Green Car Congress

JANUARY 11, 2016

Hard on the heels of the reveal of the production Volt EV at CES 2016 in Las Vegas earlier post ), Chevrolet used the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit to release additional details on the battery and drivetrain of the new BEV. Engineers developed the Bolt EV’s propulsion system to offer more than an estimated 200 miles (based on GM estimates) and a sporty driving experience.

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Green Car Reports

JANUARY 21, 2016

Some electric cars use roof-mounted solar panels to provide supplementary electric power. In fact, a solar roof seems to have become an obligatory accessory on electric and plug-in hybrid concept cars. But the idea of a solar-powered electric car is far from new. DON'T MISS: Classic 1966 VW Bus With Green Drivetrain: Solar-Powered Electric Motor.

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National Green Transportation

JANUARY 12, 2016

On Tuesday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) rejected the 2 Liter diesel car recall plan submitted by the Volkswagen Group of America. This plan is Volkswagen's attempt to fix the Dieselgate problem, in which the VW.

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Green Fleet Magazine

JANUARY 6, 2016

Serving the small- to mid-size fleet market, 55 percent of Union Leasing’s portfolio is comprised of light- and medium-duty trucks. Recently, it acquired Express 4x4 Truck.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 19, 2016

Chevrolet offers the 2015 Impala full-size sedan as an all-new bi-fuel model—the only manufacturer-produced full-size sedan in North America that can run on both compressed natural gas (CNG) and gasoline. Available at the end of 2015 to both fleet and retail customers in either LS or LT trims, the bi-fuel Impala features a dedicated version of the standard 3.6L V–6, with specific valves and hardened valve seats for improved wear resistance and durability with the CNG fuel system.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 19, 2016

An analysis by Dr. Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle at University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) has found recent decreases in the proportion of persons with a driver’s license across all age groups in the US. The study examined data came the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) from 1983 to 2014. The three main findings are: For 16- through 44-year-olds, there was a continuous decrease in the percentage of persons with a driver’s license for the years examined.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 7, 2016

Hyundai’s new IONIQ range will feature a choice of electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid powertrains, a world first for a single model. ( Earlier post.) At an unveiling in Korea, Hyundai released some initial details on the new IONIQ dedicated hybrid—the first version of the platform to come to market. The powertrain combines a new high thermal efficiency (40%) 1.6-liter Kappa GDi engine developed exclusively for Hyundai Motor’s hybrid engines with a permanent magnetic electric motor to deli

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 6, 2016

At CES 2016, Volkswagen unveiled the battery-electric BUDD-e van. Equipped with a 101 kWh battery pack supporting a range of up to 373 miles (600 km) on the NEDC, the BUDD-e concept is the first vehicle based on Volkswagen’s new Modular Electric Platform (MEB) designed specifically for plug-in vehicles. BUDD-e exemplifies what Volkswagen considers as potentially representative of electric mobility offerings in the 2019 timeframe.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 27, 2016

Porsche has restructured its Boxster mid-engine roadster lineup, introducing the new 718 Boxster and 718 Boxster S. The launch of the new 718 Boxster generation represents the first time since the late 1960s that Porsche is implementing sports cars with four-cylinder flat (i.e., horizontally opposed, or “boxer”) engines. The outgoing Boxsters were equipped with 2.7-liter, 6-cylinder boxer engines.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 23, 2016

QNX Software Systems Limited, a subsidiary of BlackBerry Limited, earlier this month introduced the QNX Platform for ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), expanding its portfolio of automotive software products. The QNX Platform for ADAS is scheduled for general release in Q2 2016. Designed for scalability, the platform will enable automotive companies to build a full range of automated driving systems, from informational ADAS modules that provide a 360° surround view of the vehicle, to sen

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 21, 2016

Researchers at Penn State, with colleagues at EC Power , a Penn State spin-off, have developed a lithium-ion battery structure—the ‘all-climate battery’ (ACB) cell—that heats itself up from below 0 degrees Celsius without requiring external heating devices or electrolyte additives. The self-heating mechanism creates an electrochemical interface that is favorable for high discharge/charge power.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 30, 2016

A study of eco-driving behavior in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) by a team from Technische Universität Chemnitz (Germany) and the University of Southampton (UK) has found that simply providing drivers with a technology that has the potential for high energy savings—i.e., a hybrid—is not sufficient to result in high energy svings; systems must be developed in a way that facilitates energy efficient behaviors.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 27, 2016

Duryea Technologies (founded in 1996 under the name “eCycle” with the objective of commercializing hybrid and electric motorcycles) has developed an electric supercharger for use in the consumer and commercial vehicle markets. Superchargers compress the intake charge to increase the amount of air delivered to an engine, which results in combustion that is more complete, and therefore of greater power.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 12, 2016

At the 2016 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Toyota is displaying a research vehicle based on the Mirai fuel cell vehicle which is equipped with satellite communications technology from Kymeta , a US-based company that is the world's leader in flat-panel antenna technology. Toyota is working to enhance its connected technologies, including a plan to install a Data Communication Module into a broader range of its vehicles. ( Earlier post.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 12, 2016

Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) is one of the more promising chemistries for better lithium batteries, especially for electric vehicle applications, but scientists have been struggling to get higher capacity out of them. Now, a team of scientists from the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has found that using a simple technique called spray pyrolysis can help to overcome one

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 11, 2016

At CES 2016 last week, IAV and Microsoft demonstrated a connected highly automated driving (CHAD) vehicle capable of connecting with the Microsoft Azure cloud and Windows 10 to enable communication that helps prevent vehicle and pedestrian accidents and increases driving comfort and convenience. This vehicle-2-x communication (V2X) connectivity approach uses data from the vehicle’s surroundings to improve smart service for convenience and enhance safety by anticipating and mitigating potential h

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 21, 2016

At Washington, D.C. Auto Show, Honda said that it will begin retail leasing of the new 5-passenger, hydrogen-powered Clarity Fuel Cell sedan ( earlier post ) to customers in select California markets before the end of 2016. Honda expects to price the Clarity Fuel Cell at around $60,000 with a targeted monthly lease under $500. Honda expects limited volumes in the early stages of production.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2016

The Maryland Transit Administration is now in line to receive $97,845,148 to invest in 172 40-foot advanced clean diesel buses after receiving approval from the Maryland’s Board of Public Works. The Maryland Transit Administration contracted a price of $556,774 per bus New Flyer Industries, plus additional costs for services such as training. MTA specified an IT package that cost $46,000 per bus.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 25, 2016

Global energy demand will increase 25% between 2014 and 2040, driven by population growth and economic expansion, ExxonMobil forecasts in the 2016 edition of its annual The Outlook for Energy. At the same time, energy efficiency gains and increased use of renewable energy sources and lower carbon fuels, such as natural gas, are expected to help reduce by half the carbon intensity of the global economy.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 25, 2016

A new study from Juniper Research estimated that the adoption of connected in-vehicle infotainment systems will produce revenues exceeding $600 million in 2020, representing a 10-fold increase on this year. The new research, Consumer Connected Cars: Telematics, Insurance & In-Vehicle Applications 2015-2020 , forecasts that consumer adoption of connected car entertainment will grow rapidly as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto gather traction.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 22, 2016

Ballard Power Systems signed an Equipment Supply Agreement (ESA), valued at $12 million, with Guangdong Synergy Hydrogen Power Technology Co., Ltd. (Synergy) to provide FCvelocity-9SSL fuel cell stacks for use in commercial buses in China. Ballard expects to deliver the stacks in 2016 and 2017. Each FCvelocity-9SSL fuel cell stack will deliver approximately 15 kilowatts (kW) of power, appropriate for range-extension applications.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 19, 2016

Researchers from Argonne National Laboratory, with colleagues in the US and Korea, have demonstrated a lithium-oxygen battery based on lithium superoxide (LiO 2 ). The work, reported in the journal Nature , could open the way to very high-energy-density batteries based on LiO 2 as well as to other possible uses of the compound, such as oxygen storage.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 15, 2016

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced a proposed 10-year, nearly $4-billion investment to accelerate the development and adoption of safe vehicle automation through real-world pilot projects. Secretary Foxx made the announcement at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The pilot programs, funded via the President’s FY17 budget proposal, would test connected vehicle systems in designated corridors throughout the country, and work with industry leaders to ensure a com

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 14, 2016

Alphabet Energy is commercializing low-cost, efficient thermoelectric materials for power generation leveraging technology initially developed at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. ( Earlier post.). The company has now announced characterization from the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM of heat flow and thermal resistance (in air) of the Alphabet Energy PowerCard , the company’s core thermoelectric device for power generation.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 9, 2016

A new report, “ Automated Vehicle Crash Rate Comparison Using Naturalistic Data ,” performed by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and commissioned by Google, shows that the crash rates for self-driving cars are lower than the national crash rate of conventional cars. Results show that when data is adjusted for unreported crashes and take into account accident severity, the national crash rate for conventional vehicles is higher than the crash rate of self-driving cars.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 5, 2016

The Wi-Fi Alliance introduced the Wi-Fi HaLow designation for products incorporating IEEE 802.11ah technology. Wi-Fi HaLow operates in frequency bands below one gigahertz, offering longer range, lower power connectivity to Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products. Wi-Fi HaLow will enable a variety of new power-efficient use cases in the Smart Home, connected car, and digital healthcare, as well as industrial, retail, agriculture, and Smart City environments.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 5, 2016

Researchers at Berkeley Lab have induced the self-photosensitization of a nonphotosynthetic bacterium— Moorella thermoacetica —with cadmium sulfide nanoparticles ( M. thermoacetica –CdS), enabling the photosynthesis of acetic acid from carbon dioxide. Their hybrid approach combines the highly efficient light harvesting of inorganic semiconductors with the high specificity, low cost, and self-replication and -repair of biocatalysts.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 22, 2016

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is establishing a new consortium to support a vision of developing and deploying lightweight materials twice as fast, at a fraction of the cost, while increasing US competitiveness in manufacturing. It can take as long as 20 years to get a lightweight material from concept to market. If DOE can help cut that by 10 years, the savings and boost to US industry will be substantial.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 13, 2016

At the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Mercedes-Benz introduced the 10th generation of its E-Class. The new sedans feature the world premiere of a number of technical innovations including additional driver assistance, infotainment and control systems. The new E-Class will come with a choice of two engines at market launch: the E 200 with a four-cylinder gasoline engine and the E 220 d with an all-new four-cylinder diesel engine.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 12, 2016

Lexus brought the all-wheel drive hydrogen fuel cell LF-FC flagship concept, unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2015 ( earlier post ), to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit for its North American premiere. In his speech about the newly revealed Lexus LC 500 production model, Toyota Motor Corporation President and Lexus Chief Branding Officer Akio Toyoda said that the company is committed to having a fuel cell car in the Lexus lineup around 2020.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 12, 2016

Consumers expect to use cars differently—showing particular interest in self-enabling vehicles—though they don’t necessarily want to own one in the traditional sense, according to the results of IBM’s automotive consumer study, presented at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. This presents opportunities for automakers to apply analytics and cognitive capabilities to develop new vehicle options. “ A New Relationship – People and Cars ,” developed by the IBM

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 4, 2016

Liberty Mutual Insurance is introducing the new Liberty Mutual RightTrack in-vehicle application with Subaru of America, Inc.—a first-of-its-kind app that offers real-time driving feedback and tips while helping to reduce insurance premiums for safe drivers. The new Liberty Mutual app will be available on the SUBARU STARLINK cloud platform, powered by Clarion’s Smart Access technology that connects Subaru vehicles to a driver’s smartphone to monitor driving habits, provide trip reports and

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 31, 2016

The global fuel cell market in the automotive industry is set to grow at a rapid CAGR of more than 45% (in terms of unit shipments) through 2019, according to a new report by global technology research and advisory company Technavio. Technavio calculated the market size for 2015-2019 based on the revenue generated from the global units and MW shipments of fuel cells in the automotive industry.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 29, 2016

Toyota Motor Corporation and its subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. (Daihatsu) have reached an agreement whereby Daihatsu will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota by way of a share exchange (expected to be completed in August 2016). Under the agreement, 0.26 shares of common stock of Toyota will be allotted and delivered for each share of common stock of Daihatsu.

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