At the Chengdu Motor Show, Cadillac launched a version of the XT5 SUV equipped with a mild hybrid system, the first of its kind for the brand. It also adds a new nine-speed automatic transmission. The XT5 is one of Cadillac’s most popular models in China. More than 63,000 units... Read more →
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150 millionth Volkswagen rolls off assembly line at Wolfsburg plant: a Golf GTE plug-in hybrid
25 August 2017
Volkswagen was founded more than 80 years ago; since then, 150 million vehicles, including icons such as the Golf or the Beetle, have been built around the world at more than 50 production sites in 14 countries. The 150 millionth car—a blue Golf GTE plug-in hybrid—rolled off the assembly line... Read more →
Mitsubishi Motors to supply 96 Outlander PHEVs and i-MiEVs to government of Georgia
25 August 2017
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation will supply the Government of Georgia with 45 Outlander PHEV plug-in hybrid EVs and 51 i-MiEV all-electric vehicles. The vehicles are due to be delivered in January 2018. The supply of vehicles stems from an Overseas Development Agreement between the governments of Japan and Georgia. The vehicles... Read more →
Worthington Industries has introduced a Type 3 Rail Mount compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel system for trucks. With only five unique parts, the Type 3 Rail Mount is the lightest fuel system on the market, offering a similar operating experience to diesel trucks. It is designed to improve fuel economy... Read more →
The Next Oil Price Spike May Cripple The Industry
25 August 2017
by Andreas de Vries and Dr. Salman Ghouri for Oilprice.com Two diametrically opposed views dominate the current debate about where the oil price is heading. On the one hand, there is the view that the price of oil will be “lower for longer”, or even “lower forever”, as the electrification... Read more →
Digging into the differences in carbon accounting for biofuels
24 August 2017
The benefit to the climate of using biofuels as a substitute for fossil fuels has been sharply contested for years; much of the disagreement is based on the assumptions underlying the carbon accounting in the lifecycle analysis. The argument essentially boils down to whether or not biofuels are inherently carbon... Read more →
BASF and bse Engineering have signed an exclusive joint development agreement for BASF to provide custom-made catalysts for a new chemical energy storage process. This process will enable the economically viable transformation of excess power and off-gas carbon dioxide into methanol in small-scale, decentralized production units. In addition to being... Read more →
Airport services provider Finavia will fuel 20 Helsinki Airport buses with Neste MY Renewable Diesel. Using Neste MY Renewable Diesel as our vehicle fuel is a fixed part of our emissions solutions. It is an excellent addition to our energy portfolio, as the product offers up to 90 percent lower... Read more →
UK-based ULEMCo has developed a fuel-cell-based unit that will extend vehicle range by supplying additional power to the standard Nissan e-NV200 van. With the combination of the on-board hydrogen storage and fuel cell module, the van will have a range of more than 150 miles (241 km) when laden, satisfying... Read more →
REG files 5 renewable diesel pathway applications for California LCFS
24 August 2017
REG has submitted five pathways for the production of renewable diesel (RD) from a variety of feedstocks—rendered used cooking oil; non-rendered used cooking oil; corn oil; tallow; and soy oil—to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) for consideration as Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) pathways. The carbon intensities of the... Read more →
BMW released a new series of teaser shots and video of camouflaged versions of its new i8 plug-in hybrid Roadster (earlier post) on the road. The BMW i8 Roadster is projected to offer combined fuel consumption of 2.0l/100 km (117.5 mpg US); combined electricity consumption of 15.4 kWh/100 km (18.6... Read more →
Survey finds 79% of car-owning millenials think owning a car still a necessity in 20 years
24 August 2017
A survey of car-owning millenials commissioned by student loan marketplace LendEDU found that 93% of repondents consider owning a car to be a necessity in today’s society. Asked to project 20 years out, fully 79% still thought that owning a car would be a necessity then. The answers to one... Read more →
As part of its biggest model offensive yet, Volkswagen is adding a compact-class crossover: the T-Roc. The new crossover slots below the Tiguan with pricing in the €20,000-class segment (Germany) and is based, like the Tiguan and the Atlas/Teramont, on the modular transverse matrix (MQB). Market launch begins in Europe... Read more →
ARPA-E awards $30M to 21 projects advance new class of high-performance power converters
23 August 2017
The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced $30 million in funding for 21 innovative projects as part of the Creating Innovative and Reliable Circuits Using Inventive Topologies and Semiconductors (CIRCUITS) program. CIRCUITS project teams will accelerate the development and deployment of a new class of... Read more →
German government adopts ethics rules for automated driving
23 August 2017
The German government is adopting an action plan to implement the recommendations of its Ethics Commission on automated driving. The expert panel, headed by the former Federal Constitutional Court Prof. Dr. Dr. Udo Di Fabio, developed guidelines for the programming of automated driving systems. The report of the Ethics Committee... Read more →
Audi switches to power output designations on its models; kW-based performance levels for all power types
23 August 2017
Audi is adopting a standardized nomenclature for the power output designations of its worldwide range of automobiles. While the names of the model series—from Audi A1 to Audi Q7—will remain unchanged, within the model families, combinations of two numbers will replace the various type designations previously used. The new designations... Read more →
Audi and Alta Devices, a wholly-owned US subsidiary of the Chinese solar-cell specialist Hanergy, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation in thin film solar cell technology. Through this cooperation, the partners aim to generate solar energy to increase the range of electric vehicles. The first prototype is... Read more →
At this year’s IAA in Frankfurt, Federal-Mogul Powertrain will launch a new, smaller version of its proven Rotocap valve rotator, the first such for 4 valve per cylinder light vehicle engines. The miniaturized design features an outer diameter in the range of 20-25 mm and allows the Rotocap to package... Read more →
HRL receives NASA award to 3D print ceramic rocket engine components
23 August 2017
HRL Laboratories has received an award as part of NASA’s Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion program to develop additive manufactured (3D-printed) ceramic rocket engine components. (Earlier post.) HRL achieved a scientific breakthrough with pre-ceramic resins that can be 3D printed and converted to high-temperature ceramic that was first... Read more →
Magnesium is one of the lightest of all structural metals—75% lighter than steel, 33% lighter than aluminum—and is the fourth most common element on earth behind iron, silicon and oxygen. But despite its light weight and natural abundance, automakers have been stymied in their attempts to incorporate magnesium alloys into... Read more →
US biofuel and biogas innovators urge EPA to set stronger cellulosic targets
23 August 2017
Leading advocates for advanced liquid and gasified biofuels in the US urged the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to strengthen the final 2018 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) for the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by setting stronger cellulosic fuel targets. (Earlier post.) A letter sent to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt,... Read more →
DOE awards $13.4M to 5 projects focused on energy efficient mobility systems
22 August 2017
The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $13.4 million in support of five new cost-shared, community-based projects focused on energy efficient mobility systems including connected and autonomous vehicles and alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure including natural gas, propane, biofuels, hydrogen, and electricity. The following projects will serve as "living labs"... Read more →
Aemetis producing cellulosic ethanol from orchard waste at integrated demonstration unit
22 August 2017
Aemetis, after successfully completing the construction and commencement of an Integrated Demonstration Unit, is now producing cellulosic ethanol from orchard waste, utilizing technologies from Aemetis, LanzaTech and InEnTec. The plant is a continuously operating demonstration facility located at InEnTec’s Technology Center in Richland, Washington that is processing various feedstocks and... Read more →
LG Electronics to establish US factory for electric vehicle components
22 August 2017
LG Electronics plans to establish a US factory for advanced electric vehicle (EV) components in Michigan. The 250,000-square-foot facility, in the Detroit suburb of Hazel Park, Mich., will produce EV components starting in 2018. The project will mean at least 292 new Michigan jobs, including factory workers in Hazel Park... Read more →
Medatech Ltd., the Canadian provider of sustainable drive systems for the mining industry, now incorporates AKASOL GmbH’s AKASystem AKM NANO lithium-ion battery systems into its designs for electrically powered equipment and drives. Medatech will equip everything from drilling and anchoring machines to heavy transport vehicles with the systems in order... Read more →
TM4 receives follow-on order from Workhorse for more than 500 SUMO powertrain systems
22 August 2017
TM4 Inc. has received a new purchase order from Workhorse Group Inc. that covers the supply of SUMO MD powertrain systems for the E-GEN battery-electric extended range and E-100 all-electric delivery truck platforms. Following last year’s supply of 150 systems, this order will fulfill Workhorse’s near-term powertrain requirements for the... Read more →
According to a new study by Bosch, the use of e-fuels—synthetic fuels based on renewable energy—in Europe by 2050 as a scheduled supplement to electrification could save up to 2.8 gigatons of CO2: three times Germany’s carbon-dioxide emissions in 2016. The calculation is based on an assumed e-fuels blend of... Read more →
On 1 September 2017, new emissions regulations for passenger vehicles come into force in the EU and Switzerland. These will plug the gaps in the existing legislation and will help to ensure that diesel vehicles in particular become considerably cleaner as regards their NOx emissions. However, the new regulations also... Read more →
Ford introduces scrappage scheme in UK for pre Euro 5 vehicles
22 August 2017
In the UK, Ford announced a car and van scrappage scheme aimed at improving air quality by enabling customers, of any brand, to trade-in and scrap their old vehicles for new Ford cars and commercial vehicles, including the popular Fiesta and Transit Custom, with significantly lower emissions. All new Ford... Read more →
Ford to explore new 50:50 electric vehicle JV in China with Zotye Auto
22 August 2017
Ford has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Anhui Zotye Automobile Co., Ltd., a major manufacturer of all-electric vehicles in China, to explore the establishment of a 50:50 joint venture for the development, production, marketing and servicing of a new line of all-electric passenger vehicles in China. China is the... Read more →
Continental has developed an electrified solution to further reduce hydrocarbon evaporative emissions: the Active Purge Pump (APP). The APP actively pulls HC-laden air from the canister used to control evaporative HC emissions. The pump used for this action is a very compact and light-weight radial pump, driven by a highly... Read more →
The ninth annual California Green Innovation Index—released by the nonpartisan nonprofit group Next 10 and prepared by Beacon Economics—finds that the state’s ambitious climate policies have allowed for considerable economic growth, with California outpacing the growth of other states during the recovery period following the Great Recession. Between 2006 and... Read more →
Port of Los Angeles and GE Transportation expanding digital pilot throughout Port
22 August 2017
Less than one year since launching the first digital solution to keep cargo flowing efficiently through America’s largest container port, the Port of Los Angeles and GE Transportation are expanding the program to include all container terminals and shipping lines at the Port. Because of the pilot’s success, the Port... Read more →
EMA concerned that EPA’s revisiting Phase 2 GHG rules could lead to misaligned regulatory requirements
22 August 2017
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intent to revisit provisions of the second phase of the greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency rules for medium- and heavy-duty on-highway trucks and engines that were finalized last year. (Earlier post.) The Phase 2 program builds on the Phase 1 regulations... Read more →
Updated Golf Sportsvan to feature Traffic Jam Assist, gesture control and new TSI offering
21 August 2017
Volkswagen will unveil its refreshed compact Golf Sportsvan at the IAA International Motor Show next month. The new Golf Sportsvan features items such as three new TSI gasoline engines, an expanded range of assistance systems, a new generation of infotainment systems (top system with gesture control) as well as more... Read more →
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and partners will present their new prototype of an electric four-wheel drive utility vehicle designed for Africa—the aCar— at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt next month. The aCar is designed for passenger and cargo transportation and is also of interest... Read more →
Mercedes-Benz to showcase hybrid, electric and fuel cell drives at IAA
21 August 2017
At the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) from 14 to 24 September 2017, Mercedes-Benz will showcase the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE sports car with Formula 1 hybrid drive technology; an electric concept car by the EQ brand in the compact car segment; and the GLC F‑CELL EQ Power, a pre-series model... Read more →
Interest in gasoline engined and hybrid vehicles has jumped in Germany while interest in diesel is falling, according to the latest biennial study on automotive buying trends in that country by leading German fuel retailer Aral. According to the new Trends report, 52% of buyers want a conventional gasoline engine.... Read more →
GreenPower Motor secures commitments for 11 electric school buses in California; ARB approval for $95K HVIP incentive
21 August 2017
Canada-based GreenPower Motor Company (earlier post) and its California factory direct dealer, School Bus Sales of California, have secured commitments for eleven batteery-electric Synapse 72 school buses from six different school districts in South Coast and North Coast California districts. The two have been giving demonstrations of the Synapse 72... Read more →
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a request for proposals (H2_AT_SCALE_CRADA_CALL) for research projects that address the Hydrogen at Scale (H2@Scale) concept (earlier post), which enables wide-scale production and use of hydrogen to address issues such as grid resiliency, energy storage and security, domestic job creation, and domestic... Read more →
Kudan develops real time 3D mapping and position tracking software for autonomous car, drone, robotics markets
21 August 2017
Kudan, Inc. has developed software for real-time 3D mapping and position tracking via camera, called “KudanSLAM” (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), targeting markets such as autonomous car, ADAS, drone, industrial and personal robots in addition to the existing AR/VR industries. Simultaneous Localization and Mapping technology allows computers to acquire, process, analyse... Read more →
ORNL-led team uses carbon material derived from tire waste to convert used cooking oil to biofuel
21 August 2017
Using a novel, reusable carbon material derived from old rubber tires, an Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)-led research team has developed a simple method to convert used cooking oil into biofuel. The team’s approach combines modified, recovered carbon with sulfuric acids, which is then mixed with free fatty acids in... Read more →
Varmlandsmetanol wants to build €350M biomethanol plant in Estonia
20 August 2017
Estonian media reports that Swedish bioenergy company Varmlandsmetanol AB is interested in building a €350-million (US $412 million) biomethanol plant in Estonia. The company is in discussions with the Estonian government over whether it would be possbile to tax biofuel less and whether legislation could be amended to allow for... Read more →
EPA to revisit trailer and glider provisions of Phase 2 GHG and fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty engines
20 August 2017
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to revisit provisions of the Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines, citing “concerns” raised by stakeholders in the trailer and glider industry. In September 2011, EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued... Read more →
Volkswagen announced it will put the battery-electric I.D. BUZZ microbus concept into production. Volkswagen presented the concept at the Detroit Auto Show in January. (Earlier post.) The Chairmen of the Boards of Management of the Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands, Dr Herbert Diess and Dr Eckhard Scholz, announced the... Read more →
Delphi partners with Innoviz for high-performance LiDAR for autonomous vehicles; minority investment
19 August 2017
Delphi Automotive signed a commercial partnership agreement with Innoviz Technologies, an Israel-based company developing LiDAR technology for the mass commercialization of autonomous vehicles. Innoviz’s proprietary LiDAR sensing solutions will be integrated into Delphi’s systems to provide automakers with a comprehensive portfolio of autonomous driving technologies. Innoviz LiDAR technology utilizes a... Read more →
San Joaquin Regional Transit District opens 1st all-electric bus rapid transit route in US; all routes to be electric by 2025
19 August 2017
The San Joaquin (California) Regional Transit District (RTD) is converting its existing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Express Route 44 to 100% battery-electric buses this month. That BRT route will be the first in the US to feature all-electric bus service. The BRT buses were designed and built by California-based Proterra.... Read more →
The Torrance, California Shell hydrogen station has been upgraded and is now open to the public as a retail station. It is the 30th retail hydrogen station in California. (Earlier post.) It is also the only hydrogen station in the US, and one of the few in the world, to... Read more →
As of 5 April 2017, California has more than 1,600 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) with active registrations with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), according to the 2017 issue of its Annual Evaluation of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Deployment and Hydrogen Fuel Station Network Development released by the... Read more →
Autoliv collaborating with Seeing Machines to develop driver monitoring systems for autonomous vehicles
18 August 2017
Automotive safety system provider Autoliv, Inc. will collaborate with Seeing Machines, a provider of computer-vision-based human-sensing technologies, to develop next-generation driver monitoring systems (DMS) for autonomous vehicles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the United States 3,477 people were killed, and 391,000 were injured, in motor vehicle... Read more →