Latest Energy News
Green Car Congress - July 3 2009 03:56:31 PM
Shanghai Daily. SAIC Motor, China’s largest automaker, plans to invest 12 billion yuan (US$1.76 billion) in the next three to five years to develop new-energy vehicles. The investment will divvied up between 41 projects under its blueprint for environmentally friendly... Mike ... read more...
European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative Launches €140M Call for Proposals
Green Car Congress - July 3 2009 02:19:41 PM
The European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCH) Joint Technology Initiative (JTI) has issued a second call for proposals for research. Around €140 million (US$196 million) has been allocated to this second call, with €71.3 million by the Commission matched by... Mike Millikin... read more...
Cyclone Power Improves Performance And Durability of Waste Heat Engine
Green Car Congress - July 3 2009 12:31:09 PM
Cyclone Power Technologies has achieved positive results from performance tests recently conducted on its Waste Heat Engine (WHE) (earlier post), and expects the final stage of testing prior to on-site beta installation to begin in July. The WHE is a... Mike Millikin... read more...
Japan Post Deploying 40 EVs This Fiscal Year
Green Car Congress - July 3 2009 11:43:54 AM
Japan Post Service Co. will deploy 40 electric vehicles this fiscal year, with the first units in operation later this month. The i-MiEV and Plug-in Stella. Click to enlarge. The company is signing five-year leases for 20 units apiece of... Mike Millikin... read more...
GE to Create Center of Excellence in Europe for Automated Manufacturing of Carbon Composites
Green Car Congress - July 3 2009 11:08:00 AM
GE Global Research, the technology development arm of the General Electric Company, and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a world-class carbon composites manufacturing Center of Excellence on the TUM campus in Garching,... ... read more...
E-One Moli Energy Building New Li-ion Plant in Taiwan
Green Car Congress - July 3 2009 10:57:36 AM
Taiwan-based E-One Moli Energy Corp. (Molicel) is building a new lithium-ion battery plant in Taiwan with a monthly production capacity of 12 million units. The expansion will make E-One Moli one of the world’s top manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries. The... Mike Millikin... read more...
Reported US Hybrid Sales Up 5.2% Year on Year in June; 3% New Vehicle Market Share for the Month
Green Car Congress - July 3 2009 10:30:25 AM
Hybrid new vehicle market share by month. Click to enlarge. Reported sales of hybrids in the US increased 5.2% by volume in June 2009 year-on-year to 26,205 units, representing 3% of new vehicles sold—marking the highest monthly new vehicle share... Mike Millikin... read more...
IAV and TESIS DYNAware Present Second-generation Thermodynamic Engine Simulation Software Package
Green Car Congress - July 3 2009 09:24:30 AM
TESIS DYNAware and IAV Automotive Engineering presented the second generation of the thermodynamic real-time simulation software DYNA4 Engine Themos. For the development of engine control units (ECUs), DYNA4 Engine Themos performs function development as well as hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) applicatio... read more...
Researchers Develop Urea Electrolysis for Conversion of Urine and Urea to Hydrogen
Green Car Congress - July 3 2009 08:58:42 AM
Researchers at Ohio University have developed a new technology that accomplishes the direct conversion of urine and urea to pure hydrogen via electrochemical oxidation with an inexpensive nickel catalyst. Hydrogen production from urine. Credit: RSC. Click to enlarge. A report... ... read more...
House Subcommittee Advances Bill to Restart Natural Gas Vehicle RD Program at DOE; $150M in Appropriations
Green Car Congress - July 3 2009 06:00:00 AM
The US House Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy and Environment recently approved H.R. 1622, which will restart a natural gas vehicle (NGV) R&D program at the Department of Energy (DOE). DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory... Mike Milliki... read more...
The Plastic Plan: Energy from Plastic Bottles
Alt Energy Tech - July 3 2009 04:00:56 AM
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The Colorado Cleantech Opportunity
Cleantech - July 2 2009 06:48:00 PM
By Joel Serface – July 2, 2009In June, I took a great camping trip to a truly unique feature that many outside the state of Colorado know little about. It was the ... read more...
Zeolite Catalyst ZSM-22 Can Convert Methanol to Hydrocarbons; Potential for Gasoline
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 03:10:51 PM
Researchers at the University of Oslo, Norway have found that the zeolite catalyst ZSM-22, previously believed to be inactive in the conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons, yields a unique hydrocarbon product spectrum. Click to enlarge. The discovery, which has potential... Mike... read more...
VW Diesels Represented 26% of Its Total US Sales in June
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 02:39:22 PM
In June, Volkswagen’s diesels posted their best US sales month since their re-launch with 5,072 units, representing 26% of total Volkswagen new vehicle sales. Overall, VW sales were down 18% by volume in June 2009 to 19,027 units. The Jetta... Mike Millikin... read more...
County of Sonoma Installs Coulomb Charging Station Infrastructure
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 02:32:11 PM
The County of Sonoma, CA has become the fourth Bay Area location to deploy Coulomb ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations for electric vehicles. The seven charging stations are now installed throughout the County and will be used for fleet and consumer... Mike Millikin... read more...
EPA Extends Comment Period for Renewable Fuel Standard Program
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 01:55:00 PM
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the comment period on its proposed rule revising the national Renewable Fuel Standard program, commonly referred to as RFS2, by 60 days. (Earlier post.) The comment period, originally due to end on... Mike Millikin... read more...
Sweden, Volvo Group and Partners to Invest $26M in Powercell Sweden AB to Advance Volvo Fuel Cell APU Work
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 01:48:09 PM
Powercell Sweden power generation unit. Click to enlarge. The Swedish Energy Agency and the Volvo Group, in partnership with international corporations Midroc and OCAS, are investing SEK 200 million (US$26 million) to accelerate Volvo’s introduction of fuel cell APUs (auxiliary... ... read more...
Renault-Nissan Alliance and EDF to Test 100 Units of Production EV Models in Paris Region in 2010; New Partnership in Lombardy
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 12:08:58 PM
The Renault-Nissan Alliance and EDF are planning a large-scale electric vehicle test in the Paris region. For one year from September 2010, consumers, professionals and local government employees will try out 100 electric Renault-Nissan Alliance passenger cars and light commercial... ... read more...
Hyundai Receives More Than 1,000 Pre-Sale Orders for Avante LPI Hybrid
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 11:56:18 AM
Yonhap. Hyundai Motor Co. has received more than 1,000 pre-sale orders for its Avante/Elantra LPI hybrid since 17 June. (Earlier post.) The car, the world’s first production hybrid electric vehicle to be powered by a Liquefied Petroleum Injected (LPI) engine,... Mike Millikin... read more...
Victoria Launches Australias First Trial of Hybrid-Electric Buses; Series and Parallel
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 11:10:46 AM
The Grenda parallel hybrid (top) and the Ventura series hybrid (bottom). Click to enlarge. The government of the state of Victoria has launched Australia’s first hybrid-electric bus trial. The A$500,000 trial (US$398,000) in Melbourne, which will involve buses on two... Mike M... read more...
£30M Fund for Low Carbon Buses in the UK; New GM-Allison Hybrid Buses in London
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 07:00:00 AM
The UK Government is establishing a £30 million fund (US$49 million) to encourage the purchase of low carbon emission buses (LCEB). The fund is part of the Department for Transport’s wider strategy to encourage a shift to low carbon transport... Mike Millikin... read more...
DOE to Award Up to $408M to Two CCS Projects at Coal Power Plants; One for Hydrogen-Fired Power Generation
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 06:10:00 AM
The US Department of Energy has selected projects by Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Hydrogen Energy International LLC—a joint venture between BP and Rio Tinto (earlier post)—for up to $408 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.... Mike Mill... read more...
California Regulation for Lower-Sulfur Marine Fuel Now in Effect
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 06:00:00 AM
All ocean-going vessels within 24 nautical miles of California’s coastline must now use cleaner burning diesel fuel in order to comply with a new state regulation aimed at reducing the emissions of oxides of sulfur and nitrogen and diesel particulate... Mike Millikin... read more...
First Hybrid Solar Power Station
Alt Energy Tech - July 2 2009 03:19:48 AM
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Report: Hitachi to Boost Li-Ion Battery Output to Support 700,000 Hybrids/Year by 2015; GM Orders Cells for 100,000 Hybrids
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 03:01:00 AM
The Nikkei reports that Hitachi Ltd. will spend an estimated ¥20-30 billion (US$207-310 million) to boost production capacity for lithium-ion batteries for hybrid light-duty vehicles, targeting a 70-fold increase by 2015. Capacity will initially be raised more than 600% by... M... read more...
Report: Hitachi to Boost Li-Ion Battery Output to Support 700,000 Hybrids/Year by 2015; GM Orders Cells for 100,000 Hybrids
Green Car Congress - July 2 2009 03:01:00 AM
The Nikkei reports that Hitachi Ltd. will spend an estimated ¥20-30 billion (US$207-310 million) to boost production capacity for lithium-ion batteries for hybrid light-duty vehicles, targeting a 70-fold increase by 2015. Capacity will initially be raised more than 600% by... M... read more...
Obama Administration Offers $59 Million in Conditional Loan Guarantees to Beacon Power and Nordic Windpower Inc.
Office of Energy Efficiency - July 2 2009 03:00:00 AM
DOE has offered $59 million in conditional loan guarantees to Nordic Windpower USA and Beacon Power. Nordic Windpower's loan guarantee will support the expansion of its assembly plant in Pocatello, Idaho, while Beacon Power's loan guarantee will support a 20-megawatt flywheel-based energy stora... read more...
BMW X1 to Come in US in 2011
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 08:20:00 PM
BMW confirmed that it will bring the BMW X1 to the United States in calendar year 2011. The X1 has been conceived with the flexibility to offer traditional rear-wheel drive and xDrive all-wheel drive configurations, as well as a wide... Mike Millikin... read more...
BMW X1 to Come in US in 2011
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 08:20:00 PM
BMW confirmed that it will bring the BMW X1 to the United States in calendar year 2011. The X1 has been conceived with the flexibility to offer traditional rear-wheel drive and xDrive all-wheel drive configurations, as well as a wide... Mike Millikin... read more...
Global Automotive Survey Finds Nearly Six in Ten People Prefer Green Cars, Even If Money No Object
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 03:27:50 PM
Market research firm Synovate released new study findings showing that nearly six in ten people would choose to buy a green car over a dream car, even if money was no object. Synovate surveyed more than 13,500 people across 18... Mike Millikin... read more...
Global Automotive Survey Finds Nearly Six in Ten People Prefer Green Cars, Even If Money No Object
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 03:27:50 PM
Market research firm Synovate released new study findings showing that nearly six in ten people would choose to buy a green car over a dream car, even if money was no object. Synovate surveyed more than 13,500 people across 18... Mike Millikin... read more...
US EPA Proposes New Emissions Rules for Category 3 Marine Diesel Engines, Tighter Fuel Sulfur Restrictions; Harmonization with International Standards
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 02:47:10 PM
As the next steps in a strategy to cut harmful emissions from ocean-going vessels, the US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new engine emissions and fuel standards for large marine diesel engines on US-flagged ships that would harmonize with international... Mike Mill... read more...
US EPA Proposes New Emissions Rules for Category 3 Marine Diesel Engines, Tighter Fuel Sulfur Restrictions; Harmonization with International Standards
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 02:47:10 PM
As the next steps in a strategy to cut harmful emissions from ocean-going vessels, the US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new engine emissions and fuel standards for large marine diesel engines on US-flagged ships that would harmonize with international... Mike Mill... read more...
Hillsboro, Oregon to Install 16 Coulomb Charging Stations
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 01:39:09 PM
The City of Hillsboro, Oregon plans to deploy 16 Coulomb Technologies ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations for plug-in and electric vehicles. The charging stations will be installed in downtown Hillsboro, including at a new intermodal transit facility to be built in... Mike M... read more...
Hillsboro, Oregon to Install 16 Coulomb Charging Stations
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 01:39:09 PM
The City of Hillsboro, Oregon plans to deploy 16 Coulomb Technologies ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations for plug-in and electric vehicles. The charging stations will be installed in downtown Hillsboro, including at a new intermodal transit facility to be built in... Mike M... read more...
Clean Energy Opens World’s Largest LNG/CNG Truck Fueling Station
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 01:05:11 PM
Clean Energy Fuels has opened the world’s largest natural gas truck fueling station on a 2.9-acre site adjacent to the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The new public access station, configured to fuel trucks on a 24/7 basis,... Mike Millikin... read more...
Clean Energy Opens World’s Largest LNG/CNG Truck Fueling Station
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 01:05:11 PM
Clean Energy Fuels has opened the world’s largest natural gas truck fueling station on a 2.9-acre site adjacent to the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The new public access station, configured to fuel trucks on a 24/7 basis,... Mike Millikin... read more...
Bosch: Electrification is Coming, But Combustion Engines to Dominate for Another 20 Years
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 12:28:06 PM
In the long run, the large variety of drivetrain concepts will give way to electric drive. Source: Bosch. Click to enlarge. While full electric powertrains (battery and fuel cell) will at some point become pervasive in light-duty vehicles, the dominance... Mike Millikin... read more...
Bosch: Electrification is Coming, But Combustion Engines to Dominate for Another 20 Years
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 12:28:06 PM
In the long run, the large variety of drivetrain concepts will give way to electric drive. Source: Bosch. Click to enlarge. While full electric powertrains (battery and fuel cell) will at some point become pervasive in light-duty vehicles, the dominance... Mike Millikin... read more...
B4 Requirement Goes Into Effect in Brazil
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 10:10:15 AM
Brazil’s requirement for a 4% biodiesel blend (B4) goes into effect today. The country began with a 2% requirement in January 2008, which was subsequently increased to 3%. Today, Brazil has 43 plants installed and allowed to produce and sell... Mike Millikin... read more...
B4 Requirement Goes Into Effect in Brazil
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 10:10:15 AM
Brazil’s requirement for a 4% biodiesel blend (B4) goes into effect today. The country began with a 2% requirement in January 2008, which was subsequently increased to 3%. Today, Brazil has 43 plants installed and allowed to produce and sell... Mike Millikin... read more...
First Firing for the Scuderi Split-Cycle Engine
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 09:19:06 AM
Engineers successfully fueled (with gasoline) and fired the Scuderi prototype engine for the first time, achieving the split-cycle engine’s concept of firing after top dead center. (Earlier post.) The Scuderi Group had unveiled a cutaway model of the first proof-of-concept... ... read more...
First Firing for the Scuderi Split-Cycle Engine
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 09:19:06 AM
Engineers successfully fueled (with gasoline) and fired the Scuderi prototype engine for the first time, achieving the split-cycle engine’s concept of firing after top dead center. (Earlier post.) The Scuderi Group had unveiled a cutaway model of the first proof-of-concept... ... read more...
GreenJet: An Automated Sailing Yacht
Alt Energy Tech - July 1 2009 08:24:25 AM
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Study Finds Carbon in Frozen Soils 2X Prior Estimates; Permafrost Melt Poses Major Climate Change Threat
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 07:24:00 AM
Carbon pools in the northern circumpolar permafrost region. Source: CSIRO. Click to enlarge. New research shows that the amount of carbon stored in frozen soils in the Arctic and boreal regions of the world is more than double previous estimates... Mike Millikin... read more...
Study Finds Carbon in Frozen Soils 2X Prior Estimates; Permafrost Melt Poses Major Climate Change Threat
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 07:24:00 AM
Carbon pools in the northern circumpolar permafrost region. Source: CSIRO. Click to enlarge. New research shows that the amount of carbon stored in frozen soils in the Arctic and boreal regions of the world is more than double previous estimates... Mike Millikin... read more...
GM China Sales Rise 38.0% in 1H09 to 814,442 Units
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 06:00:00 AM
General Motors China and its joint ventures sold 814,442 vehicles in China in the first half of 2009. This represented an increase of 38.0% from the first six months of 2008. It was a first half record for both GM... Mike Millikin... read more...
GM China Sales Rise 38.0% in 1H09 to 814,442 Units
Green Car Congress - July 1 2009 06:00:00 AM
General Motors China and its joint ventures sold 814,442 vehicles in China in the first half of 2009. This represented an increase of 38.0% from the first six months of 2008. It was a first half record for both GM... Mike Millikin... read more...
DOE Awards $454 Million for Clean Energy in 18 States
Office of Energy Efficiency - July 1 2009 03:00:00 AM
The states of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington. and West Virginia have received $454 million in Recovery Act funds through DOE's State Energy Program... read more...
DOE Delivers $304 Million in Recovery Act Funds for Weatherization
Office of Energy Efficiency - July 1 2009 03:00:00 AM
DOE has delivered more than $304 million in Recovery Act funds to Georgia, Illinois, and New York, allowing those states to improve the energy efficiency of 85,000 homes of families with low incomes.... read more...
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