News

U.S. Energy Dept. to Lend $8B to Ford, Nissan, Tesla to Build Green Cars
The U.S. Department of Energy will lend $5.9 billion to Ford Motor Co. and about $2.1 billion to Nissan Motor Co. and Tesla Motors Inc. in a government-industry partnership to build green cars. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the three automakers would be the first beneficiaries of a $25 billion fund to develop fuel-efficient vehicles. The loans to Ford will help the company upgrade factories in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio to produce 13 fuel-efficient vehicles. Nissan will receive loans of $1.6 billion to retool its plant in Smyrna, Tenn., to build electric vehicles and construct a battery manufacturing plant. Tesla will get $465 million in loans to build electric vehicles and electric-drive powertrains in California. The loans were designed to help auto manufacturers meet new fuel-efficiency standards of at least 35 mpg by 2020, a 40% improvement over current standards.
Source: Ford, Nissan, Tesla's electric plans get $8B jolt, The Associated Press

New Biogas Plant in Michigan Could be Fueling Vehicles by 2010
A new biogas plant could save the City of Flint, Michigan $3.5 million or more within the first seven years of operation. A long-term agreement between the city and Swedish Biogas International (SBI) will see construction on a biogas plant at the city’s wastewater treatment plant start in August. Human waste treated at the wastewater treatment plant will be used to create biogas. The city will save money because the biogas will generate electricity to lower the plant's electric bill. "We expect to be producing gas by the end of third quarter 2010," said Tom Guise, SBI's new chief executive officer. A second phase of the project is planned in which the biogas will be upgraded into biomethane, which could fuel city fleet vehicles or Mass Transportation Authority buses. Kettering University hopes to convert some of its campus vehicles to serve as biomethane demonstration vehicles in the next year. By the end of 2010, Guise plans to have both biogas and biomethane operations up and running, and hopes to have at least one biomethane fuel pump operating in the area.
Source: New biogas plant could save the City of Flint $3.5 million or more within seven years, The Flint Journal

California Air Resources Board Wants Restoration of DOE Funding for Hydrogen
California Air Resources Board Chairman Mary Nichols is urging Energy Secretary Steven Chu to continue with funding to support the research, development and deployment of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The Department of Energy (DOE) 2010 budget proposes cutting the federal hydrogen fuel cell research and deployment budget by more than two-thirds ($130 million), eliminating funds for the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle program and market transformation programs. In ARB’s analysis, most vehicles on the road by 2050 will need to be ultra low-carbon fuel vehicles such as electricity or hydrogen in order to achieve the required 80% reduction in greenhouse gases—and commercialization of those technologies must start in the next decade. In her letter to Secretary Chu, Nichols noted that, “Hydrogen and fuel cells show great potential... Ultimately the market will decide which technologies are the winners, but given the critical importance to our long term climate and energy security goals, the best approach is to pursue and invest in a portfolio of the most promising options.”
Source: California Air Resources Board Pushes for Restoration of DOE Funding for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles; Tackles the “Four Miracles”, Green Car Congress

China's Fujian Province to Switch to Natural Gas for 2,000 Buses
To make its public transport greener, China's Fujian Province will begin operating 2,000 inter-city buses fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The initiative is expected to save 180,000 tonnes of gasoline and diesel a year. Fujian Investment and Development Group Ltd. will invest 320 million yuan (USD 46.85 million) in the construction of 30 natural gas fueling stations dispensing up to 133,000 tonnes of LNG for the fleet. Additional plans include using LNG for more than 1,000 sand, coal and cement carrying vessels on the waterways in the province and along its coast. The company expects the use of liquefied natural gas for transportation to reduce carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and sulphur dioxide emissions by 97%, 72%, and 90% respectively. The new fuel is also expected to help reduce vehicle noise by 40%.
Source: China's Fujian Province to Switch to LNG for 2000 Buses, NGV Global

World’s Largest Landfill Gas to Vehicle Fuel Plant Nearing Completion
Construction on the world’s largest plant to convert landfill gas into clean vehicle fuel is nearing completion. The plant, located in California, is a joint venture between Linde North America, part of The Linde Group, one of the world’s leading gas and engineering companies, and Waste Management, North America’s largest waste management company. The companies are installing systems to purify and liquefy landfill gas—a source of renewable biomethane fuel—at the Altamont Landfill near Livermore, California. When the plant begins operating later this year, it is designed to produce up to 13,000 gallons a day of liquefied natural gas (LNG) that could fuel hundreds of waste collection trucks in California. The Altamont project is one of several LNG and biomethane projects around the world in which Linde is participating, and is an industry Linde says is ripe for growth. “Biomethane is a truly renewable and readily available green source of high quality fuel. Although it is still an emerging commodity, its economic and environmental value is rapidly being recognized,” said Bryan Luftglass, manager of Linde North America’s energy segment.
Source: From Refuse to Refueling: Linde and Waste Management Discuss Landfill Gas to LNG Plant, EarthTimes

Comprehensive Alternative Fuel Map for USA Launched
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) have launched a comprehensive Google-based mapping tool called TransAtlas that maps all existing and planned alternative fuel stations across the United States. Seven alternative fuels will be mapped: biodiesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), electric, E85, hydrogen, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and propane. The mapping tool allows you to view each type of fuel station as a layer, so you can view one fuel source at time or all fuel types simultaneously. TranAltlas is sponsored by the DOE's Clean Cities initiative, which aims to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector by promoting advanced vehicle technologies and alternative fuels.
Source: NREL and Google Launch Map of America's Alternative Fuel Stations, EcoGeek

Daimler Trucks Introduces Natural Gas-Powered Business Class Trucks
In response to the need for low-emission alternative fuel vehicles for the trucking industry, Daimler Trucks North America, the largest manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicles in North America, has commenced its rollout of the Freightliner Business Class® M2 112 truck equipped with a natural gas engine supplied by Cummins Westport Inc. The ISL G natural gas engine—which can use compressed (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG)—meets EPA 2010 emissions standards today, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and offers top-level performance. The truck will be offered in a total of six LNG and CNG tractor/truck configurations. The rollout—part of Daimler Trucks' Shaping Future Transportation initiative—began with the introduction of an LNG tractor for port and regional haul applications. A CNG version of the tractor is expected to be offered later in 2009, with the entire natural gas offering expected to be available by the end of 2010. According to Roe East, President of Cummins Westport, Freightliner Trucks expects to have a complete lineup of vehicles powered by Cummins Westport engines by the end of 2010, with configuration options for over 90% of truck applications in North America.
Source: Freightliner M2 Rollout Begins with CWI ISL G Natural Gas Engine, NGV Global

New Hydrogen-Powered Urban Car Reduces CO2 Emissions by Two-Thirds
British-based company Riversimple has unveiled a prototype of a new hydrogen-powered car that emits just 30 grams of carbon per kilometer—less than one third the emissions of its rivals. Company founder Hugo Spowers, a former motor-racing engineer, has spent nine years researching and developing the prototype car, known as The Urban Car. The Urban Car has hydrogen fuel cells linked to four electric motors running each of the car’s wheels. When braking, the electric motors capture and store the energy of the car in motion. The stored energy is enough to power 80% of the car's acceleration needs, meaning that the hydrogen fuel cell can be one-fifth the size of the fuel cells currently used. The next step is to find further financing, another £20 million ($33 million), to build and test ten cars, followed by another fifty prototypes for a pilot project in a small city. Riversimple plans to share technical details about the new hydrogen-powered car with other developers, in a bid to encourage the sort of open-source innovation that led to the growth of the software industry.
Source: New 'Urban Car' claims to slash CO2 emissions by two thirds, CNN

England Joins Other European Nations in Taking a Serious Look at Biomethane
England has joined the ranks of other European nations in taking a serious look at biomethane—a renewable fuel similar to natural gas that can be safely used in vehicles or injected into the gas grid. The UK Government has awarded United Utilities in the city of Manchester £4.3 million (USD 7 million) for a project that will extract methane gas from human waste to provide fuel for up to 5,000 homes by 2011. The project will be run from the city's wastewater treatment works; Britain's second largest sewage works. In a process known as ‘anaerobic digestion’, biogas will be produced as wastewater sludge is broken down by the action of microbes. The biogas will then be upgraded to biomethane fuel and supplied through the local pipeline. The project is the first of its kind in Britain, although other European nations such as Germany and Sweden are successfully using biomethane to power public transportation vehicles. An analysis in the city of Stockholm showed biomethane to be the most efficient and environmentally-friendly biofuel because it establishes a closed environmental loop, in which the organic waste of the city supplies the resources for fuel production.
Source: Human sewage to power thousands of homes, The Telegraph

New Research Questions Jatropha’s Viability as a Biofuel Source
University research from the Netherlands shows that jatropha, an oil-rich plant that can be grown in arid regions to produce biodiesel, offers low amounts of oil production without sufficient water, calling into question its suitability for biodiesel. Researchers at the University of Twente found that jatropha requires five times as much water per unit of energy compared to sugarcane and corn, and 10 times as much as the sugar beet, a known water-efficient biofuel crop. As corn-based biofuel has raised global food prices, biofuel producers have locked onto the potential of jatropha oil. Vast amounts of wasteland in India have been set aside for jatropha plantations. But this new research, conducted on plantations in India, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Brazil, and Guatemala, indicates that jatropha may not be such an ideal biofuel source. Although the plant can survive through droughts, the study found that without sufficient water, the plant has a low amount of oil production.
Source: Study finds hardy jatropha sucks up water, Cleantech

General Motors Opens Largest Automotive Battery Laboratory in US
General Motors (GM) has opened what it calls the largest automotive battery laboratory in the United States. The lab's opening comes one week after GM filed for bankruptcy and vowed to reinvent itself as a leaner, greener company focused on fuel efficiency. GM has invested $25 million in the 33,000-square-foot Global Battery Systems Lab designed to develop and test the drivetrains underpinning the Chevrolet Volt and other hybrid, battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The operation features 160 test channels and 42 thermal chambers that subject batteries to real-world driving conditions and temperature variations, plus 32 battery cyclers—"treadmills" used to deplete and charge the packs repeatedly. The automaker believes the facility, outside Detroit, Michigan, will help make it a market leader in battery and EV technology.
Source: GM's 'reinvention' starts with $25 million battery lab, CNN

UK Supermarket Chain Sainsbury’s Orders Another 50 Electric Delivery Vans
UK retailer Sainsbury’s Online, which uses electric vans for home shopping delivery in London, is ordering another 50 electric vans for its fleet. The order comes as Sainsbury’s, TNT Express and other leading UK companies are working with the Mayor of London to encourage wider use of commercial electric vehicles. Sainsbury’s, which is the UK’s third largest supermarket chain, was an early adopter of electric vehicles (EVs) and now has the largest fleet of new technology electric delivery vans in Britain. With 100 electric commercial vehicles, TNT Express has the largest such fleet in the world. Sainsbury’s and TNT will work together with City Hall to share their experiences and to help other organizations across London do the same. The Mayor plans to make London the electric vehicle capital of Europe. Steps include pledging to deliver 25,000 charging points to form an integrated network across London by 2015; adding 1,000 EVs to the Greater London Authority fleet; and retaining congestion charge exemptions for EVs.
Source: Sainsbury Orders Another 50 Electric Vans As Companies Work With Mayor Of London to Encourage Adoption of Commercial EVs, Green Car

Environmentally Friendly Product Line Planned for Chrysler-Fiat Alliance
Chrysler Group and Fiat Group have now finalized their global strategic alliance, forming a "new" Chrysler that will begin operations immediately. As part of the alliance, Fiat will contribute to Chrysler its technology, platforms and powertrains for small and medium sized cars. This will allow the company to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles, such as compressed natural gas vehicles—a vehicle range that Fiat intends to strengthen. Chrysler will also gain access to Fiat's international distribution network with particular focus on Latin America and Russia. Sergio Marchionne, named Chief Executive Officer of Chrysler Group LLC, said, "We intend to … expand Chrysler's product portfolio both in North America and overseas. Work is already underway on developing new environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient, high-quality vehicles that we intend to become Chrysler's hallmark going forward.”
Source: Environmentally Friendly Product Line Planned for Chrysler Fiat Alliance, NGV Global

Hertz Relaunches Green Collection Throughout Europe
Car rental company Hertz is relaunching its Green Collection throughout Europe, offering a range of fuel-efficient vehicles at 70 airport and downtown locations. All of the vehicles, which can be reserved by make and model, have a carbon dioxide (CO2) output of less than or equal to 140g/km, meeting the voluntary output target set by the European Union for the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. More than half of the models have a CO2 output of 120g/km or less. Vehicles in the collection include the Ford Focus Diesel 1.6; the VW Passat, the Fiat Punto natural gas model; the Opel Zafira compressed natural gas (CNG); the Opel Combo CNG; and a fleet of electric scooters. Hertz has also committed to develop fuel economy goals and to reduce its rental fleet's emissions, a project being developed by the World Economic Forum.
Source: Hertz Relaunches Green Collection in Europe, Plans Fuel Economy Goals, GreenBiz

Amsterdam To Install Electric Vehicle Charging Network
As part of a two-year electric vehicle (EV) demonstration project, the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands plans to install a network of 45 EV charging stations. By 2012, the city plans to install 200 charging stations to serve the 10,000 electric vehicles that it aims to have on the road by 2015. Coulomb Technologies will supply the ChargePoint™ Networked Charging Stations, which will be locally managed. Energy company Nuon will supply renewable energy to the charging stations. “The city of Amsterdam will have the largest network of smart charging stations in Europe for fleet and consumer charging,” said Coulomb Technologies CEO Richard Lowenthal. Electric vehicle drivers will have to subscribe to the ChargePoint Network through a website. In return they will receive a ChargePoint Smart Card allowing them to charge their vehicle at any station. During the demonstration project, charging will be free.
Source: Amsterdam To Install Electric Vehicle Charging Network, Energy Efficiency News

Plant-derived Jet Fuels Could be Certified for Commercial Flights Within a Year
Jet fuels derived from algae, camelina and jatropha—plants that do not displace food crops—could be approved to replace petroleum-based fuels in commercial flights as early as next year, says Boeing executive, Bill Glover. Over the past year and a half, Boeing has been involved in four successful commercial airline test flights using a variety of biofuel jet fuel blends. These test flights have proven the technical capability of biofuel as a drop-in jet fuel replacement and shown that biofuels can improve overall fuel efficiency. Air New Zealand said that using a 50% blend of biofuel with traditional jet A-1 fuel on a 12-hour flight would save 1.43 metric tons of fuel, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 4.5 metric tons. Next month, a coalition headed by Boeing will release a full report on all the test flights. After that, the international standards board that approves fuels could certify plant-derived biofuels as jet A-1 fuel within a year, Glover said.
Source: Plant-derived fuels could be certified for flights within a year, says Boeing exec, New York Times

Tulsa Transit to Add 48 Natural Gas Buses
Tulsa Transit of Oklahoma will use Federal stimulus funds to convert a large portion of its fleet from diesel buses to more environmentally friendly ones that run on compressed natural gas (CNG.) The $13 million project will replace 13 of the system's 62 full-size buses, plus 35 paratransit mini buses. It also could fund the construction of a CNG fueling station for the buses and make some other system improvements. Tulsa Transit General Manager Bill Cartwright said this effort is looked at as the first phase of an eventual total conversion, adding that the CNG buses will save money on fuel, are quieter than diesel buses, and will be much better for the environment. Tulsa's environment will be spared annually more than 320,000 pounds of pollutants, carbon monoxide among them, after the purchase of the first wave of buses. Cartwright said Tulsa Transit plans to start the purchase process quickly because CNG buses are in demand right now due to the stimulus funding being offered through the Federal Transit Administration. "Everyone is after them right now," he said.
Source: 48 Tulsa Transit buses to convert to natural gas, Tulsa World

G.M. Says Chevy Volt Is Still on Track
Despite declaring bankruptcy, General Motors says it remains committed to keeping its Chevrolet Volt program on schedule for a late 2010 delivery. A radical departure from anything else G.M. has ever offered, the Volt is a plug-in hybrid car that G.M. claims will travel 40 miles on a full charge of its batteries. Fritz Henderson, successor to G.M. chief executive Rick Wagoner, said at a New York press conference that given the demands of both higher fuel prices and government regulation, the Volt and other new technology was “all-important for us.” Terry Rhadigan, a Chevrolet spokesman, said the Volt was “absolutely on target and that will not change,” adding that, “We will meet the deadlines we have set out.” G.M. has said that the introduction date of the vehicle, which will reportedly cost $45,000 or more, will be in November of next year.
Source: G.M. Says Chevy Volt Is Still on Track, New York Times

Car Rental Firms Expand Hybrid Offerings and Car-Sharing Divisions
Car rental companies are taking advantage of an increased supply of hybrid vehicles to expand their gas-electric hybrid offerings to a growing number of customers attracted by the vehicle’s “green’’appeal. After last summer's record-high gas prices, when there were waiting lists for Toyota's Prius, hybrid sales in the United States this year were down 39% through April. Now rental companies—such as Zipcar Inc., a car-sharing company based in Cambridge, MA—are finding the cars easier to get. Last month, Zipcar added 21 Honda Civic hybrids, 9 Nissan Altima Hybrids, and a Honda Insight to its nearly 900-vehicle Boston fleet. And instead of charging the typical premium price for a hybrid, Zipcar slashed hourly rates on its hybrids from $10 to $7 last summer, making them the cheapest cars available from the company. Spurred by Zipcar chief executive Scott Griffith's prediction that his company will reach $1 billion in revenue within the next decade, other major rental companies are expanding their car-sharing divisions, with hybrids as the main attraction.
Source: Beefing up the green fleet, The Boston Globe

Nissan and Europcar Rental Company Form EV Partnership
Nissan and Europcar, Europe’s leading passenger vehicle rental company, are forming a partnership to make electric vehicles available for customer rentals starting in 2010. This partnership between Europcar Groupe and Nissan is unique in the vehicle rental market. The vehicles will be available for rental in France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand and will be subsequently extended to other countries. “Nissan through the Renault-Nissan Alliance has committed to being a global leader in zero-emission vehicles,” said Eric Nicolas, senior vice president, administration and finance Nissan International SA. “Nissan and Europcar share the same belief that the introduction and expansion of electric vehicles is one of the best solutions to sustain the growing need for mobility across the globe.”
Source: Nissan and Europcar Form EV Partnership, Green Car Congress

Nation’s 2,000th E85 Station Opens in Miami
Two thousand E85 stations are now operating in the U.S. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) officially marked the milestone with a ceremony at the opening of the 2,000th E85 station, located in Davies, FL, just north of Miami. The station is one of 12 new E85 stations that have been built in Florida over the last several months. E85, which is a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, can only be used in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs). “What today’s all about is celebrating that milestone [the 2,000th E85 station], not only in U.S. ethanol history but also the milestone that this particular station is outside the Corn Belt,” said Robert White, director of market development for the RFA. “E85 is not just a Midwest niche any more. It’s actually coming to the areas where the populations are, in most cases where the flex-fuel vehicle counts are extremely high, and in particular, that’s true in the Miami area.” According to the RFA, there are currently approximately eight million FFVs on the nation’s roads.
Source: RFA: 2000th E85 station opens in Miami, Ethanol Producers Magazine

Massachusetts Transit Agency Debuts Natural Gas Buses
In Cambridge, MA, the Charles River Transportation Management Association (CRTMA) transit agency has taken a major step to decrease diesel emissions in the city. Beginning this month, the agency is debuting new fleet vehicles fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG) for the city’s EZRide Shuttle service. EZRide consolidates 15 private corporate shuttles into a single seven-bus system that is open to the public. With the addition of the new buses, the EZRide fleet will now emit 85% fewer particulates, 90 % less carbon monoxide, 55% less nitrogen oxide, and 20% less carbon dioxide than the former diesel fleet, during the course of operating nearly 200,000 bus miles a year. As a further benefit, the CNG now powering EZRide’s buses is available by domestic production in the United States.
Source: Charles River Transportation Management Association goes green, Cambridge Chronicle

Nikkei: Honda Ready to Launch Fit Hybrid in 2010
According to the Japanese newspaper Nikkei, Honda Motor Co. plans to respond to the growing demand for hybrid cars by launching its hybrid Fit vehicle in the fall of 2010—18 months sooner than previously announced. The gas-electric Honda's Fit hybrid is expected to sell for 1.5 million yen ($15,800) and the automaker expects to sell more than 50,000 of them per year, the paper said. Honda, the second largest automaker in Japan, unveiled its Insight hybrid in February with a starting price of $19,960. Then in April, the car became the first hybrid to top the bestseller list. The company is also planning to release two more hybrids by 2012; starting with the CR-Z sports car due in 2010 and the Civic hybrid, which, as yet does not have a confirmed release date.
Source: Honda to launch Fit hybrid in 2010: Nikkei report, International Business Times

British Scientists Investigate Rye Grass as a Fuel Feedstock
Scientists in Great Britain are working on a £1million ($1.6 million) project to turn grass into biofuel. The government-backed “grassohol” project will investigate commercially viable ways of creating ethanol from rye grass—the most common type of grass in Britain, which is normally used for grazing or silage. The project is led by the Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University in Wales. The University’s Dr. Joe Gallagher said ethanol produced from homegrown rye grass would cut the need for imported bio-ethanol, which is often made from crops that could otherwise be used for food. Dr. Gallagher said, “Rye grass is ideally suited to our climate and soil conditions, its cultivation will not affect existing environmentally sensitive landscapes or biodiversity, and it has a high extractable sugar content.” Because of these properties, rye grass offers greater potential than other crops for bio-ethanol production and in Wales, 62% of available land is permanent grassland that could provide a ready feedstock for the fuel.
Source: Grass could be fuel of the future, Wales Online