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EPA proposes leaving light-duty vehicle GHG standards for MY 2022-2025 unchanged

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed leaving the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for light-duty vehicle model years 2022-2025 in place, based on its technical analysis that shows automakers are well positioned to meet the targets. The final standards are projected result in an average industry fleet-wide level... Read more →


The Wrights Group launched the new Wrightbus zero-emission double deck bus at a conference in London. The Wrightbus debuts a new hydrogen fuel cell driveline which will become available to power both single-deck and double-deck buses as it becomes fully production-ready next year. The drive system encompasses a hydrogen fuel... Read more →


Nissan and Eaton broaden xStorage Home energy storage portfolio; 10-year xStorage Buildings deal with Amsterdam ArenA

Nissan and power management leader Eaton are broadening their portfolio of xStorage Home residential energy storage solutions—which can use second-life EV batteries—by introducing a range of six product configurations, giving consumers greater choice to meet their energy needs. This announcement comes as pre-orders of xStorage Home begin today in the... Read more →


Ford to start testing autonomous cars on European roads next year

Ford announced it will begin European testing of autonomous cars in 2017, as a Ford-commissioned survey of 5,000 adults showed how drivers would spend the time in self-driving cars. 80% said they would look forward to relaxing and enjoying the scenery, 72% would chat on the phone, 64% would have... Read more →


AmeriPride adds 21 Ford Super Duty service trucks with XL Hybrids electrification solution

AmeriPride Services is taking delivery of 21 Ford F-59 trucks featuring XL Hybrids’ XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System by the end of this year. AmeriPride will use the hybrid-electric F-59 trucks for uniform rental and linen supply delivery in North American metropolitan markets including Arizona and Minnesota. The hybrid electric... Read more →


Intel creates new organization solely focused on ADAS and autonomous driving

Intel has created a new organization called the Automated Driving Group (ADG), which will be solely dedicated to innovating the future of driving and designing the next generation of advanced driver assist systems and autonomous driving solutions. Intel’s ADG builds upon CEO Brian Krzanich’s vision for the future of automated... Read more →


Ford to offer cylinder deactivation for 1.0L EcoBoost in 2018; 6% fuel economy boost; global first for a 3-cylinder

Ford will offer the multi-award-winning 1.0‑liter EcoBoost gasoline engine with innovative cylinder deactivation technology for further reducing CO2 emissions and improving fuel efficiency by up to 6%. Ford had been investigating different cylinder deactivation approaches for the 1.0L EcoBoost in collaboration with the Schaeffler Group. (Earlier post.) The 1.0L EcoBoost... Read more →


Ballard Power Systems has signed a Long-Term Sales Agreement (LTSA) with Solaris Bus & Coach, a bus OEM headquartered in Poland, for the sale and supply of fuel cell modules to support deployment of Solaris fuel cell buses in Europe. An initial order placed under the LTSA is for 10... Read more →


Lux: California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard will become a global phenomenon; carbon intensity, not volume

California’s approach to transportation fuel policy—its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)—will become a global phenomenon, suggests Lux Research. The LCFS eliminates volume targets and focuses strictly on a fuel’s carbon intensity (CI) measured in gCO2/MJ on a well-to-wheel (WTW) basis—from extraction, conversion, transport, and combustion of the fuel. Lux’s observation... Read more →


Houston METRO launches Proterra electric bus demo; Catalyst FC into revenue service for 90 days

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) will deploy a 40-foot Proterra Catalyst FC battery-electric bus for 90 days beginning on December 4, demonstrating the benefits that battery-electric transit technology can bring to the region’s communities. The Catalyst FC (Fast Charge) has a nominal range of 49-62 miles, depending... Read more →


Delphi & Mobileye to showcase Centralized Sensing Localization and Planning (CSLP) autonomous driving system in public demo at CES 2017

Delphi Automotive PLC and Mobileye will showcase their Centralized Sensing Localization and Planning (CSLP) automated driving system—which will be ready for production by 2019—on a 6.3-mile urban and highway combined public route in Las Vegas for CES 2017. (Earlier post.) The partners said that CSLP is the first turnkey, fully... Read more →


A new study from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) concludes that the Renewable Fuel Standard program will miss its advanced biofuel targets due to the the high costs of creating advanced biofuel; the relatively low price of fossil fuel; the timing and cost to bring new tech to commercial-scale... Read more →


GM China Engineering developing comprehensive vehicle air quality system

GM China Engineering is developing an advanced filtration system for global use that utilizes a combination of proven technologies. It adds three layers of protection for consumers, to filter most airborne particles; to help clean the air inside the vehicle via an air ionizer; and to provide drivers real-time information... Read more →


BMW Group, Daimler, Ford, Audi & Porsche JV for up to 350 kW CCS ultra-fast charging network along major highways in Europe

BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen Group with Audi and Porsche have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create the highest-powered charging network in Europe. The goal is the quick build-up of a sizable number of stations in order to enable long-range travel for battery electric vehicle... Read more →


Fabless semiconductor company MediaTek entering automotive industry with connected and autonomous focus

Fabless semiconductor company MediaTek plans to bring fully integrated multimedia, connectivity and sensor system solutions to the automotive industry beginning Q1 2017. We have a strong technology portfolio generated from $10 billion in research and development investment over the past 12 years from modem and RF advancements to computing technologies... Read more →


Together, light vehicles and medium/heavy trucks and buses consume 82.1% of the energy used in the transportation sector, according to figures provided by the US Department of Energy (DOE). Those on-road vehicles use mainly gasoline and diesel fuel. Of the other modes, air transportation’s use of jet fuel and aviation... Read more →


In Japan, Nissan announced a new, comprehensive strategy to transform its customer aftersales experience through innovative technology and enhanced services. The company anticipates that, as a result, connected car services and greater choice in accessories and personalization will increasingly drive growth in its aftersales business, anticipated to contribute 25% of... Read more →


Based on the success of two Irizar 100% i2e electric buses that have been operating in London since June 2015, London’s largest transport operator, Go-Ahead, is incorporating the buses into its fleet and has signed an agreement with Irizar that includes service and maintenance. For over a year, these two... Read more →


Nemaska Lithium provided details of the drilling results on the newly discovered Doris zone on its Whabouchi lithium project. The company encountered a new lithium bearing zone in the southwestern end of the planned pit area. The Doris zone contains 5 interconnected dykes and has now been confirmed on 420m... Read more →


The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has posted a revised draft of California’s proposed Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) Strategy. SLCPs are a category of pollutants which remain in the atmosphere for a relatively brief period, but have global warming potentials that are much higher than those of CO2. SLCPs may... Read more →


Toshiba Corporation broke ground on a new Hydrogen Application Center at its Fuchu Complex in western Tokyo. Scheduled to start operation in April 2017, the center will be built around a newly designed H2One hydrogen power system that will use renewable energy to produce hydrogen and supply it to fuel-cell... Read more →


Audi has begun using smart gloves from Munich-based startup ProGlove in its international logistics department at the Audi plant in Ingolstadt, where the group handles the worldwide dispatch of car components. The glove—named “Mark”—has an embedded barcode scanner on its back; employees trigger the scanning function by pressing the thumb... Read more →


DOE to award nearly $25M to enable innovative electrical motors used in manufacturing

The US Department of Energy announced nearly $25 million for 13 projects aimed at advancing technologies for energy-efficient electric motors through applied research and development. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Next Generation Electric Machines projects will address the limitations of traditional materials and designs used in... Read more →


BMW i is expanding its engagement in electric mobility with the new BMW Digital Charging Service (DCS)—an intelligent service for predictive, convenient, cost-effective and green power-optimized charging. The Digital Charging Service optimizes charging technology for BMW i and BMW iPerformance vehicles and will be extended in a later phase to... Read more →


Schaeffler and DMG MORI expand cooperation to additive manufacturing of rolling bearings

Schaeffler and DMG MORI are continuing their successful cooperation, expanding it to include the development of additive manufacturing processes for rolling bearing components. Additive manufacturing is a strategic focus in Schaeffler’s development roadmap. Both companies signed a cooperation agreement at the 28th Japan International Machine Tool Fair (JIMTOF) in Japan.... Read more →


GKN expands electric all-wheel drive program with BMW; eAxle for PHEV X1 in China

GKN Driveline is expanding its global electric axle (eAxle) drive partnership with the BMW Group, supplying eAxle technology for a plug-in hybrid version of the BMW X1 for the Chinese market. The system is part of the same scalable family of eAxles used in the plug-in hybrid BMW 2 Series... Read more →


GLM Co., Ltd., an electric vehicle engineering solution provider and a pioneer in electric vehicle manufacturing in Japan, launched its brand and showcased two of its models—the GLM-G4 and GLM-ZZ—at an event in Hong Kong. Based in Kyoto, GLM was established in 2010 and is the first Japanese electric vehicle... Read more →


A team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Minnesota, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Delaware has developed a new chemical process to make p-xylene, an important ingredient of common plastics. The new method has a 97% yield and uses biomass as the feedstock. P-xylene... Read more →


In October 2015, the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) launched a broad, joint effort to co-optimize the development of efficient engines and low greenhouse-gas fuels for on-road vehicles with the goal of reducing petroleum consumption by 30% by 2030 beyond what is already targeted. (Earlier post.) The intended application is... Read more →


Volkswagen Group and SOVAC to produce vehicles in Algeria

The Volkswagen Group has signed a contract for vehicle assembly in Algeria through a joint venture with SOVAC S.P.A., Volkswagen’s sales partner in the region. From the spring of 2017, the joint venture company SOVAC Production S.P.A. will produce selected Group models. A new assembly building is being constructed on... Read more →


Department of Transportation seeking proposals for automated vehicle proving grounds pilot

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) is requesting proposals from applicants (DOT-OST-2016-0233) to form an initial network of multiple proving grounds focused on the advancement of autonomous vehicle technology. The proving grounds will develop and share best practices around the safe testing, demonstration and deployment of autonomous vehicle technology. The... Read more →


Hyliion, a start-up founded by a group of graduate students at Carnegie Mellon, has developed an add-on hybrid system for semi-trailers. Combining regenerative braking and power boost for the trailer to reduce on-the-road fuel consumption, the system also functions as an auxiliary power unit to reduce engine-on idling. Their patent... Read more →


Volkswagen first introduced a parking assistance system based on ultrasonic sensors in the early 1990s. However, it was the “Park Assist” Gen 1 system presented in the Touran in 2007 that marked a foundational point in the commercial development of the technology. After it was activated, Park Assist was able... Read more →


Government of Canada to work with provinces, territories, and stakeholders to develop a clean fuel standard

The Government of Canada will consult with provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, industries, and non-governmental organizations to develop a clean fuel standard. The standard would require reductions in the carbon footprint of the fuels supplied in Canada, based on lifecycle analysis. The overall objective of a clean fuel standard would... Read more →


Volvo launches the world’s largest bus; 30m, 300 passengers

Volvo launched the world’s largest bus chassis at the FetransRio exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Volvo is a leading supplier of buses for high passenger capacity transport systems, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The new biarticulated chassis, Gran Artic 300, is 30 meters in length and can carry up to... Read more →


A team at Stanford University has developed a method for using battery electrode materials directly and continuously to control the lattice strain of a platinum (Pt) catalyst, thereby boosting catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells by up to nearly 90%. A paper on their work... Read more →


Shell and Cosan make Raízen JV permanent; commitment to Brazil sugar, ethanol and fuels distribution

Shell and Cosan have agreed to remove the mutual time-bound buyout options included in the original Raízen joint venture agreement, signed in June 2011, and in doing so have transformed Raízen from a temporary to a permanent joint venture. (Earlier post.) Raizen is a 50:50 joint venture (JV) between Shell... Read more →


Toshiba integrates fuel cell system into 14m experimental boat

Toshiba Corporation Energy System and Solutions Company (ESS) has integrated a hydrogen fuel cell system into an experimental vessel, “Raicho N”. The boat, 14 meters long and with a cruising speed of 8 knots, was developed as part of a joint research project by NREG Toshiba Building, a group company... Read more →


Saint Jean Carbon building a high performance lithium-ion battery with recycled/upcycled material

Saint Jean Carbon Inc., a carbon science company engaged in the design and build of energy storage carbon materials, and a battery manufacturing partner will build a high-powered full-scale lithium-ion battery with recycled/upcycled material from an electric car power pack and upcycled anode material from Saint Jean Carbon. Saint John... Read more →


DuPont Industrial Biosciences and MIAVIT in supply agreement for biogas enzymes

DuPont Industrial Biosciences and MIAVIT GmbH recently announced a supply agreement where DuPont will supply enzymes for incorporation in biogas-boosting products distributed by MIAVIT. Enzyme technology has been proven to improve biogas yields and process robustness, ultimately increasing customers’ revenue and profitability while increasing offerings in renewable energy. DuPont Industrial... Read more →


Cadillac annual sales in China top 100,000 vehicles for the first time

Cadillac announced that its annual sales in China surpassed 100,000 vehicles for the first time ever, helping it become among the fastest-growing luxury car brands in Cadillac’s second-largest market. Year-to-date, Cadillac has delivered over 100,000 retail sales across China, which is up 54% from the same period last year. Cadillac... Read more →


Loop Energy (earlier post) has introduced a new range-extender (REX) power module for heavy-duty electric transport vehicles. At the core of the module is Loop’s unique fuel cell design which improves performance, durability and cost. Following a three-year development period, the Loop power module is now being integrated by an... Read more →


Audi taps Mertens from Volvo to lead technical development

Audi AG has appointed Dr. Ing. Peter Mertens, previously Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Car Corporation in Göteborg, Sweden, as the new Board of Management Member for Technical Development at Audi. Mertens has exceptionally broad technical expertise and an international background in the automotive industry. These are... Read more →


Toyota Motor’s Central R&D Labs, along with Nippon Soken and four universities (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kyoto, and Ritsumeikan) has developed the first method for observing the real-time behavior of lithium ions (Li-ions) in an electrolyte as a Li-ion battery charges and discharges. The researchers will present a paper on this method,... Read more →


Seattle fire department retrofits several ambulances with XL Hybrids system; city ordering more

Several ambulances for The City of Seattle’s fire department are now equipped with XL HYbrids’ XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System. XL Hybrids retrofitted Ford E-450 ambulances with a goal of increasing miles driven per gallon for the fire department and reducing carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. In just nine... Read more →


American Center for Mobility breaks ground on new test center at Willow Run for connected and autonomous vehicles

The American Center for Mobility this week broke ground on its new center for testing, education and product development for connected and automated vehicles at Willow Run in Ypsilanti Township. Located on the 335-acre site where B-24 bombers were made during World War II, the Center will be a purpose-built... Read more →


J.D. Power, LMC: new vehicle sales in US slide again, 6th time this year

For the second time in three months and the sixth time this year, new-vehicle retail sales in November are expected to slip from year-ago levels, according to a monthly sales forecast developed jointly by J.D. Power and LMC Automotive. US new-vehicle retail sales in November are projected to reach 1,128,900... Read more →


The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed guidelines to help address driver distraction caused by mobile and other electronic devices in vehicles. The release marks the second phase of voluntary guidelines to address driver distraction on US roads; the first phase, released in 2013,... Read more →


The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized increases in renewable fuel volume requirements across all categories of biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. In a required annual rulemaking, the action finalizes the volume requirements and associated percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel for... Read more →