Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 5, 2011

Plugless Power system components. Click to enlarge. Evatran, a developer of wireless charging systems for electric vehicles ( earlier post ), has signed contracts with six commercial participants to outfit their Chevrolet Volt and Nissan LEAF models with pre-production Plugless Power wireless charging systems. Plugless Power is a Level 2 (240V at 30A, 3.3 kW rated power output) inductive charging system, with a transfer efficiency of 90%.

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Creative Greenius

DECEMBER 4, 2011

Let me tell you how pissed off I was the day after Thanksgiving when I read this headline in the Daily Breeze: “ Vandals Uproot Saplings Planted by Youngsters “ The story in a nutshell read, “ Forget the financial loss. Vandals crushed a lot more than that this week when they ripped out fledgling oak trees and smashed other plants being cultivated by dozens of young people from across the South Bay in Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park. “ It steamed my chaps and I wasn̵

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Cars Environment 276

Electric Cars are for Girls

DECEMBER 9, 2011

Steve Fambro, Aptera's founder, will be speaking today for the first time about Aptera. Specifically - hopefully - What Went Wrong Over at Aptera. Not to be ghoulish about an EV company that didn't make it, but.don't we all wanna know? The show airs live at 3pm Eastern on Transport Evolved.

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Green Car Reports

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Last week we told you that Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury brand, would be including wireless inductive charging on the option list for its first electric car. Now Nissan has confirmed that the 2014 Leaf will also be able to wirelessly recharge itself using a suitable inductive charging station, doing away with those pesky power cables for good.

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2014 Nissan Infinity Recharge 134

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 6, 2011

As part of its strategy of developing solutions to reduce CO 2 emissions, Valeo has acquired the Variable Torque Enhancement System (VTES) ( earlier post ) business of UK automotive technology development company Controlled Power Technologies (CPT). VTES will be integrated into Valeo’s Powertrain Systems Business Group with immediate effect. With this move, Valeo becomes the first automotive supplier to offer its customers a range of electric superchargers.

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Creative Greenius

DECEMBER 4, 2011

Let me tell you how pissed off I was the day after Thanksgiving when I read this headline in the Daily Breeze: “ Vandals Uproot Saplings Planted by Youngsters “ The story in a nutshell read, “ Forget the financial loss. Vandals crushed a lot more than that this week when they ripped out fledgling oak trees and smashed other plants being cultivated by dozens of young people from across the South Bay in Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park. “ It steamed my chaps and I wasn̵

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Cars Environment 150

Green Car Reports

DECEMBER 7, 2011

At the end of last week we broke the news that Aptera, the company responsible for the futuristic three-wheeled electric car known as the Aptera 2e was closing down. Now a series of YouTube videos have surfaced showing showing people we assume to be Aptera employees wilfully destroying Aptera body shells with a forklift truck, presumably so they.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 9, 2011

ARB regulates two size classes of particles: up to 10 microns (PM 10 ) and up to 2.5 microns in size (PM 2.5 ). PM 2.5 particles are a subset of PM 10. Source: ARB. Click to enlarge. Three new studies released by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) show that exposure to airborne fine-particulate matter significantly elevates the risk for premature deaths from heart disease in older adults and elevates incidence of strokes among post-menopausal women.

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Pollution California 2011 Davis 319

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 7, 2011

Forecast global spending on ITS. Source: Pike Research. Click to enlarge. The concept of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) encompasses a wide range of systems and applications. In a new report, Pike Research focuses on four key smart transportation sectors—traffic management systems; smart charging for plug-in electric vehicles; public transportation systems; and vehicle-to-vehicle systems—and forecasts a global investment in these totaling $13.2 billion by 2017.

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Transportation 2017 Global Economy 283

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 6, 2011

The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) will hold its upcoming Electric Drive Vehicle First Responder Safety Training at the Tesla Motors headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. Scheduled for 6-7 Dec., the train-the-trainer workshop is the fifth of its kind to ensure first responders nationwide have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of electric drive vehicle accident response procedures.

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Tesla Motors West Virginia Motor Motors 278

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 5, 2011

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has signed a contract to purchase 450,000 gallons of advanced drop-in biofuel for the US Navy from Dynamic Fuels, LLC, a joint venture between Tyson Foods, Inc. and Syntroleum Corporation. Solazyme, Inc., a renewable oil and bioproducts company, will help Dynamic Fuels fulfill the contract, which the Navy and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) report is the single largest purchase of biofuel in US government history.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 7, 2011

A new report prepared by Collaborative Economics and produced by the organization Next 10 finds that California took in $467 million in global venture capital (VC) investment in EVs (69% of total dollars) in the first half of 2011. The report, Powering Innovation: California is Leading the Shift to Electric Vehicles from R&D to Early Adoption , tracks key indicators to assess opportunities and obstacles for California in the EV sector.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 7, 2011

DENSO Corporation has jointly developed a home energy management system (HEMS) with Toyota Housing Corporation and Misawa Homes Co., Ltd. The HEMS, DENSO’s first such product of its kind, has optional functions that work with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or electric (EV) vehicles. It will be available in the Japanese market in or after February 2012. As plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles become more widespread, we recognized that it’s possible to realize a more environmentally friendly society by con

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PHEV Toyota Energy Corporation 252

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 8, 2011

General Motors and Teijin Limited., a leader in the carbon fiber and composites industry, will co-develop advanced carbon fiber composite technologies for potential high-volume use globally in GM cars, trucks and crossovers. The two companies signed a co-development pact that involves use of Teijin’s carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) technology ( earlier post ) , a faster and more efficient way to produce carbon fiber composites that potentially could be introduced on mainstream vehi

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Carbon Fiber Carbon GM Fuel Economy 249

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 7, 2011

Seven core manufacturing industries could be seriously affected by a shortage of minerals and metals, which could disrupt entire supply chains and economies, according to new PwC research. Percentage of respondents indicating that their company is affected by minerals and metals scarcity [by industry]. Source: PwC. Click to enlarge. PwC surveyed some of the largest manufacturing businesses across manufacturing, chemicals, automotive, energy/renewable energy, aviation, metals, infrastructure and

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Manufacturer Industrial Industry Lithium Ion 247

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 7, 2011

The current vehicle footprint-based Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards create a financial incentive for automakers to increase vehicle size, except under certain limited conditions of consumer preference for vehicle size, according to a study by University of Michigan researchers Kate Whitefoot and Steven Skerlos. Simulations of future vehicles under the footprint-based standards found that the sales-weighted average vehicle size increases by 2–32%, undermining gains in fuel economy

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Standards Fuel Economy Vehicles Economy 240

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 9, 2011

Organic compounds detected in the two deep monitoring wells (purple and orange bars) during the last sampling event. Horizontal bars show method reporting limits for the individual analytes. Source: EPA Draft Report. Click to enlarge. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft analysis of data from its Pavillion, Wyoming ground water investigation, indicating that ground water in the aquifer contains compounds likely associated with gas production practices, including hydrauli

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Wyoming Water EPA 2010 239

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 4, 2011

Global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels have increased by 49% in the last two decades, according to the latest figures from the Global Carbon Project. Total emissions—including fossil fuel combustion, cement production, deforestation and other land use emissions—reached 10 billion tonnes of carbon (36.7 billion tonnes of CO 2 ) in 2010 for the first time.

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2010 Carbon Global Emissions 239

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 9, 2011

The new Zafira Tourer 1.6 Turbo ecoFLEX natural gas version has been fitted with gas tanks made of composite material including carbon fiber. The new tank system can now hold 25 kg of natural gas, increasing the range in the CNG mode by 25%. Click to enlarge. In January 2012, Opel will introduce a new natural gas ecoFLEX version of the Zafira Tourer—itself recently introduced at the 64 th Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 7, 2011

Unexpected voltage increases of up to 25% in two barely separated nanowires have been observed at Sandia National Laboratories. Designers of next-generation devices using nanowires to deliver electric currents—including telephones, handheld computers, batteries and certain solar arrays—may need to make allowances for such surprise boosts.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 7, 2011

PM from conventional diesel, PCCI and RCCI combustion. Prikhodko et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are investigating the characteristics of and control techniques for particulate matter (PM) emissions generated by the Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) combustion technique. RCCI is a promising combustion technique utilizing two fuels with different reactivities to enable efficient yet low-emission combustion. ( Earlier post.).

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Ford sales in China are up 7% for the first 11 month of this year. From January to November 2011, Ford China sold 470,152 wholesale vehicles compared to 438,636 vehicles last year. Sales for Ford-brand vehicles at Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA), Ford’s passenger vehicle joint venture, are up 6% this year, to 289,870 wholesale vehicles from 274,396 last year.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 6, 2011

The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart compact car will make its world debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich., on 9 Jan. 2012. The original Dodge Dart was first introduced as a full-size car in 1960, then moved from a mid-size in 1962 to a compact format from 1963-1976. The new Dart is the first Chrysler Group vehicle based upon a Fiat architecture, adapted from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

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Dodge Chrysler 2013 2012 231

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 5, 2011

The new 2.0 CDTI BiTurbo engine features a dual intercooler system. At low rpms an additional, water-cooled intercooler (small arrow) ensures that the small volume of air from the small turbocharger passes in a short and direct path to the combustion chamber. In the mid-rpm range, the larger air stream from the larger turbocharger is cooled by the larger intercooler.

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Engine Range Water MPG 230

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 3, 2011

Researchers from Bar-Ilan University in Israel and BASF report in a paper in press in the journal Electrochemistry Communications on the development of rechargeable lithiated silicon–sulfur (SLS) battery prototypes. There is considerable interest in replacing graphite anodes with silicon materials to increase the specific energy of Li-ion batteries.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 7, 2011

For municipalities and others seeking a less expensive alternative to replenish an aging medium-duty truck fleet, Ford will offer the 2012 Super Duty F-650 with a gasoline engine—a class exclusive in the medium-duty truck segment. The gasoline variant costs thousands of dollars less than diesel trucks of its size. Class 6 and 7 medium-duty trucks are the workhorses of municipal fleets, from single-axle dump trucks to highway plow trucks.

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Gasoline 2012 Ford Engine 225

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 7, 2011

Sheetak Inc. has been awarded a $4.7-million contract by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to develop a thermal energy storage system for supplemental heating or cooling for electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). ( Earlier post.) Delphi Automotive will partner with Sheetak to accelerate systems integration and commercialization.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 6, 2011

General Motors and its joint ventures in China reported a 20.4% increase in domestic sales to post a November record of 237,130 vehicles delivered. It was the third-best sales month of 2011. For the first 11 months as a whole, GM and its joint ventures sold a record 2,350,406 vehicles in China, which was up 8.2 percent from the same period last year and just short of last year’s full-year sales record of 2,351,610 units.

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GM China Sale Buick 225

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Daimler and Conductix-Wampfler are collaborating on a research project on the wireless inductive charging of electric vehicles co-funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, BMU). The main target of the project is a safe, automotive-grade charging system with maximum efficiency and minimum weight and package.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 6, 2011

The US National Science FOundation (NSF) has issued a solicitation for its FY 20120 Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP). This program is a continuation of the Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) that began in FY 1998 as part of the National Plant Genome Initiative (NPGI). The PGRP encourages new, innovative ideas in the form of basic research and tool development projects that will advance the whole field of plant biology and accelerate basic discovery and innovation in economically important

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 8, 2011

Boeing has established two world records with the 787 Dreamliner, setting new marks for both speed and distance for the airplane’s weight class. The airplane is 20% more fuel efficient than similarly sized airplanes. Boeing says the 787-8 Dreamliner is the first airplane to provide both long distance capabilities with mid-size capacity (210-250 passengers in a three-class seating), allowing airlines to open new, non-stop routes.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 3, 2011

EV start-up Epic Electric Vehicles and DeLorean Motor Company recently unveiled a new lightweight resin infused composite body for the new DeLorean Electric Vehicle (DMCEV) slated for production in 2012. Epic EV and DeLorean worked together to maximize strength and decrease the weight of this main chassis component of the DMCEV. The two companies unveiled a development version of the DMCEV in October.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 8, 2011

Simple block diagram of an EV with V2G. Source: Chakraborty et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released a technical report that provides an interim test plan for evaluating vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications. The test plan is designed to test and evaluate the plug-in vehicle’s capability to provide power to the grid, and to evaluate the vehicle’s ability to connect and disconnect from the utility according to a subset

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Average fuel economy of all new vehicles sold in the United States is up for the second straight month, according to researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). In addition to average fuel economy , Sivak and UMTRI colleague Brandon Schoettle issued their monthly update of their new national Eco-Driving Index , which estimates the average monthly environmental impact of an individual US driver.

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