A team at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) led by Dr. Jeremy Michalek has investigated the implications of regional and drive cycle variations on the degradation of a plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) battery. MORE

Infiniti recently changed its model designations to include the letter ‘Q’ Somehow, this letter sounds more upscale, and the new QX60 Hybrid is really a gas-electric version of the JX crossover. MORE

The Obama Administration has announced a series of actions from the Federal government, private sector, and states, as well as a new framework for collaboration for vehicle manufacturers, electric utilities, electric vehicle charging companies, and states, all geared towards accelerating the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and putting more electric vehicles on the road. Electric vehicle coalition. Edison Electric Institute. MORE

The Electrification Coalition ( earlier post ) and FleetAnswers have formed a partnership to provide online resources on plug-in electric vehicle deployment to US commercial fleet operators. Initial case studies developed by the Coalition and FleetAnswers highlight early lessons in plug-in vehicle operations from FedEx Express and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), two of the largest fleets in their respective industries. MORE

British Gas has been named as the preferred supplier of EV recharging points for the Nissan Leaf, which makes its first UK deliveries this month. A deal between the energy giant and the Japanese car maker means that British Gas will supply and install electric car charging points in homes and businesses across the country, [.]. Electric cars Nissan British Gas electric car leaf recharging points solar panels MORE

The Electric Power Research Institute, 8 automakers and 15 utilities are working to develop and to demonstrate an open platform that would integrate plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) with smart grid technologies enabling utilities to support PEV charging regardless of location. The formal collaboration between the automakers, utilities and Electric Power Research Institute began in fall 2012. —Dan Bowermaster, EPRI manager of Electric Transportation. MORE

Smart City San Diego and City of San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders unveiled the completed Smart City San Diego Solar-to-EV Project—a 90kW solar photovoltaic canopy that directly charges up to 5 electric vehicles (EVs) in the San Diego Zoo parking lot. Smart City San Diego is a collaboration that combines the resources of San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), City of San Diego, GE, UC San Diego and CleanTECH San Diego. MORE

Several different states have continued to propose new fees for electric-car owners as a way to pay for road repairs. The fees are typically meant as a substitute for the gasoline taxes that, because they don't buy gas, electric-car owners don't pay. government taxes Gas Tax plug-in cars state laws transportation policyAdvocates have criticized these fees, saying they effectively penalize drivers for reducing. MORE

Second-use options for automotive “end-of-life” Li-ion battery packs support a broad spectrum of sustainable energy strategies, as they increase the potential for widespread PEV adoption by eliminating end-of-life automotive service costs, in addition to helping utilities support peak electricity demands while building a cleaner, more flexible electricity grid. PEV battery life cycle with second use. Source: NREL. Click to enlarge. MORE

It's a very reasonable question: electric cars themselves have no tailpipe emissions, but what about the power plants used to recharge them? In North America, an electric car charged on even the dirtiest, most coal-intensive electric grid in the nation. Carbon Footprint emissions Minnesota greenhouse gas electric utilities plug-in cars MORE

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, BMW announced the BMW i ChargeForward Program—a pilot study to be undertaken by the BMW Group Technology Office, together with Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E). Working with a select group of BMW i3 drivers, BMW i ChargeForward will demonstrate how intelligent management of electric vehicle charging can contribute to improved electric power grid efficiency while reducing total cost of electric vehicle ownership. MORE

There is now a second company named after inventor Nikola Tesla—and it too plans to build electric vehicles. Trucks natural gas plug-in cars Commercial vehicle semisWhat will Elon Musk think of this? Unlike Tesla Motors, though, the first products of the newly-revealed Nikola (pronounced Neek-oh-la) Motor Company won't be a sports car or a luxury sedan. DON'T MISS: Recovered Energy And. MORE

By some measures, large-scale renewable energy is now cost-competitive (or close) with the most efficient natural-gas electric plants. electric utilities renewable energy solar clean energy energy wind energyThe news on the renewable energy front continues to be good, with the costs of wind and solar generation falling steadily. Moreover, the amounts of clean generating capacity installed continue to rise, both in. MORE

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), along with several auto manufacturers, utilities, and regional transmission organizations, will demonstrate the Open Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI) Platform software system, developed by EPRI and Sumitomo Electric Industries. The software is an advanced software platform for integrating plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) with smart grid technologies. —Dan Bowermaster, manager of EPRI’s Electric Transportation Program. MORE

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will partner with an industry-academia team led by the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) to investigate secondary applications for aged battery packs from electric drive vehicles. The cost of Li-ion batteries currently affects the affordability of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles (PHEV/EV) for consumers. Batteries Electric (Battery) Plug-ins MORE

One of the advantages of electric cars is that they get cleaner as the emissions associated with generating the electricity to power them decrease. And the good news for electric-car drivers is that the grids that supply their electricity have been getting cleaner--and will likely continue to do so this year and into the future. natural gas electric utilities plug-in cars solar clean energy energy wind energy MORE

Today, Colorado simplifies its electric-car tax incentives, Neste claims very low "well-to-wheels" carbon emissions for its renewable diesel, and the Nikola One is a 2,000-horsepower natural gas-electric semi truck. The Nikola One is a 2,000-hp natural gas-electric semi truck from a second company named. MORE

Pike Research forecasts that annual sales of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) will reach 358,959 vehicles by 2017, representing a compound anual growth rate (CAGR) of 43% between 2011 and 2017. To understand where these vehicles will likely be sold, Pike Research created a geographic forecast model using a variety of inputs including population and demographic trends; affinity towards electric vehicles; and automakers’ intended availability of vehicles. MORE

Gas stations are ubiquitous across the world, many with diesel pumps as well, to fuel the more than 1 billion vehicles now roaming the surface of our planet. California hydrogen hydrogen fuel cell government subsidy charging infrastructure gas station Tesla SuperchargerAs regulators get increasingly serious about reducing carbon emissions from transportation, we'll see competing sites for refueling or recharging zero-emission vehicles emerge--the first. MORE

Hyundai says the Sonata Hybrid will stick with its existing gas-electric drivetrain and body style through the 2015 model year, while the rest of the range takes on a more subdued look and more refined powertrains for the new model year. The 2015 Hyundai Sonata is nearly entirely new--save for the steadily improving Hybrid edition. MORE

Today, an engineer takes a tour of the Tesla battery "gigafactory," Nikola Motors says it will unveil a running prototype of its natural gas-electric semi truck in December, and the Chevrolet Volt passes 100,000 U.S. deliveries. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Nikola Motors says it will unveil a running prototype of its Nikola One natural. Today in Car News MORE

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), IVECO (a brand of CNH Industrial) and ENGIE (Global Energy Player) are broadly collaborating to promote natural gas vehicles and infrastructure in Europe. The partnership between FCA, IVECO and ENGIE has been formalized by a long-term Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the aim of cooperating together to offer all stakeholders (public and private) complete solutions for alternative fuels based on natural gas. Europe LNG Natural Gas MORE

Norwegian transportation company Fjord1 launched the MF Boknafjord , the world’s largest gas ferry. The new gas-operated ferry is designed by Multi Maritime AS in Førde, Western Norway and has a total length of 129.9m, a maximum width of 19.2m MORE

A unique partnership has been formed between Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi and British Gas, which will see the latter as the exclusive supplier of electric vehicle charging solutions for Mitsubishi within the UK. Mitsubishi has been leading the way with electric cars since 2009 when it launched the Mitsubishi i-MiEV (pictured) and it is pioneering plug-in [.]. MORE

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has signed two pieces of legislation that promote the use of natural gas, electric or other alternative-fueled vehicles in the Commonwealth. Excludes third party retail sales of vehicle charging electricity from qualification as a “public utility,” “public service corporation,” or “public service company.” Electric (Battery) Fuels Natural Gas Policy MORE

Nissan British Gas electric car leaf Robert Llewellyn solarActor-come-EV advocate Robert Llewellyn has become a example of how it is truly possible to slash the cost of motoring and drive in a genuinely zero emission way. The TV personality has proven it is possible to drive a 1,000 miles for just over five pounds thanks to solar panels installed at his home by [.]. MORE

A new study by researchers at MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL), concludes that electric commercial vehicles can cost 9 to 12% less to operate than trucks powered by diesel engines when used to make deliveries on an everyday basis in big cities and when V2G (vehicle-to-grid) revenue is incorporated. miles per gallon for hybrid trucks, while the electric-only trucks averaged 0.8 Electric (Battery) V2G MORE

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously voted to approve Charge Smart and Save, a program initiated by Pacific Gas & Electric to deploy 7,500 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across Northern California. Under the approved program , PG&E will primarily deploy stations at multi-family dwellings and workplaces, with electricity price based on time-of-use to encourage drivers to fill up during off-peak hours or when renewable energy is abundant. MORE

. In order to meet future fuel MPG standards, automakers are starting to adopt electricity en-mass. So many automakers are starting to offer people the ‘next-best-thing’: A familiar gas-electric hybrid with rechargeable batteries. MORE

energy policy natural gas electric utilities fossil fuelsThe coal industry is on the decline, but the reason for that decline has become a subject of political debate. Supporters of fossil fuels blame the energy policies of the outgoing Obama Administration, claiming the emphasis on renewable energy and lowering carbon emissions puts coal at a disadvantage. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to. MORE

The study presents eight scenarios for low-carbon fuel supply, including varying amounts of electricity, hydrogen, ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, next generation cellulosic biofuel, and natural gas. MORE

I'm thinking of doing a gas/electric hybrid conversion (using a small motorcycle engine to power the charging circuit) - My question is what resources MORE

The ALTe system converts conventional light-duty trucks into a range-extended electric vehicle. Under the agreement, ALTe will retrofit one of PG&E’s 2007 Ford F-150 trucks with a version of its plug-in series electric hybrid powertrain. MORE

Engineers at the NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) at NASA Glenn Research Center ran the new facility’s first test in September. NEAT’s mission is to help engineers design, develop and test systems for electric aircraft. The X-57: NASA’s first electric X-plane. MORE

4-cyl is combined with a CVT transmission and a 15kW electric motor. A separate clutch sits between the gas engine and the electric motor, and the other sits between the electric motor and the CVT. MORE

I've been getting a few questions about my solar and how it all works in regards to the power company. I'll do my best to explain it. The solar is directly connected to the grid through the inverter. The inverter is designed to not send power into the grid if the electricty is off. This prevents the power company from getting shocked if they shut down their side and want to be sure no solar systems are now powering those lines. MORE

Rapidly advancing technology has made the transition between electric and gasoline propulsion more refined than it used to be, allowing a wider use of hybrid powertrains in luxury vehicles. Not too long ago, hybrid vehicles cost thousands more than their conventionally-fueled counterparts. MORE

Three investor-owned California utilities—Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)—have submitted applications to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) outlining programs and investments aimed at achieving multiple electric transportation and emission-reduction goals set by the governor and state agencies. MORE

announced an agreement to integrate ECOtality’s Blink electric vehicle (EV) charging stations with the Silver Spring Smart Energy Platform. Silver Spring has numerous deployments with leading utilities around the world, including Baltimore Gas & Electric, CitiPower & Powercor, Florida Power & Light, Jemena Electricity Networks Limited, Pacific Gas & Electric, Pepco Holdings, Inc., ECOtality, Inc. and Silver Spring Networks, Inc. MORE

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Demonstration will now be carried out to evaluate the management of surplus electricity and regulation of grid frequency and voltage fluctuation. MORE

From a historical standpoint, Honda was the first auto manufacturer to bring a gas-electric vehicle to the American market when they launched the original Honda Insight in December of 1999. MORE

In a separate agreement, GM secured the right to use Envia’s advanced cathode material for future GM electrically driven vehicles. These little companies come out of nowhere, and they surprise you,” Akerson said in response to a question about GM’s strategy on gas-electric hybrid vehicles. Akerson said the company is looking at hybrids, all-electric cars, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and natural gas vehicles, as well as developing more efficient petroleum-powered engines. MORE

In a pilot vehicle-to-grid project, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is actively bidding a group of energy storage systems and electric vehicle fleets as one resource directly into the California Independent System Operator’s ( CAISO ) energy markets. These markets include those that address short-term imbalances in electricity supply caused by such things as intermittent renewable energy. Electric (Battery) Smart charging Smart Grid V2X MORE