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NASA Study Finds Increasing Arctic Storm Activity Provokes Acceleration of Ice Drift; New CO2 Sinks May Emerge

A new NASA study shows that the rising frequency and intensity of arctic storms over the last half century, attributed to progressively warmer waters, directly provoked acceleration of the rate of arctic sea ice drift, long considered by scientists as a bellwether of climate change. NASA researcher Sirpa Hakkinen of... Read more →


BAE Systems Introduces Improved Version of HybriDrive

BAE’s HybriDrive applied in an inline configuration in a Daimler Buses North America Orion VII NG (next generation). Click to enlarge. BAE Systems introduced an improved version of its series hybrid propulsion system that can be used on multiple bus platforms, is mechanically simpler, reduces maintenance costs, and makes possible... Read more →


US DOE to Provide Up to $43.1M Over 4 Years for Enhanced Geothermal Systems Research, Development and Demonstration

The US Department of Energy (DOE) will provide up to $43.1 million over four years (subject to annual appropriations) to 21 awardees, including a 13 awards to first-time recipients, for research, development and demonstration of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) for next-generation geothermal energy technologies. Combined with the minimum industry cost-share... Read more →


VW Introduces Passat BlueTDI, BlueMotion 2 and Concept Variant BlueMotion II; Bin 5 and Euro 6 Compliance, Stop/Start and Regenerative Braking

The VW Passat Variant BlueMotion II. Click to enlarge. At the Paris Motor Show, Volkswagen unveiled the Passat BlueTDI (a Passat model with an SCR system to cut NOx to US Bin 5 and Euro-6 levels); the second-generation of the Passat BlueMotion, equipped with a stop/start system as standard; and... Read more →


HEC Developing 9.3L Hydrogen-Fueled V-8

Hydrogen Engine Center, Inc. (HEC) (earlier post) has entered into an agreement with Eliminator Performance Products to produce a 9.3-liter, hydrogen-fueled V-8 engine—the largest spark-ignited hydrogen V-8 yet built, according to the company. It is intended for large hydrogen-fueled electrical power generation systems and for buses. Ford Motor Company uses... Read more →


El Toro Export Orders 15 Heavy-Duty Kenworth T800 LNG Trucks

El Toro Export, LLC of El Centro, California, a processor, marketer, and exporter of various agricultural commodities, has ordered 15 heavy-duty Kenworth T800 liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucks, featuring Westport’s ISX G engine with High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) technology. (Earlier post.) The trucks will be deployed in the Imperial... Read more →


US Hybrid Purchases Magmotor Technologies

US Hybrid Corporation, a provider of integrated power conversion components for electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, purchased the motor division of Satcon Technology Corporation. The company, Magmotor Technologies Inc., is now a wholly owned subsidiary of US Hybrid Corporation. Magmotor Technologies Inc. offers a broad range of brush and... Read more →


UK New Vehicle Registrations Fall 21% in September 2008

New car registration figures in the UK in September fell 21% to 330,295 units year-on-year, according to figures collated by SMMT and Spyder Automotive. Compared with September 2007, the market fell 88,995 units in the same month this year. The market decline is worse than a previous fall of 67,245... Read more →


South African Company Unveils Locally Developed Electric Car

Optimal Energy, a privately-owned South African company based in Cape Town, is launching an indigenous all-electric vehicle. Named Joule, the zero-emission car is a six-seater MPV (multi-purpose vehicle). Designed by Optimal Energy in association with South African-born automotive designer, Keith Helfet, the Joule made its global debut at the Paris... Read more →


European Automakers to Seek €40 Billion in Loans from EC

Sales of personal cars are on the decline in Europe. Click to enlarge. Source: ACEA European automakers will approach to European Commission (EC) seeking €40 billion in loans (US$54 billion) to support their shift to lower GHG-emitting vehicles, according to Fiat CEO and former ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) president... Read more →


Nissan Shows Present and Future of City Cars at Paris Show: Pixo and NuVu EV

Nissan’s NuVu. Click to enlarge. Among its introductions at the Paris Motor Show, Nissan unveiled a new production city car—the Pixo—and a battery-electric concept car highlighting Nissan’s focus on electric drive for the future, the NuVu. Pixo, built in collaboration with Suzuki Motor in Delhi, India, is a five-door, four-seater... Read more →


Beijing to Remove 300K Heavily Polluting Heavy-Duty Vehicles Within One Year

Xinhua. Beijing will replace or remove some 300,000 heavily polluting vehicles within one year in an attempt to further improve its air quality. All heavily polluting vehicles will be banned within the sixth ring road by 1 October 2009. The 6th ring road in Beijing. Click to enlarge. Beijing has... Read more →


GM Opel Previews ecoFLEX Version of Insignia with 2.0L Diesel with Closed-Loop Combustion

The Vauxhall version of the Insignia ecoFLEX. Click to enlarge. GM Opel previewed an ecoFLEX version of its new Insignia at the Paris Motor Show. The newest ecoFLEX model features a 2.0-liter single turbo diesel that delivers 118 kW (160 hp) of power and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque.... Read more →


Valeo Develops Direct Cooling System for Li-ion Battery Packs

Valeo has developed a direct cooling system to control the temperature of lithium-ion batteries in hybrid and electric vehicles. The system consists of an evaporator that is built into the battery module and is connected to the vehicle’s conventional air conditioning circuit. This evaporator, which is inserted between the cells,... Read more →


New Stop & Start Systems for PSA Peugeot Citroën Due in 2010

PSA Peugeot Citroën was one of the first manufacturers to commercialize a stop/start system, packaging it with the C3 beginning in 2004. (Earlier post.) This micro-hybrid technology cuts fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in the city by around 10%, and up to 15% in heavy traffic. The group will introduce... Read more →


Sturman Announces New Digital Hydraulic Injector

Sturman Industries announced the successful development of its digital hydraulic injector (DH-1), earlier called the Environmental Injector (earlier post). The DH-1 is fed by low pressure (4 bar) fuel and <300 bar hydraulic fluid rather than high pressure fuel, yet can deliver injections at pressures of 3,000+ bar. The DH-1... Read more →


Energy Banker Matt Simmons Warns on Threat of Gasoline Shortage

In an interview with WorldEnergy.TV, Matt Simmons, Chairman of Simmons & Company International, warned of the danger of a gasoline supply crisis to the US economy. Congress should realize we have two diseases crippling America today. While the financial crisis is like asthma or tuberculosis to the economy, a gasoline... Read more →


ExxonMobil Working with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne to Develop Advanced Gasification Technology

ExxonMobil and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne are working together to develop and test new gasification technology to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of converting coal, coke or biomass to synthesis gas. The work focuses on the development of a gasification-reactor system, which has the potential to offer significant... Read more →


LandRover Introduces New Stop/Start System on Production Freelander

The new Freelander 2 TD4_e. Click to enlarge. Land Rover introduced the Freelander 2 TD4_e featuring a new Stop/Start system at the Paris Motor Show. The Freelander 2 TD4_e is Land Rover’s most fuel-efficient vehicle to date and is the first production vehicle to incorporate technologies from the company’s program... Read more →


US Sales of Hybrids Down 8.9% in September

Monthly reported sales of hybrids in the US. Click to enlarge. Reported sales of hybrids in the US dropped 8.9% by volume to 20,836 units in September 2008 year-on-year—the lowest September sales volume since 2005. Overall sales of light duty vehicles in the US in September dropped 26.6% year-on-year. (Earlier... Read more →


Toyota Launches 3rd Gen Avensis with New Valvematic Gasoline Engines; “Optimal Drive” Strategy

The new Avensis. Click to enlarge. At the Paris Motor Show, Toyota is highlighting three new models: the final production version of the new iQ city car (earlier post), the Urban Cruiser 1.4-litre D-4D diesel All Wheel Drive (AWD) (earlier post); and the all-new Avensis, its European flagship model. At... Read more →


UOP, Albemarle and Petrobras to Cooperate on Catalytic Crude Upgrading for Heavy Oils

UOP LLC, Albemarle and Petrobras have signed a technology cooperation agreement to demonstrate and further the commercialization of UOP’s Catalytic Crude Upgrading (CCU) process technology. UOP developed the CCU process in 2005 as a cost-effective option to upgrade heavy crude oils and bitumen-derived crude. Under the agreement, UOP will provide... Read more →


Odyne Awarded Patent for Battery Energy Management and Monitoring System

Odyne Corporation, a developer of medium- and heavy-duty plug-in hybrid electric vehicle propulsion systems, has been awarded a US Patent (application number 11-315,927) for its Battery Energy Management and Monitoring System. Odyne has now been awarded three patents in the area of Battery Energy and Thermal Management. The use of... Read more →


Gilbarco Veeder-Root and Coulomb Technologies Partner On Charging Infrastructure for Plug-Ins

Gilbarco Veeder-Root, a leading provider of fueling equipment for retail and fleet operators, and Coulomb Technologies are partnering on the development and commercialization of products that will enable the charging infrastructure for plug-in vehicles. Coulomb Technologies has developed a complete smart charging solution for plug-in vehicles. (Earlier post.) The company’s... Read more →


EPA Awarding Almost $1.8M to Midwest States for Clean-Diesel Programs

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding $295,320 each to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin for their 2008 clean diesel programs under EPA’s Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative (MCDI). Matching grants from these states total $1.2 million. Nationally, EPA will award $14.8 million to states for clean-diesel programs.... Read more →


Volvo Cars Introduces Three Efficient DRIVe Cars; Roadmap for Reducing CO2 Emissions

Together with the introduction of three fuel-efficient diesel DRIVe cars (C30, S40 and V50 1.6D DRIVe) with CO2 emissions below 120 g/km at the Paris Motor Show (earlier post), Volvo Cars outlined its roadmap for cutting CO2 emissions. The company plans DRIVe models with emissions of about 100 g/km (representing... Read more →


DOE Receives 19 Loan Guarantee Applications for Nuclear Power Plant Construction

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has received 19 Part I applications from 17 electric power companies for federal loan guarantees to support the construction of 14 nuclear power plants in response to its June 30, 2008 solicitation. The applications reflect the intentions of those companies to build 21 new... Read more →


PSA Peugeot Citroën Unveils HYmotion4 All-Wheel Hybrid Drivetrain; Diesel and Gasoline, Front- and Rear-Engined Variants

The HYmotion4 hybrid powertrain components as applied in the Prologue concept car. Click to enlarge. PSA Peugeot Citroën has introduced a new hybrid drive architecture—the HYmotion4 all-wheel drivetrain—which will be fitted on select mid-sized and executive Peugeot and Citroën models scheduled for market launch in 2011. Unveiled at the Paris... Read more →


Electrovaya Receives Initial License Payment for EV and Battery Production in Norway

Electrovaya has received an initial payment of US$1.3 million from Miljøbil Grenland AS for a technology license enabling battery and electric car production at a new plant in Norway. (Earlier post.) Electrovaya is partnering with Miljøbil to produce batteries and electric cars in Norway and is providing its proprietary Lithium-ion... Read more →


Honda Reveals Insight Concept Hybrid at Paris; Jazz, CRZ-Derivative Hybrids to Follow

The Insight concept. Click to enlarge. Honda revealed a concept version of its new small hybrid-only vehicle, the new Insight, at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. (Earlier post.) The new Insight marks the return of a dedicated hybrid to the Honda model line-up and the start of a new phase... Read more →


Senate Version of Bailout Bill has PHEV Credits

The revised bailout legislation passed by the US Senate on Wednesday (H.R. 1424)—which has ballooned from an original 3-page plan from Treasury Secretary Paulson to the 451-paqe bill approved by the Senate—contains among its many other new provisions a tax-credit for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The credit is a base... Read more →


Audi Introduces A1 Five-Door Concept with Plug-in Hybrid Drive at Paris Show

The Audi A1 Sportback PHEV concept. Click to enlarge. At the Paris Motor Show (opening to the media today), Audi is unveiling the A1 Sportback concept study. A follow-on from the Audi A1 project quattro three-door show car presented in 2007 (earlier post), this is a concept for a five-door... Read more →


US Light Duty Vehicle Sales Down 26.6% in September; Truck Sales Edge Past Cars

Sales of light duty trucks edged back past those of passenger cars in September 2008, capturing a 50.3% share for the month. The national average price of gasoline (all grades) is plotted in green. Click to enlarge. Sales of new light-duty vehicles in the US plunged to 964,873 units in... Read more →


New Pillared Graphene Material Offers Enhanced Hydrogen Storage; Close to DOE Target

Volumetric hydrogen uptake for graphene (diamonds), (6,6) carbon nanotubes (squares), pillared material (triangles), and Li-doped pillared (stars) at (a) 77 K and (b) 300 K. Click to enlarge. Credit: ACS Researchers at the University of Crete (Greece) have designed a novel 3-D network nanostructure that almost meets the US Department... Read more →


Researchers Isolate Fungus for Biodesulfurization of Heavy Crude

Researchers at Sharif University of Technology in Iran have isolated a fungus for use in a process that can remove sulfur from heavy, high-sulfur crude oil more effectively than existing refinery desulfurization processes. The fungus, Stachybotrys, removed 65-76% of the sulfur present in heavy crude oil from two different oil... Read more →


LiMn2O4 Nanorods Improve Li-Ion Cathode Performance

The nanorods, and capacity compared to commercial powders. Click to enlarge. Credit: ACS An international team led by Dr. Yi Cui at Stanford University has produced free-standing single-crystalline LiMn2O4 nanorods that, when used as a cathode material in Li-ion batteries, show a high charge storage capacity at high power rates... Read more →


DuraCar Introduces New EV Derived from ITS InnoVan at Paris Show

The QUICC! Diva. Click to enlarge. DuraCar, a Dutch automobile manufacturer, is introducing its QUICC! brand and the prototype of a new electric vehicle at the Mondial de L’Automobile opening in Paris this week. The QUICC! DiVa is fully battery-powered distribution van (DiVa), and the body and chassis of the... Read more →


RTI International Developing Higher Efficiency Thermoelectric Materials, Applications

Researchers at RTI International, led by Dr. Rama Venkatasubramanian, in collaboration with several universities and United Technologies Research Corporation are working on higher efficiency thermoelectric materials for the conversion of heat differentials or waste heat into electrical energy for a wide range of applications. The research is funded by two... Read more →


California Implements Amendments to Reformulated Gasoline Regulations; Ethanol Blends Up to 10%, Lower Sulfur Cap

California’s Office of Administrative Law (OAL) recently approved the Air Resource Board ’s 2007 amendments to the Phase 3 California Reformulated Gasoline Regulations. (Earlier post.) The regulation, which is now in effect in California, among other things enables blending of up to 10% ethanol from the current 5.7% level in... Read more →


NSF Awards 14 Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has made 14 Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) awards as a result of the 2008 MRSEC competition (solicitation NSF 07-563). MRSECs support outstanding multi- and inter-disciplinary materials research and education addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering. These centers investigate complex problems that... Read more →