Sat.Jun 07, 2014 - Fri.Jun 13, 2014

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Tesla opens up all its patents

Green Car Congress

'Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk announced in a blog post that the company is opening up access to its patents; Tesla will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use the company’s technology. Tesla Motors was created to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport. If we clear a path to the creation of compelling electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property landmines behind us to inhibit others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal.

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Toyota To Start Fuel Cell Vehicle Production In December

Green Car Reports

'Toyota''s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle will go into production ahead of schedule, with production planned for mid-December 2014. Sales will also begin "by the end of the year" reports Japan Times (via Autoblog), ahead of Toyota''s original on-sale date some time in 2015. No reason has been given for bringing the car forward, but it''s safe to assume.

Toyota 167
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E-bikes: the cheapest way to get into electric transport

Green Cars News

'Could an electric bike solve your commuting nightmare — and get you fit too? Isn’t this summer weather wonderful? There’s barely a cloud in the sky, there’s a gentle summer breeze wafting through the trees, and it’s lovely and light in the evenings. If you’re stuck in traffic on your way to work[.].

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Hyundai delivers keys to first Tucson Fuel Cell customer; leasing for $499/mo, with unlimited free fueling; first drive

Green Car Congress

'First customer Tim Bush and family (center), with John Patterson (left) and Dave Zuchowski, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America (right). Click to enlarge. In an event combining a first-customer ceremony and a media drive, Tustin (California) Hyundai’s Dealer Principal, John Patterson, handed over the keys to Hyundai’s first mass-produced Tucson Fuel Cell crossover ( earlier post ) to Timothy Bush, the first Hyundai Fuel Cell customer, with Hyundai executives in attendance.

Tucson 351
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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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Houston start-up proposes different approach to hydrogen refueling: thousands of small networked outlets and smart app

Green Car Congress

'A Houston, Texas start-up is proposing a different approach to building out a hydrogen refueling infrastructure. Instead of relying on a series of heavily-subsidized “mega-stations”, Hydrogen-XT is proposing combining many small, inexpensive fueling outlets that reform hydrogen from natural gas with intelligent software that locates the stations and displays fuel availability, reserves the amount a customer wants, routes the customer to the selected station, and then completes the transaction,

Houston 326
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New DuraBlue ultracaps from Maxwell increase shock and vibration tolerance, energy and power capacity

Green Car Congress

'DuraBlue cell. Click to enlarge. Maxwell Technologies, Inc. has introduced its new DuraBlue Shock and Vibration Technology with the latest addition to its K2 series of ultracapacitor cells. The new 2.85-volt, 3400-farad DuraBlue ultracapacitor cell increases the range of available specific power by 17% and stored energy by 23% in the industry-standard 60 mm cylindrical “K2” form factor.

Chad 317

More Trending

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Neah Power Systems pitching on-board formic acid reforming for automotive hydrogen fuel cell applications

Green Car Congress

'Neah Power Systems , Inc. is in preliminary discussions with a fuel cell company to license formic acid reforming technology for certain grid scale applications, and is also identifying appropriate automotive partners for the technology, opening up new Served Available Markets (SAM) that are very significant, according to CEO Chris D’Couto. The company recently published a white paper discussing its patent pending technology.

Hydrogen 270
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Nissan ZEOD RC hits record 300 km/h on Mulsanne straight on electric run at Le Mans

Green Car Congress

'The Nissan ZEOD RC has recorded the highest speed by an electric vehicle at Le Mans with driver Satoshi Motoyama reaching 300 km/h (186.4 mph) on the Mulsanne Straight in qualifying for the Le Mans 24 Hours. Motoyama reached the speed on his electric run, achieving one the key goals of the unique prototype which features a dual electric/internal combustion engine powertrain featuring a pair of 110 kW electric motors along with a 40 kg, 400 horsepower 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo engine.

Nissan 262
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New composite coating protects from corrosion at high mechanical stress

Green Car Congress

'Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for New Materials have developed a composite coating material which prevents metal corrosion in an environmentally friendly way, even under extreme conditions. It can be used wherever metals are exposed to severe weather conditions, aggressive gases, media containing salt, heavy wear or high pressures. This patented composite exhibits its action by spray application.

Parts 262
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Ford and Heinz collaborate on sustainable materials for vehicles; tomato fiber for bio-plastics

Green Car Congress

'Researchers at Ford and Heinz are investigating the use of tomato fibers in developing sustainable, composite materials for use in vehicle manufacturing. Specifically, the tomato fibers would reinforce the overall plastic components and would replace other traditional petroleum-based materials which the Ford research team has proven in several other applications.

Ford 261
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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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DOE awards $150M to Southern Company to test advanced carbon-capture & gasification technologies

Green Car Congress

'The US Department of Energy (DOE) has signed a new 5-year cooperative agreement with Southern Company to evaluate advanced carbon-capture and gasification technologies at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) in Wilsonville, Ala. The total award value is $187 million. DOE will contribute $150 million, with Southern Company adding $37 million in cost-sharing.

Carbon 250
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Elastic wire-shaped lithium-ion batteries with high electrochemical performance

Green Car Congress

'Structure of the flexible wire-shaped lithium-ion battery. The aligned MWCNT/LTO and MWCNT/LMO composite yarns are paired as the anode and cathode, respectively. Ren et al. Click to enlarge. A team led by Huisheng Peng from Fudan University in Shanghai has developed a stretchable wire-shaped lithium-ion battery produced from two aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube/lithium oxide composite yarns as the anode and cathode without extra current collectors and binders.

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US Army, Lockheed Martin complete 2nd autonomous convoy demo; more vehicles, higher speeds

Green Car Congress

'The AMAS CAD II convoy of driverless trucks. Click to enlarge. The US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and Lockheed Martin successfully demonstrated additional capabilities of the Autonomous Mobility Appliqué System (AMAS) at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina by conducting a driverless line-haul convoy with seven military trucks at speeds up to 40 mph (64 km/h).

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Upcoming Mazda2 will offer new SKYACTIV 1.5-liter diesel

Green Car Congress

'The upcoming new Mazda2 (known as Demio in Japan) will feature the SKYACTIV-D 1.5, a newly developed 1.5-liter clean diesel engine making use of the company’s next-generation SKYACTIV technology. Mazda unveiled the 1.5-liter diesel unit in the Mazda Hazumi concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March. ( Earlier post.). Similarly to the next generation SKYACTIV-D 2.2 clean diesel engine available in models such as the Mazda CX-5, the SKYACTIV-D 1.5 was developed in the pursuit of ideal combustion d

Diesel 239
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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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Project developing electrically conductive lubricants to protect electric motors from discharges in the bearings

Green Car Congress

'The effect of insulating (upper right) and electrically conductive (lower right) lubricants. The insulating lubricant (yellow coating) can cause electrical discharges (red lightning bolts), which can damage the bearing’s raceways. If the lubricant is conductive (green coating), no electrical discharges occur. Source: Bosch. Click to enlarge. A joint research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research, is investigating the development of ionic-fluid-enhanced electr

Motor 236
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Toyota in long-term partnership with Royal Botanic Gardens to strengthen quality of UK operations

Green Car Congress

'Toyota has established a partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to strengthen the ecological and environmental quality of its UK operations. The new collaboration is targeting the transformation of Toyota’s production sites and its national headquarters into thriving, sustainable habitats for plants and wildlife. At Toyota’s Burnaston car manufacturing plant in Derbyshire, the aim is to create a green grid, demonstrating how a working industrial site can successfully support biodiversi

Toyota 231
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BMW launches app to automate best rate and time home charging for BMW i PEVs

Green Car Congress

'BMW is introducing the BMW Smart Charging App, allowing BMW i customers automatically to identify the best rates and times for charging their plug-in electric vehicles at home. Developed by the BMW Group and available for Android and iOS devices, the BMW Smart Charging App is integrated with the BMW i Remote App, which allows drivers to get vehicle information via their smartphone.

BMW 230
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Wanxiang and NEC to form joint venture for grid energy storage in China

Green Car Congress

'China Wanxiang Holding announced the planned formation of a joint venture between its wholly-owned subsidiary, Puxing Energy, and NEC Corporation to pursue grid energy storage opportunities in the Chinese market. The joint venture, 51% held by Wanxiang and 49% held by NEC, is scheduled to begin initial business activities later this year. Its formation is an important element of the recently announced NEC acquisition of A123 Energy Solutions.

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Leviton selected as sole supplier of electric vehicle chargers for the DGS California program award

Green Car Congress

'Leviton has been selected as the sole supplier of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) by Pacific Lighting Management for the Department of General Services (DGS) California Program Award. As the approved supplier, Leviton will provide EVSE for local government agencies across the state of California. Leviton’s complete Evr-Green line of EVSE are designed and engineered in the United States.

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High strength cellular aluminium foam for the automotive industry

Green Car Congress

'Aluminum foam is used for applications that require a high level of energy and sound absorption characteristics. Researchers at the University Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Malaysia have developed an innovative process to make high strength cellular aluminium foam with help from some salt. Aluminium foam exhibits unique properties when compared to its dense form, particularly its lightweight characteristics.

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Lishen and ZAP in strategic alliance; funding for several thousand EV conversions in US

Green Car Congress

'ZAP, and electric vehicle company based in California, has entered into a strategic alliance with Tianjin Battery Company Ltd ( Lishen ), through which Lishen will provide financing for several thousand full vehicle EV conversions of US fleet vehicles using Lishen’s latest Li-ion battery technology and ZAP’s proprietary patented Vehicle Control Unit (VCU).

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Ducker: automotive aluminum content to hit explosive growth from 2015 to 2025; 50 years of uninterrupted growth “guaranteed”

Green Car Congress

'NA aluminum sheet demand for auto body and closure parts. Click to enlarge. By 2025, more than 75% of all new pickup trucks produced in North America will be aluminum-bodied, according to a survey of automakers conducted by global consulting and research firm Ducker Worldwide and commissioned by The Aluminum Association’s Aluminum Transportation Group (ATG).

2015 225
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Ford lowers fuel economy ratings for hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and Fiestas; goodwill payments to buyers coming

Green Car Congress

'Ford Motor Company is lowering the fuel economy ratings for its 2013- and 2014-model year hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, as well as most 2014-model year Fiestas. In some cases, the reduction was minor, on the order of 2-3%. The MKZ hybrid, however, was hit with a 15.6% reduction in combined fuel economy (45 mpg down to 38 mpg), and the C-MAX and Fusion plug-in hybrids saw about a 12% decrease in charge sustaining and charge depleting fuel economy, and about a 10% decrease in all-electric r

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German Federal Parliament to drive efficient Audi A6 TDI ultra models

Green Car Congress

'The transport service of the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag) has added 66 especially efficient full-size sedans to its fleet. With CO 2 emissions of 114 grams per kilometer (183.5 g/mi), the Audi A6 2.0 TDI ultra is one of the lowest-consuming premium cars in its segment. In the coming days, Audi AG will be handing over the keys for the first cars of the efficiency fleet.

Audi 218
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Nissan trialing eNV200 in Portland

Green Car Congress

'Nissan is working in collaboration with Portland (Oregon) General Electric (PGE) on a six-week trial to help determine the viability of an electric commercial vehicle in the US market. PGE has assigned the e-NV200 into its fleet of vehicles with an underground crew, replacing a larger, diesel-powered van. This year, Nissan is deploying two e-NV200 prototypes with companies such as PGE and FedEx in top US EV markets including California, Georgia, Oregon and Washington, DC to determine how busine

Portland 218
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New robotic friction stir welding method for mixed materials; potential application for battery integration

Green Car Congress

'New friction stir welding tool also functions as a temperature sensor for improved quality. Click to enlarge. Researchers at University West in Trollhättan have addressed two drawbacks to the robotic friction stir welding (FSW) joining process for mixed materials—path accuracy and temperature—with the development of a deflection model and integral temperature controller.

Batteries 218
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Nissan e-NV200 battery-electric commercial vehicle goes on sale in Japan in October

Green Car Congress

'Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.’s first battery-electric commercial vehicle, the e-NV200, will go on sale in October 2014 at Nissan dealers throughout Japan. ( Earlier post.) The e-NV200 is Nissan’s second battery-electric vehicle in its global line-up, joining LEAF; production of the e-NV200 began in Barcelona in May. ( Earlier post.). The e-NV200’s electric drivetrain, based on that used in the LEAF, is combined with the cargo volume of the NV200 to create a practical and versatile vehicle capable of

Japan 218
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I-75 Green Corridor Project nearing completion; longest biofuels corridor

Green Car Congress

'Construction of the I-75 Green Corridor Project , which began in 2009, is nearing completion and the partners in the six-state project are promoting it this week. The multi-state project started in Knoxville, Tennessee funded by the Department of Energy Clean Cities Program with the goal of allowing any driver to traverse any portion of I-75 and be able to make the entire trip running on either E85 or B20 biodiesel.

Green 218
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Statoil and Research & Development Corporation invest in Arctic and harsh-environment R&D

Green Car Congress

'Canada’s Research & Development Corporation (RDC) and Statoil Canada Ltd. announced a collaborative investment in three new research and development projects to improve Arctic and harsh-environment offshore oil and gas operations in Newfoundland and Labrador and around the world. The total value of the projects is $3.9 million, including $2.4 million from Statoil Canada and $1.5 million from RDC.

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Nissan introduces new Navara pickup with fuel economy improved by up to 11% over previous model

Green Car Congress

'Nissan has introduced the new NP300 Navara pickup truck for global markets. (The Nissan Frontier has been the comparable vehicle variant for the Americas.) The all-new model achieves lower overall running costs through a combination of improvements in powertrain performance and a reduction in body mass. The NP300 Navara’s powertrain delivers improved performance, with reduced fuel consumption and emissions, as well as a dynamic control braking system that makes for a leader in segment performan

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NXP introduces second car-to-X RoadLINK product

Green Car Congress

'NXP Semiconductors N.V. announced that the TEF510x, the second product from the RoadLINK range ( earlier post ), is now available to automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 suppliers for design-in. The TEF510x is a dual radio multi band RF transceiver for Car-to-X (C2X) applications. Supporting global C2X and Wi-Fi standards, the TEF510x provides OEMs with an optimized solution to meet 802.11p modem functionality on one chip.

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ClipperCreek introducing $395 Level 2 EV charging station

Green Car Congress

'ClipperCreek is introducing a $395 Level 2, 240V EV charging station, available for immediate delivery, directly from the factory in Auburn, CA. The LCS-20 is the first major brand Level 2 electric vehicle charging station to break through the $400 barrier. The unit comes with 22 feet of charging cable and a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty. Charging at 15 Amps and 240 Volts, the 3.6KW LCS-20 provides a cost-effective way for customers to upgrade from their 120V charge cord and cut charging time

Charging 210
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SunLine Transit Agency takes delivery of two new fuel cell buses; 8th generation

Green Car Congress

'SunLine Transit Agency of Thousand Palms, CA has taken delivery of two new eight-generation fuel cell buses, each powered by a Ballard FCvelocity-HD6 fuel cell module. These new buses evolve the previously deployed seventh-generation American Fuel Cell Bus (AFCB) configuration, which was first introduced with SunLine Transit Agency in 2011. ( Earlier post.

Fuel 210
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Toyota and Panasonic co-developing cloud service that links cars to home appliances

Green Car Congress

'Toyota Motor Corporation and Panasonic Corporation are jointly developing a service that links cars with home appliances. A new service will be launched as soon as the second half of this year. As part of its ongoing efforts to make mobility smarter, more convenient and more comfortable, and as a way to increase the value cars add to lives, Toyota will leverage its cloud-based Toyota Smart Center, which links people, cars, and homes.

Toyota 210