Sinoenergy Corporation, a manufacturer of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle and gas station equipment, and, a designer, developer and operator of CNG filling stations in China, is acquiring 60% of Jiaxing Lixun Automotive Electronic Company. Lixun designs and manufactures electric control devices for alternative fuel (CNG/LPG) vehicles, as well as... Read more →

Seattle Times. The Washington State legislature is expected to pass a law that would increase the speed limit on neighborhood electric vehicles to 35 mpg from 25 mph currently. State lawmakers passed legislation in 2003 that allowed low-speed, battery-powered vehicles on city streets but limited them to 25 mph. Dealers... Read more →

Sustainability of energy, food and water is the featured theme of the 233rd national meeting of the American Chemical Society, which began today in Chicago and runs through Thursday. Within that larger structure, challenges and advances specific to biofuels are featured in a three-day symposium: “Agricultural Biomass, Biobased Products, and... Read more →

A brush anode and a tube cathode next to an assembled MFC containing one anode and two cathodes. Click to enlarge. Source: Yi Zuo, PSU Researchers at Penn State have developed a new graphite brush anode, consisting of graphite fibers wound around a conductive, but noncorrosive metal core, for use... Read more →

Responding to an article in the Detroit News that suggested GM was trying to “unplug” the hype around the Volt, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said that the company is 100% committed to making the Volt happen. Writing on the company’s FastLane Blog, Lutz said: We’re not unplugging anything. We... Read more →

Targeted greenhouse gas reductions by source, not sector. Transportation is the largest end-use sector (35%). Click to enlarge. The city of Toronto, Ontario, has released a planning framework that targets a 6% cut in greenhouse gas emissions from the Toronto urban area by 2012 (based on 1990 levels), a 30%... Read more →

Researchers at New York’s Polytechnic University have bioengineered a fuel-latent plastic from plant-derived fatty acids that can subsequently be broken down into a diesel-like liquid fuel for use in generators. Professor Richard Gross, director of Polytechnic University’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing of Macromolecules (CBBM) developed... Read more →

Porsche AG will increase its stake in Volkswagen from the 27.3% up to 31%, and thus make a mandatory offer for the company. The company will offer €100.92 per ordinary share. Volkswagen shares closed at €117.70 on Friday, valuing the company at €42.7 billion (US$56.8 billion). Once this mandatory offer... Read more →

Volvo has received roughly 96% of the shares outstanding of Nissan Diesel in its acquisition bid. (Earlier post.) The company will pay a total of SEK 7.4 billion (US$ 1.1 billion) for the shares. With more than the two-thirds shares required, Volvo will now initiate a process to redeem the... Read more →

AlgoDyne Ethanol Energy, the developers of a proprietary based process to continuously harvest algae biomass from photobioreactors to produce electricity and fuel, is acquiring 3,000 acres of agricultural land in Saskatchewan, Canada, to grow bioenergy crops, including Miscanthus. The company had originally intended to purchase 800 acres, but decided to... Read more →

GM Holden will showcase the 2.0-liter diesel Captiva at the upcoming 2007 Adelaide Motor Show in Australia. With manual transmission, the Euro-4 compliant diesel offers fuel consumption of 7.6l/100km (31 mpg US). (Earlier post.) The 16-valve diesel unit with variable geometry turbo was jointly developed by GM Daewoo Auto &... Read more →

Red Herring has picked Loremo AG, makers of a highly fuel-efficient diesel car (earlier post) as one of its Red Herring 100 Europe. The ranking and award is given to the top 100 private technology companies, as determined by Red Herring, based in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)... Read more →

Reuters. China may overtake the US this year as the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, according to estimates from the US Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC). China’s emissions rose by some 10% in 2005, he estimated, while Beijing data shows fuel consumption rose more than 9% in 2006,... Read more →

The transport sector is the largest and fastest-growing consumer of final energy in Europe. Click to enlarge. Source: EEA Final energy consumption in the EU-25 countries increased by 12.6% between 1990 and 2004, according to the European Environment Agency. Between 2003 and 2004, total final energy consumption grew by 1.1%.... Read more →

The hybrid T270. Kenworth Truck Company, a division of PACCAR, introduced its new Kenworth T270 Class 6 hybrid-electric truck at the Mid-America Trucking Show. Peterbilt, also part of PACCAR, will begin offering its version of the medium-duty hybrid this year as well. (Earlier post.) The Kenworth T270 Class 6 hybrid... Read more →

The Integrated Corn Biorefinery concept. Click to enlarge. DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products LLC, a joint venture between DuPont and Tate & Lyle, is partnering with Cryotech Deicing Technology to introduce Susterra propanediol, a new 100% renewably sourced product for runway deicing formulations marketed to airports and the aviation... Read more →

Tank Sports has completed the first stage of research and development for its new flex-fuel 150cc and 250cc motorcycles that can run on E85 ethanol. E85 motorcycle. Tank’s goal is to bring the E85 ethanol fueled units into the US and international market by August of 2007. Tank Sports develops,... Read more →

Manufacturers, policy makers, regulators and biodiesel industry representatives met recently for the 2007 Biodiesel Summit at the NextEnergy Center in Detroit with a focus on clearing impediments to full support of B20 blends. DaimlerChrysler, a sponsor of the B20 Summit, challenged the group to come up with a viable fuel... Read more →

General Motors is targeting a reduction of CO2 emissions from its North American manufacturing facilities by 40% by 2010, based on 2000 levels. GM is setting this target as part of its voluntary partnership in the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Leaders program. This reduction would equal 4.5 million... Read more →

Novozymes is proposing a five-step strategy to achieve economically viable cellulosic ethanol. The company introduced its strategy at a press conference at the 4th Annual World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing. A panel discussion followed, featuring Per Falholt, Novozymes chief scientific officer; Maria Rapoza, vice president for Science and... Read more →

With 350,000 miles covered in a two-million mile over-the-road test comparing B20 biodiesel to conventional petroleum diesel in its heavy-duty fleet, Decker Truck Line is reporting substantial benefits in the use of the biofuel. Decker and its partners in the Two Million Mile Haul—Caterpillar, Iowa Soybean Association, National Biodiesel Board... Read more →

Nuclear reactors and ethanol plants in the Corn Belt. Click to enlarge. Researchers and engineers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the US Department of Energy are suggesting using the steam from existing nuclear power plants in the Corn Belt to reduce the costs of producing ethanol from corn and... Read more →

Limited supplies of fuel for nuclear power plants may thwart the renewed and growing interest in nuclear energy in the United States and other nations, according to an MIT expert on the industry. With little development of nuclear energy over the past 20 years, there was investment neither in new... Read more →

Volvo Aero and the Swedish Government are each investing SEK 63 million (US$9 million) to support the development of lightweight components for more fuel-efficient aircraft engines. This marks the government authority Vinnova’s first distribution of funding to a commercial demonstrator program in the aerospace industry. The funding for the Volvo... Read more →

The UK Budget 2007 introduced by Chancellor Gordon Brown will almost double the vehicle excise duty (VED) on the least fuel-efficient cars, raising the rate for VED Band G to £300 (US$591) in 2007-08 and £400 (US$788) in 2008-09. For taxation purposes, the UK groups vehicles in bands defined by... Read more →

Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid Mazda will begin commercial leasing of the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid (earlier post) in 2008. The hybrid’s power will be increased by 40%, and it will offer a hydrogen range of 200 km (124 miles), double the 100 km of the first versions of the... Read more →

The Globe and Mail reports that Ottawa-based Iogen Corp. is now negotiating with the Canadian federal government to locate its first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in Saskatchewan. Canada’s Budget 2007, introduced earlier this week, contains a C$500-million provision to support the commercialization of next-generation biofuels. (Earlier post.) Iogen has been... Read more →

Layout of the I-SAM hybrid system. Click to enlarge. Volvo presented an update on its heavy-duty hybrid technology program in a meeting in Brussels. Volvo’s hybrid vehicles can reduce fuel consumption and therefore also emissions of greenhouse gases by about one-third, when compared with conventional diesel-powered vehicles. In addition to... Read more →

The Canadian government is introducing several new measures designed to encourage consumers to purchase or lease fuel-efficient vehicles and get older vehicles off the road. The measures in Budget 2007 include up to C$2,000 in rebates for the purchase or long-term lease of a fuel-efficient vehicle; up to C$4,000 in... Read more →

The 2,800 public transit buses in Rome, Italy, will switch to a B20 biodiesel blend by the end of 2008. The city council, regional administration and farm groups have signed an accord to create a local chain to produce the biodiesel, according to a statement form the city council. Resources:... Read more →

AFL Automotive, an Alcoa business, and Maxwell Technologies are exhibiting a cold start system for the commercial truck market at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky. The cold start system combines Maxwell’s ultracapacitors with AFL’s power management system. The two companies had signed a memorandum of understanding to develop... Read more →

UQM Technologies has been awarded an additional US$1-million contract supplement to an existing US Air Force contract to convert a conventional one-half ton pickup truck to all-electric operation using an optimized configuration of currently available advanced technologies. The contract supplement provides funding for an additional vehicle testbed and for the... Read more →

The Nikkei reports that Mazda will introduce a hybrid version of a hydrogen-fueled rotary engined vehicle in 2008. (Earlier post.) The automaker also reportedly plans a diesel engine version of its Demio subcompact, which will be fully remodeled this spring. Mazda intends to market this version in Europe, where half... Read more →

Novozymes, a leader in applying advanced enzyme technology to the production of ethanol from corn and agricultural residue, has established a Midwest Customer Solutions Center in Ames, Iowa, in order to better serve its customer base in the biofuels industry. The Center, located at the Iowa State University Research Park... Read more →

BASF and Monsanto Company announced a long-term joint research and development (R&D) and commercialization collaboration in plant biotechnology that will focus on the development of high yielding crops and crops that are more tolerant to adverse environmental conditions such as drought. The collaboration is effective immediately. Over the life of... Read more →

Cummins Inc. has approved the use of B20 biodiesel blends in its 2002 and later emissions-compliant ISX, ISM, ISL, ISC and ISB engines. This includes the recently released 2007 products. Cummins’ previous position on the use of biodiesel fuel was limited to the use of B5 blends only. Cummins upgraded... Read more →

Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman and EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson sent a joint proposal letter to the chairman and ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Monday proposing draft legislation requiring 35 billion gallons of alternative motor fuel—15% of projected gasoline use—by 2017. The new standard would require... Read more →

The HES concept. Click to enlarge. Air Products, a leader in hydrogen fueling station technology and the world’s largest producer of hydrogen, and FuelCell Energy, Inc., a manufacturer of stationary fuel-cell power systems, have together begun construction of a demonstration hydrogen energy station capable of providing low-cost hydrogen, electric power... Read more →

Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of the Fiat Group and current president of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), said that while the European auto industry fully supports the EU objective of reducing car emissions to an average of 120 g/km by 2012, actually achieving that goal will require more than... Read more →

As President Bush visited plants where GM assembles the Saturn Aura Green Line Hybrid and Ford the Escape Hybrid, the United Autoworkers Union (UAW) called for federal action to encourage investment in domestic production of hybrid and advanced diesel vehicles. The UAW supports a “Marshall Plan” to stimulate new investment... Read more →

Process flow diagram for coal-to-liquids production with associated carbon dioxide emissions. Click to enlarge. Leading academics from an interdisciplinary MIT panel issued a report last week that examines how the world can continue to use coal in a way that mitigates, instead of worsens, the global warming crisis. Led by... Read more →

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has selected three biofuel projects to receive a combined $3 million in funding under a Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program solicitation issued in October 2006. (Earlier post.) The CEC received 19 proposals, which the CEC Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) reviewed, evaluated, and scored. Based... Read more →

Maxwell Technologies has introduced a rugged 390-volt BOOSTCAP ultracapacitor module to provide scalable, easy-to-integrate, energy storage and power delivery solutions for heavy hybrid and electric vehicles and heavy duty industrial applications requiring up to 1,170 volts. The new Heavy Duty Transportation (HTM) module features enhanced integration technology and up to... Read more →

Dozens of institutional investors managing a combined $4 trillion in assets called on the US Congress to enact strong federal legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Joined by a dozen leading US companies, the investor group outlined the business and economic rationale for climate action as they called for a... Read more →

The powertrain layout of the XR-3. Click to enlarge. Robert Q. Riley Enterprises, LLC, a product design firm in Glendale, Ariz., will soon introduce the kit and plans for its XR-3 plug-in hybrid, a two-passenger, three-wheel vehicle with an expected fuel economy rating between 125 and 225 miles per gallon.... Read more →

Xinhua. China’s Brilliance Auto has introduced the first China-developed turbocharged sedan. The new turbo. The 1.8-liter engine in the new model offers a power boost of up to 30% over its non-turbo counterparts, with fuel consumption of 6.6 liters per 100 km (35.6 mpg US). Brilliance Auto Group plans to... Read more →

The ZAP-X. Click to enlarge. ZAP has published concept drawings of its proposed ZAP-X Crossover SUV on its website. Lotus Engineering is developing the ZAP-X for ZAP, and is basing it on the Lotus aluminum APX concept. (Earlier post.) The compact-SUV design will feature all-wheel drive with in-hub electric motors... Read more →

Business and government leaders announced the formation of the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels (C2B2). The purpose of the joint venture is to develop new biofuels and biorefining techniques and assist in a streamlined transfer of these advances to the public. Partners in the venture include the new Colorado... Read more →

The new Saturn 2007 Aura Green Line hybrid’s MSRP will start at $22,695 (including destination charge). Based on the all-new Aura midsize sedan, the Aura Green Line hybrid uses the GM Belt Alternator Starter (BAS) mild hybrid system. The Aura Green Line’s EPA fuel economy rating of 28 mpg in... Read more →

The Dow Chemical Company has introduced a monopropylene glycol—Propylene Glycol Renewable (PGR)—made from glycerin generated during the manufacture of biodiesel. Dow is currently conducting PGR trials with customers and anticipates having limited commercial quantities available in mid-2007. PGR will be used in such applications as unsaturated polyester resins (UPR) for... Read more →