Green Car Congress

MAY 6, 2016

In 2014, a team at Toyota Central R&D Labs Inc. published two SAE papers on their work in developing a prototype 10 kW Free Piston Engine Linear Generator (FPEG) for B/C segment electric vehicles. ( Earlier post.) The FPEG consists of a two-stroke combustion system, a linear generator, and a gas spring chamber; the unit offers potential for compact build, high efficiency and high fuel flexibility.

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Green Car Reports

MAY 17, 2016

What will Elon Musk think of this? There is now a second company named after inventor Nikola Tesla—and it too plans to build electric vehicles. 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.

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National Green Transportation

MAY 4, 2016

On Wednesday, Tesla Motors released their Q1 2016 financial results. The big news was not the $282 million GAAP loss for the quarter, nor that the Tesla Model X production is now humming along. Instead the big news.

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Tesla Motors Motor Motors Motoring 52

Green Fleet Magazine

MAY 19, 2016

Diesel-powered pickup trucks sell for more than 30% of their gasoline counterparts after three years of fleet usage and return greater value with higher odometer readings, according to data from ADESA.

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Diesel Gasoline Fleet Powered 52

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Green Car Congress

MAY 22, 2016

APWorks, a 100% subsidiary of Airbus Group, has unveiled the first 3D-printed motorcycle. Dubbed the Light Rider, the motorcycle is made using APWorks’ Scalmalloy material, and weighs only 35 kg (77 lbs). With a 6 kW electric motor powering it from zero to 80 km per hour in just seconds and a frame weighing a mere 6 kg (13 lbs), the world’s first 3D-printed electric motorcycle is 30% lighter than conventionally manufactured e-motorcycles.

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Motorcycles Electric Motorcycles Light Electrical 282

Green Car Congress

MAY 28, 2016

A research team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has created the first high-performance, two-way oxide catalyst and filed a patent application for the invention. The new bi-directional catalyst can outperform platinum in oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions (ORR and OER). The accomplishment is reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

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Engine Energy Storage Insight Energy 279

Green Car Congress

MAY 26, 2016

Novelis, the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, celebrated the commissioning of its third CASH (Continuous Annealing Solution Heat) treatment finishing line for aluminum automotive sheet in Oswego, NY. Installed to support the production of stronger, lighter and safer vehicles, the $120-million CASH 3 line expands the company’s production to supply aluminum sheet for the body and cargo box of Ford’s 2017 F-150 SuperDuty pickups.

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F-150 North America Ford Fuel Economy 272

Green Car Congress

MAY 13, 2016

The BMW Group sold 4,504 battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles around the world in April. The top three markets for these vehicles were the US, Scandinavia and the UK. Global sales of the all-electric BMW i3 increased 50.7% compared with the same month last year (1,854), with overall sales for BMW i up 29.4% on the month (2,181). Six months after market launch of the BMW X5 xDrive 40e plug-in hybrid, nearly 10% of all BMW X5s sold in April were the electrified version, with a total of 1,1

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BMW PHEV Plug-in Automobile 212

Green Car Congress

MAY 9, 2016

An analysis by a team at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has found that by 2045, some configurations of battery electric vehicles (BEV) could become almost as energy dense as a conventional vehicle. The team presented their paper at the recent 2016 SAE World Congress. Hydrocarbon fuels (either fossil- or bio-derived) have high energy densities that are at least 100 times greater than that of a present day lithium-ion battery.

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Gasoline Energy Range Gasoline-Electric 212

Green Car Congress

MAY 16, 2016

Emissions from farms outweigh all other human sources of fine-particulate air pollution in much of the United States, Europe, Russia and China, according a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters , a journal of the American Geophysical Union. Fumes from nitrogen-rich fertilizers and animal waste combine in the air with combustion emissions to form solid particles, which constitute a major source of disease and death, according to the new study.

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Pollution United States Waste Emissions 240

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Green Car Congress

MAY 12, 2016

With faster upshifts than a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) and a wider overall gear ratio spread to optimize performance and efficiency, the all-new available GM Hydra-Matic 10-speed automatic transmission sets a new performance standard in the 2017 Camaro ZL1. The transmission is an all-new design—and the first application in a car—with a wider, 7.39 overall gear ratio spread, that enables the ZL1’s supercharged engine to remain at optimal engine speeds during upshifts.

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GM 2018 Auto Convert 210

Green Car Congress

MAY 8, 2016

A new report on fuel cell vehicles from IHS Automotive forecasts that global production of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) will reach more than 70,000 vehicles annually by 2027, as more automotive OEMs bring FCEVs to market. However,this will only represent less than 0.1% of all vehicles produced, according to IHS Automotive forecasts. IHS expects that during the next 11 years, the number of available FCEV models will jump to 17 from the current three (Toyota Mirai, Hyundai ix35/Tuc

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Hydrogen Vehicles Fuel Production 210

Green Car Congress

MAY 20, 2016

Toyota Motor Corporation announced that the cumulative figures for global sales of its hybrid vehicles reached 9.014 million units as of 30 April. This latest million-unit milestone was achieved in just nine months. The Prius family still accounts for the majority of sales: 5.691 million units, or 63% of the total global cumulative number. (Prius: 3.733 million; Prius α, Prius v, Prius +: 0.634 million; Aqua, Prius c: 1.249 million; Prius PHV: 0.075 million).

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Green Car Congress

MAY 31, 2016

Toshiba Corporation has developed a fast, cable-free contactless charger for electric vehicles (EVs), and will field test it on a medium-sized EV bus designed to handle the power demands of regular high-speed journeys on expressways. Field tests will start from 1 June and continue until December. The 45-seat bus is powered by a long-life, high-output 52.9 kWh SCiB ( earlier post ) pack, Toshiba’s advanced lithium-ion rechargeable battery, and will make regular trips between All Nippon Airways Co

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Li-ion Recharge Batteries Battery 200

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Green Car Congress

MAY 14, 2016

True Zero has opened a hydrogen fueling station in Santa Barbara in the California central coast region—the latest addition to the world’s largest network of hydrogen-fuel stations being built in California by First Element Fuel , Inc. Top: The new Santa Barbara station. Bottom: Toyota Mirai refueling at a True Zero station. Click to enlarge. With Phase one of the True Zero network taking shape fuel cell vehicle customers are able to get around California seamlessly Soon, a short stop for

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California Hydrogen Fuel Los Angeles 200

Green Car Congress

MAY 10, 2016

The US Department of Energy (DOE’s) Argonne National Laboratory is releasing an updated version of its AFLEET tool to reflect the latest advances in alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies and updated emissions data. Sponsored by the DOE Clean Cities program, AFLEET (Alternative Fuel Life-Cycle Environmental and Economic Transportation Tool) is a free, publicly-available tool that provides users with a roadmap for assessing which types of vehicles and fuels are right for them.

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Alternative Fuels Fuel Chicago Vehicles 195

Green Car Congress

MAY 9, 2016

France-based energy major Total has filed a friendly tender offer on all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of advanced battery maker Saft with the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorité des Marchés Financiers, AMF). The proposed offer will target all of Saft’s issued and outstanding shares at a price of €36.50 per share, ex-dividend of €0.85 per share, valuing Saft’s equity at €950 million (US$1.1 billion).

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Batteries Battery Electrical Storage France 195

Green Car Congress

MAY 5, 2016

A new study by a team from Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering has found that even large increases in lithium prices are unlikely to increase significantly the cost of batteries or battery packs for end users such as vehicle manufactures or consumers—although some manufacturers may see reduced profit margins. The study comes against the backdrop of a more than doubling of global lithium prices over the last 6 months.

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Li-ion Lithium Ion Price Market 195

Green Car Congress

MAY 20, 2016

Researchers from Hanyang University in Korea and the BMW Group have developed a new fully operational, practical Li-ion rechargeable battery combining high energy density with excellent cycle life. A report on their work is published in the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science. A carbon nanotube (CNT)-Si composite anode with extremely stable long-term cycling provides a discharge capacity of 2364 mAh g -1 at a tap density of 1.1 g cm -3 ; a two-sloped full concentration gradient (TSFCG) Li

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Li-ion Ni-Li Carbon BMW 210

Green Car Congress

MAY 11, 2016

In April, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) admitted to manipulating fuel consumption testing data for some 625,000 mini-cars representing four models it manufactured for sale in Japan by itself and partner Nissan. ( Earlier post.). MMC now says that its internal hearings into the cheating suggest that the method used to cheat—the improper calculation of running resistance—was also applied in nine other models currently sold in Japan, as well as in other models no longer sold in Ja

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Mitsubishi Fuel Motor Motors 190

Green Car Congress

MAY 10, 2016

Nissan and multinational power company Enel will launch the first major vehicle-to-grid (V2G) trial carried out in the UK. The partners will install and connect 100 V2G units at locations agreed upon by private and fleet owners of the Nissan LEAF and e-NV200 electric van. By giving Nissan electric vehicle owners the ability to plug their vehicles into the V2G system, owners will have the flexibility and power to sell stored energy from their vehicle battery back to the National Grid.

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Nissan Grid Denmark Climate Change 190

Green Car Congress

MAY 4, 2016

Daimler AG plans to invest approximately €500 million (US$576 million) in a new production facility in Poland. The first Mercedes-Benz Cars plant in Poland is to be established in Jawor, about 70 kilometers west of Wroclaw, and will produce four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. The location decision and implementation of the project are dependent on various final commitments regarding the investment conditions, including the granting of state aid for the inv

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Poland Engine Mercedes Romania 190

Green Car Congress

MAY 30, 2016

Peugeot has designed a new gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid racing concept: the L500 R Hybrid. Developed by Peugeot Sport teams, the 500-bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain features two electric motors (one front and one rear) plus a 270 hp gasoline engine, yielding peak torque of 730 N·m (538 lb-ft). With its wide track, low profile (just one meter high) and light weight (1,000 kg), the takes just 2.5 seconds to reach 100 km/h from standstill, and 19 seconds to cover 1000 meters.

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Concept Hybrid PHEV Tribute 183

Green Car Congress

MAY 25, 2016

Long-term exposure to particulate air pollution has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, but the biological process has not been understood. A major, decade-long study of thousands of Americans has now found that people living in areas with more outdoor pollution—even at lower levels common in the United States—accumulate deposits in the arteries that supply the heart faster than do people living in less polluted areas.

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Pollution Los Angeles Building Universal 199

Green Car Congress

MAY 25, 2016

The Fast-E project, co-financed by the European Union and nine companies, has officially launched , with the objective of installing 241 fast-charging charging stations in Germany and 37 in Belgium. A sister project between the Czech Republic and Slovakia will add another 30 charging stations. The 278 charging points set up every 80 km along Germany and Belgium’s main motorways, will allow drivers of electric vehicles to “refuel” and extend their car’s range.

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Belgium Czech Republic Germany Charging 199

Green Car Congress

MAY 21, 2016

Prieto Battery, a company commercializing a 3D Lithium-ion battery technology ( earlier post ), announced a strategic investment from Stanley Ventures, the newly-formed venture arm of Stanley Black & Decker, a world-leading provider of tools and storage, commercial electronic security and engineered fastening systems. Prieto Battery Inc. was founded in June 2009 to accelerate the shift of Prieto’s innovations from the research laboratory to the commercial marketplace.

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Li-ion Commercial Batteries Battery 199

Green Car Congress

MAY 9, 2016

Researchers at Columbia University are investigating the use of membraneless electrochemical flow cells for hydrogen production from water electrolysis that are based on angled mesh flow-through electrodes. The devices can be fabricated with as few as three parts (anode, cathode, and cell body), reflecting their simplicity and potential for low-cost manufacture.The researchers used 3D printing to fabricate prototype electrolyzers that they demonstrated to be electrolyte agnostic, modular, and ca

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Low Cost Production Hydrogen Water 183

Green Car Congress

MAY 3, 2016

A team at the University of Michigan has investigated the performance of three different fuels—ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD), diesel fuel produced via a low temperature Fischer–Tropsch process (LTFT), and a renewable diesel (RD), which is a hydrotreated camelina oil under partially premixed compression ignition (PCCI) combustion. Their paper is published in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels.

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Diesel Renewable Emissions Fuel 183

Green Car Congress

MAY 13, 2016

Pregnant women, children and those with medical conditions in The Gambia—one of Africa’s smallest, poorest countries—may have better access to healthcare through an expansion of a Ford Smart Mobility pilot program. Ford has equipped 50 motorcycles serving Riders for Health with sensor technology so the medical services group can collect a variety of data, including mapping coordinates, to improve the delivery of medical services and supplies—particularly in remote areas of the

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Gambia Motorcycles Ford Kits 174

Green Car Congress

MAY 13, 2016

US Representatives Bill Flores (R-TX), Peter Welch (D-VT), Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Jim Costa (D-CA) have introduced legislation— H.R. 5180 —that would cap the maximum volume of ethanol blended into the transportation fuel supply at 9.7% of projected gasoline demand as determined by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). It also requires EPA to meet its statutory deadlines in setting annual RFS volumes.

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Green Car Congress

MAY 12, 2016

More than 80% of people living in urban areas that monitor air pollution are exposed to air quality levels that exceed World Health Organization (WHO) limits, according to the organization. While all regions of the world are affected, populations in low-income cities are the most impacted. According to the latest urban air quality database , 98% of cities in low- and middle income countries with more than 100 000 inhabitants do not meet WHO air quality guidelines.

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Green Car Congress

MAY 9, 2016

Air pollution legislation to control fossil fuel emissions and the associated acid rain has worked—perhaps leading to the need for sulfur fertilizers for crop production. A University of Illinois study drawing from over 20 years of data shows that sulfur levels in Midwest watersheds and rivers have steadily declined, so much so that farmers may soon need to consider applying sulfur.

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Pollution Illinois Coal Water 174

Green Car Congress

MAY 9, 2016

Kreisel Electric, an Austrian developer and manufacturer of high-performance battery packs for electric mobility and stationary energy storage systems, is expanding its production capacity to 800,000 kWh per year with the construction of a new battery plant. The 6,276 m 2 factory will be equipped with a fully automated production line. Kreisel says that it leverages assembly and thermal management techniques to deliver 20% more usable capacity available in comparison to the products of its main

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Li-ion Battery Batteries Taxi 174

Green Car Congress

MAY 3, 2016

The 2017 Ford F-150 will offer an all-new, second-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine and 10-speed transmission. The new 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine will provide 30 lb-ft more peak torque compared with the first-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine, up to a best-in-class 450 lb-ft (610 N·m) for a V6. F-150 remains the only truck in its segment to offer a twin-turbo V6 gasoline engine.

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