Sat.Jul 02, 2016 - Fri.Jul 08, 2016

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DOE awarding $13M to advance fuel cell performance and durability and H2 storage technologies

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced more than $13 million in funding for the advancement of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. These projects, selected through collaborative research consortia, will leverage industry, university and laboratory expertise to accelerate advanced hydrogen storage technologies and fuel cell performance and durability.

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More Tesla Autopilot crashes surface; NHTSA to investigate another

Green Car Reports

With details about a fatal May 7 crash of a Tesla Model S operating on Autopilot continuing to garner news coverage, more crashes with Autopilot engaged appear to be surfacing. Most notably, the NHTSA has said it will investigate a crash on Friday, July 1, in which a Tesla Model X ran off the road and rolled over. The owner says it was operating.

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Top five best-selling cars of 2016 (so far)

Green Cars News

2015 was the biggest year on record for new car sales with 2.63 million new cars hitting British roads. However, this year could see the record broken.

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First public flight of Siemens 260kW electric motor; to be used in development of hybrid-electric aircraft

Green Car Congress

Siemens researchers have developed a new type of electric motor that, with a weight of just 50 kilograms, delivers a continuous output of about 260 kilowatts—five times more than comparable drive systems. ( Earlier post.) This record-setting propulsion system successfully completed its first public flight at Schwarze Heide Airport near Dinslaken, Germany, where it powered an Extra 330LE aerobatic airplane.

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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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U of I study: synthetic fuels via CO2 conversion and FT not currently economically & environmentally competitive

Green Car Congress

A study by a team at University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign has found that, with currently achievable performance levels, synthetic fuels produced via the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 and the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process system are not economically and environmentally competitive with using petroleum-based fuel. A paper detailing the study is published in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels.

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Opinion: Feet where our heads should be: Are we going about EVs the wrong way round?

Green Car Congress

by Roger Bedell, Founder, Opbrid. Are we looking at vehicle electrification upside down? Why are we focusing on electrifying smaller vehicles like cars and delivery trucks when electrifying really big trucks makes the most economic sense? Electricity is about ½ the cost of diesel or gasoline. This means the more fuel you burn, the more money you save.

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Tesla ramps production to 2,000 units per week; targeting 2,400 in Q4

Green Car Congress

Tesla produced 18,345 vehicles in Q2 2016, an increase of 20% from Q1, and exited the quarter consistently producing just under 2,000 vehicles per week. Due to the steep production ramp, almost half of the quarter’s production occurred in the final four weeks. With continued productivity improvements, Tesla expects output to reach 2,200 vehicles per week in Q3 and 2,400 vehicles per week in Q4.

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Porsche opens new plant for eight-cylinder engines; digitalization and data management; V8s for all VW Group brands

Green Car Congress

Porsche has officially dedicated a new engine plant for eight-cylinder engines. The factory at the main site in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen works with state-of-the-art production methods, leveraging digitalization and data management. At full plant utilization produces around 200 eight-cylinder V-engines daily. The sports car manufacturer has invested nearly €80 million in the new production facility.

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GM sets June and first half delivery records in China

Green Car Congress

General Motors and its joint ventures had record June deliveries in China of 273,563 units, which was up 11.2% on an annual basis. The Buick, Cadillac and Baojun brands had their best June ever. The strong June performance enabled GM to set a first half record for deliveries in China. Demand was up 5.3% from the first six months of 2015 to 1,810,476 units.

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Swiss researchers devise simple procedure to enhance performance of conventional Li-ion batteries without changing chemistries

Green Car Congress

Materials researchers at the Swiss Paul Scherrer Institute PSI in Villigen and the ETH Zurich have developed a very simple and cost-effective procedure for significantly enhancing the performance of conventional Li-ion rechargeable batteries by improving only the design of the electrodes without changing the underlying materials chemistry. The procedure is scalable in size, so the use of rechargeable batteries can be optimized in all areas of application—e.g., in wristwatches, smartphones,

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

Brief

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VW to pay California additional $86M in civil penalties over defeat device

Green Car Congress

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced that, in addition to the historic $14.7-billion settlement with Volkswagen announced last week ( earlier post ), the company will also pay California $86 million in civil penalties as part of a second partial settlement over the company’s use of “defeat devices” to evade emissions testing in its diesel vehicles.

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UC San Diego hires top robotics expert to lead Contextual Robotics Institute

Green Car Congress

Henrik Christensen, one of the most influential robotics researchers in the world, is joining the University of California San Diego. He will direct the UC San Diego Contextual Robotics Institute and serve as a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering. Christensen is leaving his post as executive director of the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines at the Georgia Institute of Technology to come to UC San Diego.

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Report: Nippon Steel to bring lighter, stronger automotive steel sheet to market in 2020

Green Car Congress

The Nikkei reports that Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal has developed an automotive steel sheet that is 20-30% lighter and 25% stronger than the toughest high-tensile steel now on the market. According to the report, the company will start marketing the product around 2020. Improving the heat treatment process and adding alloy elements improved both strength and ease of rolling.

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Baker Institute expert suggests assumptions about oil’s influence on politics in the Middle East should be reversed

Green Car Congress

Assumptions about oil’s influence on politics in the Middle East should be reversed, according to a new article from an expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Instead of oil buttressing autocracy, the article argues that autocracy among oil exporters buttresses oil by encouraging consumption. “Energy and the State in the Middle East” was authored by Jim Krane, the Wallace S.

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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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SAE International announces 2017 symposium to discuss emissions control for light duty vehicles; Tier 3 regs

Green Car Congress

SAE International will host the “ SAE 2017 Light Duty Emissions Control Symposium ,” 23-24 January 2017, at the Washington DC Convention Center. The symposium will provide attendees with the opportunity to experience presentations and share in discussions regarding emissions control of both diesel and gasoline light duty vehicles. Topics for the 2017 event will include discussion of and industry reaction to CARB and EC emission regulations as well as CAFE standards and the latest EPA Tier 3 emis

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Department of Interior issues final regulations for drilling on Arctic OCS

Green Car Congress

The US Department of the Interior has issued final regulations governing future exploratory drilling activities on the US Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Arctic-specific regulations focus solely on OCS exploratory drilling operations from floating vessels within the US Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. These rules require oil companies to ensure proper internal controls and planning for oil spill prevention, containment and responses—all issues identified by previous Interior reports re

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Audi wins Digital Economy Award for digital production initiatives

Green Car Congress

Audi received a “Digital Economy Award” (DEA.2016) from Initiative Deutschland Digital (IDD) in Bonn this Tuesday, taking first place in the category Enterprise 4.0. The award recognizes Audi’s lighthouse project cloud-based platform, which enables more flexibility and efficiency in production. The DEA.2016 awards recognized four categories: Customer experience.

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Silatronix, developer of organosilicon electrolytes for Li-ion batteries, raises $8M

Green Car Congress

Silatronix, a developer of unique organosilicon (OS) electrolytes for use in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) ( earlier post ), has raised US$8 million in new equity capital, and secured partnerships for distribution and joint technological development. These funds and partnerships will allow Silatronix to capitalize on the commercial value of its portfolio of OS materials in the high-growth LIB market.

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1H 2016 Ford Motor sales in China up 6%; SUVs up 27%

Green Car Congress

Ford Motor vehicle sales in the first half in China for Ford, Lincoln and its joint ventures reached 577,097 vehicles, a 6% increase compared to the same time last year. Vehicle sales for Ford and its joint ventures in the first half were up 5% over last year to 564,647, with June accounting for 85,105 units sold. June results were 3% higher than June 2015.

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Federal-Mogul Powertrain develops new diesel piston cooling technology

Green Car Congress

Federal-Mogul Powertrain, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation, has developed a first in piston cooling technology by creating a sealed-for-life coolant chamber within the crown of its market-leading Monosteel heavy-duty diesel piston. Branded EnviroKool, the technology allows pistons to run safely at crown temperatures in excess of 100 °C higher than today’s limits, working where appropriate in conjunction with high oxidation resistant steel alloys and protective crown coatings.

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Automotive and telecoms sectors to launch EU project for connected and automated driving

Green Car Congress

Europe’s leading trade associations for the telecommunications and the automotive sectors intend to launch a large-scale, pre-deployment project to test connected and automated driving at the EU level. The industry-led project will focus on use cases and test functionalities in three main areas: automated driving, road safety and traffic efficiency, and the digitalisation of transports and logistics.

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Navigant: almost 39,300 natural gas refueling stations worldwide by 2026

Green Car Congress

The total number of natural gas refueling stations globally will reach almost 39,300 locations by 2026, according to a new report from Navigant Research. Since late 2014, the production of crude oil has outpaced demand, triggering a sustained collapse in world oil prices, which have remained mostly below $50 per barrel. As a result, these low prices have put pressure on the market for natural gas vehicles (NGVs) and the corresponding refueling infrastructure.

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Mayor of London floats action plan to reduce city’s air pollution

Green Car Congress

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has outlined plans to crackdown on the most polluting vehicles, including an additional £10 (US$13) per day charge for the most polluting vehicles and an extended Ultra-Low Emission Zone. The public has until 29 July 2016 to provide feed back on the first round of the Clean Air Plan consultation. A more detailed consultation will take place later this year and some measures could be implemented as early as 2017.

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UMTRI: average US new vehicle fuel economy in June drops from May

Green Car Congress

The average fuel economy (window-sticker value) of new vehicles sold in the US in June 2016 was 25.3 mpg (9.29 l/100 km)— down 0.1 mpg from the value for May 2016, according to the latest monthly report from Dr. Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). This decline likely reflects the increased market share of pickup trucks and SUVs, they suggested.

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Renault-Nissan Alliance delivers €4.3B synergy target early; autonomous drive and connectivity expected to deliver major savings

Green Car Congress

Renault-Nissan Alliance generated €4.3 billion (US$4.8 billion) in synergies in 2015, one year ahead of schedule and an increase of 13% from 2014. Purchasing, engineering and manufacturing were the main contributors. The Common Module Family and cross-production continue to reduce costs, while the development of technologies including autonomous drive and vehicle connectivity is expected to generate major savings moving forward.

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Chevron approves next major Tengiz expansion project in Kazakhstan

Green Car Congress

Chevron Corporation announced that its 50% owned affiliate, Tengizchevroil (TCO), will proceed with the development of its Future Growth and Wellhead Pressure Management Project (FGP-WPMP), which will increase crude oil production at the Tengiz oil field in Kazakhstan by about 260,000 barrels per day. FGP-WPMP is currently estimated to cost $36.8 billion, which includes $27.1 billion for facilities, $3.5 billion for wells and $6.2 billion for contingency and escalation.

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Volkswagen and LG agree on joint development of next-gen connected car platform

Green Car Congress

The Volkswagen Group and LG Electronics have signed a memorandum of understanding on joint research and development of a next-generation connected car service platform. Going forward, the two companies will work together on Volkswagen’s Cross Over Platform, which is aimed at enhanced vehicle connectivity and convenience. Using cloud technology, it will offer drivers seamless digital access to extensive features such as smart home and location-based services.

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Carlsbad, CA using NEXBTL renewable diesel for city fleet

Green Car Congress

The City of Carlsbad is now fueling its city fleet with Propel Diesel HPR (High Performance Renewable). Diesel HPR is produced by Neste and specially formulated and distributed by Propel. Refined from renewable biomass through Neste’s NEXBTL hydrotreating technology, Neste Renewable Diesel meets the ASTM fuel quality standards required by automotive manufacturers.

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Alcoa opens 3D printing metal powder plant

Green Car Congress

Lightweight metals leader Alcoa has opened its state-of-the-art, 3D printing metal powder production facility. Located at the Alcoa Technology Center, the world’s largest light metals research center, the plant will produce proprietary titanium, nickel and aluminum powders optimized for 3D printed aerospace parts. Alcoa also has invested in a range of technologies to further develop additive processes, product design and qualification.

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Electrovaya subsidiary signs MOU with e-mobility OEM for Li-ion battery modules

Green Car Congress

Electrovaya Inc. announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Litarion GmbH signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a major OEM in the e-mobility industry for the delivery of battery modules starting in 2017. Demand is estimated to be about €37 million (US$41 million) in the first year, with growth thereafter. This MOU further strengthens our reach into multiple industrial sectors and we are pleased in achieving this break-through into the electric mobility market with this major OEM.

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GM licensing robotic glove technology developed with NASA to Bioservo Technologies; GM to use in manufacturing

Green Car Congress

Robotic glove technology developed out of a partnership between General Motors and NASA for use on the International Space Station is being brought to life in health care, manufacturing and other applications though a licensing agreement between GM and Bioservo Technologies AB, a Swedish medical technology company. Working with GM, Bioservo will combine technology from its SEM Glove (Soft Extra Muscle) technology with the RoboGlove, a force-multiplying wearable developed during GM and NASA’s nin

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BMW Group and Sixt SE extend DriveNow car sharing program to Brussels; 20% of DriveNow fleet electric

Green Car Congress

Car-sharing service DriveNow is extending its service to Brussels—the tenth European city where the premium car sharing joint venture from BMW Group and Sixt SE will operate. Car sharing without a branch office has been allowed in Brussels since June and the service will offer a range of BMW and MINI models on the proven free-floating car sharing concept.

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Constellium to open Mexico plant for automotive aluminum structural components

Green Car Congress

Constellium N.V. intends to open a new manufacturing facility in Mexico to produce aluminium automotive structural components. This plant, located in San Luis Potosí, will allow Constellium to respond to increasing demand for lightweight, high-strength aluminium Crash Management Systems and automotive structures for the expanding auto industry in Mexico.

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DuPont Industrial Biosciences launches new enzyme product for biogas industry; increased methane yields

Green Car Congress

DuPont Industrial Biosciences has introduced OPTIMASH AD-100, a new enzyme product that will help biomethane producers improve biogas yields and process robustness, which is expected to ultimately increase their revenue and profitability. OPTIMASH AD-100 represents DuPont Industrial Biosciences’ entry into the growing biogas sector, with an enzyme that has been shown to produce up to a 13% increase in biogas yields in anaerobic digesters.