Volvo bags $18m for fuel r&d

Greenbang remembers as a child his father drove a poo-brown Volvo estate that was very old.

So old in fact that the boot door used to fall off and remain in the back of the car until his father had the money to get it fixed. This was very embarrassing when being dropped off for rugby practice, where all his team mates laughed at him.

And another thing about Volvos - they always have their side lights on. Quite often, as most Volvo owners will know, a twat will approach you to tell you your side lights are on, failing to understand that those clever Swedes build ‘em that way.

Actually, seeing as the company has just received a grant of $18m from the Swedish Energy Agency to develop hybrid technologies and alternative fuels, perhaps that’s the first thing they need to sort out. Why have the lights on when it’s not dark, Volvo?

This comes from Fleetowner:

“The climate issue and increasing fuel prices make energy use and energy efficiency some of the most important societal issues of our time,” said Leif Johansson, CEO of the Volvo Group. “The transportation industry has a special responsibility and this research and development co-operation with the U.S. government is crucial in our efforts to develop the drivetrains and technology required by both our customers and society as a whole.”

Mazda: Hydrogen cars unrealistic until 2020

Greenbang always knew it would take a while for the industry to deliver a commercially available hydrogen car. Infrastructure and an affordable cost simply aren’t there yet but 12 years seems a particularly long time - but that is what Mazda’s Tsutomu Matsuoka has allegedly stated.

The news agency AFP has reported that:

“The earliest that customers will use these environmentally-friendly vehicles in a normal way will be 2020,” the general manager of [Mazda's] technical research centre, Tsutomu Matsuoka, said at the World Petroleum Congress in Madrid, one of the oil industry’s biggest events.

Isle of Mann race to be zero emission…?

What’s the sweetest phrase in the English language? ‘This chocolate makes you thin’ is a good start. ‘This alcohol will leave you with no hangover’ is getting closer. But also ranking highly is ‘this vehicle will out accelerate all but a Formula 1 car and release no emissions’.

There’s always been a soft spot in Greenbang’s heart for motorbikes, not only are they inexpensive, go really fast and give great adrenaline rushes they also are really light so emit precious little CO2 per km. And this is set to decrease further at the true home of bike racing - the Isle of Mann.

Next year, running alongside the main race there will also be an environmentally friendly race, called the TTxGP, to push technology that little bit futher. Whilst the organiser’s could not confirm teams at this early stage, Greenbang has been given a sneak peak at the one bike likely to be raced, the imaginatively titled Vectrix Electric Superbike, pictured above.

The organisers have stated the race will be the ‘world’s first Clean Emissions Grand Prix race’ and ’showcase a diverse range of clean emission vehicles capable of reaching Grand Prix race speeds. Racing teams are likely to be backed by international corporations, universities and high tech institutions, all eager to prove their credentials in the brave new world of clean emission transportation.’

There will also be a open class race for innovative cottage teams that are experimenting with alternative energy sources. These teams will be required to build the bike to a set budget using off-the-shelf power sources only.

“It’s unlikely the vehicles will be close to the petroleum ones… petrol has had 100 years to evolve,” race coordinator, Azhar Hussain, told Greenbang.  “Vehicles will still be quite fast though, probably 70 to 100mph.

“We’ve made the conditions of entry as low as possible, for example there is no minimum weight.

“The intention is to run a long term series… we’d like to take it to other parts of the world and ultimately make clean emission vehicles sexy.”

Kingston University’s course director for motorsport and motorcycle engineering, Paul Brandon has said of the race “Designing a solution for a course as demanding the Isle of Man TT circuit will further increase the impetus to bring cost effective, clean transport technologies to the general public.”

Teams and sponsors can register at here.

Shell opens renewable hydrogen fueling station

A little over a week ago Greenbang spoke to Honda about the launch of its new hydrogen powered car, the FCX Clarity.  During the discussion Honda let her know that in addition to the likes of actress Jaime Lee Curtis and Producer Ron Yerxa the car would be making use of five refueling stations strategically positioned around California.

Greenbang was informed that the enough hydrogen to fill one car every 24 hours would be generated from electrophoresis* and that was the end of the story.

A news release from Shell, however, has just resparked her interest.  According to the release Shell has just ‘announced the opening of California’s first hydrogen refueling station on a conventional Shell gasoline forecourt.’  Which is impressive, but one further item in the release has caught Greenbang’s eye - no carbon will be emitted in the hydrogen production process:

Hydrogen produced at the Shell station will be done on-site by the electrolysis of water using ‘green electricity’ purchased from the Los Angeles City Department of Water & Power. It will then be compressed and stored to provide daily fueling.

In addition to zero tailpipe emissions, finding ways to produce hydrogen from renewable sources will be critically important to making the fuel infrastructure sustainable. And with ground breaking approaches to produce ‘green hydrogen’, manufactured from renewable energy sources, such as bioethanol (derived from biomass) and solar energy being researched for the future, ‘well to wheel’ emissions will be able to near zero.

The station will also support a U.S. Department of Energy hydrogen infrastructure program, to supply hydrogen to future and existing General Motors FCVs in the LA metro area. GM plans to provide more than thirty Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell-Electric compact SUVs to private and commercial customers in Southern California, as part of a three-year trial, called “Project Driveaway” to test the vehicles in real world driving conditions.

The capacity is still low but matches current demand, speaking to Robin Lebovitz from Shell’s press office Greenbang learned the station can “fuel three cars back to back and five to seven cars over 24 hours.”

* Using electricity to split the water into hydrogen and oxygen.

US shoppers willing to buy hybrid when they know what it is

Greenbang stumbled across a great green themed press release this week. As opening paragraphs go, this one’s a doozy: “According to a new survey by global market research firm Synovate, US consumers are more familiar with advanced propulsion systems compared to a year ago”.

Advanced propulsion systems? Familiar? Greenbang wonders how Synovate worked out the familiarity levels. She lazily imagines some sort of flash cards, normally used by pushy mothers teaching their pre-schoolers how to read. “What’s this?” says the market researcher, brandishing a card. “That’s an orange,” says the US consumer. “And this?” “That’s a beachball.” “And what about this?” “That’s a plug-in hybrid advanced propulsion system, obviously. I didn’t recognise it last year, but now I do. I’m much more familiar.”

Whatever their method, Synovate has found out that stateside Joe Public has been pushed to get to grips with newer, greener motoring technologies as fuel prices rise and the economy looks ready to do the opposite.

Still, it doesn’t mean that hybrids are likely to be parting consumers from their money any time soon:

“While fuel economy is climbing in terms of purchase reasons, it still has not penetrated the top 10 reasons for purchasing a new vehicle,” says Scott Miller, CEO of Synovate Motoresearch. “Consumers are not willing to sacrifice safety, reliability and value for the money,” adds Miller.

High fuel prices and concerns about the environment influence consumers’ consideration of hybrid-electric vehicles, while these same concerns flatten direct injection diesel consideration. Consumers cite battery concerns as a leading reason for not considering battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles although many look past this issue for hybrids in general, driving it to its highest consideration ever.

Synovate also found out that once consumers read up a bit about the pros and cons of various technologies, they tended to feel the love more towards hybrids and less so towards flex-fuel motors.

Here’s a graph for good measure:

Japan Airlines readies second-gen biofuels test flight

What do Air New Zealand, KLM, Continental and Virgin got in common?

If you said they’re all airlines, you’d be right. If you said they’re all international airlines, you’d be right too. If you said they all have vowels in their name, you’d be wrong - KLM doesn’t.

But if you said they’re all going planning or trialling biofuels flight you’d be right and would put an end to this daft guessing game.

The latest airline to join in all the fun is Japan Airlines: the land of the rising sun’s national carrier will be conducting short test flight with the help of Boeing and Pratt & Whitney using second-gen biofuel/normal jet fuel mix.

No word on what will be Japan Airlines’ biofuel of choice though.

A little more from Japan Airlines:

A second-generation biofuel will be blended with jet fuel and tested in one of the four engines of a JAL Boeing 747-300 aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines. The biofuel to be used has not been decided yet.

JAL will provide the aircraft and staff for the short approximately 1 hour demonstration flight out of an airport in Japan scheduled for the end of FY2008, the year ending March 31, 2009. The flight will be the first biofuel demonstration by an Asian carrier, and the first using Pratt & Whitney engines.[…]

The highest levels of safety will be adhered to throughout the whole biofuel flight demonstration process. Boeing will conduct a preliminary biofuel screening evaluation after which the best performing biofuel will be selected by the end of August 2008. The biofuel will be used in only one of the four engines of the Boeing 747-300 aircraft operated by JAL.

Fuel efficiency kills off Hummer?

Rappers, assorted celebs with more money than sense and hen parties in central London may well be forced to shed their favourite means of transport soon: it seems the Hummer could be going the way of the dodo (Greenbang is crossing every available appendage for good luck.)

According to the Wall Street Journal, General Motors is putting off redesigning its trucks and SUVs as consumers hanker after more fuel efficient vehicles.

With all the current petrol price worries, rather than push on with dreaming up new rounds of SUVs and pickups, it’ll just extend the life of the existing ranges.

“People briefed on the matter say the auto maker also has discussed killing off at least one future Hummer SUV product, and potentially axing another brand,” says the paper.

If, of course, you’re one of those people that can’t live without a Chelsea tractor, then there are still options out there to stop you getting your tyres slashed by the SUV haters. Ford’s Escape Hybrid, for example, is a hybrid that does 34 mpg. It even comes in green.

Hmm - wonder when we’ll first see the first green tractor?

Bosch, Samsung unite on hybrid batteries

Today’s Lady is Bosch, today’s Tramp is Samsung and the string of spaghetti drawing them together is a hybrid car battery joint venture. Greenbang thinks they’ll make a wonderful couple and is already buying her hat.

The 50-50 joint venture will bear the name of SB LiMotive and should be up and running from this September. The pair will make “develop, manufacture, and sell” lithium-ion batteries for “automotive applications”.

It’s the second time Samsung’s battery efforts have come to Greenbang’s attention: back in April, the company’s R&D folk came up with a prototype fuel cell for mobiles that ran on water.

Samsung’s already got it’s thumb in the li-ion market, making cells for makers laptops, mobile phones, and power tools. For those who need more facts, it flogged 376 million battery cells last year.

France’s camless green cars get €61 million

When it comes to sins against punning, Greenbang would like to put out a j’accuse to our dear friends across the channel. The subject of Greenbang’s pun-induced ire is a French green car scheme bearing the unfortunate moniker LOwCO2MOTION. It makes Greenbang want to lie down and weep. What next? Carbon capture under the banner 2 CO²AL 4 sCOOL?

Luckily for the French, the EU doesn’t give out funding based on the quality of the project name: it’s decided to give France the official go ahead to put €61 million into LOwCO2MOTION.

The scheme will see eight companies including automotive suppliers Valeo working on cutting down car CO2 emissions by 30 percent.
Here’s how Valeo describes the project:

The program focuses on two major innovations. The first is the camless system, in which the camshaft in engines is replaced by electromagnetic actuators that operate each valve independently. By controlling residual gases, minimizing pumping losses and deactivating cylinders and valves, this technology reduces fuel consumption and pollutant emissions by 20% for gasoline engines. It also provides enhanced performance and driving comfort due to an increase in low-end engine torque. A version for diesel engines will also be developed.

The second major innovation, totally compatible with the camless system, is a next-generation mild hybrid based on Valeo’s StARS+X technology. In addition to the Start-Stop function which cuts off the engine when the vehicle is at a standstill, this system features a regenerative braking function, where energy generated during braking is recovered. The program includes the development of a new high-efficiency, high-power alternator technology as well as ultracapacitors, enabling a 10 to 15% reduction in fuel consumption. These innovations will be enabled by new mechatronic technologies which are also part of the program.

Honda turns it up to 11

Growing up, Greenbang loved the rocumentary This is Spinal Tap. After the film’s famous quote about the amp going up to 11: “Well, it’s one louder, isn’t it? It’s not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You’re on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you’re on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?,” there was a launch of a series of amps going that high. Greenbang even has one.

And the band has, 24 years later, become a trend setter once more. The band’s Christopher Guest will own one of the first five Honda FCX Claritys. The car is powered by an electric motor and uses a fuel cell stack so emits no CO2. Honda cite a 280 mile range and 72 miles per kg-H2.

According to Honda:

The film producer Ron Yerxa will take delivery of the first FCX Clarity in July. The remaining four early adopters for Honda’s next-generation fuel cell vehicle are author and actress Jamie Lee Curtis and her filmmaker husband Christopher Guest; business owner and car enthusiast Jim Salomon; actress Laura Harris; and Jon Spallino, already the world’s first retail fuel cell vehicle customer, who has been leasing the current generation FCX since 2005. Yerxa, Harris and Spallino attended the event in Japan.

Honda will also be creating the ‘first ever fuel cell vehicle dealership network’ made of three southern California dealerships. Each is located in close proximity to hydrogen refueling stations and will be well-positioned to support Honda’s growing base of FCX Clarity customers.
As per the press release:

American Honda is working with its dealer partners to implement processes for fuel cell vehicle lease, delivery and service support for the duration of their leases. Establishing a dedicated sales network and service infrastructure provides customers with the best balance of convenience and the highest quality of service. When the FCX Clarity requires periodic maintenance, customers will simply schedule a visit with their local FCX Clarity dealer.
American Honda will perform all required work at its specialized fuel cell service facility, in the greater Los Angeles area. Upon completion of the work, the dealer will return the vehicle to the customer.

Greenbang tracks the explosion of the environmental industry, reporting on news of green innovation and thought leadership.

We blog on this rather than the environmental problems of the world because we are interested in the answers to climate change.