Sat.Feb 10, 2018 - Fri.Feb 16, 2018

article thumbnail

Rio Tinto’s autonomous haul trucks hit one-billion-tonne milestone

Green Car Congress

Rio Tinto’s fleet of autonomous haul trucks recently hit a significant milestone at the company’s operations in Australia by moving their one-billionth tonne of material. Since commencing trial operations in 2008, haul trucks fitted with Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) technology have now moved more than one billion tonnes of both ore and waste material across five sites in the Pilbara including the newly commissioned Silvergrass mine.

Fleet 299
article thumbnail

Budget deal restores tax credits for EV charging stations, electric motorcycles, fuel-cell cars

Green Car Reports

Fears that Congress would kill the federal tax credit for purchase of a plug-in electric car were laid to rest in December when that incentive survived the $1.5 billion tax-cut bill. Now Congress has added back a handful of other tax credits related to electric cars and greener transportation in the $400 billion budget bill it passed in the wee.

article thumbnail

Volkswagen to unveil new third-generation Touareg in Beijing

Green Car Congress

Volkswagen will stage the world premiere of the new third-generation Touareg SUV—which the brand is calling its flagship—on 23 March 2018 in Beijing. China is the world’s strongest growing SUV market and Volkswagen’s largest individual market. The SUV C-segment is currently one of the fastest growing segments in global automotive markets and is expected to double its volume by the year 2023 in China.

2002 287
article thumbnail

ICCT assesses impact of EV battery manufacturing life-cycle emissions debt; policy implications

Green Car Congress

Analysts at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) have reviewed recent research into the greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. The ICCT analysis is in the overall context of life-cycle emissions of electric cars as compared to conventional internal combustion vehicles in Europe.

article thumbnail

How serious is Norway about climate change? So much that its streetlights self-dim

emissions global warming Norway climate change carbon dioxide youtube lighting

article thumbnail

Study: consumer products overtake transportation as largest source of VOCs air pollution in cities

Green Car Congress

Consumer products such as shampoo, cleaning products and paint now contribute as much to emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in cities as tailpipe emissions from vehicles, according to a new study led by NOAA. The results, published in an open-access paper in the journal Science , suggest that the focus of efforts to mitigate ozone formation and toxic chemical burdens need to be adjusted, the authors suggested.

Pollution 264
article thumbnail

DOE awarding $6.5M to 9 large-scale Phase I pilot coal projects

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) have selected nine projects to receive approximately $6.5 million in federal funding for Phase I of the Fossil Fuel Large-Scale Pilots funding opportunity announcement (FOA). This FOA, issued in August 2017, is a $50-million funding opportunity for projects supporting cost-shared research and development to design, construct, and operate two large-scale pilots to demonstrate tran

Coal 262

More Trending

article thumbnail

US Air Force demonstrating hydrogen as alternate fuel source

Green Car Congress

The US Air Force is demonstrating the use of hydrogen as an alternate fuel source at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. In a recent visit to JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, members of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Energy and Operations directorates were given a tour of the installation’s hydrogen production facility and shown several of the vehicles that use this alternative fuel.

article thumbnail

ANL: life-cycle water consumption of fuel cell vehicles can be cut in half compared to that of conventional ICE vehicles

Green Car Congress

The life-cycle water consumption of fuel cell electric vehicles using hydrogen produced from natural gas with steam methane reforming is almost 50% less than the life-cycle water consumption of conventional internal combustion engine vehicles using gasoline, according to a study by researchers at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). If the hydrogen is produced from solar power and water, the life-cycle water consumption is almost 60% less.

Water 225
article thumbnail

Gov’t, industry, national labs collaborate on comprehensive cradle-to-grave LCA study and economic assessment of LDV GHG reductions

Green Car Congress

A cradle-to-grave (C2G) assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and costs for current (2015) and future (2025–2030) light-duty vehicles by a team from US DOE and national laboratories, major automakers, EPRI and Chevron has found that currently, hybrid and plug-in hybrid petroleum-fueled vehicles provide the most attractive cost in terms of avoided carbon emissions—although they offer lower potential GHG reductions.

article thumbnail

Tokyo Tech, Fujitsu achieve 120 Gbps wireless transmission with new CMOS chip

Green Car Congress

Tokyo Tech and Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. have developed a CMOS wireless transceiver chip that can process signals at high speeds across a broad range of frequencies, from 70 to 105 gigahertz (GHz), using their own bandwidth-increasing technology. With these developments, they succeeded in achieving wireless transmission speeds of 120 gigabits per second (Gbps)—the fastest in the world.

Connect 218
article thumbnail

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

Brief

article thumbnail

Second-generation Audi A7 Sportback features standard 48V MHEV system with gasoline or diesel engines

Green Car Congress

Audi has unveiled the second-generation A7 Sportback, which is the essence of Audi‘s new design language. The four-door coupé brings the show car design of the prologue studies ( earlier post ) to production. The drive system features a new mild-hybrid system (MHEV) as standard. At market introduction the coupé will be available with either a 3.0 TFSI (gasoline) or a 3.0 TDI (diesel) engine.

Audi 210
article thumbnail

DOE releases two Co-Optima studies; high-octane blendstocks, engine efficiency merit function

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has released two studies from the Co-Optimization of Engines & Fuels initiative ( Co-Optima ) ( earlier post ). The first study, Fuel Blendstocks with the Potential to Optimize Future Gasoline Engine Performance , identifies eight representative high-octane blendstocks across five chemical groups that could be blended into gasoline for better performance.

Engine 199
article thumbnail

LCA study finds connected and automated vehicle subsystems could enable net reduction in vehicle energy use and GHGs by up to 9%

Green Car Congress

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Ford Motor Company have found that using a Level 4 connected and automated vehicle (CAV) subsystem could increase vehicle primary energy use and GHG emissions by 3–20% due to increases in power consumption, weight, drag, and data transmission. However, when potential operational effects of CAVs are included (such as eco-driving, platooning, and intersection connectivity), the net result is up to a 9% reduction in energy and GHG emissions in the base

Connect 186
article thumbnail

Teijin develops formable gasoline-resistant bioplastic film for vehicle door handles integrated with smart-entry systems

Green Car Congress

Teijin Limited has developed a formable gasoline-resistant film made of PLANEXT bioplastic to replace chrome plating, which Honda Lock Mfg. Co., Ltd. has now adopted for nonconductive door handles integrated with smart-entry systems. Teijin developed the innovative film using a special metal-evaporation technology from a processing-manufacturer partner.

Gasoline 186
article thumbnail

ExxonMobil announces 6th oil discovery offshore Guyana with Ranger-1; Guyana may move from non-producer to regional powerhouse

Oil

article thumbnail

New protonic ceramic fuel cell addresses power density and stability issues

Green Car Congress

A team of researchers led by Northwestern Engineering professor and fuel cell pioneer Sossina Haile has created a new protonic ceramic fuel cell (PCFC) offering both exceptional power densities and long-term stability at optimal temperatures, a discovery that heightens the viability of incorporating fuel cells into a sustainable energy future. A paper describing their work is published in the journal Nature Energy.

Power 186
article thumbnail

Ford boosting production targets for full-size SUVs by about 25%; increasing line speed at Kentucky Truck Plant

Green Car Congress

Ford is increasing production of two popular full-size SUVs to meet increasing retail demand for both models. The company is increasing line speed at its Kentucky Truck Plant to build more Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition SUVs, boosting production targets approximately 25% since last fall when the SUVs hit the market. A new $25-million investment for additional manufacturing enhancements brings Ford’s total investment at Kentucky Truck Plant to $925 million and allows the company to increas

Kentucky 186
article thumbnail

Tin-based nanoplates as promising anode materials for high-capacity Li-ion batteries

Green Car Congress

Researchers from the Harbin Institute of Technology, with colleagues from the Beijing University of Technology and the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, have synthesized tin chalcogenide (SnSe 0.5 S 0.5 ) nanoplates for use as Li-ion anodes. In a paper published in the Journal of Power Sources, they reported that the as-prepared of SnSe 0.5 S 0.5 exhibits an outstanding discharge specific capacity of up to 1144?

Li-ion 186
article thumbnail

DiDi partners with SoftBank in Japan for platform services for taxi industry, launches open new energy car-sharing platform

Green Car Congress

Didi Chuxing, the world’s leading mobile transportation platform, and SoftBank Corp. have established a partnership to provide platform services for the taxi industry. The partnership will utilize DiDi’s advanced AI technologies to build ride-hailing platforms to enhance efficiency for both taxi operators and drivers. DiDi and SoftBank aim to commence trial services in Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Tokyo and other locations within this year.

Taxi 186
article thumbnail

New Argonne-developed tool helps car buyers compare electric-drive and traditional vehicles

Green Car Congress

Consumers in seven US Midwest states seeking information about plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles now have access to a new-vehicle purchase guidance tool created by Argonne National Laboratory. The tool was created as a part of an innovative clean-vehicle program recently launched in the Midwest. States currently covered by the new tool are Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin.

article thumbnail

Mercedes-Benz unveiling facelited C-Class at Geneva with new engines, plug-in hybrid versions

Green Car Congress

Alongside the A-Class, the G-Class and the new four-door Mercedes-AMG GT Coupé, Mercedes-Benz will hold the world premiere of the new facelifted C-Class Saloon and Estate models featuring new gasoline and diesel engines, and plug-in hybrid versions. The C-Class in its current generation was Mercedes-Benz’s top-selling model in its fourth year on sale.

Mercedes 170
article thumbnail

OECD: governments should make better use of energy taxation to address climate change; “meaningful” increases limited to road sector

Green Car Congress

Greater reliance on energy taxation is needed to strengthen efforts to tackle the principal source of both greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, according to a new OECD report. Taxes are effective at cutting harmful emissions from energy use, but governments could make better use of them. In 2015, outside of road transport, 81% of emissions were untaxed, according to the report.

article thumbnail

Researchers discover new efficient lithium collection method using MOF membranes; Li from produced water

Green Car Congress

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, Monash University (Australia) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia have recently discovered a new, efficient way to extract lithium and other metals and minerals from water. They published their findings in an open-access paper in Science Advances.

Water 170
article thumbnail

ORNL team using neutron imaging to study soot and ash collection and removal in particulate filters

Green Car Congress

A team of researchers from the Energy and Transportation Science Division at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is studying soot and ash collection and removal in particulate filters with neutron imaging, a technique sensitive enough to detect fine layers of material. Using the Neutron Imaging Facility instrument, beamline CG-1D, at ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor, they are investigating the structure of particulate layers generated by a series of gasoline fuels.

Gasoline 150
article thumbnail

DGIST, PNNL team develops efficient, low-cost anode material for water electrolysis

Green Car Congress

Researchers at S. Korea’s DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology), with colleagues at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), have developed a low-cost, highly efficient and ultra-durable core-shell nanostructured electrocatalyst that exhibits an improved oxygen evolution activity and stability compared to that of the commercial noble metal electrodes.

Low Cost 150
article thumbnail

Ballard announces planned deployment of 500 fuel cell commercial trucks this year in Shanghai

Green Car Congress

Ballard Power Systems announced the planned deployment of 500 licensed hydrogen fuel cell electric commercial trucks—all using Ballard fuel cell stack technology—in Shanghai, China. Each of the 500 Dongfeng Special Vehicle trucks is now licensed, plated and powered by a 30 kW fuel cell system that was designed and integrated by Shanghai Reinventing Fire Technology Company Limited ( Re-Fire ), featuring Ballard FCvelocity-9SSL proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stacks.

article thumbnail

DOE to award $35M to 24 projects to support early-stage, innovative technologies and solutions in advanced manufacturing

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $35 million for 24 projects to support early-stage, innovative technologies and solutions in advanced manufacturing. These projects were selected under an Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Advanced Manufacturing Office funding opportunity, focused on advanced materials, advanced processes, and modeling and analysis tools for materials and manufacturing.

article thumbnail

Self-driving Tesla to make LA to NYC trip this year, Musk says, without lidar

Green Car Reports

In June 2013, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced he would drive a Tesla Model S electric car across the U.S. to show off the company's new Supercharger fast-charging network. Indeed, two Tesla Model S sedans successfully completed the run from Los Angeles to New York City in February 2014. Last year, Musk decided to repeat the stunt, but with a twist.

article thumbnail

Another utility gives $10K off: BMW i3 electric car sales backed by SoCal Edison

Green Car Reports

How badly do you want to buy a BMW i3 electric car? Badly enough to move to areas of California where Southern California Edison will be your electric utility? If so, a new program offered through April 30 will give residential customers and SCE employees $10,000 off the purchase of any model of the i3. DON'T MISS: How to buy or lease an electric.

BMW 118
article thumbnail

Renault opens its first electric-vehicle-only showroom, in Sweden

Green Car Reports

How to sell electric cars in these early years poses a quandry for all automakers. Tesla chose to avoid existing franchised dealerships and set up its own "stores," where shoppers can learn about plug-in electric vehicles, and their advantages, and have questions answered by Tesla representatives. Buyers then order online. Other makers have had.

Sweden 117
article thumbnail

How to buy or lease an electric car: advice from owner who's done it four times

Green Car Reports

Most shoppers seem to view visiting a franchised auto dealer to negotiate the purchase or lease of a new car with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. In fact, as electric-car driver Douglas Kerr notes, the process is often compared to having a cavity filled. Kerr has now leased or bought four separate electric cars, and he has some advice on reducing.

article thumbnail

This one 11-year-old chart explains the problem with hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles

Green Car Reports

Today, there are roughly 750,000 plug-in electric vehicles on U.S. roads and about 3,800 powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Proponents of each type of vehicle argue strenuously that their powertrain is a better way to produce vehicles with zero emissions from the tailpipe. Electric cars can be charged at home overnight, and electricity in many areas.

Hydrogen 114
article thumbnail

Maine to hit hybrids, electric cars with fees higher than gas tax?

Green Car Reports

Maine has become the latest in a growing string of states to propose adding registration fees for hybrid and electric cars to make up for tax revenue on the gasoline they don't use, or use less of. But it's also part of a much smaller group of those states in which the fees are punitive: drivers of those cars pay more than the gas taxes paid by.

Tax 112
article thumbnail

Tesla now makes almost 1,000 Model 3s a week, Bloomberg tracker estimates

Green Car Reports

Production numbers for Tesla electric cars have always been slightly murky. The company announces deliveries only quarterly and refuses to break them down by country, meaning there are no sales figures that directly compare with those routinely issued by other makers. The Tesla Model 3 has endured a long, painful, and somewhat public "production.

Tesla 110
article thumbnail

What will get more people to consider electric cars? Twitter poll results

Green Car Reports

Just shy of 200,000 plug-in electric cars were sold in the U.S. last year, their seventh year on sale. That's the highest number yet, but still just a little more than 1 percent of the market. And it's far from clear that the general car-buying public at large is aware that electric vehicles exist, much less that they're viable and practical.