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EnerDel has applied for $480 million in federal loans to crank up battery production

Posted in Cool by Admin on the 2009-01-02

Lithium ion battery maker EnerDel wants to tap into some of the $25 billion that Congress set aside to help fund advanced vehicle manufacturing in the 2007 energy bill. EnerDel has applied for low interest loans totaling $480 million to help fund the construction of manufacturing capacity for batteries. Automotive scale battery manufacturing is limited today, particularly in the US. Right now EnerDel is the only US company making automotive lithium batteries at facilities in Indianapolis and Noblesville, Indiana. The money would allow EnerDel to double the size of an existing factory to 600,000 packs a year and build a new factory capable of building another 1.2 million packs annually. The first packs are destined for the troubled Tn!nk company, something that Ener1 Chairman and CEO Charles Gassenheimer told AutoblogGreen is not a problem.

Gallery: EDTA 2008: Ener1 Th!nk City

[Source: Ener1]

Continue reading EnerDel has applied for $480 million in federal loans to crank up battery production

EnerDel has applied for $480 million in federal loans to crank up battery production originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Euro Chevy Matiz now available with LPG conversion

Posted in Cool by Admin on the 2008-12-31

Filed under: Chevrolet, Natural Gas, European Union

Click the Matiz for a high res gallery

German company farhrmitgas has just produced a concept Chevy Matiz that has been converted to run on LPG. The LPG Matiz is claimed to be able to run 100 km on only 3 Euros worth of fuel. Fahrmitgas is a supplier of LPG conversion systems that are optimized for specific vehicles. The Matiz concept is powered by a 796 cc three-cylinder engine that has been re-tuned to optimize its performance with the autogas that has an octane rating of 111. By allowing the engine to run closer to the knock limit, the engine now produces more mid-range torque and lower fuel consumption.

For this concept, fahrmitgas has added an auto start-stop system, low-rolling resistance Hankook tires, new springs that lower the body by 30 mm to reduce the frontal area and aerodynamic drag. The LPG Matiz is not currently a regular production model, but the conversion kit can be ordered through the Chevrolet options catalog.

Gallery: Chevy Matiz Fahrmitgac concept

[source: fahrmitgas.de]

Continue reading Euro Chevy Matiz now available with LPG conversion

Euro Chevy Matiz now available with LPG conversion originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New wind turbine could dramatically increase generation efficiency

Posted in Cool by Admin on the 2008-12-31

Filed under: Emerging Technologies

One of the primary reasons that current wind turbines have to be so large is that most of the energy is lost as the air flows off the end of the blades. That size increases the cost and reduces the density of turbines that can be installed. FloDesign has developed a wind turbine that incorporates ideas from jet engines, including a shroud to duct air over the turbine blades. Unlike previous ducted turbine designs, this one is claimed to be able to self align and still work effectively at up to 20 degrees off axis from the wind direction. FloDesign also claims that the turbine can operate effectively over a much wider range of wind speeds.

This new design should theoretically be much less expensive to produce and install. The smaller size would also allow up to three times the installation density compared to current conventional types. You can check out a video here.

[Source: MIT Technology Review via CleanTechnica.com]

New wind turbine could dramatically increase generation efficiency originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michigan approves $335 million in tax breaks for battery manufacturers

Posted in Cool by Admin on the 2008-12-29

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

The state of Michigan has been trying to attract advanced technology and green energy companies for several years now - with limited success. The latest effort passed through the Michigan legislature just before the holiday break in the form of tax credits for battery companies that set up manufacturing facilities in the state.

So far, lithium ion battery efforts here have been relatively limited with the best known examples being Compact Power Inc and a subsidiary of A123 Systems having research and development operations in the state. CPI is a subsidiary of LG Chem and it is believed to have been awarded the supply deal for the Chevy Volt.

The Michigan legislature passed a package of tax credits valued at up to $335 million for battery manufacturing operations in the state. The precise amount of the tax breaks would depend on production volumes.

[Source: Detroit News]

Michigan approves $335 million in tax breaks for battery manufacturers originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan-NEC JV to invest for 200,000 Li-ion batteries annually by 2011

Posted in Cool by Admin on the 2008-12-29

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Nissan

Nissan and NEC are apparently seeing a lot of potential for their lithium battery joint venture. The Japanese Nikkei is reporting that Automotive Energy Supply Corp. will spend upwards of $1.1 billion on production facilities for lithium ion batteries to be used in hybrid and electric vehicles. The original production plan for 13,000 units in 2010 and 65,000 in 2011 has apparently been pulled ahead a year. The 2011 target is now for 200,000 batteries a year.

The partnership is apparently quite bullish on the prospects for its involvement with Better Place and other electric vehicle test programs. Nissan and NEC may even add more production capacity in Europe and the US in order to supply battery packs to other car makers.

[Source: GreenCarCongress]

Nissan-NEC JV to invest for 200,000 Li-ion batteries annually by 2011 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Green justice: Should judges cuts electric car speeders some slack?

Posted in Cool by Admin on the 2008-12-29

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy, Green Daily, USA

Although we ourselves may be guilty of occasionally and ever-so-slightly exceeding the posted speed limits, we cannot condone this conduct as it is potentially dangerous and typically not very "green." However, when Benjamin N., owner of the converted "Electro Metro", found himself slapped with an $83.80 ticket for driving 25 mph in a 15 mph zone (15 mph!!! Some people can walk that fast!) we can sympathize with his impulse to fight the power and confront this injustice before a magistrate.

When the day came to apologize to the court and throw himself at its mercy, the electric car owner had to arrive early in the morning as he had lost the actual ticket and was unsure of the exact time the festivities were to begin. Thus began a series of events deserving of a witty and well-written blog entry which our hero has conveniently posted. Check it out for yourselves and let us know whether you think his "electric car defense" should have been more successful than it was.

[Source: Green Cars: Videos and More! via Ecomodder]

Green justice: Should judges cuts electric car speeders some slack? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Holland to show first fuel cell powered tractor in February

Posted in Cool by Admin on the 2008-12-26

Filed under: Hydrogen

Agricultural equipment maker New Holland will be unveiling what it claims is the first fuel cell-powered tractor at a French trade show in February. The tractor is based on the existing T6000 unit with a hydrogen fuel cell electric drive system replacing the conventional diesel powertrain. New Holland apparently collaborated with Fiat and Iveco to develop the new drive train. Few details are available at this time, but the tractor apparently has three lithium ion batteries in addition to the fuel cell. As with other fuel cell vehicles, the batteries store energy from regenerative braking and provide bursts of power when needed. This allows the fuel cell stack to operate in its most efficient steady state mode. The prototype that will be unveiled will have a 120 hp electric drive motor.

[Sources: FarmersGaurdian.com, FarmingForum.co.uk]

New Holland to show first fuel cell powered tractor in February originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tazzari gives update and electrifying Christmas wishes

Posted in Cool by Admin on the 2008-12-23

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Lightweight, European Union

The Tazzari Group has sent out their monthly update that reveals a little bit more about their up-coming all-electric city car and retains an optimistic tone despite the recent bankruptcy of their planned UK distributor, the NICE Car Company. They report that they have been receiving lots of interest and hundreds of questions about the Zero via their website. Promised in their missive is that this will be the last Zero-less Christmas and suggest you might want to leave a little extra room under the tree next year. Of course, if you live in North America the chances of it being available here within the next 12 months are slim.

Also revealed were four different "driving modes" available to drivers and selectable by means of four different colored buttons on the dash. Yellow is your standard daily drive mode. Green offers some extension to your range and, presumably, cuts back on some of your acceleration potential. Blue is for rain drive mode and increases safety for more hazardous conditions like rain or snow. Red, our favorite, is for ~~reverse~~ race (I always get that wrong) and allows you to drive it like you stole it. We hope they make some actual photos available soon but in the meantime, we offer you a gallery of renderings below.

Gallery: Tazzari Zero renders