Diversified Energy Hits Gasifier Development Milestones in DOE-Sponsored Program

Diversified Energy Corporation has successfully completed several key milestones in an advanced gasification development program being sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The 24-month, $945,000 grant is focused on the design and demonstration of a one ton per day OmniGas gasifier to process biomass, coal, and blends thereof. (Earlier post.)

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Record High Temperatures Far Outpace Record Lows Across US Over Last Decade

Daily record high temperatures occurred twice as often as record lows over the last decade across the continental United States, new research shows. Results of the research, by authors at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo., Climate Central, The Weather Channel, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has been accepted for publication in the American Geophysical Union journal Geophysical Research Letters.

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Mercedes-Benz to Launch ML450 HYBRID 4MATIC in US on 16 November

Mercedes-Benz will launch the ML450 HYBRID (earlier post) in the US on 16 November. Mercedes-Benz will offer the two-mode ML450 HYBRID as part of a special lease only option (no purchase) for a monthly lease price of $659 per month for 36 months and $549 per month for 60 months.

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Saft Confirms Location for Li-ion Battery Factory in Jacksonville, Florida

Following receipt of a $95 million grant from the US Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and successful negotiations between Saft, the state of Florida, and the city of Jacksonville, construction will soon begin in Jacksonville for a lithium-ion battery factory.

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Peugeot Begins Sales of its First Electrically-Assisted Bicycle

Peugeot teamed up with Ultra Motor on the development of its first electrically-assisted bicycle, now available through its European dealership network.

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SKF and Ricardo Cooperate in the Development of Future Automotive Energy-Efficient Solutions; SKF Provides Bearings to Ginetta-Zytek Hybrid

SKF and Ricardo have signed an agreement to develop energy efficient solutions to better serve the increasing customer demand from the automotive industry for increased fuel economy and reduced CO₂.

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Renault to Produce Electric Fluence in Bursa, Turkey

Renault will produce the electric version of Fluence (earlier post) at the OYAK-Renault Bursa plant in Turkey. Production will start in the first half of 2011.

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GM Reveals 2011 Buick Regal for US; Two Gasoline Direct-Injection I-4s for Sport Sedan

GM is revealing the 2011 Buick Regal sport sedan to customers in the Los Angeles area today. The new Regal, drawing on work on the award-winning Opel Insignia, will offer two gasoline direct-injection engines and is directly targeted at competitors such as the Acura TSX and Volvo S60.

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EADS-Led EU Project Focusing on Two Novel Reforming Technologies to Produce Hydrogen from Kerosene for Aviation Applications

EADS Deutschland GmbH is coordinating the recently-launched EU GreenAir project—an investigation of the production of hydrogen for aviation applications via efficient and low-emissions new technologies.

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Renault-Nissan Alliance Signs EV Partnership with Miyazaki Prefecture

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Miyazaki Prefecture signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to initiate a joint-study to implement all the necessary conditions for the mass introduction of electric vehicles, primarily focused on the following areas:

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Berkeley Lab and Peking University To Collaborate on Carbon Capture and Storage Research

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and China’s Peking University agreed on 12 November to jointly pursue the development of safe and effective carbon capture and storage techniques.

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Synthesis Energy Systems Launches U-GAS Technology Sub-Licensing Business

Synthesis Energy Systems, Inc. (SES) has executed a revised license agreement with the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) for its U-GAS technology rights. The revised agreement expands the rights and further defines the terms for SES to sub-license U-GAS to third parties for coal, coal and biomass mixtures, or 100% biomass projects.

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Peugeot Begins Pre-Bookings for i0n EV

Peugeot has begun pre-bookings for the i0n, its i-MiEV-derived electric car developed in partnership with Mitsubishi. (Earlier post.) The company says that it has already signed letters of intent with nine companies and administrations projects for car sharing and large fleets in Europe.

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Government of Canada to Invest Up to C$77.75M in Saskatchewan Ethanol Plant

The Government of Canada will invest up to C$77.75 million (US$74.5 million) over seven years in Terra Grain Fuels’s (TGF) wheat ethanol facility to support the production of ethanol in Saskatchewan, sustain job creation and help stimulate the economy.

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Prickly Pears and Tree Tobacco for Ethanol Production in Semi-Arid Regions

The TBF (Technology-based Firm) Almeria Albaida Recursos Naturales y Medioambiente, S.A. (Spain), and the Cajamar Foundation are testing the feasibility of two crops adapted to extreme environmental conditions—prickly-pears and tree tobacco—for the production of bio-ethanol in semiarid areas where there is no competition for the use of raw materials for food purposes or for farmland.

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Dana Battery Cooling Technology for Electric Vehicles Debuts on Tesla Roadster Sport

Dana Holding Corporation has developed a Long heat exchanger designed to extend battery life in hybrid and electric vehicles. The technology recently made its debut on Tesla Motors’ 2010 all-electric Roadster Sport.

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NTT Group Retrofitting Fleet Vehicles with Stop-Start Device

The Nikkei reports that NTT Group companies have begun retrofitting their service vehicles with a stop-start device.

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Axion Signs $957,000 Contract for Construction of Railroad Bridges Made from Recycled Plastic

Axion International Holdings, Inc., a next-generation technology innovator utilizing recycled plastic for high-load industrial products, has signed a $957,000 contract for the construction of two railroad bridges designed from nearly 100% recycled plastics.

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Port of Houston Authority, Maersk Line and EPA Demonstrate Fuel Switching in the Gulf of Mexico

Maersk Line conducted the first “fuel switch” demonstration on a container ship in the Gulf of Mexico as the result of a partnership between the EPA, the Port of Houston Authority and Maersk Line. Maersk vessels have demonstrated the effectiveness of a fuel switch in more than 1,200 port calls on the US West Coast since March 2006.

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Clean-up Begins at Toxco Recycling Facility in British Columbia After Lithium Fire

Toxco, Inc., one of the most diverse battery recycling companies in operation, has begun clean-up operations following the 7 November explosions and fire at a lithium storage building near the town of Trail, about 600 kilometers east of Vancouver.

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First Sino-Foreign Joint Refining and Petrochemical Venture Begins Full Operation; Triples Capacity of Existing Refinery

China’s first integrated foreign joint venture refining and petrochemical facility has begun full commercial operation. Partners in the Fujian Integrated Refining and Ethylene Joint Venture Project are Sinopec (China Petroleum and Chemical Corp.), ExxonMobil, Saudi Aramco and the government of Fujian Province.

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Volkswagen Appoints Group Chief Officer for Electric Traction

The Supervisory Board of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft has appointed Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann as the Group Chief Officer for Electric Traction with effect from 1 December 2009 and made him a General Representative. In the newly-created function of Group Chief Officer, he reports direct to the Chairman of the Board of Management, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn.

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Yangtze Basin to Face More Droughts, Floods and Storms

Temperatures across China’s Yangtze River Basin could increase from 1.5 to 2 °C (2.7 to 3.6 °F) over the next 50 years, while extreme weather events will also become more frequent, according to the largest river basin climate vulnerability assessment yet done. Some 400 million people depend upon the basin.

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Chang’an Acquires AVIC Units to Become 3rd Largest Automaker in China

Shanghai Daily. The state parent of China’s Chang’an Automobile Group is taking over five vehicle units of the Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) to create the third-largest automaker in China. SAIC and FAW Group hold the top two slots.

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Kansas Geological Survey Receives $5M Grant to Study CO2 Storage

The Kansas Geological Survey based at the University of Kansas has received a nearly $5 million grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to study the feasibility of storing carbon dioxide underground.

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Siemens Energy to Supply Advanced Coal Gasification Technology to Taylorville Energy Center; 50% CO2 Capture

Siemens Energy, Inc. has been chosen to provide the coal gasification technology for the Taylorville Energy Center (TEC), a 730-megawatt (gross) advanced coal generating plant being developed near Taylorville, Ill. TEC will be one of the first commercial-scale, coal gasification plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) capability in the US. 

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GM’s Sales in China Surpass 1.5 Million Units

On 10 November, General Motors and its joint ventures in China surpassed 1.5 million units in sales for 2009. For the first 10 months of 2009, GM’s domestic sales in China totaled 1,459,460 units. This was a rise of 59.8% from the first 10 months of 2008 and a new record for the period.

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Report: Cadillac Converj EREV Headed for Production

The Detroit News reported that GM has decided to produce the Cadillac Converj, an extended range electric vehicle derived from the Voltec platform. Cadillac included the Converj concept car at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. (Earlier post.) A production date has not been set, according to the report.

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Antonov Chinese 6-Speed Transmission JV Formally Incorporated

The formal incorporation of the joint venture in China between Antonov, the UK transmission specialist and Chonqing Landai Industry Co Ltd for the production of the Antonov TX6 automatic transmission has been completed and a certificate of incorporation has been issued by the Chinese authorities. (Earlier post.)

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Quantum Ships Q-Force Diesel Hybrids to US Army TARDEC

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. is developing and shipping diesel hybrid vehicles to the US Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) National Automotive Center (NAC), with funding support through the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), and project administration through Alion.

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FedEx Express Orders 51 Azure Dynamics Hybrid Electric Delivery Vans, Establishes First All-Hybrid Facility

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., will purchase 51 additional gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles from Azure Dynamics Corporation. The FedEx fleet of hybrid electric and electric vehicles will total 325 when all 51 hybrid step-vans are delivered during November and December of 2009.

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Coulomb Technologies Signs Exclusive Distributor for Charging Stations for Australia

Coulomb Technologies has signed ChargePoint Pty Ltd to an exclusive distribution agreement for its charging stations in Australia.

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Shell Sells its Shares in BTL Company CHOREN

Shell Deutschland Oil GmbH has sold its shares in CHOREN Industries GmbH to all the remaining CHOREN shareholders, a syndicate consisting primarily of Hamburg-based entrepreneurs as well as the carmakers Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG. Shell had acquired a minority stake in CHOREN in 2005. (Earlier post.)

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Renault to Produce the Electric Version of Kangoo in Maubeuge, France

Renault has decided to produce the future electric, zero-emission version of its Kangoo Express LCV at M.C.A. (Maubeuge Carrosserie Automobile), in northern France, starting in the first half of 2011.

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NEC To Hike Output Capacity Of Lithium Battery Electrodes for AESC

Nikkei. NEC Corp. and NEC Tokin Corp. plan to increase production of lithium-ion battery electrodes, with all output to be sold to Automotive Energy Supply Corp., a joint venture between Nissan Motor Co. and the NEC group.

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Moller International Develops Damage-Resistant Carbon-Fiber Fan Blades for Skycar and Neuera

Moller International has successfully developed and tested a damage-resistant, carbon-fiber blade technology that increases durability for the ducted fans used in its Skycar and Neuera VTOL aircraft product lines. (Earlier post.)

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Chrysler Disbands ENVI Electric Vehicle Group; Function Absorbed into Traditional Line Organization

Reuters reports that Chrysler has disbanded its ENVI team, formed in 2007 to bring electric-drive vehicles and related advanced-propulsion technologies to market. (Earlier post.) At the North American International Auto Show in January 2009, Chrysler had introduced two new EV concepts and updates on three earlier EV concepts developed by the ENVI group. (Earlier post.)

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Global Power Company AES Raises $1.58B Through Stock Sale to China Investment Corp; Approx. 15% Stake

Global power company AES Corporation entered a binding stock purchase agreement with a wholly owned investment subsidiary of China Investment Corporation (CIC) to raise $1.58 billion of new equity to fund growth opportunities and extend its global leadership in the power sector.

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Dow Video on Partnership with Algenol for CO2-to-Ethanol

Dow has posted a short video clip outlining its partnership with Algenol Biofuels to build a pilot-scale algae-based integrated biorefinery that will produce ethanol, located at Dow’s Freeport, Texas site. (Earlier post.)

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ABB and Fincantieri to Collaborate on Shore Power Systems

ABB, a leading power and automation technology group, and Fincantieri, the Italian merchant and naval shipbuilder, have signed an agreement to collaborate on the construction, marketing and supply of high-voltage shore connection (HVSC) systems to provide electricity to vessels in port.

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US DOE Signs Cooperative Agreement for New Hydrogen Power Plant

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has signed a cooperative agreement with Hydrogen Energy California LLC (HECA) to build and demonstrate a hydrogen-powered electric generating facility, complete with carbon capture and storage, in Kern County, Calif. (Earlier post.)

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HUMMER H3 and H3T Updated With New Flex-Fuel V8

HUMMER has updated the 2010 HUMMER H3 and H3T midsize all-terrain vehicles with an available E85 Flex Fuel capable 5.3L V8 engine. HUMMER has committed to offer a biofuel powertrain in all body styles by 2010.

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Ocean Power Technologies Wins A$66.5M Award from Australian Government for 19MW Wave Power Project

Ocean Power Technologies (Australasia) Pty Ltd (OPTA), a subsidiary of Ocean Power Technologies, Inc., in partnership with Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd, has received a A$66.46 million (US$61 million) grant from the Federal Government of Australia to build a 19 MW wave power project off the coast of Victoria, Australia.

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Renault to Produce EV Based on Twizy ZE Concept in Spain

Renault, which already produces Mégane Hatchback, Mégane Estate, Modus and Grand Modus exclusively in Spain, has chosen to manufacture the future electric vehicle (EV) based on Twizy ZE Concept (earlier post) at Valladolid, 150 km north west of Madrid. Production will start in 2011.

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Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Commissions Compact Gasification Pilot Plant

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has commissioned of a compact gasification pilot plant in Illinois; the pilot plant is the first step toward global commercialization of the technology. (Earlier post.)

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KLM to Operate Demonstration Passenger Flight Using 50:50 Biofuel Blend

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will operate a demonstration commercial passenger flight with a 50:50 bio-kerosene blend—the first such with that blend. In October, Qatar Airways became the first airline to operate a commercial flight on a 50:50 blend with synthetic GTL Jet Fuel. (Earlier post.)

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Renault to Produce Future EV at Flins Plant in Paris Region

Renault will produce its future zero-emission electric city car at the Flins plant in the Paris region. Zoé Z.E. Concept, presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show (earlier post), is a forerunner of this new vehicle.

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Australian Researchers Achieving World-Leading Production Rates of Algae Oil in Open Ponds

Australian scientists say they are achieving the world’s best current production rates of oil from algae grown in open saline ponds. A joint A$3.3 million (US$3 million) project led by Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, and involving the University of Adelaide in South Australia, has shown more than 12 months of consistent results at both universities.

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Report: Toyota To Set Up R&D Center in China

The Nikkei reports that Toyota Motor Corp. plans to build an R&D center in China as early as next year. Toyota would be the first Japanese automaker to establish a Chinese R&D center funded solely by itself.

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EPRI Initiative Aimed at Improving Transmission System Efficiency

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) disclosed plans for an industry-wide transmission efficiency demonstration collaborative that will identify technologies leading to greater efficiency in the bulk power system, an increase in system utilization and a reduction in line and equipment losses.

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Toyota to Withdraw from F1

Toyota Motor (TMC) plans to withdraw from the FIA Formula One World Championship (F1) at the end of the 2009 season. Toyota has engaged in F1 racing for eight seasons, competing in 140 races during that time.

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Volkswagen of America October Sales Up 7.2% Year-on-Year; Diesels Accounted for 24%

Volkswagen of America, Inc. reported October 2009 sales of 17,037 total units, representing a 7.2% (by volume) increase over October 2008. The Jetta, consistently Volkswagen’s top selling model, posted a 25% increase over October 2008 with 9,076 unit sales; Jetta TDI diesel sales accounted for 40% of total Jetta sedan and SportWagen sales, while sales of all TDI models accounted for 24% (4,008 units) of total October sales.

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SAIC to Spend 6B Yuan on New Energy Cars; Full Electric Vehicles by 2012

Xinhua. Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) Group plans to invest 6 billion yuan (US$879 million) to develop and produce new energy cars over the next two years, said group chairman Hu Maoyuan Tuesday.

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ROUSH Developing Two Propane-Fueled Mustang Drag Cars

ROUSH is developing two propane-fueled Mustang drag cars to run in the NMRA 2010 season.

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Verenium and Syngenta Close Research Collaboration

Verenium Corporation, a cellulosic ethanol developer and high-performance specialty enzyme company, announced the successful closure of previously defined programs under its joint research collaboration with Syngenta Participations AG of Switzerland. (Earlier post.)

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Dongfeng Motor to Begin Exporting Vehicles to S. Korea

JoongAng Daily. Newly-established Dongfeng Motor Korea (DFMK) will begin importing vehicles from Dongfeng Motor in China—the first incursion of China-built vehicles into the South Korean market. DFMK will sell four models: a one-ton truck, a commercial minivan and a six- and nine-passenger van from April 2010.

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AASHTO To Issue RFP for IntelliDrive Deployment Planning By End of Year

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) will issue an RFP before the end of the year for contractor assistance in development of a deployment plan that will implement AASHTO’s IntelliDrive Strategic Plan.

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Suzuki Alto Achieves 118 mpg US in City Driving in Australia

After a successful New Zealand North-South drive at an average of 64 mpg Imp. (4.4 L/100km, 53.3 mpg US) last month, a Suzuki Alto has taken part in a further MPG marathon, this time down through Australia, managing to complete the journey at an average consumption of 72 mpg Imp. (3.9 L/100km, 60 mpg US) overall, an 18.5% improvement over the official Australian combined figure (+13% over the European figure). It also reached achieved 141 mpg Imp.(2.0 L/100km, 118 mpg US)in City traffic—the lowest recorded of any entered vehicle.

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Report: Nissan To Build JV Li-ion Plant in France in 2012

The Nikkei reported that Nissan Motor Co. will build a joint-venture lithium-ion battery plant in France in 2012 to supply Renault. In addition to batteries, Nissan and Renault plan to work together on motors and other key components of electric vehicles to bring down production costs.

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Rice and M-I SWACO to Research Graphene-Infused Drilling Fluids to Boost Well Productivity

Rice University and Houston-based M-I SWACO, the world’s largest producer of drilling fluids for the petrochemical industry, recently signed an agreement for research funds to develop a graphene additive that will improve the productivity of wells.

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Former GM Director Projects Flat US Auto Sales in 2010

Reuters. Jerry York, former GM director, projected that US auto sales are likely to remain flat in 2010. York told the Reuters Autos Summit in Detroit that “I just can’t fathom anything that’s going to cause a material increase in auto sales in this country in 2010 compared to 2009.”

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Electrovaya to Partner with NKE for Stationary Power and Smart Grid Energy Storage Systems; Japan First

Li-ion maker Electrovaya Inc. and Nippon Kouatsu Electric Co. Ltd. (NKE) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the development and sales of Electrovaya’s integrated advanced battery storage systems for both stationary power and smart grid systems applications, initially targeted for the Japanese market.

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Linde and Waste Management Commission World’s Largest Landfill to Liquefied Natural Gas Facility

A joint venture between Waste Management, Inc., North America’s largest waste services company, and Linde North America, part of The Linde Group, has begun producing clean, renewable vehicle fuel at its facility located at the Altamont Landfill near Livermore, California. The facility is the world’s largest landfill gas (LFG) to liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant. (Earlier post.)

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Webchat on Changing Chevrolet Volt Development Leadership: Today 4pm EST

General Motors’ global electric vehicle development chief Frank Weber is moving back to Europe to join the Opel/Vauxhall senior leadership team. Doug Parks will takeover the Chevrolet Volt development team on 2 December. General Motors is making both of them available for a webchat today at 4 pm EST.

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Automotive Supplier Faurecia to Acquire Emissions Control Company EMCON Technologies

Faurecia, a leading global automotive supplier, has signed an agreement to acquire EMCON Technologies (originally Arvin Industries), a leader in the global exhaust emission control technology industry. EMCON serves worldwide passenger car, commercial vehicle and engine manufacturers. Based in Troy (Michigan, USA), EMCON posted 2008 sales of €2.4 billion (US$3.5 billion) and employs 6,000 people in 19 countries.

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London Moves a Step Closer to Hydrogen Buses

The Olympic Delivery Authority has granted planning permission for a hydrogen refuelling facility to be built in east London—a major milestone in bringing a fleet of five hydrogen fuel cell buses into service. Transport operator First Group, which will run the five hydrogen buses, was granted the planning permission for the facility to be located at their bus garage on Temple Mills Lane, Leyton.

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Clean Global Energy in JV for $400M Underground Coal Gasification Project in China

Australia-based Clean Global Energy Limited (CGE) secured a Joint Venture Agreement with Beijing Yusenjiayu Environmental Protection Technology Co. Ltd of Beijing, China (YSJY ), Inner Mongolia Gu Xin Mining Co. Ltd of Beijing, China (GX) and Goldbridge Clean Tech Energy of East Sussex, United Kingdom (GB) to undertake a US$400M commercial UCG (underground coalgasification) project on GX’s Inner Mongolia coal deposit.

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Denbury to Acquire Encore for $4.5B Transaction; Creates One of the Largest Crude Oil Upstream North American Independents and One of the Largest CO2 EOR Platforms

Denbury Resources Inc. and Encore Acquisition Company have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Denbury will acquire Encore in a transaction valued at approximately $4.5 billion, including the assumption of debt and the value of the minority interest in Encore Energy Partners LP. The combined company will continue to be known as Denbury Resources Inc. (the “Company”) and will be headquartered in Plano, Texas. The transaction positions Denbury as one of the largest crude oil-focused, independent North American exploration and production companies.

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Report: Sanyo To Supply NiMH Batteries For Peugeot Diesel-Electric Hybrids

The Nikkei reports that Sanyo Electric Co. has reached an agreement to supply NiMH batteries to PSA Peugeot Citroen for its diesel-electric hybrid cars starting in 2011.

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Polk Forecasts US LDV Sales Back to 15M Units in 2013

R. L. Polk & Co. predicts a return of US light duty vehicle sales to 15 million units in 2013, according to its most recent US light vehicle forecast. The SAAR in September 2009 was 9.22 million units, according to figures from Autodata, with total US LDV sales through Sep 2009 of 7.8 million units.

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Sasol to Integrate CCS Into Shenhua Ningxia CTL Project

Engineering News. Sasol is incorporating carbon capture and storage (CCS) options in the upfront design of a proposed 80,000 bpd coal-to-liquids project it is studying with the Shenua Ningxia Coal Industry group, for possible development in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. (Earlier post.)

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Cyclone Power Technologies Successfully Completes Engine Tests for Raytheon Company; > 30% Thermal Efficiency

Cyclone Power Technologies Inc. successfully completed performance tests of its external combustion engine for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS). The tests demonstrated that Cyclone’s prototype water-cooled Mark II engine achieved thermal efficiencies of more than 30%, results that exceeded original engineering calculations.

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Navistar, JAC to Explore Diesel Engine Joint Venture in China

Navistar, Inc. and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co. Ltd. (JAC) will explore a potential engine joint venture to develop, build and market advanced diesel engines for commercial vehicles in China. The potential joint venture, if formed, would have a 50/50 ownership between Navistar, and JAC, a leading China-based maker of commercial and consumer vehicles and engines.

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Michigan Approves Li-ion Maker Johnson Controls-Saft for Tax Credits, $20M Pack Credit

The Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) board approved Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions LLC (JCS) for an Anchor Jobs incentive. Under this designation, a company that attracts or influences a supplier or customer to locate or expand in Michigan can qualify for tax credits. The company was also approved for a Plug-In and all-electric traction battery pack credit valued at up to $20 million over three years to support the manufacture of battery packs using lithium-ion technology.

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Expert: Northern Hemisphere “Almost Out of Multiyear Ice”

Reuters. Speaking to the Canadian Parliament, David Barber, Research Chair in Arctic System Science at the University of Manitoba, reported on a recent icebreaker expedition in the Beaufort Sea which found almost no multiyear ice in the area.

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Ricardo to Develop Fuel Efficient Vehicle for US Army

Ricardo, Inc., the US subsidiary of Ricardo plc, has been awarded a contract for the development of a new vehicle under the Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator (FED) program launched by TARDEC, the US Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center in Warren, Michigan.

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Electrovaya and Miljøbil Grenland Accelerating Set-up of Li-ion Production Facility

Electrovaya Inc. says that it is accelerating the set-up of its joint-venture production facility in Norway with its partner Miljøbil Grenland. The Miljøbil Grenland joint venture, of which Electrovaya is a shareholder, is establishing a Lithium Ion SuperPolymer cell and battery pack manufacturing facility in Norway to meet the emerging demands of electric vehicles, including the Tata Motors Indica EV. Tata Motors is also a shareholder in this joint venture. (Earlier post.)

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Study Finds North Carolina Sea Levels Rising Three Times Faster Than in Previous 500 Years

An international team of environmental scientists led by the University of Pennsylvania has shown that sea-level rise, at least in North Carolina, is accelerating. Researchers found 20^th-century sea-level rise to be three times higher than the rate of sea-level rise during the last 500 years. In addition, this jump appears to occur between 1879 and 1915, a time of industrial change that may provide a direct link to human-induced climate change.

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AVL’s Smart Sampler 478 Enhances Engine Emission Testing

AVL has released a new emission measurement tool to help vehicle manufacturers and engine makers meet changing emissions regulation.

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Toshiba to Build a Second Li-ion SCiB Production Facility in Japan; Initial Cells and Modules for EVs

Anticipating strong future demand, Toshiba Corporation will construct a second dedicated production facility for its safe, long-life, rapid charge SCiB battery (earlier post), in the Kashiwazaki Frontier Park, in Kashiwazaki city, Niigata prefecture.

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Ford: Geely Is the Preferred Bidder for Volvo

Ford Motor Company announced that a consortium led by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd. is its preferred bidder in the ongoing discussions concerning the possible sale of Volvo Car Corporation.

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Renault-Nissan Alliance Partners with Barcelona to Advance Electric Mobility

The Renault–Nissan Alliance and the city of Barcelona, Spain signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote the development of electric mobility in the Catalan capital. The two organizations will work together to identify areas of co-operations in promoting the use of electric vehicles in the city.

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