ALTe Powertrain Technologies has formed an Advisory Board, which includes of some of the US’ leading corporate fleets. The board will help ALTe address important industry needs as the company prepares to deploy their range-extended electric powertrain into light and medium-size trucks, vans and buses early next year. (Earlier post.)... Read more →

(Part 2 of a series on low-temperature combustion) In contrast to conventional diesel combustion, the highest temperature for RCCI combustion in center of chamber (adiabatic core). The high temperature in conventional diesel combustion is next to the piston bowl surface. Source: Rolf Reitz. Click to enlarge. Researchers at the University... Read more →

Competitive Power Ventures, Inc. (CPV); GE Energy Financial Services; and Diamond Generating Corporation (DGC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation, co-owners of the planned $900-million CPV Sentinel power plant, have closed the largest project financing in the US thermal power industry this year for the facility to be built in... Read more →

Li-ion technology producer Dow Kokam has entered a new strategic relationship with MotoCzysz, a design and engineering firm working exclusively on electric motors, as official supplier of Dow Kokam advanced lithium polymer batteries to power the MotoCzysz factory racing motorcycles for 2011. (Earlier post.) Additionally, MotoCzysz will build battery systems... Read more →

Gevo, Inc., a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, has begun the retrofit of its ethanol facility in Luverne, Minnesota, to produce bio-based isobutanol. (Earlier post.) The retrofit, expected to be complete by next summer, will make this facility the first commercial-scale bio-based isobutanol plant, Gevo notes. Bio-based isobutanol is... Read more →

Torotrak plc confirmed that its continuously variable transmission (CVT) technology forms part of the Volvo Car Corporation’s evaluation of flywheel kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) technology, announced last week. (Earlier post.) Volvo’s project, part-funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, is bringing together Torotrak’s variable drive technology and Flybrid Systems (UK)... Read more →

Ricardo will assist Lifan Automobile Group based in Chongqing, China, with the development of a family of highly downsized gasoline engines capable of meeting future Chinese and international fuel economy and emissions regulations. Under the new contract, which follows on collaboration between the two companies over the past five years,... Read more →

Engine installation D13C-gas. Click to enlarge. Volvo Trucks is expanding its alternative fuel program with the launch of the new dual-fuel Volvo FM MethaneDiesel. This makes Volvo the first truck manufacturer in Europe to offer gas-powered regional distribution trucks that can also meet long-haul application requirements. In 2010, Volvo Powertrain... Read more →

In partnership with Gestamp Solar, Renault is launching the world’s biggest solar energy project in the automotive industry by installing solar roof panels at its French plants. Solar panels will cover the roofs of the delivery and shipping centers at the Douai, Maubeuge, Flins, Batilly and Sandouville sites, and the... Read more →

BASF is entering the business of electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries (LIB) and is forming a global electrolytes team in its Intermediates division for this purpose. By adding electrolytes to its existing portfolio for the LIB industry, BASF will offer another key component for the battery technology. BASF is one of... Read more →

BYD Company Ltd (BYD) and Rotterdam City entered into an agreement to deliver BYD’s all-electric e6 vehicles as part of the Netherlands’ green transportation project “75-EV-RO”; these will be the first BYD e6s in Europe. Netherlands Prince Maurits van Oranje test drives the BYD all-electric e6 in Rotterdam. Click to... Read more →

It will be much harder and more expensive for Australia to do its fair share on climate change without a carbon pricing scheme, according to the final report of the Garnaut Climate Change Review – Update 2011, Australia in the Global Response to Climate Change. The final report recommends that... Read more →

Chosun Ilbo. SK Innovation has broken ground for an automotive Li-ion battery plant in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Scheduled to be completed next year, the W250 billion facility will be able to produce batteries for some 25,000 electric vehicles per year (US$1=W1,080). They will be supplied to Hyundai... Read more →

Energy-related carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2010 were the highest in history, according to the latest estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA). After a dip in 2009 caused by the global financial crisis, emissions are estimated to have climbed to a record 30.6 Gigatonnes (Gt), a 5% jump from the... Read more →

Research from the Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California at Davis (ITS-Davis) suggests it will take more than a reasonable price and good information to get consumers to make more sustainable transportation choices, such as the purchase of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Post-doctoral researcher Jonn Axsen says... Read more →

The role of OCPP. Source: E-ladd.nl. Click to enlarge. Epyon Power, a European supplier of intelligent fast-charging solutions for electric vehicles (earlier post), announced compatibility with the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), developed by the E-laad.nl Foundation, a initiative of the collaborating gas and electricity network operators in the Netherlands,... Read more →

The Nikkei reports that General Motors Co. will begin selling South Korean-produced Captiva SUVs in Japan at the end of July, marking its first new vehicle offering here since 2009. Compared with shipping autos from the US, the transport costs will be low, and the vehicle will be positioned as... Read more →

The US Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) earlier in May showcased the diesel series hybrid-electric Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle (CERV) (earlier post) as part of special events ramping to the Indianapolis 500. Jointly designed by Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies and TARDEC’s National Automotive Center (NAC), the... Read more →

Researchers at Utah State University report on an engineered bacterial enzyme—a molybdenum (Mo) nitrogenase—capable of converting carbon monoxide into usable hydrocarbons in a reaction similar to Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. A open access paper on their work appears in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Nitrogenase is the bacterial enzyme responsible for the... Read more →

Current reported CI for ethanol plants. Gasoline baseline of 95.86 g CO2e/MJ highlighted in red for comparison. Data: California ARB. Click to enlarge. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) staff has updated carbon intensities (CIs) and other information about registered biorefineries, and posted the information at the Low Carbon Fuel... Read more →

A new conference in Europe aims to foster discussion between research institutes, industry, NGOs and public authorities to ensure that the needs and constraints from these different stakeholders are mutually well understood and that the most appropriate products for electrified vehicles are selected for market introduction. The European Electric Vehicle... Read more →

Singapore-based container shipping line APL became the first to cold-iron a vessel’s engines to eliminate exhaust emissions at the Port of Oakland, California. As others follow suit—as regulators require—cold-ironing will become a staple on California’s coast. The 900-foot (274-meter) APL Singapore switched off its auxiliary diesel engines after berthing at... Read more →

Projected global LED penetration in vehicle production. Source: OSRAM Sylvania. Click to enlarge. The automotive market is inevitably trending to LED lighting for reasons of reliability, appearance, functionality and efficiency, says OSRAM SYLVANIA. OSRAM SYLVANIA, together with OSRAM GmbH (owned by Siemens), is the world leader in automotive lighting for... Read more →

California gasoline consumption remained flat in February 2011, while diesel fuel consumption in California declined, according to the monthly report from the California State Board of Equalization. California’s gasoline consumption remained flat in February 2011 with 1.131 billion gallons of gasoline, compared to 1.131 billion gallons in February 2010. In... Read more →

Italy-based energy major Eni and Novamont Spa are forming a joint venture to design, build and manage a new €500-million (US$711-million) biorefinery at the Porto Torres petrochemical plant owned by Polimeri Europa/Syndial (Eni). Under the agreement, Novamont technologies and renewable raw materials will be used to build new production facilities... Read more →

UK Business Secretary Vince Cable announced the start of a competition to form an Offshore Renewable Energy technology and innovation centre. The new center will focus on technologies for offshore wind, wave and tidal power. The Government has committed more than £200 million (US$328 million) over the next four years... Read more →

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has achieved a turbine inlet temperature of 1,600 °C—which it calls the world’s highest—with the company’s advanced J-Series gas turbine. The record were achieved during test operation of the turbine, which began in February this year, at the combined-cycle power plant for verification testing at... Read more →

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (Pvt.) Ltd. (HMSI), Honda’s wholly-owned motorcycle production and sales subsidiary in India, will increase its motorcycle production capacity in India by 150% to 4 million units a year from the current 1.6 million units. The company will double the production capacity of its second motorcycle... Read more →

Solazyme, Inc., a renewable algal oil and bioproducts company, has priced its initial public offering of 10,975,000 shares of common stock at $18.00 per share, higher than the earlier estimated range of $15–$17. Of the shares of common stock in the offering, Solazyme is offering 10,375,000 shares, and selling stockholders... Read more →

PM10 emissions from road transport in Paris. Click to enlarge. New online maps published by the European Commission and the European Environment Agency, in close cooperation with the Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) of the Joint Research Centre, allow citizens to pinpoint the main diffuse sources of air pollution,... Read more →

Ignition drop test. The ILs presented in Schneider at al. are hypergolic with H2O2 and are hydrogen-rich, thus helping to boost performance. Credit: Schneider et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) are proposing a more environmentally friendly high-performance fuel for rockets: a hydrogen-rich ionic... Read more →

The GE EV Solar Carport Project made its debut in Plainville, Connecticut. With greater than a 25-year lifespan, the EV Solar Carport will annually deliver 125 MWh via 100 kW DC power. GE EV Solar Carport in Plainville, CT. Click to enlarge. GE Energy Industrial Solutions combined forces with Inovateus... Read more →

Mazda Motor Corporation announced that cumulative production of the Mazda3 (known in Japan as the Mazda Axela) reached three million units on 26 April 2011, seven years and ten months since production of the first-generation model commenced. The Mazda3 is a global model; it is produced in three locations—Mazda’s Hofu... Read more →

Scheme of the semi-solid flow cell (SSFC) system using flowing lithium-ion cathode and anode suspensions. The SSFC could enable new models such as transportation ‘fuels’ tuned for power versus range, or cold versus warm climates, with flexible refueling and recycling options. Source: Duduta et al.Click to enlarge. Researchers at MIT,... Read more →

Guardian. London has launched the Source London scheme that adds 150 charging points to the city, bringing its total to around 400. Ultimately, the plan is to have 1,300 points by 2013—i.e., no more than one mile from every Londoner. The creation of the first capital-wide charging network is an... Read more →

Flywheel KERS component details. Click to enlarge. Volvo Car Corporation (VCC) has received a grant of 6.57 million Swedish kronor (US$1.05 million) from the Swedish Energy Agency to develop and test a flywheel kinetic energy recovery system in a joint project together with Volvo Powertrain and SKF. SKF is also... Read more →

GE unveiled the FlexEfficiency 50 Combined Cycle Power Plant, engineered to deliver a combination of flexibility and efficiency in power generation. GE drew from the company’s jet engine expertise to engineer a single-shaft plant that will ramp up at a rate of more than 50 megawatts per minute, twice the... Read more →

The macro results for four scenarios showed that economic growth and employment rise with the degree and scope of transport fuel efficiency standards. % changes are relative to baseline of No standards scenario. Click to enlarge. Aggressive federal fuel economy and California emissions standards will enable California to enjoy a... Read more →

Nikkei. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (MMC) is seeking to increase i-MiEV sales to the European public sector, such as police departments and municipalities. The carmaker is betting that Europe’s public sector, which places a high importance on environmental protection, will be willing to swallow added expenses for EVs. ...The firm intends... Read more →

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY12 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. As part of the Homeland Security bill, the Committee passed an amendment to add $1 billion in funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster relief fund, offset by reducing funding from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing... Read more →

General Motors is adding two shifts and about 2,500 hourly and salaried jobs at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to build the new Chevrolet Malibu mid-size sedan and the next-generation Impala large sedan alongside the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera electric cars. Detroit-Hamtramck currently has 1,121 hourly and salaried employees. GM... Read more →

The Iraq State Company for Oil Projects (SCOP), under the Ministry of Oil for Iraq, has selected Honeywell’s UOP to provide key technologies to process 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) of domestic crude oil into gasoline and diesel fuel at a new refinery in Nassiriya, Iraq. Honeywell’s UOP previously received... Read more →

The Volvo FE Hybrid (earlier post) is propelled in parallel by an electric motor and a diesel engine, making possible fuel savings of up to 30%, and is equipped with a battery pack weighing 578 kg (1,274 lbs). Volvo crash-tested the hybrid, which will primarily perform distribution and refuse collection... Read more →

Tesla Motors, Inc. announced a follow-on offering of 5,300,000 shares of its common stock. All 5,300,000 shares are being offered by the company. In addition, the company has granted the underwriter a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 795,000 shares of common stock. Additionally, in a private placement... Read more →

Integrity Exports. The Yamato Takyubin Delivery Co., which has been field testing Mitsubishi Motors (MMC) prototype electric commercial vans (earlier post), is ordering 100 units, according to media reports. The electric van is based on MMC’s Minicab Van commercial light van, and is equipped with the motor and battery used... Read more →

Researchers at Genomatica report on their metabolic engineering of E. coli for the direct production of 1,4-butanediol (BDO) (earlier post), an important commodity chemical used in polymers, in a paper in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. In March, Genomatica and Tate & Lyle signed a joint development agreement for the... Read more →

Sample label for a plug-in gasoline hybrid-electric vehicle, which features fuel economy ratings for both electricity and gasoline. Click to enlarge. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled the next-generation of fuel economy labels. The new labels, which are the most significant overhaul to... Read more →

Biomass resources of the US, with the Northwest circled. Source: SAFN report, via NREL. Click to enlarge. The Pacific Northwest has the diverse feedstocks, fuel-delivery infrastructure and political will needed to create a viable biofuels industry capable of reducing greenhouse gases and meeting the future fuel demands of the aviation... Read more →

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. has received a contract to deliver 100+ plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) pickup truck fleet vehicles (earlier post) powered by Dow Kokam lithium ion battery technology to The Dow Chemical Company. Quantum developed the new hybrid drive system Quantum F-Drive specifically for the Ford F-150... Read more →

The new Tiguan. Click to enlarge. Volkswagen is introducing the new Tiguan, announced earlier this year and shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March. In Germany, the 2012 Tiguan will arrive on the market in mid-June; other European countries will follow at the beginning of August, and overseas markets... Read more →