Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 20, 2012

Vehicle automation is set to be rolled out in stages, starting with partially automated driving from 2016; high levels of automation from 2020; and fully automated systems available from 2025. Click to enlarge. The development of products and systems for automated driving is one of the central themes of international automotive supplier Continental’s long-term technology strategy.

Nevada 312

Nevada Vehicles 2020 2016 312

Green Car Reports

DECEMBER 19, 2012

One of the most novel electric vehicles we've seen in recent years is the Hiriko. The Hiriko is designed for inner city car sharing schemes, initially in Europe but also touted for some U.S. cities. And it has a party piece: The Smart-sized electric vehicle can effectively fold in half to fit tiny parking spaces. In previous years this might have.

Electric Cars 155

Electric Cars Production Cars Electric 155

Green Cars News

DECEMBER 19, 2012

A New Year is fast approaching and it promises to be an exciting time for electric vehicles, according to Pike Research. The company has made 10 electric vehicle predictions for 2013, including that sales of plug-in vehicles in 2013 will continue to surpass those of the first years of hybrid vehicles with around 210,000 PEVs [.].

2013 63

2013 Electric Cars Electric Electrical 63

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 18, 2012

In a new research brief , Pike Research forecasts that wireless charging equipment for light duty plug-in vehicle sales will grow by a CAGR of 91% from 2013 to 2020, as wireless systems move from a retrofit technology to an integrated part of new EVs, reaching annual sales of 283,000 units in 2020. Although wireless charging for plug-in initially appeared to be mainly a promising technology with no viable market, nearly all of the major EV manufacturers have now announced partnerships to develop

Plug-in 290

Plug-in Plug Market Sacramento 290

Advertisement

emissions global warming Norway climate change carbon dioxide youtube lighting

Norway

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 18, 2012

The 2014 Cadillac ELR extended-range electric luxury coupe, based on the Converj concept ( earlier post ), will make its world debut 15 January at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The Converj concept made its debut at the NAIAS in January 2009; in August 2011, GM announced that the concept would move forward as a production car called the Cadillac ELR. ( Earlier post.).

Extended Range 281

Extended Range Cadillac 2014 GM 281

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 20, 2012

AMP Electric Vehicles, a manufacturer of electric drive systems for medium-duty class 3-6 commercial truck platforms, and wireless high-power electronics company Momentum Dynamics Corporation (Momentum) formed a joint venture to supply fully electric vehicles and wireless charging pads for the existing Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority (BARTA) pilot project to begin in the first quarter of 2013.

Pennsylvania 277

Pennsylvania Electric Vehicles Vehicles Tax Credit 277

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 21, 2012

Pike Research has published an update to its earlier forecasts on xEVs: hybrid (HEVs); plug-in hybrid (PHEVs); and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). As a result of new assumptions, Pike Research has slightly reduced its forecasts for plug-in vehicles (PEVs: PHEVs and BEVs combined) from past forecasts. This reduction was driven largely by. the slow growth of BEVs in the United States (the largest market for PEVs) in 2012 and the postponement of some vehicle launches, the research firm noted.

Market 268

Market North America PHEV Ford 268

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 21, 2012

A new report from IDTechEx , “Electric Buses and Taxis 2012-2022”, projects that the market for electric buses and taxis at ex-factory prices will rise 8.7 times from $6.24 billion in 2011 to $54 billion in 2021. The report concentrates primarily on buses defined as enclosed vehicles with a driver that have been designed for stage carriage or transit work and carrying at least 10 passengers.

Taxi 262

Taxi Market China Lithium Ion 262

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 19, 2012

Neste Oil has joined the ITAKA (Initiative Towards Sustainable Kerosene for Aviation) project, which is being funded by the EU to support the commercialization and use of renewable aviation fuel comprising hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids in Europe. Neste Oil’s role in the consortium will be to produce the renewable fuel used in the project. The 36-month ITAKA project has been granted approximately €10 million (US$13.3 million) of funding under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme for Resea

Renewable 262

Renewable Oil Parts Fuel 262

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 19, 2012

General Motors today will purchase 200 million shares of GM common stock held by the US Department of the Treasury for $5.5 billion, or $27.50 per share. The share buyback is part of the Treasury’s plan, also announced today, to fully exit its entire holdings of GM stock within 12 to 15 months, subject to market conditions. After the repurchase, Treasury will continue to own approximately 300 million shares of GM common stock, or approximately 19% of the outstanding shares on a fully diluted bas

GM 259

GM Buy Obama General Motors 259

Advertisement

Brief

Connect

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 16, 2012

A study by researchers at Iowa State University has determined that the automotive industry has a very large potential to utilize biobased materials. Their report, “Biobased Automobile Parts Investigation”, was developed for the USDA Office of Energy Policy and New Uses. Because SUVs and trucks have a large number of parts, the authors suggested, they are good candidates to be the vehicle types with the largest amount of biobased material on a part number basis.

Auto Industry 252

Auto Industry Industrial Industry Auto 252

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 19, 2012

A new IBM project in Europe is intended to enable EV roaming—i.e., simplifying electric vehicle (EV) charging and payment for consumers, regardless of their location. The B2B Marketplace operational demonstration will allow energy providers, car manufacturers, and charging point owners to share and integrate services on one common IT platform.

Green 247

Green Europe Power Grid Insight 247

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 17, 2012

Volvo Car Group (Volvo Cars) and Ericsson will jointly advance the technical development of automotive internet services. Volvo Cars’ expertise in driver behavior and traffic security requirements, along with Ericsson’s consulting and systems integration expertise, will be used to define and select services. A Connected Vehicle Cloud based on Ericsson’s Multiservice Delivery Platform will provide infotainment, apps and communication services in new Volvo cars.

Connect 247

Connect Connected Volvo Cars 247

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 21, 2012

From the sale of the first RX 400h in 2005 through to the end of November this year, Lexus has sold more than 506,000 of its hybrid vehicles. In 2005, 26,000 Lexus hybrids were sold; by 30 November this year the annual total was at 113,000. Today, hybrids account for about 25% of all Lexus sales. Cumulative global sales of all Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC)-produced hybrid vehicles—i.e., including the Lexus brand—since 1997 topped 4.60 million units at the end of October. ( Earlier p

LS 600H 246

LS 600H HS 250h Lexus GS 450h 246

Advertisement

Oil

Guyana

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 17, 2012

Simplified process diagram that shows existing process components and the new elements of the 504 project. Source: NETL. Click to enlarge. ArcelorMittal has inaugurated a new, energy recovery and reuse boiler that recycles waste gas generated through its blast furnace process (for ironmaking) and uses it to generate electricity to help power the ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor steel manufacturing plant in East Chicago, Indiana—the largest steelmaking complex in North America.

Manufacturer 246

Manufacturer Gas Indiana Chicago 246

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 17, 2012

DARPA is seeking a major increase in performance per watt for embedded processors. Source: DARPA. Click to enlarge. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) NVIDIA has awarded NVIDIA a contract worth up to $20 million to research embedded processor technologies that could lead to significant improvements in the ability of autonomous vehicles to collect and process data from on-board sensors.

Audi 246

Audi Energy Vehicles Bentley 246

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 20, 2012

In an initial study of the effect of age and driving style on energy consumption of EVs, researchers at the Institute for Automotive and Manufacturing Advanced Practice (AMAP), University of Sunderland (UK) asked a number of drivers of different ages to take an EV around a standard route. They found that efficiency could vary from 0.46 km to 1.89 km per percent of battery charge depending on driving style with the greatest efficiency.

Economy 240

Economy Electric Vehicles Vehicles Electric 240

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 15, 2012

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) issued a grant solicitation for demonstration projects on zero-emission off-road equipment. ARB expects that up to $1 million will be available for this solicitation, although funding could be increased to a maximum of $5 million depending on the availability of state funds. The potential number of projects selected for funding is expected to be two, but up to five projects may be selected, the agency said.

Emissions 240

Emissions Hydrogen Ozone Diesel 240

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 19, 2012

Researchers at Clemson University’s Pee Dee Research and Education Center and ArborGen Inc. have collaborated to plant thousands of poplars at the Pee Dee center to determine if certain varieties of the tree are suitable for bioenergy stock. Last year, ArborGen planted four species of poplars at the Pee Dee center. Some of those trees already have grown taller than 20 feet and show great promise for emerging bioenergy markets worldwide, according to David Brown, ArborGen's southeastern field res

2009 239

2009 Renewable Hybrid Industrial 239

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 18, 2012

Elements of the new 4MATIC. Click to enlarge. Starting next year, Mercedes-Benz will offer a new generation of the 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive system with fully variable torque distribution. This completely new development is based on the front-wheel drive architecture with transversely mounted engines. The most innovative components of the new 4MATIC include the power take-off to the rear axle which is integrated in the 7G-DCT automated dual clutch transmission and the rear-axle gear unit

Mercedes 239

Mercedes Oil All-Electric Engine 239

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 17, 2012

University of Illinois researchers have developed mats of Zn–Ti–O nanofibers that adsorb sulfur from raw fuels such as natural gas and coal/biomass-derived syngas much more effectively than traditional materials. The materials also sustain their initial reactivity and sulfur removal capacity over multiple regeneration cycles. Such efficiency could lower costs and improve performance for fuel-based catalysis, advanced energy applications and toxic gas removal.

Fuel 239

Fuel Coal Illinois Gas 239

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 21, 2012

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Board of Directors recently voted to approve two major bus procurements: up to 350 Gillig 40-foot low-floor CNG buses and up to 165 New Flyer 60-foot low-floor articulated CNG buses through 2017. The total value of the contracts, if all options are exercised and future funding is available, is in excess of $343 million, inclusive of sales tax, licenses, fees and delivery.

San Diego 236

San Diego Purchase 2014 Cleaner 236

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 19, 2012

Left. EPA AQI map of the San Diego County region,with a box added to. indicate UCSD campus. Right. AQI map generated using data collected by CitiSense for the UCSD campus area during a five-minute window on same date and time. Boxes represent pollution reading locations during that window. Nikzad et al. Click to enlarge. Computer scientists at the University of California, San Diego have built a portable pollution sensors that transmit transmit their air quality readings to smart phones, allowin

Pollution 236

Pollution San Diego Ozone 2012 236

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 17, 2012

Renault has presented the keys of the first ZOE electric vehicle to Arnaud Montebourg, French Minister of Industrial Recovery. The first delivery of ZOE comes ahead of further deliveries set for between now and the end of 2012 and mass launch in the Renault network in first-quarter 2013. ZOE, the spearhead of Renault’s Z.E. range, is the Group’s first full-electric car.

France 236

France 2012 2011 Europe 236

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 16, 2012

European, North American and Japanese heavy-duty vehicle and engine manufacturers continue to call for global cooperation and regulatory harmonization to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions from the road freight sector, according to a summary of the recent 10 th Global Commercial Vehicle meeting posted by the European Association of Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA).

Global 236

Global Commercial Emissions Fuel 236

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 15, 2012

[ Ed. Note: This is a repost due to the Typepad publishing system eating the original version posted on Friday. Apologies to those commenters whose comments have been lost. ]. Thermochemical pathways for producing bioproducts from biomass. Source: DOE. Click to enlarge. Click to enlarge. The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $12 million in new funding ( DE-FOA-0000812 ) for projects to drive down the cost of producing drop-in gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels from biomass via thermoche

Cost Of 236

Cost Of Oil Gasoline Diesel 236

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 21, 2012

An international collaboration led by scientists at the US Department of Energy (DOE)’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) has identified the first enzyme capable of substantially boosting the amount of galactan in plant cell walls. The GALS genes governing the enzyme may become important tools for developing bioenergy crops, the researchers suggest. Among the key challenges to making advanced biofuels—i.e., drop-in bio-hydrocarbon fuels—cost-competitive is finding ways to maximize the

Fuel 231

Fuel Engine Polymer Wind 231

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 21, 2012

Battelle recently won multiple awards from the US Department of Energy and the World Bank for projects totaling about $6 million to address carbon management and oilfield-produced waters. Battelle experts have managed and safely executed more than $100 million worth of carbon capture and storage field programs during the last five years. —Marty Toomajian, president of Battelle’s Energy, Environment and Material Sciences Global Business.

Carbon 231

Carbon Ohio Coal United Kingdom 231

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 19, 2012

The US Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement ( DE-FOA-0000772 ) for up to $20 million for the CSP [concentrating solar power] Heat Integration for Baseload Renewable Energy Development (CSP HIBRED) program to support advancement of the hybridization of CSP technologies with existing fossil fuel plants. DOE defines CSP hybridization as thermal and or chemical energy from a CSP system being combined with the thermal and or chemical energy in a fossil fueled power gen

Solar 231

Solar Power Powered Fuel 231

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 17, 2012

Mercedes-Benz has introduced the updated 2014 E-Class Sedan and Wagon, featuring an array of new driver assistance systems in addition to new fuel efficient engines. Eleven new or optimized assistance systems from the future S-Class make their world premiere in both the sedan and wagon models. ( Earlier post.). Both the E-Class sedan and wagon offer a range of gasoline and diesel engines, all coming with the ECO start/stop system as standard equipment.

Mercedes 231

Mercedes Gasoline Engine 2014 231

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 15, 2012

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of biofuels, bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help create jobs. Vilsack highlighted the announcement with a visit to Michigan State University, a grant awardee. The long-term goal for the research projects, which were selected through a competitive process, is to implement sustainable regional systems that materially deliver liquid tra

Grant 231

Grant Production Automobile Manufacturer West Virginia 231

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 21, 2012

Devising efficient catalytic processes to convert methane into useful petrochemical feedstocks depends upon developing new coupling processes that use abundant, thermodynamically mild oxidants together with selective catalysts. A team from Northwestern University and the University of Virginia is proposing the use of sulfur as such a promising “soft” oxidant for selective methane conversion to ethylene over MoS 2 , RuS 2 , TiS 2 , PdS and Pd/ZrO 2 catalysts.

Conversion 225

Conversion Virginia Convert Universal 225

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 21, 2012

Statoil’s Lavani-2 exploration and appraisal well has resulted in a new natural gas discovery offshore Tanzania. The Lavani-2 well was drilled to a total depth of 5,270 meters (17,290 ft) in water depths of 2,580 meters (8,465 ft). Tanzania currently has limited upstream gas activity, but the government has issued a number of exploration and production licences and is looking to become a new gas hub.

Tanzania 225

Tanzania Gas 2007 2012 225

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 20, 2012

DNV and GL have agreed to merge, creating the DNV GL Group. It will be one of the world’s leading ship classification societies and risk experts in the oil and gas, renewable energy and power sectors, and among the global top three within management system certification. The new company will be one of the world’s leading independent technical service providers with advanced technological expertise and strong capabilities for innovation, with more than 17,000 employees and a global network of off

Norway 225

Norway Oil Italy Netherlands 225