Lightning Systems, a global developer of zero-emission drivetrains, introduced “Lightning On Tap” charging solutions, a comprehensive offering of AC and DC fast charge charging stations. Lightning Systems’ lineup of new chargers includes both AC and DC fast charge options, ranging from affordable 7.2kW AC chargers to high-end 100kW DC fast... Read more →

A new report by the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) finds that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from road transport in the UK rose by 6% from 1990 to 2017. The increase—albeit lower than the increase in road traffic—highlights the significant challenge in reducing emissions from road transport, the report... Read more →

A team from the University of Cordoba in Spain and the University of Tehran in Iran has been searching for ways to increase hydrogen production by using microorganisms, specifically microalgae and bacteria. Researchers Neda Fakhimi, Alexandra Dubini and David González Ballester report being able to increase hydrogen production by combining... Read more →

Researchers from Stanford University and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) have engineered and demonstrated a solid-oxide electrochemical cell (SOC) with a porous ceria electrode that achieves stable and selective CO2 electrolysis beyond the thermodynamic carbon deposition threshold. A paper on the work is published in Nature Energy. ow electricity... Read more →

The 2019-2020 California State Budget authorizes $3 million for two studies focused on the state’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. The California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), in consultation with the Energy Commission, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, the... Read more →

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory are developing a deep learning framework—MaLTESE (Machine Learning Tool for Engine Simulations and Experiments)—to meet ever-increasing demands to deliver better engine performance, fuel economy and reduced emissions. The MaLTESE effort is a great example of how Argonne supercomputing resources enable researchers to combine large-scale simulations... Read more →

Navigant Research forecasts that e-buses will make up nearly one-third of all buses on the road worldwide by 2030. The global medium- and heavy-duty bus market has been dominated by internal combustion engine vehicles. However, Navigant says, the adoption of electric buses (e-buses) will continue to rise as battery prices... Read more →

Some key materials used for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries are lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and natural graphite, which come from more than 30 different countries. In 2017, Australia, Chile, and Argentina produced 91% of all lithium while the rest of the world supplied the remaining 9%. The Democratic Republic of Congo... Read more →

Waterfront Shipping Company Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Methanex Corporation, and Marinvest/Skagerack Invest (Marinvest) announced the delivery of two second-generation methanol fueled vessels—M/T Mari Couva and M/T Mari Kokako—to the Waterfront Shipping fleet. The 49,000 dwt vessels are built with the second generation of MAN B&W ME-LGIM two stroke... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), has launched a major initiative to develop bioenergy crops through genomics-based research. Danforth Center Principal Investigator, Andrea Eveland, Ph.D., will lead a multi-institutional project under this initiative to deepen the understanding of sorghum, a versatile... Read more →

BASF and its partner BNP Brinkmann are supporting the the German Aerospace Center’s (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- and Raumfahrt/DLR) current research project “Next Generation Car” (NGC) with a tailormade, lightweight composite based on natural fiber. The goal of the DLR NGC project is to promote the development of quiet, low-emission... Read more →

The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is vying to establish an international center to develop solid-state batteries which will be safer, cheaper, smaller and more efficient than lithium ion batteries. SDSMT hosted hundreds of industry representatives, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and fellow academics on 12-13 September in... Read more →

by Michael Sivak. In this analysis I examined gender differences in travel patterns. The data came from ATUS—the American Time Use Survey. ATUS provides nationally representative estimates of the amount of time people spend doing various activities. It is an annual time-diary study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.... Read more →

ExxonMobil has launched its Mobil EV offering—a full suite of fluids and greases designed to meet the evolving drivetrain requirements of battery electric vehicles. In combination, plug-in hybrids, battery electric and fuel cell vehicles are predicted to exceed 20% of the world’s light-duty fleet by 2040. Mobility is changing and... Read more →

A team of researchers in Israel has developed a two-step electrochemical-chemical cycle for decoupled water splitting with high efficiency. The method is described in a paper in the journal Nature Energy. In a purely electrolytic scheme, the water oxidation and reduction reactions are tightly coupled in both time and space,... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) has announced approximately $110 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development (R&D) projects under three funding opportunity announcements (FOAs). Approximately $75M is for awards selected under two FOAs announced earlier this fiscal year; $35M is for a... Read more →

Drones attacked two key Saudi Aramco sites in Saudi Arabia—the Abqaiq processing plant and the Khurais oil field—on Saturday; Houthi rebels claimed credit for the strikes. Saudi Aramco emergency crews contained the fires at the plants; the company announced the production suspension of 5.7 million barrels of crude oil per... Read more →

Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have demonstrated a method to insert genes into a variety of microorganisms that previously would not accept foreign DNA, with the goal of creating custom microbes to break down plants for bioenergy. A new method uses E. coli... Read more →

Ideanomics Inc. and its strategic Mobile Energy Group (MEG) announced a strategic partnership with the China National Petroleum Corporation Nanjing (CNPC or PetroChina) to begin converting existing fossil fuel gas stations in the city of Nanjing. PetroChina is the world’s third-largest oil company and plays a leading role in energy... Read more →

At its paint shop in Győr, Hungary, Audi is testing a new method of body sealing. Before a car is given its paint finish, a paste-like sealing material is applied to areas such as the weld seams. This improves vehicle acoustics, guards against corrosion and seals off the interior. The... Read more →

BMW i Ventures announced an investment in Trifacta, a leader in data wrangling. The BMW i Ventures investment is part of a $100-million capital raise that includes other new investors Telstra Ventures, Energy Impact Partners, NTT DOCOMO Ventures, and ABN AMRO Digital Impact Fund. The round also includes additional investment... Read more →

Lightning Systems, a developer of zero-emission powertrains for commercial fleets, has received an Executive Order from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for the Lightning Electric Transit Bus Repower, with HVIP approval expected within the next several weeks. The Transit Bus Repower is a full-featured powertrain conversion of an existing... Read more →

In Michigan, Ann Arbor and Roseville public schools have selected the Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school bus powered by Proterra electric vehicle technology (earlier post) and the Proterra 60kW charging system for a five-year pilot program, in partnership with DTE Energy and Hoekstra Transportation. The pilot program,... Read more →

To intensify its activities in e-mobility, Finland-based Valmet Automotive is increasingly focusing on the fuel cell. The company now under the lead of its Business Line Engineering has established a Center of Competence Fuel Cell. On the product side, the company has high hopes for an in-house developed flat-membrane humidifier.... Read more →

At the IAA in Frankfurt this year, Germany-based ElringKlinger AG is presenting a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack with exceptional performance characteristics as well as solutions centered around electric drivetrains as well as systems and components from the field of battery technology. The low-temperature fuel cell stack NM12... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz announced a partnership with China-based Farasis Energy (earlier post) for the supply of battery cells produced with electricity from renewable energies as well as recycling and the observance of human rights in the supply chain. With Ambition 2039, we have set the course for sustainable mobility. In addition to... Read more →

The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a $95-million plan for critical clean transportation investments to expedite the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and help the state reach its climate, air quality and other goals. The plan also focuses on closing an anticipated gap in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, and... Read more →

The “Recycling Li-ion batteries for electric Vehicle” (ReLieVe) project, founded by Eramet, BASF and SUEZ, will receive a €4.7 million in funding by EIT Raw Materials, a consortium initiated and funded by the European Union, and the three members. The objective is to develop an innovative closed-loop process to recycle... Read more →

Delphi Technologies is the first in the industry with volume production of an 800-volt silicon carbide (SiC) inverter—a key component of highly efficient next-generation electric and hybrid vehicles. The new inverter enables electrical systems up to 800 volts, significantly extending electric vehicle (EV) range and halving charging times when compared... Read more →

Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, and Japanese specialist chemical manufacturer, Piotrek, are partnering to commercialize Australian-developed battery technologies globally within the next five years. The collaboration will enable the next generation of lithium battery technologies for portable electronic devices, drones and automotive vehicles, as well as address a critical safety... Read more →