration will combine IBIDEN’s advantages in high-performance ceramic materials with DENSO’s advantages in developing products as systems to develop high-performance, simple and low-cost vehicle exhaust systems.

Exhaust 170