Green Car Congress

JULY 24, 2015

Bill Moore, the publisher of EV World and longtime electric bike enthusiast, has spunoff a company, QuikByke, that will rent top-quality electric bicycles in tourist markets on a seasonal cycle: winter in the tropics, summer in the north. The e-bikes are housed in mobile solar-powered rental shops based on 20 ft shipping containers (called Q•pods), each with 15 bikes.

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Italy Solar All-Electric Motor 258

Green Car Reports

JULY 24, 2015

BMW and Apple have long cooperated on advanced technology. The German carmaker was the first in the world to incorporate iPod recognition into a car, more than 10 years ago. And the BMW i3 battery-electric car is not only highly advanced technologically--with its carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body shell--but the most energy efficient vehicle.

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Green Car Congress

JULY 21, 2015

Researchers at the Advanced Batteries Research Center of the Korea Electronics Technology Institute have developed lithium-ion batteries with a self-extinguishing capability for improved safety by integrating temperature-responsive microcapsules containing a fire-extinguishing agent in the cell. The microcapsules release the extinguisher agent upon increased internal temperature of a battery cell, resulting in rapid heat absorption through an in situ endothermic reaction and suppression of furth

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Li-ion Batteries Battery Lithium Ion 235

Green Car Congress

JULY 21, 2015

Bosch and TomTom have agreed to collaborate on innovative mapping technology for automated driving. Under this agreement, TomTom is designing the necessary maps, while Bosch, on the basis of its systems engineering work, is defining the specifications these maps have to meet. The maps are already being used in the automated vehicles Bosch is testing on certain public roads in Germany (A81) and in the United States (I280).

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Green Car Congress

JULY 22, 2015

San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee announced that the city will phase out the use of petroleum diesel in the municipal fleet and replace it with renewable diesel by the end of this year. Switching to renewable diesel will accelerate the progress San Francisco has made in cleaning its diesel fleet, slashing greenhouse gas emissions from diesel vehicles by more than 60%.

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San Francisco Diesel Renewable Cleaner 233

Green Car Congress

JULY 21, 2015

The California cities of Stockton and Porterville have each placed orders with Proterra for its new Catalyst battery-electric bus with funding from the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District. Four new Proterra buses will replace diesel buses in a concerted effort from the Valley to enable the proliferation of clean-air fleets, significantly reduce emissions and improve ambient air quality and public health.

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California Electric Electrical Fleet 232

Green Car Congress

JULY 20, 2015

Fukushima and the Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute (FREA) have launched a power-to-has project with a view to making the prefecture a hydrogen supply center by as early as 2016, according to a report in The Japan Times , via Fukushima Minpo. The project will test and refine a model of hydrogen-supply infrastructure, which would then be used in creating a functioning supply center.

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Hydrogen 2016 Supplies Power 223

Green Car Congress

JULY 23, 2015

Researchers at North Carolina State University and Carnegie Mellon University have shown that passing wireless power transfer through a magnetic resonance field enhancer (MR-FE)—which could be as simple as a copper loop—can at least double transfer efficiency as compared to transferring through air alone. MR-FE use could potentially boost transfer efficiency by as much as 5,000% in some systems, the researchers said.

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Green Car Congress

JULY 23, 2015

Nanoporous silicon is considered an attractive next-generation anode material in lithium-ion batteries due to its much higher theoretical capacity and lower operating voltage than the commonly used graphitic carbon materials. However, one challenge ia finding a suitable low-cost strategy to employ an appropriate nano-structured silicon material that would compensate for the large volume expansion upon lithium insertion.

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Li-ion Batteries Battery Lithium Ion 214

Green Car Congress

JULY 23, 2015

Researchers at the University of Tehran (Iran), with colleagues at Isfahan University of Technology and Iran University of Science and Technology, are proposing a new intelligent control strategy for the energy management of hybrid powertrains based on the driving cycle type. As described in a paper in the Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering they use similarity weights to compare every instance of an unknown driving cycle to the refer

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Iran Hybrid Automobile Universal 214

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Green Car Congress

JULY 19, 2015

Researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology and the Collaborative Innovation Center of Electric Vehicles in Beijing have designed new ionic-liquid-based electrolytes with binary lithium salts to address the issues of rapid capacity fading and low coulombic efficiency in rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries. The Li–S cells containing this electrolyte system show and initial discharge capacity of 1264.4 mAh g −1 , with 911.4 mAh g −1 after 50 cycles with coulombic efficiency of more than

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Lithium Sulfur Batteries Battery Recharge 214

Green Car Congress

JULY 18, 2015

Findings by MIT researchers could help advance the commercialization of supercritical water technology for the desulfurization and upgrading of high-sulfur crude oil into high-value, cleaner fuels such as gasoline without using hydrogen—a major change in refining technology that would reduce costs, energy use, and CO 2 emissions. Supercritical water upgrading (SCWU) of heavy oils has been of interest for years in industry and academia; SCWU reduces sulfur content and decreases average mole

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MIT Water Energy CO2 214

Green Car Congress

JULY 23, 2015

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy (Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie GmbH; WI) have published results of their STROMbegleitung (electricity evaluation) comprehensive study to analyze technologies; market outlook; policy support; infrastructure; and life-cycle assessments for electrically-powered transport.

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Green Car Congress

JULY 20, 2015

Gas Technology Institute ( GTI ) has acquired the assets of Aerojet Rocketdyne’s (AR’s) energy systems portfolio. Included in the transfer of assets are patents and intellectual property (IP), physical assets, and technologies across the spectrum of gas and oil production, gasification, gas-to-liquids, power generation, and hydrogen generation. GTI has worked closely with AR for ten years, hosting the development of their compact gasifier for coal and natural gas conversion.

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Energy Coal CO2 Gas 209

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Green Car Congress

JULY 20, 2015

China Zhongwang Holdings Limited, the second largest industrial aluminum extrusion product developer and manufacturer in the world and the biggest one in Asia, has successfully designed, manufactured and developed all-aluminum new energy electric buses for Brilliance Bus (Dalian) Company Limited. This co-operation marks China Zhongwang’s inauguration as the first and only aluminum processing enterprise in China to have the capability of undertaking both the design and manufacturing of all-alumin

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China Energy Automobile Manufacturer Manufacturer 209

Green Car Congress

JULY 24, 2015

International Truck (Navistar’s flagship vehicle brand) has invited each of its Class 8 competitors to participate in an open performance testing to compare fuel economy and drivability of their new trucks during the week of 31 August at the Navistar Proving Grounds in New Carlisle, Indiana. Competitors will have the opportunity to bring their two best performing vehicles with regards to fuel economy and drivability.

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Fuel Economy Economy International Fuel 207

Green Car Congress

JULY 24, 2015

Honda officially opened its new Silicon Valley R&D facility, using the occasion to unveil a refreshed 2016 Accord featuring Honda’s first application of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Honda also announced a new open innovation R&D initiative—Honda Xcelerator—which will provide resources to breakthrough technology innovators to help rapidly develop prototypes with the potential to transform the automotive experience.

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Honda 2016 Connect Connected 207

Green Car Congress

JULY 22, 2015

The new Gen 8 Volkswagen Passat ( earlier post ) features a new head-up display, which projects relevant trip data and alerts onto a high-quality slide-out pane positioned directly in the driver’s field of vision. At the press of a button, the transparent display rises from its position behind the dashboard into the driver’s primary field of vision.

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Plug-in Europe Light Plug 207

Green Car Congress

JULY 21, 2015

Voltabox of Texas , the US subsidiary of German automotive supplier paragon AG, officially opened of its new plant in Cedar Park where Voltabox is now operating one fully automated assembly line for Li-ion battery packs. Further lines are set to follow. Alongside Voltabox, parts of the same building will also be let to German partners of Voltabox for use as their own US offices.

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Li-ion Texas Batteries Battery 207

Green Car Congress

JULY 22, 2015

By Gaurav Agnihotri for Oilprice.com. With the recently concluded nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 countries, oil prices have already started heading downward on sentiments that Iran’s crude oil supply would further contribute to the already rising global supply glut. The economic crisis in Greece, OPEC’s high production levels and China’s market turmoil have created more pressure on oil prices, making a price rebound look highly unlikely in the near future.

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Oil Prices Oil Price India 203

Green Car Congress

JULY 20, 2015

Navigant Research forecasts that worldwide energy storage enabling technology (ESET) revenue will total nearly $75 billion from 2015 to 2024. The report analyzes the ESET global market across four distinct market segments: utility-scale storage; community storage; residential storage; and commercial storage, including global market forecasts through 2024.

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Energy Storage 2015 Energy Conversion 203

Green Car Congress

JULY 24, 2015

A team led by researchers at Georgia Tech has developed a new fabrication technique to produce platinum-based hollow nanocages with ultra-thin walls that could significantly reduce the amount of the costly metal needed to provide catalytic activity. Use of these nanocage structures in fuel cell electrodes could increase the utilization efficiency of the platinum electrocatalyst by a factor of as much as seven, potentially changing the economic viability of the fuel cells.

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Georgia Fuel Wisconsin Arizona 199

Green Car Congress

JULY 24, 2015

Lexus is entering the 2016 model year with a three model strategy for its IS sport sedan: IS 200t, IS 300 AWD, and IS 350. The former IS 250 and IS 250 AWD are discontinued. The new IS 200t, available as RWD only, features a 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with intercooler paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

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Lexus 2016 Engine Motor 199

Green Car Congress

JULY 22, 2015

Navistar Inc. paid $250,000 in penalties to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) for failing to follow proper testing procedures for one of its diesel exhaust filters, as required by state law. Companies that are in the business of providing pollution control technology for vehicles must make sure that their products actually do what they say they will do.

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California San Diego Emissions Pollution 199

Green Car Congress

JULY 23, 2015

In a new report , Navigant Research forecasts that the total number of global NGV refueling stations is expected to grow from 23,001 in 2015 to 38,890 in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4%. More than 80% of these stations are expected to be CNG stations to support light-duty NGVs, which are projected to account for 90% of the NGV fleet at the end of the forecast period.

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2015 Gas Global Light 197

Green Car Congress

JULY 22, 2015

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), and SPARX Group Co., Ltd. have signed a memorandum of understanding to consider the establishment of a new investment fund aiming to encourage innovation and support the spread of advanced technologies, focusing on focus on the fields of intelligent technology, robotics, and hydrogen-related technologies.

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Hydrogen Toyota Motor Motors 197

Green Car Congress

JULY 21, 2015

Red Rock Biofuels LLC will produce approximately three million gallons of low-carbon, renewable jet fuel per year for FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation. The agreement runs through 2024, with first delivery expected in 2017. FedEx joins Southwest Airlines, which signed a purchase agreement with RedRock in November 2014 for about 3 million gallons per year, in purchasing Red Rock’s total planned available volume of jet fuel. ( Earlier post.).

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Green Car Congress

JULY 21, 2015

In the next stage of development for their jointly-developed fuel cell bus ( earlier post ), Toyota Motor Corporation and Hino Motors, Ltd. will carry out field tests in Tokyo from 24-30 July, hoping to accelerate technological development of the bus with the aim of bringing it to market. The new bus was developed jointly by Toyota and Hino based on a Hino hybrid non-step route bus and is equipped with the Toyota Fuel Cell System developed for the Mirai fuel cell vehicle. ( Earlier post.).

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Toyota Fuel NiMH Corporation 197

Green Car Congress

JULY 20, 2015

Liquid Light has signed a technology development agreement with The Coca-Cola Company. The objective of the agreement is to accelerate the development of Liquid Light’s technology which can make mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) from CO 2. ( Earlier post.) For example, a bio-ethanol production facility could make bio-MEG from the CO 2 byproduct that results from converting plant material into ethanol.

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Green Car Congress

JULY 20, 2015

The University of Michigan has opened Mcity, the first large controlled environment specifically designed to test the potential of connected and automated vehicle technologies that will lead the way to mass-market driverless cars. Mcity was designed and developed by U-M’s interdisciplinary Mobility Transformation Center ( MTC ), in partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).

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Green Car Congress

JULY 24, 2015

A team at South China University of Technology has developed a one-pot process to convert the diesel distillate and residual oil fractions in bio-oil into high-quality fuels by catalytic hydrocracking with combined CoMoS/Al 2 O 3 and HZSM-5 catalysts. A paper on their process is published in the journal Fuel. Bio-oil—the end product of biomass pyrolysis—can be distilled into three fractions according to their boiling points—essentially light, medium and heavy.

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Oil Convert Gasoline Range 188

Green Car Congress

JULY 24, 2015

The safety-related technologies with which manufacturers are increasingly equipping their new vehicles are making those vehicles more appealing to their owners, according to the J.D. Power 2015 US Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study. The APEAL Study, now in its 20 th year, examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive.

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Green Car Congress

JULY 24, 2015

High-performance aircraft turbine engine manufacturers are facing unprecedented increases in the amount of heat that must be released in order to maintain acceptable temperatures in supersonic engines that is required for the aircraft to operate at optimum levels. A professor in Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering has developed a heat exchanger that could use aircraft fuel to cool hot engine components in order to alleviate the increasing temperatures.

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Engine Fuel International Commercial 188

Green Car Congress

JULY 23, 2015

Lacks Wheel Trim Systems LLC, a business unit of Lacks Enterprises, Inc., announced that its Chromtec lightweight composite wheels will be featured on a 2016 full-size pickup truck. ( Earlier post.) Shipments have begun. Lacks will provide two new 20-inch versions of its innovative Chromtec composite wheel technology for this 2016 truck program. The wheels are the first application of Lacks’ next-generation Chromtec technology and they are the first fuel-efficient wheels designed specifically fo

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