Green Car Congress

AUGUST 2, 2010

A multi-Hubbert analysis of coal production by Tadeusz Patzek at The University of Texas at Austin and Gregory Croft at the University of California, Berkeley concludes that the global peak of coal production from existing coalfields will occur close to the year 2011. The HHV of global production is likely to peak in 2011 at 160 EJ/y, and the peak carbon emissions from coal burning will also peak in 2011 at 4.0 Gt C (15 Gt CO 2 ) per year, according to the study.

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Creative Greenius

AUGUST 18, 2010

While every elected official I know in the Los Angeles area has been silent and invisible on the issue of chemical plant security over the past year, our true heroes at Greenpeace Los Angeles have been kicking ass and taking names when it comes to keeping this issue on the front burner, informing the public and calling for the necessary action. Chemical plants using poison gases and other lethal toxic compounds surround our highest population areas here in So.

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Revenge of the Electric Car

AUGUST 28, 2010

Chris Paine and the Revenge crew (Sean, Craig, Jessie, and Jessica) are proud to say that they are among the first film crews ever to professionally film mass production of an EV. (Of course, this is mostly because no one has made them in so long.) Since GM will be one of the first to the EV market with its Volt in 2011, we came to film them being put together through the multiple stages of the car manufacturing process.

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Green Car Reports

AUGUST 9, 2010

One of the criticisms of hybrid cars has historically been that there's no payback, especially given the cheap gasoline prices in the U.S. The extra money you spend on a hybrid isn't returned in gas savings, say critics. Well, that may be true, especially when regular gasoline is averaging $2.77 a gallon this week. But as we often point out, most.

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All Cars Electric

AUGUST 24, 2010

In news that will no doubt be music to the ears of any manufacturer planning to sell an electric vehicle, new research by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) finds that two fifths of US adults are interested in test driving an EV. The study reveals that consumers are interested in the improved environmental quality and potential cost.

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Green Cars News

AUGUST 9, 2010

Electric vehicles may be seen as a strong environmental solution, but what if their batteries have a negative effect on the environment? Well, a team from Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology decided to put this to the test. They compiled a detailed lifecycle inventory of a lithium-ion battery with a rough lifecycle [.]. Tags: Electric cars Green cars Latest news Lithium-ion batteries do batteries harm the environment electric vehicle batteries electric vehicles Enviro

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Environment Electric Vehicles Lithium Ion Batteries 88

National Green Transportation

AUGUST 25, 2010

Yesterday MotoCzysz announced a partnership with their motor supplier, Remy International, to deliver an electric drive system to the market under the D1G1tal Dr1ve brand name. MotoCzysz is one of the handful of motorcycle race teams racing with electric motorcycles. They have raced twice on the Isle of Man, winning the 2010 TT Zero race, and more recently they raced at Laguna Seca, winning against the TTXGP champion Lightning Motors in a very close race.

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Motorcycles Electric Motorcycles Kits 2010 73

Revenge of the Electric Car

AUGUST 10, 2010

Since the release of Who Killed the Electric Car? in 2006 and a steady stream of fan mail from all over the world, we can really sense a global community of electric car supporters who want to see all-electric vehicles replace the inefficient and costly gas-powered cars on the roads. And every now and then we hear about someone like Roque Haines and our electric hearts completely melt.

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Convert Houston Gas-Electric Re-Charge 187

Green Car Reports

AUGUST 17, 2010

Last week, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, GM's vice president of global vehicle engineering, set to rest rumors of a mid-engine next-generation Chevrolet Corvette. That got a lot of attention among Corvette fans. But a footnote to the story was that Stracke said not only that a hybrid Corvette was possible, but that such a powertrain would be "an.

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All Cars Electric

AUGUST 31, 2010

In a week where many mainstream media outlets are claiming electric cars are prohibitively more expensive to own than gasoline counterparts, a team of Swiss researchers have released conclusive data showing that the environmental impact of the electric car is much less than most gas cars. As any EV advocate will tell you, electric vehicles are.

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Lithium Ion Gasoline Green Gasoline-Electric 95

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Green Cars News

AUGUST 18, 2010

Americans have a “very poor understanding of energy use and savings” – that’s the damning verdict of a new survey by researchers from Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University and Ohio State University. They found that many of the participants in the survey believed they can save energy with small behavioural changes that actually achieve very [.].

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 24, 2010

Ford Motor Company and Portland General Electric will collaborate to help prepare the city of Portland and the Pacific Northwest for the operation of electric vehicles. Ford and PGE will work together to share information on charging needs and requirements to ensure the electrical grid can support the necessary demand for electric vehicles, as well as partner on consumer education outreach around electric vehicles.

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National Green Transportation

AUGUST 27, 2010

The TTXGP 2010 race season has been in a constant state of flux the whole year, so we should not be surprised at the latest news. Last week a couple blog posts surfaced claiming that the often rescheduled TTXGP Italy races were being canceled. Over the following days the TTXGP Twitter account was sending updates like "New track and dates set. Sadly can't share till tomorrow" and "Waiting for clearances for press release" Today they released an announcement that indeed the

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 27, 2010

by Jack Rosebro. A Chicago Fire Department firefighter using a hydraulic. cutter to remove the roof off of a pre-production Chevrolet Volt. during a demonstration at the 2010 Fire-Rescue Conference. International in Chicago. Click to enlarge. Using a pre-production example of the Chevrolet Volt as a teaching tool, General Motors launched a nationwide electric vehicle training tour and outreach project for emergency personnel this week at the 2010 Fire-Rescue International Conference in Chicago.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 18, 2010

Mean perceptions of energy used or saved as a function of actual energy used or saved for 15 devices and activities. The diagonal dashed line represents perfect accuracy. Inset: Individual regression curves for 30 randomly selected participants. Source: Attari et al. Click to enlarge. A new survey by researchers from Columbia University, Ohio State University and Carnegie Mellon University finds that many Americans have a very poor understanding of energy use and savings.

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Energy Climate Change Climate Universal 308

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 30, 2010

Four samples of the first proposed label design with the letter grade. From left to right: EV, PHEV, gasoline/diesel, gasoline/diesel. Color is integral to the new schemes. Source: EPA. Click to enlarge. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are jointly proposing changes to the fuel economy labels consumers see on the window of new vehicles in dealer showrooms.

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Fuel Economy EPA Economy Fuel 297

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 24, 2010

The United States used significantly less coal and petroleum in 2009 than in 2008, and significantly more wind power. There also was a decline in natural gas use and increases in solar, hydro and geothermal power according to the most recent energy flow charts released by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Energy use tends to follow the level of economic activity, and that level declined last year.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 27, 2010

In an article posted on the Donovan Law Group website, Brian Donovan, attorney, marine engineer and CEO of Renergie, Inc. contends that the structure of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) limits BP’s liability via the systematic postponement, reduction or denial of claims against BP; guarantees BP’s continued long-term operation in the offshore Gulf of Mexico E&P sector; and is not necessary to ensure that victims of the BP oil spill are fully compensated for incurred damages.

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Mexico Obama Oil Congress 284

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 24, 2010

Peugeot’s 3008 Hybrid4. Click to enlarge. Peugeot has provided more details on its diesel 3008 Hybrid4, due to go onsale in Europe in the spring of 2011. ( Earlier post.) The hybrid crossover, to be produced in France (in Sochaux and Mulhouse), will be the first full hybrid diesel to hit the market. The 3008 HYbrid4 is powered by a 2.0-liter HDi FAP 120 kW (163 bhp) diesel engine with an electric motor offering a maximum power output of 27 kW (37 bhp).

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Diesel NiMH ECC Volt 281

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 21, 2010

Schematic illustration of a single polymer electrode fuel cell with the suggested optimal gas distributor system and optimal catalytic layer. Credit: ACS, Kjelstrup et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters are proposing a new bio-inspired design procedure to improve the energy efficiency and save the catalyst material of a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell.

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Design Fuel Energy Polymer 259

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 27, 2010

SunHydro announced an agreement with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. (TMS) to place 10 Toyota Advanced Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles (FCHV-adv) in the Connecticut area this fall. The vehicles will support the new SunHydro solar-powered hydrogen fueling station, located at Proton Energy Systems’ headquarters in Wallingford, Conn. SunHydro is leading the development of an East Coast Hydrogen Highway, which will make it possible to drive a fuel cell vehicle from Maine to Florida.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 4, 2010

The (San Francisco) Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board of Directors approved $5 million to support further development of a regional electric vehicle charging infrastructure program in the Bay Area. The electric vehicle charging stations and home chargers are part of the Air District’s Spare the Air program intended to make owning an electric vehicle in the Bay Area a viable option for residents.

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San Francisco Charging Pollution Grant 255

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 2, 2010

Stanford engineers have developed a process—photon-enhanced thermionic emission, PETE—that simultaneously uses the light and heat of the sun to generate electricity in a way that could make solar power production more than twice as efficient as existing methods. (a) Energy diagram of the PETE process. Photoexcitation increases the conduction-band population, leading to larger thermionic currents and enabling the device to harvest both photon and heat energy.

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Conversion Solar Energy Light 255

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 13, 2010

Gevo has a low capital cost retrofit strategy for ethanol plants to produce isobutanol for direct use; for use in the production of plastics, materials, rubber and other polymers; and for use in the production of hydrocarbon fuels. Click to enlarge. Gevo, Inc., a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company that converts renewable raw materials into isobutanol and renewable hydrocarbons that can be directly integrated on a “drop in” basis into existing fuel and chemical products, has filed

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Renewable Fuel Companies Polymer 252

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 5, 2010

The 2011 Ford Explorer is 85% recyclable. The new SUV leverages Ford’s use of bio foam and recycled fabric in its interior, as well as recycled steel in select exterior parts. Ford is reducing its use of virgin steel by an estimated 119 tons a year by making Explorer’s noise-dampening fender baffles from the steel left over from stamping out the door openings of F-150 body sides.

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2011 Ford F-150 Fuel Economy 252

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 8, 2010

The plug-in hybrid fuel cell London Taxi recently unveiled by Intelligent Energy, Lotus Engineering, LTI Vehicles and TRW Conekt ( earlier post ) is the latest in a set of attempts to apply fuel cell technology to London cabs. ZeTek Power Plc, which has since gone out of business, developed its first prototype London fuel cell taxi in 1998. ZeTek fuel cell system installed in a cab.

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London Taxi Fuel MPH 249

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 5, 2010

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin led by Dr. Rolf Reitz are developing a dual-fuel compression engine combustion strategy called reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) to simultaneously reduce fuel consumption and regulated emissions of NO x and PM. ( Earlier post.). The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is seeking commercial partners interested in developing the process, and the University has applied for a US patent on the technique.

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Fuel Wisconsin San Diego Exhaust 249

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 22, 2010

Ceres, Inc. earlier this month established a subsidiary in Brasil focused on developing sweet sorghum as a feedstock for the ethanol industry. The company’s goal is to be the first supplier of new hybrids with high levels of sugar. Ceres Chief Financial Officer Paul Kuc has been appointed as the interim leader of the subsidiary, which will be based in São Paulo under the name Ceres Sementes do Brasil Ltda.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 19, 2010

Zeroshift’s multi-speed transmission concept changes gear without interrupting the torque, allowing EVs to run for longer at peak efficiency. Click to enlarge. UK-based transmission specialist Zeroshift has devised a multi-speed gearbox for electric vehicles (EVs) that needs no clutch—a damper inside the gear hubs and electronic control of the motor make ratio changes seamless.

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 23, 2010

Forty percent of consumers report they are likely to test drive an electric vehicle, according to a new study of online American adults from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The study, Electric Vehicles: The Future of Driving , suggests electric vehicles entice consumers with improved environmental quality and potential cost savings, but leave them with questions about battery life and convenience of battery charging.

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Las Vegas Recharge Purchase Gasoline-Electric 244

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 15, 2010

Strategy for the conversion of solid cellulose to liquid hydrocarbon fuels. H + : acid sites; Me: metal sites; MeO x : metal oxide sites. Source: Serrano-Ruiz et al Click to enlarge. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison led by James Dumesic have developed a catalytic process to convert cellulose into liquid hydrocarbon fuels (diesel and gasoline), using a cascade strategy to achieve the progressive removal of oxygen from biomass, allowing the control of reactivity and facilitating

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Convert Gasoline Diesel Renewable 244

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 26, 2010

Better Place has extended its switchable-battery electric vehicle (EV) taxi pilot in Tokyo ( earlier post ) to operate through the end of the year. By extending the trial—which involves three exchangeable-battery EV taxis—Better Place says it will be able to further evaluate and optimize the design and integration of the components of the system including the battery switch station (BSS), the EV taxis, battery performance and charging as well as driver behavior and consumer acceptance.

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Taxi Batteries Battery Recharge 240

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 20, 2010

Scientists funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and affiliated with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have detected a plume of hydrocarbons-not pure oil, but with oil compounds-at least 22 miles long and more than 3,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, a residue of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The 1.2-mile-wide, 650-foot-high plume of trapped hydrocarbons was detected during a ten-day subsurface sampling effort from 19-28 June 2010 near the wellhead.

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Rhode Island Oil 2010 Mariner 240

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 29, 2010

China-based Foton Motor and Freescale Semiconductor have established the Foton-Freescale Automotive Joint Lab. The lab is Foton Motor’s first formal cooperation project in automotive electronics. The Foton-Freescale Automotive Joint Lab is committed to co-developing silicon, software and system-level solutions for use in the next generation of Foton vehicles.

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