March, 2016

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KAIST research team proposes micro modular nuclear reactor cooled by supercritical CO2

Green Car Congress

A KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) research team has proposed a micro modular nuclear reactor cooled by a supercritical CO 2 (S-CO 2 ) Brayton cycle. The core has long life (20 years) without refueling as well as inherent safety features. The S-CO 2 Brayton cycle was proposed as a power conversion system to achieve a compact and lightweight module.

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Tesla Supercharger map fills in more U.S. gaps for electric-car charging

Green Car Reports

Tesla continues to expand its network of Supercharger DC fast-charging stations in the U.S., making it easier for owners to complete longer journeys in their electric cars. The company remains committed to offering a nationwide network of free-to-use fast-charging stations for its customers, and to expanding that network. It has made significant.

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Tesla reveals Model 3, takes in 115k reservations on first day

National Green Transportation

On Thursday evening, Tesla Motors unveiled the long-awaited Tesla Model 3 at its design studio in Hawthorne California. What was shown this evening is more than was promised over the last couple years. More range, 215 miles.

Tesla 54
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2016 CAR Event Highlights

Green Fleet Magazine

The 2016 Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR) took place March 16-17 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Now in its 21st year, CAR delivered high-quality discussions and information on subjects ranging from automating the if-bid system to how to maximize auction earnings to a look forward to residual values for 2016-2017. In addition, attendees had plenty of opportunities to network and build their personal and professional connections.

2016 52
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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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ORNL team develops better moldable thermoplastic by using lignin; 50% renewable content

Green Car Congress

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new class of high-performance thermoplastic elastomers for cars and other consumer products by replacing the styrene in ABS (acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene) with lignin, a brittle, rigid polymer that, with cellulose, forms the woody cell walls of plants. In doing so, they have invented a solvent-free production process that interconnects equal parts of nanoscale lignin dispersed in a synthetic rubber matrix to produce a m

Renewable 220
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Schaeffler shows micro-mobility bio-hybrid concept; 4-wheel pedelec with roof

Green Car Congress

Automotive supplier Schaeffler introduced a new micro-mobility concept during the “auto motor und sport” conference. This study shows how the company envisages a solution for urban individual forms of mobility. The Schaeffler concept combines the advantages of stability and weather protection with the energy consumption and space utilization of a pedelec.

Concept 217

More Trending

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UPS to invest $100M more in compressed natural gas, CNG vehicles and related infrastructure

Green Car Congress

UPS plans to build an additional 12 compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations and add 380 new CNG tractors to its growing alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet. The CNG fueling stations and vehicle purchases totaling $100 million are part of UPS’ ongoing commitment to diversify its fuel sources and reduce its environmental impact. UPS is working to meet its goal of logging one billion miles with its alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet by the end of 2017, using a Rolling L

El Paso 210
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MIT/CalTrans study finds pavement-vehicle interaction accounts for 1% of overall fuel consumption on California highways

Green Car Congress

A recent collaboration between the MIT’s Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) showed that phenomena associated with deflection-induced pavement-vehicle interaction (PVI) accounts for 1% of overall fuel consumption on California highways. Deflection-induced PVI—which results from a vehicle overcoming a resisting force (i.e. dissipating energy due to deformation of the pavement structure)—results in wasted fuel because the dissi

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Li-ion battery maker LG Chem recognized by GM as a 2015 Supplier of the Year Winner

Green Car Congress

Li-ion battery maker LG Chem was named a GM Supplier of the Year by General Motors during the automaker’s 24 th annual Supplier of the Year awards ceremony at Cobo Center in Detroit, Mich. GM recognized 110 of its best suppliers from 17 countries who have consistently exceeded GM’s expectations, created outstanding value, or brought new innovations to the company.

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King County Metro completes accelerated durability and reliability testing of Proterra electric bus

Green Car Congress

King County Metro Transit (KCM) in Washington state has completed an accelerated durability and reliability test of the Proterra Catalyst 40' FC (fast charge) battery-electric bus. Simulating one year of continuous operation with a constant 97 passenger equivalent load, this was the most rigorous test of its nature yet performed in the industry. Operating 24 hours per day over the 106-day period, the Proterra Catalyst vehicle achieved 32,545 total miles—nearly twice the distance of standar

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

Brief

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Damen delivers hybrid tugboat to Royal Netherlands Navy; up to 30% lower fuel consumption, 40% fewer emissions

Green Car Congress

International shipyard group Damen recently delivered the first of a series of three hybrid tugboats (ASD TUGs 2810 Hybrid) to the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN). This 28.67-meter hybrid tug is named Noordzee and is the first standard hybrid tug supplied by Damen that the RNLN will employ. Compared with other tugs, hybrid versions use up to 30% less fuel and produce 40% fewer exhaust emissions.

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China R&D company introduces micro-turbine range extender technology at Geneva

Green Car Congress

Techrules, a new China-based automotive R&D company, made its global debut at the 2016 Geneva International Motor Show with the unveiling of a Turbine-Recharging Electric Vehicle (TREV) series hybrid system applied in a 6-motor, all-wheel drive supercar concept. TREV is a range extender system that uses a micro-turbine (fueled either by liquid or gaseous fuels) to generate electricity that charges a battery pack.

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Morgan launches three-wheeled Morgan EV3 at Geneva

Green Car Congress

The Morgan Motor Company is launching the three-wheeled Morgan EV3 , the company’s first production electric vehicle, at the Geneva Motor Show. Following a soft launch of the Phase 1 EV3 mule vehicle in 2015, Morgan is showcasing the final pre-production phase car with restyled body and interior. Fitted with a 20 kWh Li-ion battery pack and a liquid-cooled 46 kW motor driving the rear wheel, and weighing less than 500 kg (1,100 lbs), the all-electric 3 Wheeler has a range of 150 miles (241 km).

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Toyota GAZOO Racing introduces TS050 hybrid racer for 2016 WEC season; moves up to 8MJ class with Li-ion battery

Green Car Congress

Toyota GAZOO Racing revealed the all-new TS050 HYBRID LMP1 racer—Toyota’s third new car since joining WEC in 2012—for the 2016 World Endurance Championship ( WEC ) competition. Following an unsuccessful defense of its World Championship titles in 2015, Toyota set itself tough performance targets in order to compete once again at the front of the field, featuring fellow LMP1-Hybrid manufacturers Porsche and Audi.

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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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Transport for London launches first all-electric, long-range double-decker BYD buses into service

Green Car Congress

Transport for London (TfL) has introduced the first long-range, battery-electric BYD Double-Decker buses into revenue service routes. TfL celebrated the historic decision to deploy its first all-electric double decker buses with a special ceremony at London city hall this week with London’s Deputy Mayor of Environment and Energy, Matthew Pencharz formally receiving the first bus from BYD Europe.

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Nissan office in France to house largest grid-integrated EV system yet

Green Car Congress

Nissan’s new regional office in France will house the largest grid-integrated electric vehicle (EV) system and second-life battery storage unit yet installed in a building, anywhere. The new building will feature 100 vehicle-to-grid chargers, from Nissan’s partner ENEL, allowing Nissan’s range of EVs to plug in and draw down energy from the grid at off-peak periods with the ability to “sell back” the stored energy to the grid.

France 195
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Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle driven for 16 hours/day for 107 days in road test in Germany

Green Car Congress

Toyota’s new hydrogen fuel cell car, the Mirai, successfully completed a 100,000 kilometer (62,000-mile) European road test. The test started on 21 September 2015 and finished on 10 February 2016. Every day for 107 days, the Mirai was on the road for 16 hours. The car was refueled nearly 400 times with just over 1,000 kg of hydrogen, its tires changed twice, and its front brake pads replaced.

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LLNL team finds certain graphene metal oxide nanocomposites increase Li-ion capacity and cycling performance

Green Car Congress

Material scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have found that certain graphene metal oxide (GMO) nanocomposites increase capacity and improve cycling performance in lithium-ion batteries. The team synthesized and compared the electrochemical performance of three representative graphene metal oxide nanocomposites—Fe 2 O 3 /graphene, SnO 2 /graphene, and TiO 2 /graphene—and found that two of them greatly improved reversible lithium storage capacity.

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ETI to launch project to develop Flettner rotor sails for ships; seeking at least 10% improvement in fuel efficiency

Green Car Congress

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) in the UK is seeking partners for a new project which it hopes will deliver fuel savings of at least 10% for large shipping vessels. The Flettner Rotor Supply, Install and Commission Project will deliver a full scale demonstrator of Flettner Rotor technology on a large ocean going vessel which the ETI intends to source for the demonstration phase.

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7 finalists announced for USDOT Smart City Challenge; Amazon Web Services new partner

Green Car Congress

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, joined by Barbara Bennett, President and COO of Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc. and Rick Clemmer CEO of NXP Semiconductors, announced the seven finalists for the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Smart City Challenge. ( Earlier post.) The USDOT has pledged up to $40 million (funding subject to future appropriations) to one city to help it define what it means to be a “Smart City “and become the country’s first city to fully integrate innovative techn

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DOE to award $12.5M to improve efficiency of medium- and heavy-duty trucks as part of new tech track for US-China initiative

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy is soliciting applications ( DE-FOA-0001542 ) for the formation of a Consortium to pursue five identified R&D topic areas related to improving the operating efficiency of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The Consortium that is funded through this solicitation will form a new technical track under the US-China Clean Energy Research Center , a bilateral initiative to encourage R&D collaboration and accelerate technology development and deployment in both countries.

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Researchers convert atmospheric CO2 to carbon nanofibers and nanotubes for use as anodes in Li-ion and Na-ion batteries

Green Car Congress

Researchers from George Washington University and Vanderbilt University have demonstrated the conversion of atmospheric CO 2 into carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for use as high-performance anodes in both lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. As described in an open-access paper in the journal ACS Central Science , optimized storage capacities were more than 370 mAh g -1 (lithium) and 130 mAh g -1 (sodium) with no capacity fade under durability tests up to 200 and 600 cycles

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UK EV startup develops prototype for riderless electric bike

Green Car Congress

A crowdfunded London-based EV startup, Sparky Automotive , says it has developed a prototype for a riderless electric bike. Using the same electronic gyroscope technology as the Segway PT, the bike can negotiate traffic lights, road junctions and pedestrian crossings in much the same way as a driverless car—but it much cheaper and less dangerous in a collision than a full size vehicle.

London 183
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Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia partner to investigate options for locally produced aviation biofuel

Green Car Congress

In a trans-Tasman alliance, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia are issuing a Request for Information (RFI) to the market to explore the opportunity to procure locally-produced aviation biofuel. Air New Zealand Chief Flight Operations and Safety Officer Captain David Morgan says the airline recognizes the impact aviation has on the environment and this RFI is a key initiative under its carbon management program.

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BMW rolls out new strategy, focusing on further advances in e-mobility and automated driving; Project i 2.0

Green Car Congress

BMW has revealed initial details of its new strategy, “Strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT”. The BMW Group sees digitalization as an opportunity to make mobile life simpler, safer and more convenient, thereby capturing new customer groups. In the coming years, the Group will focus on broadening its technological expertise, expanding the scope of digital connectivity between people, vehicles and services and actively strengthening sustainable mobility.

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Toyota developing wearable mobility device for the blind and visually impaired

Green Car Congress

Toyota is developing a wearable device for the blind and visually impaired that will help them do more with greater freedom, independence and confidence. Called Project BLAID, it reflects the company’s commitment to enrich lives by advancing the freedom of mobility for all. The device will help fill the gaps left by canes, dogs and basic GPS devices by providing users with more information about their surroundings.

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Nestlé Waters North America adds 155 new medium-duty propane autogas trucks to delivery fleet

Green Car Congress

Nestlé Waters North America is adding more than 150 medium-duty beverage delivery trucks fueled by propane autogas. Over the vehicles’ lifetime, the 155 Ford F-650 trucks will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 24.6 million pounds. These units will be deployed beginning in April. The new medium-duty delivery trucks, added to the company’s existing autogas fleet of 30 Ford trucks of the same model, will also help the company save on maintenance and fuel costs.

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Lawrence Livermore and IBM collaborate on new supercomputer based on TrueNorth neurosynaptic chip; accelerating path to exascale computing

Green Car Congress

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) will receive a first-of-a-kind brain-inspired supercomputing platform for deep learning developed by IBM Research. Based on a breakthrough neurosynaptic computer chip called IBM TrueNorth ( earlier post ), the scalable platform will process the equivalent of 16 million neurons and 4 billion synapses and consume the energy equivalent of a hearing aid battery—a mere 2.5 watts of power.

Universal 177
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Tesla unveils Model 3; delivery by end of 2017; already 115,000 reservations placed

Green Car Congress

Tesla Chairman and CEO Elon Musk unveiled the long-anticipated Model 3 as the culminating step—a mass-market, affordable electric vehicle—in Tesla’s “Master Plan” to accelerate the transition to sustainable transport. Musk said that the Model 3 will start at $35,000; achieve 5-Star ratings in every safety category; accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than six seconds; and have at least a 215-mile (346 km) EPA range rating.

2017 174
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ORNL achieves 90% efficiency with 20 kW wireless charging for vehicles; looking ahead to 50 kW

Green Car Congress

A 20-kilowatt wireless charging system demonstrated at Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has achieved 90 percent efficiency and at three times the rate of the plug-in systems commonly used for electric vehicles today. ORNL’s power electronics team achieved this world’s first 20 kW wireless charging system for passenger cars by developing a unique architecture that included an ORNL-built inverter, isolation transformer, vehicle-side electronics and coupling technologies—a

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New renewable hydrocarbon fuel pathway uses platform molecule acetoin produced by biomass fermentation

Green Car Congress

Researchers at Nanjing Tech University in China have developed a new pathway for the production of liquid hydrocarbon fuels from lignocellulose. The new Nanjing Tech process uses acetoin—a novel C 4 platform molecule derived from new ABE (acetoin–butanol–ethanol)-type fermentation via metabolic engineering—as a bio-based building block for the production of the liquid hydrocarbon fuels.

Renewable 174
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Ioxus introduces ultracap-based uSTART drop-in battery replacement for Class 3-6 trucks

Green Car Congress

Ioxus, Inc. is offering the ultracapacitor-based uSTART engine starting system for Class 3-6 trucks as a drop-in replacement product that needs no special wiring. Ioxus says the product increases the vehicle bus voltage by greater than 10% during crank, reducing cranking time by more than 20%; reducing peak current to the starter by more than 15%; reducing the cycling seen by the battery by more than 40%; increases starter life by more than 30%; and provides a built-in jump start system that wil

Lead Acid 174
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EPA report: diesel engine grant program has delivered major air, public health benefits

Green Car Congress

Clean diesel grants aimed at cleaning up old diesel engines have greatly improved public health by cutting harmful pollution that causes premature deaths, asthma attacks, and missed school and workdays, according to a new report by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Since its start in 2008, the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) program has significantly improved air quality for communities across the country by retrofitting and replacing older diesel engines.

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Chinese researchers develop novel aluminum–graphite dual-ion battery

Green Car Congress

A team from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a novel, environmentally friendly low-cost battery. The new aluminum-graphite dual-ion battery (AGDIB) offers significantly reduced weight, volume, and fabrication cost, as well as higher energy density, in comparison with conventional LIBs.

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