As part of their ongoing commitment to lower the carbon intensity of their operations, Chevron Shipping Company (Chevron), a subsidiary of Chevron USA and Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) announced an agreement to install Wind Challenger, a hard sail wind-assisted ship propulsion system developed by MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding together, to... Read more →

MAN Energy Solutions has announced a new generation of its Common Rail injection system for its medium-speed, four-stroke portfolio. The CR 2.2 common-rail fuel-injection system will eventually completely replace its CR 1.6 predecessor and builds on its experience, allowing a very precise and flexible control of injection pressure, timing, and... Read more →

BASF announced the commercial launch of Fourtiva, a new fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst for gasoil to mild resid feedstock. Fourtiva incorporates BASF’s newest Advanced Innovative Matrix (AIM) and the Multiple Frameworks Topology (MFT) technologies to achieve an optimized catalyst design to maximize butylene yields and selectivity over propylene while... Read more →

Sofar announced that global shipping leader Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has deployed Sofar’s Wayfinder dynamic voyage optimization platform across its fleet to reduce emissions significantly. In a trial with 40 of its vessels, MOL Group found that Wayfinder reduces fuel consumption and emissions by an average of 6% per... Read more →

The performance of Hempel’s silicone-based hull coating solution, Hempaguard X7, and its ability to accelerate decarbonization efforts in the maritime industry are now third-party validated by DNV. Hempaguard X7 is a high solids, advanced fouling defense coating based on ActiGuard technology which utilizes the added effect of advanced hydrogel silicone... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today issued new vehicle fuel economy standards for model years 2027-2031. In this final CAFE rule, fuel economy will increase 2% per year for model years 2027-2031 for passenger cars, while light trucks will increase 2% per year for model... Read more →

Kenworth showcased its SuperTruck 2 demonstrator vehicle at the ACT Expo in Las Vegas. The truck was developed over a six-year period as part of a collaboration with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) SuperTruck program, designed to challenge truck makers to improve freight efficiency using a diesel engine as the... Read more →

At ACT Expo, Achates Power (API) is displaying one of three engine variants of what it calls the cleanest and most efficient combustion engine architecture to date. With the industry facing massive disruption due to stringent limits on both criteria and CO2 emissions, API’s demonstrations of its opposed-piston engines have... Read more →

Airbus Helicopters’ Racer demonstrator recently made its first flight. Launched as part of the European Clean Sky 2 program, the objectives were a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared with a conventional aircraft of the same weight, and an equally significant reduction in the noise footprint. Simulations,... Read more →

Freightliner, a brand of Daimler Truck North America LLC (DTNA), celebrated a significant milestone with the production of the 1 millionth Freightliner Cascadia—the first Class 8 truck in North America to reach the seven-figure mark. Fourth-generation Cascadia What started as an idea to develop a truck with new aerodynamic, lightweight,... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) published a final rule revising regulations regarding procedures for calculating a value for the petroleum-equivalent fuel economy of electric vehicles (EVs). The petroleum-equivalency factor (PEF) is used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in calculating light-duty vehicle manufacturers’ compliance with the Department of Transportation’s... Read more →

Alfa Laval has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Korean shipyard K Shipbuilding (KSB) for collaboration with respect to entering Alfa Laval OceanGlide Air Lubrication System in KSB’s potential newbuilding projects such as MR and LR1 Tankers. In 2023, Alfa Laval acquired Marine Performance Systems B.V., a Rotterdam-based maritime... Read more →

Deltamarin and BAR Technologies introduced a new co-developed wind-optimized hull design. The partnership highlights Deltamarin and BAR Technologies’ ongoing dedication to decarbonization and forward-thinking innovation. The Aframax/LRII design, named Aquilo, represents a significant leap in overall performance by integrating state-of-the-art hull design with WindWings technology. Recognizing uncovered potential in both... Read more →

Honda Marine, a division of Honda Power Sports & Products and marketer of a complete range of four-stroke marine outboard motors from 2.3 to 350 horsepower, outlined how the company is advancing its mission to expand mobility on the water—capitalizing on the technology of Honda worldwide. A team of Honda... Read more →

BAR Technologies (BAR), a simulation-driven marine engineering consultancy, has entered into a partnership agreement with Nervion Naval Offshore (Nervion), a pioneer in floating offshore wind platforms, to manage and oversee the production of BAR Technologies’ WindWings wing sails (earlier post) in Europe. WindWings combines wind propulsion with route optimization. This... Read more →

The French shipowner, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs SAS (LDA) and the Finnish mechanical sail company, Norsepower Oy Ltd, announced that the Norsepower Rotor Sail technology will be installed on the new low-emission RoRo fleet to be chartered to Airbus. The Norsepower Rotor Sail is a modernized version of the old Flettner... Read more →

Oldendorff and Norsepower announced an agreement to use Norsepower Rotor Sails to reduce CO2 emissions on a modern bulk carrier. The vessel Dietrich Oldendorff (IMO 9860350) is to be outfitted with three 24m x 4m Norsepower Rotor Sails by mid-2024. It is contracted to be employed on a North Pacific... Read more →

Volvo Trucks has launched a completely new Volvo VNL in North America. Optimized aerodynamics and new technologies have improved fuel efficiency by up to 10%. The new Volvo VNL is based on an all-new platform for all upcoming technologies, including battery-electric, fuel cell and internal combustion engines running on renewable... Read more →

Wabtec’s Trip Optimizer surpassed a major milestone as railroads used the energy-management software to efficiently operate their trains for more than 1 billion auto miles, the equivalent of more than 40,000 trips around the Earth. The 12,000 locomotives worldwide using the Trip Optimizer system accounted for significant reductions in fuel... Read more →

NYK will install Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) systems on dual-fuel two-stroke LNG-powered car carriers to be built by Shin Kurushima Dockyard. The first vessel is scheduled to be delivered in 2026. NYK earlier announced it would install the VCR systems on two LNG-fueled coal carriers. (Earlier post.) Cross section view... Read more →

NASA has awarded GE Aerospace a contract for Phase 2 of the Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core (HyTEC) program, supporting continued technology development for the next-generation of commercial aircraft engines with the aim to improve fuel efficiency significantly and reduce emissions compared to engines today. The HyTEC’s Phase 2 Integrated Core... Read more →

Volvo Trucks North America has unveiled the company’s SuperTruck 2. The SuperTruck 2 program, a public-private partnership with the US Department of Energy (DOE), tasked OEMs with achieving a 100% freight efficiency improvement over their submitted 2009 baseline. DOE’s SuperTruck 2 program promotes research and development to improve the freight-... Read more →

The US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is awarding JetZero $230 million to support the next phase of the company’s blended wing body (BWB) full-scale demonstrator aircraft. The contract is the result of a collaborative effort between the US Air Force and the DIU, with assistance from DoD’s... Read more →

Over the past year, Consumer Reports (CR) sought to answer the question of the effect of temperature on electric vehicle range by conducting seasonal testing on popular new all-wheel-drive EVs: the Ford Mustang Mach-E extended range, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y Long Range, and Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S. The... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing new fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks and fuel efficiency standards for model years (MYs) 2027-31 that increase at a rate of 2% per year for passenger cars and 4% per year for light... Read more →

NYK will install a variable compression ratio system (VCR system) on two large LNG-fueled coal carriers to be built at Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The vessels are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2025. This will be the first time for VCR systems to be installed on vessels,... Read more →

Ricardo is working in collaboration with Achates Power to develop the next generation of opposed-piston (OP) gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engines for light duty vehicles in a multi-phased project (BERYL), funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). (Earlier post.) Achates first received ARPA-E funding... Read more →

A team from Karabuk University in Turkey reports in a paper in the journal Biofuels that using Fe-Ni-TiO2/activated carbon (AC) nanoparticles as an additive in a diesel–biodiesel fuel blend can improve engine performance and decrease emissions. Biofuels, which are widely used as alternative fuels to reduce fossil fuel consumption and... Read more →

MAN Engines is now offering pre-chamber spark plugs adapted to the respective combustion chamber to all turbocharged natural gas engines of the current MAN E3262, E3268, E0836 and E0834 series as an option, as well as MAN E3872 as obligatory. Due to backward compatibility, existing combined heat and power plants... Read more →

Honda Aircraft Company will commercialize the HondaJet 2600 Concept, an all-new light jet that was first introduced at the 2021 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE). The company also said it will target type certification in 2028 for the new light jet, which represents a new product line for... Read more →

NASA and Boeing announced Monday evening at a presentation at AIAA Aviation in San Diego that the aircraft produced through the agency’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project has been designated by the US Air Force as the X-66A. (Earlier post.) The new X-plane seeks to inform a potential new generation of... Read more →

ABB introduced ABB Dynafin, a new propulsion system concept breaking new ground for efficiency in the marine industry. Inspired by the dynamic motions of a whale’s tail, the innovative concept is the result of more than a decade of research, development, and testing. ABB estimates the first prototype to be... Read more →

At ACT Expo in Anaheim, Shell announced that Shell Starship 3.0 will be updated with a Cummins X15N natural gas engine (earlier post) that will run on Shell Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). Demonstration runs will be conducted this summer. The Starship initiative, launched in 2018, is intended to demonstrate how... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing a significant revision in its procedures for calculating a value for the petroleum-equivalent fuel economy of EVs for use in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program administered by the Department of Transportation (DOT). The change, petitioned for by the Natural Resources... Read more →

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) is calling on the EPA to consider EV efficiency in its upcoming GHG standards for cars. In an analysis posted on the organization’s website, the ACEEE shows that a small increase in EV efficiency in a future with all light-duty vehicles electrified... Read more →

by Michael Sivak, Sivak Applied Research This post provides calculations of the approximate energy and environmental costs for flying ultralong distances nonstop against strong headwinds. The calculations were performed on flights in both directions between New York (JFK) and Auckland (AKL)—one of the longest current nonstop routes. (The distance between... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has received an order from Air India for 68 Trent XWB-97 engines, plus options for 20 more. This is the biggest ever order for the Trent XWB-97, which exclusively powers the Airbus A350-1000. Air India has also ordered 12 Trent XWB-84 engines, the sole engine option for the Airbus... Read more →

Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), a subsidiary of Daimler Truck, revealed the Freightliner SuperTruck II in Las Vegas this week. As part of the SuperTruck program co-funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) with the aim to reduce emissions from on-road freight transportation, DTNA engineers were able to investigate next-generation... Read more →

NASA has issued an award to The Boeing Company for the agency’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, which seeks to inform a potential new generation of green single-aisle airliners. Under a Funded Space Act Agreement, Boeing will work with NASA to build, test, and fly a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW)... Read more →

Smithers, a leading provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services, released a new whitepaper reporting the effects of temperature on tire rolling resistance. Tire rolling resistance is closely related to overall vehicle fuel economy or range in both ICE and electric vehicles (EVs). Currently, it is understood that rolling... Read more →

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has granted Lufthansa Technik a so-called Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) that officially paves the way for the series modification of two Boeing 777 variants with the fuel-saving AeroSHARK riblet films. (Earlier post.) Through the STC, the subfleet-wide roll-out of this sustainability technology, developed... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its annual Automotive Trends Report, which shows that model year (MY) 2021 vehicle fuel economy remained at a record high—but flat with MY 2020 fuel economy—while CO2 emission levels reached a new record low. The report also shows all 14 large automotive manufacturers... Read more →

The CIRCLES (Congestion Impacts Reduction via CAV-in-the-loop Lagrangian Energy Smoothing) Consortium, comprising Vanderbilt University, UC Berkeley, Temple University and Rutgers University-Camden, in coordination with Nissan North America and Tennessee Department of Transportation, recently concluded a five-day open-track experiment testing an artificial-intelligence-equipped cruise control system designed to increase fuel savings and... Read more →

The 2023 Toyota Highlander gas models are equipped with a new, higher-torque, high-efficiency turbocharged engine. The 265-horsepower, 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which uses balance shafts for super-smooth performance, delivers 310 lb-ft (420 N·m) of torque. This results in a significant 17% increase over the previous 3.5-liter V6 engine’s 263 lb-ft (357... Read more →

Automated operations company Motive has published a study showing that businesses can improve fuel efficiency and optimize vehicle maintenance by using data insights and AI-powered automation. In the study, Motive analyzed more than 800 commercial fleets across a two-year period beginning in January 2020, identified what top fleets with the... Read more →

Researchers in the Transport Technologies Division of Saudi Aramco have used using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and advanced machine learning (ML) techniques to co-optimize the piston bowl and the injector design of a gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engine. The optimum ML design provided similar performance at mid-load but a 3.8%... Read more →

Volkswagen has enhanced its bestselling 1.5 TSI gasoline engine and is now introducing the latest generation, the TSI evo2, in the first models in Europe. The compact four-cylinder engine will initially be available with an output of 110 kW (150 PS), and further variants of the 1.5 TSI evo2 will... Read more →

In Japan, Toyota unveiled the all-new Crown with four model types: sedan, sport, wagon and crossover. The first model out of the lineup will be the crossover type, to be released this fall in Japan. Toyota will bring the Crown to the US in three grades—XLE, Limited and Platinum—with the... Read more →

The Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX has beat its own efficiency record (earlier post) in real-world driving with another 1,000 km+ (621 mile+) journey on a single battery charge. Following its initial record-breaking drive from Stuttgart to Cassis (France) in April, the research vehicle set the bar even higher, with a 1,202-... Read more →

FEV, a leading service provider in vehicle and propulsion system development and testing, has evaluated the performance of the Transient Plasma Systems Inc. (TPS) nanosecond pulsed power ignition system (earlier post) on the current Toyota 2.5-liter, direct and port fueled injection, inline 4-cylinder gasoline engine commonly used in the Camry... Read more →