Sat.Feb 03, 2018 - Fri.Feb 09, 2018

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SunLine Transit puts new long-range fuel-cell range extended electric bus into service

Green Car Congress

California’s SunLine Transit Agency has put into service a new zero-emission bus that will have the capability to cover any route in its service territory—even with the air conditioner operating at maximum levels in the middle of the summer. With funding from the private sector, the Federal Transit Administration, and the California Energy Commission, SunLine Transit unveiled an electric bus with a fuel cell range extender to support a 250-300-mile daily route.

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Toyota Prius hybrid sales have tanked: here are 4 reasons why

Green Car Reports

The Toyota Prius hybrid has been its maker's "halo car" and an example of its most advanced technology for two decades. Launched from an early-1990s project to halve the fuel consumption of a small car, its hybrid-electric powertrain pioneered mass electrification of passenger cars. But the sales arc of what has grown to be a family of Prius.

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Is it time to introduce EV Charging at the office?

EV Driver

As the EV revolution rolls on and picks up steam (remember that!) in 2018, more and more businesses are looking into what will be required to keep up. As it is clear that hybrids will be the first step for the majority of adventurous drivers, a lot of new hybrids come with the ability to be plugged in. So, you are surely asking yourself, why not use the little EV engine in a hybrid to reduce your CO2 emissions each and every commute to work you do.

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Ionic Materials raises $65M in Series C; polymer electrolyte for solid-state batteries

Green Car Congress

Ionic Materials has secured $65 million in a Series C financing round from a leading group of financial and strategic investors. The investors include companies from the battery manufacturing, consumer electronic and electric vehicle ecosystem which will be working with the company to speed the development of its solid polymer electrolyte battery material.

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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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GM turns to Titan supercomputer for more detailed diesel combustion modeling

Green Car Congress

Ronald Grover, staff researcher at General Motors (GM) Research and Development and GM colleagues Jian Gao, Venkatesh Gopalakrishnan, and Ramachandra Diwakar are using the Titan supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (LCF), a US Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), to improve combustion models for diesel passenger car engines with an ultimate goal of accelerating innovative engine designs while meeting strict em

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TOAR shows present-day global ozone distribution and trends relevant to health; public database

Green Car Congress

Ozone levels across much of North America and Europe dropped significantly between 2000 and 2014. Even so, during 2010-2014, people in parts of California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, the Midwest and the Middle Atlantic still experienced more than 15 days a year in which ozone levels exceeded the US health-based air quality standard of 70 parts per billion (ppb) averaged over eight hours.

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More Trending

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ABI Research: implementing DSRC above cellular is more cost-effective than implementing C-V2X

Green Car Congress

New analysis of V2X (vehicle to everything) conducted by ABI Research finds that the cost of implementing DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communication) above cellular communications is expected to be $13.50 to $15 lower per Telematics Control Unit than implementing a C-V2X (CellularV2X) solution. The global automotive industry has been extensively comparing DSRC and C-V2X as technology alternatives for enabling V2X in vehicles in order to prevent accidents.

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Ford’s redesigned Transit Connect Wagon gets 1.5L EcoBlue diesel option in US

Green Car Congress

Ford unveiled the redesigned Transit Connect Wagon at the Chicago Auto Show. The wagon, which comes in 5- or 7-passenger models, offers a choice between a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with direct injection with Auto Start-Stop as standard equipment, or the new 1.5-liter EcoBlue diesel, both paired with a new 8-speed automatic. Ford is targeting the 1.5L EcoBlue diesel to deliver an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of at least 30 mpg (7.8 l/100 km) highway; final EPA 2019 Transit

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Mercedes-Benz unveils new Sprinter; focus on connectivity; electric drive in 2019; realizing adVANce

Green Car Congress

Mercedes?Benz unveiled the latest generation of its successful Sprinter model at an event held at a logistics center in the Duisburg, Germany docks. (Duisburg is home to the world’s largest inland port.) As the first fully connected integral system solution, the third generation of the Sprinter demonstrates the development of the division from purely a vehicle manufacturer into a provider of complete transport and mobility solutions, the company said.

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Hyundai introduces 2018 Sonata Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid models at Chicago Auto Show

Green Car Congress

Hyundai unveiled the redesigned 2018 Sonata Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid models at the Chicago Auto Show. Although the powertrains remain the same, the new Sonata Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid feature a comprehensive exterior and interior redesign, safety, suspension and new and improved infotainment and connectivity features. The 2018 Hybrid and Plug-in will be produced in Asan, Korea, with Hybrid availability in the first quarter of 2018 and Plug-in availability in the second quarter of 2018.

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

Brief

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Lexus prices new three-row RX 450hL hybrid starting at $50,620

Green Car Congress

Lexus is pricing the new 2018 RX 450hL three-row hybrid SUV—announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2017—with a starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $50,620—$1,550 more than its gasoline-engined RX 350L AWD three-rowed sibling. The RX 450hL is set to go on sale at dealers in April. Lexus introduced the first luxury hybrid—the 2006 RX 400h—and now holds 40% of the US luxury hybrid market.

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Nissan, Frost & Sullivan study finds 37% of Southeast Asian consumers open to buying EV

Green Car Congress

Thirty-seven percent of Southeast Asian consumers planning to buy a car are open to purchasing an electric vehicle, according to a Nissan-commissioned study by Frost & Sullivan. The finding demonstrates the region’s strong potential to speed up the electrification of mobility. Customers in the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia emerged as the most enthusiastic about electric cars.

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Steel LCA study: lightweighting with advanced high-strength steel produces lower GHG emissions than with aluminum

Green Car Congress

The Steel Recycling Institute (SRI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute, released a peer-reviewed study that examines the overall environmental impact of vehicle lightweighting using advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) compared with aluminum. The study, “Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas and Energy Study of Automotive Lightweighting,” found that AHSS-intensive vehicles had lower or equivalent life cycle emissions than aluminum-intensive vehicles for every class of vehicles tested:

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Continental and NVIDIA partnering on autonomous vehicle systems; market introduction in 2021

Green Car Congress

NVIDIA and Continental are partnering to create AI (artificial intelligence) self-driving vehicle systems built on the NVIDIA DRIVE platform, with a planned market introduction starting in 2021 for Level 3 functionality. The partnership will enable the production of AI computer systems that scale from automated Level 2 features through full Level 5 self-driving capabilities, where the vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals.

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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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Waste-to-biofuels company Enerkem raises C$280M, its largest financing round

Green Car Congress

Canada-based Enerkem Inc., a leading waste-to-biofuels and chemicals producer, has completed a C$280-million (US$223 million) investment round—its largest to date. In addition to new investors BlackRock and Sinobioway, existing investors also participated in this financing. In January, Enerkem signed an agreement with Sinobioway Group worth more than C$125 million (US$100 million) in the form of equity investment in Enerkem, future licenses, equipment manufacturing and sales, as well as fo

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Ricardo forms company to commercialize cryogenic split-cycle engine: CryoPower

Green Car Congress

Ricardo has created a company—Dolphin N2 Ltd—to commercialize its CryoPower cryogenic split-cycle engine technology ( earlier post , earlier post.) The Ricardo CryoPower concept aims to increase the fuel efficiency while reducing operating costs and CO 2 emissions for long haul trucks and other heavy-duty applications. The technology has been the subject of active R&D by Ricardo for approximately ten years and has demonstrated the potential to reduce operating fuel costs and fuel usa

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ION Energy acquires battery management company Freemens SAS

Green Car Congress

Start-up ION Energy , a company building high-performance energy storage systems and electric vehicle infrastructure, has acquired the French battery management company, Freemens SAS. As part of the cash-plus-equity transaction, the entire Freemens engineering and sales team willÚ join the core team of ION. Freemens will continue working with their current clients which include Airbus Safran, CarWatt, NTN SNR and 20+ others.

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ExxonMobil adds 2.7B barrels oil equivalent to reserves; replaces 183% of 2017 production

Green Car Congress

Exxon Mobil Corporation added 2.7 billion oil-equivalent barrels of proved oil and gas reserves in 2017, replacing 183% of production. ExxonMobil’s proved reserves totaled 21.2 billion oil-equivalent barrels at year-end 2017. Liquids represented 57% of the reserves, up from 53% in 2016. ExxonMobil’s reserves life at current production rates is 14 years.

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IIASA: removing fossil fuel subsidies will not reduce CO2 emissions as much as hoped

Green Car Congress

Removing fossil fuel subsidies would have only a small effect on CO 2 emissions and renewable energy use, according to a new study led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and published in the journal Nature. Fossil fuel subsidies amount to hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide, and removing them has been held up as a key answer to climate change mitigation.

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Berkeley Lab researchers develop Bchain protocol to make blockchain more robust

Green Car Congress

Blockchain—a technology used for verifying and recording digital transactions—could transform the way governments, global industries and science research operate, in addition to providing the foundation for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Several banks, corporations, governments and scientists have already implemented some form of blockchain to inexpensively, securely and expediently store and share information.

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UK’s Faraday Institution awarding $58M to four battery research consortia to accelerate EV adoption

Green Car Congress

The UK’s Faraday Institution recently announced up to £42 million (US$58 million) in new government funding to four UK-based consortia to conduct application-inspired research aimed at overcoming battery challenges to accelerate the electric vehicle (EV) revolution. The Faraday Institution is the UK’s independent national battery research institute, and was established as part of the government’s £246-million (US$341-million) investment in battery technology through the Industrial Strategy.

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Roskill: automotive batteries and stainless steel to drive nickel demand

Green Car Congress

In its new ten-year market outlook to 2027, Roskill, a leading provider of international metals and minerals research, forecasts primary nickel consumption to rise by just under 4% per year between 2017 and 2027, driven by increased consumption by stainless steel producers and by growth in demand in the automotive battery sector. Roskill estimates that the stainless steel sector accounted for nearly 70% of all primary nickel consumption in 2017.

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Study: IMO low-sulfur fuel standards will decrease childhood asthma cases, premature deaths; climate tradeoffs

Green Car Congress

Marine shipping fuels will get cleaner in 2020 when a regulation by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) requires a decrease in the allowable amount of sulfur in fuel oil from 3.5% to 0.5%—i.e., from 35,000 parts per million (ppm) to 5,000 ppm. This marks the most significant improvement in global fuel standards for the shipping industry in 100 years, and is intended to achieve significant health benefits on a global scale.

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Novozymes introduces new yeast platform and product for starch-based ethanol; faster, tougher for increased output

Green Car Congress

Novozymes has unveiled its new yeast platform for starch-based ethanol, while also introducing the first product, Innova Drive. A completely new yeast strain, the product can reduce fermentation time by up to two hours compared to current yeasts. The new yeast is also tougher, continuing to ferment in adverse conditions such as higher organic acids and temperatures.

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Argonne and NGO Energy Vision case studies demonstrate success of renewable natural gas as transport fuel

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and the sustainable energy NGO Energy Vision released two case studies assessing the results of projects that were among the first to produce Renewable Compressed Natural Gas (R-CNG) vehicle fuel by using anaerobic digesters to capture the biogases from decomposing organic waste. Energy Vision and Argonne produced the studies jointly.

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ExxonMobil predicts peak in light-duty vehicle liquid fuels ~2030, but ongoing role for oil in the mix

Green Car Congress

ExxonMobil’s newly released Outlook for Energy: A View to 2040 anticipates that global energy needs will rise about 25% over the period to 2040, led by non-OECD countries. While the mix shifts toward lower-carbon-intensive fuels, the world will need to pursue all economic energy sources, the report says. The Outlook projects that global transportation-related energy demand will increase by close to 30% by 2040.

Light 170
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Dongfeng Motor to introduce more than 20 electric models under new 2022 midterm plan; battery-electric and e-POWER

Green Car Congress

Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd. (DFL)—a 50-50 joint venture between China’s Dongfeng Group and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.— plans to increase annual sales by 1 million vehicles to 2.6 million by 2022 and projects revenue will rise to RMB 300 billion (US$48 billion), under the company’s new midterm plan. The company aims to be among the top three joint venture automakers and the most sustainable brand in China.

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Hyundai unveiling electric Kona SUV at Geneva show

Green Car Congress

Hyundai will unveil the new battery-electric Kona compact SUV at the Geneva Motor Show. New model combines the two fastest growing automotive trends: SUVs and electrification. The Kona Electric will feature two different powertrain versions with a targeted WLTP range of up to 470 km (292 miles); the electric SUV will be on the market in Europe in summer 2018.

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Trillium CNG expands offerings to include hydrogen fueling

Green Car Congress

Trillium CNG, a leading US provider of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle fueling facilities and part of the Love’s Family of Companies, will design, build and maintain hydrogen fueling stations. Trillium’s new services also include electric vehicle charging infrastructure, solar panel installation, and microgrid design and construction. The company will begin construction on its first hydrogen fueling station for fuel cell electric buses this summer for the Orange County Transportation Author

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Neste: use of our renewable fuels reduced global climate emissions by 8.3 million tons in 2017

Green Car Congress

Replacing fossil fuels with Neste’s renewable fuels reduced global climate emissions altogether by a 8.3 million metric tons—8.3 billion kilograms—in 2017, according to calculations made by the company. The figure equals removal of 3 million passenger cars from the roads for a full year—more than the amount of cars in the city of London, UK, for example.

Renewable 150
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Porsche to invest more than US$7.5 billion in electromobility by 2022; $622M slated for Mission E

Green Car Congress

Porsche plans to invest more than €6 billion (US$7.5 billion) in electromobility by 2022, focusing on both plug-in hybrids and purely electric vehicles. The decision was made by the Porsche AG Supervisory Board at its most recent meeting. The planned spending will double the company’s expenditure on electromobility from around €3 billion, said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG.

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Skeleton Technologies appoints former GM Technical Fellow Dr. Scott Jorgensen as a Board advisor; curved graphene ultracaps

Green Car Congress

Dr. Scott Jorgensen, a former General Motors Technical Fellow and principle at Hyrax Intercontinental LLC, recently joined Skeleton Technologies as an advisor to the Board to support the company in gaining market share for curved graphene ultracapacitors in the hybrid and electric vehicle market. In a 2010 paper published in the ACS journal Nano Letters , researchers from Nanotek Instruments, Ångström Materials and Dalian University of Technology (China) observed that graphene is an outstanding

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Hyundai Kona Electric crossover teased before Geneva auto show reveal

Green Car Reports

The lack of plug-in electric crossover utility vehicles with all-wheel drive is a growing and obvious gap in the market. And where there's a gap, aggressive South Korean carmaker Hyundai may try to fill it. The company has now issued a teaser photo of the Hyundai Kona Electric small SUV it plans to unveil on February 27 before next month's Geneva.

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Why a Fiat 500e driver got a Honda Clarity Fuel Cell as his next green car: low cost

Green Car Reports

When marketing executive Chris Baccus leased a 2015 Fiat 500e three years ago, he intended to keep his 2007 BMW 335i as a "fun car," and use the electric Fiat just for commuting. Within six months, he'd sold the BMW altogether. Part of his interest in the Fiat, he admitted, came from an article about a group of race-car enthusiasts who.

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