October, 2013

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Ford doubles electric drive market share in US from 2012 to 2013; surging with plug-in hybrids

Green Car Congress

'Ford’s changing share of the hybrid-electric, plug-in hybrid electric, battery-electric vehicle segments and total ED market in the US in 2012 and YTD 2013. Data: EDTA, Ford Motor. Click to enlarge. Ford Motor Company’s C-platform electric drive strategy has driven an increase in Ford’s overall electric drive market share (hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric) from 7.3% in calendar year 2012 to 14.7% for the first nine months of 2013.

Plug-in 381
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I’ve Done The Math – Now I’m Doing Something About It

Creative Greenius

'Why would your Creative Greenius walk away from his high-paying, highly rewarding executive role at CBS EcoMedia where I was working to fund environmental, education, and wellness projects all across the USA, just as the company hit more growth milestones and was likely to pay generous bonuses? The answer is simple and direct – because I have done The Math. .

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Tesla Model S Was Best-Selling Car In Norway For September

Green Car Reports

'Well, here''s a first: The best-selling car in Norway is the Tesla Model S. Not the best-selling electric car. Not the best-selling car with a plug. For the month of September, the Tesla Model S was the best-selling car, period. Silicon Valley startup electric-car maker Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] sold 616 Tesla Model S cars in Norway last month.

Norway 168
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Tesla Motors and Panasonic sign battery supply deal for 2 billion cells

National Green Transportation

'Tesla Motors and their battery supplier, Panasonic, announced on Wednesday an agreement in which Panasonic will expand supplies of automotive-grade lithium-ion battery cells to Tesla. This expands on their 2011 agreement, and under the new.

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How serious is Norway about climate change? So much that its streetlights self-dim

emissions global warming Norway climate change carbon dioxide youtube lighting

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Citroen claims GreenFleet Manufacturer of the Year

Green Cars News

'French carmaker Citroen has won the prestigious GreenFleet Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year award, in recognition of its extensive range of fuel efficient and fleet friendly vehicles. Sponsored by Rockingham race circuit, the award was presented to Citroen at a black tie ceremony held at the E[.].

Citroen 67
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Volvo Car Group testing lightweight structural energy storage material applied in trunk lid and plenum cover

Green Car Congress

'A composite blend of carbon fibers and polymer resin is being developed that can store and charge more energy faster than conventional batteries can. Volvo Cars is the only car manufacturer participating in the EU-funded project, which started in early 2010. Click to enlarge. Volvo Car Group—the only automaker participating in a 3.5-year EU-funded project developing a prototype material which can store and discharge electrical energy and which is also strong and lightweight enough to be u

More Trending

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A123 Venture Technologies to collaborate with SolidEnergy on safer, high-energy battery chemistry; potentially up to ~800 Wh/kg

Green Car Congress

'SolidEnergy says that its Solid Polymer Ionic Liquid technology can deliver energy densities upwards of 800 Wh/kg—twice the densities of advanced startup batteries and four times the density of current conventional batteries. Source: SolidEnergy. Click to enlarge. A123 Venture Technologies, a Massachusetts-based technology incubator, will collaborate with MIT startup SolidEnergy.

Polymer 342
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Chevrolet introduces second-generation Duramax 4-cylinder diesels; global engine

Green Car Congress

'New Duramax 4-cylinder diesel. Click to enlarge. Chevrolet Sales Thailand introduced the new-generation MY14 Duramax four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine in 2.5- and 2.8-liter variants. The new Duramax engine was engineered in Europe and the US, with global application as one of its developmental objectives. Applications include powering the Colorado pickup truck and Trailblazer SUV for the Thailand and Southeast Asian markets.

Diesel 334
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Eindhoven wins world championship for solar-powered family cars in World Solar Challenge

Green Car Congress

'The Solar Team Eindhoven’s Stella, the first solar?powered family car ( earlier post ), is the winner of the Cruiser class of the World Solar Challenge 2013. On the road in Australia. Eindhoven University of Technology / Bart van Overbeeke. Click to enlarge. Stella completed the race at 13:00 hours on 11 October, after a 3,000 km (1864 mile) journey with an average of three people on board.

Solar 334
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Fiat 500L Living diesels average about 70.6 mpg on Turin to Paris run

Green Car Congress

'Fiat 500L running in the Bosch Diesel Challenge. Click to enlarge. A small fleet of Fiat 500L Living models, equipped with the 1.6 MultiJet II 105 HP diesel with Start&Stop, covered the 800-kilometer (497-mile) route from Turin to Paris on an average of 27 liters (7.1 gallons US) of fuel, corresponding to approximately 30 km/l (70.6 mpg US , 3.33 l/100km).

MPG 322
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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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California initiative to streamline permitting of new hydrogen and electric fueling stations

Green Car Congress

'California state economic development director Kish Rajan announced an effort to streamline the permitting process for zero emission vehicle fueling stations and significantly expand California’s hydrogen and electric vehicle capacity. Automobile manufacturers plan to roll out hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the 2015 to 2017 timeframe, while California’s share of the US market for plug-in electric vehicles currently stands at nearly 40%.

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Ford, University of Michigan open $8M battery lab focused on test production of advanced technologies

Green Car Congress

'Ford and the University of Michigan opened a new $8-million battery lab, housed at the U-M Energy Institute, which will serve as a battery manufacturing facility designed to support pilot projects. Advanced manufacturing methods will be used to make test batteries that replicate the performance of full-scale production batteries, allowing for faster implementation in future production vehicles.

Michigan 312
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Rennovia produces cost-advantaged 100% bio-based nylon-6,6 polymer; automotive apps

Green Car Congress

'Rennovia, Inc., a privately held company that develops novel catalysts and processes for the cost-advantaged production of chemical products from renewable feedstocks, has produced and shipped to a prospective partner samples of what it believes to be the world’s first 100% bio-based nylon-6,6 polymer. ( Earlier post.) Nylon-6,6 is a widely used high-performance engineering resin, used especially in the automotive market for its strength, light weight, and performance at high temperatures.

Polymer 309
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Tesla to offer $1,000 CHAdeMO fast charging adapter for Model S

Green Car Congress

'Tesla Motors plans to offer a $1,000 adapter to enable Model S EVs to use CHAdeMO fast charging stations for those Model S units with Supercharging already enabled. For Model S without Supercharging enabled, onboard hardware must be activated to use the CHAdeMO adapter; for those vehicles, the CHAdeMO adapter will cost $2,400 prior to delivery and $2,900 after delivery.

Charging 308
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ExxonMobil announces 6th oil discovery offshore Guyana with Ranger-1; Guyana may move from non-producer to regional powerhouse

Oil

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VIA launches electric vehicle assembly plant in Mexico

Green Car Congress

'VIA Motors inaugurated its first high volume electric vehicle assembly line this week at its new facility in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The new facility is strategically located in a free trade zone near several major automakers and suppliers. New vehicles are transported from the General Motors production facility in Silao, to VIA’s assembly plant in nearby San Luis Potosi, where they are transformed into electric vehicles by integrating VIA’s proprietary extended range electric power train.

Mexico 304
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Governors of 8 states sign MoU to put 3.3M zero-emission vehicles on roads by 2025; 15% of new vehicle sales

Green Car Congress

'The governors of 8 states—California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont—have signed a memorandum of understanding ( MoU ) to take specific actions to put 3.3 million zero emission vehicles on the roads in their states by 2025, along with the refueling infrastructure required to support those vehicles.

Emissions 300
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NREL review of E15 effects on MY2001 and later cars finds no meaningful differences with E10

Green Car Congress

'A review of 43 studies of the effects of E15 (15% ethanol blends) on Model Year 2001 and newer cars by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that the studies reviewed showed no meaningful differences between E15 and E10 in any performance category. The NREL study, commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association, included 33 unique research studies, as well as 10 related reviews.

2001 300
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Fiat introducing new 2-cylinder 0.9L Turbo TwinAir in 2014 MiTo mini

Green Car Congress

'0.9 TwinAir. Click to enlarge. Fiat is introducing a new two-cylinder 0.9 Turbo TwinAir 105 HP engine for the 2014 Alfa Romeo MiTo sport mini. The gasoline engine delivers 105 hp (72 kW) at 5500 rpm and maximum torque of 145 N·m (107 lb-ft) at 2000 rpm/min, with combined cycle fuel consumption of 4.2 l/100 km (56 mpg US ), equivalent to 99 g CO 2 /km.

2014 299
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Chevrolet, GMC expand CNG truck and van offerings

Green Car Congress

'Chevrolet and GMC will offer new bi-fuel versions of the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty trucks and all-new dedicated compressed natural gas versions of the 2014 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size passenger vans next year. The vehicles were announced at the Green Fleet Conference & Expo, which focuses on clean technologies and alternative-fuel vehicles for fleet operations.

GMC 297
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ARPA-E announces $27M for transformational power electronics technologies

Green Car Congress

'The US Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has selected 14 projects for $27 million in funding to support the development of next-generation power conversion devices. The projects were selected under ARPA-E’s SWITCHES program (Strategies for Wide-Bandgap, Inexpensive Transistors for Controlling High-Efficiency Systems). ( Earlier post.).

Power 296
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ABB adds 20 kW Combined Charging System (CCS) fast charger to EVSE portfolio

Green Car Congress

'ABB has broadened its support of the new Combined Charging System (CCS) standard with the expansion of its 4 th generation fast charging product portfolio with the introduction of the Terra multi-standard DC fast charging station 23. The Terra 23 can charge EVs in 30-60 minutes and complements the CCS fast charging station dedicated for highway and urban ring locations, the Terra 53.

San Diego 296
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Musk says Tesla making significant investments in Germany: Superchargers, service centers and free tuning for better Autobahn performance

Green Car Congress

'Elon Musk, co-founder and CEO of Tesla Motors announced that his company will make “ a significant investment ” in Germany, focused on expanding the Supercharger network, expanding the number of service centers, and high-speed tuning for the Model S for improved performance on the Autobahn. Deliveries of Model S in Europe started this summer. Citing data from Germany’s Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA), a report in the International Business Times noted that Tesla had sold 98 Model S units in August a

Germany 294
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Tenaska launching natural gas transportation fuels business

Green Car Congress

'Tenaska, one of the largest independent energy companies in North America, is launching a marketing and development company in response to the growing use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG), together NG fuels, in the transportation sector and among industries using high-horsepower engines. Chairman of Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVAmerica) Doug Clark has signed on to lead commercial activities for the new affiliate, Tenaska NG Fuels, LLC (TNG Fuels).

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ABB launches Terra 53 DC fast charger in NA; SAE Combo and CHAdeMO

Green Car Congress

'ABB has introduced the Terra 53 for North America, showcasing it at the Plug-in 2013 conference in San Diego. This 50 kW DC fast charging station meets both SAE Combo and CHAdeMO standards for battery electric vehicles. ABB was the first manufacturer in the world to meet both standards, launching the harmonized product in Europe last spring. The Terra 53 SAE Combo version for the Americas will be available for delivery in November, with the dual outlet, multi-standard version available for deli

DC 281
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First public SAE combo fast-charging station debuts in San Diego

Green Car Congress

'The first public charging station in the US to offer the SAE Combo-Charging fast charging system has opened at the Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego, CA. The new combined AC and DC charging, or combo, connector is accessible via a single charge port on the vehicle. Major automakers including GM, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche have announced they will adopt the SAE combo fast charge connector standard.

San Diego 281
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Electric Moto and AAC partner for DARPA all-wheel drive electric motorcycle

Green Car Congress

'Electric Moto Corporation, Inc. (EMOT) and Advanced Automation Corporation (AAC) have partnered to submit a proposal to create a prototype all-wheel drive hybrid electric motorcycle for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Electric Moto is the producer of the a 72V Dual Sport Gen 1 Electric Motorcycle, and a Gen 2 successor, as well as other electric vehicles.

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BMW i3 on sale in US 2Q 2014, base MSRP $41,350 for BEV; $45,300 with range extender

Green Car Congress

'BMW i3. Click to enlarge. The BMW i3 ( earlier post , earlier post ) will go on sale in the US market in the second quarter of 2014. The battery electric model will have a base MSRP of $41,350, before any federal or state incentives, and before destination and handling fee (currently $925). The range-extender model will have a starting MSRP of $45,300.

BMW 277
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Penn State and partners hosting Next Generation Biomass Conversion Short Course and facility tour

Green Car Congress

'The Penn State Biomass Energy Center—in partnership with the Penn State Biomass Energy Center, the Lawrence Berkeley Lab Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit and the USDA-sponsored NEWBio Bioenergy Consortium—is hosting a two-day short course in “ Next Generation Biomass Conversion ” 11-12 November in Malvern, PA, northwest of Philadelphia.

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Univ. of Illinois team argues that renewable fuel standard needs to be modified, not repealed

Green Car Congress

'A policy analysis by two University of Illinois researchers argues that Congress should minimally modify, not repeal, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In the study, law professor Jay P. Kesan and Timothy A. Slating, a regulatory associate with the Energy Biosciences Institute, argue that RFS mandates ought to be adjusted to reflect current and predicted biofuel commercialization realities; that its biofuel categories be expanded to encompass all emerging biofuel technologies; and that its bio

Illinois 275
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Internet of Things gets major distance boost from IBM and Semtech

Green Car Congress

'IBM and Semtech Corp., a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, announced a significant advancement in wireless technology, combining IBM software and Semtech hardware to create a system capable of transmitting data up to a distance of 15 km (9 miles), depending on the environment, with significantly improved ease-of-use. The joint solution, comprising IBM’s Mote Runner software and Semtech’s SX127x with LoRa, will be demonstrated at European Utility Week in Amsterdam 15-17

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Ford expands use of near-dry machining to six plants worldwide

Green Car Congress

'Left: Wet flood machining. Right: MQL machining. Graphics: Unist Inc. Click to enlarge. Ford Motor Company has added its near-dry machining process—Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL)—to six plants globally, a number that will nearly double in the next few years. Machining metal pieces generates friction and heat. Conventional wet machining floods the work piece with metal-working fluids, requiring large amounts of fluid to cool and lubricate the cutting tools.

Ford 273
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Frost & Sullivan video report summarizes key factors for and direction of future mobility systems

Green Car Congress

'Consultancy Frost & Sullivan has published a video report titled The Future of Mobility which highlights megatrends impacting mobility; presents future mobility solutions such as car sharing and mobility apps for door-to-door one-stop-shop journeys; and discusses and compares what organisations within the mobility eco-system are doing to embrace this change.

Future 273
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Terra Motors crowdsourcing funding for new electric three-wheeler

Green Car Congress

'Japan-based Terra Motors Corporation, founded in 2010 and an established seller of electric scooters in Japan, is seeking crowd-sourced funding on inidiegogo to support its new electric three-wheeler. The 50-day campaign has a goal of $50,000. Terra is targeting the three-wheeler at markets such as in the Philippines and India. Terra Motors sees the introduction of low-cost electromobility in such markets addressing combined problems of low income as well as pollution and health.

Motor 273
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Fraunhofer and Continental building pilot system to extract Russian dandelion rubber for tires

Green Car Congress

'Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, in collaboration with Continental, are building a pilot system to extract rubber from the Russian dandelion for making tires. Working jointly with industry and science, the IME scientists have optimized the cultivation and production engineering for dandelion rubber over the past few years.

Building 262