Green Car Congress

JUNE 18, 2015

Nomadic Power has received a €2-million (US$2.25-million) grant from the European Commission for their “MobileBattery” project—a trailer-mounted battery pack that can serve the function of intelligent and safe back-up power for a home when stationary, and boost EV range when attached to the owner’s vehicle. An 85 kWh Nomad is capable of taking a small electric car up to 600 kilometers (373 miles).

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Li-ion Grant Power Powered 304

Green Car Reports

JUNE 18, 2015

The McLaren F1 supercar and Tesla Model S P85D sedan can both do 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. But they're not fast, not really. Not when there's an electric car that will do 0 to 60 in less than 2 seconds. That car is a 1968 Ford Mustang converted to electric power with the "Zombie 222" package developed by tuner Mitch Medford. DON'T MISS.

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MPH Ford Cars Convert 132

Green Car Congress

JUNE 19, 2015

2.8-liter 1GD-FTV direct-injection turbo diesel engine. Click to enlarge. Toyota has introduced a new line of turbodiesel engines with more torque, greater efficiency and lower emissions. The new GD engines feature Toyota’s next-generation advanced thermal insulation diesel combustion to reduce cooling loss significantly. The use of Thermo Swing Wall Insulation Technology (TSWIN) helps make the 2.8-liter 1GD-FTV engine one of the most thermally efficient, with a maximum thermal efficiency of 44%

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Diesel Toyota Fuel Engine 281

Green Car Congress

JUNE 16, 2015

GM is using five used battery packs from Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric cars to help power the new General Motors Enterprise Data Center at the Milford Proving Ground. A new solar array and two wind turbines feed the administration building’s circuit breaker panel, where the five Volt batteries work in parallel to supply power to the building, delivering net-zero energy use on an annual basis.

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Volt Chevrolet Building Power 262

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Green Car Congress

JUNE 17, 2015

The German Press Agency dpa reported that Volkswagen plans to build 12,000 charging points for electric vehicles in the next few years at its company parking lots in Germany—10% of the company’s 120,000 parking spaces for employees. The plans were announced by CEO Martin Winterkorn behind closed doors at the National Conference on Electric Mobility earlier this week in Berlin, according to unnamed sources cited by dpa.

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Germany Building Charging Automobile Industry 261

Green Car Congress

JUNE 17, 2015

BMW took top honors at the latest International Engine of the Year Awards , with the 1.5-liter, three-cylinder hybrid drive unit in the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid being declared the overall winner—as well as picking up two class wins—edging out Ford’s 1.0L three-cylinder EcoBoost. BMW also picked up a class win (2.5-liter to 3-liter) for the 3-liter, Twin Turbo six-cylinder engine in the BMW M3 and BMW M4.

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BMW 2015 International Engine 257

Green Car Congress

JUNE 15, 2015

Nissan Motor Company and Green Charge Networks, a provider of commercial energy storage, are partnering to deploy second-life Li-ion vehicle batteries for stationary commercial energy storage in the US and international markets. General availability is targeted for Q4 2015. With more than 178,000 sales since its launch in late 2010, Nissan LEAF is the world’s top-selling electric vehicle.

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Energy Storage Nissan Commercial Energy 240

Green Car Congress

JUNE 17, 2015

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com. The fallout of the collapse in oil prices has a lot of side effects apart from the decline of rig counts and oil flows. Oil production in North Dakota has exploded over the last five years, from negligible levels before 2010 to well over a million barrels per day, making North Dakota the second largest oil producing state in the country.

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North Dakota Montana Las Vegas Oil 232

Green Car Congress

JUNE 16, 2015

Jaguar Land Rover is showcasing two of the prototype technologies that its UK-based research team are developing to deliver autonomous driving in the future: remote control via smartphone and autonomous multi-point turning. A Remote Control Range Rover Sport research vehicle demonstrates how a driver could drive the vehicle from outside the car via a smartphone.

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Land Rover Range Connect Connected 224

Green Car Congress

JUNE 17, 2015

A study funded by the California Air Resources Board and conducted by UC Berkeley scientist Dr. Robert Harley. demonstrates that mandatory upgrades to diesel truck fleets serving the Port of Oakland are responsible for significant reductions in two major air pollutants. Pollutant concentrations were measured at high time resolution in the exhaust plumes of more than a thousand drayage trucks as they drove toward the Port on a major access road.

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Oakland Fleet Emissions Clean 223

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Green Car Congress

JUNE 16, 2015

Among its many other changes, the hybrid Audi R18 e-tron quattro that placed third at the Le Mans 24 Hours this past weekend featured a new generation of the Gyrodrive flywheel hybrid energy storage system, developed by GKN in collaboration with Audi Sport. ( Earlier post.) Audi driver André Lotterer set a new record lap time of 3m 17.47s with GKN’s technology on board.

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Audi Hybrid Power Powered 223

Green Car Congress

JUNE 14, 2015

The second-generation Porsche Team 919 Hybrids ( earlier post) took first and second place at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans (the 83 rd running). The Nº 19 Porsche Team 919 Hybrid shared by Earl Bamber, Nick Tandy and Nico Hülkenberg took first (395 laps), while the sister car Nº 17, wheeled by Mark Webber, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, were right behind them in second (394 laps).

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Porsche Audi Exhaust Li-ion 223

Green Car Congress

JUNE 14, 2015

Researchers from Tsinghua University have developed what they call a “promising strategy” to tackle the intrinsic problems of lithium metal anodes for Lithium sulfur batteries—dendritic and mossy metal depositing on the anode during repeated cycles leading to serious safety concerns and low Coulombic efficiency. As described in a paper published in the journal ACS Nano , the researchers devised a nanostructured graphene framework coated by an in situ formed solid electrolyte interphase (SE

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Li-ion Lithium Sulfur Batteries Battery 223

Green Car Congress

JUNE 18, 2015

Etihad Airways, together with Boeing, Total, Takreer and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, launched a joint industry roadmap for the sustainable production of aviation biofuels in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The BIOjet Abu Dhabi: Flight Path to Sustainability report outlines a set of recommended industry actions to create a commercially viable domestic aviation biofuel industry—a first for the Middle East. ( Earlier post , earlier post.).

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UAE United Arab Emirates Waste Oil 221

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Green Car Congress

JUNE 19, 2015

Total US petroleum deliveries (a measure of demand) grew by 5.4% last month from May 2014 to average 19.5 million barrels per day, according to figures from the American Petroleum Institute (API). This was the highest monthly demand yet seen in 2015. Fuel demand was up across the board last month, but stocks of crude oil and gasoline remained elevated thanks to robust production.

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Production 2014 Oil Gasoline 214

Green Car Congress

JUNE 18, 2015

Tesla Motor’s Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel signed a 5-year research agreement with Dalhousie University’s Jeff Dahn, Li-ion battery researcher with the Faculty of Science, and his group of students, postdoctoral researchers and technical staff. The work will begin in June of 2016 when the support from 3M and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) ends. (3M and NSERC have funded Dahn’s Industrial Research Chair in Materials for Advanced Batteries since 1996.).

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Li-ion 2016 Ni-Li Tesla 214

Green Car Congress

JUNE 15, 2015

Due in part to Honda’s ability to advance fuel economy through conventional engine technology, the Civic lineup will no longer include a hybrid or a natural gas model, according to John Mendel, Executive Vice President, Automobile Division American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Both of these products with the end of the 2015 model year. Mendel also said said that Honda will not offer a plug-in version of Accord going forward as the company looks toward the scheduled launch of a new dedicated plug-in mod

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Civic Hybrid Honda Plug-in Hybrid 214

Green Car Congress

JUNE 18, 2015

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest travel and leisure company, signed a multi-billion dollar contract to build four next-generation LNG-powered cruise ships with the largest guest capacity in the world. The contract with Meyer Werft is part of larger previously announced strategic memo of understanding with leading shipbuilders Meyer Werft and Fincantieri S.p.A for nine new ship orders between 2019 and 2022.

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Power Powered Finland Germany 214

Green Car Congress

JUNE 17, 2015

Researchers from SLAC and Stanford led by Prof. Yi Cui, with Prof. Yet-Min Chiang (a co-founder of A123 Systems) at MIT, have discovered that a synergetic effect resulting from the addition of both lithium polysulfide and lithium nitrate to ether-based electrolyte prevents dendrite growth on Li-metal anodes and minimizes electrolyte decomposition. The findings of their study, reported in Nature Communications , allow for re-evaluation of the reactions regarding lithium polysulfide, lithium nitra

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Lithium Sulfur Lithium Air Energy Storage Batteries 214

Green Car Congress

JUNE 13, 2015

Stanford University has launched a new research initiative to study comprehensively the development and use of natural gas. The new program will expand Stanford’s research on energy and the environment by focusing additional resources on the growing importance of natural gas. US production has risen almost 50% in the past 10 years, and global demand for gas is anticipated to outpace all other fossil fuels.

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Gas Asia Mercury Chevron 214

Green Car Congress

JUNE 18, 2015

The Chalmers University of Technology has joined Volvo Cars’ Drive Me project—a public pilot with ordinary drivers behind the steering wheels of 100 self-driving Volvos. ( Earlier post.). Drive Me is a large-scale autonomous driving pilot project in which 100 self-driving Volvo cars will use public roads in everyday driving conditions. The cars will be driven autonomously on approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) of selected roads in and around Gothenburg in Sweden; roads which will be typ

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Sweden Volvo Universal Cars 209

Green Car Congress

JUNE 19, 2015

The final Porsche 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid ( earlier post ) has come off the line in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen according to schedule. The hybrid super sports concept car made its debut at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show, and was launched on the market as a limited series in late 2013. The 918 Spyder provided a platform for the advanced development of technologies for the sports cars of the future.

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Porsche Plug-in Manufacturer Hybrid 207

Green Car Congress

JUNE 18, 2015

Researchers at Clemson University have determined that a reliable, less intrusive way to detect fatigue or drowsiness in a driver is to monitor vehicle behavior rather than the biometrics of the person behind the wheel. US statistics reveal drowsy drivers are five times more likely to be involved in an accident, or a near-crash incident, than alert drivers.

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Vehicles Universal Auto Industry IDEA 207

Green Car Congress

JUNE 17, 2015

AeroVironment and Recargo, developer of PlugShare , the most extensive map of electric vehicle charging stations, introduced a new smartphone-based easy payment option for EV drivers charging on the West Coast Electric Highway fast charging network in Oregon and Washington. EV drivers can now access and pay for AeroVironment’s DC fast chargers and Level 2 charging stations through Recargo’s PlugShare mobile app on a pay per charge basis.

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Oregon Charging Washington DC 207

Green Car Congress

JUNE 16, 2015

Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) will collaborate with the Malaysian national carmaker Proton Holdings Berhad. As the first step of the collaboration, SMC will supply KD (knocked down) components for a Suzuki model to Proton. Proton will manufacture the model at its own plant, and distribute and sell the model under the Proton brand through its sales network in Malaysia.

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Suzuki Malaysia India Diesel 207

Green Car Congress

JUNE 19, 2015

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have pioneered a process that could enable the efficient recycling of two rare earth metals—neodymium and dysprosium—used in powerful magnets. In contrast to the massive and energy-intensive industrial process currently used to separate rare earths, the Penn team’s method works nearly instantaneously at room temperature and uses standard laboratory equipment.

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Pennsylvania Universal Wind 2015 203

Green Car Congress

JUNE 19, 2015

Honda has introduced the new third-generation 2016 Honda Pilot. The three-row Honda SUV features a direct injected 3.5-liter i-VTEC engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) cylinder deactivation technology paired with either a Pilot-first 6-speed automatic transmission or a Honda-first 9-speed automatic transmission. ( Earlier post.). The 280 hp engine adds 30 hp (+12%) and 9 lb-ft of torque (+3.6%) over the 2015 Pilot model while receiving an EPA combined fuel-economy rating of 23 mpg (10

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Honda 2016 2015 Fuel 203

Green Car Congress

JUNE 18, 2015

Mercedes-Benz unveiled the second generation of its mid-range GLC SUV (the SUV in the C-Class segment, formerly the GLK). In addition to cutting fuel consumption by up to 19% in comparison to the previous model on the conventional engined models, Mercedes also introduced another plug-in hybrid SUV model: the GLC 350 e 4MATIC. In March, Mercedes-Benz said it would 10 new plug-in hybrid models by 2017. ( Earlier post.

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Plug-in Mercedes Plug Hybrid 203

Green Car Congress

JUNE 17, 2015

PSA Peugeot Citroën and Bolloré Group have signed a strategic cooperation agreement covering electric vehicle production and distribution as well as car sharing. The two said the agreement is aligned with their common goal of becoming a leading player in the car sharing market, which will account for a significant portion of the new mobility economy, alongside public transport solutions.

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France Cars MPH 2009 203

Green Car Congress

JUNE 15, 2015

In a new report on the prospects for 48V automotive systems ( earlier post ), consultancy Frost & Sullivan forecasts that the Volkswagen Group will lead in this area primarily because of Audi’s 48V offering ( earlier post ). The consultancy projects that by 2025, Volkswagen Group will have 48V volumes in excess of 1 million systems in North America and Europe combined, far exceeding its competition.

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North America Europe America 2020 203

Green Car Congress

JUNE 19, 2015

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. made progress in reducing CO 2 emissions and improving sustainability in its global corporate activities in fiscal year 2014 while simultaneously increasing vehicle production and plant energy efficiency. The company achieved a 22.6% cut in CO 2 when compared to fiscal year 2005, thus achieving its goal to reduce CO 2 emissions from corporate activities by 20% during that period.

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2005 Corporation Nissan 2014 199

Green Car Congress

JUNE 18, 2015

Chevrolet’s new 2016 Malibu, engineered to offer more efficiency, connectivity and advanced safety features, and featuring the option of a new full-hybrid powertrain ( earlier post ), is also nearly 300 pounds (136 kg) lighter than the current model. The 3,100 lb (1,406 kg) Malibu has the mid-size segment’s lightest base curb weight, and also offers an estimated 37 mpg (6.35 l/100 km) highway for the 1.5L turbo base engine.

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2016 MPG 2015 Chevrolet 199

Green Car Congress

JUNE 17, 2015

GM will premiere the new 1.4 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo and in the new Opel Astra at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt (IAA) in September. The four-cylinder turbocharged unit with central direct fuel injection will be available in two outputs, 92 kW/125 hp and 110 kW/150 hp. The new all-aluminum engine is the bigger brother of the recently introduced 1.0-liter, three-cylinder ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo used in the Opel ADAM and Corsa. ( Earlier post.

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GM Oil Gasoline Engine 199

Green Car Congress

JUNE 17, 2015

Researchers at the University of Tokyo and Tokyo Institute of Technology have discovered the structure and transport properties of an “intermediate state” in LiFePO 4 lithium-ion batteries. These findings, reported in a paper in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition , may help accelerate battery reaction speed and significantly shorten battery charging time.

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