Nikkei News reports that Toyota has decided to start building the long-expected gasoline-electric hybrid version of the Camry in the US sometime in the second half of 2006. The Camry is the top-selling passenger car in the US, selling 426,990 units in 2004. The car is undergoing a full model... Read more →

Bernama. Petronas Malaysia NGV Sdn Bhd will increase the number of fueling stations selling natural gas to widen its usage and as an alternative to diesel, according to its executive director, Ismail Ahmad. The company plans to build at least 100 special service stations selling natural gas throughout the country... Read more →

Well, not just any physicist. Dr Steven Koonin, who was appointed BP’s Chief Scientist last year, appeared at a recent public Colloquium at Fermilab to discuss some of the technical, economic, and social considerations surrounding the challenge of ensuring adequate energy supplies in an environmentally acceptable manner. Koonin is currently... Read more →

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), supported by a coalition of environmental groups, automakers, and alternative fuel associations, re-introduced to Congress for the third time the CLEAR ACT—Clean Efficient Automobiles Resulting from Advanced Car Technologies. Is it any wonder [absent the “pathetic” lack of an energy policy] that we have dramatically increased... Read more →

China’s State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) issued five new standards on vehicle emissions, including the timeline for the implementation of the Euro-III and -IV standards for light-duty vehicles. Euro-III standards are to be implemented nationwide from July 1, 2007 and -IV standards from July 1, 2010. Read more →

According to quarterly reports, average daily production of crude oil and natural gas liquids from eight major oil firms dropped by some 304,000 barrels per day (-2.8%) during the first quarter of 2005 as compared to the prior year. Combined liquids production for these firms dropped to 10.475 million barrels... Read more →

The Record. Fresh off its $2-million acquisition of six CNG-fueled buses and a fueling station, the city of Tracy, California plans to add two more 30-foot CNG buses and quadruple the size of the fueling facility. The additional $750,000 comes from federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program (CMAQ).... Read more →

Corning will begin supplying a new, advanced diesel particulate filter to light-duty vehicle manufacturers later this year. The new Corning DuraTrap AT filter uses an advanced ceramic material and monolithic design to deliver a filtration efficiency of more than 90%. This new filter also provides excellent pressure drop performance to... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) approved the nation’s most health protective ozone (O3) standard today. The new 8-hour-average standard of 0.070 parts per million (ppm) (not to be exceeded) is designed to further protect California’s most vulnerable populations from the adverse health effects associated with ground-level ozone, or smog.... Read more →

Enova Systems’s 120 kW HybridPower drive systems are being used in two different fuel cell-powered ground support equipment prototypes and tests for the US Air Force. In the first, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, which operates the Department of Defense (DoD) Fuel Cell Test and Evaluation Center (FCTec), is integrating the Enova... Read more →

ZAP will begin using Advanced Battery Technologies’ (ABAT) Lithium-Ion Polymer batteries in its electric vehicles. Under the first phase of a new agreement, ABAT will retrofit a range of ZAP electric vehicles with its Lithium Polymer batteries and chargers. According to ZAP, initial testing shows that the ABAT batteries will... Read more →

Ford Motor Company, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), TUG Technologies Corporation, Delta Airlines and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) announced a partnership that will put two hydrogen-fueled airport tow tractors into service at the Orlando airport. The M1A tow tractor uses a Ford Power Products 4.2-liter, V-6... Read more →

The Minnesota House of Representatives passed its version of the state Senate bill doubling the amount of ethanol required in gasoline sold in Minnesota to 20% over the next decade. (Earlier post.) The 91-43 vote in the House came after nearly five hours of debate on the bill. The House... Read more →

Daily Telegraph. The initial public offering of shares in Australian Renewable Fuels closed early due to strong demand, raising $20 million and giving the biodiesel producer a market capitalization of $108 million. The company said the offering closed two days early due to strong demand from investors, with the institutional... Read more →

President Bush today outlined his current vision for energy independence, a broad roadmap relying on the use of advanced technology to increase US energy production primarily from nuclear and fossil sources, but with some support for renewables and conservation. ...The fundamental problem is this: Our supply of energy is not... Read more →

Volkswagen is combining its diesel Golf Plus 2.0 TDI with its direct shift gearbox (DSG) to deliver up to a 10.6% reduction in fuel consumption and lower emissions compared to a Golf with a five-speed automatic transmission. A new Golf with the five-speed automatic gearbox would have a fuel consumption... Read more →

Engelhard Corporation is introducing a new platinum/palladium diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) technology that allows automakers to meet Euro IV emission regulations and also reduce their precious-metal costs. A diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) is a flow-through device installed on the exhaust pipe. As exhaust gases pass through it, the catalyst, carbon... Read more →

Malaysia Star. Malaysian government policy, rising fuel prices and the black market have combined to create a severe shortage of diesel in the country. Public transport and the cargo industry in Malaysia are sputtering to a halt, with up to 30% of trucks already “not moving.” Twenty-one percent (547) of... Read more →

It’s a busy time with respect to the discussion of Peak Oil. Maryland Congressman Roscoe Bartlett goes back before Congress tonight (27 April) in his third Special Order presentation to the body on Peak Oil. Depletion Scotland, an organization that works closely with the Oil Depletion Analysis Center (ODAC), just... Read more →

Suncor, the Canadian oil sands company, has received the final environmental approvals from Canadian federal and provincial governments for the construction of a Canadian $120 million (US $96.4 million) corn ethanol production facility. Work on the plant should be complete by mid-2006. Suncor’s new facility will produce approximately 200 million... Read more →

Fraunhofer Institute for Transport and Infrastructure Systems (IVI) in Germany has developed a fuel cell-flywheel hybrid trolley (tram). The fuel cell-based system is a derivative of an earlier diesel-powered hybrid version. The two-car hydrogen AutoTram is powered by a 80kW Ballard fuel cell system and three electric motors. Roof-mounted tanks... Read more →

In a further extension of its work in distributed power generation and vehicle fueling, American Honda Motor Company is partnering with Massachusetts-based Climate Energy to bring micro combined heat and power (MCHP) co-generation technology to the home. The new MCHP system uses natural gas to provide residential heat efficiently, with... Read more →

Moberly Monitor. Mid-America Biofuels, a partnership that includes a Missouri farmer-owned biodiesel business, Archer Daniels Midland, Ray-Carroll County Grain Growers, and MFA Oil Company plans to build the state’s first major biodiesel plant in Mexico, Missouri. The facility will use soybean oil as feedstock and have capacity to produce 30... Read more →

Although Ford halted North American production of its natural gas and compressed gas vehicles “to concentrate on fuel-efficient gas-electric vehicles” (earlier post), the manufacturer continues to introduce new CNG models internationally, where demand is much higher. The new Ford FiestaMax, just introduced in Argentina, is a case in point. The... Read more →

Here at GCC, we track hybrid sales by the sales figures released by the manufacturers. (Earlier post.) Another view of the market comes from looking at the registrations of new vehicles. Nationwide registrations for new hybrid vehicles jumped 81% to 83,153 in 2004 compared to the prior year, according to... Read more →

Four diesel engine manufacturers (Caterpillar, Cummins, Mack Trucks and Volvo) went to court Friday (through the EMA—Engine Manufacturers Association) in California on Friday to block the implementation of a rule set to take effect in a week regarding mandatory engine software upgrades to meet state pollution standards. The genesis of... Read more →

As noted in a previous post, a series hybrid electric shuttle bus powered by a UQM propulsion system is under test by a Tier One supplier. A Ford LSG 642 (6 cylinder, 4.2-liter) engine fueled by propane drives the generator. Maximum output at 2200 rpm (the UQM operating speed) is... Read more →

Bernama. The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and Golden Hope Plantations are partnering to build a biodiesel plant in Labu in Negeri Sembilan—the first in the country. MPOB is investing RM 40 million ($10.5 million) in the plant, according to Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui.... Read more →

Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack issued a wide-ranging executive order (#41) Friday directing state agencies to improve upon their current practices of conserving energy. Among the directives stipulated in the order: To reduce energy consumption in all conditioned facilities owned by the State by an average of 15% by 2010, relative... Read more →

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and other dignitaries dedicated the only public large-scale wind research instrument in the United States designed to conduct research on converting wind power into hydrogen. The 1.65 MW research wind turbine will sit on a 230-foot high tower. Each blade is 135 feet long. The turbine... Read more →

The Washington state Senate this week passed an amended version of the bill, HB 1397 (earlier post) adopting California’s emission standards for light- and medium-duty passenger vehicles. The bill now heads to the Governor for signing into law. The Senate dropped some of California’s provisions, including a quota for zero-emission... Read more →

Turkish Press. A diesel oil-laden tanker ran aground early Friday in the Dardanelles Strait, forcing Turkish authorities to shut the narrow waterway to maritime traffic, according to the Anatolia news agency. The 189-meter (620-foot) tanker lost its rudder while sailing through one of the narrowest points of the Dardanelles, which,... Read more →

After reading the umpteenth story about increases in reserves from certain OPEC countries, I decided to plot the history of OPEC reserves from 1980 on. In the mid 1980s, OPEC policy changed to calculate each country’s share of the overall production quota based on reserves as well as production capacity.... Read more →

At the Auto Shanghai 2005 show, DaimlerChrysler is emphasizing its entire range of approaches to sustainable mobility for Asia as a whole, and China in particular. Making their Asian debuts at the show are the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Hybrid (earlier post) and a cutaway model of the fuel-cell version of the... Read more →

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. will purchase up to 75 more parallel hybrid diesel-electric trucks for its service fleet in the next 12 months, contingent upon pricing and availability. The announcement coincided with the unveiling of two FedEx hybrid trucks in Washington, DC, which brought the company-wide total... Read more →

Clearly, one of the major requirements for a hydrogen-based transportation system is the production of the hydrogen itself. At the recent Hydrogen Expo USA in Washington, ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures (CTTV) and Modine Manufacturing presented a paper outlining their development of an innovative, distributed, natural-gas-fed, smaller scale Steam Methane reformer for... Read more →

Car Buyer’s Notebook sighted a diesel version of DaimlerChrysler’s smart car, down from Canada, and snapped (do you snap a digital picture?) a picture. They said it would never materialize on our shores. That it was a fable, a dream that would never come true. They were wrong. The Notebook... Read more →

The Star. Malaysian conglomerate Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd has launched its first commercial clonal oil palm, ABB1, which has the potential to enhance production yields by 30% compared with current seedling materials. Guthrie Biotech Laboratory, a wholly-owned subsidiary, produced the clonal oil palm. While the most successful commercial oil palm oil... Read more →

On a vote of 249–183, with 3 not voting, the House passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Twenty-one Republicans voted against the measure, and 41 Democrats voted for it. (Full roll call is here.) Attention now shifts to the Senate. The bill funnels some $12 billion in tax breaks... Read more →

As planned, (earlier post) Honda is beginning limited retail sales of its natural gas-powered Civic GX sedan paired with a new residential natural gas refueling appliance called Phill. The Civic GX (earlier post) is the cleanest internal combustion vehicle ever certified by the EPA and, with the introduction of home... Read more →

Thailand’s Cabinet approved proposals by the Ministry of Energy that encourage the use of natural gas, gasohol (95% gasoline, 5% ethanol) and biodiesel as alternative fuels for vehicles. The plan includes tax incentives for motorists using NGV; more gasohol pumps at retail gasoline stations; and an increase in palm tree... Read more →

A high-speed electrical car, powered by ABB motors and drives, will attempt to break the land speed record for an electrical vehicle on May 5 in Nevada. The 32-foot (10 meter) long, “e=motion” car will try to beat the current official FIA (Fédération Internationale d’Automobile) electric land speed record of... Read more →

Durango Herald. The city of Durango, Colorado added a pair of 2005 Toyota Priuses to its fleet. In June 2004, the city switched to a B20 biodiesel blend for all its diesel vehicles, including transit buses, backhoes and dump trucks. Read more →

The New York City Council’s (NYCC) Committee on Environmental Protection passed a wide-ranging set of five initiatives, that, if passed by the full Council and then signed into laws by the Mayor, would implement stricter emissions standards as well as mandating a 20% increase in fuel economy by 2015 for... Read more →

The House of Representatives began debate today on HR 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, fresh out of the House Energy Committee (earlier post). Some of the amendments to the bill proposed on the floor today: Amendment #3, to remove the provisions of the bill that will allow oil... Read more →

Bangkok Post. Revo International, a Kyoto-based biodiesel technology provider, has entered into a joint venture in Thailand to develop a one-billion-baht (approximately $25.4 million) biodiesel refinery in Chon Buri. The plant, expected to start operation in July 2006, will have a full capacity of 300,000 liters per day (approximately 79,250... Read more →

Treehugger writes about one of its readers who created his own solar-charged EVT 4000E electric scooter (Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Solar). According to Dominic, the writer, Don (the DIY’er) has lived off the grid for 20 years, and this bike is a natural extension of that lifestyle. To pull off this feat,... Read more →

As anticipated (earlier post), the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has ordered 150 series hybrid diesel-electric buses from Orion Bus Industries, a division of DaimlerChrysler. The hybrids are part of a larger 330-bus order. These buses, to be delivered in 2006, will be TTC’s first hybrid models and will give Toronto... Read more →

CalCars Founder Felix Kramer is talking with NPR Science Friday host Ira Flatow and phone callers this Friday, April 22, scheduled from 2:40-3:00 Eastern, 11:40-noon Pacific, etc. on your local NPR affiliate. Search for stations and confirm the schedule at http://www.npr.org/stations/. Streaming information is available at http://sciencefriday.com/streaming.html, and a podcast/downloadable... Read more →

BP is investing some $130 million on new ultra low-sulfur diesel facilities at its Whiting, Indiana refinery. The addition of a new Distillate Hydrotreater (DHT) will allow the refinery, the fourth largest in the US, to produce approximately 36,000 barrels per day of the ultra low-sulfur diesel product. BP has... Read more →