Sat.Nov 26, 2016 - Fri.Dec 02, 2016

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Update on DOE Co-Optima project to co-optimize fuels & engines; goal of 30% per vehicle reduction in petroleum

Green Car Congress

In October 2015, the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) launched a broad, joint effort to co-optimize the development of efficient engines and low greenhouse-gas fuels for on-road vehicles with the goal of reducing petroleum consumption by 30% by 2030 beyond what is already targeted. ( Earlier post.) The intended application is light-, medium-, and heavy-duty markets including hybrid architectures.

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Toyota battery R&D will allow all-electric car in 'a few years,' likely 2020

Green Car Reports

The signals are now unmistakable: Toyota will offer a battery-electric car for sale in 2020. After a decade of condemning electric cars as suitable only for the smallest vehicles in around-town use, the world's largest car company is changing its tune. Yet another news story out of Japan has company executives suggesting that it has finally.

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Is the electric future finally here? Audi, BMW, Ford and Mercedes join forces for new fast-charge network

Green Cars News

In what is an unprecedented collaboration, Europe’s biggest car manufacturers have come together to develop a continent-wide high-power electric charg.

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ORNL study finds even low penetration of CAVs delivers significant fuel economy benefits, but increases travel time slightly

Green Car Congress

A new study by a team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) suggests that low penetration rates of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) can deliver significant fuel consumption benefits, but that the total travel time increases slightly. The study, presented presented at the 9 th ACM SIGSPATIAL on Computational Transportation Science , also found that benefits in travel time increase with higher penetration rates of CAVs.

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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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Volvo launches the world’s largest bus; 30m, 300 passengers

Green Car Congress

Volvo launched the world’s largest bus chassis at the FetransRio exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Volvo is a leading supplier of buses for high passenger capacity transport systems, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The new biarticulated chassis, Gran Artic 300, is 30 meters in length and can carry up to 300 passengers. The new Gran Artic 300 has been developed in Brazil especially for BRT systems—high demand transportation systems where buses run on dedicated lanes.

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Nissan announces new strategy for customer ownership experience; leveraging connected car, big data, and personalization

Green Car Congress

In Japan, Nissan announced a new, comprehensive strategy to transform its customer aftersales experience through innovative technology and enhanced services. The company anticipates that, as a result, connected car services and greater choice in accessories and personalization will increasingly drive growth in its aftersales business, anticipated to contribute 25% of aftersales revenue by 2022.

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More Trending

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2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid PHEV minivan EPA-rated at 84 MPGe in electric-only mode; role of eFlite dual-motor/one-way clutch strategy

Green Car Congress

Exceeding its initial program targets, the plug-in 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid ( earlier post ) has earned an electric-mode fuel economy rating of 84 miles-per-gallon-equivalent (MPGe) from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). No other minivan has ever come close to this rating. (As examples of SUV/MPV-style electric vehicle fuel efficiency, the 2016 Tesla Model X AWD - 75D is EPA-rated at 93 MPGe combined city/highway; the Model X AWD - P90D is EPA-rated at 89 MPGe; and the 2016 BYD

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Intel creates new organization solely focused on ADAS and autonomous driving

Green Car Congress

Intel has created a new organization called the Automated Driving Group (ADG), which will be solely dedicated to innovating the future of driving and designing the next generation of advanced driver assist systems and autonomous driving solutions. Intel’s ADG builds upon CEO Brian Krzanich’s vision for the future of automated cars – a vision he recently shared at AutoMobility LA. ( Earlier post.).

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Volkswagen’s 10-year evolution of Park Assist; heading toward trained parking and higher levels of autonomy

Green Car Congress

Volkswagen first introduced a parking assistance system based on ultrasonic sensors in the early 1990s. However, it was the “Park Assist” Gen 1 system presented in the Touran in 2007 that marked a foundational point in the commercial development of the technology. After it was activated, Park Assist was able to detect parallel parking spaces on the left and right sides of the road as the car passed them using special, side-oriented ultrasonic sensors, enabling semi-automatic parking for the firs

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Mayors of Madrid, Mexico City and Paris pledge to remove diesel cars from their cities by 2025

Green Car Congress

At the C40 Mayors Summit in Mexico City, the mayors of Paris, Mexico City and Madrid pledged to remove diesel cars from their cities by 2025. The cities also pledged to incentivize alternative vehicles and promote walking and cycling infrastructure. Pursuing policies that improve air quality—decarbonizing transportation systems and promoting alternative transportation options—also help cities deliver on the ambition of the Paris Agreement.

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

Brief

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California ARB releases discussion draft of plan to cut GHG by 40% by 2030

Green Car Congress

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) released its initial draft plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030—the most ambitious target in North America. The 2030 Target Scoping Plan Discussion Draft builds on the state’s efforts to reach its more immediate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and outlines the most effective ways to reach the new 2030 goal, including continuing California’s Cap-and-Trade program.

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BMW Group, Daimler, Ford, Audi & Porsche JV for up to 350 kW CCS ultra-fast charging network along major highways in Europe

Green Car Congress

BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen Group with Audi and Porsche have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create the highest-powered charging network in Europe. The goal is the quick build-up of a sizable number of stations in order to enable long-range travel for battery electric vehicle drivers. This will be an important step towards facilitating mass-market BEV adoption.

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London transport operator Go-Ahead adds two Irizar electric i2e buses to fleet after successful operating results

Green Car Congress

Based on the success of two Irizar 100% i2e electric buses that have been operating in London since June 2015, London’s largest transport operator, Go-Ahead, is incorporating the buses into its fleet and has signed an agreement with Irizar that includes service and maintenance. For over a year, these two buses have been operating on the busy routes 507, connecting Waterloo Station with Victoria Station, and 521, which connect Waterloo Station with London Bridge Station.

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Eco-Motive reveals prototype H-Motor dual fuel engine; road testing to begin soon

Green Car Congress

Eco-Motive , a startup developing what it calls the first dual-fuel “H” engine ( earlier post ), revealed photos of a full-scale prototype of the Eco-Motive H-Motor. The prototype was completed in February 2016 and was built to reflect the engine configuration when installed in a vehicle; testing in driving applications will begin soon. The H-shaped engine has parallel left-side and right-side vertical inline piston banks, each with a crankshaft and pistons, cylinder head, and individual fuel fe

Engine 214
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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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Ford to start testing autonomous cars on European roads next year

Green Car Congress

Ford announced it will begin European testing of autonomous cars in 2017, as a Ford-commissioned survey of 5,000 adults showed how drivers would spend the time in self-driving cars. 80% said they would look forward to relaxing and enjoying the scenery, 72% would chat on the phone, 64% would have a bite to eat, with enjoying books and movies close behind.

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Volkswagen Truck & Bus to invest ~€420M in Brazil; new products, connectivity services

Green Car Congress

Volkswagen Truck & Bus’s Brazilian commercial vehicle brand (Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus) will invest ~€420 million (US$448 million) over the next five years into the steady renewal of its product portfolio, modernization of its plant in Resende, and the development of its connectivity services. Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus has led the market for the sale of trucks in Brazil for 13 years running.

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BMW Group expands BMW i Ventures role with new €500M fund; widened scope of investment, greater independence

Green Car Congress

The BMW Group is expanding the remit of its BMW i Ventures venture capital unit and creating a new fund of up to €500 million (US$531 million) over ten years to support it. The new fund will allow BMW i Ventures to make investments in a wider range of areas, such as autonomous driving and digitalization, and to secure continued access to the technologies of the future.

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Valeo, Siemens JV for high-voltage electric powertrains starts operation: Valeo Siemens eAutomotive GmbH

Green Car Congress

The Valeo and Siemens joint venture dedicated to high-voltage powertrains ( earlier post ) has begun operation. Named Valeo Siemens eAutomotive GmbH, the JV is headquartered in Erlangen, Germany and is expected to have a total of around 1,000 employees. Valeo Siemens eAutomotive will be managed by Louis Pourdieu (CEO) and Peter Geilen (CFO). In April 2016, Valeo and Siemens signed an agreement to form a joint venture in high voltage powertrains for on road vehicles.

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DOE BETO to issue $8M funding opportunity for algae-based biofuels

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) plans ( DE-FOA-0001708 ) to issue a funding opportunity announcement (DE-FOA-0001628) for up to $8 million, subject to appropriations, for the development of algae-based biofuels. The FOA, entitled Productivity Enhanced Algae and Tool-Kits (PEAK), will support innovative technologies and approaches to help advance bioenergy and bioproducts from algae.

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Geographers provide new insight into commuter megaregions of the US

Green Car Congress

Geographers from Dartmouth College and the University of Sheffield have provided new insight into the economic geography of commuter megaregions in the US by using an empirical approach that combines visual interpretation with statistical analysis. The findings appear in an open-access paper in PLOS One and shed light on an old geographic problem: how to divide space into coherent unit areas.

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New ORNL hardware-in-the-loop capability to integrate advanced combustion, new fuels, and electrification pathways

Green Car Congress

A multi-disciplinary team of researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed a new testing capability which integrates a driver model, full vehicle model, and hardware to explore the synergies of advanced combustion, new fuels, and emerging hybrid vehicle architectures over real-world drive cycles. This new facility is focused on low temperature combustion engines but builds upon the powertrain-in-the-loop expertise established with the Vehicle Systems Integration Laboratory (V

Fuel 207
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US FTA to award up to $2.75M for zero-emissions public transportation tech

Green Car Congress

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the availability of $2.75 million of funding for its Zero Emission Research Opportunity (ZERO) ( FTA-2017-001-TRI ). The ZERO program is to facilitate the advancement, production, and deployment of zero-emission public transportation vehicle technology and related infrastructure. FTA intends to select, and enter into cooperative agreements with, multiple (up to three) nonprofit consortia to build on past research innovation and development effor

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GAO study concludes Renewable Fuel Standard will miss advanced biofuel program targets; EPA generally concurs

Green Car Congress

A new study from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) concludes that the Renewable Fuel Standard program will miss its advanced biofuel targets due to the the high costs of creating advanced biofuel; the relatively low price of fossil fuel; the timing and cost to bring new tech to commercial-scale production; regulatory uncertainty; and other issues as challenges to increased production.

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Toyota approves Mentor Graphics Volcano VSTAR AUTOSAR stack for ECU deployment in next-gen Toyota vehicles

Green Car Congress

Toyota Motor Corporation has approved Mentor Graphics’ Volcano VSTAR AUTOSAR basic software stack for use in all Toyota vehicles. With this approval, global Tier 1 automotive suppliers can now leverage Mentor’s fast, resource-efficient AUTOSAR stack for the design and development of advanced Electronic Control Units (ECUs) in next-generation Toyota models.

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EPA proposes leaving light-duty vehicle GHG standards for MY 2022-2025 unchanged

Green Car Congress

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed leaving the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for light-duty vehicle model years 2022-2025 in place, based on its technical analysis that shows automakers are well positioned to meet the targets. The final standards are projected result in an average industry fleet-wide level of 163 grams/mile of CO 2 in model year 2025, which is equivalent to 54.5 mpg (4.31 l/100 km), if achieved exclusively through fuel economy improvements.

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Researchers develop new process to make p-xylene from biomass with 97% yield

Green Car Congress

A team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Minnesota, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Delaware has developed a new chemical process to make p-xylene, an important ingredient of common plastics. The new method has a 97% yield and uses biomass as the feedstock. P-xylene is currently produced from petroleum.

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Hyliion developing hybrid system for semi-trailers

Green Car Congress

Hyliion , a start-up founded by a group of graduate students at Carnegie Mellon, has developed an add-on hybrid system for semi-trailers. Combining regenerative braking and power boost for the trailer to reduce on-the-road fuel consumption, the system also functions as an auxiliary power unit to reduce engine-on idling. Their patent application describing the basics of the system was published earlier this month, The Hyliion System —comprising motor, battery and control electronics—c

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SGL Group is development partner for GDLs in high-performance fuel cells in the automotive sector

Green Car Congress

Carbon specialist SGL Group is a development partner in the European joint development project INSPIRE (Integration of Novel Stack Components for Performance, Improved DuRability and LowEr Cost), which has been funded with a €7-million (US$7.4-million) award from Europe’s Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) and will run for three years. ( Earlier post.).

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Toyota CEO Toyoda to head up new Toyota EV group; more execs and managers flow in as well

Green Car Congress

Effective today, Toyota CEO and President Akio Toyoda will assume the duties of president of the company’s newly formed EV Business Planning Department. ( Earlier post.). Mitsuhisa Kato, Toyota’s Executive Vice President, Frontier Research Center, will also function as an EVP for the new EV planning department. Shigeki Terashi, Toyota’s EVP, Strategic Top Executive Meeting Office, will also become an EVP for the new EV group, as well as EVP of the Corporate Strategy Division and the Research Div

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Nissan and Eaton broaden xStorage Home energy storage portfolio; 10-year xStorage Buildings deal with Amsterdam ArenA

Green Car Congress

Nissan and power management leader Eaton are broadening their portfolio of xStorage Home residential energy storage solutions—which can use second-life EV batteries—by introducing a range of six product configurations, giving consumers greater choice to meet their energy needs. This announcement comes as pre-orders of xStorage Home begin today in the United Kingdom, Norway and Germany with other European markets to follow in the coming months.

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GM China Engineering developing comprehensive vehicle air quality system

Green Car Congress

GM China Engineering is developing an advanced filtration system for global use that utilizes a combination of proven technologies. It adds three layers of protection for consumers, to filter most airborne particles; to help clean the air inside the vehicle via an air ionizer; and to provide drivers real-time information regarding PM 2.5 levels inside and outside the vehicle.

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California Air Resources Board posts revised draft of strategy to reduce “Super Pollutants”

Green Car Congress

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has posted a revised draft of California’s proposed Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) Strategy. SLCPs are a category of pollutants which remain in the atmosphere for a relatively brief period, but have global warming potentials that are much higher than those of CO 2. SLCPs may account for an estimated 40% of global warming, increasing the impacts of climate change.

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Continental presenting eHorizon swarm intelligence system for two-wheelers at CES 2017

Green Car Congress

Continental will use the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this coming January as the venue to present the eHorizon system for two-wheelers. The eHorizon system interconnects bikers, offers a shared platform to motorcyclist communities, and allows motorcyclists to share important route information. eHorizon for two-wheelers is based on swarm intelligence, which continuously supplies the digital map in the backend with accurate and up-to-date information.

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Amyris signs multi-year collaboration extension with Kuraray for farnesene rubber and elastomers

Green Car Congress

Amyris, Inc. has executed with its long-time partner Kuraray Co. a multi-year extension to their collaboration agreement for the use of Amyris’s Biofene branded ß-Farnesene in liquid farnesene rubber (LFR) and farnesene-based elastomer applications. ( Earlier post.) This collaboration, which originally began in 2011, features increased farnesene supply to Kuraray and joint marketing of products to industry and end-customers.

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