Green Car Congress

MARCH 16, 2012

Environmental impacts of gasoline and E85. Error bar shows regional variations for E85. GW = global warming; Eut. = eutrophication; ET = ecological toxicity; FEC = fossil energy consumption; WU = water use; LO = land occupation; “The rest” includes acidification; smog formation; ozone layer depletion; and human health effects. Credit: ACS, Yang et al.

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Gasoline Water Emissions Minnesota 357

Green Car Reports

MARCH 16, 2012

You hear both sides of the battery cost question a lot when you cover electric cars. One side says, "Electric-car batteries will be brutally expensive for many years to come, so electric cars will never be practical." The other side believes, "With wonderful new discoveries coming out of labs and the pace of progress in electronics, batteries will.

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Plugs and Cars

MARCH 14, 2012

The car landscape of America is changing. Some places have plug-in cars. Some places have public charge stations. Some places are lucky enough to have both. The USDOE counts over 5500 public charge stations. Only ten states have none. Is there public charging where you as a EV driver want to find it? How will you find it? Will you be able to simply plug in and charge?

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Charging San Francisco Los Angeles Plug-in 100

DIY Electric Car

MARCH 13, 2012

Hi, I found out where the battery tray bolt was, in the wheel arc? So I removed that, the serpentine belt and AC unit. Also I scrouged from work some baby 12V sealed rechargable batteries which were going to be recycled. but still have some charge. I think I will be able to use them to test the system some way. :confused: I am now reading up on building my own desulfator just for fun.

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Recharge Building Batteries Battery 100

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 10, 2012

A new study by researchers from Stockholm University concludes that automobile tires may be a potential previously unknown source of carcinogenic dibenzopyrenes—a type of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)—to the environment. Their findings are published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology. Automobile tire rubber in general consists of approximately 40?

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Green Car Reports

MARCH 16, 2012

One month from today, your 2011 Federal and state tax returns will be due. (It would have been a month from yesterday, but April 15 falls on a Sunday this year.) So consider this your friendly reminder to make sure that if you bought a plug-in car during 2011, you remember to apply for the Federal income-tax credit of $2,500 to $7,500, depending.

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Tax Tax Credit Green Cars Green 133

DIY Electric Car

MARCH 11, 2012

Hi, today I managed to get some time on the Saturn EV. I removed the bonnet,radiator, the air box and the battery. Got stock on the battery box but at least I can see where I am going now. Won't be long untill I yank out that ugly big engine lump.:mad: Oh I also found out I have a leak in the boot which I will need to sort out before I put in any batteries etc.

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Saturn Batteries Battery Engine 100

Green Car Congress

MARCH 12, 2012

According to a recent report examining batteries for electric vehicles from Pike Research, as manufacturing efficiencies improve and access to lithium expands, the installed cost of Li-ion batteries will fall by more than one-third by the end of 2017. In terms of revenue, the market for Li-ion batteries for transportation will grow from $2.0 billion annually in 2011 to more than $14.6 billion by 2017, the market intelligence firm forecasts.

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Li-ion 2017 Price Batteries 324

Green Car Reports

MARCH 16, 2012

As most electric car owners will tell you, electric cars don’t have the same range in winter as they do in summer. Not so, says Swedish automaker Volvo. Thanks to a carefully engineered heating system, its test fleet of C30 Electric cars can still give impressive range when the outside temperature plummets to -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Earlier.

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National Green Transportation

MARCH 11, 2012

Private transit company Veolia Transport has been accused of lobbying Congress over HR7, legislation currently making its way through Congress which would (among other things) weaken public transit agencies, according to a StreetsBlog post on.

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Congress Companies Transportation 92

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DIY Electric Car

MARCH 10, 2012

OK I posted a excited start but so far have not even touched the car? No real excuse except I have two other cars to fix at the moment. Had to replace the lower control arm on my Volvo V70xc. What a pain that is? Also have to replace outer tie rod end on my Volvo XC90. However I have been busy buying parts and I building myslef a lab power supply for a old computer ATX power supply which I had lying around.

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Saturn DC Volvo Cheap 100

Green Car Congress

MARCH 14, 2012

CAP-XX stop-start system architecture. The company says that the cost of a 14V, 6-cell supercapacitor module for stop-start would be around US$60. Source: CAP-XX. Click to enlarge. Australia-based CAP-XX Limited, a developer of thin, prismatic supercapacitors, has developed a supercapacitor module which supplies the cranking current to start the engine in Stop-Start vehicles (also known as start-stop, idle-stop, or micro-hybrid vehicles), reducing wear on the battery and eliminating the need for

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Batteries Battery Australia Volt 322

Green Car Reports

MARCH 13, 2012

So you're in the market for a new car. Fantastic. You've done the research--looking at list prices, EPA fuel ratings, and all manner of other factors--and you know you want something fuel-efficient and easy on the environment. But what will that car really cost over, say, five years of ownership? We've done the math for you on five different types.

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Green Cars News

MARCH 15, 2012

With the threat of further fuel price rises hanging over us, a leading charging infrastructure firm is predicting that the market for electric cars is about to grow. Bosses at Charging Solutions say that more motorists will look for viable alternatives as fuel prices reach record highs. James Jean-Louis is managing director of Charging Solutions, [.].

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Price Electric Cars Fuel Industrial 88

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Guyana

Green Car Congress

MARCH 14, 2012

Nissan DeltaWing. Click to enlarge. Nissan is becoming a founding partner in DeltaWing Le Mans project ( earlier post ) and will provide an advanced and efficient Nissan 1.6-liter, turbocharged gasoline direct injection engine to power the DeltaWing car as it races at the Le Mans 24 Hours (16-17 June). The engine, badged DIG-T (Direct Injection Gasoline - Turbocharged), is expected to produce around 300 hp (224 kW), sufficient to give Nissan DeltaWing lap times between LMP1 and LMP2 machines at

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Nissan Fuel North America Engine 300

Green Car Congress

MARCH 15, 2012

3M is investing in the research and manufacturing of novel silicon (Si)-based anode materials for Li-ion batteries. 3M was recently granted another US patent ( 8,071,238 ) for its silicon-based anode compositions that can increase cell capacity by more than 40% when matched with high-energy battery cathodes. ( Earlier post.). The new patent, “Silicon-containing alloys useful as electrodes for lithium-ion batteries”, covers a composite electrode material with the formula Si x Sn q M y C z where q

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Li-ion Lithium Ion Manufacturer Batteries 300

Green Car Congress

MARCH 13, 2012

New medium-duty Euro VI engine. Click to enlarge. Mercedes-Benz unveiled a new generation of medium-duty engines with the series designation OM 93x. Together with the new heavy-duty OM 470 engine, Daimler is expanding its “BlueEfficiency Power” engine portfolio into a comprehensive range complying with the impending Euro VI emissions standard. The OM 471 engine, presented in 2011 and also part of the portfolio, is already in service on long-haul operations in the new Mercedes-Benz Actros.

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Engine Mercedes Commercial Exhaust 299

Green Car Congress

MARCH 12, 2012

In an open access paper published in the International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials , researchers from the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences review significant developments and remaining challenges of practical Li–air batteries and the current understanding of their chemistry. The energy density of the lithium–air battery with respect to the anode could reach 13,000 Wh kg ?

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Li-ion Future Batteries Battery 285

Green Car Congress

MARCH 15, 2012

Advanced Traction Battery Systems (ATBS), A123 Systems’ Shanghai-based joint-venture company with SAIC Motor ( earlier post ), has been selected to develop battery packs for a new plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) sedan from Geely, one of the fastest-growing automakers in China and the parent company of Volvo Car Corporation. Under the terms of the development agreement, A123 Systems will supply 20Ah prismatic cells to ATBS for the production of complete lithium-ion battery packs for Geely’s new PH

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 11, 2012

The Morgan Plus E electric sports car features a five-speed manual gearbox and was designed by Morgan with the support of British technology specialists Zytek and Radshape. Click to enlarge. Morgan Motor Company showcased an electric sports car with a five-speed manual gearbox at the Geneva Motor Show. Designed by Morgan with the support of British technology specialists Zytek and Radshape, Morgan showed it as a concept to test market reaction, suggesting that it could enter production if there

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Zytek Cars Li-ion Electric 273

Green Car Congress

MARCH 13, 2012

Researchers at the University of Alberta (Canada) have quantified the transformation of the boreal landscape by open-pit oil sands mining in Alberta, Canada to evaluate its effect on carbon storage and sequestration. Their analysis suggests that carbon storage loss caused by peatland conversion could be equivalent to as much as 7 years worth of carbon emissions by mining and upgrading (at 2010 levels).

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Oil-Sands Oil Carbon Conversion 270

Green Car Congress

MARCH 10, 2012

Bridgestone Corporation (BSJ) announced plans for an extensive research project in the United States dedicated to developing Guayule as a commercially viable, renewable source of high-quality natural rubber and as an alternative to the Hevea tree. Guayule (pronounced Why-u-lee) is a perennial shrub native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

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United States Mexico Climate America 268

Green Car Congress

MARCH 15, 2012

In February, new car registrations totalled 888,878 units in the EU, down by. 9.7% compared to February 2011, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’s Association. In the first two months of 2012, the EU recorded 1,858,066 new cars, or 8.3% less than in the same period a year earlier. In February, demand for new cars dropped in all major markets, except Germany where registrations remained stable (-0.0%).

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 15, 2012

Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have engineered Escherichia coli bacteria to overproduce saturated and monounsaturated aliphatic methyl ketones in the C 11 to C 15 (diesel) range from glucose. In subsequent tests, these methyl ketones yielded high cetane numbers, making them promising candidates for the production of advanced biofuels or blendstocks.

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Diesel Engine Range Fuel 252

Green Car Congress

MARCH 10, 2012

The US Department of Defense (DoD) released the Operational Energy Strategy Implementation Plan. The plan establishes seven specific targets and associated near-term activities keyed to the goals of the Operational Energy Strategy, which was released in June 2011. ( Earlier post.) Together, the Strategy and Implementation Plan will serve as a roadmap to transform the way the Department of Defense uses energy in military operations.

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Energy Afghanistan 2012 Alternative Fuels 247

Green Car Congress

MARCH 15, 2012

Tri-generation stationary fuel cell power plant. Click to enlarge. Air Products and FuelCell Energy, Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work toward the market development of stationary Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plants that simultaneously produce hydrogen, ultra-clean electricity and usable high quality heat. Target markets for these tri-generation stationary fuel cell power plants include industrial hydrogen users as well as vehicle fueling applications.

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Hydrogen Industrial Industry Power 244

Green Car Congress

MARCH 15, 2012

Johnson Controls has entered a long-term cooperation agreement with the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Polymeric Materials and Composites PYCO. PYCO is a developer of highly cross-linked polymers for all applications. Both organizations will collaborate on developing sustainable solutions for the automotive industry. Johnson Controls and Fraunhofer PYCO’s research and development initiatives will focus on developing polymer systems that are recyclable, repairable, and have excellent mechani

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Auto Industry Industrial Industry Polymer 244

Green Car Congress

MARCH 16, 2012

The Go-Ahead Group and Williams Hybrid Power (WHP), a subsidiary of Williams Grand Prix Engineering, have signed an agreement to develop a flywheel energy storage application for use in buses. Go-Ahead and Williams Hybrid Power have agreed to work together to develop and produce six prototype buses with a retrofitted hybrid flywheel system, providing electro-mechanical energy to drive the bus and deliver substantial improvements to fuel economy and reductions in CO 2 emissions.

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 11, 2012

Light duty vehicle characteristics for seven model years. Data: EPA. Click to enlarge. The average fuel efficiency for new cars and light duty trucks has increased while the average carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions continue to decrease for the seventh consecutive year, according to the 2011 edition of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) annual report, “Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2011.”.

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Fuel Economy 2011 EPA Economy 236

Green Car Congress

MARCH 16, 2012

The city and highway fuel economy ratings for the new Ford Police Interceptors (PI) have increased by 25% over the retired Crown Victoria. But as law enforcement vehicles spend the majority of their lives idling, Ford engineers also tuned the Police Interceptor sedan and utility vehicle models to save fuel even when they are standing still, with no sacrifice to pursuit performance.

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Fuel Economy Economy Tahoe Ford 231

Green Car Congress

MARCH 16, 2012

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), along with charging station partner AeroVironment and the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE), opened the first phase of the West Coast Electric Highway, which is anticipated to eventually stretch along Interstate 5 from the Canadian to Mexican borders. ( Earlier post.). Spaced at roughly 25-mile intervals along the southern Oregon I-5, the AeroVironment charging stations are available at locations in Cottage Grove, Rice Hill, Roseburg, Canyonville,

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 16, 2012

Toyota’s subcompact Prius c five-door hatchback ( earlier post ), the newest member of the Prius family of hybrid vehicles, has sold 1,201 units since going on sale 12 March. During the first half of March, the four-member Prius Family, including the new Prius c, roomy v, third-generation Liftback and new Plug-in Hybrid, accounted for sales of 9,821.

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Prius Toyota Sale Plug-in 231

Green Car Congress

MARCH 14, 2012

Coulomb Technologies announced that The Boeing Company has installed Coulomb’s ChargePoint stations for electric vehicles (EV) on four campuses; Bellevue, Wash., Portland, Ore., El Segundo, Calif. and Mesa, Ariz. The charging stations are part of a pilot program sponsored by the Boeing Utilities Services & Conservation group to respond to employee requests for EV charging at work.

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Electric Vehicles Charging Portland Vehicles 231

Green Car Congress

MARCH 14, 2012

BASF, through its global Battery Materials business unit, has signed a long-term licensing agreement to acquire global rights for the production and sale of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery materials technology from LiFePO 4 +C Licensing AG, Muttenz, Switzerland, an affiliate of Clariant AG. LiFePO4+C Licensing represents the patent owners for this technology: Hydro-Québec (Montréal); Université de Montréal; and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, Paris). ( Earlier post.).

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