Leading global heavy lift shipping and offshore transportation and installation contractor Jumbo, and commercial, sustainable marine biofuel company GoodFuels, are partnering to test Goodfuels’ marine Bio-Fuel Oil on an offshore decommissioning project. Bio-Fuel Oil has already undergone three years of intensive testing with marine engine manufacturers. The second-generation drop-in Bio-Fuel... Read more →

Canadian researchers have developed a large-scale economical method to extract hydrogen from oil sands (natural bitumen) and oil fields. This can be used to power hydrogen-powered vehicles, which are already marketed in some countries, as well as to generate electricity. The process can extract hydrogen from existing oil sands reservoirs,... Read more →

UL announced that 4R Energy Corporation, a joint venture of Nissan Motors and Sumitomo Corporation focusing on the effective reuse of EV batteries for energy storage systems, is the first organization worldwide to be certified to UL 1974, the Standard for Evaluation for Repurposing Batteries. Outlining how to sort and... Read more →

Researchers at Empa have developed an electrohydraulically actuated cam-less valve train that enables completely free adjustment of stroke and timing, while at the same time being robust and cost-effective. The new technology saves up to 20% fuel in typical passenger car low load operating conditions. The FlexWork valve train was... Read more →

Total US petroleum demand averaged 20.8 million barrels per day (mb/d) in July 2019, which represented a 0.9% year-over-year increase and the highest demand for the month since 2005, according to the latest Monthly Statistical Report released by the American Petroleum Institute (API). This was a decrease of 0.9% from... Read more →

Syzygy Plasmonics, a technology company developing the world’s highest performance photocatalyst, raised $5.8 million in Series A funding. The financing was co-led by The Engine and by The GOOSE Society of Texas. Previous investor Evok Innovations was also a major participant in the round. Other participants include angel investors from... Read more →

Mercedes‑Benz Cars is introducing plug-in hybrids under the EQ Power label in the A- and B-Class. These new models, equipped with third-generation hybrid drive, include the A 250 e (combined fuel consumption 1.5-1.4 l/100 km (156.7-167.9 mpg US), combined CO2 emissions 34-33 g/km, combined electrical consumption 15.0-14.8 kWh/100 km); A... Read more →

A study by a team of researchers from China, the US and Germany suggests that future climate change may worsen air quality for more than 85% of China’s population, leading to an additional 20,000 deaths each year. An open access paper on their work is published in Proceedings of the... Read more →

Wind plays a role in carrying microplastics (MPs, shreds of plastic less than five millimeters long) to both the snowy streets of European cities and remote areas of the Arctic Ocean. The high concentrations found in snow samples from disparate regions suggest microplastics—which may contain varnish, rubber, or chemicals used... Read more →

Tier IV, Inc. has raised about $9 million from Quanta Computer, Inc. in a Series A extension round following the previous $100+ million Series A funding. This latest funding engages Quanta Computer and Tier IV to develop a new reference model of electronic control units (ECUs) for autonomous driving. The... Read more →

Ferry operator Scandlines signed an agreement with Norsepower Oy Ltd, leading clean technology and engineering company pioneering modern wind propulsion technology, to install Norsepower’s Rotor Sail Solution on board the M/V Copenhagen, a hybrid passenger ferry. Illustration of Scandlines hybrid ferry M/V Copenhagen with Rotor Sail. Operating between Rostock in... Read more →

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and colleagues have developed a process to extract rare earth elements from the scrapped magnets of used hard drives and other sources. They have patented and scaled-up the process in lab demonstrations and are working with ORNL’s licensee Momentum Technologies to scale the... Read more →

Electro-Active Technologies has exclusively licensed two biorefinery technologies invented and patented by the startup’s co-founders while working at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The technologies work as a system that converts organic waste into renewable hydrogen gas for use as a biofuel. The system combines biology and... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $59 million to 43 projects for new and innovative advanced vehicle technologies research. Funded through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, these projects include solid-state batteries (15 projects) and power-dense electric motors (5 projects); co-optimized engine and fuel technologies (3... Read more →

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission adopted a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) standard for Colorado early today in an 8-1 decision. The new zero-emission standard adopts California ZEV requirements, with automakers to sell more than 5% zero-emission vehicles by 2023 and more than 6% zero-emission vehicles by 2025. Eleven states now... Read more →

UPS’ venture capital arm, UPS Ventures, has made a minority investment in autonomous driving company TuSimple (earlier post). Together, both companies are testing self-driving tractor trailers on a route in Arizona to determine whether the vehicles can improve service and efficiency in the UPS network. This is an extension of... Read more →

EFG Companies, the innovator behind the award-winning Hyundai Assurance program, has launched the new Motorist Assistance Plan (MAP) Electric Vehicle Protection. This new exclusionary vehicle service contract is designed to meet the unique needs of electric vehicle owners and help dealers diversify their revenue streams through both the F&I office... Read more →

The world’s largest all-electric ferry, named E-ferry Ellen, made its first commercial trip on 15 August, connecting the ports of Søby and Fynshav, on the islands of Aerø and Als, in southern Denmark. Capable of carrying approximately 30 vehicles and 200 passengers, is powered by a 4.3MWh battery system provided... Read more →

University of Kentucky Chemistry Professor Marcelo Guzman has received a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for research, education and outreach efforts in the field of environmental and atmospheric chemistry. The $461,000-project, titled “Heterogeneous Aging Mechanisms of Combustion and Biomass Burning Emissions,” will focus on how gases, such... Read more →

The California Energy Commission awarded $3.75 million to 25 early-stage, innovative projects as part of a portfolio of research investments intended to help achieve the state’s climate and clean energy goals. Among the projects are nine battery-related efforts. The Energy Commission’s Electric Program Investment Charge program, which drives clean energy... Read more →

Solaris has claimed the lead spot in Europe in terms of contracts for electric buses in 2019. In the first months of 2019, Solaris secured three large orders for the supply of electric buses to Berlin (BVG); Milan (ATM); and Warsaw (MZA). A total of up to 470 vehicles will... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have integrated the use of blockchain into energy systems, a development that could result in expanded charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. In a study that outlines the new blockchain-oriented charging system, the researchers found that there is a lack of trust among charging service... Read more →

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants, especially O3 (ozone), is significantly associated with increasing emphysema, according to a new study led by the University of Washington, Columbia University and the University at Buffalo. While previous studies have shown a clear connection of air pollutants with some heart and lung diseases,... Read more →

In the latest effort to make aviation sustainable and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ZeroAvia announced advancements in developing a hydrogen-fueled electric powertrain. The solution aims to deliver the same performance as a conventional aircraft engine, and much lower operating costs. ZeroAvia plans to start supplying its platform to commercial operators... Read more →

A consortium led by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems GmbH is developing a solid-oxide fuel cell system as an alternative power generation on ships. This will improve the efficiency of the plants and prevent emissions even when fossil fuels are used—both in berth operations in ports and inland waterways and on the... Read more →

Rheinmetall is systematically expanding its automotive product portfolio in the direction of new driveline systems. In addition to products for electric vehicles, current development efforts include components for alternative powertrains, such as the fuel cell. Within this context, Rheinmetall Automotive is developing a recirculation fan for hydrogen not yet consumed... Read more →

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) has built the first two Class 8 battery electric Freightliner eCascadias for customers at its research and development center in Portland. The trucks are part of Freightliner’s Electric Innovation Fleet and built to test the integration of battery electric trucks in to large-scale fleet... Read more →

Transport operator Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacji Miejskiej (PKM) in Katowice, Poland has ordered five Solaris Urbino 12 electric electrobuses. This contract marks the 100th one for the supply of battery vehicles from Solaris. At the beginning of the year, Solaris supplied five articulated Urbino 18 electric to the PKM operator. Earlier, two... Read more →

Toray Advanced Composites and BASF signed a manufacturing and supply agreement focused on the production of continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRT) tapes for the automotive and industrial markets. Toray Advanced Composites will produce high quality and affordable CFRT tapes using Ultramid engineering thermoplastics developed and produced by BASF. The fiber... Read more →

The 2019 Audi e-tron SUV is the first pure battery-electric vehicle to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) 2019 Top Safety Pick+ rating, the highest rating awarded by the nonprofit organization. In developing the e-tron, engineers designed a battery pack with performance, longevity and safety in mind. The... Read more →