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Symbio FCell to deliver 1,000 Kangoo ZE-H2 vehicles in 2016

European fuel cell system provider Symbio FCell says it will deliver more than 1,000 Kangoo ZE-H2 vehicles in 2016. The Kangoo ZE-H2 is a Renault Kangoo ZE Light commercial vehicle (LCV) powered by a hydrogen Fuel Cell Range-Extender. (Earlier post.) The company says it has supplied more than 50 units... Read more →


Constellium to use Linde’s oxy-fuel tech in aluminum recycling and melting furnaces; targeting 50% cut in energy consumption

Constellium N.V. and Linde Gases, a division of The Linde Group, signed a joint development agreement to use Linde’s oxy-fuel technology (earlier post) in Constellium’s aluminum recycling and melting furnaces, with a goal of cutting energy consumption by half while increasing melting rates by 20%. This announcement follows a long-term... Read more →


In the opening keynote at Ford’s annual trends conference, 2015 Further With Ford, CEO Mark Fields announced the next phase of the company’s Smart Mobility plan, originally announced in January this year at CES (earlier post). Ford Smart Mobility is the company’s plan to deliver the next level in connectivity,... Read more →


US fuel ethanol production capacity has grown 7.9% over the past year, from 13,681 million gallons per year to 14,757 gallons, according to an annual report from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). This is the fifth release of US Energy Information Administration data on fuel ethanol. EIA first reported... Read more →


Navigant forecasts global smart urban mobility market to hit $25.1 billion in 2024

The global smart urban mobility infrastructure and services market is expected to grow from $5.1 billion in 2015 to $25.1 billion in 2024, according to a new report from Navigant Research—a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.4%. Navigant expects growth through 2018 to be rapid, at a rate of... Read more →


PEV battery life cycle with second use. Source: NREL. Click to enlarge. Researchers at the US Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are identifying battery second use (B2U) strategies capable of offsetting vehicle expenses while improving utility grid stability. Second-use options for automotive “end-of-life” Li-ion battery packs... Read more →


Opinion: Expect A Wave Of Consolidation In The Oil Industry

by Leonard Brecken of Oilprice.com As stated previously, asset monetization by small E&P operators will start in earnest in the second half of this year out of cash flow necessity. Most, if not all, smaller market capitalization companies, public or private, are still free cash flow negative (operating cash flow... Read more →


China-US workshop emphasizes cooperation on EV standardization

More than 75 experts from China and the U.S. convened in Beijing on 9 June for a discussion of their respective standardization work programs related to electric vehicles (EVs). The overarching focus of the workshop was cooperation on standards, conformance, and training programs among industry and government stakeholders to facilitate... Read more →


Ford bringing enhanced pre-collision assist to US; autonomous vehicles move one step closer to production

Ford will offer Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection technology (earlier post), already available on Ford Mondeo in Europe, in the United States next year on a Ford-brand vehicle. This continues Ford’s plan to roll out the feature—one of the building blocks for increasingly capable semi-autonomous technology—on most Ford products globally... Read more →


ChargePoint has introduced the 24 kW Express 100 compact DC fast charger, designed for businesses including retail locations, restaurants and convenience stores. Earlier this year, ChargePoint announced the Express 200, a 50 kW output DC fast charger with a maximum charging rate of 200 RPH (miles of range per hour);... Read more →


Stanford team develops new low-voltage single-catalyst water splitter for hydrogen production

Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new low-voltage, single-catalyst water splitter that continuously generates hydrogen and oxygen. An open access paper describing the synthesis and functionality of the bi-functional non-noble metal oxide nanoparticle electrocatalysts appears in the journal Nature Communications. In the reported study, the new catalyst achieved 10 mA cm−2... Read more →


Ford introducing new camera technology to enable cars to see around corners

Ford Motor Company is introducing a new camera technology that can see around blind junction corners even when drivers cannot, reducing stress and potentially helping avert collisions. The innovative Front Split View Camera—now available as an option in the all-new Ford S-MAX and Galaxy in Europe—displays to the driver a... Read more →


With increasing demand for electric and hybrid electric vehicles and with lithium-ion battery (LIB) producers locating in close proximity to automotive manufacturers, the United States has an opportunity in automotive LIBs under certain conditions, according to a new report released by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Clean Energy Manufacturing... Read more →


SynSel Energi AS has entered into an IH2 (Integrated Hydropyrolysis and Hydroconversion) process demonstration license agreement with CRI/Criterion Catalyst Company Ltd, a member of the CRI Catalyst group (CRI), a global group of catalyst technology companies. IH2 technology is a continuous catalytic thermochemical process which converts a broad range of... Read more →


A comparison of the benefits of two different cylinder deactivation operating strategies for downsized 3-cylinder engines such as the 1.0L EcoBoost. The largest difference proved to be in cost. Schamel et al. Click to enlarge. Ford’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine recently received its eighth award in four years at the 2015... Read more →


Jaguar Land Rover revealed a set of new road safety technology research projects being developed to reduce the number of accidents caused by drivers who are stressed, distracted and not concentrating on the road ahead. The Jaguar Land Rover “Sixth Sense” research projects utilizes advanced technology from sports, medicine and... Read more →


ThyssenKrupp and Maxion Wheels to cooperate to develop aluminum and carbon fiber hybrid wheels

ThyssenKrupp Carbon Components and Maxion Wheels have established a cooperation agreement to develop and market innovative new ultra-lightweight aluminum and carbon fiber hybrid wheels for the premium vehicle OEM market.The combined technologies could generate a weight savings of up to 40% when compared to high performance forged aluminum wheels and... Read more →


BorgWarner’s regulated two-stage (R2S) turbocharging technology is improving the performance and fuel economy of Ford’s new 2.0-liter TDCi diesel engine, the first Ford engine for passenger cars equipped with a two-stage turbocharging system. The high-performance engine, being offered in Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy models in Europe, achieves an output of... Read more →


GM investing $245M for new vehicle program at Orion Township plant

General Motors will invest $245 million and add 300 new jobs at its Orion Assembly plant to support launching an all-new vehicle program. Investment in Orion totals $962 million since the UAW and GM worked together to reopen the previously idled plant in 2010. This latest investment comes seven months... Read more →


GaN company Transphorm closes $70M investment round

Transphorm Inc, an early stage power conversion semiconductor company, announced a $70-million investment round led by global investment firm KKR. KKR’s investment follows initial rounds of funding led by funds affiliated with Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Foundation Capital, Google Ventures, Soros Quantum Strategic Partners, INCJ, Fujitsu, Transphorm will use... Read more →


Stealth-mode battery start-up 24M has introduced its new semi-solid lithium-ion cell. Co-founded by MIT’s Dr. Yet-Ming Chiang, 24M’s Chief Scientist, the company is leveraging existing, preferred energy storage chemistry but using a new cell design with semi-solid (a mixture of solid and liquid phases) thick electrodes and manufacturing innovations to... Read more →


Volvo Trucks approves 100% renewable diesel for all Euro 5 engines, prepping certification for Euro 6

After extensive field testing of renewable diesel HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils), Volvo Trucks has approved the fuel for all Euro 5 engines and is preparing certifications for Euro 6 engines. HVO (such as Neste’s NEXBTL) is produced from renewable raw materials such as vegetable and animal fats and acts as... Read more →


Saft to provide 800 kWh Li-ion system for hybrid ferry

Saft has won a contract to supply Li-ion battery systems to Imtech Marine, a leading maritime technology supplier. Two Saft Seanergy systems will be at the heart of the diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system and energy management system for “Hybrid III”, a Roll On Roll Off (RORO) passenger and vehicle ferry... Read more →


Teijin Limited announced that carbon fiber sheet pre-impregnated with matrix resin, or prepreg, made by Toho Tenax Co., Ltd., the core company of the Teijin Group’s carbon fibers and composites business, is used in the lightweight body of a new 1.1 MW electric racecar operated by Team APEV with Monster... Read more →


Catalytic conversion of isophorone to jet-fuel range hydrocarbons

Researchers from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics have for the first time selectively converted isophorone (C9H14O) to jet fuel range C8-C9 aromatic hydrocarbons under the promotion of a MoOx/SiO2 catalyst. A paper describing their work is published in the RSC journal Chemical Communications. According to Evonik, which has been... Read more →


New Mitsubishi Electric railcar traction inverter with all-SiC power modules achieves 40% power savings

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced that its main circuits featuring a traction inverter made with all-silicon carbide (SiC), which were installed in a 1000 series urban train operated by Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd. in Japan, have been verified to achieve an approximate 40% savings in power consumption compared to a... Read more →


PSA Peugeot Citroën’s new 1.2-liter 3-cylinder Turbo PureTech engine (earlier post) was named best in the 1.0-liter to 1.4-liter category International Engine of the Year 2015 earlier this month. Some 100,000 units of the engine, which displaced the reigning category champion Volkswagen Group 1.4-liter TSI Twincharger (2014-2006) by 69 points,... Read more →


Tsinghua team explores strategies to reduce Li-S battery self-discharge

Researchers at Tsinghua University (China) report in a paper in ChemSusChem on their use of both lithium anode passivation and polysulfide anion diffusion suppression strategies to reduce self-discharge of the lithium–sulfur cell. The self-discharge of a lithium–sulfur cell decreases the shelf-life of the battery and is one of the bottlenecks... Read more →


New multi-functional binder improves cycleability of Li-S batteries

Researchers at Zhejiang University (China) have developed a multi-functional binder with cation-conductive polymer and polysulfide absorbents that improves the discharge capacity and rate cycleability of Li-sulfur batteries. The binder is composed of Li+-Nafion, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and nano silica; macroporous carbon (MPC) is employed for sulfur retention in the cathode. The multi-functional... Read more →


Subaru launches Impreza Sport Hybrid in Japan; 48 mpg US on JC08

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, will launch an Impreza Sport Hybrid on 10 July through Subaru dealerships in Japan. The new Impreza Sport Hybrid is the second hybrid from Subaru, following on from the Subaru XV Hybrid launched in 2013. Fuel economy is 20.4 km/liter... Read more →


Boeing announced the next phase in ecoDemonstrator 757 testing today, including its first flight with US-made “green diesel” (earlier post) and two new environment-related technologies. These developments advance the ecoDemonstrator program's mission to accelerate the testing and use of technologies to improve aviation's environmental performance. In cooperation with NASA, the... Read more →


EPA and NHTSA propose Phase 2 GHG and fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are jointly proposing Phase 2 standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to improve fuel efficiency and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The proposal builds on the Phase 1 fuel efficiency and GHG emissions standards... Read more →


Nissan FY 2014 global corporate activities reduce CO2 emissions by 22.6% compared to FY 2005

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. made progress in reducing CO2 emissions and improving sustainability in its global corporate activities in fiscal year 2014 while simultaneously increasing vehicle production and plant energy efficiency. The company achieved a 22.6% cut in CO2 when compared to fiscal year 2005, thus achieving its goal to... Read more →


The final Porsche 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid (earlier post) has come off the line in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen according to schedule. The hybrid super sports concept car made its debut at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show, and was launched on the market as a limited series in late 2013. The 918... Read more →


Elio Motors launches crowdfunding investment opportunity

Elio Motors, the developer of the three-wheeler Elio, has launched a crowd-funding initiative as the next phase in its fundraising strategy. In March, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) finalized rules under Title IV of the 2012 JumpStart Our Business Start-up (JOBS) Act, paving the way for private companies to... Read more →


Honda has introduced the new third-generation 2016 Honda Pilot. The three-row Honda SUV features a direct injected 3.5-liter i-VTEC engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) cylinder deactivation technology paired with either a Pilot-first 6-speed automatic transmission or a Honda-first 9-speed automatic transmission. (Earlier post.) The 280 hp engine adds 30... Read more →


Penn research simplifies recycling of rare-earth magnets

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have pioneered a process that could enable the efficient recycling of two rare earth metals—neodymium and dysprosium—used in powerful magnets. In contrast to the massive and energy-intensive industrial process currently used to separate rare earths, the Penn team’s method works nearly instantaneously at room... Read more →


2.8-liter 1GD-FTV direct-injection turbo diesel engine. Click to enlarge. Toyota has introduced a new line of turbodiesel engines with more torque, greater efficiency and lower emissions. The new GD engines feature Toyota’s next-generation advanced thermal insulation diesel combustion to reduce cooling loss significantly. The use of Thermo Swing Wall Insulation... Read more →


The analysis used by federal agencies to set standards for fuel economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas emissions for new US light-duty vehicles from 2017 to 2025 was thorough and of high caliber overall, according to a new report from the National Research Council. However, the report authors found, the agencies... Read more →


ExxonMobil, Korea Institute of Technology and Korea Gas Corporation to collaborate on natural gas and new energy R&D

ExxonMobil signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning and the Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) to hold discussions concerning natural gas technologies and new energy technologies. The agreement will focus on the natural gas value chain, including cryogenic materials, hydrogen production and fuel... Read more →


DOE to issue incubator funding opportunity to help advance bioenergy development; algal biofuels a main focus

The US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (DOE EERE) intends (DE-FOA-0001343) to issue, on behalf of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), a funding opportunity announcement (DE-FOA-0001320) targeting innovative technologies and solutions to help advance bioenergy development. DOE anticipates posting the FOA in or around July... Read more →


US petroleum demand grew 5.4% in May; highest production since May 1972; highest crude stock inventory since 1930

Total US petroleum deliveries (a measure of demand) grew by 5.4% last month from May 2014 to average 19.5 million barrels per day, according to figures from the American Petroleum Institute (API). This was the highest monthly demand yet seen in 2015. Fuel demand was up across the board last... Read more →


ARPA-E awards $55M to 18 projects in two new programs: TERRA for transportation energy and GENSETS for distributed generation

The Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced $55 million in funding for 18 innovative projects as part of ARPA-E’s two newest programs: Transportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture (TERRA) and GENerators for Small Electrical and Thermal Systems (GENSETS). The six TERRA projects will receive a total of $30... Read more →


Chevrolet’s new 2016 Malibu, engineered to offer more efficiency, connectivity and advanced safety features, and featuring the option of a new full-hybrid powertrain (earlier post), is also nearly 300 pounds (136 kg) lighter than the current model. The 3,100 lb (1,406 kg) Malibu has the mid-size segment’s lightest base curb... Read more →