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Daimler and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Begin Research Collaboration on Electric Drive Systems
Daimler Ag and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are beginning a research collaboration on electric drive systems: the “e-drive Project House” (Projekthaus e-drive). The effort will span the fields of power electronics and electric machines (PEEM), control systems, and...
Renault-Nissan Alliance to Work With Sonoma County, CA on EVs and Infrastructure
Nissan North America, Inc. will work with the Sonoma County community of governments to promote electric vehicles (EVs) and develop an EV charging network throughout Sonoma County, in northern California. The Renault-Nissan Alliance this week also announced similar partnerships with...
NREL and Petrobras to Collaborate on Advanced Biofuels Research
The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) have signed an agreement that could accelerate the development and international commercialization of advanced, second-generation biofuels. The announcement was made at the International Biofuels Conference...
US Emergency Bridge Loan Package to Automakers Would Tap $25B Retooling Fund
Under a proposed compromise legislative package, the $25 billion emergency bridge loans to the auto industry—if approved by Congress and signed by the President—would tap into the $25 billion in funds already approved under Section 136 of the Energy Independence...
China Discovers 23B Ton Ultra Large Coal Field
People’s Daily. Geological exploration teams have confirmed discovery of an ultra large coal field with a forecasted 23 billion tons of total reserve in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China. China currently has an estimated 126.2 billion short tons...
Drop in Global Auto Demand Triggers 25% Cut in BASF Capacity
C&EN. BASF, the world’s largest chemical firm, says it is temporarily shutting down 80 plants worldwide due to decreased demand from automakers and other customers.
EnerDel Awarded Anode Development Phase Two Contract with DOD
Ener1, Inc.’s subsidiary EnerDel, maker of lithium-ion battery systems, has moved to phase two of a research and development contract with the US Department of Defense (DOD) to develop high-energy, high-performance batteries for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Kia Introduces Next-generation Borrego Fuel Cell Vehicle
Kia Motors unveiled the next-generation Kia Borrego (known as Mohave in some markets) fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.
Syntec Biofuel Launching Research Program to Produce Bio-butanol and Bio-propanol from Biomass
Syntec Biofuel Inc is launching a research program to develop catalysts and processes to optimize its production of bio-butanol and bio-propanol from biomass. This new R&D initiative is projected to be a three-year program and will run in parallel with...
Poll: US Consumers Eager for Hybrids, Unsure of Performance and Durability
A new survey conducted by Ruder Finn Insights, the in-house research division of Ruder Finn, Inc., reveals that hybrid vehicles are increasingly appealing to consumers despite diminishing prices at the pump, though many perceptions of hybrids are out-of-date and based...
GM Prices Two-Mode Hybrid Pickups
GM has priced its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Two-Mode Hybrid pickup trucks starting at $38,995 and $39,365 respectively, including a $975 destination charge. The MSRP does not reflect a $2,200 federal tax credit. The Silverado and Sierra are the...
Renault-Nissan Alliance Adds Oregon and Monaco to Growing Roster of EV Partners
The Renault-Nissan Alliance has added two more partners for the development and promotion of a charging infrastructure to support electric vehicles: the US state of Oregon, and the Principality of Monaco. Since July this year, the Alliance has announced partnerships...
Ford Introduces 2010 Fusion/Mercury Milan and Hybrid Versions; Wireless Diagnostic Data Collection
by Jack Rosebro Ford Fusion Hybrid. Click to enlarge. Ford introduced its new-generation mid-size sedans, the 2010 Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan vehicles, with both conventional and hybrid powertrains, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The hybrid versions of the Fusion and...
Report: EU Carmaking Nations in Agreement on CO2 Regulations
Reuters reports that Europe’s four big automaking nations—Italy, Britain, France and Germany—have agreed to a proposed structure for regulations mandating reductions in CO2 from cars.
SF Bay Area Mayors Announce Coordinated Policies to Accelerate Establishment of EV Infrastructure; Better Place to Enter US Market in California
Better Place introduced a second EV prototype to work with its infrastructure: the Better Place Rogue, based on the Nissan Rogue crossover SUV. Click to enlarge. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Oakland Mayor Ron...
Porsche Gets Green Light for Cayenne Diesel; Hybrid Still in the Works
Porsche’s Executive Board has approved the production of a Cayenne SUV equipped with a diesel engine. The Board said the decision was in response to changed legal regulations, especially in European markets, resulting in tax incentives for vehicles with diesel...
AES installs First A123Systems 2MW H-APU Energy Storage System
AES Energy Storage, LLC, a subsidiary of The AES Corporation, has installed its first Hybrid Ancillary Power Units (H-APU) from A123Systems. The lithium-ion H-APU is designed to create another way for AES’ existing facilities to meet the power industry’s need...
3D Porous Silicon Shows Promise as High-Performance Li-ion Anode Material
SEM images of the 3D porous c-Si particles after etching. Click to enlarge. Credit: Angewandte Chemie A research team led by Dr. Jaephil Cho at Hanyang University in Korea has developed a new silicon material for lithium-ion battery anodes—three-dimensional porous...
Valence to Provide Li-Ion Batteries to Brammo for Electric Motorcycle
Valence Technology, Inc. will provide its lithium phosphate batteries to Brammo for use in the Enertia all-electric motorcycle.
Altairnano to Receive Additional $4M for Li-ion Battery Deployment for Naval Vessel
Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. and the United States Navy were granted an additional $4 million for the continued funding of a 2.5-Megawatt lithium-ion battery stationary power supply program. Total funds appropriated by Congress for Altairnano’s naval battery program now total $12.5...
RTEV and Shuanghuan Automobile Form EV Partnership
RTEV (Ruff & Tuff Electric Vehicles) and Shuanghuan Automobile Company have formed a partnership to produce and market affordable all-electric cars for sale around the world.
US Petroleum Deliveries Down 4% in October; YTD Rate of Decline Not Seen Since Early 1980s
Total domestic petroleum deliveries fell more than 4% in October compared with a year ago, contributing to a substantial year-to-date decline of more than 5% to 19.6 million barrels per day, according to the latest monthly statistical report from the...
Lexus Announces 2010 RX 350, RX 450h Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicles
by Jack Rosebro The RX 450h. Click to enlarge. Lexus premiered two second-generation mid-sized luxury sport-utility vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Shows: the 2010 RX 350, and the 2010 RX 450h hybrid. The vehicles replace the current RX 350...
Hyundai Introduces Hybrid Blue Drive Platform; First US Application to be in Sonata
Basic components of the Hyundai Hybrid Blue Drive system. Click to enlarge. Hyundai Motor America launched its Blue Drive initiative and platform technologies at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Blue Drive will eventually encompass a set products and technologies through...
Honda Debuts Fuel Cell Sports Concept Car
Honda today revealed the FC Sport, a three-seat hydrogen fuel cell sports car design exercise, at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
VW Highlights Three Fuel-Cell Vehicle Prototypes at LA Auto Show
The Tiguan HyMotion fuel cell concept uses a VW-developed high-temperature fuel cell stack. Click to enlarge. Volkswagen came to the Los Angeles Auto Show to tout the efficiency and performance of its diesel powertrains and the recent market success of...
Nissan/Renault CEO: “We Need Another Planet”
by Jack Rosebro Addressing journalists at a markedly subdued Los Angeles Auto Show, Nissan chairman and Renault SA co-chairman Carlos Ghosn acknowledged that “there is no book to follow” for automakers as they struggle with this year’s global financial crisis,...
Toyota Shows Concept CNG Camry Hybrid at LA Auto Show
The CNG Camry Hybrid. Click to enlarge. Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) USA showed a compressed natural gas (CNG) Camry Hybrid concept vehicle at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. (Earlier post.) The CNG Camry Hybrid concept was designed by the...
Production Version of the Renault-Nissan 3.0L V6 dCi Diesel; Targeted for the Maxima in the US
The 3.0-liter V6 dCi 235. Click to enlarge. The Renault-Nissan Alliance unveiled the production version of its new 3.0-liter V6 dCi Diesel engine on the Laguna Coupé at the Paris motorshow in October 2008. In 2007, the Alliance had shown...
EPA Raises Renewable Fuel Requirement to 10.21% for 2009; 11.1B Gallons
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) raised the 2009 Renewable Fuel Standard to 10.21% to ensure that at least 11.1 billion gallons of renewable fuels be blended into transportation gasoline. This standard is used by obligated parties—refiners, importers and blenders...