Microalgae biodiesel processing and lifecycle analysis model overview. Credit: ACS, Click to enlarge. Researchers at Colorado State University have found that a microalgae biodiesel process using currently available technologies can show improvement in lifecycle GHG emissions and net energy ratio (NER) compared to soybean-based biodiesel. A paper on their lifecycle... Read more →

The M35h. Click to enlarge. Infiniti is using the biennial Paris Motor Show to showcase the M35h hybrid performance sedan, due to begin sales in Europe next spring. The M35h uses an original parallel one motor/two clutch hybrid system and features a decoupling 225 kW (302 hp) 3.5-liter V6 engine;... Read more →

Diagram of the New Holland T7 engine and SCR system. Click to enlarge. Together with its engine development partner, Fiat Powertrain Technologies, New Holland is introducing a range of Tier 4A compliant engines, based on Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology, which reduce fuel consumption and running costs; and improve power... Read more →

At a Live Drive Event in Marshall Michigan, Eaton highlighted a number of new products to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, including an all-new electronic limited slip differential; an electronic fuel vapor management valve for hybrid-electric vehicles; a range of next-generation variable valvetrain systems; and new engine valve product designs.... Read more →

Saab Automobile and American Axle Manufacturing (AAM) have formed a jointly-owned company for the engineering, development and marketing of electric all-wheel drive systems, as well as electric and hybrid driveline systems. The new company, called e-AAM Driveline Systems, will be based in Trollhattan. The joint venture will commence operations on... Read more →

Australia-based Linc Energy reports that it has more than doubled its underground coal gasification (UCG) Gasifier 4 flow rates with the workover processes it recently completed with its newly acquired coil tubing unit equipment. A coil tubing unit is a specialized drilling and well intervention rig that reduces the need... Read more →

A team of researchers from Tufts University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Harvard University report that alkali ions (sodium or potassium) added in small amounts activate platinum adsorbed on alumina or silica for the low-temperature water-gas shift (WGS) reaction (H2O+CO→ H2+CO2) used for producing hydrogen. Their work also reveals a... Read more →

Renault today signed a letter of intent on Electric Vehicles (EVs) with the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in France. The Group has strong presence in this region, with four plants. This agreement marks the starting point of a study heralding a Regional Plan for the Development of Electric Vehicles for Businesses and... Read more →

Applying new compound technologies to truck tires for the first time in Europe, Bridgestone has introduced a range of Ecopia truck tires. Ecopia truck tires run with lower rolling resistance than Bridgestone’s standard patterns, thereby reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions. The added value for operators is that this has... Read more →

At its meeting in Sacramento yesterday, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) adopted targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 and 2035 associated with passenger vehicle travel in the state’s 18 Metropolitan Planning Organizations. (Earlier post.) The proposed targets, required under SB 375 (2008, Steinberg), are designed to help... Read more →

Eaton Corporation and Murphy Oil USA, Inc., a leading fuel provider operating more than 1,000 retail gasoline stations across 22 states, are collaborating to demonstrate to electric vehicle drivers the benefits of fast, convenient charging within the familiar environment of a traditional gas station. After an initial test phase at... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board adopted unanimously a regulation establishing a 33% renewable electricity standard. Under the regulation, one-third of the electricity sold in the state in 2020 must come from renewable sources of energy. The regulation adopted is the product of coordination and cooperation by ARB, California Public Utilities... Read more →

BASF SE and Solix Biofuels, Inc. signed an agreement to investigate the use of algae to produce certain chemicals for BASF. Solix is a developer of algae cultivation technology systems and will test multiple algae species in its proprietary growth system, AGS, for BASF. Further terms were not announced. BASF... Read more →

Third-generation Subaru Boxer engine. Click to enlarge. Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI) has developed a third-generation boxer (horizontally opposed) engine—the first overall renewal for the platform in 21 years. A Boxer engine was first employed in the Subaru 1000 in 1966. The second-generation boxer engine was introduced in the first... Read more →

Praxair, Inc. has been awarded $35 million by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to accelerate development of oxygen transport membrane (OTM) systems which can dramatically reduce the cost of oxygen for synthesis gas (syngas) production and oxy-fuel combustion. Building on the success of work previously supported by the DOE... Read more →

2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Click to enlarge. Toyota has significantly revised its Highlander and Highlander Hybrid crossover sport utility vehicles for 2011. Among the changes, the Highlander Hybrid debuts a new, more powerful 3.5-liter V6 for 2011, replacing the previous 3.3-liter V6, while also improving fuel economy. The 2011 Highlander... Read more →

The Volvo S40 or V50 are now available in models with CO2 emissions as low as 99 g/km, corresponding to fuel consumption of 3.8 L/100 km (62 mpg US). The Volvo C30 was already previously available in a 99 gram variant. The Volvo C30, S40 and V50 DRIVe are the... Read more →

Liquid cooled version of TIGERS. Click to enlarge. The UK-based micro-hybrid specialist Controlled Power Technologies (CPT) will contribute its TIGERS (turbo-generator integrated gas energy recovery system) technology (earlier post) to the recently announced Vehicle Integrated Powertrain Energy Recovery (VIPER) project (earlier post). The VIPER project will build on CPT’s involvement... Read more →

Li-ion maker ENER1, Inc. has executed a securities purchase agreement with its principal shareholder, Ener1 Group, for the purchase of common stock and warrants for $20 million. The financing is expected to close next week. Ener1 has raised in excess of $160 million in equity in 2010, through a combination... Read more →

Markets which will participate in the BMW ActiveE (earlier post) US field trial when it begins in summer 2011 include the New York metro market; the Greater Los Angeles Are; San Diego; the Greater San Francisco and Sacramento areas; select markets in Connecticut; and Boston. The BMW ActiveE field trial... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz is introducing four new diesel and gasoline engines for its luxury S-Class, including the first four-cylinder engine in its almost 60-year history, the S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY diesel. Developing an output of 150 kW (204 hp), the S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY achieves a fuel consumption of just 5.7 liters... Read more →

Honeywell expects the global turbo segment to double in the next five years, from 17 million new turbo vehicles in 2009 to 35 million in 2015. That includes a rapid growth in the United States, where turbocharged vehicles are expected to grow from nearly one million (5%) vehicles sold today... Read more →

The smart escooter. Click to enlarge. Both smart and MINI are unveiling electric scooter concepts: the smart escooter and the MINI Scooter E Concept; both will premiere at the upcoming 2010 Paris Motor Show. smart escooter. The smart escooter is driven by a disc-shaped wheel hub motor in the rear... Read more →

Cyclone Power Technologies unveiled its scalable waste heat power generator, called WHE/Generation (earlier post), in connection with the $200 million GE Ecomagination Challenge. Cyclone’s renewable power system is currently ranked 25th of more than 2,280 entries vying for funding and partnering opportunities in this worldwide search for green energy technologies.... Read more →

Two-thirds of Europe’s truck rigs are driving around with incorrect wheel alignment. Many also have the wrong tyre type and the wrong tyre pressure. Carbon dioxide emissions from these rigs would be able to be significantly reduced if these faults were rectified by as much as 15%, according to a... Read more →

Kangoo Express ZE. Click to enlarge. At the International Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, Renault is premiering the definitive version of Kangoo Express ZE (Zero Emission), the first all-electric van developed and built by a vehicle manufacturer. (Earlier post.) Kangoo Express ZE will be sold in Europe at a price... Read more →

Rotrak, the new 50:50 joint-venture between traction drive specialist Torotrak plc and centrifugal supercharger company Rotrex AS, will present a highly efficient supercharger system in a paper at the 15th Supercharging Conference in Dresden on 24 September. The joint venture company combines a Rotrex supercharger with a Torotrak full-toroidal traction... Read more →

Donlen, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and GreenDriver are collaborating on a multi-year Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action titled, “Commercial Fleet 20% GHG Emissions Reduction.” This commitment indicates a significant pledge by all three organizations to work together to transform the environmental impact of the fleet industry. Donlen, North... Read more →

California inter-agency roadmap. Click to download pdf version. Four California state agencies and the independent power grid operator have released a new plan and vision for California’s energy future in advance of the Air Resources Board consideration of a first-in-the-nation rule requiring that a third of California electricity come from... Read more →

The Opel Vivaro e-Concept. Click to enlarge. At the IAA Commercial Vehicles Fair in Hannover (23-30 September 2010), Opel will unveil a research project on a Vivaro e-Concept, an electric van with up to 400 kilometers (249 miles) extended range. The e-Concept is conceived to have 5.0 cubic meter storage... Read more →

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and Endesa, Spain’s largest electricity supply company, are developing a Quick Charging network for electric vehicles. Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by both parties, Nissan and Endesa have agreed to advance the technical progress and deployment of Direct Current (DC) quick charging technology throughout Spain.... Read more →

GE’s WattStation. Click to enlarge. GE and Better Place have formed a technology and financing partnership to accelerate the global deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure through collaboration in four key areas: standards-based technology development; battery financing; joint fleet electrification programs; and consumer awareness. The partnership combines GE’s global scale, broad... Read more →

EPA Tier 4 Interim and EU Stage IIIB emissions standards and effect dates vary by power category. Source: Cummins. Click to enlarge. Cummins Inc. has begun production and supply of the first EPA Tier 4 Interim and EU Stage IIIB certified engines and aftertreatment for early installation by off-highway equipment... Read more →

The City of Amsterdam (the Netherlands) has signed a Definitive Agreement with the Renault-Nissan Alliance to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles. Among the specific targets agreed by both parties is a determination to register at least 1,000 EV sales by the end of 2011. As a first step to... Read more →

Oxford Resource Partners, LP, a low-cost producer of high-value steam coal in Northern Appalachia and the Illinois Basin, and Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. are collaborating to develop a pilot project to produce Mendel’ss proprietary Miscanthus varieties on land previously reclaimed from mining operations by Oxford. The goal of the project is... Read more →

LeasePlan, a Dutch financial institution specializing in fleet management, and Nissan signed an agreement to cooperate in a European-wide project to launch the electric Nissan LEAF in 2011. LeasePlan is the first leasing company to offer the Nissan LEAF in Europe. The car will be mass-marketed globally from 2012 onwards.... Read more →

Zymetis Inc., spin-off from the University of Maryland seeking to commercialize a marine bacterium that the company says is the fastest known degrader of whole plant biomass (earlier post), announced that Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S, has initiated an effort to explore novel methods for producing biochemicals directly from... Read more →

Neste Oil has applied for patents to cover technology developed to produce microbial oil from waste and residues with the help of various yeasts and molds for use as a feedstock for its NExBTL renewable diesel. (Earlier post.) Research work started with the Aalto University School of Science and Technology... Read more →

CODA Automotive, a California-based, US-engineered electric car and battery company, is now accepting deposits for its 100% electric, four-door, five-passenger electric sedan. Drivers can now reserve a CODA with a fully-refundable $499 deposit at www.codaautomotive.com. The all-electric CODA Sedan is capable of up to 120 miles of all-season range based... Read more →

Kia Motors America (KMA) has launched the all-new 2011 Optima midsize sedan, first seen during the 2010 New York International Auto Show. (Earlier post.) Set to arrive in retail showrooms in early fall, the next generation Optima features three new powertrains including the brand’s first-ever hybrid in the US (available... Read more →

The California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) has coordinated the creation of a document that is intended as a starting point for potential fuel users, marketers and producers to better identify the regulations and requirements affecting their fuels. Version 1.0 of the guidance document, updated in response to comments received, has... Read more →

The Nikkei reports that Toyota Motor Corp. will mass-produce an electric vehicle in China starting as early as 2012 through its joint venture with China FAW Group Corp. Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co. has developed an electric vehicle prototype based on Toyota’s Vios subcompact. The firm has been working toward... Read more →

Delphi Automotive LLP has secured more than $2 billion in new business for its F2P and F2E distributed pump common rail fuel injection systems. Previewed as a development project at the last IAA in 2008, the F2 range, which is designed for operation at up to 3,000 bar, provides an... Read more →

The Peugeot EX1. Click to enlarge. Peugeot has developed an electric two-seater roadster concept car, the EX1. Ultra-light, the EX1 is and equipped with two electric motors—one on each axle—with peak output of 125 kW (250 kW / 340 bhp in total), and an immediately available constant maximum torque of... Read more →

General Motors and ABB Group, a global leader in power and automation technologies, have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop pilot projects for re-using the batteries from the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle, examining whether the batteries may be a source for renewable energy that could improve the effectiveness of... Read more →

The Daimler Trucks Fuso Canter E-CELL battery-electric truck prototype to debut at the end of September at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover (earlier post) features a 70 kW electric motor with a maximum torque of 300 N·m (221 lb-ft) powered by a 40 kWh Li-ion battery pack. The... Read more →

Li-ion battery maker Ener1 has restructured, internally dividing into three segments that reflect the main directions of development in the rapidly devolving industry: transportation, utility grid and small format products. Each segment will be a separate profit-and-loss center headed by its own president, and the changes will be applied in... Read more →

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine for Ford’s F-150 (earlier post) will deliver a combination of best-in-class towing of 11,300 pounds, payload of 3,060 pounds, and the fuel economy of a V6. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost truck engine delivers 365 hp (272 kW) at 5,000 rpm and 420 lb-ft (569 N·m) of torque... Read more →

UK-based TMO Renewables Ltd, the developer of a novel thermophilic bacterium and process for converting biomass into fuel ethanol (earlier post), has entered into an exclusive contract with Fiberight LLC to design and build waste to bioethanol plants in the US. The contract, which lasts for 20 years, is potentially... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the California Energy Commission (CEC), and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) will invest up to $13.5 million to support the development of natural gas engines and vehicles. As part of the cost-shared projects, companies selected for awards... Read more →