Sat.Nov 04, 2017 - Fri.Nov 10, 2017

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Study attributes significant amount of kidney disease globally to PM2.5 pollution

Green Car Congress

The global toll of chronic kidney disease (CKD) attributable to PM 2.5 pollution is significant, according to an analysis presented at ASN (American Society of Nephrology) Kidney Week. Benjamin Bowe, MPH, (Clinical Epidemiology Center at the VA Saint Louis Health Care System) and his colleagues previously described an association between increased levels of fine particulate matter and risk of developing CKD. ( Earlier post.).

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Electric cars emit less carbon than average U.S. new car, everywhere in the world

Green Car Reports

When electric cars first arrived in 2011, it was a reasonable question: Aren't you just shifting emissions from the tailpipe to the smokestack? The answer is yes, but the carbon emissions per mile of an electric car—properly measured on a wells-to-wheels basis—are virtually always lower than those of a gasoline or diesel car. It's not.

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First US eHighway demonstration running in California; battery-electric, CNG-hybrid and diesel-hybrid trucks

Green Car Congress

Siemens and the California South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) are conducting a one-mile, zero-emission eHighway demonstration in Carson, Calif., near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. ( Earlier post.). Three big-rig trucks hauling freight are running along the stretch of highway that uses Siemens technology to electrify select highway lanes via an overhead catenary system.

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Nikola Motor names Bosch and PowerCell AB as key suppliers for fuel-cell Class-8 truck; field testing in Fall 2018

Green Car Congress

Nikola Motor Company has named Bosch and PowerCell AB as key suppliers for the Nikola class 8 hydrogen-fuel-cell electric truck, unveiled as a prototype in December 2016. In September, Nikola had said that it was working with Bosch on the development of the vehicle’s powertrain. ( Earlier post.). PowerCell Sweden AB will be the primary supplier of fuel cell stacks for Nikola’s pre-production testing vehicles.

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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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UMTRI: average US new vehicle fuel economy drops in October

Green Car Congress

The average fuel economy (window-sticker value) of new vehicles sold in the US in October was 25.2 mpg (9.33 l/100 km), down 0.1 mpg from September, according to the monthly report from Dr. Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). The value for October is up 5.1 mpg since October 2007 (the first month of their monitoring), but down 0.3 mpg from the peak of 25.5 mpg reached in August 2014.

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Groupe Renault’s autonomous control system can match professional test drivers in obstacle avoidance

Green Car Congress

Groupe Renault announced that its Renault Open Innovation Lab – Silicon Valley has developed an autonomous control system that handles challenging driving scenarios and, as an industry first, has obstacle avoidance capability as good as professional test drivers. The Renault Open Innovation Lab is part of the Labs network within the Alliance and is focused on improving safety and advancing autonomous driving technology.

Universal 186

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Daimler, Blue Bird, IC Bus introduce electric school buses at NAPT

Green Car Congress

Three major school bus manufacturers—Daimler subsidiary Thomas Built Buses, Blue Bird and Navistar subsidiary IC Bus—introduced battery-electric school buses at the recent National Association for Pupil Transportation Annual Conference and Trade Show in Columbus, Ohio (NAPT). Two (Thomas Built Buses and Blue Bird) use an electric powertrain from Efficient Drivetrains, Inc.

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UPS, NYSERDA project to convert UPS diesel delivery trucks to electric; UES 225 kW switched reluctance motor

Green Car Congress

UPS and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced that new technology will be developed to convert UPS package delivery vehicles from diesel to electric. UPS and Unique Electric Solutions LLC (UES LLC) will design, build, test and make the conversions. NYSERDA is providing $500,000 in funding to develop and test the conversion system.

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Audi steps up research into carbon-neutral synthetic fuels with new e-diesel pilot plant; power-to-liquids

Green Car Congress

Audi is systematically building on its e-fuels strategy. ( Earlier post.) Together with the partners Ineratec GmbH ( earlier post ) and Energiedienst Holding AG , the company has plans for a new pilot facility for the production of e-diesel in Laufenburg, in Canton Aargau (Switzerland). For the first time, the energy needed will be supplied from the renewable source of hydropower.

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First driving behavior-based telematics automobile insurance developed for Toyota connected cars in Japan

Green Car Congress

Toyota Motor Corporation and the MS&AD Insurance Group’s Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co., Ltd. have jointly developed Japan’s first driving behavior-based telematics automobile insurance. The plan is available to owners of certain units of Toyota connected cars, and uses driving data gathered via telematics technologies to adjust insurance premiums based on the level of safe driving every month.

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

Brief

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POET-DSM claims cellulosic biofuel breakthrough with new pretreatment system for increased production

Green Car Congress

POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels says it has achieved a major breakthrough in cellulosic biofuels production at its Project LIBERTY plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. ( Earlier post.) The company has solved the critical challenge in pretreatment, overcoming what has been the primary hurdle to commercialization for producers around the world. Project LIBERTY is now running pretreatment at 80% uptime.

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ICCT analysis finds real-world vehicle fuel consumption gap in Europe at all-time high of 42%

Green Car Congress

The average gap between official fuel consumption figures and actual fuel use for new cars in the EU has reached 42%, according to the latest update by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) to its on-going research into vehicle fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions. A companion analysis by the ICCT indicates that similar gaps between official and real-world CO 2 emissions exist in China, Japan, and the United States.

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Battery-electric Mercedes-Benz Citaro city bus to debut in 2018 at IAA

Green Car Congress

Mercedes-Benz will introduce its all-electric Citaro city bus ( earlier post ) in September 2018 at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover. The all-electric Citaro will feature a modular design for the Li-ion battery pack, enabling individually customized solutions for a wide range of applications and requirements in city traffic. The vehicle is driven by electric wheel hub motors at the rear axle, a system already proven over recent years in the Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid.

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Aalto University team finds beryllium doping can benefit gallium nitride power electronics

Green Car Congress

Physicists at Aalto University in Finland, with colleagues in Texas and Poland, have shown that beryllium doping can prove beneficial in gallium nitride (GaN) power electronics. The team made a breakthrough in revising methods largely discarded 15 years ago. A paper on their work is published in the journal Physical Review Letters. There is growing demand for semiconducting gallium nitride in the power electronics industry.

Universal 150
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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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Opel’s PACE! plan calls for electrification of all carlines by 2024

Green Car Congress

The sale of Opel Automobile GmbH with its brands Opel and Vauxhall by General Motors to Groupe PSA was finalized at the beginning of August. The Opel/Vauxhall management team set to work on a plan for the future, now announced as its PACE! strategic plan. Under PACE!, all of the company’s European passenger carlines will be electrified—offering a pure battery electric propulsion or plug-in hybrid version alongside efficient internal combustion engines—by 2024.

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Rolls-Royce signs collaboration agreement with Jordan for small modular reactor technology

Green Car Congress

Rolls-Royce signed a Memorandum of Understanding with state-owned Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) to conduct a technical feasibility study for the construction of a Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) in Jordan, highlighting the growing international interest in small modular nuclear technology. With demand for global energy set to rise due to new technologies such as electric cars and increasing requirements for water desalination and district cooling, international interest in Rolls

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E3 releases new spark plugs for CNG, LNG engines

Green Car Congress

High-performance spark plug manufacturer E3 Spark Plugs has introduced a new natural gas spark plug that provides greater durability and ignition capacity for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) powered vehicles. The E3 Natural Gas Spark Plug is a modification of plugs developed for race applications where heat and extreme use can affect durability and ignition capacity.

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Five additional hydrogen stations proposed for California

Green Car Congress

The California Energy Commission has issued a “ Revised Notice of Proposed Awards ” that recommends five additional hydrogen fueling stations previously recommended for funding by Energy Commission staff. The newly awarded stations are: Beverly Hills (FirstElement Fuel). Studio City (FirstElement Fuel). San Jose (Shell). Redwood City (FirstElement Fuel).

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Sumitomo Electric and DOCOMO testing 5G real-time traffic monitoring

Green Car Congress

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. and NTT DOCOMO, INC. have been jointly testing the real-time collection and delivery of traffic information using high-definition sensors connected via a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications system for advanced driving support. The system networks sensors that have been mounted on vehicles and installed along roadsides or in buildings to collect traffic information that is analyzed in real time and then fed back to drivers and pedestrians.

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Ford pilots Ekso exoskeleton technology to help lessen chance of worker fatigue, injury

Green Car Congress

Ford is working with California-based Ekso Bionics to test the use of exoskeleton technology for Ford assembly workers. Some Ford assembly line workers lift their arms during overhead work tasks some 4,600 times per day, or about 1 million times per year. At this rate, the possibility of fatigue or injury on the body increases significantly. The new upper body exoskeletal tool is designed to help to lessen the chance of injury under these conditions.

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Alstom to build 14 Coradia iLint fuel-cell trains for LNVG

Green Car Congress

Alstom will build 14 Coradia iLint fuel-cell trains ( earlier post ) for the Local Transport Authority of Lower Saxony (Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen, LNVG). The trains, which will convey travellers between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde and Buxtehude from December 2021, will replace the diesel multiple units of the transport authority Elbe-Weser-Verkehrsbetriebe (evb) and will reduce the pollutant emission in daily service to zero.

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New switched reluctance machine module available in Motor-CAD

Green Car Congress

A new Switched Reluctance Machine (SRM) electromagnetic module is now available in Motor Design Limited’s Motor-CAD , enabling the design and analysis of electronically commutated reluctance motors and generators. A magnet-less topology with great fault tolerant operation capability, switched reluctance machines can often meet requirements for aerospace and automotive applications. ( Earlier post.).

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Carnival Cruise Line signs agreement with Shell to fuel North America’s first LNG-powered cruise ships

Green Car Congress

Carnival Cruise Line, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc, signed an agreement with Shell NA LNG, LLC (Shell) to be its supplier of marine liquefied natural gas (LNG) to power North America’s first fully LNG-powered cruise ships. Under this framework agreement, Shell will supply Carnival Cruise Line with fuel for its two new LNG-powered ships expected to launch in 2020 and 2022 and to be homeported in North America.

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Study concludes 20% synthetic diesel blend could reduce PM emissions in Beijing by ~19%

Green Car Congress

PM emissions from current vehicles in Beijing could be reduced by approximately 19% by simply blending 20% synthetic diesel with currently available diesel, according to a new study by Tsinghua University, the Desert Research Institute in Nevada and Greyrock Energy, a developer of gas-to-liquids technology. This improvement can be accomplished with no changes to the current vehicle fleet, no material changes to infrastructure and no involvement by the consumer.

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KLM and Costa Rica partner on aviation biofuels

Green Car Congress

The Costa Rican government and KLM will research the possibilities of flying from San José, the capital of Costa Rica, using bio-based jet fuel. On 31 October, KLM and the Costa Rican government signed a letter of intent to ratify the cooperation, marking the first such agreement of this kind between an airline and a country. In the months to come, KLM will share its knowledge and expertise with the Costa Rican government in close cooperation with its partner SkyNRG.

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BMW to showcase 5 electric vehicles at LA show; world debut of new vehicle

Green Car Congress

The BMW Group will showcase five electric vehicles at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show including the North American premieres of the BMW i Vision Dynamics, MINI Electric Concept, BMW i3s, and a World Premiere vehicle that will be shown during the BMW Group press conference on Wednesday, 29 November. Earlier this month, BMW reported that electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles now account for 5.5% of total BMW Group sales in the US. ( Earlier post.).

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Australia’s CSIRO creates Future Science Platform focused on hydrogen energy systems

Green Car Congress

Australia’s federal government agency for scientific research CSIRO is creating a Future Science Platform (FSP) focused on hydrogen energy systems. The creation of a Hydrogen FSP will support the development of technologies that allow Australia to export its solar energy, as well as providing low emissions energy solutions for Australians. The opportunity for Australia is clear—we have access to vast energy resources through sun, wind, biomass, natural gas and coal, all of which can be use

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Diamond Green Diesel considering expansion to 550M gallons annual production of renewable diesel

Green Car Congress

Valero Energy Corporation and Darling Ingredients Inc. announced today that in anticipation of growing demand for renewable diesel due to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and global low carbon markets, the companies will initiate an engineering and construction cost review to analyze an additional project that would grow annual production capacity to 550 million gallons at the Diamond Green Diesel (DGD) facility in Norco, Louisiana. ( Earlier post.).

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SporTran and Proterra deploy Louisiana’s first battery-electric buses in Shreveport

Green Car Congress

SporTran, a paratransit and fixed route transit services provider, with service to Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana, has deployed the state’s first fleet of battery-electric buses in Shreveport. The five Proterra 40' Catalyst E2 buses will go into service this month, and serve Louisiana’s third-largest city. In 2016, SporTran won the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Low or No-Emission Vehicle Deployment Grant, which funded the five electric buses, three depot chargers and an on-route

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GTT to design cryogenic LNG tanks for CMA CGM giant container ship newbuilds; Mark III system

Green Car Congress

GTT (Gaztransport & Technigaz), an engineering company expert in containment systems with cryogenic membranes used to transport and store liquefied gas, in particular LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), has been chosen by the shipyard Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding and by shipowner CMA CGM for the design of cryogenic tanks for nine LNG-fueled container ships. ( Earlier post.).

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Bioindustrial Innovation Canada supporting AChT green methanol project

Green Car Congress

Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) has commenced a COMM SCI project with Advanced Chemical Technologies Inc. (AChT), Waterloo, Ontario, that will see AChT complete technical and economic feasibility studies to address commercial barriers to construct a green methanol commercial scale demonstration facility in Sarnia by late 2020. AChT is in the formative stages of developing its green methanol commercial demonstration plant to be located at TransAlta’s Bluewater Energy Park in Sarnia, Ontario

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UPS launches delivery eBike in Pittsburgh

Green Car Congress

UPS launched an eBike that will deliver packages in downtown Pittsburgh, Pa. The electrically-assisted tricycle will help reduce carbon emissions in addition to traffic, noise and air quality challenges in Pittsburgh. The deployment is part of UPS’s Cycle Solutions and the company’s Rolling Laboratory, which tests alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles.

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EC proposes 30% CO2 reduction from 2021 to 2030 for light-duty vehicles

Green Car Congress

As part of a newly released Clean Mobility package, the European Commission is proposing a 30% reduction in average CO 2 emissions for new cars and vans from 2021 to 2030. The proposal includes targets both for 2025 and 2030. The 2025 intermediary target of a 15% reduction is intended to kick-start investments immediately. The 2030 target gives stability and long-term direction to keep up these investments.

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RAND study finds introducing autonomous vehicles sooner could save hundreds of thousands of lives

Green Car Congress

Autonomous vehicles should only have to be moderately better than human drivers before being widely used in the United States, an approach that could save thousands of lives annually even before the technology is perfected, according to a new RAND Corporation report. Allowing wide use of autonomous vehicles when they are just 10% better than current American drivers could prevent thousands of road fatalities over the next 15 years and possibly hundreds of thousands of fatalities over 30 years, r