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First flight of four-seat passenger fuel cell aircraft HY4

On 29 September 2016, the HY4 aircraft took off on its first official flight from Stuttgart Airport. The HY4 is the world’s first four-seat passenger aircraft powered solely by a hydrogen fuel cell system. Researchers from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) developed the aircraft’s... Read more →


Ginkgo Bioworks and Genomatica ally to accelerate commercialization of more sustainable bio-dervied high-volume chemicals

Ginkgo Bioworks and Genomatica have formed an alliance more rapidly to deliver biology-based solutions for the world’s highest-volume intermediate and specialty chemicals. Mainstream chemical producers can now in-license technology to manufacture their widely-used chemicals with cost-effective and sustainable whole-process solutions that include engineered microorganisms, complete process designs and technology transfer... Read more →


Toyota introduced the C-HR—or Coupe High-Rider—crossover at the Paris Motor Show. Fitted with the latest-generation hybrid power plant, the C-HR generates CO2 emissions as low as 82 g/km, with combined-cycle fuel consumption of only 3.5 l/100 km (67.2 mpg US). Delivering 90 kW/122 DIN hp, this new hybrid powertrain is... Read more →


Commissioning of initial 12 Ballard-powered buses in China’s largest fuel cell bus deployment

Ballard Power Systems announced the commissioning and deployment of an initial 12 fuel cell-powered buses in the District of Sanshui, in the City of Foshan, in the Province of Guangdong, China. The buses will be operated by Foshan Sanshui Guohong Public Transit Co. Ltd., on demonstration route #682 from Gaofeng... Read more →


Ricardo and AMRC sign MoU as work starts on powertrain electrification projects

The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global engineering company Ricardo. A primary theme of this collaboration will be powertrain electrification, which will be addressed by Ricardo and the AMRC jointly. This will be alongside the development of motors,... Read more →


At the Paris Motor Show, Infiniti unveiled the new VC-Turbo (Variable Compression Turbo)—the first production-ready variable compression ratio engine. (Earlier post.) VC-Turbo technology combines the power of a high-performance 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine with the torque and efficiency of an advanced diesel powertrain without the equivalent emissions. Transforming on demand,... Read more →


EPA requests applications for ~$7M total in funding to reduce diesel emissions from school buses

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of approximately $7 million in rebates to public school bus fleet owners to help them replace or retrofit older school buses. Upgrading buses with older engines reduces diesel emissions and improves air quality. EPA standards for new diesel engines make them... Read more →


United Parcel Service, Inc., the world’s largest package delivery company and a provider of supply chain management solutions, placed 50 Lightning Hybrids hydraulic hybrid delivery trucks in the Chicago metro area. The hybrid systems were partially funded by Drive Clean Chicago, a program that aims to accelerate the adoption of... Read more →


At the Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz unveiled its close-to-production concept Generation EQ electric vehicle—the forerunner of Mercedes-Benz’s new product brand for electric mobility, EQ. The name EQ stands for “Electric Intelligence” and is derived from the Mercedes-Benz brand values of “Emotion and Intelligence”. Dr Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG... Read more →


At the inaugural GPU Technology Conference Europe, NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang unveiled Xavier, an all-new AI supercomputer designed for use in self-driving cars. Xavier is a complete system-on-chip (SoC), integrating a new GPU architecture called Volta, a custom 8-core CPU architecture, and a new computer vision accelerator. The processor will... Read more →


Global Bioenergies reports first production of isobutene from wheat straw at the industrial pilot scale

Global Bioenergies and Clariant announced the first isobutene production from a wheat straw hydrolysate, in the industrial pilot of Pomacle Bazancourt. This success is the result of a collaboration initiated more than 18 months ago, and has been made possible by combining Clariant’s proprietary process, allowing for the conversion of... Read more →


BMW updates BMW Connected with expanded services, device support and availability

At the Paris Motos Show, BMW introduced an expanded set of services, device support and availabilitiy in more countries. The personal mobility companion BMW Connected already comprises many functions designed to help users with their daily mobility needs. Using the Open Mobility Cloud as a basis, it connects touchpoints such... Read more →


At the Paris Motor Show, Renault introduced its enhanced-range ZOE electric vehicle. Equipped with the new 41 kWh Z.E. 40 battery, ZOE now has a range of up to 400 km (249 miles) NEDC—twice the distance of the original launch version of the ZOE. At the same, ZOE owners can... Read more →


Government of Canada approves $11B Pacific NorthWest LNG Project

The Federal Cabinet of the Government of Canada approved the $11-billion Pacific NorthWest LNG Project following completion of a federal environmental assessment. Pacific NorthWest LNG is a proposed natural gas liquefaction and export facility on Lelu Island within the District of Port Edward on land administered by the Prince Rupert... Read more →


American Airlines hires investment bank Ocean Park to assist with renewable jet fuel evaluation

American Airlines has retained Ocean Park, a boutique investment bank with expertise in the renewable fuels industry, to assist with evaluating alternative jet fuels and identifying the most promising companies and technologies. American said it recognizes the need to make jet fuel more sustainable and is encouraged by the pace... Read more →


At the Paris Motor Show, Volkswagen staged the world premiere of the I.D., a concept vehicle presaging the first of a new fleet of Volkswagen electric cars and highlighting Volkswagen’s vision for the future in a number of areas, including autonomous driving and a new Open Space concept for the... Read more →


Volkswagen Group and on-demand mobility partner Gett launch first joint initiative: attractive vehicle packages in Moscow

The Volkswagen Group and global mobility provider Gett announced their strategic partnership in May this year. (Earlier post.) Now, the first joint initiative is being rolled out with attractive vehicle packages in Moscow's growth market. Gett drivers in the Russian capital can look forward to preferential terms when they choose... Read more →


A team at Sun Yat-sen University in China has developed new high-performance, stable cathode for Li-S batteries consisting of a 3D activated carbon fiber matrix (ACFC) and sulfur. The structured 3D foldable sulfur cathode (ACFC-S) delivers a reversible capacity of about 979 mAh g−1 at 0.2C; a capacity retention of 98%... Read more →


SAE ITC to create Defense Automotive Technologies Consortium; accelerating vehicle technologies development

SAE Industry Technologies Consortia (ITC), an SAE International affiliate, has been selected by the US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) to create the Defense Automotive Technologies Consortium (DATC). DATC is intended to enable the quick and efficient integration of innovative automotive technologies into military ground vehicles,... Read more →


NVIDIA and TomTom developing cloud-to-car mapping system for self-driving cars; DRIVE PX 2

NVIDIA and TomTom, the Dutch mapping and navigation group, are partnering to develop artificial intelligence to create a cloud-to-car mapping system for self-driving cars. The work combines TomTom’s extensive HD map coverage, which already spans more than 120,000 km (75,000 miles) of highways and freeways, with the NVIDIA DRIVE PX... Read more →


Nel ASA awarded contract in Latvia for new dual hydrogen fueling solution for cars and buses

Nel Hydrogen Solutions, a division of Nel ASA, has been awarded a contract by SIA Hydrogenis, a leading hydrogen project developer in Latvia, for the delivery of the new dual capability H2Station, which offers a combined hydrogen fueling solution for cars and buses in Riga. The H2Station bus fueling capability... Read more →


Renault to unveil electric TREZOR concept car at the 2016 Paris Motor Show

At the Paris Motor Show tomorrow, Groupe Renault Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn and Laurens van den Acker, SVP Corporate Design, Renault, will unveil TREZOR, an electric concept car which features “surprising” proportions. In 2010, the DeZir concept car embodied the renewal of Renault’s brand identity by inaugurating a new... Read more →


On the eve of the Paris Motor Show, HERE, the high-definition mapping and location services business company acquired by Audi, BMW and Daimler (earlier post), announced next-generation vehicle-sourced data services. The HERE Open Location Platform will harness real-time data generated by the on-board sensors of connected vehicles—even from competing car... Read more →


BioSolar begins development of high-energy anode technology

BioSolar, a developer of energy storage technology and materials, has begun development of a high energy anode for current- and next-generation lithium batteries. While this anode is an independent technology, the Company will seek synergies with the Super Cathode technology it has been developing. (Earlier post.) BioSolar’s cathode technology, which... Read more →


BMW to partner with Andretti Formula E; may lead to works involvement

As part of a new strategic realignment of its motosports activities, the BMW Group will partner with Andretti Formula E in the Formula E Championship. The cooperation with Andretti Formula E is initially set to run for two seasons. It includes cooperation at engineer level and the mutual use of... Read more →


Velodyne LiDAR opens European operations

Velodyne LiDAR has officially opened Velodyne Europe GmbH in the Frankfurt Rhein Main area in Rüsselsheim, Germany. The expansion of Velodyne operations will further enhance the production and engineering support model Velodyne LiDAR is implementing globally. Velodyne LiDAR technology plays an important role in real-time, 3D LiDAR applications for natural... Read more →


Global Bioenergies joins Preem, Sekab and forestry in bio-isooctane project in Sweden

In April this year, Preem, Sekab and Sveaskog entered into a collaboration to develop a gasoline fuel based entirely on forest resources with support from the Swedish Energy Agency. The consortium has now selected the bio-isobutene process developed by the French industrial biotech Global Bioenergies for the conversion of wood-derived... Read more →


Telecommunications and automotive majors form global cross-industry 5G Automotive Association

Audi AG, BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, Nokia and Qualcomm Incorporated have formed the “5G Automotive Association”. The association will develop, test and promote communications solutions, support standardization and accelerate commercial availability and global market penetration. The goal is to address connected mobility and road safety needs with... Read more →


Toyota Motor Europe hybrid sales up 45% year-to-date; targeting 50% hybrid take-rate by 2020

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) reported that sales of hybrids have increased 45% so far this year compared with the same period in 2015—which was already a record year. The company is tracking to sell close to 300,000 hybrids this year, said Karl Schlicht, Executive Vice President of TME. 31% of... Read more →


A large scale roll-out of electric cars on European roads would result in significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions and lower levels of certain air pollutants, according to a new European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment. However, widespread use of such vehicles would pose challenges for Europe’s power grid in meeting increased... Read more →


A new report from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) identifies significant potential to reduce aviation emissions through emerging fuel efficiency technologies. The study summarizes the results of the first independent, bottom-up cost assessment of near- (2024) and mid-term (2034) technologies to improve new aircraft fuel efficiency. Carried out... Read more →


Daimler, Linde and OMV inaugurate new hydrogen station

Hydrogen-powered vehicles can now refill their tanks at the OMV service station in Metzingen. The opening of the new filling station continues the longstanding cooperation between the industry partners Daimler, Linde and OMV Deutschland as part of the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP), and marks another step towards a nationwide hydrogen... Read more →


Volkswagen Group & Audi accelerate fuel cell technology solutions program with Ballard

Ballard Power Systems announced that automotive OEM Audi AG has issued purchase orders to Ballard to accelerate certain key development activities under the current long-term Technology Solutions program that Volkswagen Group has with Ballard. (Earlier post.) The current 6-year engineering services contract with Volkswagen Group runs to March 2019, with... Read more →


Renault-Nissan and Microsoft enter multi-year agreement on next-gen connected driving

The Renault-Nissan Alliance and Microsoft Corp. have signed a global, multi-year agreement to partner on next-generation technologies to advance connected driving experiences worldwide. The companies will work together to develop next-generation connected services for cars powered by Microsoft Azure, one of the company’s intelligent cloud offerings. These new services are... Read more →


TomTom demonstrating lane-level localization for autonomous driving: HD Map and RoadDNA products

TomTom is introducing a Localization Demonstrator, a new demonstration device that leverages its HD Map and RoadDNA technology to provide accurate and robust lane-level localization of a vehicle. The device, using sensors expected in autonomous vehicles, combines TomTom autonomous driving content with TomTom correlation software to demonstrate the precision of... Read more →


Researchers at the University of Witwatersrand and the University of South Africa are proposing replacing the final purification steps of conventional bio-ethanol production with a simple gasoline-blending step. In a paper published in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels, they show that gasoline pre-blending results in a spontaneous liquid phase... Read more →


Lux Research is analyzing partnerships in stationary energy storage, and has produced a graphic showing some of the key partnerships of seven leading stationary storage battery suppliers. This is not an exhaustive list, but a starting point for getting a handle on a complex and fragmented segment. Relative line thickness... Read more →


A new study by Transport & Environment (T&E) shows that Volkswagen is currently selling the least polluting (Euro 6) diesel vehicles. However, the report “Dieselgate: Who? What? How?” also found that no brand in Europe complies with the latest Euro 6 air pollution limits for diesel cars and vans in... Read more →


AM General to build prototypes for the next-gen USPS Postal Delivery Vechicles; ZEV versions

AM General’s designs for advanced postal vehicles have been selected by the US Postal Service (USPS) as part of the USPS Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) Prototype awards. The awards were in support of the service’s plans and need for the replacement of their aging fleet. AM General will build... Read more →


At Innotrans in Berlin, Rolls-Royce Power Systems’ MTU brand introduced the new MTU EnergyPack battery system for rail as a product that is now available for ordering. The Hybrid PowerPack is a market-ready advanced development based on a test version that has demonstrated its reliability in an intensive test program... Read more →


Earlier this year, Recargo, parent company to PlugShare, a leading charging station locator app, was awarded more than $1.6 million from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to help complete key routes of the West Coast Electric Highway (WCEH), a network of fast charging and Level 2 electric vehicle stations expected... Read more →


Wirth Research developing long-endurance hydrogen-powered terrain mapping drones

UK-based Wirth Research has been contracted to develop and deliver a unique and bespoke prototype fleet of hydrogen fuel cell powered advanced terrain mapping drones for DERYL Research K.K.—a subsidiary of DERYL Group K.K., based in Japan. The all-new Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) will be capable of deploying a sophisticated... Read more →


Ford offering adaptive steering on Super Duty and Edge

Ford is offering adaptive steering on the Ford F-Series Super Duty pickup and Ford Edge SUV. Ford has been awarded eight patents, with 11 more filed, on the technology which has been offered in select vehicles for several years. (Earlier post.) Despite the industry shift to electrically assisted steering, an... Read more →


ICCT study finds that transitioning to low-GWP MAC refrigerants in China could avoid up to US$150B in costs

A new study from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) assesses the feasibility, benefits, and costs of phasing out HFC-134a as the refrigerant in mobile air conditioning (MAC) systems in the Chinese LDV fleet, focusing on three alternatives with lower global warming potential (GWP) most likely to be adopted... Read more →


New 1.6L diesel in 2018 Chevrolet Equinox related to Opel’s 1.6L CDTi Whisper Diesel

The new 1.6-liter diesel engine to be offered in the US in the 2018 Equinox (earlier post) is similar to Opel’s 1.6L CDTi Whisper Diesel (earlier post) in Europe, and is derived from a common Italian-German-American medium diesel engine design, according to GM. The first application of the 1.6L CDTi... Read more →


GDTech Engineering s.a. has developed and delivered prototype direct-CNG injectors to Fiat Powertrain for heavy-duty long-haul LNG mono-fuel engines. This injector will be applied in the future IVECO Cursor 13 DI-CNG engine being developed as part of the HDGas project in Europe. GDTech is the injector supplier to Fiat Powertrain... Read more →


Researchers discover lower-cost, energy-efficient way to produce alane for hydrogen storage

Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory, in collaboration with partners from Iowa State University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Pittsburgh, have discovered a less-expensive, more energy-efficient way to produce alane—aluminum trihydride (AlH3)—a high-capacity hydrogen source that had widely been considered to be... Read more →


Toyota develops new DNA analysis technology to accelerate plant improvement; boosting biofuel crop yield

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has developed a DNA analysis technology it calls Genotyping by Random Amplicon Sequencing (GRAS). This technology is capable of significantly improving the efficiency of identifying and selecting useful genetic information for agricultural plant improvement. This newly developed technology could thus lead to substantial time and cost... Read more →


Chevrolet has introduced the all-new 2018 Equinox compact SUV with a choice of three turbocharged engines—including the segment’s first turbo-diesel in North America. The choices are a 1.5L turbo, a 2.0L turbo—matched with GM’s new nine-speed automatic transmission—and a 1.6L turbo-diesel. The new Equinox is the first Chevrolet model in... Read more →