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[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]

Proterra Fuel Cell Hybrid Bus in DoD Hydrogen Energy Cycle Pilot Project

July 11, 2009

Colorado-based Proterra LLC, a manufacturer of electric drive commercial transportation solutions (battery-electric and range-extended EVs) from city transit buses to class 4-8 trucks (earlier post), will provide a hydrogen fuel cell hybrid bus (earlier post) for use a US Department of Defense (DoD) pilot project designed to test an end-to-end clean hydrogen energy cycle.

Led by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), the pilot project will include all elements of a clean hydrogen energy cycle, including local hydrogen generation via waste water treatment digester gas cleanup and reformation; bulk hydrogen storage, transport and dispensing; and hydrogen load in the form of 19 fuel-cell powered electric forklifts and Proterra’s fuel cell powered bus.

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ECOtality Establishes Joint Venture to Manufacture and Distribute Electric Vehicle Charging Systems in China

July 06, 2009

ECOtality, Inc. has signed a letter of intent to enter into a joint venture with Shenzhen Goch Investment, Ltd. that will provide US$15 million to establish manufacturing and distribution operations for electric vehicle (EV) charging systems in China.

To support the Company’s anticipated expansion, ECOtality received a combined US$2.5 million direct investment from Shenzhen Goch and existing ECOtality institutional shareholders.

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Proposed US Transportation Reauthorization Plan Links Greenhouse Gas Reductions to Transportation Planning

June 21, 2009

Among the proposals in the new US highway and transportation funding reauthorization bill, outlined by House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.) and Ranking Member John L. Mica (R-Fla.) in a press conference last week, is the linkage of transportation planning with greenhouse gas emissions reductions. If enacted, this would transform the current transportation planning process in the US.

As described in a summary of the proposed bill published by the Committee, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in consultation with the Department of Transportation (DOT), would establish national transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.

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NIST Releases EPRI Report on Smart Grid Development; Priorities, Standards, Architecture

June 19, 2009

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Smart Grid electric transportation applications summary communications diagram. Click to enlarge.

The US Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released for public review a report that identifies issues and proposes priorities for developing technical standards and an architecture for a US Smart Grid. The Smart Grid is a planned nationwide network that will use 21st century information technology to deliver electricity efficiently, reliably and securely, while allowing increased use of renewable power sources.

The nearly 300-page report, developed and delivered to NIST by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), is part of the first phase of NIST’s three-phase plan, announced in April, to expedite development of key standards for the Smart Grid. NIST will accept public comments on the report for 30 days after the publication of an upcoming notice in the Federal Register announcing the report’s availability.

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Volvo Technology to Lead New York Commercial Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Development Program

June 11, 2009

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has selected Volvo Technology North America to lead the development and demonstration of an advanced Commercial Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (CVII) program. A contract awarding this program to Volvo Technology is being finalized by the state.

The program will demonstrate VII applications for commercial vehicles along key transportation corridors in the greater New York City region. Test corridors, utilizing 5.9 GHz dedicated short range communications (DSRC), include 13 miles of the New York State Thruway Authority’s I-87 Spring Valley Corridor and 42 miles of NYSDOT’s I-495 Long Island Expressway.

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Elektromotive Debuts Tool for Monitoring and Invoicing Electricity Drawn from Charging Stations; Three-Phase Fast Charge Prototype with Mennekes Coupler

May 15, 2009

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The Mennekes system. Click to enlarge.

UK-based Elektromotive introduced EBConnect—a tool for monitoring and invoicing electricity drawn from vehicle charging stations—at EVS 24. EBConnect will be installed in all Elektrobay charging stations, of which there are already more than 160 across the UK.

The EBConnect software manages a two-way exchange of data via GSM and the internet to track electricity usage and invoice accordingly. The system allows the possibility of a number of payment methods including a ‘pay-and-go’ service, where the user adds credits to their personalized Elektrobay keyfob.

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Better Place Demonstrates Battery Switch Technology

May 13, 2009

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Demo vehicle moving into position for battery switch. Click image to see demonstration video.

Better Place officially opened the Yokohama, Japan EV exhibit with the public debut of its automated battery switch system, designed to make long distance travel by EV convenient for customers.

Better Place selected the Nissan Dualis to demonstrate the battery switch technology. This crossover utility vehicle is not necessarily indicative as to any potential EV lineup by Nissan. The technology demonstration used specially-built 400V battery packs with standard lithium-ion cells from A123Systems. The cells were inserted into an enclosure built to fit this specific Nissan Dualis vehicle application.

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The Long View from SAE 2009 World Congress

April 29, 2009

by Bill Cooke

On 20 April, the opening day of the SAE 2009 World Congress, the AVL Technology Leadership Theater presented a forum on “Green Mobility—The Long View”. Organized by Shane Chang at Honda Research Institute USA Inc., the session counted among its panelists:

  • Professor John Heywood, Sun Jae Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Sloan Auto Laboratory at MIT. Dr. Heywood recently co-authored a study called “On The Road in 2035—Reducing Petroleum Consumption and GHG Emissions.”

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Renault-Nissan Alliances Forms EV Partnership in Phoenix Metro Area; Beginning of a Phoenix-Tucson EV Charging Corridor

April 16, 2009

Nissan and the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), which represents the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan region, are forming a partnership to advance zero-emission mobility by promoting the development of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network. ECOtality Inc. will participate in the partnership by initiating its EV Micro-Climate program in the Phoenix region to promote sensible policies, intelligent deployment of charge infrastructure, and strong public awareness to foster the successful consumer adoption of grid-connected electric vehicles.

In March, Nissan announced a similar partnership with ECOtality and the Pima Association of Governments, in the Tucson, Ariz., area, to promote a charging network infrastructure. (Earlier post.) ECOtality plans to link the Phoenix and Tucson Metro areas by implementing strategic fast-charge stations along Interstate 10 (I-10) to create the first implementation of an EV Corridor in North America. (Phoenix is about 116 miles (187 km) from Tucson via the 10.)

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GM: Putting 1M Plug-ins on the Road Will Require a “Plug-In Ecosystem”

April 02, 2009

In a conference call organized by GM, Tony Posawatz, Chevrolet Volt and Global Electric Vehicle Line Director; Mark Duvall, Director of Electric Transportation, EPRI; and Bob Hayden, Clean Transportation Advisor, Department of Environment, City and County of San Francisco described the nature and role of the “plug-in ecosystem” required to support one million and more plug-ins on the road in the US.

Posawatz (who wryly referred to having read “someplace” about the Chevy Volt having some challenges, earlier post) said that GM believes there are four pillars that make up a plug-in ecosystem and that must be in place to assure the Volt’s successful commercial launch:

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Nissan, Pima Association of Governments and ECOtality to Partner on EVs and EV Charging Infrastructure for Tucson Area

March 06, 2009

Nissan; the Pima Association of Governments (PAG), which represents the Tucson, Arizona region; and ECOtality are forming a partnership to promote the development of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network in the area.

Nissan will introduce EVs in the United States in 2010 and will mass market EVs globally two years later. In conjunction with the anticipated 2010 launch of Nissan’s zero-emission electric vehicle, ECOtality will initiate its EV Micro-Climate program in the Tucson region to promote sensible policies, intelligent deployment of charge infrastructure, and strong public awareness to encourage consumer adoption of grid-connected electric vehicles.

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Nissan Motor and City of Yokohama Embark on Zero-Emission Mobility Project

March 04, 2009

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and the city of Yokohama will jointly embark on Yokohama Mobility “Project ZERO”, a 5-year project aimed at achieving zero-emission mobility. Confirmation of the Project follows a joint study, which was completed in November 2008.

The Project uses a total-management approach to address the issue of zero-emission mobility. It adopts a zoning system that designates the city’s central district as a “Zero Carbon” zone, which extends into the “Low Carbon” periphery areas. In 2009, the Yokohama Mobility Project Zero has the following scope:

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EPA Study Finds Residential Construction Trends in US Metropolitan Regions Showing Substantial Shift, But Falling Short of Reshaping Sprawl

February 27, 2009

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Central city share of residential construction. Click to enlarge.

A new report from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that the distribution of residential construction has significantly changed over time in many regions. In more than half of the largest metropolitan areas, urban core communities have significantly increased their share of new residential building permits.

For the report, Dr. John Thomas of the EPA examined residential building permits in the 50 largest metropolitan regions to clarify 1) if there has been a shift toward redevelopment; and 2) in which regions the shift has been most significant. Thomas found that the central city has more than doubled its share in 15 regions, and the increases has been particularly dramatic over the past 5 years.

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Renault-Nissan Alliance and Electromotive to Collaborate on Charging Infrastructure

The Renault-Nissan Alliance and UK company Elektromotive, a provider of electric vehicle recharging stations, are collaborating in the Partnership for Zero-Emission-Mobility, with the aim of accelerating the installation of charging networks for plug-in vehicles in cities.

Elektromotive and EDF Energy and have been working in partnership since 2007 to develop an electric vehicle recharging infrastructure; the Renault-Nissan Alliance is also collaborating with EDF on electric vehicle infrastructure. (Earlier post.)

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Congressionally-created Commission Recommends Mileage Tax Instead of Fuel Tax for Transportation Infrastructure Financing

February 26, 2009

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Average annual capital needs and gap estimates, all levels of government, 2008-35 (in 2008 dollars). Click to enlarge.

A bi-partisan Congressionally-created commission has recommended a shift from motor fuel taxes to direct fees charged to transportation infrastructure users—i.e., a federal mileage fee—as a way to reform financing of the US transportation infrastructure.

The recommendation is part of the final report issued by the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission, “Paying Our Way: A New Framework for Transportation Finance”. The commissioners noted that “while no first draft of a major reform is perfect”, they were unanimously offering the report as a road map for the transition to a new funding and finance framework.

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RMI Launches Project Get Ready to Help Communities Prepare for Plug-ins

February 25, 2009

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) launched Project Get Ready, an initiative that emerged from its Smart Garage Summit in October 2008 and that is intended to help communities prepare for plug-in vehicles including full battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and converted hybrid or internal combustion vehicles.

In addition to launching the project website, RMI provided a list of actions that communities must take “to be truly ready for the plug-in transition.“ For participating communities, RMI is suggesting a stretch target of 2% of registered vehicles by 2015.

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GM Working with Communities to Develop Roadmap For Plug-in Infrastructure

February 03, 2009

General Motors is working with communities such as San Francisco to develop a plan of action to establish the supporting technical and policy infrastructure required for broad commercialization of plug-in electric vehicles such as the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. GM described its approach at the Washington Auto Show.

Challenges that need to be addressed include consumer incentives to make this early technology more affordable; public and workplace charging infrastructure; consumer-friendly electricity rates and renewable electricity options; government and corporate vehicle purchases; supportive permitting and codes for vehicle charging; and other incentives such as high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lane access.

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Eden Energy Sells Off HyRadix and Other Assets; Hythane Remains a Core Focus

January 22, 2009

Australia-based Eden Energy has sold all the shares in its two US subsidiary companies: Eden Cryogenics LLC, which has two operating businesses (Eden Cryogenics and Cryogenic Technical Services which manufacture cryogenic equipment and supply cryogenic design services) and Eden Hydrogen Inc which operates the business known as HyRadix which manufactures hydrogen reformers.

Eden acquired US-based HyRadix, a company specializing in on-site autothermal reforming systems for the production of hydrogen from methane or LPG, in 2007. (Earlier post.)

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Better Place Enters Electric Car Network Partnership with Ontario

January 15, 2009

Better Place has entered a partnership with the government of Ontario to help bring an electric car network to the province and create a model for the adoption of electric cars in Canada. Ontario is one of North America’s largest car producing regions.

Better Place will establish its Canadian head office in Ontario, and build an electric vehicle demonstration and education center in Toronto to lay the groundwork to help get electric vehicles running on Ontario roads. The province has committed to conducting a comprehensive study which will look at ways to speed up the introduction and adoption of electric vehicles. The study is scheduled for release in May 2009. At the same time, Better Place will be developing an electric car charging network plan and timeline.

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Better Place Joins Japan Ministry of Environment EV Project; First Demo of Battery Exchange Mechanism

December 09, 2008

Better Place is joining Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., maker of Subaru automobiles, and other Japanese carmakers in the first Ministry of Environment sponsored electric-vehicle (EV) project in Japan. Better Place, the only foreign company participating, was invited by the Japanese Ministry of Environment to build a battery exchange station for EVs and showcase the technology.

The government’s project supports the move to sustainable transportation and includes various electric-car models and EV infrastructure in multiple cities to demonstrate feasibility. The EV project is scheduled to begin in January 2009 and last three to six months, encompassing municipalities in Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka, and Hyogo prefectures.

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Better Place Unveils Design and Deployment of Charging Spot and Electric Parking Lots in Israel

December 08, 2008

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A Better Place EV prototype and the charging spot. Click to enlarge.

Better Place Israel introduced its first “plugged-in” parking lots as well as the charging spot design that will be used in Better Place deployments around the world. Better Place Israel CEO Moshe Kaplinsky unveiled the charging spot at the Cinema City parking lot in Pi-Glilot. (Earlier post.)

The company has begun deployment of its recharging network pilot in Israel with several municipalities including Tel Aviv, Haifa, Kefar Sava, Holon, and Jerusalem, and it plans to continue to deploy the network in public places in these cities.

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Renault-Nissan Alliance Adds Oregon and Monaco to Growing Roster of EV Partners

November 21, 2008

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has added two more partners for the development and promotion of a charging infrastructure to support electric vehicles: the US state of Oregon, and the Principality of Monaco. Since July this year, the Alliance has announced partnerships with Portugal, the City of Yokohama in Japan, the US state of Tennessee, and French utility giant EDF. In addition, the Alliance is also partnering with Better Place.

Oregon. Nissan chairman and Renault SA co-chairman Carlos Ghosn announced the Oregon partnership during his opening address at the Los Angeles Auto Show. (Earlier post.) Nissan will introduce ZEVs in the United States in 2010 and will mass market ZEVs globally two years later.

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SF Bay Area Mayors Announce Coordinated Policies to Accelerate Establishment of EV Infrastructure; Better Place to Enter US Market in California

November 20, 2008

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Better Place introduced a second EV prototype to work with its infrastructure: the Better Place Rogue, based on the Nissan Rogue crossover SUV. Click to enlarge.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums announced a nine-point policy plan to establish a pervasive infrastructure to transform the SF Bay Area into the “Electric Vehicle (EV) Capital of the US”. In conjunction with the news, Better Place announced that it would enter the US market with California as its first state, beginning in the Bay Area.

Commercial availability of electric cars is targeted to begin in 2012, and Better Place estimates its network investment in the Bay Area will total $1 billion when the system is fully deployed. The three Mayors said they welcomed Better Place’s announcement and anticipate many other EV companies will focus on the Bay Area as a top-priority market.

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Nearly All Gasoline in Maine Now E10, Without State Mandate

November 01, 2008

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Current percentage use of E10 and projected use for 2010. Click to enlarge. Source: KinderMorgan

Nearly all gasoline now distributed in the state of Maine is now an E10 blend (10% ethanol), according to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The introduction of ethanol-blended gasoline in the market is not a state requirement, but resulted from a combination of state and federal regulations, state and federal tax incentives and current fuel market forces, DEP says.

As of August, 39 states provide incentives promoting ethanol production and use, according to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Twelve have also introduced their own Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS); of these, eight mandate E10 and one (Minnesota) has an E20 by 2013 requirement. Nationwide, however, the fuel industry is rapidly closing in on an almost universal use of E10, and should reach that within several years, given a combination of factors.

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Ethanol Organizations Pushing for Mid-Range Blends; Splash-Blending Pumps for Retailers

October 31, 2008

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A splash-blending pump. Click to enlarge. Source: EPIC/ACE

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) and The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) are pushing for wider deployment of mid-range ethanol blends via the use of splash-blending pumps at retail sites. Mid-range ethanol blends (e.g., E15, E20, E30, etc.) can legally be used in flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) in the US. Use in non-FFVs is not currently legal, although it is under focused study. (Earlier post.)

In a webinar primarily targeted to petroleum marketers (e.g., fuel station owners) Ron Lamberty from ACE outlined the organization’s immediate rationale for opposing universal E10 blends, which is derived from the current structure of financial incentives around ethanol provision and use in the US, and its focus on preserving splash blending.

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Kinder Morgan Successfully Completes Tests of Ethanol Transport in Pipeline: To Offer the Service by Mid-November

October 19, 2008

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A pig train will prepare the pipeline for ethanol transport. Click to enlarge. Source: KMP

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (KMP), the largest independent owner/operator of refined products pipelines in the US, recently successfully completed a series of tests to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of transporting batched denatured ethanol is the 195-mile, 16-inch gasoline pipeline between Tampa and Orlando, Florida. The pipeline is one of its Central Florida Pipeline Company’s assets.

KMP is finalizing mechanical modifications to the pipeline to support ethanol transportation, and intends to offer this service to its customers by mid-November. The company has also completed modifications to tanks, truck racks and related infrastructure for new or expanded ethanol service at various terminals in the Southeast and Pacific Northwest. KMP said that it has invested approximately $60 million in these ethanol-related projects.

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I-65 Biofuel Corridor from Indiana to Alabama Complete

October 10, 2008

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The I-65 Biofuels Corridor, with some of the station locations marked on the map (the numbers refer to the timeline of events on the promotional drive.) Click to enlarge.

Interstate 65 is now “America’s First Biofuels Corridor” with the conclusion of a project to make E85 Ethanol and B20 Biodiesel available the entire 886-mile length of the Interstate, from Gary, Indiana to Mobile, Alabama. A driver is now no more than a quarter of a tank’s drive from a participating E85 retailer.

The $1.3 million federal project involved Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama, the four states through which I-65 travels. The project funded 31 E85 and five B20 stations in the states and one biodiesel blending facility on the Indiana-Ohio border. Indiana has 19 E85 pumps; Kentucky has one E85 pump; Tennessee has two E85 pumps; Alabama has eight E85/B20 pumps.

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US Congress Passes $8 Billion Highway Trust Fund Bill

September 12, 2008

The US House of Representatives voted 376-29 to give final approval to a measure that would immediately appropriate US$8.017 billion of general revenue to the Highway Trust Fund, sending the bill to President Bush for his expected signature.

The House originally passed the bill, HR 6532, on July 23. Senators approved it by voice vote Wednesday evening, amending the legislation to make it effective upon the president's signature rather than on Sept. 30. The House today concurred with the Senate amendment and sent the bill to the White House.

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Transport Consortium Establishes LNG Refuelling Infrastructure for 120 Heavy Duty Trucks in Tasmania

September 08, 2008

LNG Refuellers Pty Ltd (LNGR), an Australia-based consortium comprising seven Tasmanian transport operators, has struck a deal with industrial gas company BOC for the supply of LNG fuel for more than 120 LNG-powered heavy-duty vehicles. Tasmania is an Australian state—and island—located 240 kilometers (150 mi) south of the eastern side of the continent, being separated from it by the Bass Strait.

The trucks will mostly be new vehicles with Westport engines with some existing Caterpillar powered vehicles fitted with the Clean Air Power Dual-Fuel system (earlier post).

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Flowserve and Linde Group Form JV for Natural Gas Refueling Systems Using Ionic Liquid Compressor

August 29, 2008

Flowserve Corp., a global provider of flow control products and services for the global infrastructure markets, has formed a joint venture with The Linde Group to commercialize and deploy ionic liquid compressor iKompressor natural gas and biogas refueling systems in Europe.

Called Flowserve Compression Systems GmbH, the joint venture plans to deliver at least 70 iKompressor refueling systems by 2009 to Germany, Austria, and neighboring European Union (EU) countries. The iKompressor systems are designed to reduce energy costs by up to 20% at low-inlet pressures, substantially reduce maintenance costs, and deliver high system reliability.

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Study Concludes That Tolls More Equitable Than Taxes for Road Improvements

August 20, 2008

A new joint study by UCLA and USC researchers shows that pay-as-you-go transportation options may be fairer to all income levels than paying for road improvements through sales taxes. Many voters and elected officials oppose proposals for “congestion tolls” on equity grounds, therefore road projects are usually funded by more politically acceptable sales taxes. The researchers found that this reasoning is flawed.

In the study, Brain D. Taylor, professor and chair of urban planning at UCLA and director of the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, and co-author Lisa Schweitzer, assistant professor at USC’s School of Policy, Planning, and Development, compared how two distinct transportation-funding mechanisms—a toll road and a tax measure—affect Orange County’s lower-income residents.

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US DOT Proposes Overhaul of Federal Approach to Transportation

July 29, 2008

US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters unveiled a plan to “refocus, reform and renew” the national approach to highway and transit systems in America. The new plan outlines increased federal attention on maintaining and improving the Interstate highway system, rather than applying funds for programs clearly not federal priority areas.

Addressing urban congestion and giving greater flexibility to state and local governments to invest in their most needed transit and highway priorities is another main element of the plan. As part of the focus on congestion, the plan would create a Metropolitan Innovation Fund that rewards cities willing to combine a mix of effective transit investments, dynamic pricing of highways and new traffic technologies, the Secretary said.

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eTec and V2Green to Evaluate PHEV Fast-Charging and Smart Grid Interactions; V2Green and Coulomb Also Partner

July 23, 2008

Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), a wholly owned subsidiary of ECOtality, Inc., has launched a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) Grid Interaction Project to demonstrate and evaluate a bi-directional fast-charge system capable of both fast-charging a PHEV in 10 minutes and supplying the stored energy of a PHEV back to a smart grid.

Funded by the US Department of Energy through Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and supported by project partner V2Green, the project will pair the eTec Minit-Charger Level 3 fast-charge system with V2Green’s smart grid technology.

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Nissan and Tennessee Form Zero-Emissions Vehicle Partnership

July 22, 2008

Nissan and the State of Tennessee are forming a partnership to promote zero-emission vehicles (ZEV), including electric vehicles, in Middle Tennessee with participation from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and other partners. This marks the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s fourth such ZEV initiative, and the first one in the US.

Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and Renault, SA, made the announcement of the Tennessee agreement during the dedication of Nissan Americas, a newly completed building in Franklin serving as the coordination point for the company’s operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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GM and Electric Utility Industry Launch Collaboration in Support of Commercializing Plug-in Vehicles

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Saturn Vue PHEV plugging in to a Coulomb Chargepoint (earlier post) in San Jose, CA. Click to enlarge.

General Motors and the nonprofit Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)—with the support of more than 30 of the top electric utilities in the United States and Canada—launched a new collaboration to accelerate the introduction of plug-in electric vehicles.

General Motors, EPRI and the utility companies will work on everything from codes and standards to grid capability to provide an infrastructure to support the Chevy Volt, the Saturn Vue Plug-in Hybrid and other plug-in vehicles when they come to market. Details of the alliance—the largest and most-comprehensive yet between an automaker and the electric utility industry—were announced in San Jose during the Plug-In 2008 Conference.

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Coulomb Technologies Introduces New Smart Charging Infrastructure for Plug-In Vehicles

July 21, 2008

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The ChargePoint Network. Click to enlarge.

Coulomb Technologies is introducing a new smart charging infrastructure for plug-in vehicles, including Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs such as the Volt), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs).

Coulomb’s ChargePoint Network includes public charging stations, a consumer subscription plan and utility grid management technology for electric utility companies to smooth electrical demands on the grid. The infrastructure solution will be showcased with GM’s Saturn Vue Plug-in Hybrid at the Plug-In 2008 Conference & Exposition 22-24 July in San Jose, California.

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