Eaton’s Vehicle Group has introduced a new zero-leak Compact Combo Valve that safely vents harmful evaporative fuel vapors in the tank by stacking a Fill Limit Vent Valve (FLVV) and a new Zero-Leak Grade Vent Valve (GVV). A key benefit of the Compact Combo is reduced fuel vapor permeation. The... Read more →

Jacobs Vehicle Systems and Tula Technology have signed a cooperation agreement to accelerate the development of Jacobs Cylinder Deactivation (CDA) valve actuation technology in conjunction with Tula’s Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) control algorithms (earlier post). Cylinder Deactivation leverages Jacobs’ well-established componentry to disable engine valves in selected cylinders allowing a... Read more →

Xtreme Diesel Performance (XDP), an automotive parts manufacturer and retailer based in Wall Township, New Jersey, with a sales distribution center in Las Vegas, Nevada, has agreed to stop manufacturing and selling parts for diesel pickup trucks that, when installed, bypass, defeat, or render inoperative EPA-approved emission controls and harm... Read more →

Ricardo has won a national competition to demonstrate the benefits that transport location data can have on urban air quality. The project addresses both the existing vehicle fleet and also extends to long-term improvements in air quality. The award of funding was made by the Geospatial Commission in partnership with... Read more →

by Michael Sivak, Sivak Applied Research. The energy intensity of a transportation mode is calculated by dividing the amount of fuel used by the number of passenger miles traveled and converting the result into a common measure—Btu (British thermal units) per passenger mile traveled. Until recently, the energy intensity of... Read more →

Researchers from Tampere University and the University of Eastern Finland have found that the particulate emissions of auxiliary heaters can be up to a thousand times higher than the particulate emissions of idling gasoline vehicles. Their open-access study is published in the journal Atmosphere. Auxiliary heaters, sold under such well-known... Read more →

Polestar has released the LCA reports for the new Polestar 2 versions (Long-range Single-motor and Standard-range Single-motor), including all emissions from cradle to grave. The company published an evaluation of the carbon footprint of the Long-range Dual-motor Polestar 2 in 2020. The new LCAs represent a continuation of that work;... Read more →

Chevron USA, through its Chevron Products Company division, Delta Air Lines, and Google announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to track sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) test batch emissions data using cloud-based technology. Sustainable aviation fuel is produced from biofeedstocks that can reduce lifecycle carbon intensity significantly when compared to conventional... Read more →

Neste is the first company in Finland to provide a service for companies and other organizations to monitor their climate emissions caused by the use of transport fuels. According to Neste’s industry survey conducted in August 2021, the use of Neste MY Renewable Diesel has increased rapidly in the public... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz has launched a partnership with the Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB for CO2-free steel. (Earlier post.) The first prototype parts for body shells made of CO2-free steel are already being planned for next year. SSAB Oxelösund rolled its first steel produced using HYBRIT technology—i.e., reduced by 100% fossil-free hydrogen instead... Read more →

SABIC introduced the company’s first automotive grades containing mechanically recycled content within the company’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio of circular solutions and services. The new resins are SABIC T2E-3320EH PP compound, a high-flow, low-emission, talc-filled polypropylene (PP); XENOY T2NX2500UV resin, an unfilled, UV-stabilized blend of polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET); and... Read more →

When service stations in Algeria stopped providing leaded gasoline in July, the use of leaded gasoline in cars ended globally. This development follows an almost two-decades-long campaign by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)-led global Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV). Tetraethyl lead was used as a gasoline additive to... Read more →

California Climate Investments—a program designed to put billions of dollars to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—is funded with proceeds from the State’s Cap-and-Trade GHG emissions reduction program and is administered by the California Air Resources Board (ARB). Since 2013, the California Legislature has appropriated $15.4 billion in California Climate... Read more →

In the first quarter of 2024, A.P. Moller - Maersk will introduce the first in a series of eight large ocean-going container vessels capable of being operated on carbon-neutral methanol. The vessels will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and have a nominal capacity of approx. 16,000 containers (Twenty... Read more →

Researchers at Monash University in Australia have conducted a lifecycle analysis and net energy analysis (LCA/NEA) of a hypothetical large-scale solar-electrolysis plant for the production of green hydrogen. The open-access paper on the study is published in the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science. Process flow diagram and construction phase... Read more →

SSAB has now produced the world’s first fossil-free steel and delivered it to a customer. The trial delivery is an important step on the way to a completely fossil-free value chain for iron- and steelmaking and a milestone in the HYBRIT partnership between SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall. (Earlier post.) In... Read more →

A study by researchers at CU Boulder and Edinburgh Napier University finds that high-density, low-rise environments such as those found in Paris are the optimal urban form when looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over their whole life cycle. There is a growing belief that building taller and denser is... Read more →

“Blue” hydrogen—produced through steam methane reforming (SMR) of natural gas or coal gasification, but with CO2 capture and storage—is being described as having low or zero carbon emissions. However, a new lifecycle study by a team from Stanford University and Cornell University has concluded that total greenhouse gas emissions from... Read more →

Kia EV6 (earlier post)has achieved product carbon footprint certification and ‘Carbon Measured’ label from the global climate change and sustainability consultancy the Carbon Trust, becoming the first Korean vehicle manufacturer to achieve the certificate. The first EV6 models are expected to go on sale in the US in early 2022... Read more →

Increased economic activity and a changing fuel mix in the electric power sector in 2021 will lead to a significant increase in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions this year, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) August Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). After decreasing by 11% in 2020, US energy-related CO2... Read more →

Growth Energy, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Biodiesel Board, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, and the Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to the US Senate Committee on Finance and the US House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means outlining its recommendations for a sound and effective... Read more →

A team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has investigated the long-term adaptability and economic feasibility of non-flex-fuel vehicles—vehicles designed to use fuel blends containing 85% ethanol (E85) or less—to consume a 30% ethanol (E30) fuel blend. Their results indicated that although modest changes can be observed in the behavior of... Read more →

Researchers at Chang’an University in China investigated the effect of blends of Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) diesel fuel from indirect coal-to-liquid (CTL) and petroleum diesel fuel on combustion and emission characteristics under various injection timing (IT) and engine loads. A report on their work is published in the journal Fuel. The common-rail... Read more →

President Biden issued an Executive Order (EO) that sets a goal that 50% of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel-cell-electric vehicles. The EO also directs the EPA to begin working on a rulemaking to establish new new multi-pollutant emissions standards,... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed rulemaking for model year 2023-2026 light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards, and outlined its plans to initiate a subsequent rulemaking to set standards for MY 2027 and beyond, to speed the transition of the light-duty vehicle fleet toward a zero emissions... Read more →

ArcelorMittal announced with the Government of Canada its intention for a CAD 1.765-billion (US$1.4-billion) investment in decarbonization technologies at ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s plant in Hamilton. At the heart of the plan is a 2 million tonne capacity Reduced Iron (DRI) facility and an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) facility capable of producing... Read more →

Minnesota has become the latest state to adopt California clean car standards; the new standards were finalized by a notice in the state register on Monday. Original map from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The policy will implement two clean cars standards to reduce vehicle emissions. The low-emission vehicle (LEV) standard... Read more →

Tenneco is putting its 100-plus years of powertrain expertise in improving vehicle fuel efficiency and reducing emissions to work to explore synthetic fuels (e-fuels) as a viable near-term solution to further maximize the efficiency and minimize the carbon footprint of internal combustion engines (ICE). Tenneco’s Powertrain business group is partnering... Read more →

Rolls-Royce Power Systems has outlined its road map for climate neutrality: Net Zero@Power Systems. By 2030, the Rolls-Royce business unit is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 35% compared to its 2019 level through the use of new net zero and zero carbon technologies. This near-term target plays a significant... Read more →

In a post published on Medium, Gill Pratt, Toyota Motor Corporation’s Chief Scientist and the CEO of Toyota Research Institute, explains why he is not a proponent of ditching ICE and switching to only BEVs as soon as possible. He argues that a diversity of electrified drivetrain types are better... Read more →

The ICCT has conducted a comprehensive global and temporal life-cycle assessment of GHG emissions from a variety of alternative passenger car powertrains and fuels. The results show there is no realistic pathway to full decarbonization of internal combustion engine vehicles, and that only battery and hydrogen fuel-cell EVs have potential... Read more →

By uprooting carbon trapped in soil, wild pigs (feral swine), are releasing around 4.9 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually across the globe, the equivalent of 1.1 million cars, according to a new study by an international team led by researchers from The University of Queensland and The University... Read more →

Volkswagen is the first automaker to transport most of its new vehicles overseas using low-emission LNG ships. After the first two LNG car carriers entered service in 2020, Volkswagen Group Logistics has now ordered four more ships with dual-fuel engines that can be powered with LNG. These should be traveling... Read more →

The European Commission has adopted a package of proposals to make the EU's climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels (Fit for 55). The EC said that achieving these emission reductions in... Read more →

Renewables are expanding quickly but not enough to satisfy a strong rebound in global electricity demand this year, resulting in a sharp rise in the use of coal power that risks pushing carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector to record levels next year, according to a new report from... Read more →

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have conducted life cycle analyses (LCAs) for battery-grade lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH•H2O) produced from Chilean brines (Salar de Atacama) and Australian spodumene ores. An open-access paper on the study is published in the journal Resources, Conservation and Recycling. The team also... Read more →

EDP, a Portuguese integrated energy utility; TechnipFMC, a technology provider to the traditional and new energy industries; and other research partners are joining forces to develop a conceptual engineering and economic feasibility study for a new offshore system for green hydrogen production from offshore wind power, called the BEHYOND (Bolstering... Read more →

ArcelorMittal signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Spanish Government that will see a €1-billion investment in decarbonization technologies at ArcelorMittal Asturias’ plant in Gijón. The investments will reduce CO2 emissions at ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations by up to 4.8 million tonnes, which represents approximately 50% of emissions, within the... Read more →

Though EVs represent a small fraction of delivery vehicles today, the number is growing. In 2019, Amazon announced plans to obtain 100,000 electric delivery vehicles. UPS has ordered 10,000 of them and FedEx plans to be fully electric by 2040. Now, a study from University of Michigan researchers shows that... Read more →

The European Commission has found that Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen group (Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche) breached EU antitrust rules by colluding on technical development of NOx aftertreatment systems. The Commission has imposed a fine of €875,189,000 (US$1.04 billion). Daimler was not fined, as it revealed the existence of the cartel... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Bath have developed a graphene oxide (GO)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) aerogel (GPA) weighing just 2.1 kg m-3—making it the lightest sound insulation ever manufactured. Over the 400–2500 Hz range, the reported average sound absorption coefficients are as high as 0.79, while the average sound transmission losses... Read more →

Europe’s demand for biodiesel for cars and trucks has likely wiped out forests the size of the Netherlands since the introduction of the EU’s green fuels law in 2010, according to a new study by Transport & Environment (T&E). T&E is calling on the EU to end support to palm... Read more →

A new study focused on the auto industry finds that tightening emissions standards not only fails to curtail on-road emissions, but actually increases the likelihood of non-compliance by automakers. In a paper published in the journal Production and Operations Management, researchers confirmed the relationship between increased threshold-based regulations and non-compliance... Read more →

Air pollution monitoring by the Houston Health Department in 2019 and 2020 recorded levels of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, along the Houston Ship Channel that pose potential health risks to surrounding neighborhoods. The analysis, funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency, found that from 27 September 2019 to 26 September... Read more →

The Government of Canada is setting a mandatory target for all new light-duty cars and passenger trucks sales to be zero-emission by 2035, accelerating Canada’s previous goal of 100% sales by 2040. The Government of Canada will pursue a combination of investments and regulations to help Canadians and industry transition... Read more →

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published its provisional data about the CO2 emissions of newly registered passenger cars and vans in Europe in 2020. For cars, the data show a 12% decrease in average cO2 emissions, compared with 2019. Average van emissions decreased slightly, by about 1.5 %. According... Read more →

The European Council adopted its position at first reading on the European climate law, ending the adoption procedure and setting into legislation the objective of a climate-neutral EU by 2050. This follows a political agreement reached with the European Parliament on 21 April and the Parliament’s adoption of its position... Read more →

Tula Technology, Inc., a leader in propulsion efficiency, will release the findings of a recent simulation study to evaluate the efficacy of its newest technology at the FEV Powertrain Conference. The study validated that Tula’s Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) developed for mild-hybrid diesel vehicles reduced CO2 emissions in a 2.3... Read more →

A team at Chalmers University (Sweden) has tested blends of OME3-5, HVO and RME in a light- and heavy-duty CI engine. For the study, which is published in an open-access paper in the journal Fuel, OME3-5 was blended with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), rapeseed methyl ester (RME) and the C8-alcohol... Read more →

Some of the world’s cities suffer disproportionate economic losses because of the health consequences of in-car air pollution, according to a new study by an international team led by researchers at the University of Surrey (UK). Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) set out to investigate whether the... Read more →