Sat.Feb 16, 2013 - Fri.Feb 22, 2013

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Volkswagen to produce XL1 diesel plug-in hybrid at Osnabrück; 261 mpg US

Green Car Congress

The XL1. Click to enlarge. Volkswagen has confirmed that its XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle, featuring fuel consumption of 0.9 l/100 km (approx. 261 mpg US), will go into limited production at the company’s Osnabrück factory in Germany. The plug-in diesel-electric hybrid, which Volkswagen will showcase at the Geneva show, can cover a distance of up to 50 km (31 miles) in all-electric mode.

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Japan's Electric Taxis Falling Out Of Favor With Drivers

Green Car Reports

All is not well with Japan's electric taxi drivers. Two years ago, in February 2011, the city of Osaka introduced a fleet of fifty Nissan Leaf taxis. The deal was a cooperative arrangement between Nissan, 30 taxi firms, and the government--each was being subsidized to the tune of 1,780,000 Yen--over $21,000 at the time. The car's would clean up.

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Revolutionary urban traffic system being shown by Rinspeed at Geneva Motor Show (Photos)

National Green Transportation

Swiss design company Rinspeed is set to unveil what they bill as a revolution in transportation at the Geneva Motor Show between March 7 and 17th, 2013. The company issued a long announcement on Monday discussing the "microMAX.

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New York City ramps up electric car push

Green Cars News

New York City is getting serious about electric cars: with the city’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, outlining major plans for the vehicles in his State of the City address. Among his plans are an increase in both electric car parking and charging options. He wants fast chargers to be piloted in the city; and for the [.].

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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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API: January petroleum demand in US lowest in 18 years

Green Car Congress

Total US petroleum deliveries (a measure of demand) were down 1.7% for January against the same month a year ago to just under 18 million barrels per day—the lowest level for the month in 18 years, according to figures from the American Petroleum Institute (API). The January numbers reprise last year’s theme of weak demand. This isn’t surprising given an economy that’s still treading water.

2012 368
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261 MPG Volkswagen XL1 Production Confirmed, Debuts Geneva

Green Car Reports

Volkswagen has toyed with the idea of cigar-shaped ultra-eco cars for some time now, but a production car is finally on the way. The Volkswagen XL1 is a plug-in diesel hybrid with a body seemingly beamed in from a future time. It's the physical representation of the benefits of reducing weight and improving aerodynamics. The small body may only.

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Electric car buyers offered £1,000 grants for charging points

Green Cars News

A £37 million package of funding is being made available to expand the UK’s network of charging points for electric cars. As part of the fund, the Government is offering electric car owners grants worth up to 75 per cent of the cost of installing home charging facilities, capped at £1,000. In total, £13.5 million [.].

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OSU team demonstrates concept of potassium-air battery as alternative to lithium-air systems

Green Car Congress

Voltage curves of the first discharge?charge cycle, K?O 2 battery (0.5 M KPF6 in DME) at a current density of 0.16 mA/cm 2. The dash lines indicate the calculated thermodynamic potentials for the batteries. Credit: ACS, Ren and Wu. Click to enlarge. Researchers at Ohio State University (OSU) have demonstrated the concept of a potassium-air (K?O 2 ) battery with low overpotentials.

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Tesla Model S Road Trip: Electric Cars Make It From DC To CT

Green Car Reports

It all took less than a week. Just days after the negative review of the Tesla Model S in The New York Times, a group of Tesla owners had finalized plans to re-create the reviewer's trip from Maryland to Groton, Connecticut. On Saturday, some 30 electric car fans showed up at the Tesla Motors Rockville Service Center on a gloomy, cold morning in.

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Peugeot to show 2008 HYbrid Air at Geneva show; more detail on operation

Green Car Congress

Peugeot 2008 HYbrid Air. The energy tank can be seen in the central tunnel, and the low-pressure tank at the rear. Click to enlarge. Like its group partner Citroën ( earlier post ), Peugeot will display an application of the new Hybrid Air technology ( earlier post )—the 2008 HYbrid Air—at the upcoming Geneva show. The new hybrid combines a 3-cylinder gasoline engine with a compressed air/hydraulic motor/pump system comprising an energy tank containing pressurized air installed under

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

Brief

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MIT study finds fuel economy standards are 6-14 times less cost effective than fuel tax for reducing gasoline use

Green Car Congress

In a study published in the journal Energy Economics , MIT researchers have found that a fuel economy standard is at least six to fourteen times less cost effective than a fuel tax when targeting an identical reduction in cumulative gasoline use (20% by 2050). The researchers also found that a binding fuel economy standard, combined with a cap-and-trade (CAT) policy, increases the cost of meeting the GHG emissions constraint by forcing expensive reduction in passenger vehicle gasoline use, displ

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Honda develops new technology to join steel and aluminum, with first application to outer door panel of mass production vehicles

Green Car Congress

Structure of door panels. Click to enlarge. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has developed a technology to join steel and aluminum and applied it to enable adoption of aluminum for an outer door panel, which has conventionally been made of steel. Honda will adopt this technology first to the North American version of the all-new Acura RLX, which will go on sale in the United States in March 2013, and will expand application sequentially to other models.

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DLR team develops demonstrator of free-piston linear generator as range extender for EVs; technology transfer to Universal Motor Corp.

Green Car Congress

35 kW free-piston linear generator module. Click to enlarge. Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) Institute of Vehicle Concepts in Stuttgart have developed a demonstrator multi-fuel free-piston linear generator (FPLG, or Freikolbenlineargenerator, FKLG in German) as a range extender for electric vehicles.

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IBM and NXP report first results of connected vehicle pilot in Dutch city of Eindhoven

Green Car Congress

IBM and NXP Semiconductors N.V. announced the first results of a smarter traffic pilot conducted in the Dutch city of Eindhoven. The trial demonstrated how the connected car automatically shares braking, acceleration and location data that can be analyzed by the central traffic authority to identify and resolve road network issues. During the trial, IBM, NXP and its partners equipped 200 participating cars with a device containing the NXP telematics chip “ATOP” that gathers relevant data from th

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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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Volvo Cars and Geely cooperate in new R&D Center in Gothenburg; focus on C-segment

Green Car Congress

Geely Holding, majority owner of Volvo Car Corporation and Geely will establish a Research and Development Center in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Center will develop a new modular architecture and set of components for future C-segment cars, addressing the needs of both Volvo Cars and Geely. The Center will be run by Mats Fägerhag, currently Vice President at Product Strategy within Volvo Cars, and leverage on the Volvo technology leadership within Geely Holding.

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Tesla reports Q4 2012 revenues of $306M, delivery of approx. 2,400 Model S EVs; projecting slight profit in Q1 2013

Green Car Congress

For the fourth quarter of 2012, Tesla Motors reported total revenues of $306 million, a 500% increase over Q3. The company delivered approximately 2,400 Model S vehicles. Non-GAAP net loss for the quarter was just under $75 million; GAAP net loss was $90 million. With ongoing implementation of production and delivery efficiencies throughout the year, Tesla expects to be slightly profitable (excluding only non-cash option and warrant-related expenses) in Q1 2013.

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Kinder Morgan invests in new “crude-by-rail” project; 210,000 barrels per day

Green Car Congress

KW Express LLC, a partnership between Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. (KMP) and Watco Companies L.L.C., has entered into a long-term agreement with Mercuria Energy Trading Company Inc., to construct a 210,000 barrel per day (bpd) crude-by-rail project at the Greens Port Industrial Park on the Houston Ship Channel. The project will allow Mercuria Energy Trading, Inc. to source crude from various origination locations including Cushing, Okla., West Texas, the Bakken shale area and western Cana

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Peugeot and Total to showcase 208 HYbrid FE at Geneva; 49 g/km CO2

Green Car Congress

Peugeot and Total will showcase the 208 HYbrid FE (Fun and Efficient) concept vehicle at the Geneva motor show. The hybrid, optimized for fuel efficiency accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 8 seconds, and has very low CO 2 emissions of 49 g/km. The concept—based on the Peugeot 208—features Peugeot and Total’s latest innovations in aerodynamics, weight-saving and drivetrains.

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Toyota Racing reveals updated TS030 Hybrid for 2013

Green Car Congress

2013 TS030 Hybrid. Click to enlarge. Toyota Racing unveiled the revised TS030 Hybrid car which will run in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) this season. The TS030 made its debut in the WEC in 2012, and notched up three victories in six races. ( Earlier post.) Toyota Racing begins the first full test of the 2013-specification TS030 Hybrid at Paul Ricard in southern France tomorrow.

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UK government providing $57M funding package to support EV charging infrastructure

Green Car Congress

The UK government will invest £37 million (US$57 million) for home and on-street charging and for new charge points for people parking plug-in vehicles at railway stations. The government will provide 75% of the cost of installing new charge points. This can be claimed by: people installing chargepoints where they live; local authorities installing rapid charge points to facilitate longer journeys, or providing on-street charging on request from residents who have or have ordered plug-in vehicle

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PNNL team develops bio-inspired iron-based catalyst for hydrogen fuel cells

Green Car Congress

Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed a new biologically inspired catalyst that is the first iron-based catalyst that converts hydrogen directly to electricity. The catalyst could support the achievement of more affordable fuel cells. The team developed a molecular complex of iron—Cp C 6 F 5 Fe(P t Bu 2 N Bn 2 )(H)—as a rationally designed electrocatalyst for the oxidation of hydrogen at room temperature, with

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DOE issues $13M funding opportunity for advanced coal gasification systems for power or fuels

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a funding opportunity announcement ( DE-FOA-0000784 ) for up to $13 million to support the development of advanced coal gasification systems. DOE anticipates making 5 awards under the FOA. There will be three (3) Areas of Interest (AOIs) under the FOA. The first two—Coal Feed Technologies - Low-rank Coal Feed or Coal-woody Biomass Feed Technologies; and Lower-cost Oxygen Production Systems—will look to further develop and expand on concept

Coal 239
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ARPA-E RANGE: $20M for robust transformational energy storage systems for EVs; 3x the range at 1/3 the cost

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) has issued a funding opportunity announcement ( DE-FOA-0000869 ) for about $20 million for the development of transformational electrochemical energy storage technologies intended to accelerate widespread electric vehicle adoption by significantly improving driving range, cost, and reliability.

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Si-anode company Nexeon secures strategic investment and partnership with German chemical company Wacker

Green Car Congress

Imperial Innovations Group plc announced that its portfolio company Nexeon, a developer of silicon anode materials for Li-ion batteries ( earlier post ), has signed a strategic partnership agreement with German chemical company Wacker Chemie AG , through which Wacker has taken a strategic stake in Nexeon. The partnership will involve the two companies working together to scale-up the production of Nexeon’s silicon anode technology to commercial volumes.

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Ioxus expects to announce its first ultracap-battery product with Enersys this year

Green Car Congress

Ultracapacitor-maker Ioxus expects to announce this year the first ultracapacitor-battery solution resulting from its partnership with Enersys ( earlier post ), says Chad Hall, Ioxus Co-Founder and VP of Sales and Business Development: a UPS system that will combine ultracapacitors and lead-acid batteries in a rack-mount application. Earlier this month, Ioxus and Enersys entered a joint product development and marketing agreement under which the two will develop and market new products that leve

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DENSO develops more precise pedestrian collision detection sensor

Green Car Congress

DENSO Corporation has developed a new pedestrian collision detection sensor for the Pop-up Hood. The new sensor more precisely detects head-on collisions between vehicles and pedestrians, enabling the Pop-up Hood to operate more accurately. Pedestrian collision detection sensor. Click to enlarge. The Pop-up Hood is designed to reduce pedestrian head injuries in a pedestrian/ vehicle engine hood collision by creating a larger buffer space between the hood and hard components, including the engine

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Transocean sets world water-depth drilling record in 10,385 feet of water off India

Green Car Congress

Transocean Ltd. announced that the ultra-deepwater drillship Dhirubhai Deepwater KG1 has set a new world record for the deepest water depth by an offshore drilling rig of 10,385 feet (3,165 meters) of water while working for ONGC off the East coast of India. This surpasses Transocean’s prior world record of 10,194 feet (3,107 meters) of water set by the KG1’s sister rig, Dhirubhai Deepwater KG2 in 2011 while working for Reliance in India.

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University of Texas researchers develop new solar photoelectrosynthetic process to convert CO2 to methanol

Green Car Congress

Researchers from The University of Texas at Arlington are developing a new process for photoelectrosynthesis of methanol—the conversion of carbon dioxide to methanol using sunlight and hybrid CuO–Cu 2 O semiconductor nanorod arrays. Solar photoelectrosynthesis of methanol was driven on hybrid CuO–Cu 2 O semiconductor nanorod arrays for the first time at potentials 800 mV below the thermodynamic threshold value and at Faradaic efficiencies up to 95%.

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Rice University team links PM2.5 and ozone levels with cardiac arrest

Green Car Congress

A team from Rice University and the Houston Fire Department EMS has found a direct correlation between out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) and levels of air pollution and ozone. The research, based on a massive data set unique to Houston, was published this month in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. Given that the American Lung Association has ranked Houston eighth in the United States for high-ozone days, Rice statisticians Katherine Ensor and Loren Raun, and David Persse,

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SDTC awards C$1.5M to support Molten Salt Catalyzed Gasification for hydrogen production; targeting reduced GHG footprint for oil sands synthetic crude

Green Car Congress

Flowchart of the MSG process. Source: Western Hydrogen. Click to enlarge. A consortium led by Canada-based Western Hydrogen Ltd. will receive a $C1.5-million investment from Sustainable Development Technology Canada to support the development and commercialization of a new hydrogen manufacturing technology called Molten Salt Catalyzed Gasification (MSG), originally developed at the US Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

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New Nissan Note to make world premiere at Geneva show; as low as 95 g/km CO2

Green Car Congress

Built on Nissan’s lightweight V platform, the new Note combines a long wheelbase and short overhangs to create a sporty, agile look. Click to enlarge. The new Nissan Note will make its world debut in European specification at the Geneva Motor Show on 5 March. The B-segment offering will feature a package of driver assistance and safety technologies, along with three engine options, with CO 2 outputs from as low as 95 g/km.

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New C3 debuting at Geneva; two PureTech 3-cylinder gasoline engines

Green Car Congress

The new Citroën C3, set for launch in April 2013, will make its debut at the Geneva motor show. Citroën has sold nearly 3 million units of the C3 since 2002. Among a range of more efficient engines with CO 2 emissions as low as 87 g/km, the new C3 will also offer the new PureTech gasoline engines ( earlier post ) bringing 15% more power and a 25% cut in fuel consumption.

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Intelligent Energy and Suzuki Motor complete ready-to-scale fuel cell production line in Japan

Green Car Congress

SMILE FC System Corporation, a joint venture between Intelligent Energy and Suzuki Motor Corporation, has established a ready-to-scale production plant for its fuel cell systems in Yokohama, Japan. The production line marks the successful transfer of proven semi-automated production technology, developed and utilized by Intelligent Energy. This represents the next stage in high volume production of fuel cell systems with associated reduction of manufacturing and assembly costs as well as improve

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Renault-Nissan Alliance opens bigger Silicon Valley Research Center; focus on autonomous driving and connected cars

Green Car Congress

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has expanded its presence in Silicon Valley with the opening of a new advanced research center initially specializing in autonomous driving and connected cars. The opening of Nissan Research Center Silicon Valley (NRC-SV) is part of Nissan's global strategy to expand and localize its R&D function in strategic markets. The new Silicon Valley research center will take responsibility for selected roles in collaboration with Nissan Research Center in Japan.

Connect 225