Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 11, 2017

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh have found that the air pollution and greenhouse gas costs of shipping crude by rail are nearly twice as large as those for oil pipelines. Further, their estimates of air pollution and greenhouse gas costs are much larger than estimates of spill and accidents costs—more than twice as big for rail and more than eight times as big for pipelines.

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Green Car Reports

OCTOBER 10, 2017

If you want to drive the absolute cleanest car possible – and if you’re reading this site, we’re willing to wager that you do – then you need to calculate the total well-to-wheels energy use of the car and everything you put into its tank or battery. When it comes to comparing types of vehicles – hydrogen, standard.

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Green Cars News

OCTOBER 12, 2017

Following its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show and with its launch coming up in November, the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo aims to offer a unique combination of luxurious interior comfort and flexible practicality, packaged within a truly elegant design.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 10, 2017

Velodyne LiDAR has more than quadrupled production for its high-performance LiDAR sensors to meet strong global demand. As a result, Velodyne LiDAR’s sensors are immediately available via distribution partners in Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America, with industry standard lead-times for direct contracts. Velodyne leads the market in real-time 3D LiDAR systems for fully autonomous vehicles.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 10, 2017

Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL), the world’s largest mail and logistics company, and ZF, one of the world's largest automotive suppliers, have partnered together to deploy a test fleet of autonomous delivery trucks, starting in 2018. DPDHL will outfit electric light trucks with the ZF ProAI self-driving system, based on NVIDIA DRIVE PX technology (currently the Drive PX 2 AI platform), for automating package transportation and delivery, including the “last mile” of deliveries.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 10, 2017

Groupe Renault, Europe’s number one manufacturer of electric vehicles, has formed a new subsidiary: Renault Energy Services. The aim of this new subsidiary is to have an active presence in the energy and smart grid sectors, both of which are fundamental to the expansion of electric mobility. Renault Energy Services will function much like a start-up and its objective is to invest in smart grid-related projects by forging privileged ties with the energy industry’s various stakeholders.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 12, 2017

BMW has introduced the new Active Hybrid e-bike featuring a significant power boost. The advanced Brose electric motor can be activated as required to supplement the rider’s pedal power, with output of 250 W and 90 N·m (66 lb-ft) of torque. Providing the energy for the electric pedal assistance—over a range of up to 100 km (62 miles)—is a removable 504 Wh battery.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 12, 2017

A large-scale CO 2 capture technology made possible through support from the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and National Energy Technology Laboratory has captured and transported its 4-millionth metric ton of CO 2. Air Products and Chemicals designed, built, and is operating the state-of-the-art CO 2 -capture and storage system at their hydrogen-production facility located at the Valero Port Arthur Refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. ( Earlier post.).

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 11, 2017

California Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill (AB) 739 , authored by Assemblymember Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park), which requires at least 15% of vehicles, with a gross vehicle weight of more than 19,000 pounds that are newly purchased by state agencies, to be Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) beginning in 2025, and at least 30% of those vehicles to be ZEV beginning in 2030.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 10, 2017

Stanford researchers have developed a sodium-ion battery (SIB) that can store the same amount of energy as a state-of-the-art lithium ion, at substantially lower cost. As reported in a paper in Nature Energy , the Stanford team achieved four-sodium storage in a Na 2 C 6 O 6 electrode with a reversible capacity of 484 mAh g −1 , an energy density of 726 Wh kg −1 cathode , an energy efficiency above 87% and a good cycle retention.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 9, 2017

Researchers from the University of Liverpool (UK), with colleagues from Dalian University of Technology (China) and the University of Hull (UK), have developed a new process for the direct, one-step activation of carbon dioxide and methane (dry reforming of methane) into higher value liquid fuels and chemicals (e.g., acetic acid, methanol, ethanol, and formaldehyde) with high selectivity at ambient conditions.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 8, 2017

Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have been awarded $5.7 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) Program for two projects that develop tools and technology to advance the mass production of seaweed for biofuels and bio-based chemicals.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 13, 2017

The European Union is beginning efforts to establish a full value chain of advanced batteries in Europe, with large-scale Li-ion battery cell production, and the circular economy, at the core. European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, who is in charge of the Energy Union, organized a high-level meeting on battery development and production in Europe this past Wednesday in Brussels.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 13, 2017

Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) announced the expansion of its electric drive solutions portfolio into the construction industry. In partnership with Shannxi Automotive, the world’s tenth largest medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturer, EDI is introducing a plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) cement mixer truck. The collaboration integrates the Efficient Drivetrains EDI PowerDrive 8000 PHEV drivetrain and EDI PowerSuite vehicle control software into a Shaanxi Automotive, Class-8, 32-ton cement mi

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 12, 2017

BYD, North America’s largest electric bus manufacturer, unveiled the first 45-foot battery-electric commuter coach bus at this year’s APTA Expo. Additionally, BYD hosted the largest electric vehicle display at APTA Expo. BYD has more than 27,000 electric buses in service around the globe. BYD offers seven battery-electric coach and bus models, more than any other manufacturer in the North American market today.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 12, 2017

eNow has demonstrated a solar-powered zero-emissions commercial-use Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU) on a truck making deliveries in an urban environment. The new TRU, branded “Rayfrigeration,” achieved emission reductions of 98% N 2 O, and 97% PM over a five-month test period. TRUs are traditionally powered by high-polluting, small diesel engines.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 12, 2017

Unveiled earlier this year ( earlier post ), Toyota Motor North America’s (TMNA) “Project Portal” fuel-cell-powered Class 8 truck proof-of-concept has completed more than 4,000 successful development miles, while progressively pulling drayage rated cargo weight, and emitting nothing but water vapor. With testing and development miles completed, Project Portal will begin initial feasibility study routes, moving goods from select Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach terminals to surrounding rail yar

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 11, 2017

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) and Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) will collaborate on hydrogen and fuel cell safety research and development (R&D) data sharing to accelerate progress in hydrogen technology with mutual goals of energy security, resilience, and economic growth.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 11, 2017

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is contributing $2.5 million to a four-year Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)-led project ($8.1 million total) to investigate and demonstrate new manufacturing and fabrication technologies with a goal of producing the ASME-code acceptable critical assemblies of a two-thirds scale demonstration small modular reactor (SMR) reactor pressure vessel (RPV).

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 10, 2017

Among the exhibits on its stand at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, Mazda Motor Corporation will unveil a new concept model powered by the recently announced SKYACTIV-X gasoline spark-controlled compression ignition (SPCCI) engine. ( Earlier post.). With the SKYACTIV-X engine, Mazda claims to have developed a novel control system for HCCI combustion that extends the HCCI range out to a much larger percentage of the load map.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 10, 2017

The GENIVI Alliance , an open, collaborative software development community of automakers and their suppliers, is introducing a Vehicle Domain Interaction Strategy focused on developing open standard interfaces and code that will define the necessary paths bridging multiple car software domains. Announced during its All Member Meeting in Seoul, the new GENIVI Vehicle Domain Interaction Strategy is primarily based on a key market trend of system-on-a-chip (SOC) consolidation that has created the

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 10, 2017

At the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) EXPO 2017 in Atlanta, XALT Energy introduced its first second-generation (Gen II) battery cell to its portfolio of lithium-ion cells. The 65Ah ultra-high energy (UHE) cell —with an NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) cathode and graphite anode (NMC-G)—delivers 223 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), maintains a high cycle life and delivers 47% more energy density compared to the first-generation (Gen I) technology.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 13, 2017

XL Hybrids, a developer of electrification solutions for commercial and municipal fleets, raised an oversubscribed Series D round of $22 million. Constellation Technology Ventures (CTV), the venture capital arm of Exelon Corporation, and IKEA Group participated in the round along with new and existing large family office investors. The series brings XL Hybrids’ total funding to more than $50 million to date for the development, sale and distribution of fleet vehicle electrification solutions to

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 13, 2017

Sandia National Laboratories mechanical engineer Jackie Chen and colleagues Alex Krisman and Giulio Borghesi recently identified novel behavior of a key, temperature-dependent feature of the ignition process called a cool flame in the fuel dimethyl ether. The researchers used a two-dimensional direct numerical simulation (DNS) to provide a fully resolved description of ignition at diesel engine-relevant conditions.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 13, 2017

US Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) reintroduced the Vehicle Innovation Act to promote investments in research and development of clean vehicle technologies. Congressman Matt Cartwright (PA-17) and Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02) joined as original cosponsors of the legislation. The Vehicle Innovation Act reauthorizes the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), which works with manufacturers and suppliers to research, develop and deploy advanced vehicle technologies that imp

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 13, 2017

Growth Energy announced that more than 1,000 fuel stations around the US are offering E15—a fuel with 15% ethanol—more than doubling the number of stations from the same time last year. E15 is cleaner and cooler burning fuel that works well for cars model 2001 and newer and typically saves up to 10 cents per gallon. More retailers are responding to consumer demand for those fuel attributes by providing E15 as a choice at their pumps.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 13, 2017

Qantas announced that its Los-Angeles-based aircraft will be powered by biofuel from 2020. Over the next ten years, the airline will purchase eight million gallons (30 million liters) of renewable jet fuel each year from US-based bio-energy company, SG Preston. The fuel will be used by Qantas’ aircraft operating from Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to Australia and follows the Qantas Group’s successful domestic biofuel trial flights in 2012.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 13, 2017

Ridecell, Inc., a platform for carsharing and ridesharing operators, acquired Auro, a California-based developer of autonomous vehicle technology, in an all-stock transaction. Ridecell also announced the public availability of its autonomous operations platform which has successfully been used in autonomous pilot programs. The Auro acquisition will bring the expertise to accelerate the capabilities of the Ridecell autonomous operations platform.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 13, 2017

The MIPI Alliance, an international organization that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries, has formed an Automotive Birds of a Feather (BoF) Group to solicit industry input from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers to enhance existing or develop new interface specifications for automotive applications.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 12, 2017

GM is appointing Pamela Fletcher to the newly created position of vice president, Global Electric Vehicle Programs. For more than a decade, Fletcher has been in leadership roles supporting the engineering of GM’s electric vehicle and self-driving technologies, most recently as executive chief engineer for Electrified Vehicles and New Technologies. She has led the teams responsible for development of several of GM’s most awarded vehicles, including the second-generation Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 12, 2017

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has launched a high quality SiC epitaxial wafer, “EpiEra”, which attains a more than 99% defect free area in a wafer. Power devices are semiconductor devices used in a wide range of applications such as power transmission, trains, automobiles, and electric appliances. They are increasingly required to offer higher efficiency at lower energy consumption.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 12, 2017

With the sharp and largely unexpected increase in the long-distance movement of domestically produced crude oil, ethanol, and natural gas since 2005, a number of concerns have arisen about the safe transport of these hazardous materials, particularly in relation to railroad track defects, rural communities’ emergency response preparedness, and the older tank car designs that will continue to be used in multi-car unit trains, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engi

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 12, 2017

In 2016, BMW Group, Intel and Mobileye announced their collaboration to bring solutions for highly and fully automated driving into series production by 2021. The three are creating a standards-based open platform—from door locks to the datacenter—for the next generation of autonomous cars. ( Earlier post.) Subsequently, Delphi joined the effort as a partner. ( Earlier post.).

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 12, 2017

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $4 million for research projects on medium- and heavy-duty natural gas engine technologies. ( DE-FOA-0001813 ). The objective of the new FOA is to address barriers to adoption of natural gas vehicles through early-stage research on medium- and heavy-duty on-road engine technologies. The programmatic goal is to enable natural gas engines that can cost-effectively achieve diesel-like efficiency while meeting current and future emissions standards.

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