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Hickok receives $1.8M+ order for injection system testers for gasoline direct injection engines

Hickok Incorporated, a supplier of products and services for the automotive, emissions testing, locomotive, and aircraft industries, received an order in excess of $1,800,000 for AFIT (Active Fuel Injector Tester) DMU (Drive and Measurement Unit) adapters from an automotive OEM. This new adapter enables the OEM’s dealers to test and... Read more →


Saleen Automotive planning Saleen Tesla Model S

Saleen Automotive, Inc., a US specialty manufacturer of high performance vehicles, technical performance parts, lifestyle accessories and apparel, will produce a Saleen Tesla Model S sports car. The Saleen Tesla design will be Saleen’s first effort in enhancing an existing electric vehicle. Saleen set no release date for completion of... Read more →


(Left) Thermal efficiency and (right) soot from different gasoline-butanol blends at different EGR rates. Yang et al. Click to enlarge. A study by a team at Tianjin University found that the addition of n-butanol to gasoline for use in a compression ignition engine (CI) under Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) conditions... Read more →


Aquion Energy, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of Aqueous Hybrid Ion (AHI) batteries and stationary energy storage systems, recently completed the closing of a $55-million Series D financing round. Due to strong investor interest, the total amount of funding for this round was increased from the $35-million level previously announced... Read more →


Samsung invests in graphene manufacturer XG Sciences; joint battery development initiative

Graphene manufacturer XG Sciences, Inc. (XGS) closed on a strategic investment led by Samsung Ventures Investment Corporation (Samsung Ventures). Philip Rose, XG Sciences CEO, said the investment will be used to fund additional research and development of the company’s advanced materials. The terms of the investment were not disclosed. XG... Read more →


Samsung SDI to use Celgard separator in electric drive vehicle and storage system Li-ion batteries

Polypore International, Inc. announced that its Celgard subsidiary and Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. entered into a long-term supply agreement under which Samsung will purchase Celgard brand separator to be used in its electric drive vehicle and energy storage system lithium-ion batteries. This long-term agreement includes guaranteed purchase and supply volume... Read more →


Celgard files patent infringement lawsuit against LG Chem over Li-ion separator technology

Celgard, LLC, a subsidiary of Polypore International, Inc., filed a complaint in the US District Court of the Western District of North Carolina against LG Chem, Ltd. and LG Chem America, Inc.. The complaint alleges that LG has infringed Celgard’s United States Patent Nº 6,432,586 issued for an invention entitled... Read more →


Obama Administration releases implementation plan for the National Strategy for the Arctic Region

The Obama Administration released the Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for the Arctic Region, itself released in May 2013. The main lines of effort of the Strategy and the Implementation Plan are: (1) to advance US security interests; (2) to pursue responsible Arctic region stewardship, including an increase in... Read more →


DOE to award $3M to identify new geothermal resources using play fairway analysis

The US Department of Energy will award $3 million to spur geothermal energy development using play fairway analysis (DE-FOA-0000841) This technique identifies prospective geothermal resources in areas with no obvious surface expression by mapping the most favorable intersections of heat, permeability, and fluid. While commonly used in oil and gas... Read more →


Hino Profia with an electric refrigerator system. Click to enlarge. Hino Motors, Ltd., a Toyota Group company, and DENSO Corporation have jointly developed the first electric refrigerator system for heavy-duty trucks using a hybrid unit. This system is being applied in the Hino Profia, which will be released on 1... Read more →


Toyota fuel cell hybrid drivers report no problems with single digit East Coast temps

Connecticut-based Proton Onsite, which operates a fleet of ten Toyota FCHV-adv fuel cell vehicles, says that even in the recent single-digit temperatures, the FCHV-adv has performed without problems. We had another snow storm Tuesday night and this morning the temperature was 3 degrees. I went out to my Toyota FCHV-adv... Read more →


Ballard to supply two fuel cell modules to Solaris for bus deployments in Europe

Ballard Power Systems will supply Solaris Bus and Coach with two zero emission fuel cell power modules to be used in buses planned for deployment in Hamburg, Germany. Delivery of Ballard’s next-generation FCvelocity-HD7 power modules to Solaris is planned for later this year. It is Hamburg’s challenging goal as of... Read more →


New highly selective and efficient catalyst for reduction of CO2 to CO

Researchers at the University of Delaware have developed a highly selective nanoporous silver catalyst capable of electrochemically reducing carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide with 92% efficiency. The carbon monoxide then can be used to produce synthetic fuels and chemicals. The researcher reported their findings in Nature Communications. Over the last... Read more →


Solazyme begins US commercial production of renewable algal oils

Solazyme, Inc. announced that commercial production of its renewable algal oils has begun at both Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM)’s Clinton, Iowa facility, and the downstream companion facility operated by American Natural Products in Galva, Iowa (ANP). ADM and ANP have successfully manufactured three distinct tailored oil products at the... Read more →


AeroVironment, Inc. introduced TurboCord—a compact, UL-listed, dual-mode 240-volt/16-amperage and 120-volt portable charging cordset (MSRP $649). TurboCord is also available in a 240-volt only version (MSRP $599). TurboCord weighs less than five pounds and plugs directly into the electrical outlet. It has an easy-to-see LED indicator and no buttons. Its miniaturized... Read more →


Launch of the V-Class. Click to enlarge. Mercedes-Benz unveiled the new V-Class full-size MPVs at an event in Munich. The V-Class, the successor to the Viano, is the newest and largest member of the Mercedes-Benz passenger car family. The new V-Class is equipped with four-cylinder diesel engines, offering fuel consumption... Read more →


GaN Systems to present paper on application of SPICE models for high-power GaN elements in automotive applications

GaN Systems Inc, a leading developer of gallium nitride power switching semiconductors, will present a technical paper at APEC 2014 (Applied Power Electronics Conference) in March, describing the application of SPICE models developed for very high power GaN devices and integrated GaN drive circuits in automotive applications. SPICE (Simulation Program... Read more →


Renault and Nissan launch projects to accelerate Alliance synergies

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is launching convergence projects in four key functions—Research & Development; Manufacturing & Logistics; Purchasing; and Human Resources—to enhance performance and achieve at least a €4.3-billion (US$5.8-billion) annualized synergy goal by 2016. R&D: Renault and Nissan will study how to allocate research on next-generation technologies to spread resources... Read more →


Top: Weighted CI (g CO2 e/MJ) of petroleum fuels and corn ethanol consumed in the US over time. Bottom: Weighted CI of petroleum fuels consumed in the US and California over time. Click to enlarge. The carbon intensity (CI) of corn ethanol—i.e., the greenhouse gas emissions produced via the production... Read more →


The mayors from 10 major US cities are undertaking a united effort to boost energy efficiency significantly in buildings. The mayors will be participating in the new City Energy Project (CEP), an initiative from the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Institute for Market Transformation that is targeting the cities’... Read more →


IncBio to supply 12M gpy ultrasonic biodiesel plant to BREF in Saudi Arabia

Portugal-based IncBio, a provider of ultrasonic biodiesel plants, secured an agreement to supply Bio Renewable Energy Factory (BREF) in Saudi Arabia with a 40,000 tonne/year (about 12 million gallons US) biodiesel plant. The plant will incorporate IncBio’s ultrasonic technology to produce biodiesel from animal fats collected from rendering plants in... Read more →


Researchers at Kansas State University have synthesized free-standing papers composed of acid-exfoliated few-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and reduced graphene oxide flakes (MoS2/rGO) for use as self-standing flexible electrodes in sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries. In electrochemical testing, the electrode showed good Na cycling ability with high first cycle capacity of 338 mAh... Read more →


Terra Motors Corporation, a leading manufacturer of two- and three-wheelers in Japan, is introducing the Kiwami electric bike in India. Catering to attract the youth, motorcycle enthusiasts, and consumers in urban cities who look for eco-friendly variants, Kiwami (“Ultimate” in Japanese) features a 10 kW (13 hp) electric motor; top... Read more →


Johnson Controls partners with Lawrence Technological University on new vehicle energy storage technologies

Johnson Controls will partner with Lawrence Technological University (LTU) in Southfield, Mich. to identify and validate new energy storage technologies within the total vehicle system. Johnson Controls will donate and install advanced test equipment and deploy technical resources to the university to propel academic and applied research into optimizing vehicle... Read more →


Former CEO of GM China Group Phil Murtaugh joins Pinnacle Engines board; first engines launch in Asia this year

Pinnacle Engines, developer of a highly efficient 4-stroke, spark-ignited (SI), opposed-piston, sleeve-valve architecture engine (earlier post), named Phil Murtaugh as the newest member of its board of directors. With previous professional experience as CEO of Asian Operations for Chrysler Group and the CEO of General Motors China Group, Murtaugh provides... Read more →


A123 Energy Solutions wins 1MW, 2.8MWh Li-ion Grid Storage Solution contract

A123 Energy Solutions will supply, install, and commission a 1MW, 2.8MWh Grid Storage Solution (GSS) system for IHI Corporation. IHI Corporation is one of the largest industrial equipment manufacturers in Japan and makes products for a diverse set of markets including aerospace, energy, social infrastructure, and heavy machinery. The GSS... Read more →


Singapore A*STAR lab and BYD to collaborate on developing EVs with autonomous capabilities

Singapore’s A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) and BYD Company Limited have signed a joint laboratory agreement to develop electric vehicles with autonomous vehicle sensors to advance clean technology in Singapore’s transport system. The joint laboratory will leverage I2R’s expertise in integrating autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies and BYD’s electric vehicle... Read more →


New study to investigate emissions from commercial buses in fleet operations

The Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company is working with Ricardo and test equipment specialist HORIBA on an advanced research project in the UK that aims to investigate the emissions of a range of buses operating in a modern commercial public transport fleet. Brighton & Hove operates a fleet... Read more →


BorgWarner launches new low-friction engine timing chain; 0.3-0.6% improvement in fuel economy

BorgWarner’s next-generation 6.35 mm inverted tooth silent engine timing chains are launching on engines from Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Hyundai, General Motors Korea and one Chinese automaker. The new timing chain is designed to reduce friction, resulting in as much as 0.3 to 0.6% improvement in fuel economy based on customer testing.... Read more →


Qatar Petroleum and UOP to research more efficient treatment of natural gas

Qatar Petroleum (QP) and UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, have signed a joint research agreement on “Process Optimization of CO2 and Sulfur Components Removal from Natural Gases.” The primary aim of the research is for the treated natural gases to be more efficiently utilized in further processing operations such as... Read more →


Clariant, Haltermann, and Mercedes-Benz are launching a fleet test in Germany using cellulosic ethanol produced by the Clariant sunliquid process using wheat straw as the feedstock. Haltermann mixes the cellulosic ethanol with conventional fuel components to form the new sunliquid20 E20 (20% ethanol) fuel. The fuel features a high octane... Read more →


Cooperative SO2 and NOx aerosol formation in haze pollution

A study of major haze pollution episodes in China in 2013 by researchers from the State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry (LAPC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, shows that the formation of secondary sulfate aerosols from SO2 increases in the presence of NOx. Their paper is... Read more →


LCFS pathways for renewable diesel produced in Singapore from NA tallow and SE Asian fish oil

The staff of the California Air Resources Board has posted six new applications for pathways for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), two of which are from Neste Oil for renewable diesel (RD) produced at its plant in Singapore from (a) North American tallow and (b) Southeast Asian fish oil.... Read more →


Well-to-Propeller GHG emissions results for marine alternative fuels. Source: DNV GL. Click to enlarge. DNV GL has released a position paper on the future alternative fuel mix for global shipping. While LNG is expected to be an early success, the picture becomes more diversified over time, as more than 20%... Read more →


Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and its partners Miyakojima City and Toshiba Corporation have begun experimental test-driving of the MC-β, Honda’s micro-sized EV, using photovoltaic (PV) energy for recharging, as part of the Miyakojima City Small-sized Electromotive Mobility Project. PV charging station and MC-β. Click to enlarge. In November 2013, Honda... Read more →


ClipperCreek announces plug-connected HCS-40P 30A 240V chaging station starting at $644

ClipperCreek announced the availability of its HCS-40P plug-connected 30 Amp, 240V charging station with factory installed NEMA 14-50P or 6-50P wall plugs. With standard 25 feet of charging cable, a 3-year warranty, and a 3-step installation process, the HCS can be installed anywhere there is a 240V wall plug. ClipperCreek... Read more →


The PU106A Hybrid Power Unit. Click to enlarge. The Mercedes AMG PETRONAS (Petroliam Nasional Berhad) Formula One Team unveiled the F1 W05, its 2014 challenger, at the Circuito de Jerez in southern Spain. Designed from the ground up as an integrated project between the Mercedes-Benz teams based at Brackley and... Read more →


A new ceramic hollow fiber substrate for catalytic converters designed by Dr. Benjamin Kingsbury and colleagues at Imperial College London could cut the size and precious metal loading of the devices in automobiles while reducing fuel consumption and and manufacturing costs. Kingsbury has founded MicroTech Ceramics Ltd. as a spin-out... Read more →


The new Volkswagen Polo. Click to enlarge. Volkswagen is introducing its next generation of the supermini (B segment) Polo, featuring a range of new EU6 engines that are up to 21% more fuel-efficient and new driver assistance technologies. All versions are available with a stop-start system and a regenerative braking... Read more →


US Hybrid executes global fuel cell technology licensing agreement with United Technologies

US Hybrid Corporation, a global supplier of medium- and heavy-duty electric and hybrid powertrain power conversion components, executed a global licensing agreement with United Technologies Corporation (UTC) to commercialize UTC’s proven Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell technologies. US Hybrid has been a key supplier of “balance of plant” components... Read more →


Honda Motor Co., Ltd. released three-dimensional (3D) data for exterior designs of concept models Honda has introduced in the past. The data is offered based on version 4.0 of Creative Commons licenses. With the data downloaded from the website Honda 3D Design Archives, Honda's concept models can be replicated by... Read more →


Five technology paths for very-low-NOx and GHG emissions from heavy-duty natural gas engines. Click to enlarge. Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA), a consulting firm specializing in market development for low emission and alternative fuel vehicle technologies, infrastructure, and fuels for both on- and off-road applications, released a report examining the... Read more →


California Air Resources Board issues nearly $1M in fines for failures to report GHG emission

The California Air Resources Board announced nearly $1 million in penalties against 3 companies for late or inaccurate reporting of their greenhouse gas emissions for 2011. This action marks the second time the Air Resources Board has issued fines for violations of California’s Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting regulation. Utilities... Read more →


California Energy Commission to award up to $10.8M in incentives for new natural gas vehicles

The California Energy Commission is soliciting (PON-13-610) applications for a total of $10.8 million in funding for natural gas vehicle incentives to reduce the purchase price of new on-road natural gas vehicles. The incentives are available on a first-come, first-served basis and at varying levels depending on the gross vehicle... Read more →


Researchers develop relatively low-temp process to convert low-density polyethylene waste to liquid fuel

Researchers in India have developed a relatively low-temperature process to convert low-density polyethylene (LDPE)—a common polymer used to make many types of container, medical and laboratory equipment, computer components and plastic bags—into liquid fuel over a kaolin catalyst. A paper on their work is published in the International Journal of... Read more →


NHTSA opens prelim investigation into MY 2007-2008 Camry Hybrid braking problem

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a preliminary investigation (PE14001) to to assess the cause, scope and frequency of reported intermittent loss of assisted braking in model year (MY) 2007-2008 Toyota Camry hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). According to NHTSA, it received 59 complaints, each alleging multiple incidents... Read more →


Thriev adding 20 BYD e6 electric cars to London fleet

Thriev, a company offering zero-emission, chauffeured cars to corporate and private users in London, is adding 20 . BYD e6 electric cars to the fleet. Part of the deal with BYD is that Thriev will equip its facility at Edgware Road, west London, with BYD’s purpose-designed charging equipment, which allows... Read more →


Audi and TU Dresden to cooperate on joint research in areas such as lightweight construction and manufacturing technology

AUDI AG and the Technical University of Dresden entered into a strategic partnership with the goal of making further progress with technical innovations. Under the roof of the “Ingolstadt Institute of the Technical University of Dresden” (INI.TUD), the two partners will carry out joint research in areas such as lightweight... Read more →


EVDrive torque vectoring. Click to enlarge. EVDrive has developed and demonstrated an electric 4-wheel, 4-motor torque vectoring technology (Terra-Torque-Drive) specifically targeted at 4-wheel off-road powersports vehicles such as side-by-side Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs). The Terra-Torque-Drive-powered e-UTV demonstrator uses four sealed liquid-cooled EVDrive EVD35 35kW/47hp peak drive sub-systems, de-tuned to ~30kW/hp... Read more →


Mass. startup licenses PNNL’s vanadium redox flow battery technology

A Massachusetts startup has signed a license agreement with Battelle to commercialize battery technology that can help store large amounts of renewable energy and improve the reliability of the nation's power grid. (Earlier post.) PNNL suggests that the license with Lowell, Mass.-based WattJoule Corporation will advance the commercial use of... Read more →