Autoblog Green

Forget biodiesel, algae could produce hydrogen

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Hydrogen

Gephyrocapsa oceanica - Wikimedia Commons

In recent years, algae has gotten a fair bit of attention for its potential use as a feedstock for producing biodiesel. While the net carbon output of algae sourced liquid fuels could be a huge boon to the environment, there is a possible path that could yield zero carbon emissions.

Researchers at the University of Tennessee are working on a process to produce hydrogen from algae via photosynthesis. The process would separate a particle produced by the algae during photosynthesis. The particle would then produce hydrogen in the presence of light and a platinum catalyst.

What makes this process different from previous efforts of this type is the strain of algae being used. The photosynthesis occurs at relatively high temperatures which often kill off the efficiency of the hydrogen generation process. The strain being tried by the Tennessee researchers is able to produce H₂ at temperatures up to 131 degrees F. According the research team, the hydrogen-photosynthesis process they have is 25 times more efficient than biofuel production. However, the process still requires a lot of development and the researchers want to replace the platinum catalyst with something more affordable and abundant.

[Source: Green Car Advisor]

Forget biodiesel, algae could produce hydrogen originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:04:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in

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 companies will use SCiBs. If so, production could shift to Europe and the U.S. in 2011, he said.

Volkswagen and Toshiba already have an agreement to collaborate on electric drive systems and power electronics.

[Source: Financial Times via Green Car Congress]

REPORT: Toshiba's SCiB battery will find a home with five automakers originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan LEAF named one of Time's top 50 inventions of 2009

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:14:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Honda, Nissan

2010 Nissan Leaf EV - Click above for hi-res gallery

As we approach the waning days of 2009, it's time for everyone to compile their lists of best and worst of this and that for the year. Time magazine is no exception to this grand tradition and typically publishes many such lists every year including top inventions. Among its list of 50 most important inventions of 2009 is the Nissan Leaf. The Leaf was unveiled in August as the first new dedicated electric vehicle from the Japanese automaker. The Leaf is important not just because of its powertrain, but because Nissan intends for it to be mass produced and sold globally at a reasonable price.

The Leaf isn't the only environmentally friendly transport on the list. The WorldFirst Formula 3 race car was developed at the University of Warwick in England with the use of bio-materials in some of its components. The steering wheel contains carrot fibers and the mirrors use potato starch while the engine runs on chocolate and vegetable biodiesel. Finally, the Honda U3-X personal mobility device also got on the list.

[Source: Time]

Nissan LEAF named one of Time's top 50 inventions of 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continental nominated for PACE Award for smart NOx sensor

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies

Continental has developed a smart NOx sensor to help manage automotive emissions and Automotive News has recognized it with a nomination for its annual PACE awards. As more and more sensors are added to cars, suppliers are trying to drive down the cost by increasing the level of integration. Typically, when new sensors are introduced, they have separate power supplies and control electronics. Combining these into a single unit allows the vehicle engineers to reduce the amount of wiring and eases assembly.

Conti's smart NOx sensor incorporates a microprocessor and controls and plugs in directly to the vehicle's CAN bus to communicate with the powertrain controller. On modern clean diesel engines, sensors like this are critical to meeting current and future emissions standards. Currently, Continental is the only supplier producing this sort of sensor for automotive applications.

[Source: Continental]

Continue reading Continental nominated for PACE Award for smart NOx sensor

Continental nominated for PACE Award for smart NOx sensor originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford adds wheat straw plastic to a small corner of the 2010 Flex

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:56:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Ford

Ford's wheat straw bio-filled polypropylene - click to enlarge

Soy seats aren't Ford's only way to introduce as many bio-materials as possible into a production vehicle. See also: Mazda's biofabric and Toyota's "ecological plastics." Ford announced today that a new wheat straw-reinforced plastic will be used in the 2010 Flex. You'll have to kind of hunt for the bioplastic in the interior, though, since only the third-row storage bins will be made with it. Even with this minimal application, Ford estimates the change will reduces "petroleum usage by some 20,000 pounds per year and reduces CO₂ emissions by 30,000 pounds per year." After its almost unnoticeable introduction in the Flex, the bioplastic could find its way to "numerous other interior, exterior and under-hood applications for multiple product lines," Ford says.

Ford engineer Patrick Berryman, who manages and develops interior trim, said, "The storage bin for the Flex was the ideal first application" for this straw wheat material. We're used to some hyperbolic statements in press releases, but "the ideal" situation? Why? Nothing could possibly be better? Who comes up with this stuff?

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford adds wheat straw plastic to a small corner of the 2010 Flex

Ford adds wheat straw plastic to a small corner of the 2010 Flex originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Project Sartre uses road trains to save fuel on the highway

Xavier Navarro — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Europe/EU

Do you get bored when driving along the interstate? Ever wish you could just pull out your laptop and check Facebook on a long straightaway? If a EU-funded project called Sartre ever becomes a reality, you could. Sartre is a sort of drafting software that would use wireless controls to group up to 8 cars together into a train that would follow a truck or bus driven by a professional driver. The software uses GPS-based technology to control the distance between cars and keeps them moving at a constant speed, always guided by the lead vehicle. Road trains would be great for long-distance commuters who don't want to pay attention to the road and would also help with by saving fuel, since they are estimated to reduce fuel costs up to 20 percent since the truck would do most of the job of pushing air out of the way. Science fiction? We'll find out soon when a test on public roads in Spain takes place.

[Source: BBC]

Project Sartre uses road trains to save fuel on the highway originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bio-plastics could almost completely replace petroleum plastics

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies

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, researchers are also working on reducing the other dino juice applications.

One of the best known applications of bio-plastics to date is the soy-foam seats used by Ford that debuted in the 2008 Mustang. The new foam cushioning material has since been added to other cars in the lineup.

A new study from Utrecht University in the Netherlands indicates that bio-plastics, while a small business today today, could expand rapidly in the next decade. The researchers estimate that these new materials could supplant 90 percent of all petrochemical plastics over time. No specific timing is given for when that level might be reached, but it will likely take many years. In the meantime, we could make a huge difference by just eliminating all the blister packs used in product packaging.

[Source: GreenCarCongress]

Bio-plastics could almost completely replace petroleum plastics originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:38:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

Trinnovator - Click above to watch the videos after the break

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 creepily finding its way into a grid of receptacles is the best way to recharge a vehicle. This is the method that the Swedish team behind the Trinnovator has come up with to make getting electrons into a PHEV or BEV somewhat automatic. It's kind of hard to explain, so we recommend just watching the video pasted after the jump.

A few immediate thoughts: real-life implementation of this system seems needlessly complicated. The receptacle grids would also have to be much wider (and maybe taller for trucks and SUVs) and installed all over the place - regular plugs make more sense, no? Plus, shouldn't there be prods on the back of the car, too? And what about parallel parking spots? We've used plug-in cars and it's really not that difficult to remember to plug in every night. If we're going to have automatic and easy recharging, we want to see wireless/witricity get real. Thanks to Anders J. for the tip! Watch the video after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

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

It's Friday: Swedish automatic PHEV charging prod gets a big WTF? from us [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA Auto Show Design Challenge entrants reveal Youthmobile 2030 designs

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., EV/Plug-in, Audi, GM, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, LA Auto Show, Green Daily

Mazda Souga Concept from LA Design Challenge 2009 - Click above for high-res image gallery

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 communities - emotionally connect to the automobile in 2030? We don't know the answer either, but at least six designers from some of the world's top automakers decided to give it a go with their own ideas. if you thought the Aptera was futuristic, check these out.

First up are the eSpira and eOra from Audi, which are controlled by thought and by the minutest adjustments to the pilot's body. Next we have the General Motors Car Hero... yes, the name is borrowed from the popular Guitar Hero line of games and the car, as you might imagine, "turns driving into gaming." What happens when the inevitable "Game Over" comes at the end? Moving along, we come to the Honda Helix, a shape-shifting vehicle that borrows actual DNA from its owner. Yuck, we don't want to be a car, we want to drive a car.

Which brings us to the Mazda Souga, easily our favorite out of this crop of concepts. This vision for the future would have each owner design his own car for the low price of $2,000 while paying an additional monthly usage fee that also covers the price of electricity to power the Souga.

Nissan's vision for the future includes cars that get their power from an electrically-charged roadway called the GRID, and the vowel-challenged V2G UNLMTD is quickly hacked into an OFF-GRID transportation device by the next breed of young hackers. Lastly, we have the Toyota Link. According to Toyota, future college students will have nearly no income and will rely on mass transit vehicles like the Link that allow them to interact via their various social networks on their daily commutes. Sounds boring to us, but what do we know?

Be sure to check out all six designs in our high-res image gallery below and hit the jump for the official press release.

[Source: LA Design Challenge]

Continue reading LA Auto Show Design Challenge entrants reveal Youthmobile 2030 designs

LA Auto Show Design Challenge entrants reveal Youthmobile 2030 designs originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:53:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., Racing

One Liter Racing - Click above for high-res image gallery

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 racing game concept a bit further and imagines an entire league that uses hyper-efficient racing vehicles sprinting around a course while using just one liter of fuel. As we know from VW's 1-liter concept vehicle, in the right vehicle, a liter of fuel can take you quite a distance.

Designed by Moritz Martin, the 1 Liter Racing League would be run in unusual locations (think shallow water and beaches) in order to mimic "the effortless gliding of skim boards" on some patches of the course. The wheels can retract in order to "surf" over wet patches and the cars have "a rear wheel-mounted air nozzle for frictionless steering during slides." Check out the renderings in the gallery below.

Gallery: 1 Liter Racing League

[Source: One Liter Racing via Yanko Design]

Rendered racing fantasy: 1-Liter Racing surfs to the future originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turn those blister packs into fuel with the Envion oil generator

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc.

It's no secret that we generate a phenomenal amount of garbage, especially here in the United States, and a lot of that trash consists of plastics. Plastics hit us in a number of ways. Most plastics are are produced, at least in part, from petroleum and the plastics don't decompose when put it in the ground. Now, there may finally be a solution that addresses both sides of that equation (one that doesn't consider the idea of using less plastic).

Envion has created an oil generator that consumes plastics and cracks them in a vacuum to produce light and medium oils. The process is claimed to be energy positive, with more energy available in the oil produced than it takes to crack the plastics. According to Envion, it costs about $10/barrel to generate the oil, considerably less than the current world price of crude.

A commercial unit can process 10,000 tons of plastic per year into 30,000-50,000 barrels of oil. A demonstrator is currently running at the Montgomery County Solid Waste Transfer Station in Derwood, Maryland.

[Source: PureGreenCars]

Turn those blister packs into fuel with the Envion oil generator originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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STUDY: Lots of local, green electricity possible for most of the U.S.

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hydrogen, Solar, Green Daily, USA

One of the reasons that a vehicle powered by something other than gasoline is such a popular idea in the U.S. is that it helps us become less reliant on other countries for our transportation needs. To this end, biofuels and electric vehicles offer great potential to use local sources of energy in our vehicles. To get a handle on how much green electricity - wind, geothermal, solar, etc. - is available in the U.S., the Insitute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) has conducted a study on renewable energy potential and came away with some amazing figures. The Energy Self-Reliant States study found that 31 states have the potential to produce more renewable energy in-state than they currently use and that another ten could make more than 75 of the amount. The state with the worst potential, Kentucky, could still meet 24 percent of its electricity needs using renewable energy.

The big problem with all of this potential is the cost of setting up the renewable energy production devices. Solar panels are not cheap, and wind farms have their own opponents. While no one expects Texas, for example, to make 533 percent more energy than it needs using renewable sources, ILSR shows that it's at least possible, and that should give hope to EV proponents (no more coal-powered grid!) and hydrogen vehicle fans (electrolyze water with green energy!) alike. Download the PDF of the study and see for yourself.

[Source: ISLR via Treehugger]

STUDY: Lots of local, green electricity possible for most of the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM awarded DOE money to research Shape Memory Alloy heat engines

Chris Shunk — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, GM, Legislation and Policy

General Motors has been awarded $2.7 million by the Department of Energy to create a working prototype engine using Shape Memory Alloys (SMA). The idea is for the prototype to use SMA tech to capture heat energy from engine exhaust gasses via an electric generator and transfer that energy to recharge batteries for hybrids or electric vehicles.

SMA tech can also theoretically power electronic devices like power seats and windows in a standard gas- or diesel-powered car, perhaps even replacing the power-sapping alternator. The GM press release, which is pasted after the jump, doesn't go into much depth explaining how memory alloys work, but the basic principle is easy to understand.

"When you heat up a stretched SMA wire, it shrinks back to its pre-stretched length, and when it cools back down it becomes less stiff and can revert to the original shape" said Jan Aase, director of GM's Vehicle Development Research Laboratory. "A loop of this wire could be used to drive an electric generator to charge a battery."

While $2.7 million isn't a lot of coin in the realm of GM finances (the General seemed to shed about $2.7 million every ten minutes pre-bankruptcy) the grant was significant in that it was the only monies awarded by the DOE given to an automaker. GM is working with partners from outside the auto industry to make the concept a reality, a practice that the General says is imperative to get breakthroughs like this to market. No timetable was given as to when GM's SMA concept would see the light of day.

[Source: GM]

Continue reading GM awarded DOE money to research Shape Memory Alloy heat engines

GM awarded DOE money to research Shape Memory Alloy heat engines originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coming Soon to an Automobile Near You: Plastic engines?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:10:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., Green Daily, Lightweight

Automakers and consumers alike all want lighter cars. "Adding lightness" has a lot of desirable effects, most notably in overall fuel efficiency and performance. While numerous efforts have been made to reduce the weight of automobiles - including downsizing, subtracting unnecessary components and using lightweight alloys and carbon fiber for structural bits - one item that's awfully hard to lighten without dire consequences is the engine.

Well, perhaps that's not entirely true after all. Apparently, Matti Holtzberg, an engineer and president of Polimotor Research, successfully designed and built a working engine made almost entirely from plastic. Holtzberg created a motor based on the 88-horsepower powerplant from a Ford Pinto that reduced weight from 415 pounds to just 152 while putting out an impressive 300 horsepower.

Polimotor has reportedly partnered up with the Huntsman Corporation of Houston in an effort to get plastic engine components such as the block, cylinder heads, pistons and rods into mass production. While electric motors and high-tech batteries seem ready to take over in the coming decades as the power sources of choice, plastic engines could potentially still be used as lightweight range-extending powerplants. Intriguing, no?

[Source: New York Times via The Kneeslider]

Coming Soon to an Automobile Near You: Plastic engines? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Bolivia will make its own lithium-ion batteries by 2018

Sebastian Blanco — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:40:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, South/Latin America

Asia and Michigan, watch out. It's a long-term goal, but Bolivia is looking to capitalize on its large in-ground lithium supply by producing li-ion batteries by 2018. While lithium might not ever be in short supply, Bolivia certainly has the advantage of not needing to import the valuable material. The country's deputy minister of Science and Technology, Roger Carvajal, said this week that the basic outline of the government strategy to commercialize the lithium deposits (estimated to be about half of the world's supply) have been decided on. They include making lithium carbonate on a commercial scale in 2013 and possibly an electric car factory after that.

[Source: Latin American Herald Tribune]

REPORT: Bolivia will make its own lithium-ion batteries by 2018 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fanciful rendering of Audi Avatar shows what ultralights could be like in 2032

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., Audi

Audi Avatar Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

There are a lot of fanciful renderings out there that try to imagine what kind of vehicles we'll be driving in the coming decades. The renderings from Yanko Design are some of the strangest, including the latest, the Audi Avatar Concept. The ultralight, three-seat Avatar is supposed to be reminiscent of the unreal vehicles from racing video games. The wheels are apparently hidden in the thin "legs." Oh, and it's purely electric, although we imagine there are some technical difficulties to work out before anyone can drive one. The 2032 Avatar is theoretically powered by four in-wheel motors and could reach 62 mph in 2.9 seconds and has a top speed of 224 mph. Click through the gallery to see what might be coming in 20+ years.

Gallery: Audi Avatar

[Source: Yanko Design]

Fanciful rendering of Audi Avatar shows what ultralights could be like in 2032 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Generation Y will "redefine" automotive market, trends green and big

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Green Daily, USA

Were you born somewhere between 1976 and the early 1990s? Are you the child of a so-called Baby Boomer? If so, you, like me, are a member of Generation Y. So, what does that mean? Well, nothing really, but it's a convenient way to classify a large chunk of the American population... and we should all get used to hearing how marketers are targeting us as their current and future consumers.

Such is the case with a recent study from AutoPacific, which finds that Generation Y will "redefine" the automotive market. It seems our generation is "willing to embrace new brands, new technology and alternative powertrains." That means electric cars, hybrids and clean diesels. We're also likely to want lots of electronic gadgetry in our cars and we expect that all that computing power will improve fuel mileage and environmental friendliness. Oh, and we don't necessarily want small cars.

So, to recap, we want large cars with good fuel economy, lots of technology and without too big a price increase... No problem, right? Click past the break for the official press release.

[Source: AutoPacific]

Continue reading REPORT: Generation Y will "redefine" automotive market, trends green and big

REPORT: Generation Y will "redefine" automotive market, trends green and big originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What's old is new again: VW developed auto start/stop, DI in 1980

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:53:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Volkswagen

The great risk in predicting the future is that the odds are great that you will be wrong. Every once in while, though, you nail the ideas almost dead on. For some amusement, it's always fun to go back and peruse old issues of magazines like Popular Science and Popular Mechanics to see what they predicted cars would look like in the next century (that would be the one we live in right now).

Way back in 1980, Volkswagen built a Golf-sized experimental car dubbed VW2000. The timing was off by a few years, but the good bits were remarkably close to where we are today. The VW2000 had a prototype automatic start stop system which is becoming increasingly common today. Unlike today's systems that mainly rely on a heavy duty conventional starter or integrated starter/generator, this concept used a flywheel based system.

The system adds a second clutch between the engine and flywheel in addition to the conventional unit between the clutch and gearbox. The new clutch would disengage when the car came to a stop, allowing the flywheel to continue spinning while the engine was off. Re-engaging the clutch would allow the flywheel to restart the engine. It's an interesting idea that we'll have to look into to see why it was never adopted. Another of the idea in the VW2000 was the adoption of direct injection for the diesel engine. That, of course, is pretty much universal now in diesels and rapidly becoming ubiquitous in gas engines too. Check out the full story in Google books where all many old issues of Popular Science have been scanned.

[Source: Popular Science]

What's old is new again: VW developed auto start/stop, DI in 1980 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen and Stanford to expand technology collaboration at "CARS"

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:52:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Volkswagen

Volkswagen is no stranger to working with Stanford University, having collaborated with the Palo Alto school on the DARPA Grand Challenge competitions for autonomous vehicles. Volkswagen also already has a technology research facility in Palo Alto. The university and automaker are now opening a new Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab on campus as part of the school of engineering and calling it the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford, or CARS.

Stanford professor and engineering dean James Plummer and VW Group research directors Dr.-Ing. Franz-Josef Paefgen and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Leohold are inaugurating the new lab this weekend. The lab will do basic research on technologies that enhance safety, environmental friendliness and personal mobility.

The center will include labs and a workshop area for building prototypes as well as a test track. VW has already committed $2 million to the new facility and $2.25 million over the next three years for CARS at Stanford.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Volkswagen and Stanford to expand technology collaboration at "CARS"

Volkswagen and Stanford to expand technology collaboration at "CARS" originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HFO-1234yf: Get used to hearing it

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:43:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., Legislation and Policy, Green Daily

What the heck is HFO-1234yf? That's the name of a new refrigerant that's reportedly 350-times less damaging to the atmosphere than the current HFC-134a (or 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane, if you prefer). You may recall that today's refrigerant was actually put into widespread use back in the early 1990s as a replacement for the long-running R12 that was found to be collecting in and damaging our delicate ozone layer.

Well, it turns out that HFC-134a isn't as good a solution as hoped for. As such, the refrigerant has been banned in Europe beginning in 2011 and it seems likely the United States will follow suit. Enter HFO-1234yf, also known as 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene.

The new refrigerant was co-developed by DuPont and Honeywell and has already been approved for use in Japan and Europe for automotive air conditioners. Earlier this week, the United States EPA issued a proposal to approve a replacement for HFC-134a, and this new stuff is seen as a likely substitute.

[Source: EPA via Green Car Advisor]

HFO-1234yf: Get used to hearing it originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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