Cummins, in conjunction with European Hydrogen Week, shared new research showing that more than half of the United Kingdom (UK) commuters would be willing to travel to work on a train or bus powered by hydrogen to lower their carbon footprint and reduce emissions. Nearly half of commuters in Belgium... Read more →
Most Europeans living in cities are still breathing air that is dangerous to their health, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA) in a new report; governments are not doing enough to cut toxic emissions at source, campaigners warn. Data show that harmful emissions, especially from farming and domestic heating,... Read more →
Australia and Germany have released national hydrogen strategies to help grow the development of renewable hydrogen as a clean source of energy. UNSW Sydney will lead a consortium of Australian research and industry partners, who will work together with partners in Germany to test the feasibility of a renewable energy-based... Read more →
China-based SVOLT Energy Technology Co., Ltd. will invest up to €2 billion to establish its European production site in Germany. A module and pack factory as well as a state-of-the-art cell factory with 24 GWh production capacity in the final expansion stage will be built at two Saarland locations. Battery... Read more →
Panasonic, energy company Equinor and industrial group Hydro have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form a strategic partnership to explore possibilities for establishing a sustainable and cost-competitive European battery business. The companies will work together towards summer 2021 to assess the market for lithium-ion batteries in Europe and... Read more →
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that the government will accelerate the ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles, bringing it forward by ten years to 2030, as part of a “Green Industrial Revolution.” The sale of hybrid cars will be allowed until 2035. Johnson announced the... Read more →
Cummins Inc. will open a new facility in Herten, Germany, which will initially focus on the assembly of fuel cell systems for global transportation leader Alstom’s hydrogen trains. With capacity of 10 megawatts per year, the Herten facility will manufacture one megawatt of fuel cell systems a month for Alstom’s... Read more →
For the first time, renewable raw materials are being converted to Swedish Environmental Class 1 diesel (maximum sulfur content of 10 ppm) at Preem’s refinery in Lysekil. The aim is to annually produce up to 950,000 cubic meters (251 million gallons US) of renewable fuel by 2024. This is part... Read more →
BASF has officially broken ground for its new cathode active materials (CAM) production plant in Schwarzheide, Germany. The new plant is part of BASF’s multi-step investment plan in the European battery materials market and will use precursors (PCAM) from the company’s previously announced plant in Harjavalta, Finland. Construction started in... Read more →
In the third quarter of 2020, 9.9% of passenger cars sold in the EU were electrically-chargeable vehicles, compared to 3.0% during the same period last year, according to data from the European Association of Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA). The support measures introduced by various countries to stimulate car demand amid the... Read more →
Volvo Trucks will offer a complete heavy-duty range with electric drivelines starting in Europe in 2021. Volvo Trucks is now running tests of the electric heavy-duty Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX trucks, which will be used for regional transport and urban construction operations in Europe. These trucks will... Read more →
The European Association of Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA) has published an interactive map that illustrates the correlation between the market uptake of electrically-chargeable vehicles (ECVs) and GDP per capita for each of the 27 EU member states and the United Kingdom. Across the EU, 3.0% of all new cars registered in... Read more →
JATO Dynamic’s data for 27 markets in Europe shows that the total number of electrified cars registered in September (encompassing pure electric, plug-in hybrids, full hybrids and mild hybrids) was higher than the number of registrations for diesel cars. For the first time in the modern era, alternative-fuelled-vehicles outsold one... Read more →
A new report by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) shows that despite strong growth, the available charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in the EU still falls far below what is needed, and remains unevenly distributed across member states. ACEA published the second edition of Making the Transition to Zero-Emission... Read more →
The German federal government is investing €630 million (US$745 million) in the expansion and maintenance of the Dortmund-Ems Canal (DEK). The DEK is a 269 km canal between the inland port of the city of Dortmund and the seaport of Emden. Even if times change, one thing remains constant: the... Read more →
In September 2020, the EU passenger car market registered the first increase of the year, according to figures from the European Association of Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA). Registrations grew by 3.1% last month to reach 933,987 new cars sold across the European Union. The four largest markets, however, posted mixed results.... Read more →
Dachser is now making all its deliveries to the heart of the southwest Germany city Freiburg emission-free, using a combination of Fuso eCanters, StreetScooters, and cargo bikes. Taking transportation as a whole, this new service reduces CO2 emissions per shipment by 26%. In the city center of Freiburg, Germany, Dachser... Read more →
Hyundai Motor Company delivered the first seven units of its XCIENT Fuel Cell, the first mass-produced fuel cell electric heavy-duty truck, to customers in Switzerland, with a total of 50 planned to hit the roads there this year. The delivery of XCIENT Fuel Cell marks the official entry of Hyundai’s... Read more →
The European Commission has launched the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) as part of an Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials. Initial focus will be rare earth and magnet value chains before extending to other raw materials required for Europe's green and digital transitions. ERMA will be managed by EIT... Read more →
CTS (Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois) in France has ordered 49 electric zero-emission 12-m Irizar ie new generation buses. These environmentally friendly buses will contribute to the electrification of the Strasbourg bus network. The vehicles will have 3 doors, 23 seats (4 of which are for people with reduced mobility) and... Read more →
A hydrogen exchange, similar to electricity and gas exchanges, could act as a catalyst for a market for climate-neutral hydrogen, according to an exploratory study, “A Hydrogen Exchange for the Climate”, presented to Eric Wiebes, the Netherlands Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. Commissioned by the Ministry and prepared... Read more →
European battery maker Northvolt signed a $600-million private placement, led by Baillie Gifford, Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division and Volkswagen AG, enabling the company to make further investments in expanding its production and recycling capacity as well as R&D activities to support the target of establishing 150 GWh of manufacturing... Read more →
A current research project is working to establish the technical basis for standardization of methanol fuels in Europe. The project involves a consortium of universities, research institutes, industrial companies and small and medium-sized enterprises as partners. The partners in the “Methanol Standard” project aim to pave way for the certification... Read more →
Solaris Bus & Coach has signed a contract with public transport operator Freiburger Verkehrs AG for the supply of 15 electric buses: five 12-meter Solaris Urbino 12 electric and ten 18-meter articulated Urbino 18 electric. The commissioned Urbino will be equipped with Solaris High Power batteries. Batteries with a total... Read more →
Volkswagen and Uber have launched a pilot project for the utilization of electric vehicles within the sustainable ride hailing service “Uber Green”. The objective of the pilot project is to use a number of year-old e-Golf vehicles which may run into three digits. Volkswagen has already been using the e-Golf... Read more →
Irizar e-mobility has signed a new contract with the Municipal Transport Company of Madrid (EMT Madrid) to supply 20 electric 12-meter Irizar ie buses. This is the third order from EMT Madrid for Irizar electric vehicles. The contract also includes the supply of 20 interoperable chargers, developed and manufactured by... Read more →
Solaris has won a tender announced by the public transport operator Miejski Zakład Komunikacyjny (MZK) in Piła for the supply of five Urbino 12 electric buses including the charging infrastructure. The deliveries will be completed in April 2022. The charging infrastructure includes three stationary plug-in chargers, a pantograph charging station... Read more →
As of September 2022, new cars must meet EU limits on NOx emissions under real driving conditions to comply with air pollution limits, the European Parliament has voted. Data on car emissions such as NOx had been obtained through laboratory tests. The EU is the first region in the world... Read more →
The UK’s driving population has veered towards increased environmental consciousness, with 76% of the population admitting that they are aware of the environmental impacts of driving. However, a recent survey by RingGo, the UK’s leading cashless parking provider, found that only two-fifths of UK drivers say that they are planning... Read more →
Groupe PSA/Opel and Total/Saft have signed an agreement for the creation of the joint venture Automotive Cells Company (ACC). Yann Vincent has been appointed Chief Executive in order to implement and develop it. Ghislain Lescuyer has been appointed Chairman of the Board. With this partnership, the parties are setting up... Read more →
In the second quarter of 2020, the market share of electrically-chargeable vehicles increased to 7.2% of total EU car sales, compared to a 2.4% share during the same period last year, according to figures from ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association). Source: ACEA The overall decline in passenger car registrations as... Read more →
The European Commission presented an Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials, the 2020 List of Critical Raw Materials and a foresight study on critical raw materials for strategic technologies and sectors from the 2030 and 2050 perspectives. The Action Plan looks at the current and future challenges and proposes actions... Read more →
Ricardo experts in sustainable transport, with colleagues from E4tech and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg (ifeu), have produced a comprehensive lifecycle assessment (LCA) of road vehicles on behalf of the European Commission. With the shift to new fuels and powertrain electrification it is important to use life-cycle... Read more →
VoltH2 is preparing to build a green hydrogen plant in North Sea Port and has signed a cooperation agreement for its construction in Vlissingen. North Sea Port is the 60-kilometer-long cross-border port area that stretches from Vlissingen on the North Sea coast in the Netherlands, some 32 kilometers inland to... Read more →
The operator Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacji (MPK) in Radom, Poland has ordered 9 additional Solaris Urbino 12 electric with the pertinent charging infrastructure. Worth nearly 28.5 million PLN (US$7.7 million), the contract will be carried out by mid-July 2021. This year, ten Solaris electric buses have made it to Radom. Apart... Read more →
Volkswagen is electrifying the eighth generation of the Golf with two new plug-in hybrid versions: the Golf eHybrid and Golf GTE. Sales of both models are starting now. The Golf eHybrid is designed for maximum comfort and delivers an output of 150 kW (204 PS). Price in Germany starts at... Read more →
Neste, the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced from waste and residue raw materials and Air bp, the international aviation fuel products and services supplier, have signed an agreement to offer an increased volume of sustainable aviation fuel to airport customers in 2020 and... Read more →
Hamburger Hochbahn AG has launched a tender for the delivery of up to 50 fuel cell buses for the years 2021 to 2025. The invitation to tender consists of four lots. Hochbahn will purchase both pure fuel cell hybrid buses and battery-electric buses in which the fuel cell serves as... Read more →
Hamburger Hochbahn—one of the biggest public transport carriers in Germany—has announced the list of potential suppliers of 530 electric buses to be delivered between 2021-2125. The approved suppliers are Daimler Buses, MAN and Solaris. The vehicles will be orderd in tranches over the next 5 years. Daimler Buses will be... Read more →
As the first customer of the second test phase in Germany, DB Schenker has received a battery-electric eActros from the “innovation fleet”. The global logistics services company will use the 25-ton truck for the delivery of general cargo—i.e., palletized goods that are too large and heavy for parcel delivery—in the... Read more →
BOGESTRA (Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Straßenbahnen) and HCR (Straßenbahn Herne-Castrop-Rauxel), two of Germany’s leading Public Transport Operators (PTOs), have taken delivery of the first vehicle in a joint fleet order for 22 electric buses from BYD. Despite the recent COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, deliveries remain on schedule for completion in October 2020. As a... Read more →
After about a year of intensive practical use by ten customers in Germany and Switzerland, eight of the purely battery-powered Mercedes-Benz eActros trucks are now successively going to new customers in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. They also will put the eActros through its paces in tough everyday transport operations... Read more →
The representatives of the management board of public transport operator Miejskie Zakłady Autobusowe (MZA) in Warsaw and Solaris signed a contract for the delivery of 70 low-floor city buses. The vehicles will run on CNG. The total value of the contract is more than PLN 116 million (US$31 million). MZA... Read more →
The Scottish Government is investing £300,000 (US$391,000) in a new hydrogen accelerator which will be located at the University of St Andrews. Drawing on the expertise of the University, and in partnership with institutions across Scotland, the new initiative will propel innovations in hydrogen technology and encourage knowledge-sharing to support... Read more →
The Romanian city of Ploiești has opted for 20 low-floor Solaris Trollino 12 trolleybuses. According to the contract worth PLN 36 million (US$9.6 million), the vehicles will have been delivered within two years from the signing date. The trolleybus network launched in Ploiești in 1997 is the newest of all... Read more →
Specialty chemical company Clariant and Eta Bio, a company of the Pavlovi family, running a leading business in the agricultural sector in Bulgaria, have signed a license agreement for Clariant’s sunliquid cellulosic ethanol technology. The agreement marks the fourth signed license deal for Clariant’s sunliquid technology. Eta Bio has been... Read more →
In the UK, the competition for the first £10 million (US$13 million) of a new £1-billion (US$1.3 billion) Automotive Transformation Fund has begun. The overall program will offer a share of up to £1 billion of funding for industrial research and capital projects. The aim is to support the industrialization... Read more →
Following a successful 12-month pilot project at five of its retail sites, Aral, bp’s market leading fuel retail brand in Germany, is set to roll out more than 100 ultra-fast charging points across its retail network in Germany over the next 12 months. The Aral chargers will be self-operated, powered... Read more →
Jeep is taking orders in Europe for the Renegade 4xe and Compass 4xe plug-in hybrids (earlier post)—the first electrified Jeep models in the EMEA Region. The Jeep 4xe models will debut in Jeep showrooms across Europe in September with three trim levels: ‘Limited’, ‘S’ and ‘Trailhawk’, two power levels—190 or... Read more →
Nuseed Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nufarm Limited, has executed a commercial off-take agreement with Saipol, the largest biodiesel producer in Europe, to supply Nuseed Carinata as a feedstock for certified low-carbon oil for renewable fuels and high protein non-GMO meal for livestock feed. The multi-year agreement follows the first... Read more →