Sat.Jul 15, 2017 - Fri.Jul 21, 2017

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GWU team demonstrates highly scalable, low-cost process for making carbon nanotube wools directly from CO2

Green Car Congress

Researchers at George Washington University led by Dr. Stuart Licht have demonstrated the first facile high-yield, low-energy synthesis of macroscopic length carbon nanotubes (CNTs)—carbon nanotube wool—from CO 2 using molten carbonate electrolysis ( earlier post ). The resulting CNT wool is of length suitable for weaving into carbon composites and textiles and is highly conductive; the calculated cost to produce the CNTs is approximately $660 per ton, compared to the current $100,00

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Chevy Volt may be replaced in 2022 with plug-in hybrid crossover: CrossVolt at last?

Green Car Reports

Small SUVs are all the rage, steadily eating into sales of passenger sedans and hatchbacks of pretty much every size. It's not just limited to North America, either: the trend is global, which is why several makers have jacked up perfectly standard front-wheel-drive hatchbacks and turned them into "crossover" utility vehicles. Now GM may be.

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Researchers characterize aggregate indoor and outdoor PM2.5 exposure

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In an initial step toward developing a comprehensive global impact assessment framework for PM 2.5 emissions, an international team of researchers from the US and Europe has characterized the primary PM 2.5 intake fraction—the long-term population intake mass per unit mass emitted into different indoor and outdoor environments. Intake fractions from residential and occupational indoor sources ranged from 470 ppm to 62,000 ppm—mainly as a function of air exchange rate and occupancy.

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Hybrid and electric cars account for 7.5% of Kia 1H 2017 Europe sales, up from 1% in 2016

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Kia Motors posted its best six-month sales period in Europe, with half-year sales surpassing 250,000 for the first time in the company’s history. Hybrid and electric vehicles accounted for 7.5% of European sales so far this year, up from just one per cent in the first six months of 2016, according to Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer of Kia Motors Europe.

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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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Audi’s “Jack” autonomous A7 concept hits the road in public demo drives in Germany

Green Car Congress

Audi is providing public demonstration drives on board an Audi A7 piloted driving concept nicknamed “Jack”. Selected brand customers and fans will get their first experience of piloted driving on the A9 north of Munich. The customer trips in “Jack” start in the myAudi Sphere at Munich airport. The route goes via the A9—part of Germany’s “Digital Motorway Test Bed.

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Bus operators in Germany, Italy to procure 63 fuel cell buses; larger refueling stations

Green Car Congress

Bus operators from Germany and South Tyrol, Italy are partnering to procure 63 fuel cell buses for their public transport systems as part of the EU-funded JIVE project (€106 million total cost, with €32 million coming from the EU). ( Earlier post.) The project is also testing new hydrogen refueling stations capable of serving fleets of more than 20 buses.

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First crop of DOE Battery500 seedlings awarded nearly $6M; high-risk, high-reward toward 500 Wh/kg

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Announced in 2016, the Battery500 consortium, led by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), intends to build a battery pack with a specific energy of 500 Wh/kg, compared to the 170-200 Wh/kg per kilogram in today’s typical EV battery. ( Earlier post.) Achieving this goal would result in a smaller, lighter and less expensive battery, and electric vehicles with significantly extended range.

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Schaeffler creating independent E-Mobility business division in 2018

Green Car Congress

Global automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler will create an independent E-Mobility business division as of January 1, 2018 to bring together all the products and system solutions for hybrid and pure battery electric vehicles. Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG, made the announcement during the company’s Capital Markets Day in Bühl. Schaeffler will also establish a competence center for E-Mobility in China, alongside the existing German units, to accommodate the increasing importance o

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BMW tops emobility sales charts in Germany 1H 2017

Green Car Congress

The BMW Group was the top seller of electric mobility in Germany the first half of 2017, with just under 5,000 units registered ; registrations are about 175% over the same period in 2016. The Group has 8 eletrified vehicles in the market. The most popular electric vehicle in the BMW portfolio remains the BMW i3. In the first half of 2017 alone, around 2,100 customers opted for the compact, up 155% compared to the first half of 2016.

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The Technical Failure That Could Clear The Oil Glut In A Matter Of Weeks

Green Car Congress

by Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com. OPEC exports have come under pressure this week from technical threats to oil fields, with Saudi Arabia’s Manifa problems grabbing the headlines. Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser, while addressing the World Petroleum Congress in Istanbul, stated that the outlook for oil supplies is “ increasingly worrying ”, due to a loss of $1 trillion ($1,000 billion) in investments last year.

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

Brief

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Study finds PM from biodiesel blends may be 50-80% less toxic per unit PM mass than from petroleum diesel

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In a study published in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels , a team from the University of Vermont reports that particulate matter from the combustion of biodiesel blends may be 50–80% less toxic per unit PM mass emitted than PM from petroleum diesel, depending on feedstock. There is growing consensus that PM toxicity is linked to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on PM and the subsequent oxidative stress induced in cells.

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Autonomous vehicle company Nauto closes $159M round; Softbank, Greylock join BMW, GM, Toyota

Green Car Congress

Autonomous vehicle technology company Nauto ( earlier post ) closed a $159-million Series B financing round, led by a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp. and Greylock Partners. Other participants include previous strategic investors BMW iVentures, General Motors Ventures, Toyota AI Ventures and the venture unit of global financial services and insurance provider Allianz Group, and Series A investors Playground Global and Draper Nexus.

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New Nissan LEAF to feature e-Pedal one-pedal operation

Green Car Congress

The new Nissan LEAF EV will feature e-Pedal, a driver-selectable option enabling full one-pedal driving. Actuated with the flip of a switch, e-Pedal allows drivers to accelerate, decelerate and stop using just the e-Pedal. Nissan says that e-Pedal technology is the first one-pedal operation that allows drivers to bring the car to a complete stop even on hills, stay in position, and resume driving instantly.

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Cambridge team develops optimization tool including LCA for developing bio-renewables-based processes

Green Car Congress

A team at the University of Cambridge (UK) has developed a decision support tool for developing optimal processes for bio-renewable-based energy solutions and chemicals manufacturing. The tool, described in a paper in the journal ChemSusChem, combines economic and environmental performance criteria, evaluated by rigorous models. The researchers demonstrated their optimization-simulation framework using a case study of conversion of terpenes derived from bio-waste feedstocks into reactive interme

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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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EPA proposes maintaining current NOx standards

Green Car Congress

Based on its review of scientific evidence, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes retaining the current national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for oxides of nitrogen (NO x ). EPA proposes that the current NAAQS don’t need to be changed because they provide the appropriate public health protection, with an adequate margin of safety, including for older adults, children and people with asthma.

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Volvo D13 turbo compound engine delivers up to 6.5% improvement in fuel efficiency

Green Car Congress

Volvo Trucks North America’s new VNL series delivers up to 7.5% improved fuel efficiency when spec’d with Volvo’s available D13 Turbo Compound engine (D13TC). ( Earlier post.) Designed for customers with long-haul, steady-speed operations, the 13-liter Volvo D13TC utilizes turbo compounding technology that recovers energy typically wasted through the exhaust, converting it into useable mechanical energy that is transferred back to the engine.

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China study connects ozone pollution to cardiovascular health

Green Car Congress

Exposure to ozone, long associated with impaired lung function, is also connected to health changes that can cause cardiovascular disease such as heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke, according to a new study of Chinese adults. The findings associated ozone exposure with markers of platelet activation and increased blood pressure. Ozone concentrations were lower than the levels capable of influencing pulmonary function, which is the main basis for current regulatory standards.

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Tec team develops modular EV with Android-based control ecosystem

Green Car Congress

A team at the Monterrey Institute of Technology (Tec) in Mexico has developed an electric vehicle featuring modular design, multimotor, power source, digital control, autonomy, and connectivity—the EvTec project. In an open-access paper in the journal Advances in Mechanical Engineering , the EvTec team discusses the use of the Android-based Control Ecosystem, which integrates the Operating System Android, as part of the open-source control of the vehicle.

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Saitama City, Honda Motor and Yamaha Motor begin electric motorcycle trials

Green Car Congress

Saitama City (Japan), Honda Motor and Yamaha Motor will begin evaluation testing towards the expansion of the use of electric motorcycles. As part of Saitama City’s “E-KIZUNA Project” policies to promote the spread of electric vehicles, this collaborative initiative by the three parties also aims to resolve the issues in areas which are lacking in transport accessibility.

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Two new approaches to high-performance SiOx anodes for Li-ion batteries

Green Car Congress

Although silicon is a very attractive anode material because of its higher energy density, its huge volume change over repeated charge−discharge cycles rapidly degrades cycle life. As an alternative approach to mitigate the well-known drawbacks of silicon while retaining the energy density advantages, silicon monoxide (SiO x , x ≈ 1) has become attractive as well (e.g., earlier post ).

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Audi offering free emissions software upgrade for up to 850,000 diesels

Green Car Congress

Audi is offering its customers in Europe and other markets—outside of the US and Canada—a retrofit program for cars with EU5 and EU6 diesel engines. A total of up to 850,000 cars worldwide with six-cylinder and eight-cylinder diesel engines (V6/V8 TDI, EU5/EU6) will get new software. This will further improve their emissions in real driving conditions beyond the current legal requirements.

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UN-Habitat and DLR sign a memorandum of understanding on sustainable urban mobility

Green Car Congress

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) Institute of Transport Research signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Berlin that aims to promote cooperation between the two institutions in the field of sustainable urban mobility. The MoU provides a framework for cooperation within which the organizations will work together on issues related to sustainable urban mobility.

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San Pedro Bay Ports release draft of 2017 Clean Air Action Plan Update; $7-$14 billion price tag

Green Car Congress

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach released the draft of their proposed 2017 C lean Air Action Plan (CAAP) Update. The document outlines a new set of aggressive near-term and long-term strategies for the nation’s busiest harbor complex to further reduce harmful air pollution from all port-related sources, assist the state in meeting aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals, and ultimately achieve zero emissions for trucks and terminal equipment.

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KAIST team extends cycle life of silicon anodes with molecular pulley polyrotaxane in binder

Green Car Congress

Silicon anodes can deliver 3~5-times higher capacities compared with current graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries. However, their volume expands enormously during each charge-discharge cycle, leading to fractures of the electrode particles or delamination of the electrode film, both resulting in rapid capacity decay. Typical charge-discharge numbers for microparticle-size Si anodes are less than 100.

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Germany awarding €22.2M to 13 new autonomous and networked driving projects

Green Car Congress

German Federal Minister Alexander Dobrindt has approved a further €22.2 million (US$25.5 million) for thirteen new research projects as part of the “Research program on automation and networking in road traffic”. Among them are projects on digital test fields in Berlin and Düsseldorf as well as on the digital test field Autobahn on the A9 in Bavaria.

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California to receive additional $153M in final settlement with Volkswagen

Green Car Congress

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) filed a consent decree for its final settlement with the Volkswagen Group of America (VW). The company will be required to pay an additional $153.8 million to California over the company’s use of illegal defeat devices in 2009-2016, 2.0 and 3.0 liter diesel passenger cars. Before today, VW had paid $533 million to California, of which $422 million will flow to the state through a mitigation trust.

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Leclanché, eCAMION and SGEM to build and operate network of 34 fast-charging stations along Trans-Canada Highway

Green Car Congress

Leclanché North America, part of Switzerland's Leclanché SA; eCAMION, based in Toronto; and SGEM, based in Geneva; will partner to develop and to install a network of 34 fast-charging stations along the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH). The project, designed to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles in Canada, entails an investment of C$17.3 million (US$13.6 million) and is being partially funded by a C$8.0-million (US$6.2 million) repayable contribution from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) unde

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Volvo Cars and Geely to establish JV to boost synergies, accelerate next-gen electrified vehicle technology

Green Car Congress

Volvo Cars plans to set up a new joint venture technology company with Geely Holding, the Chinese car group, to share existing and future technology, to deepen industrial synergies and to provide the economies of scale that will allow them to develop next generation electrified vehicle technology more rapidly. According to a Memorandum of Understanding signed today, Volvo Cars, Geely Auto and LYNK & CO will share vehicle architecture and engine technologies via cross licensing arrangements of te

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US House subcommittee advances autonomous driving legislation; NHTSA to drive regulations, state role diminished

Green Car Congress

The US House Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, chaired by Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), today held a markup to advance bipartisan self-driving legislation. This draft legislation passed out of the subcommittee by voice vote. The legislation clarifies the federal and state roles for regulating highly automated vehicles (HAVs) to encourage the testing, development, and deployment of HAVs in the United States.

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Mercedes-Benz 48V system debuts in new S-Class

Green Car Congress

Mercedes-Benz’ new S-Class will enter the market this month with an all-new engine range (diesel and gasoline variants of 6-cylinder in-line engines and a new V8 biturbo gasoline engine) with a series of new technologies for electrification of the powertrain ( earlier post ), including a 48V system (S 450 and S 500 models) and Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) for mild hybrid functionality, an electric booster compressor, and an upgraded plug-in hybrid model.

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Tata Motors introduces engines for bio-methane buses

Green Car Congress

Tata Motors has designed and developed bio-methane engines (5.7 SGI & 3.8 SGI) for LCV, ICV & MCV buses, three of which were on display at an event in Pune, India. The presented model was the Tata LPO 1613 with 5.7 SGI NA BS-IV IOBD-II compliant technology, fueled with renewable natural gas (RNG). The model is already in operation by PMPML (Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited).

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BorgWarner to acquire Sevcon in $200M deal

Green Car Congress

Sevcon, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of controls and battery chargers for electric and hybrid vehicles, has entered into a definitive merger agreement with BorgWarner Inc. BorgWarner will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Sevcon’s common stock for $22.00 per share in cash and all of the outstanding shares of Sevcon’s Series A Convertible Preferred Stock for a price per share on an as-converted basis equal to the common stock, together with payment of any accrued and unpaid dividends.

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BMW i Ventures makes strategic investment in GaN Systems; next-gen power electronics

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BMW i Ventures has made a strategic investment in GaN Systems, a fabless power transistor company at the forefront of semiconductor technology. Gallium Nitride (GaN) is a wide band gap (WBG) semiconductor material that allows for higher energy efficiency, smaller form factors and higher performance. GaN devices offer a number of benefits compared to silicon-based devices, including high dielectric strength; high current density; high switching speeds; low on-resistance; and the ability to withst

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Daimler launches diesel plan; expands recall to >3M units, accelerating next-gen diesel launch

Green Car Congress

The Daimler Board of Management has approved a comprehensive plan for diesel engines consisting of a substantial expansion of the current service action for vehicles in customers’ hands as well as a rapid market launch of the completely new OM 654 diesel engine family ( earlier post ). Since March, Mercedes-Benz has offered its customers of compact-class cars an improvement in NO x emissions for one engine version.

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