Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

Applied Nanotech Holdings, Inc. recently was awarded $999,990 for a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) from the US Department of Energy to develop ultra-lightweight hydrogen fuel tanks using carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforcement. This 24-month program has the overall objective significantly to improve the mechanical properties of the carbon fiber/epoxy material used to construct hydrogen fuel tanks with CNT reinforcement.

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Hydrogen Carbon Fiber Fuel Polymer 387

Electric Cars are for Girls

SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

The Lynch motor has a reputation for having an outstanding power-to-weight ratio - but they're small. For his electric car, Dr. Paul Pancella twinned two Lynch motors together for full-size performance from a half-size motor.

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Green Car Reports

SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

With the Chevrolet Volt racking up the highest sales last month since it launched--though the numbers were helped by incentives for both buyers and dealers--some of the "Volt is a flop" coverage has abated. Now, a post on the fan site GM-Volt.com points out that this so-called "sales failure" has higher sales to date this year than roughly half of.

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National Green Transportation

SEPTEMBER 25, 2012

DrivingElectric is a new online community aimed at connecting the "EV Curious" with "EV Drivers" to help prospective electric car owners choose to buy a plug-in car. The site was launched on Sunday, to.

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Buy Plug-in Connect Connected 104

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Green Cars News

SEPTEMBER 3, 2012

Tesla founder, Elon Musk sees a future where electric cars are powered by solar-generated electricity, according to clean tech website, PV-Tech.org. Speaking at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas, US last month, the billionaire businessman, who’s corporate successes include PayPal and SpaceX as well as his electric car firm, says that without sustainable [.].

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Las Vegas Solar Future Cleaning 80

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

New Range Rover at the reveal event. Click to enlarge. In an event held at The Royal Ballet School in London, Land Rover introduced the new Range Rover, the fourth generation of the SUV. The new Range Rover features an all-aluminium monocoque body structure which is 39% lighter than the steel body in the outgoing model. The all-aluminium body enables the new vehicle to significantly enhance both performance and efficiency.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

The latest Golf BlueMotion. Click to enlarge. At the Mondial de l’Automobile in Paris, Volkswagen is unveiling a new Golf BlueMotion concept car. This Golf concept, powered by another new 1.6-liter TDI (turbodiesel) consumes 3.2 l/100 km (73.5 mpg US), equivalent to 85 gCO 2 /km. The 81 kW / 108 hp Golf BlueMotion is a five-seater that is capable of 202 km/h (125 mph).

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MPG Concept 2013 Fuel 359

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Getrag PowerShift Transmission 7DCT300. Click to enlarge. At its fifth biennial Drivetrain Forum in Cologne, Getrag presented the seven-speed dual clutch transmission Getrag Powershift 7DCT300 and a hybrid derivative, the Getrag Hybrid Drive 7HDT300. The company said that the new transmissions complete its product portfolio to provide total coverage in terms of torque output and application size.

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Hybrid Plug-in Plug MPH 356

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2012

Diagram of direct injector placement used in the study; future work will use a more parallel alignment of the injectors. Wissink et al. Click to enlarge. By using a new strategy entailing the direct, separate injection of both low- and high-reactivity fuels, researchers at the University of Wisconsin have found another method for combustion phasing control of RCCI (reactivity controlled compression ignition) that offers the potential of decreasing the emissions of unburned hydrocarbons (UHC) and

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 29, 2012

Laboratory and in-use fuel economy results Source: NREL. Click to enlarge. The US Department of Energy’s (DOE)’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has published a report on an 18-month evaluation of in-service second-generation diesel-electric hybrid delivery vans and found significant fuel economy benefits of the hybrids compared to similar conventional vans.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

2014 Accord plug-in hybrid. Click to enlarge. Set to go on sale in early 2013, Honda’s 2014 Accord Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) Sedan ( earlier post ) will offer the ability to run in an all-electric mode for 10 to 15 miles and a calculated total driving range of more than 500 miles. (EPA fuel economy ratings and gas-electric range rating determined by Honda.).

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Plug-in 2014 Honda Plug 345

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

Stack-designed cylindrical TEG, built with TE cartridges, developed for LDVs in first project. Click to enlarge. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Gentherm (formerly Amerigon) a $1.55-million contract modification to apply the technology in its thermoelectric generator (TEG) for passenger cars to a similar program for heavy vehicles. The TEG technology, which converts waste heat from gas exhaust into electric energy and has the potential to improve passenger car fuel efficiency by as

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Fuel Economy Energy Waste Vehicles 341

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Chassis version of the Sprinter E-CELL prototype. Click to enlarge. Mercedes-Benz is staging the world premier of a Sprinter E-CELL battery-electric van at the 2012 International Motor Show (IAA) for commercial vehicles. The prototype of the Sprinter E-CELL at the IAA is a chassis version with driver’s cab and the middle wheelbase of 3665 mm. The premiere at the IAA will serve as a test of customer reactions before a decision is made about possible series production.

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Mercedes Battery Batteries Electrical 326

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced the “Smart INSECT” (Information Network Social Electric City Transporter), a next-generation communications-linked electric concept model that uses information technology (IT) services to support its driver’s lifestyle and activities. Smart INSECT concept. Click to enlarge. The Smart INSECT is an ultra-compact, single-passenger electric vehicle (EV) based on the COMS EV produced by TMC subsidiary Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd.

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Connect Connected Toyota Japan 321

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

Belgium-based chemical group Solvay has opened two rare earth recycling units in France. In order to diversify its sources of supply and preserve resources, Solvay has developed a process for recovering rare earths contained in end-of-life equipment such as low-energy light bulbs, batteries or magnets. First launched in 2007, the project required two years of research and development followed by two years of industrialization studies and site selection.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2012

The new EQ EV offers power consumption of 104 Wh/km. Li-ion batteries are from Panasonic. Click to enlarge. In Japan, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) outlined the progress of development of its green technologies as well as its vehicle deployment plans through 2015. Overall, the company says, it intends to continue to work to conserve energy by improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions, and by diversifying fuel sources by encouraging the use of electricity, hydrogen and other alternative e

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Mazda6 Sedan & Wagon (European Specification). Click to enlarge. Both the wagon and sedan versions of the new Mazda6 made their collective debut at the Paris Motor Show. The Mazda6— now in its third generation— is also the company’s first mass-production model. equipped with i-ELOOP, its brake energy regeneration system. i-ELOOP joins the i-stop idle-stop system and SKYACTIV powertrains, chassis and body (introduced on the CX-5) to deliver fuel consumption as low as 3.9 l/100 km (60

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MPG Diesel Gasoline-Electric Fuel Economy 311

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

The BMW Group’s Efficient Dynamics strategy is targeting reductions in fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions while at the same time increasing performance. In battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or automobiles using plug-in hybrid technology (PHEVs), the Efficient Dynamics strategy is aimed primarily at increasing the electric range. One element of this comes under the general heading “Intelligent Energy Management”.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and DENSO Corporation (DENSO) jointly have developed an onboard communications network device, CAN-Gateway ECU (Controller Area Network-Gateway Electronic Control Unit), that can take data gathered while driving and apply it to create a virtual simulation. The CAN-Gateway ECU captures driving data—including GPS data, accelerator pedal strokes, steering angles, brake operation signals, gear shift signals, engine rpm count, water temperature, and vehicle speed&

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Toyota Japan Vehicles 2013 300

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

The second-generation eDCT is targeting A/B class cars. Click to enlarge. Transmission specialist Oerlikon Graziano SpA presented more detail on its prototype eDCT dual-clutch-type transmission for electric vehicles ( earlier post ) at the first CTI Symposium China, in Shanghai. The clutch-less and synchronizer-less eDCT uses the principles of dual clutch transmissions (DCTs) to provide seamless shifting and up to a 15% improvement in vehicle efficiency.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Powertrain elements of the Panamera Sport Turismo. Click to enlarge. At the Paris Motor Show, Porsche presented the Panamera Sport Turismo concept, a plug-in hybrid that offers 416 hp (306 kW) of peak system power. The Panamera Sport Turismo is designed to be driven in pure electric mode up to a speed of 130 km/h (81 mph) and can cover distances of more than 30 km (19 miles).

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Porsche Plug-in MPG Concept 294

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

Researchers at Purdue University have received a five-year, $5.274-million award from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science’s Biological and Environmental Research program (DOE-BER) to support a project to reroute the carbon that plants currently use to make lignin and convert it directly into a biofuel. In plants, the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway leads to the deposition of lignin, a cross-linked phenolic polymer that makes the cell walls of specialized plant cells more rig

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

Germanischer Lloyd’s concept hydrogen-fuel cell container feeder vessel is fueled by liquid hydrogen. Source: GL. Click to enlarge. Although technical and operational efficiency improvements in conventional propulsion systems may lower CO 2 emissions from ships by as much as 20% across the global fleet, such marked gains in efficiency will not stop the steady increase of total emissions from shipping or meet the ambitious reduction targets of the future.

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Hydrogen Emissions Fuel Industry 294

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 3, 2012

A Better Place-led project consortium has launched an electric taxi project—including a battery-switch station—at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The company also announced the appointment of Paul Harms as CEO of Better Place Netherlands. Harms previously served as CEO of Athlon Netherlands and as an Executive Vice President of Athlon Car Leasing International.

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Taxi Israel Netherlands Battery 294

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

The series hydraulic transit bus. Click to enlarge. The BUSolutions demonstrator LCO-140H (Low Cost of Ownership–1 st 40-foot Hybrid) series hydraulic hybrid transit bus yields fuel economy of 6.9 mpg (34 l/100km) on the industry-standard ADB duty cycle—110% better than conventional diesel buses on the road today and 30% better than the best-in-class electric hybrid buses available today, according to the final report on the project published by the US Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

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Fuel Economy Economy Hybrid MPG 294

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

Mitsubishi Materials and Honda Motor are partnering on a new business to recover rare-earth magnets from the electric motors in hybrid cars. Mitsubishi Materials, which already operates five recycling centers to recover materials from consumer electronics, including rare-earth magnets, will develop equipment for extracting drive motors and then removing the magnets.

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Mitsubishi Honda Hybrid Japan 286

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

The Obama Administration provides an online platform for grassroots petitions urging action on a range of issues. Entrepreneurs and advocates for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles conversions have taken advantage of the platform to create a petition urging the Administration to extend the Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicles (IRC 30D) tax incentives, currently granted for new plug-in vehicles, to plug-in conversions.

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Conversion Obama Plug-in Tax 286

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

In August, the US sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) from the major OEMs (Chevy Volt and Prius PHV) totalled 3,336 units, while battery-electric vehicles (Nissan LEAF, Honda Fit EV, and Ford Focus Electric) sold a combined 728 units. Year-to-date, plug-in hybrid sales from these majors have totalled 19,579 units, while their battery-electric vehicle sales reached 4,406 units.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

The Nikkei reports that Toyota Motor Corp. is expected to produce 1.2 million hybrid vehicles this year—twice the 2011 total—as it brings the vehicles into Asian markets. Batteries and motors for hybrids can be used in electric vehicles or in a coming generation of fuel-cell cars. Toyota thus believes that lowering costs for such key components through mass production will give it an edge in developing environmentally friendly vehicles.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

Powertrain elements in the Outlander PHEV. Click to enlarge. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) will present the global debut of the new Outlander SUV plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) at the 2012 Paris Motor Show later this month. The Outlander PHEV, which combines a Twin Motor 4WD system comprising two 60 kW independent electric motors (one on each axle); a 12 kWh Li-ion battery pack; and a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder MIVEC gasoline engine, has a targeted fuel economy in excess of 61 km/liter (

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) showcased the utility’s first extended-range electric truck with manufacturer VIA Motors at three Bay Area National Plug-In Day events—in San Francisco, San Rafael and Cupertino—on Sunday. PG&E offered ride-alongs in its VTrux from VIA. In Cupertino, the truck powered the public-address equipment for the stage as well as a vendor booth, demonstrating the vehicle’s exportable power capacity.

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Extended Range Plug-in San Francisco Motors 281

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Audi A3 Sportback. Click to enlarge. Audi’s new A3 Sportback features a lightweight design and an initial choice of one diesel (TDI) and two gasoline (TFSI) engines, with two additional diesel engines and one gasoline unit to follow. They combine multiple efficiency technologies – direct injection, turbocharging, thermal management and the start-stop system.

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Audi MPG Plug-in Diesel 281

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 13, 2012

Antalya Metropolitan Municipality in Turkey and Renault signed an agreement to deploy a program to prepare a Zero Emissions Partnership. This agreement aims to achieve a partnership for the promotion and deployment of the environmental friendly electric vehicles in Antalya. This partnership program will focus on the establishment in the territory of the prefecture of Antalya of a substructure of charging points for electric vehicles manufactured in Bursa Oyak Renault Automobile Plants since the

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Turkey Emissions Automobile 2011 281

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

Li-ion battery joint venture partners Bosch and Samsung SDI are disbanding their South Korea-based SB LiMotive JV. Samsung SDI will pay Bosch $95 million for Bosch’s 50% stake in the venture; in turn, Bosch will acquire SB LiMotive’s US and German subsidiaries for $38 million, for a net payment to Bosch of $57 million. The agreement is subject to the approval of the antitrust authorities.

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