Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Simplified schematic of the wireless energy transfer system in free space. Yu et al. Click to enlarge. A Stanford University research team is designing a high-efficiency wireless charging system using magnetic resonance coupling ( earlier post ) to wirelessly transmit large electric currents between metal coils placed several feet apart. The long-term goal of the research is to develop an all-electric highway that wirelessly charges cars and trucks as they cruise down the road.

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Design Charging MIT Massachusetts 301

Electric Cars are for Girls

JANUARY 28, 2012

How are electric powered cars fueled with electricity from coal power plants better than the gas-guzzler I'm already driving?

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Coal Power Powered Cars 212

Green Car Reports

JANUARY 30, 2012

Want to get the next generation of drivers thinking green, long before they get behind the wheel? Buick has come up with an innovative and fun app for Android and iPhone platforms that carefully blends entertainment with education. It bundles three games into one app, called Buick Fuel Efficiency Games. Players learn about concepts like.

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Buick Fuel Concept Green 137

Green Cars News

JANUARY 31, 2012

London’s minicabs are going electric after the first zero emission taxi rolled on to the capital’s roads this week. The two Renault Fluence Z.E.s – introduced by eco-focussed London cab hire firm Climatecars – are the first electric Fluence models to reach the UK, ahead of its release this Autumn. Before now, Climatecars could only offer [.].

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London Taxi Electric Electrical 56

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 29, 2012

On Friday 27 January, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) adopted the new Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) package that sets out the regulatory emissions and technology requirements for light-duty automobiles through model year 2025. ( Earlier post.) The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) regulation—one of the three main regulatory packages that constitute ACC—introduces a new regulatory vehicle category: the BEVx, or a battery-electric vehicle with a small “limp-home” range extending engine

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Electric Cars are for Girls

JANUARY 30, 2012

How do you choose an EV motor which will deliver high horse power and torque equivalent to a gas powered sports car?

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Motor Motors Motoring Gas 125

Green Cars News

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

If you are interested in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (and if not-what is wrong with you!) then you’ll love this new video from the Clean Energy Partnership promoting the environmentally and health friendly benefits of fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs). The video looks like the start of a horror film, when a man leaves his home [.].

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Hydrogen Clean Cleaning Fuel 54

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 1, 2012

A new study by researchers at MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL), concludes that electric commercial vehicles can cost 9 to 12% less to operate than trucks powered by diesel engines when used to make deliveries on an everyday basis in big cities and when V2G (vehicle-to-grid) revenue is incorporated. The CTL study was conducted using data collected by the international office supplier Staples, as well as ISO New England, the nonprofit firm that runs New England’s electric power

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MIT Fleet Diesel Commercial 284

Electric Cars are for Girls

JANUARY 30, 2012

I'm building an EV conversion that must travel long distances at a time. I have a car that weighs 2,000-2,200 lb (2,500 loaded), has sufficient aux.

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Electric Cars Motor Motors Motoring 102

Green Car Reports

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Toyota might be the world’s largest hybrid automaker, but that isn’t stopping rival Japanese automaker Nissan from trying to become the world leader in hybrid electric car transporter ships. Its latest ship, announced on Tuesday this week, puts it ahead in the race to have the greenest shipping fleet of any automaker. Called the.

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Green Cars News

JANUARY 30, 2012

Biodiesel and renewable diesel formed from palm oil may not make the grade as an alternative to petrol-based diesel fuel. That’s the verdict of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which has conducted a greenhouse gas analysis on both biodiesel and renewable diesel formed from palm oil and estimated greenhouse gas emission reductions at just [.].

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Oil Petrol EPA Diesel 53

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

Audi will compete in the 80 th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 16-17 June 2012 with a total of four LMP1 sports cars. Two of the four cars in action will be equipped with hybrid drive for the first time. Audi Sport Team Joest will also follow a two-pronged approach in the newly created FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) during the 2012 season.

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Audi Hybrid 2001 Belgium 277

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

Proposed oil sands monitoring by 2015. Click to enlarge. The Government of Canada and Government of Alberta unveiled “The Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring” in a partnership to improve environmental monitoring in the oil sands region with a program that will sample more sites for more substances more frequently. The program is designed to provide an improved understanding of the long-term cumulative effects of oil sands development.

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Oil-Sands Canada Oil Water 274

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2012

Initially announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this month, Hyundai’s Lifetime Hybrid Battery Replacement Guarantee applies to all US 2012 model year Sonata Hybrids and is the first-of-its-kind in the industry. The Hyundai Lifetime Hybrid Battery Replacement Guarantee ensures that if the 2012 Sonata Hybrid lithium polymer battery fails, Hyundai will replace the battery and cover recycling costs for the old battery pack free of charge to the original own

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Hybrid Batteries Battery Polymer 271

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2012

Micro-hybrids will grow nearly eight-fold to 39 million vehicles in 2017 and create a $6.9 billion market for energy storage devices, according to a Lux Research report titled, “Every Last Drop: Micro- And Mild Hybrids Drive a Huge Market for Fuel-Efficient Vehicles.”. Micro-hybrids, which use a small battery to provide varying degrees of efficiency-boosting features, will dominate the automotive market, gaining 42% of the overall light-duty vehicle market, according to the report.

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2017 Market Hybrid Li-ion 262

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Enhancement in thermal conductivity. Credit: ACS, Taha-Tijerina et al. Click to enlarge. Rice University scientists have created a nano-infused mineral oil that could greatly enhance the ability of devices as large as electrical transformers and as small as microelectronic components to shed excess heat. The approach, described in a paper in the journal ACS Nano , could increase the thermal conductivity of such thermal oils by as much as 80% without compromising the electrically insulating prope

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Oil Mexico Automobile Solar 246

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2012

Borla Performance Industries , a leader in the design and manufacture of stainless steel performance exhaust, has an option to license a novel nanopore membrane technology developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Borla will combine this with its diesel exhaust technology to create a low-cost, novel system that doubles as a device to extract potable water from diesel and other internal combustion exhaust.

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Exhaust Water Industrial Industry 246

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2012

Novozymes and India-based Sea6Energy have entered an exploratory research agreement jointly to develop a process for the production of biofuels from seaweed. The research alliance will use enzymes to convert seaweed-based carbohydrates to sugar, which can then be fermented to produce ethanol for fuel, fine chemicals, proteins for food, and fertilizers for plants.

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Conversion Fuel India Production 246

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 30, 2012

Schematic representation of the working principle behind a complete cycle of the desalination battery, showing how energy extraction can be accomplished: step 1, desalination; step 2, removal of the desalinated water and inlet of seawater; step 3, discharge of Na + and Cl ? in seawater; step 4, exchange to new seawater. Credit: ACS, Pasta et al. Click to enlarge.

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Concept Batteries Battery Sodium 246

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of GM, is inviting utilities, energy companies and tech firms to develop Smart Grid solutions using a set of proprietary OnStar application programming (APIs). OnStar is opening up its APIs to give developers the ability to broaden the potential for integrating EVs such as the Volt with Smart Grid technology. Two weeks ago at the International Consumer Electronics Show, OnStar announced plans to give selected developers access to a proprietary API that will allo

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Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

Waste-to-biofuels and chemicals company Enerkem has filed a registration statement on Form. F-1 with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and a preliminary prospectus. with securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, relating to a proposed initial public offering of its common shares in the United States and in Canada.

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Waste Companies Canada Convert 240

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a request for information (RFI) ( DE-FOA-0000655 ) seeking feedback from stakeholders for technology deployment activities aimed at verifying the commercial readiness of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. DOE emphasized that the RFI is not a funding opportunity announcement (FOA), although it may issue a related FOA in the future.

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Commercial Transportation Hydrogen Fuel 236

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

Sketch of the Citan. Click to enlarge. Mercedes-Benz will introduce a new urban delivery van called Citan later this year. The name Citan combines the words “city” and “titan,” indicating that the vehicle is designed for city logistics, the company said during a symposium on brand competence and city logistics held at the Mercedes-Benz Design Center in Sindelfingen.

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Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Infiniti has named the advanced range-extended electric sports car concept it will unveil at the 82 nd Geneva Motor Show EMERG-E. The Infiniti EMERG-E will be the first car from the brand to have not only a range-extender drivetrain, but also one mounted in a mid-ship package for optimal handling. The mid-ship layout enables optimal weight distribution, at the same time facilitating a change in vocabulary for Infiniti’s design language.

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Infinity Concept Range Cars 236

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2012

The Center for Automotive Research announced the launch of the Coalition of Automotive Lightweighting Materials ( CALM ) to support efforts by auto manufacturers to aggressively down-weight vehicles to improve performance, fuel economy and safety. CALM will coalesce the strengths and knowledge of the aluminum and plastics/composites industries with technology providers in design, fabrication and joining to accelerate the implementation of mixed-material solutions that will reduce vehicle mass.

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Auto Industrial Industry Fuel Economy 236

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 30, 2012

Japan-based Eco Marine Power Co. Ltd. (EMP) unveiled a concept ship design incorporating its Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) System. This concept design is called the Aquarius Eco Ship and is part of Eco Marine Power’s ongoing development efforts aimed at moving shipping towards a more sustainable future. The Aquarius Eco Ship is the result of a comprehensive study project which focused on optimizing the design of a large ocean going ship such as a bulk carrier or oil tanker to harness th

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Mariner Concept Power Powered 236

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 30, 2012

DENSO EGR cooler. Click to enlarge. DENSO Corporation has developed its first EGR cooler for gasoline engines. The newly developed EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) cooler is 30% smaller than the smallest one currently available on the market, while offering equal performance. This EGR cooler is installed in Toyota’s Camry and Aqua (Prius c). DENSO plans to offer this product worldwide as a solution to meet tighter fuel-efficiency and exhaust regulations.

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Prius Gasoline Engine Exhaust 231

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 28, 2012

In the aftermath of Japan’s use of seawater to cool nuclear fuel at the stricken Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant after the tsunami in March 2011, a team from the University of California, Davis, University of Notre Dame and Sandia National Laboratories have discovered a new way in which seawater can corrode nuclear fuel, forming uranium compounds that could potentially travel long distances, either in solution or as very small particles.

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Fuel Davis Universal Sodium 231

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 28, 2012

Ballard Power Systems signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Tata Motors (India) for 12 FCvelocity-1100 fuel cell stacks. These stacks are expected to power zero-emission buses planned for demonstration in various Indian cities. Delivery to Tata Motors is planned for 2012 and 2013, in-line with Tata’s plans. Tata Motors, one of the world’s largest bus OEMs, displayed the first fuel cell bus built in India at Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi earlier this month.

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India Motor Motors Motoring 231

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

Manichi. Toyota received about 120,000 orders for the new Aqua compact hybrid ( earlier post ) by the end of January—about one month after its debut. The Aqua will sell as the Prius c in other markets such as the US. The figure was the second-highest level for Toyota, following a record 180,000 orders for the third-generation Prius hybrid unveiled in May 2009.The earliest delivery of the vehicle for new orders will be in July since the number of orders has outpaced production capacity.

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Toyota Hybrid Prius Japan 225

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

High-level architecture diagram. The four colored rectangles representing classes filled with smaller white rectangles representing subsystems. all interconnected by straight lines representing communications links going through one of four pink ovals representing types of communications. Click to enlarge. The US National Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Architecture has been updated to version 7.0.

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Connect Connected Vehicles Transportation 225

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 1, 2012

Gasoline consumption in California declined 1.8% in October 2011 while diesel fuel consumption increased 4.8% according to a report released today by California State Board of Equalization (BOE). High gas prices appear to be directly affecting fuel consumption in California. We are seeing a trend of Californians consuming less gasoline in the last eight months of 2011.

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Gasoline 2011 California Diesel 225

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2012

Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (HATC), the Honda automobile production subsidiary in Thailand, which experienced damage from the major flooding in the country last year, reports that it expects to resume production by the end of March 2012. HATC said it is making progress in restoring plant facilities and manufacturing equipment since completing the drainage of the flood water and cleaning of the plant facilities which began at the end of November 2011.

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Thailand Honda 2012 Production 225

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2012

Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading US airlines, and Boeing released several recommendations to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to accelerate the commercial viability and deployment of aviation biofuels. The recommendations were announced in conjunction with the publication of the working-draft. Farm to Fly initiative report, Agriculture and Aviation: Partners in Prosperity: Putting Aviation at the Forefront of the President’s Biofuels Targets ” is

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