Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

Siemens aims to be the world’s first major industrial company to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030. The company plans to cut its CO 2 emissions—which currently total about 2.2 million metric tons a year—in half by as early as 2020. To achieve these goals, Siemens will invest some €100 million (US$112 million) over the next three years in order to reduce the energy footprint of its production facilities and buildings.

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Creative Greenius

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

Wednesday, June 25, 2008. There’s an old joke that most of us baby boomers first heard when we were kids. Here’s the version I remember hearing in New Jersey: A man goes on vacation and his brother agrees to housesit for him — feeding the cat, picking up the newspapers and mail, watering the plants, etc. After the first week goes by the vacationing brother phones to check in. “I’m sorry bro,” his brother at the house tells him almost immediately, “but your cat died.”

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Green Car Reports

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

The first deliveries of the Tesla Model X electric crossover are to take place next Thursday, September 29, and Tesla plans to unveil its less-expensive Model 3 sedan next year. The company also continues to test its "Autopilot" autonomous-driving technology. But while Tesla Motors works to diversify its products and add more technology, it also.

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National Green Transportation

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

Over the last week news broke that Volkswagen had allegedly cheated on EPA emissions tests, causing a steep decline in Volkswagen's stock price, and the resignation of CEO Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn. On Friday, Volkswagen named.

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Engine EPA Price Emissions 59

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

The gap between official fuel-economy figures and the real world for new cars in the EU has reached 40 per cent, according to the latest update by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) to its on-going research into in-use vehicle fuel efficiency and CO 2 emissions. ( Earlier post.). Since 2001, the discrepancy between official measurements of vehicle efficiency and actual performance of new cars in everyday driving has more than quadrupled—a discrepancy that now translat

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

The Air Resources Board re-adopted a Low Carbon Fuel Standard ( LCFS ), which requires a 10% reduction by 2020 in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. The program requires that transportation fuels used in California meet a baseline target for carbon intensity which is reduced each year. The Board also adopted a regulation governing alternative diesel fuels ( ADF ).

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

In a statement issued this morning, Volkswagen AG said that new vehicles from the Volkswagen Group with EU 6 diesel engines currently available in the European Union comply with legal requirements and environmental standards. The engine control software in those vehicles does not affect handling, consumption or emissions, the company said. Although the engine management software that enabled the cheating on NO x targets ( earlier post ) is installed in other Volkswagen Group vehicles with diesel

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 20, 2015

On Friday, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (ARB) charged that, based on ARB testing, Volkswagen and Audi passenger cars equipped with 2.0L diesels have used a software defeat device to cheat on the results of NO x testing, and thus have violated the US Clean Air Act. ( Earlier post.). On Sunday, Volkswagen Group CEO Prof.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Professor John Goodenough, the inventor of the lithium-ion battery, and his team at the University of Texas at Austin have identified a new cathode material made of the nontoxic and inexpensive mineral eldfellite (NaFe(SO 4 ) 2 ), presenting a significant advancement in the quest for a commercially viable sodium-ion battery. (Edfellite was first found among fumarolic encrustations collected in 1990 on the Eldfell volcano, Heimaey Island, Iceland.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

The California Air Resources Board sent a letter to automobile manufacturers notifying them that ARB will begin using enhanced testing procedures for modern light-duty diesel vehicles to determine compliance with emission levels to which they were originally certified. ARB developed its enhanced testing techniques as it dug into the anomalous emission results from Volkswagen’s 2.0L diesel engine; Volkswagen subsequently admitted its use of the software defeat device on emissions testing, trigger

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Audi’s e-tron quattro battery-electric SUV concept, which made its formal debut at IAA in Frankfurt ( earlier post ), is a strong indicator of Audi’s series-production electric SUV due in 2018—especially in terms of the powertrain. The e-tron quattro is based on Audi’s MLB evo—the second-generation of the modular longitudinal matrix toolkit (MLB, earlier post ), and is, at the same time, potentially contributing to the development of the elements of that toolkit, especial

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

A study by a team from the California Air Resources Board (ARB) has found that the collective cancer risk from exposure to seven toxic air contaminant (TACs) has declined 76% during the period from 1990 to 2012, and linked that result from air quality regulations targeting these TACs. The study appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 19, 2015

Statoil and its partners this week put the first subsea gas compression facility on line at Åsgard in the Norwegian Sea. Subsea compression will add some 306 million barrels of oil equivalent to total output over the field’s life, the partners said. This subsea technology milestone opens new opportunities in deeper waters, and in areas far from shore.

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Gas Oil 2005 Norway 214

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

As the Volkswagen emission testing scandal threatens to spill over onto other automakers, BMW yesterday issued a sharp statement in response to a report in Auto Bild suggesting emissions from an X3 test were out of the norm. “ The BMW Group does not manipulate or rig any emissions tests. We observe the legal requirements in each country and fulfill all local testing requirements.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

Widespread adoption of electric transportation, including electrification in the off-road sector, could lead to substantial reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and could modestly improve air quality, according to a new analysis released by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The report, “ Environmental Assessment of a Full Electric Transportation Portfolio ”, is based on a projection that by 2050 electricity replaces traditional

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EPRI Cleaner Grid Vehicles 214

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

Volkswagen said that an internal assessment following the revelation of cheating on emissions testing in EA 189 2.0L diesels ( earlier post ) has concluded that approximately five million Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand vehicles are affected worldwide. In the heat of the initial discovery of the emissions testing cheating, Volkswagen had said that up to 11 million vehicles worldwide could be affected. ( Earlier post.).

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

Volkswagen Group CEO Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn resigned today, taking upon himself responsibility for the emissions cheating scandal that has quickly engulfed the company. In a statement , the Executive Committee of Volkswagen AG’s Supervisory Board noted that Dr. Winterkorn had no knowledge of the manipulation of emissions data, and thanked Dr. Winterkorn “ for towering contributions in the past decades and for his willingness to take responsibility in this critical phase for the company.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

To advance research in nanoscale science, engineering and technology, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will provide a total of $81 million over five years to support 16 sites and a coordinating office as part of a new National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI). The NNCI sites will provide researchers from academia, government, and companies large and small with access to university user facilities with leading-edge fabrication and characterization tools, instrumentation, and

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

New D-4D diesel. Click to enlarge. Toyota’s Land Cruiser off-road 4WD vehicle in Europe is now available with a new 2.8 liter D-4D turbo-diesel. The engine replaces the current 3.0-liter engine, with a focus on improved driveability with better torque delivery, plus lower fuel consumption and reduced CO 2 emissions. It delivers 130 kW/177 DIN hp @ 3400 rpm and can be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a new 6-speed automatic transmission.

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Diesel Toyota Europe Engine 199

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

In response to charges from environmental NGO Deutsche Umwelthilfe ([link]. ) that it had rigged emissions data, Daimler “ sharply ” denied the allegations and said that it was evaluating legal options pertaining to the approach taken and the public assertions made by the DUH. We categorically deny the accusation of manipulating emission tests regarding our vehicles.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Researchers at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology have developed a simple method for producing a palladium-based nanomaterial that can spur the breakdown of formic acid (FA) into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Its efficiency far exceeds that of any other reported heterogeneous catalyst, they say. They also found that their process produced carbon dioxide and hydrogen without carbon monoxide contamination, which has been a problem with other methods.

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Hydrogen Carbon Low Cost Fuel 197

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Amyris, Inc. announced a multi-year Technology Investment Agreement (TIA) worth up to $35 million with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Biological Technologies Office to create new research and development tools and technologies that will significantly reduce the time and cost of bringing new molecules to market. Amyris has chosen five specialized subcontractors to assist in achieving these innovations.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

The automotive market in China is declining faster than expected due to economic uncertainty and government restrictions over vehicle ownership. Although automakers have had to slash prices in an effort to cut full inventory levels in the near term, the future in China may still hold promise if adjustments are made to automakers’ strategies, according to PwC in its September Autofacts Analyst Note.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

BASF is expanding its range of engineering plastics for the dynamic market of electric and hybrid vehicles. Tailor-made Ultramid and Ultradur materials are now available globally for equipping vehicle-interior and -exterior high-voltage plug-in connectors with precisely fitting characteristics. The special polyamide and polybutylene terephthalate grades meet the demands on flame retardancy, color stability, mechanics, and electrical isolation.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

Researchers at the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, have fabricated a synthetic protein that not only improves the assembly of the carbon-fixing factory of cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae), but also provides a proof of concept for a device that could potentially improve plant photosynthesis or be used to install new metabolic pathways in bacteria.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

ChargePoint’s Home residential plug-in vehicle (PEV) networked charging station is now available for order on Amazon, priced from $499 to $749. The compact, thin Home charger has a footprint of just 11.2" x 7". With the networked station, drivers can: Remote start, scheduling and charging reminders with the ChargePoint mobile app; Update the station automatically with the latest software upgrades; Integrate the station with Nest products to track energy usage and save on energy costs; Identify t

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

At its meeting in Wolfsburg today, the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG appointed Matthias Müller, currently Chairman of Porsche, the new CEO of Volkswagen AG with immediate effect. (Porsche is a Volkswagen Group company.). Former CEO Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn resigned on Wednesday in light of the Volkswagen diesel emissions testing scandal. ( Earlier post.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

Following its appointment of Matthias Müller as the new CEO of the Group ( earlier post ), the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG approved a new management structure for the Group and the brands as well as for the North America region. The changes follow in the wake of the diesel emissions testing scandal that led to the resignation of former CEO Martin Winterkorn.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

An 8-module Li-ion traction battery from AKASOL GmbH powers the ZF electric Advanced Urban Vehicle concept presented at the IAA in Frankfurt. AKASOL is a supplier of Li-ion batteries for high-performance applications. ( Earlier post.). The 8 modules of the AKASYSTEM battery are configured 2/3/3 in 3 system units and can thus be placed in the free spaces at the front and rear axle for efficient packaging.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Ford has introduced the new 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks. Following the lead of the F-150, the new F-Series Super Duty pickup truck and chassis cab feature an all-new, fully boxed frame built with more than 95% high-strength steel and a segment-first, high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body. Together, the high-strength steel and high-strength aluminum alloy help reduce weight by up to 350 pounds.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Testing, which is still ongoing, is showing that Finnish wood-based UPM BioVerno diesel ( earlier post ) significantly reduces harmful tailpipe emissions. A number of engine and vehicle tests have been carried out across a number of research institutes such as VTT Technical Research Center of Finland Lt;, University of Vaasa in Finland; and at FEV. UPM BioVerno renewable diesel has already been shown to function just like conventional diesel in all diesel engines, while generating up to 80% fewe

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Diesel Renewable Emissions Finland 188

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

Ricardo is one of 19 collaborating commercial and academic partners in the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Green Vehicle Initiative project HDGAS —a project that aims to develop, demonstrate and optimize advanced powertrain concepts for dual-fuel and pure natural gas-powered heavy duty vehicles. Particular areas of focus for the company will be the development of engine and aftertreatment systems that offer the prospect of delivering real driving emissions well below Euro VI limits for

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

The Government of Canada is opening its own investigation into the Volkswagen Group’s use of a software defeat device to circumvent EPA standards for NO x. Canada’s emissions standards are in alignment with EPA’s. With aligned emission standards, Environment Canada works closely with the US EPA to ensure our common environmental outcomes are achieved.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

In a new report , Navigant Research forecasts that global carsharing services revenue will grow from $1.1 billion in 2015 to $6.5 billion in 2024. The Asia Pacific region will take the largest share at 34%. Europe will follow with an estimated 32% of the total. Carsharing services revenue in North America is expected to drop to just 23% of the global total by 2024.

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