INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
The US Departments of Navy, Energy, and Agriculture have awarded contracts worth a combined $210 million to three companies—Emerald Biofuels, Fulcrum BioEnergy and Red Rock Biofuels—to construct and commission biorefineries capable of producing drop-in biofuels. In total, these projects are intended to produce more than 100 million gallons of military-grade fuel beginning in 2016 and 2017 at a price competitive with their petroleum counterparts. MORE
Jaguar says that its new four-cylinder Ingenium diesel ( earlier post ) is its most efficient diesel to date; with the new Ingenium diesel engines driving the rear wheels, the aluminium-intensive XE ( earlier post ) is also the most fuel-efficient Jaguar yet, with CO 2 emissions as low as 99 g/km. MORE
Honda will unveil a new European Jazz prototype at the Paris Motor Show. Due to go on sale in summer 2015, the new European Jazz will offer improved fuel economy and higher performance due to its new Earth Dreams Technology engine. The new 1.3 MORE
Li-ion battery maker Boston-Power Inc. earlier post ) recently launched its Ensemble Module System; a “kit” of standard components that provides OEMs and pack assemblers with a simple, cost-effective way to assemble large format battery pack solutions for electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage system (ESS) applications. Available in 155 Wh and 116 Wh increments, module designs can be created to meet a wide variety of voltage and capacity requirements. MORE
Maverick Synfuels ( earlier post ) introduced a small-scale, modular methane-to-methanol production plant that can be co-located at the methane source. MORE
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, will debut an upgraded Subaru Impreza compact 4-door and 5-door models on the US market later this year as part of its 2015 lineup. MORE
Researchers at MIT have improved a proposed liquid battery system that could enable renewable energy sources to compete with conventional power plants. Professor Donald Sadoway and colleagues have already started a company, Ambri (initially Liquid Metal Battery Corporation), to produce electrical-grid-scale liquid batteries, which comprise layers of molten material which automatically separate due to their differing densities. Earlier post.). MORE
Sion Power announced that its proprietary lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries played a critical role in the Airbus Defence and Space Zephyr 7 prototype High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) aircraft completing a southern hemisphere winter weather flight of more than 11 days duration controlled by satellite communications. The Zephyr 7 is a solar/battery powered electric UAV with a wing span of 70 feet (22.5 m) and a weight of just over 110 lbs. (50 50 kg). MORE
Electric-car buyers who want to feel the wind in their hair don''t have many choices. Aside from the 2014 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive--and the now-discontinued Tesla Roadster--electric convertibles haven''t been a segment in which carmakers have expressed much interest. MORE
Volvo Cars is introducing the Drive-E powertrain with a 245 hp gasoline turbo T5 engine, made available earlier this year for the V40 ( earlier post ), for the V40 Cross Country with the added capability of AWD. MORE
Southwest Airlines has signed an agreement with Red Rock Biofuels LLC ( RRB ) to purchase low carbon renewable jet fuel, made using forest residues that will help reduce the risk of destructive wildfires in the Western United States. The airline’s agreement with RRB covers the purchase of approximately three million gallons per year. The blended product will be used at Southwest’s Bay Area operations with first delivery expected in 2016. MORE
A team led by Dr. Michael Grätzel at EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) in Switzerland has developed a highly efficient and low-cost water-splitting cell combining an advanced perovskite tandem solar cell and a bi-functional Earth-abundant catalyst. MORE
Foxconn is well known for manufacturing Apple iPhones--and for controversy over its labor practices--but now the company is expanding to a new area. The electronics manufacturer announced in June that it would build an electric car, and that it would sell for less than $15,000. It''s now following that declaration with action, specifically a 5 MORE
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories’ Z pulsed-power accelerator have produced a significant output of fusion neutrons, using a method fully functioning for only little more than a year. MORE
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd and the City of Yokohama will extend the one-year trial run of the first large-scale One-way Car Sharing Service in Japan, called “Choimobi Yokohama,” for another year. Earlier post.). MORE
Air passenger traffic will grow annually at 4.7% over the next 20 years (2014-2033), driving a need for around 31,400 new passenger and freighter aircraft (100 seats and above) worth US$4.6 trillion, according to Airbus’ Global Market Forecast (GMF). MORE
Fast charging electric cars might not be as bad for their lithium ion battery packs as first feared according to a new study. MORE
Capping off National Drive Electric Week, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law half a dozen bills to strengthen California’s best-in-the-nation electric vehicle market, including free or reduced-rate access to new high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, and more HOV stickers for plug-in hybrids. MORE
Toyota released a teaser image of its new C-HR Concept, which will make its global debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. Using a hybrid powerplant, this crossover gives a first hint of a type of vehicle that Toyota would like to bring to the C-segment market. MORE
On 16 September 2014, California introduced a legal requirement for an official licence for testing vehicles in autonomous driving mode on public roads. On Senate Bill No. 1298 taking effect, Mercedes-Benz received a corresponding licence permitting it to test vehicles in autonomous driving mode in daily traffic on California''s roads. With the approval from the US federal state of California we can now take autonomous driving to a new level in the USA. MORE
Four companies—Pathfinder Renewable Wind Energy, Magnum Energy, Dresser-Rand and Duke-American Transmission—have proposed a first-in-the-US, $8-billion green energy initiative that would bring large amounts of clean electricity to the Los Angeles area by 2023. MORE
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
Electric-car ads typically emphasize efficiency and sustainability, but electric power offers other advantages too. In "Easy Thrills," its latest video ad for the Leaf plug-in, Nissan shows how an electric motor''s instantly-available torque can enliven the driving experience. MORE
Scientists from the Max Planck Institutes for Chemical Energy Conversion and Coal Research and from the research group Photobiotechnology at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have discovered a way of increasing the efficiency of hydrogen production in microalgae by a factor of five by using a combined metabolic engineering approach. An open access paper on their work is published in the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science. MORE
Westport Innovations Inc. unveiled the first generation of its new, proprietary enhanced spark-ignited (ESI) natural gas system. The new approach to natural gas combustion technology is designed to provide vehicle and engine original manufacturers (OEMs) with a “downsized” natural gas solution that is cost competitive while providing similar levels of power, torque, and fuel economy to a larger diesel engine. MORE
Top: Components of well-to-wheels pathway. Middle: WTW efficiency for CNGVs. Bottom: WTW efficiency for EVs. Curran et al. Click to enlarge. MORE
Skygo Fuel Systems ’ latest dual fuel (natural gas/diesel) conversion system has been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The dual fuel system is available as an aftermarket upgrade for 2007 to 2009 Cummins ISX engines. MORE
SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
Westport will unveil its natural gas powered 2015 Ford Transit Van at Parcel Forum. Used to transport passengers and cargo, the Westport WiNG Power System Transit van and cutaway models operate on dedicated CNG using a 3.7L V6 gaseous prep engine. MORE
This past week, thousands of people came out to learn about, experience, and extoll the virtues of the electric car. They were participating in National Drive Electric Week--which, despite its name, has become an international event taking place not only in 150 U.S. cities, but also in Canada, Italy, and The Netherlands. Organizers estimate that MORE
The battery-electric Fiat 500e is now available as a 2015 model year at Fiat studios in California and Oregon for $199 a month for 36 months with $999 due at signing. Sales of the Fiat 500e expanded to Oregon earlier this year. MORE
Automatic uses vehicle data from the OBD port to report on driving performance. Click to enlarge. Automatic Labs and Ford Motor Company announced a joint experimental collaboration to improve the driving experience for Ford & Lincoln vehicle owners. MORE
Velocys plc (VLS.L) announced that the UK High Court has ruled in its favor in the patent infringement case it brought against CompactGTL Ltd. The case, filed by Velocys in March 2013, concerns infringement by CompactGTL in relation to its smaller scale Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology. MORE
Southland Transportation (Alberta, Canada) recently added 101 Blue Bird Propane Vision buses to its propane autogas school bus fleet. Districts in Canada are specifying the technology due to the superior cold weather operation, reduced maintenance and clean emissions, the company said. MORE
We test a plug-in version of the largest, most luxurious Mercedes sedan, wonder if Nissan is charting a change in the direction of its battery sourcing, and get some of the numbers that matter for the Kia Soul EV. This is The Week In Reverse for Friday, September 19, here at Green Car Reports. MORE
Aleris will invest $350 million to upgrade capabilities at its aluminum rolling mill in Lewisport, Kentucky. The investment positions Aleris to meet anticipated significant growth in North American automotive demand as the industry pursues broader aluminum use for the production of lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Aleris is currently a leading supplier to the European premium auto industry, which has led the transition to aluminum driven by tighter emissions standards. MORE
Clariant, Haltermann and Mercedes-Benz have fleet-tested high-octane sunliquid 20 fuel—containing 20% cellulosic ethanol produced from straw—since January. Earlier post.) MORE
Start those patriotic cheers, because the U.S. can now claim the record for most electric cars in one place. MORE
Efacec will be presenting a new DC charger at eCarTec 2014 in Munich this October. The new 24 kW QC24S is targeted at the semi-fast charging of any CCS car, such as those from VW, BMW, Daimler, or GM. A CHAdeMO version will also be launched near the end of this year. MORE
Foothill Transit, the primary public transportation provider for the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys in Los Angeles County, California, is launching a heavy-duty, fast charging, fully electric bus line at the Pomona Transit Center on 27 September. Almost four years ago to the day, Foothill Transit became the first public transit agency to put fast-charge electric buses into service. MORE
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
Top: Components of well-to-wheels pathway. Middle: WTW efficiency for CNGVs. Bottom: WTW efficiency for EVs. Curran et al. Click to enlarge.
Green Car Reports
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
Electric-car buyers who want to feel the wind in their hair don''t have many choices. Aside from the 2014 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive--and the now-discontinued Tesla Roadster--electric convertibles haven''t been a segment in which carmakers have expressed much interest.
Green Cars News
SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
Fast charging electric cars might not be as bad for their lithium ion battery packs as first feared according to a new study.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
A team led by Dr. Michael Grätzel at EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) in Switzerland has developed a highly efficient and low-cost water-splitting cell combining an advanced perovskite tandem solar cell and a bi-functional Earth-abundant catalyst.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
Four companies—Pathfinder Renewable Wind Energy, Magnum Energy, Dresser-Rand and Duke-American Transmission—have proposed a first-in-the-US, $8-billion green energy initiative that would bring large amounts of clean electricity to the Los Angeles area by 2023.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
Capping off National Drive Electric Week, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law half a dozen bills to strengthen California’s best-in-the-nation electric vehicle market, including free or reduced-rate access to new high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, and more HOV stickers for plug-in hybrids.
Green Car Reports
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
Start those patriotic cheers, because the U.S. can now claim the record for most electric cars in one place.
EV Driven brings together the best content on electric vehicles from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
Westport will unveil its natural gas powered 2015 Ford Transit Van at Parcel Forum. Used to transport passengers and cargo, the Westport WiNG Power System Transit van and cutaway models operate on dedicated CNG using a 3.7L V6 gaseous prep engine.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 21, 2014
Automatic uses vehicle data from the OBD port to report on driving performance. Click to enlarge. Automatic Labs and Ford Motor Company announced a joint experimental collaboration to improve the driving experience for Ford & Lincoln vehicle owners.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
Clariant, Haltermann and Mercedes-Benz have fleet-tested high-octane sunliquid 20 fuel—containing 20% cellulosic ethanol produced from straw—since January. Earlier post.)
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 20, 2014
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd and the City of Yokohama will extend the one-year trial run of the first large-scale One-way Car Sharing Service in Japan, called “Choimobi Yokohama,” for another year. Earlier post.).
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
Efacec will be presenting a new DC charger at eCarTec 2014 in Munich this October. The new 24 kW QC24S is targeted at the semi-fast charging of any CCS car, such as those from VW, BMW, Daimler, or GM. A CHAdeMO version will also be launched near the end of this year.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
The battery-electric Fiat 500e is now available as a 2015 model year at Fiat studios in California and Oregon for $199 a month for 36 months with $999 due at signing. Sales of the Fiat 500e expanded to Oregon earlier this year.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
Skygo Fuel Systems ’ latest dual fuel (natural gas/diesel) conversion system has been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The dual fuel system is available as an aftermarket upgrade for 2007 to 2009 Cummins ISX engines.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
Jaguar says that its new four-cylinder Ingenium diesel ( earlier post ) is its most efficient diesel to date; with the new Ingenium diesel engines driving the rear wheels, the aluminium-intensive XE ( earlier post ) is also the most fuel-efficient Jaguar yet, with CO 2 emissions as low as 99 g/km.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
Air passenger traffic will grow annually at 4.7% over the next 20 years (2014-2033), driving a need for around 31,400 new passenger and freighter aircraft (100 seats and above) worth US$4.6 trillion, according to Airbus’ Global Market Forecast (GMF).
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories’ Z pulsed-power accelerator have produced a significant output of fusion neutrons, using a method fully functioning for only little more than a year.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
Southland Transportation (Alberta, Canada) recently added 101 Blue Bird Propane Vision buses to its propane autogas school bus fleet. Districts in Canada are specifying the technology due to the superior cold weather operation, reduced maintenance and clean emissions, the company said.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
Southwest Airlines has signed an agreement with Red Rock Biofuels LLC ( RRB ) to purchase low carbon renewable jet fuel, made using forest residues that will help reduce the risk of destructive wildfires in the Western United States. The airline’s agreement with RRB covers the purchase of approximately three million gallons per year. The blended product will be used at Southwest’s Bay Area operations with first delivery expected in 2016.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, will debut an upgraded Subaru Impreza compact 4-door and 5-door models on the US market later this year as part of its 2015 lineup.
Green Car Reports
SEPTEMBER 20, 2014
We test a plug-in version of the largest, most luxurious Mercedes sedan, wonder if Nissan is charting a change in the direction of its battery sourcing, and get some of the numbers that matter for the Kia Soul EV. This is The Week In Reverse for Friday, September 19, here at Green Car Reports.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
Volvo Cars is introducing the Drive-E powertrain with a 245 hp gasoline turbo T5 engine, made available earlier this year for the V40 ( earlier post ), for the V40 Cross Country with the added capability of AWD.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
Maverick Synfuels ( earlier post ) introduced a small-scale, modular methane-to-methanol production plant that can be co-located at the methane source.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
Honda will unveil a new European Jazz prototype at the Paris Motor Show. Due to go on sale in summer 2015, the new European Jazz will offer improved fuel economy and higher performance due to its new Earth Dreams Technology engine. The new 1.3
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
Toyota released a teaser image of its new C-HR Concept, which will make its global debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. Using a hybrid powerplant, this crossover gives a first hint of a type of vehicle that Toyota would like to bring to the C-segment market.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
Scientists from the Max Planck Institutes for Chemical Energy Conversion and Coal Research and from the research group Photobiotechnology at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have discovered a way of increasing the efficiency of hydrogen production in microalgae by a factor of five by using a combined metabolic engineering approach. An open access paper on their work is published in the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
Li-ion battery maker Boston-Power Inc. earlier post ) recently launched its Ensemble Module System; a “kit” of standard components that provides OEMs and pack assemblers with a simple, cost-effective way to assemble large format battery pack solutions for electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage system (ESS) applications. Available in 155 Wh and 116 Wh increments, module designs can be created to meet a wide variety of voltage and capacity requirements.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
Sion Power announced that its proprietary lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries played a critical role in the Airbus Defence and Space Zephyr 7 prototype High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) aircraft completing a southern hemisphere winter weather flight of more than 11 days duration controlled by satellite communications. The Zephyr 7 is a solar/battery powered electric UAV with a wing span of 70 feet (22.5 m) and a weight of just over 110 lbs. (50 50 kg).
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
On 16 September 2014, California introduced a legal requirement for an official licence for testing vehicles in autonomous driving mode on public roads. On Senate Bill No. 1298 taking effect, Mercedes-Benz received a corresponding licence permitting it to test vehicles in autonomous driving mode in daily traffic on California''s roads. With the approval from the US federal state of California we can now take autonomous driving to a new level in the USA.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
Foothill Transit, the primary public transportation provider for the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys in Los Angeles County, California, is launching a heavy-duty, fast charging, fully electric bus line at the Pomona Transit Center on 27 September. Almost four years ago to the day, Foothill Transit became the first public transit agency to put fast-charge electric buses into service.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 20, 2014
The US Departments of Navy, Energy, and Agriculture have awarded contracts worth a combined $210 million to three companies—Emerald Biofuels, Fulcrum BioEnergy and Red Rock Biofuels—to construct and commission biorefineries capable of producing drop-in biofuels. In total, these projects are intended to produce more than 100 million gallons of military-grade fuel beginning in 2016 and 2017 at a price competitive with their petroleum counterparts.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
Westport Innovations Inc. unveiled the first generation of its new, proprietary enhanced spark-ignited (ESI) natural gas system. The new approach to natural gas combustion technology is designed to provide vehicle and engine original manufacturers (OEMs) with a “downsized” natural gas solution that is cost competitive while providing similar levels of power, torque, and fuel economy to a larger diesel engine.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
Aleris will invest $350 million to upgrade capabilities at its aluminum rolling mill in Lewisport, Kentucky. The investment positions Aleris to meet anticipated significant growth in North American automotive demand as the industry pursues broader aluminum use for the production of lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Aleris is currently a leading supplier to the European premium auto industry, which has led the transition to aluminum driven by tighter emissions standards.
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
Researchers at MIT have improved a proposed liquid battery system that could enable renewable energy sources to compete with conventional power plants. Professor Donald Sadoway and colleagues have already started a company, Ambri (initially Liquid Metal Battery Corporation), to produce electrical-grid-scale liquid batteries, which comprise layers of molten material which automatically separate due to their differing densities. Earlier post.).
Green Car Congress
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
Velocys plc (VLS.L) announced that the UK High Court has ruled in its favor in the patent infringement case it brought against CompactGTL Ltd. The case, filed by Velocys in March 2013, concerns infringement by CompactGTL in relation to its smaller scale Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology.
Green Car Reports
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
This past week, thousands of people came out to learn about, experience, and extoll the virtues of the electric car. They were participating in National Drive Electric Week--which, despite its name, has become an international event taking place not only in 150 U.S. cities, but also in Canada, Italy, and The Netherlands. Organizers estimate that
Green Car Reports
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
Foxconn is well known for manufacturing Apple iPhones--and for controversy over its labor practices--but now the company is expanding to a new area. The electronics manufacturer announced in June that it would build an electric car, and that it would sell for less than $15,000. It''s now following that declaration with action, specifically a 5
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