July, 2016

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DOE awarding $15M to 3 algae-based biofuel and bioproducts projects

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding up to $15 million for three projects aimed at reducing the production costs of algae-based biofuels and bioproducts through improvements in algal biomass yields. These projects will develop highly productive algal cultivation systems and couple those systems with effective, energy-efficient, and low-cost harvest and processing technologies.

San Diego 239
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A Love Letter To My Other Woman

Creative Greenius

This is my love letter to Bonnie Raitt – the other woman in my life. I am here in Santa Barbara with Deb, celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary, having driven up the coast 100 miles from our home in Redondo Beach to see Bonnie play at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Bonnie doesn’t know I’m here. I didn’t let her know I was coming.

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Camera supplier Mobileye drops Tesla as customer, citing Autopilot crash

Green Car Reports

The ongoing investigation into a fatal May 7 crash involving a Model S driving on Autopilot has cost Tesla some of its credibility with the public. Now, it's also cost the electric-car maker a supplier relationship important to the semi-autonomous driving system. Israeli camera supplier Mobileye will no longer supply equipment used for Autopilot.

Tesla 101
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20 Spec'ing Mistakes that Negatively Impact Truck Resale

Green Fleet Magazine

When spec'ing a truck, it is critical to find the balance between building a truck to perform the intended job function and ensuring there will be a strong secondary buyer demand in the resale market at the end of its lifecycle.

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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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Which is better for fuel economy, windows open or AC on?

Green Cars News

It’s hot and sticky, but what’s really best? Opening the windows or turning on the air con? It’s a question that many drivers have pondered over the y.

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Obama Administration launches series of actions to accelerate EV adoption; inc. $4.5B in loan guarantees, pursuing 350 kW fast charge

Green Car Congress

The Obama Administration has announced a series of actions from the Federal government, private sector, and states, as well as a new framework for collaboration for vehicle manufacturers, electric utilities, electric vehicle charging companies, and states, all geared towards accelerating the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and putting more electric vehicles on the road.

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More Trending

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DOE awarding $13M to advance fuel cell performance and durability and H2 storage technologies

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced more than $13 million in funding for the advancement of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. These projects, selected through collaborative research consortia, will leverage industry, university and laboratory expertise to accelerate advanced hydrogen storage technologies and fuel cell performance and durability.

St. Louis 264
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First public flight of Siemens 260kW electric motor; to be used in development of hybrid-electric aircraft

Green Car Congress

Siemens researchers have developed a new type of electric motor that, with a weight of just 50 kilograms, delivers a continuous output of about 260 kilowatts—five times more than comparable drive systems. ( Earlier post.) This record-setting propulsion system successfully completed its first public flight at Schwarze Heide Airport near Dinslaken, Germany, where it powered an Extra 330LE aerobatic airplane.

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Genovation’s GXE breaks street-legal all-electric land speed record: 205.6 mph

Green Car Congress

Genovation broke the land speed record for a street-legal all-electric vehicle with the Genovation Extreme Electric car (GXE). The GXE reached 205.6 mph (330.88 km/h) during supervised tests with Johnny Bohmer Racing at Space Florida’s Shuttle Landing Facility in Kennedy Space Center, FL. The record was certified by the International Mile Racing Association (IMRA).

Legal 223
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Utah, Minnesota team discover highly conductive oxide-based materials; STO/NTO offer “different road to power electronics”

Green Car Congress

Engineers from the University of Utah and the University of Minnesota have discovered that interfacing two particular oxide-based materials—strontium titanate (STO) and neodymium titanate (NTO)—makes them highly conductive, a boon for future power electronics that could result in more power-efficient laptops, electric cars and home appliances that also don’t need cumbersome power supplies.

Utah 212
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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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U of I study: synthetic fuels via CO2 conversion and FT not currently economically & environmentally competitive

Green Car Congress

A study by a team at University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign has found that, with currently achievable performance levels, synthetic fuels produced via the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 and the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process system are not economically and environmentally competitive with using petroleum-based fuel. A paper detailing the study is published in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels.

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Daimler Trucks unveils electric heavy-duty Urban eTruck from Mercedes-Benz; fleet trial for the light-duty Fuso Canter E-Cell

Green Car Congress

Daimler Trucks has unveiled the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck, an all-electric, short-radius distribution heavy-duty truck, based on a three-axle truck from Mercedes-Benz. The entire conventional drivetrain has been replaced by an electrically driven rear axle with electric motors directly adjacent to the wheel hubs. Their maximum output is 2 x 125 kW, while the peak torque is 2 x 500 N·m.

Mercedes 207
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NREL supports propane-to-electricity shuttle bus conversion at Zion National Park

Green Car Congress

NREL is evaluating the drive-cycle characteristics of a fleet of propane-powered shuttle buses operating at Zion National Park. The National Park Service (NPS) originally deployed the propane buses in 2000 to reduce congestion along the park’s main traffic corridor. As the propane-powered fleet ages and associated maintenance costs rise, NPS is working with NREL to use this drive-cycle information to optimize the conversion of 14 of its propane buses to run on electricity.

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ABB wins 1st commercial order for 600 kW 15-second flash charging technology; electric buses in Geneva

Green Car Congress

ABB has been awarded orders totaling more than $16 million by Transports Publics Genevois (TPG), Geneva’s public transport operator, and Swiss bus manufacturer HESS, to provide flash charging and on-board electric vehicle technology for 12 TOSA (Trolleybus Optimisation Système Alimentation) fully electric buses (e-buses) which will run on Line 23, connecting Geneva’s airport with suburban Geneva.

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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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BMW provides some insight into Dingolfing eDrive competence center; motors, battery packs and more

Green Car Congress

During its Innovation Days 2016 event in Munich, the BMW Group provided some insight into its Dingolfing competence center for the manufacture of electric drive systems (eDrive). Dingolfing supplies the high-voltage batteries and other chassis and powertrain components for BMW i models and the BMW Group’s plug-in hybrid models—current (earlier post) and future.

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BMW introduces its trio of 7 Series plug-in hybrids

Green Car Congress

BMW has introduced its three 7 Series plug-in hybrid luxury sedans: the 740e iPerformance, 740Le iPerformance, and the 740Le xDrive iPerformance. ( Earlier post.) The trio source their power from a latest-generation four-cylinder gasoline engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology and an electric motor. Together, they deliver a system output of 240 kW/326 hp.

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New hybrid sweetgum trees could boost paper, bioenergy production

Green Car Congress

Researchers at the University of Georgia (UGA) have crossed American sweetgums with their Chinese cousins, creating hybrid sweetgum trees that have a better growth rate and denser wood than natives, and can produce fiber year-round. The hybrid sweetgum trees have enormous potential for the production of bioenergy and paper, said Scott Merkle, a professor in UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.

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Study: Overall automotive aluminum recycling rate above 90%

Green Car Congress

New research from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s (WPI) Center for Resource Recovery and Recycling calculated an overall recycling rate of 91% for automotive aluminum. The peer-reviewed study, funded by the Aluminum Association, examines how much aluminum used in the United States’ light-duty automotive sector is recovered and recycled from vehicles at end of life.

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Efficient Drivetrains selected as part of $8.2M San Diego port electrification project

Green Car Congress

Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI), a developer of high-efficiency hybrid and electric drivetrain solutions, was selected as a drivetrain provider and vehicle integrator for an electrification program driven by the San Diego Port Tenants Association ( SDPTA ). Also selected as part of the San Diego project were BYD and Transportation Power. Technology subcontractors are Peloton, GC Green, Greenlining Institute, and carbonBLU.

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Consumer Reports calls on Tesla to disable and update auto steering function, remove “Autopilot” name

Green Car Congress

Consumer Reports is calling on Tesla to disable the automatic steering function in the Autopilot driving-assist system available in its Model S vehicles until the company updates the function to confirm that the driver’s hands remain on the steering wheel at all times. The consumer organization, which has owned and tested three Teslas (2013 Model S 85, 2014 Model S P85D, and 2016 Model X 90D), said that Tesla should also change the name of the Autopilot feature because it promotes a potentially

Auto 190
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Opinion: Feet where our heads should be: Are we going about EVs the wrong way round?

Green Car Congress

by Roger Bedell, Founder, Opbrid. Are we looking at vehicle electrification upside down? Why are we focusing on electrifying smaller vehicles like cars and delivery trucks when electrifying really big trucks makes the most economic sense? Electricity is about ½ the cost of diesel or gasoline. This means the more fuel you burn, the more money you save.

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BMW unveils latest Efficient Dynamics 3- and 4-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines

Green Car Congress

At its Innovation Days 2016 event in Munich, BMW unveiled new versions of its three and four- cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. Like their predecessors, the new power units are based on the modular system that enables the application of consistent design principles, a shared architecture and matching components. The key elements of the standardized concept include the in-line engine’s basic design principle; an aluminium crankcase with uniform positioning of the intake and exhaust sides; a c

Gasoline 183
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Researchers improve aluminum-air battery performance by using flax straw extract as corrosion inhibitor

Green Car Congress

In a paper in ChemSusChem , a team from Israel and Russia reports substantial improvements in the performance of aluminum-air batteries by adding flax straw extract (3 vol %) to the alkaline solution to act as a mixed-type aluminum corrosion inhibitor. The Aluminum-air battery, a metal-air battery system which uses a catalytic air cathode in combination with an electrolyte and an aluminum anode, has been of great interest for a number of years due to its high theoretical specific energy. ( Earli

Batteries 183
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UK team produces hydrogen from fescue grass via photocatalytic reforming

Green Car Congress

A team of researchers from the UK’s Cardiff University’s Cardiff Catalysis Institute and Queen’s University Belfast have shown that significant amounts of hydrogen can be unlocked from fescue grass—without significant pre-treatment—using sunlight and a metal-loaded titania photocatalyst. An open access paper on their work is published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A.

Hydrogen 183
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Protean Electric raises $70M to accelerate adoption of in-wheel drive systems for electrified vehicles in China

Green Car Congress

Protean Electric, developer and manufacturer of in-wheel electric drive systems, has raised $70 million in new funding from GO Scale Capital, Zhejiang VIE Science & Technology Co. Ltd., and Tianjin THSG Corporation. Existing investors Oak Investment Partners and GSR Ventures co-invested in Protean’s equity financing round. The investment follows Protean’s announcement in May that it is setting up a manufacturing site in Tianjin, China to commercialize its model PD18 in-wheel motor in order to me

China 183
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Neos and Lockheed Martin to develop enhanced next-gen airborne gravity gradiometer to advance ability to find oil, gas & minerals

Green Car Congress

In partnership with Lockheed Martin, Neos Inc. will develop a new generation sensor to be used to find oil, gas and minerals beneath the earth’s surface from the air. The new Full Tensor Gradiometry (FTG) Plus technology has 20 times the sensitivity and 10 times greater bandwidth than current gravity gradiometers, according to Neos. Gravity gradiometers have been commercially used for more than 20 years and militarily longer than that.

Oil 199
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Skeleton Technologies joins Flying Whales program to develop next generation of heavy-lift, large-capacity airships

Green Car Congress

European ultracapacitor manufacturer Skeleton Technologies will join French firm Flying Whales’ program to build a 60-ton Large Capacity Airship (LCA60T, for the global transport market. Skeleton Technologies will join the program to help design and build hybrid propulsion for the LCA60T’s electric power systems. Average operational power is expected to be approximately 1.5 MW with the company’s graphene-based ultracapacitors assisting to cover the additional 2 MW peaks for hovering, lifting and

Morocco 199
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PM2.5 linked to increased rates of kidney disease in China

Green Car Congress

While fine particulate air pollution is known to cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, a new study indicates that it also likely causes damage to the kidneys. Specifically, the study found that the likelihood of developing membranous nephropathy, an immune disorder of the kidneys that can lead to kidney failure, increased 13% annually from 2004 to 2014 in China.

China 199
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Porsche ramping up hiring for Mission E; leveraging the 919 Hybrid

Green Car Congress

Porsche said it will hire more than 1,400 new employees in the Stuttgart region to work on the development and production of the first all-electric sports car from Porsche, the Mission E. ( Earlier post , earlier post.). The company plans to recruit in the fields of digitalization, e-mobility, smart mobility and vehicle connectivity. Porsche will also focus on recruiting production planners familiar with Factory 4.0 and digital production and will hire more than 100 IT specialists as well.

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FCC adopts new rules for wireless broadband above 24 GHz; foundation for 5G

Green Car Congress

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has adopted new rules for wireless broadband operations in frequencies above 24 GHz, making the United States the first country in the world to make this spectrum available for next generation wireless services. Building on the flexible approach to spectrum policy that enabled the explosion of 4G (LTE), these rules set a strong foundation for the rapid advancement to next-generation 5G networks and technologies in the United States.

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Google teaching autonomous vehicles to share road safely with cyclists

Green Car Congress

In the latest monthly report on its autonomous driving project, Google engineers outlined some of the steps they are taking to teach their self-driving cars to share the road safely with cyclists. Google currently has 24 Lexus RX450h SUVs and 34 prototype vehicles on the road with autonomous driving capability. The Google autonomous fleet has so far racked up 1,725,911 miles driven in autonomous mode, with 1,158,921 miles driven manually.

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Tesla ramps production to 2,000 units per week; targeting 2,400 in Q4

Green Car Congress

Tesla produced 18,345 vehicles in Q2 2016, an increase of 20% from Q1, and exited the quarter consistently producing just under 2,000 vehicles per week. Due to the steep production ramp, almost half of the quarter’s production occurred in the final four weeks. With continued productivity improvements, Tesla expects output to reach 2,200 vehicles per week in Q3 and 2,400 vehicles per week in Q4.

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Researchers significantly improve H2 storage properties of sodium aluminium hydride by doping with 2D titanium carbide

Green Car Congress

A team at Zhejiang University in China has significantly enhanced the hydrogen storage properties of sodium aluminum hydride (NaAlH 4 ) by doping it with a 2D titanium carbide (Ti 3 C2) MXene. (“MXenes” are exfoliated 2D carbide and carbonitride nanosheets that are structurally similar to graphene, where M represents transition metals, and X is either C or/and N, earlier post ).

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Sony to sell battery business to Murata

Green Car Congress

Sony Corporation, the company that in 1991 commercialized the world’s first lithium-ion battery, and Murata Manufacturing have entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding that confirms their intent to negotiate the transfer of the Sony Group’s battery business to the Murata Group. Sony has operated its battery business since 1975. Following due diligence and negotiation of detailed terms and conditions of the Transfer, Murata and Sony are aiming to execute binding definitive agreement

Batteries 163