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'Cell schematic. Discharge mode is shown; the arrows are reversed for electrolytic/charge mode. AQDSH 2 refers to the reduced form of AQDS. Huskinson et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at Harvard have demonstrated a metal-free organic–inorganic aqueous flow battery—a quinone–bromide flow battery (QBFB)—as an example of a class of energy storage materials that exploits the favorable chemical and electrochemical properties of a family of molecules known as quinones.
'These are interesting times in the automotive and electric-utility businesses. While the reasons are different, it turns out they may intersect. It''s been quietly discussed among electric utilities that increasing amounts of distributed solar power and other renewable energy may destroy their business model. The worry is that if consumers can.
'The 400 hp DIG-T R race engine. Click to enlarge. Nissan unveiled a 400 hp (298 kW) 1.5-liter, three-cylinder turbo gasoline engine weighing only 40 kg (88 lbs) as the companion internal combustion engine for its electric ZEOD RC which will debut at Le Mans this year. ( Earlier post.). The Nissan ZEOD RC will become the first entry at Le Mans to complete a lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe under nothing but electric power in June.
'Israel-based NewCO2Fuels (NCF), a subsidiary of GreenEarth Energy Limited in Australia, reported completion of stage 1 testing of its proof-of-concept system for the conversion of CO 2 into fuels using solar energy. NewCO2Fuels was founded in 2011 to commercialize a technology developed by Prof. Jacob Karni’s laboratory at the Weizmann Institute of Science.
'Ford’s C-MAX Solar Energi concept combines a rooftop solar panel with an off-board solar concentrator—essentially an inexpensive Fresnel lens canopy. The vehicle moves beneath the canopy during the day to maintain maximum concentrated solar irradiance. Click to enlarge. Ford Motor Company announced the C-MAX Solar Energi Concept, a sun-powered hybrid vehicle that can deliver the efficiency of a plug-in hybrid without depending on the electric grid for recharging.
'During 2014, the global plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) industry is poised to grow by 86% and will surpass more than 346,000 new vehicles sold, according to a new white paper—“ Electric Vehicles: 10 Predictions for 2014 ”—published by Navigant Research. This would bring the global total of PEVs on the road to more than 700,000 by the end of the year, according to the firm’s calculations.
'Energy intensities of flying (blue) and driving (green), 1970-2010. Data: Sivak, UMTRI-2014-2. Click to enlarge. Currently, the energy intensity (BTU per person mile) of driving is 57% greater than that of flying, according to a new analysis by Dr. Michael Sivak, Director, Sustainable Worldwide Transportation at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).
'Energy intensities of flying (blue) and driving (green), 1970-2010. Data: Sivak, UMTRI-2014-2. Click to enlarge. Currently, the energy intensity (BTU per person mile) of driving is 57% greater than that of flying, according to a new analysis by Dr. Michael Sivak, Director, Sustainable Worldwide Transportation at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).
'A Virginia Tech research team led by Dr. Y.H. Percival Zhang has developed a high-energy-density sugar “biobattery”—a sugar-fueled fuel cell based on a synthetic enzymatic pathway. This enzymatic fuel cell is based on non-immobilized enzymes that exhibit a maximum power output of 0.8?mW?cm ?2 and a maximum current density of 6?mA?cm ?2 —far higher than the values for systems based on immobilized enzymes.
'The new Volkswagen Polo. Click to enlarge. Volkswagen is introducing its next generation of the supermini (B segment) Polo, featuring a range of new EU6 engines that are up to 21% more fuel-efficient and new driver assistance technologies. All versions are available with a stop-start system and a regenerative braking mode. The new Polo TDI BlueMotion takes the efficiency lead with combined fuel consumption of 3.2 l/100 km (73.5 mpg US ), or 82 g/km CO 2.
'Toyota opened the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with a strong affirmation of the benefits of and potential for hydrogen fuel cell technology. “ We aren’t trying to re-invent the wheel; just everything necessary to make them turn, ” said Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc. “ Fuel cell electric vehicles will be in our future sooner than many people believe, and in much greater numbers than anyone expected. ”.
'2015 F-150. Click to enlarge. Ford introduced the all-new Ford F-150 at its press conference at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The “reinvention” of this critical vehicle for Ford features an improved fully boxed ladder frame that incorporates more high-strength steel than ever, making it stronger and lighter. Aluminum alloys are used throughout the F-150 body for the first time, improving dent and ding resistance and also saving weight.
'Exhaust particle size distributions measured by ELPI (color map) and particle concentration measured by CPC (white line) during individual engine braking conditions (speed change from 32 km/h to 0 km/h). The starting point of engine braking is marked by a vertical green line, and the end point is marked by a vertical red line. The exhaust sample was taken from the exhaust manifold.
'Average annual percentage of black carbon pollution related to Chinese exports. Credit: Lin et al. Click to enlarge. Chinese air pollution blowing across the Pacific Ocean is often caused by the manufacturing of goods there for export to the US and Europe, according to findings of a new study to be published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
'Audi Sport quattro laserlight concept. Click to enlarge. Audi will present the Audi Sport quattro laserlight plug-in hybrid concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) from 6 to 10 January in Las Vegas. The coupe represents a new evolutionary stage of the Sport quattro concept ( earlier post ). The e-tron powertrain delivers 515 kW (700 hp) of system power with 2.5 l/100 km (94.09 US mpg) fuel economy, equivalent to CO 2 emissions of 59 g/km (94.95 g/mile); higher performance laser headlight
'Hino Motors, Ltd., a Toyota Group company focused on diesel trucks and buses, has signed on as a participant in the Scuderi Group’s Scuderi Split-Cycle (SSC) Engine Consortium. The SSC Engine Consortium is a cooperative research group of participants engaged in the development of the pre-competitive SSC engine technology. The mission of the SSC Engine Consortium is to develop and to demonstrate SSC technology, complete with compressed air energy storage (CAES) capability ( earlier post ), for b
'Ford Motor Company is expanding its MyEnergi Lifestyle program ( earlier post ), announced at last year’s CES, to include home energy storage. The program originally set out to demonstrate how a typical American family can significantly lower its electricity costs while limiting its impact on the environment. MyEnergi Lifestyle, a Ford Motor Company collaboration with Eaton, Infineon, SunPower and Whirlpool, retrofitted the homes of two families with energy-efficient appliances and solar panels
'First launched in selected European markets (The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland) in October 2013, Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid) ( earlier post ) collected more than 12,000 orders in these markets. These orders have already translated into 8,197 deliveries to end-customers by the end of December, of which 8,009 units went to The Netherlands, the latter boosted by a tax scheme favorable to eco-friendly technologies such as low-emission vehicles.
'Aquion Energy, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of Aqueous Hybrid Ion (AHI) batteries and stationary energy storage systems, recently completed the closing of a $55-million Series D financing round. Due to strong investor interest, the total amount of funding for this round was increased from the $35-million level previously announced by the company in April of 2013. ( Earlier post.).
'Schaeffler Efficient Future Mobility North America demo vehicle in Detroit. Click to enlarge. At the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Schaeffler highlighted its range of fuel-efficiency technologies and systems in the form of its current demonstration vehicle: Efficient Future Mobility North America. Based on the current version of a popular mid-size SUV, the demonstration vehicle achieves the limit values specified by the CAFE standard for 2020 with no additional electrification
'Dr. Steven Chu, a Nobel Laureate and the former Secretary of Energy, has joined the Board of Directors of Amprius, a developer of high-energy and high-capacity lithium-ion batteries using silicon nanowire anodes ( earlier post ). The company introduced its first generation of batteries in May 2013, and is currently sampling and selling 650 Wh/L batteries.
'Saleen Automotive, Inc., a US specialty manufacturer of high performance vehicles, technical performance parts, lifestyle accessories and apparel, will produce a Saleen Tesla Model S sports car. The Saleen Tesla design will be Saleen’s first effort in enhancing an existing electric vehicle. Saleen set no release date for completion of the Saleen Tesla Model S, but said it will release renderings as its efforts evolve.
'EVDrive torque vectoring. Click to enlarge. EVDrive has developed and demonstrated an electric 4-wheel, 4-motor torque vectoring technology (Terra-Torque-Drive) specifically targeted at 4-wheel off-road powersports vehicles such as side-by-side Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs). The Terra-Torque-Drive-powered e-UTV demonstrator uses four sealed liquid-cooled EVDrive EVD35 35kW/47hp peak drive sub-systems, de-tuned to ~30kW/hp each or delivering a total of ~160hp/120kW peak.
'BMW 7 Series Long Wheel Base. Click to enlarge. BMW will introduce the diesel-engined BMW 740Ld xDrive Sedan in the US. The new model will feature BMW’s 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo diesel engine in the long-wheelbase 7 Series body and will include xDrive, BMW’s intelligent all-wheel drive system. The 2014 BMW 740Ld xDrive Sedan will have a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $83,425, including $925 destination and handling.
'Boeing and research partners in the United Arab Emirates have made breakthroughs in sustainable aviation biofuel development, finding that desert plants fed by seawater (the oilseed-producing halophyte Salicornia bigelovii ) can produce biofuel more efficiently than other well-known feedstocks. ( Earlier post.) The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium ( SBRC ), affiliated with the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, will test these findings in a project that could supp
'The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced plans that would require all new taxis presented for licensing in the capital to be zero-emission capable from 1 January 2018, with the expectation that they will automatically operate in zero-emission mode while in areas where the capital’s air quality is at its worst—such as parts of central London.
'RMIT University (Australia) researchers have developed a concept battery based on storing protons produced by splitting water—a reversible fuel cell with integrated solid proton storage electrode. As only an inflow of water is needed in the charge mode, and air in discharge mode, the system is called a “proton flow battery”. This new concept has the potential to increase roundtrip efficiency compared to the conventional hydrogen-based electrical energy storage system by eliminating the in
'2015 Chrysler 200. Click to enlarge. Chrysler introduced the revamped new 2015 Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan at the Detroit Auto Show. The mid-size sedan segment is one of the largest segments in North America, with more than 2 million sales annually. The 200 is the industry’s first mid-size sedan with a standard nine-speed automatic transmission, which enables expected highway fuel economy ratings of 35 mpg US (6.7 l/100 km) when coupled with the 2.4-liter MultiAir2 Tigershark I-4 engine.
'The Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company is working with Ricardo and test equipment specialist HORIBA on an advanced research project in the UK that aims to investigate the emissions of a range of buses operating in a modern commercial public transport fleet. Brighton & Hove operates a fleet of approximately 280 modern buses in and around the city of Brighton & Hove which, according to recent Department for Transport statistics, boasts the country’s highest—and consistently growing&mdash
'In a new study published in the journal Applied Energy , Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) researchers found that controlled charging of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) reduces the costs of integrating the vehicles into an electricity system by 54–73% depending on the scenario. More specifically, controlled charging can cut the cost of integrating PHEVs approximately in half.
'Passat BlueMotion Concept. Click to enlarge. Volkswagen of America will introduce the Passat BlueMotion Concept at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week. Based on the current Passat that was developed specifically for North America, the BlueMotion label defines the version that has the best efficiency in the model lineup.
'A study by a team from the DOE’s Great Lakes Bioenergy Center has concluded that focusing on the yield of an energy crop alone can come at the expense of many other environmental benefits. The study, published as an open access paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), found that switchgrass and prairie plantings harbored significantly greater plant, methanotrophic bacteria, arthropod, and bird diversity than corn.
'SwRI’s V2G aggregation system allows electric delivery truck fleet owners to make money by using normal vehicle charge times to assist in managing grid frequency. This laboratory test framework, using light bulbs in place of the vehicle chargers, allows SwRI engineers to continue to test and fine-tune the system post-deployment. Click to enlarge. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has deployed the first vehicle-to-grid (V2G) aggregation system qualified by the Electric Reliability Council of T
'A modeling study by researchers at MIT projects that 5 billion (52%) of the world’s projected 9.7 billion people in 2050 will live in water-stressed areas. The researchers also expect about 1 billion more people to be living in areas where water demand exceeds surface-water supply. A large portion of these regions already face water stress—most notably India, Northern Africa and the Middle East.
'Plug Power Inc., the leading provider of hydrogen fuel cell technology to the materials handling market, will develop hydrogen fuel cell range extenders for 20 FedEx Express electric delivery trucks, allowing FedEx Express to nearly double the amount of territory the vehicles can cover with one charge. ( Earlier post.). This $3-million project is funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and includes project partners FedEx Express, Plug Power and Smith Electric Vehicles.
'Thriev , a company offering zero-emission, chauffeured cars to corporate and private users in London, is adding 20. BYD e6 electric cars to the fleet. Part of the deal with BYD is that Thriev will equip its facility at Edgware Road, west London, with BYD’s purpose-designed charging equipment, which allows fast charging of the e6 in just two hours. Initially, the e6 fleet is being supplied on a lease arrangement, although both BYD and Thriev expect this to be the beginning of a long-term relatio
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