Hybrid Cars

Navitas Systems LLC, which earlier this year acquired substantially all of the assets of bankrupt A123 Systems’ former Ann Arbor, Michigan-based government business, including US military contracts, has signed a contract to supply prototypes of its upcoming 6T lithium-ion battery (earlier post) for use by CALSTART in assessing the efficacy of this advanced battery in hot and cold weather testing on Class 8 highway trucks. The 6T battery is commonly used in military vehicles, and to-date has been based on lead-acid chemistry. The Navitas 6T prototype batteries embody the same physical form factor, but utilize advanced lithium iron phosphate chemistry, offering greater cycle and calendar life, discharge runtime, charge acceptance rate and amp-hour throughput over life, all at half the weight of lead acid. [Saft was recently awarded a contract from Lockheed Martin for delivery of e6T Li-ion battery systems for the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Program. (Earlier post.] CALSTART is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the growth of an advanced transportation technologies industry. One of CALSTART’s programs, the High-Efficiency Truck Users Forum (HTUF) program, was developed in partnership with the US Army National Automotive Center (NAC). HTUF is a national program operated by CALSTART in partnership with and under contract tot he US Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center(TARDEC) National Automotive Center. TARDEC recently announced an award to CALSTART for the testing of three advanced lithium chemistry batteries on commercial trucks. This program will help assess the potential of lithium chemistries, specifically to apply recent advances in lithium-ion anode, cathode, electrolyte, and separator battery materials to electrode, cell and pack designs in order to develop 12V and 24V 6T form-factor military-vehicle batteries with significantly improved power and energy densities over existing lead acid alternatives. The effort focuses on the development of current commercial Lithium-ion battery technologies (Gen 1) of the three competing sub-electrochemistries from three domestic manufacturers into military 6T form-factor battery packs for evaluation by integrating into both commercial and military trucking fleets for performance testing and field data collection. The field-testing activities are designed so that the prototype battery technology can achieve a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) level 6.

A techno-economic analysis of renewable aviation fuels by Australian researchers has found that, based on currently available long-term reputable technological data, biorefineries producing biofuels from microalgae, oil seeds of the Pongamia tree, and sugarcane feedstocks would be competitive with crude oil prices at $1,343, $374, and $301/bbl, respectively. Sensitivity analyses of the major economic drivers suggest technological and market developments that would bring the corresponding figures down to $385, $255, and $168/bbl, the researchers said in their paper, published in the journal Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. The results of the study, which was conducted as part of the Queensland Sustainable Aviation Fuel Initiative, were presented at the Boeing-hosted Aero Environment Summit in Sydney. The authors presented three process models for production of renewable aviation fuel from microalgae, Pongamia pinnata seeds and sugarcane molasses to produce a minimum selling price for aviation biofuel. (Pongamia pinnata is a legume tree which produces a seed rich in oil.) They assumed a production scale of 15 million gallons per year to reflect a mature, full-scale biofuels production facility. The models and assumptions have been deposited on a wiki and are open and accessible to the community. The researchers suggested that the dynamic nature of the freely accessible models will allow the community to track progress toward economic competitiveness of aviation fuels from these renewable feedstocks. While the research showed biofuel processes still require research and innovation to become economically viable for use in jets compared to existing fuels, the aim of the study was to identify research priorities that will have the largest impact on lowering the price. These priorities include: delivering higher fermentation yields in the sucrose process; producing Pongamia seeds with a higher oil content; and developing cheaper and more effective microalgae harvesting technologies. Market developments such as good access to animal feed markets, would also help, since the three routes could all produce high-protein meal as a by-product. The research contributes testable numbers and models to the debate—and provides guidance on where researchers may wish to concentrate efforts to make the biggest impacts on reducing the price of the biofuel.—Dr. Daniel Klein-Marcuschamer, first author and manager for techno-economic analysis at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) This Australian research is an important part of Boeing’s global commitment to supporting research into sustainable aviation biofuels. We’ve proven that aircraft can fly on biofuels. The next step is establishing the commercial and sustainable biofuels industries needed to take biofuels flights from demonstration to reality.—Michael Edwards, general manager of Boeing Research & Technology-Australia The Queensland Sustainable Aviation Fuel Initiative was established in 2010 through a Queensland Government National and International Research Alliances Program grant that brought together a consortium of university biofuel experts and industry for the AU$6.5-million project. Hosted at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at The University of Queensland, the initiative involves partnerships with UQ institutes IMB, QAAFI and the Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume Research; James Cook University; Boeing; Virgin Australia; Mackay Sugar Limited; and IOR Energy. Resources Klein-Marcuschamer, D., Turner, C., Allen, M., Gray, P., Dietzgen, R. G., Gresshoff, P. M., Hankamer, B., Heimann, K., Scott, P. T., Stephens, E., Speight, R. and Nielsen, L. K. (2013), Technoeconomic analysis of renewable aviation fuel from microalgae, Pongamia pinnata, and sugarcane. Biofuels, Bioprod. Bioref. doi: 10.1002/bbb.1404

Previously unknown brand VL Automotive surprised Detroit Auto Show goers earlier this year by unveiling the Destino--a V-8-powered luxury sedan based heavily on the Fisker Karma. Now, with Fisker Automotive circling the abyss, Bob Lutz-backed VL is reported to have bid for the ailing luxury automaker. According to Reuters, VL Automotive has made a...

The National Academies has issued a pre-publication version of an interim report on Overcoming Barriers to Electric-Vehicle Deployment. A final, comprehensive report will be published in late summer 2014. Given recognized technical, social, and economic barriers to widespread adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles), Congress had asked the Department of Energy (DOE) to commission a study by the National Academies to address market barriers that are slowing the purchase of electric vehicles and hindering the deployment of supporting infrastructure. As a result, the National Research Council (NRC)—a part of the National Academies—appointed the Committee on Overcoming Barriers to Electric-Vehicle Deployment. The current interim report focuses on near-term options, and specifically addresses infrastructure needs for electric vehicles; barriers to deploying the infrastructure; and possible roles of the federal government in overcoming the barriers. It also begins an initial discussion of the pros and cons of the possible roles. The interim report does not address the committee’s full statement of task and does not offer any recommendations. The committee will continue to gather and review information and conduct analyses through late spring 2014 and will issue its final comprehensive report in late summer 2014. The interim report considers PEV manufacturers, dealers and customers; the charging infrastructure; and the electric grid. Findings and possible Federal roles for overcoming the barriers include: Manufacturers, dealers and customers. The committee focused primarily on individuals and households because they make up the largest segment of potential buyers and because there might be more obstacles to their adoption of PEVs. It also considered barriers that automobile manufacturers and dealerships face in promoting the adoption of PEVs. Findings include: Most potential PEV customers have little knowledge of PEVs and almost no experience with them. Lack of familiarity with the vehicles and their operation and maintenance creates a substantial barrier to widespread PEV deployment. Possible Federal roles include the production of public-service announcements that showcase current PEV owners, describe the benefits of PEV ownership, and illustrate how a PEV meets various transportation needs; the creation of marketing campaigns to help customers to understand incentives and that target audiences that have transportation needs that might fit PEVs; and the provision of ride-and-drive activities or demonstrations at high-visibility locations to familiarize the public with PEVs. PEVs have higher purchase prices than comparable conventional vehicles. Research indicates that people heavily discount the value of future gains; sticker-price premiums typically will be difficult to overcome with fuel-savings promises alone. Possible Federal roles include continuing to provide economic incentives—such as continuing or extending tax credits or rebates—to encourage customers to buy PEVs; increasing the tax on gasoline by increasing taxes on motor fuels or by instituting a broad-based carbon tax; and using the convening function to coordinate state and local incentives that would encourage PEV ownership and use, such as access to carpool lanes, parking benefits, and reduced vehicle registration or licensing fees. Some research has shown that purchase rebates can be more effective than income-tax credits, the committee noted. Most BEVs have small driving ranges, and this could be a substantial barrier to their widespread adoption. However, commuting by electricity stored in vehicles should be feasible on a large scale in the United States given that some BEVs can routinely travel 40–80 miles (64-129 km) on one charge and that nearly 70% of average daily travel is less than 40 miles and more than 90% is less than 80 miles. Few data on customer

The Junior WRC Championship is supporting the FIA’s drive to make motorsport more sustainable by switching from gasoline to biofuel. From the Acropolis Rally of Greece onwards, the Ford Fiesta R2s used in the series will be powered by GEM Fuel, a ternary blend fuel containing regular gasoline, bio-ethanol and bio-methanol (i.e., GEM). The development of GEM Fuel is the result of a partnership between BioMCN, Abengoa, Methanex, Eurol and the Methanol Institute initiated and managed by GUTTS, the world’s first supplier of sustainable race fuels. The benefits in engine performance, when applied correctly, are caused by two characteristics: GEM Fuel has a high octane number and anti-knock characteristic that makes it possible to run higher engine compression. Secondly, the high percentage of alcohol has a cooling effect on both intake and exhaust, which means a cooler and denser intake and cylinder charge. Both these characteristics means a higher power output at cooler temperatures. The FIA claims the new fuel reduces greenhouse gases by more than 50% compared to regular gasoline. M-Sport, which supplies the Fiestas to the championship, was involved in an evaluation of the fuel in 2012, when an extensive dyno test comparing the performance and consumption of three fuels—including GEM Fuel—was performed at its Cumbrian base. The Rally of Greece, round two of the Junior WRC Championship, gets underway on Friday 31 May.

Findings from a study by a team at the University of Oklahoma suggest that the stability of diesel fuel—i.e., either the biodegradation of diesel hydrocarbons or, by inference, the degree of biocorrosion—is independent of the concentration of organosulfur species in the fuel. In other words, accelerated biocorrosion associated with the use of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) likely does not result from the lower level of sulfur in the fuel. The study is published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology. The global shift toward reducing atmospheric particulate emissions led many governments to reduce the sulfur content of transportation fuels. The production of ULSD requires extensive processing of crude oil to reduce the amount of sulfur to a maximum of 15 ppm S. This refining tends to alter the properties of ULSD such that additives are typically required to improve lubricity and corrosion resistance characteristics. Nevertheless, there are many reports of increased corrosion in the fuel infrastructure associated with the introduction and use of ULSD. We hypothesized that these reports might be due to either the removal of organosulfur compounds that would normally inhibit biodegradation and biocorrosion activities or to the acceleration of these activities through the differential microbial metabolism of fuel components formed or added during oil refining. One report suggests that small molecular weight components can be formed as a consequence of the refining process used to produce ULSD [catalytic hydrodesulfurization of hydrotreating]. Fuel components that are more labile than hydrocarbons might accelerate the deleterious processes associated with the use of ULSD.—Lyles et al. Organosulfur compounds are known antimicrobial agents and have been detected in more than 200 structurally diverse forms in diesel fuels and other petroleum products including thiols, thiophenes, and sulfide derivatives, the authors noted. Concentrations can range from 0.05% to 14% by weight in crude oils and natural bitumens. To test these hypotheses, the researchers took fuels from a refinery at various stages in the desulfurization process—ULSD (4ppm S), low- (LSD, 249 ppm S), high-sulfur diesel (HSD, 441 ppm S) and Navy Ship diesel ( 1,528 ppm S). They also tested the influence of a soy-based biodiesel. They explored the connection between organosulfur content and the susceptibility of fuels to anaerobic biodegradation and, by inference, their propensity to exacerbate biocorrosion in marine systems. Gas chromatographs of the ULSD, LSD, HSD, and Navy shipboard diesel revealed that the fuels were qualitatively similar in terms of the range and nature of the component hydrocarbons. A separate analysis of the organosulfur content of the fuels confirmed that they varied widely (4 - >1500 ppm S). Therefore, if the organosulfur content of fuels was a major factor influencing susceptibility to biodegradation and biocorrosion, it should have been evident in the experiments, they noted. The amended an inoculum from a seawater-compensated ballast tank with fuel from the same ship or with the refinery fractions of ULSD, low- (LSD), and high sulfur diesel (HSD) and monitored for sulfate depletion. Our findings suggest that the organosulfur status of diesel fuels does not significantly influence anaerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation with any of the tested inocula. Moreover, the enrichment of microbial communities, while different for various inocula, was independent of the fuel type used in the incubations. ...The major implication of this work is that ULSD, LSD, HSD, and even a traditional diesel fuel formulation can undergo biodegradation to a similar extent and stimulate sulfate reduction when oxygen becomes limiting in seawater compensated ballast tanks. This process would produce higher levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and thus an elevated biocorrosion rate. However, it

The Nissan Leaf has won the Environment Award at the 2013 Fleet World Honours awards at a ceremony held at The Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall. The Leaf fended off competition from rival electric and hybrid manufacturers to win one of the most significant UK fleet awards. The Fleet World Honours Car Awards are open to all manufacturers and the judging process combines the expert opinion of the Fleet World editorial team with the values provided by a number of leading leasing companies and fleet data providers. The Leaf was judged upon a variety of criteria specific to fleet including cost of ownership and fit for purpose credentials with the 100 percent electric car ultimately judged to be the best environmentally focused car available for fleets to buy in the UK today. This award comes following improvements made to the New Leaf, including extended range from 109 miles to 124 miles, a battery that is capable of recharging in about half the time of the first-generation Leaf and for the first time, buyers can lease batteries for the 100 percent electric car. Fleet World editor, Steve Moody, said: “Nissan has been almost single-handedly driving the electric vehicle market forward in the past few years, with the Leaf spearheading this push by taking the vast majority of EV sales. With its recent enhancements, the Leaf is more viable than ever.” Meanwhile, Hyundai received the Technology Award for the ix35 Fuel Cell, an award shared with the Renault Zoe. The post Nissan Leaf Wins Fleet World Environment Award appeared first on HybridCars.com.

China has been pushing the production and adoption of electric vehicles and is set to continue doing so. By 2012, 25 pilot cities had promoted 27,432 new energy vehicles totally within two years after the subsidy policy was implemented, including 23,032 ones used in public services and 4,400 ones bought by individuals. In March, 2013, the Chinese Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Development and Reform Commission reached a consensus, determining to prolong the new energy vehicle subsidy policy by three years. The new subsidy policy emphasizes two aspects: First, it expands the scope of pilot cities; second, it plans to support energy-saving hybrid models with more subsidies. In addition, the new subsidy policy unifies the subsidies of all regions and changes the situation that subsidies vary from region to region. Research firm Research and Markets has published a new report studying the Chinese EV subsidy situation. As new energy vehicles are demonstrated and popularized as well as individuals enjoy subsidies when purchasing new energy vehicles, the Chinese domestic output of electric vehicles still maintains a rapid growth. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the output of 628 models included in Directory of Recommended Models of Energy-saving and New Energy Vehicles for Demonstration and Application hit 24,800 in 2012, up 94 percent year on year, of which there were 14,700 passenger cars and more than 10,000 commercial vehicles; there were 13,300 pure electric vehicles, 10,400 conventional hybrid vehicles, and more than 1,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles. The report analyzes the industrial environments and market of electric vehicles, main demonstration cities, and major production enterprises. Besides, it studies the models contained in the demonstration and promotion directory released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (As of April 2013, there had been 44 batches). Anhui JAC Co., Ltd. is one of the first companies that are engaged in research and development of new energy vehicles in China. In 2009, JAC clarified that it targeted “pure electric vehicles”. In 2010 and 2011, JAC popularized 1,585 pure electric vehicles. As of the end of 2012, JAC had built a production line with an annual capacity of 20,000 electric vehicles. In accordance with the development plan, the company’s annual electric vehicle capacity will reach 100,000 by 2015, and the models will extend from sedans to SUV, special vehicles and buses. The post 2013 China Electric Vehicle Industry Report Published appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Xchanging announced that Jaguar Land Rover has been collaborating with Xchanging and Arynga to create a proof of concept that allows remote software and firmware updates to be sent to vehicles over standard network protocols. This solution was revealed at the GENIVI All Member Conference in Barcelona, Spain held end of April 2013. Xchanging said the proof of concept has been created on openly available hardware with an Intel CPU, using the Tizen open source Linux distribution as a software platform with latest HTML5 graphical user interface. Tizen was chosen as a GENIVI compliant reference. A key component of the solution will be CarSync, Arynga’s Software over the Air (SOTA) product along with Xchanging’s Vehicle Management Systems cloud based applications and interfaces. “Xchanging is delighted to be able to showcase this solution with our partner Arynga’s CarSync technology in collaboration with Jaguar Land Rover. We are excited to be one of the first global service providers to offer a comprehensive end to end Vehicle Management Solution based on Arynga’s CarSync SOTA solution for today’s automotive market.” said David Carpini, President of Xchanging Solutions (USA). Jaguar Land Rover has not commented on how and when this technology will be used on their vehicles. Matt Jones, Senior Technical Specialist for Infotainment at Jaguar Land Rover commented, “This proof of concept was created in less than 12 weeks and was built on an Open Source framework, along with the Arynga CarSync technology and Xchanging’s VMS services. This shows the real power of open platform development going forward. We look forward to showcasing the output of the collaboration.” The post Jaguar Land Rover Experiments With Software Over The Air appeared first on HybridCars.com.

As Tesla Motors goes against the tide to establish its non-franchised retail stores and service centers to support its Internet-based sales, implied and stated allegations and assertions have clouded complex issues. Among these are the question whether Tesla has become a darling of the public and media and is getting off easy while garnering lots of free publicity. Or, are state and national level auto dealer associations trying to strong-arm poor aspiring Tesla and its ideals intended to better the world? Or is Tesla a half-baked scofflaw with a pretty face and lots of promises that does not understand the precedents it could set to undermine the American economy? Or are the dealer associations the actual thugs, albeit dressed in business suits, protected by laws, money, legislators, and attorneys? Tesla’s retail stores are located in high-traffic, upper socioeconomic-level retail areas, and aim to benignly present the award-winning Model S and models to come. They follow Apple stores in concept, and are being established with direction by former Apple marketer George Blankenship who’s now a VP for Tesla. Its associates are friendly, upbeat, helpful, and not commissioned. It will be considered a job well done if after a person wanders into the Tesla store, he or she feels positively disposed toward Tesla and wants to come back. The hands-on stores feel very liberating, and shun haggling and attempts to close the sale – things many car shoppers detest. Meanwhile, this contrarian and seemingly egalitarian retail model has been opposed in various ways by state dealer associations including those in Colorado, Massachusetts, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Texas, and North Carolina. A Tesla associate talks shop with a shopper at the new Tesla store in the King of Prussia Plaza shopping mall which just opened Friday, May 17. Twenty nine states have some type of statutory prohibition on the books against factory ownership of new vehicle dealerships, according to Texas Auto Dealer Association President, Bill Wolters. The National Automobile Dealers Association told Automotive News that including these 20, a total of 48 U.S. states have at least some form of restrictions on factory owned dealerships. Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk has said he’s aware of 20 states that make it “extremely difficult” for Tesla to operate as it would like. George Blankenship has said Tesla rolls with what it has to, while otherwise being staunchly determined. “We do what we’re capable of doing, and we do whatever they let us do,” said Blankenship to Automotive News. “It’s unique for each location. If we can’t be a dealer in a mall, we won’t do reservations on site. We tell people where to go on our Web site to make a reservation.” And whether Tesla is getting a pass as a new-age Robin Hood of sorts or not, it does do fairly well in the deliberate campaign to rouse public opinion to its side, and has succeeded in getting its way in some fights to date. “We certainly have a lot of battles in a lot of places,” said Musk. “So far we’ve been successful in those fights. It’s because right is on our side.” The car dealers associations meanwhile have often been portrayed as self-serving, hypocritically opposing free trade for which they might otherwise clamor. Skateboard chassis. Unlike Apple stores, Tesla lets you whip out your camera and snap away. Musk has pointed out the seeming protectionist stance enforced by varying state-by-state laws is an American phenomenon not seen to such a degree in Europe. Others have likened the car dealers associations to unionists who’ve gotten too big for their britches, are now getting their come-uppance, and others besides have expressed no love for auto dealers which have been generally accused of unethical practices. A leaked e-mail from Musk himself about Texas says such attitudes have been stirred up by Tesla. “If the people of Texas knew how bad this was, th