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REPORT: Toshiba's SCiB battery will find a home with five automakers

Last month, when Toshiba announced it would build a second plant to produce its lithium titanate Super Charge Batteries (SCiB), no automakers had publicly declared they would use those particular packs. This is still the case. Now, though, if you were to just throw darts at a list of potential automakers who might be putting SCiBs into plug-in vehicles, there's a good chance you'll hit one who's actually going to, if Shoshi Kawatsu, the general manager of the SCiB division, is right. Kowatsu told the Financial Times that "about" five car ... Read more →

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Bio-plastics could almost completely replace petroleum plastics Sam Abuelsamid

Aside from fuels, one of the biggest uses of petroleum is in the production of polymer materials like plastics. Just as automakers have attempted to reduce the use of petroleum-based fuels, ...

It's Friday: Swedish automatic PHEV charging prod gets a big WTF? from us [w/VIDEO] Sebastian Blanco

Is it too harsh to say that the Trinnovator is a solution without a problem? At the very least, we don't think that a flexible, extendable prod coming out of the front bumper of a plug-in car and ...

LA Auto Show Design Challenge entrants reveal Youthmobile 2030 designs Jeremy Korzeniewski

This year's iteration of the annual Design Challenge at the LA Auto Show asks the question: How will a new generation of drivers age 16-23 – raised with cell phones, web cams and online ...

Rendered racing fantasy: 1-Liter Racing surfs to the future Sebastian Blanco

We recently saw a rendering for the purely-speculative Audi Avatar, which was based on the outlandish vehicles seen in some futuristic racing video games. A new set of renderings takes the unreal ...

Honda says nanotubes "open new possibilities" for hybrids and EVs - and muscles 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Nanotechnology isn't new to the green car discussion. After all, we've heard about the potential for nano lubricants and Ford's work researching nanotechnology for developing "paints, plastics, light metals and catalysts that will allow reduced vehicle weight and improved fuel economy." There's ...

BYU research hints at a possibility of a fuel cell powered by sugar 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

When it comes to sugar and cars, there's a type of cellulosic ethanol made from sugarcane, much of which is produced in Brazil. However, researchers at Brigham Young University (BYU) have developed a catalyst that breaks glucose molecules in such a way that electrons, and therefore electricity, ...

AltCar 2009: NuTech battery swap trailer is fresh, kind of crazy 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

The most interesting electric vehicle concept product we saw at the AltCar expo in Santa Monica this weekend was the automatic battery charger and changer from NuTech Energy Solutions. Since the idea is a new one from Peter Capizzo and his business partner Glenda Dubak, all they had to show was ...

MotoCzysz + Bajaj = dream? 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

When last we had word of MotoCzysz, the company had just finished a marathon struggle to design, build and race an electric motorcycle at the TTXGP. The epic E1pc was built and shipped to the Isle of Man where it participated in the practice runs but tragically suffered a motor failure at the ...

AltCar 2009: Touring the show with the Governator 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

During the opening day of the 2009 AltCar Expo & Conference here in Santa Monica, Governor Schwarzenegger stopped by for a tour of the green vehicles on display. He learned about the Volt from Dave Barthmuss (above), sat down in a Tango and the Wheego Whip, learned about the MINI E and ...

Nissan robot car concept avoids accidents by mimicking fishes 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Nissan sleeps with the fishes? Well, no... not exactly. But we'd guess someone in Nissan's Japanese think tank must watch a little too much Discovery Channel. We've all seen those amazing videos where unspeakably large schools of fish travel huge distances without anyone or anything to guide ...

Will we ever replace the standard rear- and side-view mirror? 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Recently, we received the following question from a reader: Rear view mirrors inevitably create blind spots. They add untold fuel costs by resisting airflow past the automobile at speed. Since the first back-up camera and display technology came on the scene they have been obsolete. What is ...

Magnetic Air Car "does not violate the laws of energy conservation or the basic principles of thermodynamics" 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

When a news article about a new car starts with this line – "Vehicle currently in development requires no fuel, no external charging" – it makes us worry. We're not exactly big fans of vaporware made of unobtanium. So, it is with skepticism that we read about a new compressed air car ...

Google algorithms tweaking electric car-smart grid communication 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Google's interest in everything everywhere things green has apparently been deeper than we knew. The solar car ports, the $2.75 million investment in companies (like Aptera) and the whole RechargeIT program are old news. What's thus far been under the radar is that Google is working on software ...

EcoCAR, Year Two starts in Boston; student engineers cleaning up the Saturn Vue 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

GM may have discarded the Saturn brand in the company's bankruptcy, but there are still at least 150 young engineers working hard to turn a Saturn Vue into the most efficient vehicle possible. The engineers are all students from 17 universities who are participating in the EcoCAR challenge, the ...

EcoSafe Inflator could put a little saltwater in your airbag 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Turns out, pretty much any part of a car can get a green makeover. ARC Automotive Inc., for example, has figured out a way to make an airbag inflator that use saltwater brine (and a small pyrotechnic charge) to deploy an airbag instead of the larger charges that other pyrotechnic inflators use. ...

REPORT: Tesla Model S was designed with battery swaps in mind 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Recently-resigned Tesla Motors engineering chief Michael Donoughe revealed an interesting tidbit of information on his way out the door. Speaking to Green Car Advisor, Donoughe said that the Model S has been designed to accommodate fast (sub-five minutes) battery swaps. While a quick battery ...

Dyson Racing debuts ethanol-biobutanol blend at Petit Le Mans 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

When we spoke with American Le Mans Series CEO Scott Atherton at the Detroit Auto Show last January he revealed that discussions were being held between the series and parties interested in racing with a new fuel. At the time he declined to reveal the nature of the fuel but expected to announce ...

Tokyo Preview: Honda unveils U3-X personal mobility device 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

We've seen our fair share of personal mobility devices over the past few years -- from the ill-received Segway to Toyota's i-Real. Now, Honda's joining the minimalist motoring set with its own limb-atrophying U3-X. Using technology originally developed for ASIMO the robot, the "U" in U3-X ...

Freescale developing new integrated circuit sensor for emissions reduction 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Over the last thirty years, automakers have managed to eliminate roughly 99 percent of noxious emissions from the tailpipes of new cars. One of the keys to make that possible has been closed loop control of fuel systems. What this means is that sensors are used in a variety of locations, including ...

Unseen benefit: Underwriters Laboratories working on standards for electric car batteries 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

While no one will mandate that the new Underwriters Laboratories 2580 standard be applied to all advanced electric vehicle batteries, the fact that there will soon be a UL listing for "large batteries in electric vehicles" is a good thing. UL's unsurprising focus on the standard will be to "help ...

This plug-in vehicle shoots for the moon (rover) 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

With no time on its hands for promotional appearances at glitzy European autoshows, one of America's most advanced electric vehicles has been busy being put through its paces on the torturous terrain found at Black Point Lava Flow in Arizona. The Lunar Electric Rover (LER) has spent the last ...

Cross-country algae-fuel caravan arrives in D.C. 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

The cross-country tour featuring the FUEL movie bus and the Algaeus (the Prius running on algae biofuel) and other green vehicles has made it to Washington, D.C. After leaving San Francisco last week, the caravan made stops in Nevada, Michigan and Pennsylvania, among other places. Third Planet ...

smartUSA names Coulomb preferred charging station supplier 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

It may not have a starring role alongside the latest electrics from Renault at the Frankfort Motor Show this week like its bigger Better Place competitor, but Coulomb Technologies with its ChargePoint Network is happy to inform the world it's getting a good dose of Teutonic love itself, thank ...

Frankfurt 2009: Renault goes Twizy (with Zoe and Fluence and Kangoo) 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

The more we see of Renault's all-electric line-up that is on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the more we want to hang out at company cocktail parties. Something delicious and potent must be on tap there. From the elegant and unexpected lines of the Zoe (above, note the recycle logo) to the ...

Burger King employs MotionPower to produce electricity from drive-thru 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

In the future, fetching your burgers and fries via the drive-thru might mean helping the store you're patronizing keep the lights on. In more ways than one. Over the Labor Day weekend, a Burger King in Hillside, New Jersey tried out the MotionPower energy harvester from New Energy Technologies ...

Patent application reveals possible cylinder deactivation tech for Honda motorcycles 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

Honda is pulling out all the stops with its upcoming VFR1200 motorcycle in an effort to make the machine into a proper technological tour de force. In addition to a brand new dual clutch gearbox – the first of its kind for the two-wheeled market – the World's Largest motorcycle maker ...

REPORT: Koenigsegg developing pneumatic engine technology and hydraulic hybrid powertrains 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

Ever since Koenigsegg emerged as the chosen buyer for fellow Swedish automaker Saab, rumors of a number of eco-friendly automobiles from the two automakers have been making the rounds. In addition to a production version of Koenigsegg's electric Quant concept from this year's Geneva Motor Show, ...

Ford finds buyer for Wixom plant, will be used as renewable energy park 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

It's official. Negotiations are reportedly complete and Ford's abandoned plant in Wixom, Michigan, is getting a new lease on life. The factory originally opened way back in 1957 during the glory years of the American automotive industry and it encompasses a massive 320 acres (4.7 million ...

Honda to launch first-ever dual clutch gearbox for motorcycles with new VFR 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

When Honda's upcoming VFR1200 hits the American and European markets in 2010, the new sports tourer will be equipped with the first dual clutch transmission designed for the two-wheeled market. Like the highly-regarded DSG transmissions from Volkswagen and Audi, two separate clutches inside the ...

USPS study shows V2G could speed internal investment return 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

We haven't heard anything about the 250 electric Chrysler Town and Country mini-vans joining the United States Postal Service (USPS) fleet since the Earth Day announcement but that doesn't mean sleet, snow or gloom of night has kept the mail peoples from considering the benefits that electric ...

What are the promises and pitfalls of carbon fiber? 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

For the last century or so, cars and trucks have predominantly been formed from one material in particular: steel. It's not hard to see why – steel is relatively inexpensive, highly abundant and easy to form into somewhat complex shapes that can be repaired with mostly basic tools. ...

REPORT: China not hoarding rare earth metals, just wants them to be used in Inner Mongolia 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

Reports of the death of rare earth metals might have been greatly exaggerated. While it remains true that China mines almost all (i.e., more than 95 percent) of the rare earth minerals that are taken out of the earth, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that recent news saying that China may ...

Korean electric car gets a charge - an induction charge - from the road 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

Using solar roads for power generation is an idea that is being tested by the U.S. DOE. Over in Korea, tests involving a road giving up some power are underway. Instead of sucking up sunlight, the prototype roads send energy upwards to small electric vehicles through touchless magnetic induction ...

U.S. military considering Moller Skycar in Afghanistan? 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

What are the chances that American soldiers will soon be ditching their High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles – better known as the HMMWV, Humvee or just the Hummer – for flying Skycars from Moller? Well, let's just say we're not holding our breath. Still, there's apparently at ...

Venture capitalists looking for wins from advanced battery start-ups, methanol fuel cells 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

Even in a down economy, millions of dollars are flowing into start-up companies working on advanced batteries for plug-in vehicles and methanol fuel cells. Three companies operating in the less-sexy side of the new automotive industry – Seeo, CFX and Oorja Protonics – have all raised ...

XP Vehicles refused DOE loan, invites you to take action! 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

When last we left the company behind the inflatable car concept, we were questioning whether or not they are full of hot air. Now, with the recent loan refusal from the Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program (ATVMP), it appears we aren't alone in our ...

Japanese companies plan to start recycling used automotive lithium ion batteries 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

According to a report from the Nikkei in Japan (via Hybrid Cars), Nippon Mining & Metals Co. and GS Yuasa Corp. are each planning to begin collecting used lithium ion batteries from hybrid and electric cars to be recycled. Apparently, it's not exactly a straightforward process to extract and ...

Solar Roadways get prototype funding from DOT 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

Tarmac 2.0 has just taken its first baby-step. The solar road technology that promises to produce clean electricity, replace power transmission and information infrastructure, requires no plowing and lights up to provide navigational and safety information is about to go from the drawing board ...

REPORT: public demonstrations of EESTOR's sectretive EESU next month? 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

Last month, we got a glimpse inside EEStor's ultracapacitor progress thanks to a leaked audio clip – admittedly, possibly on purpose – of someone interviewing EEStor CEO Dick Weir. At that time, Weir said that the EESU packs would be coming soon and promised demonstrations for 2010. ...

Better Place to trial battery-swapping taxis in Tokyo 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

When Better Place wanted to demonstrate how their battery switching station would operate they chose Yokohama Japan as the backdrop and now the land of the rising sun is returning some of that love. The electric vehicle infrastructure company has received an "award" to carry out a pilot project ...

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