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Category Archives: alternative fuels
Windsor, Canada to Buy Chinese BYD Electric Buses
The agreement also opens talks to bring manufacturing of BYD buses to the Ontario region in the near future. BYD has delivered over 300 all-electric buses worldwide and has orders for over 1300 more in 2012, making it apparently the largest electric bus manufacturer in the world. Continue reading
EPA Regulates Diesel Fuel Injected Underground for Fracking
The law is controversial because in pay-to-play Washington, Congress exempted most fracking fluids from the regulation of fluids injected into the ground required under the Safe Drinking Water Act. In environmental circles, this became known as the Halliburton loophole. Then U.S. vice-president Richard Cheney ran Halliburton – the biggest fracking services company in the country – before he was elected, of course. Continue reading
Rebadged BMW i8 Concept Plug in Appears in Beijing
Back in February BWM introduced the new “BMW i sub-brand” of electric and hybrid cars that will debut in 2013 with the production of BMW i3 and BMW i8. BMW also established a holding company called BMW i Ventures capitalized at $100 million. Let’s see – i before e except after… Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, environment
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, bmw hybrid, edrive, hybrid, i8, Ken Zino
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Earth Day Milestones – History of Auto Air Pollution Regs
As we celebrate Earth Day here’s a list of important dates in the fight against automotive or so-called mobile source air pollution. In 1970, Congress passes the first major Clean Air Act, requiring a 90% reduction in emissions from new automobiles by 1975. Congress also establishes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), giving it broad responsibility for regulating motor vehicle pollution. Continue reading
EPA Issues Tougher Rules for Oil and Natural Gas Production
EPA – sensitive, if not given over to election year politics and high energy prices – also said the standards would enable companies to collect additional natural gas that can be sold. The updated EPA standards include the first federal clean air rules for natural gas wells that are hydraulically fractured, specifically requiring operators of new fractured natural gas wells to use what it says are cost-effective technologies and practices to capture natural gas that might otherwise escape the well. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, economy, energy, environment, news, news analysis, transportation
Tagged air pollution, api, auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, clean air act, energy production, epa, fracturing, Ken Zino, natural gas, oil
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DOE Gives EV Supplier UQM More Time on ARRAS Grant
The politically contentious American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contained billions upon billions in taxpayer funding to businesses though a number of Recovery Act and related programs, including loans, loan guarantees, grants, contracts and tax incentives, in partnership with the Department of Treasury. In total, CBO estimates that the legislation will increase budget deficits by about $831 billion over the 2009–2019 period. Continue reading
Energy Research to be Coordinated by Three Federal Agencies
In a public relations move that clearly has political value during an election year with skyrocketing energy prices, the U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Interior are supposed to work together “to ensure that continued expansion of natural gas and oil production happens safely and responsibly.” Continue reading
EPA Releases 2010 U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released today the 17th annual U.S. greenhouse gas inventory. The final report shows overall emissions in 2010 increased by 3.2% from the previous year because the economy expanded slightly. In addition, a factor was an … Continue reading
Chinese Great Wall Alternative Power Systems Now Building Cyclone External Combustion Engine. Return of Steam Power?
The Cyclone technology is intriguing, but not commercially proven. It is a Rankine Cycle heat-regenerative external combustion engine. It is sometimes called a “Schoell Cycle” engine after company founder and CEO Harry Schoell. Simply put it’s a 21st century steam engine.
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Toyota Starts Sub-Compact Yaris Hybrid Production in France
Toyota Motor Manufacturing France began production today of an all-new Yaris Hybrid. This means that TMMF is the first French and first European auto plant to produce full hybrid vehicles for the high-volume sub-compact B-segment. Continue reading
U.S. Fuel Consumption Drops in Q1 as High Prices Hurt
Total U.S. liquid fuels consumption fell by an estimated 850,000 bbl/d (4.5%) in the first quarter of 2012 from the same period last year, the Energy Information Agency announced this afternoon. However, hard-pressed consumers did not see that drop in demand reflected in the price of fuel since the energy markets do not always follow academic economic theory.
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Fisker Shows Atlantic EV – Will It Ever Be Built?
In essence, Fisker – similar to EVs – has a range problem with doubts about whether it can reach its stated destination of creating 2,000 autoworker jobs building 100,000 plug-in hybrids per year at the 3.2 million square-foot factory in Delaware before it runs out of cash. Continue reading
BMW and Toyota Sign Lithium Ion Battery Research Deal
Current production Toyota hybrids use nickel metal hydride batteries, an older but thoroughly proven technology. Toyota has been reluctant to use the newer, more expensive lithium ion technology, much loved by environmentalist, but shunned thus far by mainstream car buyers. Nevertheless, Toyota is introducing its first generation of lithium ion batteries in the Prius Plug-in hybrid just on sale in the U.S. Continue reading
A123 Recalls Lithium Ion Batteries Shipped to Fisker, Others
The $55 million recall comes after the well-publicized failure during testing of a Fisker Karma that was owned by Consumer Reports. A123, an investor in Fisker, lost almost $260 million in 2011. A123 received a $249.1 million grant from the Department of Energy to reopen plants in Livonia and Romulus, Mich., as well as money and tax credits from Michigan worth more than $100 million. The future of the company, which has never earned a profit, is not clear. Continue reading
Colorado Volt Buyers Eligible for $13,500 in Taxpayer Subsidies
The core environmental problem here is an economic one. The slow selling $40,000 Volt – even with subsidies – remains overpriced and not competitive in the marketplace. No wonder that the Volt plant in Michigan is currently down for five weeks. More troubling is the sales of the smaller Prius c hybrid. In the first three days since the small Prius c went on sale this month it sold 1,201 units, bypassing sales of the much more expensive – two times the price – Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf for the entire month of February. Continue reading
