The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that establishes the required renewable fuel volumes under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) program for 2018, and biomass-based diesel for 2019. The final standards for 2018, and for biomass-based diesel for 2019, are only slightly changed from the proposed standards that... Read more →

At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Toyota Motor North America announced that it will build the world’s first megawatt-scale carbonate fuel cell power generation plant with a hydrogen fueling station to support its operations at the Port of Long Beach. The Tri-Gen facility will use bio-waste sourced from California agricultural... Read more →

SAE International published SAE J2954 Recommended Practice (RP), providing the first worldwide specification for wireless power transfer (WPT) for electric vehicles up to 11 kW power levels (WPT 3). Following the previous Technical Information Report J2954, with power levels up to WPT 2 (7.7 kW), 11 kW wireless charging is... Read more →

BASF has granted China-based battery cathode producer Pulead a sub-license under Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) patents related to nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cathode materials for lithium ion batteries. (Earlier post.) Pulead is now licensed to make, use, sell, offer to sell, distribute and import the NCM cathode materials in the US market.... Read more →

Cie. Maritime Belge SA (CMB) is launching the Hydroville—the first passenger shuttle that has received a Class approval to burn diesel and hydrogen in its combustion engines. The vessel completed her sea trials on 16 November. The shuttle will be mainly used as a platform to test hydrogen technology for... Read more →

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has accelerated as policymakers across the globe pass regulations to reduce emissions of air pollutants, according to the latest analysis by JATO Dynamics. 2017 represents a turning point in the adoption of electric cars, with sales in key regions increasing significantly. The industry is... Read more →

After an absence from the sport for more than 30 years, Alfa Romeo is returning to Formula 1. Alfa signed a multi-year technical and commercial partnership agreement with Swiss Sauber F1 Team for participation in the Formula 1 world championship beginning with the 2018 season. The official name will be... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has found high rare earth element (REE) concentrations in coal samples taken from the Illinois, Northern Appalachian, Central Appalachian, Rocky Mountain Coal Basins, and the Pennsylvania Anthracite region. These highly concentrated samples are greater than 300 parts per million... Read more →

Lockheed Martin’s Autonomous Mobility Applique System (AMAS) logged more than 55,000 testing miles during the US Army Extended Warfighter Experiment (EWE) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Fort Bliss, Texas. AMAS is an applique kit comprising sensors, actuators and controls that can be installed on virtually any military tactical wheeled... Read more →

At the Los Angeles Auto Show, BMW unveiled the first i8 Roadster, along with the 2019 i8 Coupe. Optimized BMW eDrive technology delivers more power—total output increased to 369 hp (+12 hp)—and a refined high-voltage battery with increased capacity and range. The new BMW i8 Roadster and BMW i8 Coupe... Read more →

Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) has expanded its PowerDrive product family to include a heavy-duty offering suitable for Class-8 vehicle applications. The new powertrain line—the EDI PowerDrive 8000—will be available in the first half of 2018 in both all electric and plug-in hybrid form factors (PHEV). The company has received multiple... Read more →

The staff of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is developing an “Innovative Clean Transit (ICT)”—a regulatory concept that includes a gradual transition to zero emission transit technologies without compromising transit services and that recognizes enhanced mobility options. The effort is part of a broader strategy to increase clean, affordable... Read more →

INFINITI’s new QX50 (earlier post) represents the first automotive use of SHF (Super High Formability) 980 MPa high-tensile steel. The high-tensile material can be molded into unprecedented shapes, saving weight and representing a torsional rigidity improvement of 23% over the current QX50. This segment-leading rigidity allows the car to resist... Read more →

At the Los Angeles Auto Show, INFINITI revealed the all-new QX50—a premium mid-size SUV featuring the first production application of the VC-Turbo variable compression ratio engine, transforming on demand. (Earlier post.) An innovative combustion engine design, the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo engine adjusts its compression ratio to optimize power and efficiency. It... Read more →

The technology group Wärtsilä has been selected to provide a broad scope of products and solutions for a new articulated tug barge (ATB). The vessel will be used to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel to cruise ships along the east coast of Florida, USA. This will be the first... Read more →

Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Volkswagen Group China and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co., Ltd. (JAC) plan to undertake research and development on multi-functional vehicles (MFVs) together. The three parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore potential joint venture models. The new cooperation will be another milestone in the companies’ relationship, after they... Read more →

The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has approved Arctic exploration operations on the Outer Continental Shelf for the first time in more than two years. BSEE approved an Application for Permit to Drill submitted by Eni U.S. Operating Co. Inc. in August. Drilling the exploratory well from... Read more →

In an open-access paper published in Scientific Reports, a team from Fraunhofer ISI and KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) has presented the first systematic overview of empirical findings on the electrification of vehicle mileage based on on actual PHEV (plug-in hybrid) and BEV (battery-electric vehicle) usage for the US and... Read more →

Volkswagen Group of America announced it will introduce a new battery-electric compact SUV in the US in 2020. The new SUV will be based on the I.D. CROZZ concept vehicle (earlier post), which is making its North American debut at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. The new SUV will... Read more →

Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens have formed a partnership to develop a near-term hybrid-electric flight demonstrator for commercial aircraft. The partners expect the E-Fan X series-hybrid-electric technology demonstrator to fly in 2020 following a ground test campaign, provisionally on a BAe 146 flying testbed, with one of the aircraft’s four gas... Read more →

The European Union has launched the €5.7-million (US$6.9-million) MORSE (Model-based optimization for efficient use of resources and energy) project to improve the products, business operations and competitiveness, as well as the energy and raw material efficiency, of the European steel industry. The focus is on developing software tools that will... Read more →

TomTom, Elektrobit Automotive GmbH and the Traveller Information Services Association (TISA) have founded the Open-LR e.V. Association to secure the future of the royalty-free, OpenLR standard for dynamic location referencing. The founders said that the founding of the Open-LR Association signals to service providers, automotive OEMs and suppliers that the... Read more →

US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced a proposed $99 million in Fiscal Year 2018 funding for Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) to accelerate transformative scientific advances for the most challenging topics in materials sciences, chemical sciences, geosciences, and biosciences. (DE-FOA-0001810) Since their establishment by DOE’s Office of Science in... Read more →

Saudi Aramco and SABIC have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a fully integrated crude-oil-to-chemicals (COTC) complex in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which governs the execution of the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) before a final investment decision is made. The COTC complex is expected to process... Read more →

A Korean team led by researchers from the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) has developed “graphene balls”—graphene-silica 3D assemblies—that can be uniformly coated onto a nickel-rich layered cathode (LiNi0.6Co0.1Mn0.3O2). The graphene-ball coating improves cycle life and fast charging capability by protecting the electrode surface from detrimental side reactions and... Read more →

Steelmaker SSAB will start using liquified natural gas (LNG) in its Raahe (Finland) steel mill, where it will replace the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the walking beam furnace in the strip mill and be as a support and additional fuel in the boiler in Raahe Voima’s power... Read more →

A team of Department of Energy (DOE) scientists at the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) has discovered the fastest magnesium-ion solid-state conductor, a major step towards making solid-state magnesium-ion batteries that are both energy dense and safe. Using ab initio calculations, nuclear magnetic resonance, and impedance spectroscopy measurements,... Read more →

MIT researchers have developed a new system that could potentially be used for converting power plant emissions of carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, and thence into useful fuels for cars, trucks, and planes, as well as into chemical feedstocks for a wide variety of products. The new membrane-based system for... Read more →

Rhein‑Neckar‑Verkehr GmbH will be the first customer for the fully-electric Citaro city bus from Mercedes-Benz. (Earlier post.) Representatives of the Daimler subsidiary EvoBus GmbH and Rhein‑Neckar‑Verkehr GmbH have signed a corresponding memorandum of understanding. The first vehicles will be delivered at the end of 2018, and then go into practical... Read more →

Tier 1 supplier Hyundai Mobis has developed reverse driving support technology that autonomously steers when a car drives in reverse without the driver having to operate the steering wheel. Though there is already a function called Parking Assist (PA), which autonomously steers a car in reverse parking, this is the... Read more →

IONITY, the joint venture of BMW, Daimler, Ford and Volkswagen with Audi and Porsche that is developing and implementing a High-Power Charging (HPC) network for EVs across Europe (earlier post), has formed initial strategic partnerships for the realization of its HPC network. IONITY has formed strategic partnerships with Shell, Tank... Read more →

Landi Renzo S.p.a. and Clean Energy Fuels Corp. are combining their compressor manufacturing subsidiaries to form a new standalone company that will immediately become one of the leading global suppliers of natural gas compressors and other related products. Landi Renzo’s SAFE, with a strong presence in Europe and Asia, and... Read more →

Global automotive supplier Preh GmbH is acquiring ePower, a business unit of Kongsberg Automotive ASA in Norway. ePower Nordic AB was established in 2011 by Kongsberg Automotive and Swedish electronics company QRTECH to excel in the field of power electronics, meeting stringent requirements regarding quality, low weight and high power... Read more →

The latest release of Phast, DNV GL’s software for process hazard analysis, brings in an entirely new dispersion model that increases accuracy in predicting the movement of certain types of toxic clouds. The new model significantly improves predictions of releases with short durations—a particular challenge for the modeling of hazardous... Read more →

JBM Auto will launch its EcoLife 9- and 12-meter electric buses at the Auto Expo 2018 in February in India. JBM Auto Limited, the bus division of JBM Group, partnered with Solaris on the development of the buses. EcoLife buses use a four-pole, asynchronous traction motor and lithium-ion batteries; power... Read more →

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is awarding $11.9 million (US$9 million) in funding for Australian biofuel company Ethanol Technologies Limited (Ethtec) to complete the development and demonstration of its advanced biofuel technology. As part of a $48-million (US$36.5 million) project, Ethtec aims to construct a $30-million (US$23-million) purpose-built pilot-scale... Read more →

For the 2018 model year, the Mazda CX-5 version sold in the US will offer cylinder-deactivation technology, safety, and refinement updates at all trim levels. Mazda CX-5’s SKYACTIV-G 2.5 engines received updates to reduce internal friction, which increases low-end torque, while also reducing real-world fuel consumption and particulate matter formation... Read more →

Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) is an experimental engine technology that could consume 25% less energy than a conventional automobile engine. (Earlier post.) GCI uses a gasoline-type fuel, but rather than ignited with a spark, it is compression-ignited like diesel. GCI engines operate at higher compression ratios than conventional gasiline engines,... Read more →

In collaboration with Thai company Agriculture of Basin Company Limited (ABC), Osaka Gas launched a pilot project in Thailand to assess the commercial viability of supplying natural gas to vehicles by continuously removing carbon dioxide and other impurities from biogas generated mainly from agricultural waste, and refining it into high... Read more →

China-based Weichai Power, currently a diesel engine market leader in China’s heavy-duty truck and construction machinery market, and Bosch have signed a cooperation framework agreement to establish a fuel cell technology innovation and industrial chain and jointly to develop and to produce hydrogen fuel cells and related component. Further, in... Read more →

Concentric AB recently received an order from ZF, a global leader in driveline and chassis technology as well as active and passive safety technology, to produce electric oil pumps for a new driveline product. This is the second nominated application for the electric oil pump, with the first being a... Read more →

The noise levels to which commuters are exposed while using public transport or while biking could induce hearing loss if experienced repeatedly and over long periods of time, according to a study by researchers at the University of Toronto. Their open-access paper is published in the Journal of Otolaryngology -... Read more →

H&R Ölwerke Schindler, a subsidiary of H&R GmbH & Co. KGaA, has inaugurated the world’s largest dynamic hydrogen electrolysis plant based on PEM technology. “Dynamic” means that the hydrogen electrolysis plant can take advantage of last-minute surges in electricity production, i.e. from wind turbines, to produce hydrogen. The centerpiece of... Read more →

Researchers at Empa and the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have developed a prototype of a novel solid-state sodium battery with the potential to store extra energy and with improved safety. With a NaCrO2 cathode, closo-borate solid electrolyte and metallic sodium anode, the cell demonstrated reversible and stable cycling with a... Read more →

Göteborg Energi has ordered two 450kW ABB OppCharge (Opportunity Charging) fast chargers, facilitating more efficient operation for articulated high-capacity electric buses in Gothenburg. Due for delivery in spring 2018, two fast chargers will be installed at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Eriksberg Square, on line 16 of the city’s bus network,... Read more →

SGL Carbon SE is acquiring BMW Group’s 49% equity investment in the joint ventures SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers GmbH & Co. KG (Germany) and SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers LLC (US)—together referred to as SGL ACF. Once the deal has been completed, SGL Group will be the sole owner of SGL... Read more →

The BMW Group will invest €200 million (US$233 million) over the next four years in its new BMW Group Battery Cell Competence Center in Munich. This interdisciplinary competence center aims to advance battery cell technology and introduce it into production processes; the center will open in early 2019. In the... Read more →

New vehicle sales in Europe in October 2017 increased 5.6% year-on-year to 1,202,877 units, according to figures from JATO Dynamics. This is the highest volume recorded for October since 2009, when 1.26 million units were registered. Despite a turbulent 2017, results for the first ten months of the year show... Read more →

At the company’s Capital Markets Day 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sasol management said that the company will no longer pursue its proposed ) project in the US (earlier post) and furthermore will not invest in additional greenfields gas-to-liquids (GTL) projects. In January 2015 Sasol announced it was delaying a... Read more →

Renault Samsung Motors this morning unveiled the new SM3 Z.E. electric vehicle at the Daegu International Future Auto Expo in South Korea. The SM3 Z.E., which first appeared in 2013, has had it range increased by 57% up to 233 km (145 miles) (based on the Korean approval cycle). Battery... Read more →