Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 10, 2014

'Total US sales of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs)—battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric—have increased in recent years, but still represent only about 0.7% of new vehicle sales in 2014 so far, up from 0.6% in 2013 and 0.4% in 2012. California is home to almost half of all of the nation’s PEVs, but even in California, only about 5 out of every 1,000 registered vehicles are PEVs, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

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Plug-in Tax Credit California Rhode Island 381

Green Car Reports

DECEMBER 22, 2014

'As a long-time Tesla Model S owner—almost two years now—I was naturally eager to get behind the wheel of the new dual-motor P85D. I’d had a couple of brief stints in 416-hp P85 loaners while my standard S85 was in for service. Those had been exhilarating enough, almost scary. What would it be like to drive a Model S with 691 hp.

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Electric Cars are for Girls

DECEMBER 3, 2014

'For the first time in around 80 years, it is possible in many parts of the world to buy a used electric car.

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Electric Cars Cars Electrical Electric 189

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 5, 2014

'The Nikkei reports that Toyota will invest about ¥20 billion yen ($165 million) to triple production capacity in Japan for its new Mirai fuel cell vehicle ( earlier post ) to meet what it describes as strong corporate and public-sector demand. The Mirai is due to go on sale in Japan 15 December; Toyota expects orders to exceed its current annual capacity of 700 units by the release date.

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Japan Toyota Fuel Production 348

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Norway

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 13, 2014

'POWERFUL two-cylinder, two-stroke diesel. Click to enlarge. At its recent Innovations@Renault event, the France-based automaker presented three research prototypes developed in tandem with its partners as cooperative projects: a mild-hybrid diesel produced as part of the HYDIVU (Hybrid Diesel for LCVs); a two-cylinder, two-stroke diesel from the POWERFUL (POWERtrain for FUture Light-duty vehicles) project ( earlier post ); and an electric light commercial van developed as part of the du VELUD (

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Diesel Hybrid Engine Light 341

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 17, 2014

'Starting June 2016 a prototype for a new Scania plug-in hybrid bus (based on Scania Citywide Low Entry) will go into daily operation in Södertälje. Click to enlarge. Scania is undertaking intensive research into various types of electrification technologies that could replace or complement combustion engines. Inductive charging is among the options the company is exploring and would enable vehicles wirelessly to recharge their batteries via electrified roads.

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Plug-in Sweden Plug Hybrid 338

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 8, 2014

'Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have used computational fluid dynamics modeling to investigate cycle-to-cycle instability of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) and reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) engines—two approaches to low-temperature combustion. Low-temperature combustion engines offer the promise of simultaneously increasing engine efficiency and reduce NO x and PM emissions, but have not been widely implemented due to difficulties con

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Wisconsin Exhaust Diesel Gas 329

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 25, 2014

'Mitsubishi Motors’ Outlander PHEV is now also able to supply electrical power to the home in Japan using the SMART V2H (vehicle-to-home) system made by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, the EVPower Station made by Nichicon Corporation and the Tsubaki eLINK made by Tsubakimoto Chain Co. Connecting to the V2H system is available only with vehicles with a CHAdeMO quick charging socket installed.

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Mitsubishi PHEV Supplies i-MiEV 322

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 19, 2014

'New Volvo Bus 7900 Electric Hybrid (plug-in hybrid) buses ( earlier post ) began scheduled operation in Hamburg on 18 December, coinciding with the opening of the Innovation Route 109. The public transport company in Hamburg, the Hamburger Hochbahn AG, is using the route to run comparative tests of innovative drive technologies under the strict everyday conditions of scheduled services.

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PHEV Hybrid Volvo Charging 316

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 17, 2014

'CO 2 emissions of the B-Class Electric Drive compared with the B 180 gasoline-engine variant [t/car]. Click to enlarge. The Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive ( earlier post ) delivers up to 64% lower CO 2 emissions than the equivalent B 180 gasoline model (when charged with hydroelectricity), according to Mercedes-Benz and TÜV Süd. The 132 kW B Class Electric Drive has a range of some 200 km (124 miles).

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Gasoline-Electric Gasoline Mercedes Emissions 316

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 3, 2014

'GMZ Energy, a market leader in the development of high-temperature thermoelectric generation (TEG) solutions, has successfully demonstrated a 1,000W TEG designed for diesel engine exhaust heat recapture in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. ( Earlier post.) This announcement follows GMZ’s June 2014 demonstration of its 200W diesel TEG. The company integrated five of its 200W TEGs into a single 1,000 W diesel engine solution that directly converts exhaust waste heat into electrical energy to increase f

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Energy Vehicles Waste Exhaust 316

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 12, 2014

'Ioxus, a manufacturer of premium performance ultracapacitor technology for use in transportation, industrial and energy applications, has introduced high-temperature 1250 Farad (F) cells with Titan high-temperature technology. Titan follows Ioxus’ earlier release of the results of an extensive durability test of its flagship hybrid bus product, the 48V / 165F module. ( Earlier post.).

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Transportation Volt 2013 Design 299

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 11, 2014

'Ashby plot of strength vs. density for engineering materials. (Yield strength for metals and polymers, tear strength for elastomers, compressive strength for ceramics, and tensile strength for composites.) The low-density HEA is indicated with the star. Youssef et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers from North Carolina State University and Qatar University have developed a new high-entropy alloy that has a higher strength-to-weight ratio that they say is unmatched by any other metallic material.

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Light Qatar North Carolina Universal 299

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 5, 2014

'Siemens Energy Management Division has teamed with Duke Energy and Ford to demonstrate the results of an 18-month effort to reduce the cost and expand electric vehicle charging technologies. Held at the Duke Energy Envision Center in Erlanger, Ky., and utilizing a Ford Fusion Energi Plug-In Hybrid, Siemens provided the first UL-approved residential electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) to demonstrate the ability to monitor status, report energy use, and be controlled locally from the local a

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Plug-in Ford Plug Charging 299

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Guyana

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 31, 2014

'Power and torque curves for stock and performance-tuned Focus ST with 2.0L I-4 EcoBoost. Click to enlarge. Ford is now offering EcoBoost engines in all of its high-performance nameplates—from Fiesta ST to Mustang—enabling a new kind of aftermarket tuning. Modifying engine performance can be accomplished with hand-held programmers that adjust several engine parameters; adjusting engine control unit programming can result in performance gains of up to 90 lb-ft (122 N·m) of torq

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Ford Africa Engine 2015 290

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 25, 2014

'Vitruvian Energy is trying to crowd-fund its novel biofuel EEB (ethyl 3-ethoxybutyrate). EEB is produced from organic waste, including (and initially) sewage treatment bio-solids—the leftover, dirt-like organic material that remains after a community’s wastewater is treated. With 20 days left in the campaign, the company has raised $3,500 of a targeted $200,000.

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Gasoline-Electric Gasoline Diesel Alabama 290

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 8, 2014

'A team at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has compared the dynamics of the four leading driving cycles worldwide—the US CAFE standards (a composite of FTP75 and HWFET); the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC); Japan’s JC08; and the recently developed Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Test Cycle (WLTC)—and their impacts on fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions on an equal basis.

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Conversion Emissions CO2 Global 290

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 12, 2014

'The new Q7. Click to enlarge. Audi will present the new second-generation Audi Q7 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. In addition to other advances in drivetrain, chassis, lightweight construction, assistance systems and infotainment systems, the new Q7 will also offer an e-tron quattro version: the first plug-in hybrid with a six-cylinder diesel engine and quattro all-wheel drive.

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Audi PHEV Diesel SUV 278

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 23, 2014

'Hybrid in flight. Click to enlarge. Researchers from the University of Cambridge, in association with Boeing, have successfully tested a light aircraft powered by a parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system, in which an electric motor and gasoline engine work together to drive the propeller. The demonstrator aircraft—based on a single-seat, ultralight Song motor glider—uses up to 30% less fuel than a comparable plane with a gasoline-only engine.

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Light Hybrid Fuel Gasoline-Electric 277

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 23, 2014

'In a new report analyzing the emerging global market for technologies that improve fuel economy, Navigant Research forecasts that sales of gasoline and diesel stop-start vehicles (SSVs) will reach 63 million annually by 2025, representing 58% of all vehicles sold in that year. SSVs eliminate idling when the vehicle is stopped and restart the engine when the driver moves from brake to accelerator.

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Gasoline Diesel Vehicles Downsizing 275

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 12, 2014

'A team of researchers in Italy has developed a new palladium-doped anode for direct alcohol fuel cells that produces peak power and current densities (using ethanol at 80?°C) approaching the output of hydrogen-fed proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). A paper on their work is published in the RSC journal ChemSusChem. Direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs), which belong to the family of alkaline fuel cells, are electrochemical devices that continuously convert the chemical energy of an alcoho

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Fuel Power Powered 2006 275

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 10, 2014

'Mazda Motor Corporation, in conjunction with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, has developed a new bio-based engineering plastic that can be used for exterior design parts for automobiles. The new plastic will help Mazda to reduce its impact on the environment in a number of ways. As the plastic is made from plant-derived materials, its adoption will help to curb the use of petroleum resources and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

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Mazda Parts Engine Polymer 275

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 11, 2014

'The California Energy Commission approved its first $10 million to fund Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) research and development (R&D) projects during its monthly business meeting today. The Commission also approved grants for the operation of a hydrogen fueling station, biofuel production, geothermal exploration and rooftop solar for schools.

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California San Diego Energy Solar 271

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 5, 2014

'by Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com. The oil and gas boom in the United States was made possible by the extensive credit afforded to drillers. Not only has financing come from company shareholders and traditional banks, but hundreds of billions of dollars have also come from junk-bond investors looking for high returns. Junk-bond debt in energy has reached $210 billion, which is about 16 percent of the $1.3 trillion junk-bond market.

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Oil Prices Oil Price North Dakota 270

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 3, 2014

'The mesh with BiVO 4 nanowire photoanode for water oxidation and Rh-SrTiO 3 nanowire photocathode for water reduction produces hydrogen gas without an electron mediator. Credit: ACS, Liu et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers from UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have developed a new technology for direct solar water-splitting—i.e., an “artificial leaf” to produce hydrogen—based on a nanowire mesh that lends itself to l

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Water Solar Design Singapore 270

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 22, 2014

'The collapse in world oil prices in the second half of 2014 will have only a moderate impact on the fast-developing low-carbon transition in the world electricity system, according to research firm Bloomberg New Energy Finance. However, the slump in the Brent crude price per barrel from $112.36 on 30 June to $61.60 on 22 December will nevertheless have an impact in various sectors and regions.

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Oil Prices Oil Price Carbon 268

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 19, 2014

'In a pre-Christmas media event, Ford president and CEO Mark Fields said while 2014 was a good year for the company, 2015 has the potential to be a “ breakthrough year ”. Fields said that Ford’s investments in products, people, plants and technology, combined with industry growth, are not only delivering a year of growth in terms of revenue, pricing power, operating margins and profitability in 2014, but are setting the stage for growth in and beyond 2015.

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Ford Connect Connected Global 268

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 11, 2014

'Among the winning powerplants for the 2015 edition of Ward’s 10 Best Engines are the 127 kW electric motor in the BMW i3 EV and the 100-kW fuel cell in Hyundai’s Tucson FCV. The other winners are: 6.2L OHV V-8 (Chevrolet Corvette Stingray). 6.2L Supercharged OHV V-8 (Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat). 1.0L Turbocharged DOHC 3-cyl. (Ford Fiesta). 1.5L Turbocharged DOHC 3-cyl.

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Tucson 2015 BMW Motoring 268

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 6, 2014

'Alcoa’s Micromill has a much smaller footprint than conventional direct casting technology, and produces automotive aluminum alloys with 40% greater formability and 30% greater strength. Click to enlarge. Alcoa has developed new manufacturing technology—the Micromill—that will produce what the company says is the most advanced aluminum sheet on the market.

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Manufacturer San Antonio Production Future 268

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 9, 2014

'Qualcomm Incorporated has invested in Chargemaster Plc, the UK’s largest manufacturer and operator of electric vehicle charging points. The two companies have been working together for several years. The move will accelerate the planned UK development, production and deployment of Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging (WEVC) technology, Chargemaster said.

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Charging Installation Electric Vehicles Europe 261

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 19, 2014

'Volvo Cars, protective gravity sports gear manufacturer POC and Ericsson will present an innovative safety technology connecting drivers and cyclists at the International CES in Las Vegas next month. The technology consists of a connected car and helmet prototype that will establish 2-way communication, offering proximity alerts to Volvo drivers and cyclists with the goal of avoiding accidents.

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Volvo Connect Connected 2015 259

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 9, 2014

'Achates Power, Inc., the developer of a family of efficient compression-ignition opposed-piston two-stroke (OP2S) engines ( earlier post ) has secured another contract with a leading global OEM. With this contract, the company has five concurrent customers the contracts for which encompass five different engine applications: passenger vehicle, light commercial vehicle, heavy commercial vehicle, military and marine/stationary power.

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Engine Power Powered Congress 259

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 15, 2014

'The driver has the i3 park itself in a multi-story garage using a smartwatch. Click to enlarge. BMW will demonstrate new driver assistance and automated control functions including 360-degree collision avoidance and fully-automated parking in multi-story parking garages at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015 in January. The platform for 360-degree collision avoidance is secure position and environment recognition; the research vehicle is a BMW i3.

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BMW Environment Connect Connected 257

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 9, 2014

'Bloomberg recently reported that the Volkswagen Group has made an investment in QuantumScape, a Silicon Valley stealth startup commercializing a novel solid-state energy storage technology—the “All-Electron Battery” (AEB), originally developed at Stanford and supported by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) ARPA-E BEEST program ( earlier post ), as noted by Katie Fehrenbacher at GigaOM.

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Energy Storage Li-ion Energy Batteries 257