Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

Driveline engineering consultancy Drive System Design (DSD) has partnered with software specialists Altair and FluiDyna to develop and enhance FluiDyna’s computer modeling technique, nanoFluidX , that significantly improves the analysis of lubrication flow. nanoFluidX utilizes a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) methodology and increases the accuracy of analysis while reducing the simulation time from weeks to just a few days, when compared to traditional methods.

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Range Oil Design MPH 285

Green Car Reports

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

The idea of a Ford F-Series hybrid pickup truck has now been around since August 2011, but its maker now expects to launch such a truck sometime during 2020. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Boston-based XL Hybrids unveiled both a Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup fitted with its XLH hybrid system and an F-150 light-duty pickup with its XLP plug-in hybrid.

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Green Fleet Magazine

MARCH 1, 2018

In addition, General Motors fleet sales to governmental political subdivisions were up 5% in 2017. This was the first time in 25 years that commercial and government sales for GM have been greater than daily rental deliveries.

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Commercial Fleet Sale General Motors 52

Green Car Congress

MARCH 1, 2018

Van Hool, the Belgium-based independent bus, coach and industrial vehicles manufacturer, has landed a significant contract with RVK Köln and WSW Wuppertal (Germany), to supply 40 hydrogen buses of the latest generation. This order consists of 30 fuel cell buses for Cologne and 10 for Wuppertal, making it the largest order for hydrogen-powered vehicles yet placed in Europe.

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Climate Change

Green Car Congress

MARCH 1, 2018

At the Low Carbon Vehicle Show in the UK in 2017, Williams Advanced Engineering unveiled the FW-EVX, an innovative lightweight EV platform concept. ( Earlier post.) The concept features several innovations in battery pack design, cooling systems and lightweight structures, which have each been integrated into a single, lightweight, compact chassis that is readily scalable for C, C-D and D-segment vehicles.

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Engine Carbon Batteries Battery 265

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

Toyota Motor Corporation has developed a new continuously variable transmission (CVT) featuring a launch gear; a new 6-speed manual transmission; a new 2.0-liter engine with 40% thermal efficiency (41% in hybrid applications); a new 2.0-liter hybrid system; and new 4WD systems—one for gasoline-engined cars, one for hybrids—based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA).

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Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 24, 2018

Researchers from Shinshu University in Japan have developed a method to suppress the growth of lithium dendrites in Li-S and Li-air batteries. As reported in a paper in the RSC journal Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics , they used magnesium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide [Mg(TFSA) 2 ] as an electrolyte additive to suppress the growth of Li dendrites, leveraging the occurrence of an alloying reaction between the initially substrate-deposited Mg and the subsequently deposited Li.

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Li-ion Battery Batteries Standards 252

Green Car Congress

MARCH 1, 2018

Although Bosch intends to lead the mass market for electromobility that will emerge after 2020, the company has decided that the means to achieving that strategic end does not include manufacturing of the battery cells. Bosch announced that while it will rely on its systems expertise and the development and manufacture of key components of the electrical powertrain, such as the electric motor, power electronics, and battery systems, it will continue to outsource the cells needed to make those ba

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 1, 2018

The Department of Energy announced a funding opportunity totaling $3 million to support projects between US industry and DOE national laboratories related to improving materials in severe or complex environments through the new High Performance Computing for Materials in Applied Energy Technologies ( HPC4Mtls ) Program. ( Earlier post.). The call for proposals is the first solicitation under the newly instituted HPC4Mtls Program.

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Environment Hydrogen Industry Industrial 247

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

In collaboration with the Berlin-based start-up XAIN , Porsche is currently testing blockchain applications directly in vehicles—making Porsche the first automobile manufacturer to implement and successfully test blockchain in a car. Transactions based on this technology are both secure and can be processed far more quickly than anything that has come before.

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 2, 2018

Crude palm oil is one of the more than ten renewable raw materials that Neste uses to produce a range of renewable products, including renewable diesel. Palm oil represents approximately 20% of Neste’s renewable raw material usage annually. Neste has been exploring ways to contribute to improving palm oil industry’s environmental performance, particularly how to further reduce greenhouse gas emission from palm oil production.

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Oil Emissions Malaysia Indonesia 244

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

XL Hybrids will display three fleet-ready, electrified pickup truck solutions at NTEA’s Work Truck Show next week in Indianapolis. XL is unveiling the industry’s first XLH hybrid-electric F-250 pickup in its booth, while also displaying an XLP plug-in hybrid-electric F-150. Both trucks in XL’s booth will be displayed on vehicle lifts so attendees can step under the trucks and see how easily XL systems integrate with the Ford trucks.

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Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded the University of Illinois a $10.6-million, five-year grant to transform two of the most productive crops in the US into sustainable sources of biodiesel and biojet fuel. The new research project Renewable Oil Generated with Ultra-productive Energycane (ROGUE) kicked off on 25 February with a team meeting held in conjunction with the 2018 Genomic Sciences Program Annual Principal Investigator Meeting in Tysons, Virginia.

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Oil Illinois Fuel Engine 239

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

Responding to fleet market demand for complete, body-ready chassis, Motiv Power Systems is introducing the EPIC (Electric Powered Intelligent Chassis) all-electric family of chassis for 2018. Debuting at Ford’s booth and based on the E-450, F-59, and F-53 platforms, the EPIC all-electric chassis are production-line ready, drop-in replacements for the equivalent ICE chassis and are available for a wide range of medium-duty body applications including walk-in vans, box trucks, school buses, shuttl

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All-Electric Powered Power Fleet 231

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 2, 2018

Maven is now offering its first all-electric fleet of cars for use in the gig economy; 20 Chevrolet Bolt EVs are available for freelance drivers in Austin, Texas to earn money on their own schedules. Maven is working with Austin Energy, the Austin Transportation Department, and Rocky Mountain Institute to create infrastructure solutions leading to an all-electric future.

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 2, 2018

Jaguar unveiled its first all-electric production vehicle, the I-PACE. The I-PACE has a 90kWh Lithium-ion battery and offers sports car performance of 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds along with a 480 km range (298 miles) (WLTP cycle) and 0-80% charging time of 40 minutes with a 100 kW DC fast charger. Home charging with an AC wall box (7kW) will achieve the same state of charge in just over ten hours.

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Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

Nissan Serena e-POWER goes on sale in JapanThe Nissan Serena e-POWER will go on sale in Japan on 1 March, combining the exceptional driving performance of the e-POWER electrified powertrain ( earlier post ) with the family-friendly features of the popular Serena minivan. The Serena will be the second model with the e-POWER system, which has been a hit with consumers since it was first introduced in the Nissan Note in Japan in 2016.

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Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

GKN Driveline has begun testing an SUV technology research vehicle which showcases the company’s eDrive, All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and systems integration capabilities. Based on a Mercedes-AMG GLA 45, the one-off GKN Technology Demonstrator 2018 vehicle (GTD18), features mechanical and electric Twinster torque vectoring, a plug-in hybrid system, and completely re-engineered control systems.

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Plug-in Hybrid Plug SUV 218

Green Car Congress

MARCH 1, 2018

Harley-Davidson, Inc. has made an equity investment in Alta Motors , a leader and innovator in lightweight electric vehicles; the two companies will collaborate on electric motorcycle technology and new product development. Harley-Davidson has already announced the planned launch of its first electric motorcycle, informed by Project LiveWire. That motorcycle is on track for release in 2019.

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Electric Motorcycles Motorcycles Motoring Motors 210

Green Car Congress

MARCH 1, 2018

The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class ( earlier post ) is already set up for private car sharing: Mercedes me allows the new compact car to be shared with friends and family members. Operation is simple and secure using the Mercedes me app Car Sharing. According to the German Car Sharing Association, more than 1.7 million people in Germany are registered with providers such as market leader car2go.

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Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

New Flyer of America Inc., the US subsidiary of New Flyer Industries Inc., the largest transit bus and motor coach manufacturer and parts distributor in North America, has commissioned the Xcelsior CHARGE Bus Simulator at New Flyer of America’s Vehicle Innovation Center (VIC), an innovation lab dedicated to advancing bus technology. The simulator, designed and installed by FAAC Incorporated using a 180-degree screen display and 4K projection system, is one of the first to use full-scale original

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Electric Electrical North America Maintenance 210

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

Audi unveiled the eighth generation of its successful A6 full-size sedan; all engines feature Audi’s 48V mild-hybrid (MHEV) system ( earlier post ) as standard equipment. In Audi’s new mild-hybrid technology, a belt alternator starter (BAS) works together with a lithium-ion battery. The Audi A6 can coast between 55 and 160 km/h (34.2 and 99.4 mph). The start-stop function kicks in at speeds up to 22 km/h (13.7 mph); the engine is restarted from standstill predictively.

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Audi Standards Hybrid MPH 210

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

Hyundai has unveiled the Kona Electric subcompact SUV prior to its official introduction at the Geneva Motor Show ( earlier post ). The battery-electric version of the Kona carries basically the same design as its conventional sibling; the main difference is the closed grille which gives a clean and stylish appearance, while also enhancing aerodynamics.

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Hyundai SUV Electric Electrical 210

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

Global levels of the hydrocarbons ethane and propane in the atmosphere have been underestimated by more than 50%, according to a new study by a team of scientists from Europe and the US. When ethane and propane—the most abundant non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) in the atmosphere—mix with nitrogen oxides from vehicles and power plants they form tropospheric ozone—a key component of smog and directly linked to increases in mortality.

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Emissions Global Ozone 2011 210

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

The UK automotive industry warned that the current anti-diesel agenda combined with the ongoing slow take-up of electric vehicles could mean industry misses its next round of CO 2 targets in 2021, with negative consequences for the UK’s own climate change goals. The warning came as a new report published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) confirmed that the fleet average CO 2 of newly registered cars rose for the first time in 2017, despite vehicles becoming ever more effic

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2017 Diesel Auto Industry CO2 210

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

Researchers at the University of York (UK), with colleagues from the University of Leeds, University of Cambridge and Université Aix-Marseille in France, have identified more than 20 members of an uncharacterized family of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) ( earlier post ) by investigating the digestive proteome of Thermobia domestica —the firebrat, a small hexapod related to the silverfish.

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Universal Davis France Industry 210

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

The European Commission (EC) has launched the fifth of six European Innovation Council (EIC) Horizon Prizes, on Innovative batteries for eVehicles, worth €10 million (US$12.3 million). The EIC Horizon Prizes are part of the first phase of the European Innovation Council under Horizon 2020, the EU’s Research and Innovation Framework Programme. The prize will be awarded for the development of a prototype battery that can power an electric vehicle with similar performance in terms of range and char

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Battery Batteries Lithium Ion Europe 210

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

In new research by an international collaboration jointly led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientist Brandon Wood and Mirjana Dimitrievska of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the team discovered why substituting one boron atom for one carbon atom in a key battery electrolyte material made lithium ions move even faster, which is attractive for a more robust solid-state battery.

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Carbon Lithium Ion Battery Batteries 210

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 25, 2018

Researchers at Wuhan University of Science and Technology in China have proposed a control method based on a speed loop structure-variable sliding mode controller (SMC) for interior permanent magnet synchronous motors in electric vehicles. The method combines maximum torque per ampere with a vector control strategy. In an open access paper on their work is published in the journal Advances In Mechanical Engineering , the team reports that their method can improve motor performance with more stab

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 2, 2018

ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks, a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading steel and mining company, selected the city of Detroit as the company’s first wholly-owned manufacturing operation in the state due to its proximity to leading automakers, access to talent and support from local and state governments. The new operation speaks to the level of demand from automakers for steel laser-welded products.

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 2, 2018

Aerotec, a Brazilian Private Equity fund, will invest £3.75 million (US$5.2 million) in Li-Sulfur battery company OXIS Energy. The investment is Aerotec’s first international venture. Established in 2005, OXIS Energy has developed, and continues to advance, an innovative Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) battery chemistry. With considerably higher energy density, OXIS’ batteries are lighter, safer and as they do not comprise any rare earth metals, OXIS Energy battery systems are more eco-friendly than curre

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 2, 2018

An international research team has developed a new single-atom electrocatalyst that efficiently converts CO 2 to carbon monoxide (CO). Their findings were published in the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science. They used Ni single atoms dispersed into graphene nanosheets, without Ni nanoparticles involved, as active sites for the electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) to CO.

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Green Car Congress

MARCH 1, 2018

Honda will reveal the European production version of the all-new CR-V at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. The company showed a CR-V hHybrid prototype for Europe at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2017. ( Earlier post.) The company first unveiled a CR-V hybrid at Auto Shanghai in 2017. ( Earlier post.). The all-new CR-V will be available with Honda’s Intelligent Multi Mode Drive (i-MMD) hybrid system, comprising a 2.0 liter i-VTEC Atkinson cycle gasoline engine and two electric motors. ( Earlier post.

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Honda Europe Hybrid Motoring 199

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

Renesas Electronics Corporation announced its new R-Car V3H system-on-chip (SoC) that delivers high computer vision performance and AI processing at industry-leading low power levels, targeting automotive front cameras for use in mass-produced Level 3 (conditional automation) and Level 4 (high automation) autonomous vehicles. The new R-Car V3H system-on-chip (SoC) is optimized for use in stereo front cameras and achieves five times the computer vision performance of its predecessor, the R-Car V3

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