SunHydro opens public-use hydrogen refueling station in Connecticut— Autoblog Green

Late last week, startup firmSunHydroopened what it claims is the nation's first public-use hydrogen refueling station. We suspect that SunHydro's play on words allows it claim that this station, unlike the roughly 70 other H2 stations nationwide, is somehow different and thus justifies its claim of"nation's first,"but we just don't see its uniqueness. Therefore, we'll take the cautious approach and call SunHydro's station in Wallingford, CT one of a few in the U.S. that offer public access to hydrogen.

SunHydro's unit utilizes energy captured from an array of photovoltaic solar cells to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen. This resulting hydrogen is ready to be pumped into one of a limited number of vehicles that make use of the gas, either to generate electricity like theHonda FCX Clarityand most other fuel cell vehicles do, or to burn it directly in the engine likeBMW's hydrogen-powered 7 Seriescan. We don't envision many of the aforementioned vehicles pulling up for a fill with any degree of regularity, but four transit buses from nearby Hartford will use of the station on a daily basis. At least it's comforting to know that the next time you venture to Connecticut in hydrogen-fed vehicle, refueling won't be a problem.

{Source:Green Car Reports}

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Volvo to"set the standard"in the electric vehicle segment; fuel cell range extender coming soon— Autoblog Green

Volvo C30 BEV prototype– Click above for high-res image gallery

Volvounleashed some big news at theParis Motor Show. In case you missed it, that's when the automaker confirmed that the C30 battery electric vehicle (BEV) concept wasready to get its production groove on. Shortly thereafter, Volvo's Paul Gustavsson, the architect behind the company's electrification strategy, confirmed that theplug-in C30 will indeed hit the U.S. market. Volvo's first wave of electricC30s are tooling around Swedenand the initial reaction is reportedly quite positive.

Volvo's development and production of the C30 is humming along, albeit at a slow and deliberate pace. The automaker plans to lease 90 or so C30 BEVs to customers throughout Sweden and will closely watch how the vehicles cope with the rigors of real-world use. It will use this data to refine the technology before launching the vehicle to the public in 2013. This refinement, Volvo chief executive officer Stefan Jacoboy states, will lead to a product that,"sets the standard in the industry."

Additionally, Gustavsson claims that the battery-powered C30 is a no-compromise vehicle that,"offers the same comfort, the same space and the same safety as the C30."Safety is the backbone of Volvo, and theelectric C30's crash test videospeaks for itself. If the C30 electric is destined to"set the industry standard,"then one could only hope that the automaker'supcoming plug-in hybrid, as well as its fuel cell range-extended electric vehicle prototype, raise the bar to new heights as well.

What, haven't you heard that Volvo is prototyping a fuel cell range extender for its C30 electric? No. That's okay, we'll fill you in. Volvo aims to have two working prototypes that utilize fuel cell technology to extend the range of its battery-powered C30. The prototypes, developed with assistance from Powercell Sweden AB, should hit the streets by 2012. Volvo anticipates that the fuel cell unit will provide the C30 with at least 155 miles of additional range. If all goes as planned, a production version could follow.

A Volvo C30 DRIVe Electric with a hydrogen fuel cell range extender, yeah, that's a vehicle with real potential to,"set the industry standard."Hit the jump for more on Volvo's plans to development range-extending fuel cell technology for the battery-powered C30.Hat tip to Roy!

Gallery:Battery electric Volvo C30

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{Source:Autopia, Volvo}

PRESS RELEASE

Volvo Cars starts development of fuel cells to extend the electric car's operating range

Volvo Cars is now taking the next step towards next-generation electric car technology. Backed by research support from the Swedish Energy Agency the company is initiating development of a fuel cell that can extend the electric car's operating range without any carbon dioxide emissions.

The aim is to have two prototype chassis based on the Volvo C30 DRIVe Electric ready for testing in everyday traffic in 2012.

"This is an exciting expansion of our focus on electrification. Battery cost and size means that all-electric cars still have a relatively limited operating range. Fuel cells may be one way of extending the distance these cars can cover before they need to be recharged. What is more, the project gives us increased knowledge about fuel cells and hydrogen gas,"says Volvo Cars President and CEO Stefan Jacoby.

Volvo Cars is working together with the company Powercell Sweden AB on this project. In the first phase, a preliminary study is being conducted into what is known as a Range Extender, which consists of a fuel cell with a reformer. The task of the reformer is to break down a liquid fuel, in this case petrol, and create hydrogen gas. In the fuel cell, this hydrogen gas is converted into electrical energy, which is used to power the car's electric motor.

The technology generates electricity completely without any emissions of carbon oxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and particles. Due to the highly efficient process, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are significantly reduced compared with a conventional vehicle. The end products are electricity, water and a small amount of carbon dioxide.

The technology also can be adapted for renewable fuels.

Significantly increased operating range
This technology is expected to increase the electric car's operating range by up to 250 kilometres - in addition to the range provided by the car's battery pack. The fuel cell industry expects that the cost efficiency will improve continuously through refined technology and large-scale production.

In the next phase, pending support from the Swedish Energy Agency, Volvo Cars and Powercell will produce two test cars based on the current Volvo C30 DRIVe Electric. Testing of the cars will begin in 2012.

"We have just taken the first steps and it is naturally too early to talk about market introduction of electric cars with Range Extenders. The industrial decision will come after we have learned more about fuel cells and the opportunities they offer,"says Stefan Jacoby.

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Study: Lithium-ion batteries age much like we do; irreversibly— Autoblog Green

In a lab at Ohio State University (OSU), scientists, engineers and experts in the chemical field are studying the effects that time has on lithium-ion batteries. The goal: to discover the"hows"and"whys"behind battery aging. Specifically, why do lithium-ion batteries degrade from repeated use and how come this aging process can't be prevented. Preliminary results from the ongoing study suggest that external conditions such as temperature variations and charging rates play only a minor role in battery life. Aging, it seems, begins on the nanoscale level and once the process starts, it is irreversible.

The researchers ripped apart dead batteries to study the materials within and discovered that the finely-structured nanomaterials on the battery's electrode had coarsened. The study further revealed that a fraction of the lithium (which, in its ion form, shuttles charge between the battery's electrodes) was irreversibly lost from the cathode to the anode. Giorgio Rizzoni, director of the Center for Automotive Research at OSU sums up the preliminary findings like this:

We can clearly see that an aged sample versus and unaged sample has much lower lithium concentration in the cathode. It has essentially combined with anode material in an irreversible way.

The researchers suspect that the initial coarsening of the nanomaterials on the battery's electrode eventually leads to its demise. Further testing is underway, but if the initial findings prove to be true, then battery makers will be armed with vital info that could allow them to design future batteries with longer lifetimes. That's something we'd like to see before we get too much older.

{Source: American Institute of Physics}

PRESS RELEASE

How Batteries Grow Old

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a laboratory at Ohio State University, an ongoing experiment is studying why batteries lose their ability to hold a charge as they age -- specifically lithium-ion batteries, which have generated a lot of buzz for their potential to power the electric cars of the future.

Preliminary results presented today at the AVS 57th International Symposium& Exhibition, taking place this week at the Albuquerque Convention Center in New Mexico, suggest that the irreversible changes inside a dead battery start at the nanoscale.

Yann Guezennec and Giorgio Rizzoni of OSU developed new experimental facilities and procedures to charge and discharge commercially-available Li-ion batteries thousands of times over many months in a variety of conditions designed to mimic how these batteries are actually used by hybrid and all-electric vehicles. Some of the batteries were run in hot temperatures like those in Arizona; others in colder conditions similar to those in Alaska.

To understand the results of this testing, Bharat Bhushan, Suresh Babu, and Lei Raymond Cao studied the materials inside of the batteries to help determine how this aging manifests itself in the structure of the electrode materials.

When the batteries died, the scientists dissected them and used a technique called infrared thermal imaging to search for problem areas in each electrode, a 1.5-meter-long strip of metal tape coated with oxide and rolled up like a jelly roll. They then took a closer look at these problem areas using a variety of techniques with different length scale resolutions (e.g. scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscope, scanning spreading resistance microscopy, Kelvin probe microscopy, transmission electron microscopy) and discovered that the finely-structured nanomaterials on these electrodes that allow the battery rapidly charge and discharge had coarsened in size.

Additional studies of the aged batteries, using neutron depth profiling, revealed that a fraction of the lithium that is responsible, in ion form, for shuttling electric charge between electrodes during charging and discharging, was no longer available for charge transfer, but was irreversibly lost from the cathode to the anode.

"We can clearly see that an aged sample versus and unaged sample has much lower lithium concentration in the cathode,"said Rizzoni, director of the Center for Automotive Research at OSU."It has essentially combined with anode material in an irreversible way."

This research is being performed by Center for Automotive Research at OSU in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards Technology.

The researchers suspect, but cannot yet prove, that the coarsening of the cathode may be behind this loss of lithium. If this theory turns out to be correct, it could point battery manufacturers in the right direction for making durable batteries with longer lifetimes.

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Nissan Leaf road tour gets help from a diesel truck with 440V chargers— Autoblog Green

Diesel Trailer used on the Nissan Leaf tour– Click above for high-res image

Remember the16-foothydrogen support trailerthat followed theHydrogen Road Tourfrom California to Vancouver last year? Yeah, that showed how the infrastructure for H2 vehicles just wasn't available in places the tour wanted to go. Turns out, advanced technology vehicles of many sorts need to bring these secret support vehicles along for the ride, as we learned from a recent tip about theNissan Leaf's road tour.

What you see above is the diesel-powered 440V range extender that follows the Leaf around on tour. This picture was taken during the recent North American Car of the Year drive near Ann Arbor, MI. Katherine Zachary, who handles PR for Nissan North America, told AutoblogGreen:

Yes, in some cases we've used a mobile quick charger that's powered by a generator to supplement our preferred 240V Level 2 charging. The Drive Electric Tour is targeting 50,000 test drives from coast to coast, making it the largest ever electric vehicle test drive. Our objective is to give as many people as possible the opportunity to drive the Nissan LEAF, and quick charging when necessary has proven to be the most effective solution to meet the great demand. At the rapid rate of infrastructure development - we have visibility to 13,000 charging stations that will be installed next year - we are confident this is solution is only temporary.

Additionally, wherever possible, we've taken measures to ensure the Drive Electric Tour is friendly to the environment - including wide usage of recycled materials throughout the experience.

As Zachary said, Nissan is working hard to get fast chargers installed around the country so that Leaf drivers will be able to get their cars powered by electrons generated by (potentially, at least) non-fossil-fuel sources. We're in the transition phase to alternative power vehicles, and that sometimes means finding slightly secret means to move the cars down the road today.

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Editorial: GM's Chevy Volt advertising might work today, but it's incredibly shortsighted— Autoblog Green

What doesGeneral Motorshave against electric cars? The brand new"Anthem"TV spotfor theChevrolet Voltthat debuts during the World Series tonight (watch ithere) contains the line,"This is America, man. Home of the highway, last-minute detours and spontaneous acts of freedom"and makes the emotional case against worrying about range. The ad doesn't attack theNissan Leafdirectly, but it most certainly wants to set the Volt apart from that electric vehicle (EV).

During the recent press launch for the Volt, Micky Bly, General Motors' executive director for hybrid electric vehicles and batteries, dismissed EVs by saying that it would take 28 days to drive from Detroit to Florida in an electric car. Even if he was joking, his message is quite serious. It's also wrong. Heck, if you can pedal your bike 50 miles a day, it would take you just 21 days to get from the Motor City to Jacksonville. If you have an EV with a 100-mile range and can't find a fast-charger anywhere along the way, it would take you 10 days. In aTesla Roadster, which has an official range of 245 miles, it would take you four or five days. Some intrepid plug-in vehicle fans have already gonefrom Detroit to Washington, D.C. on an electric Brammo Enertiain two weeks.

No one is arguing that electric cars don't have range limitations, but they have many benefits over gas-powered vehicles and GM is wrong to minimize them. There's nothing wrong with explaining why your own product is better than your opponent's, but GM's continued anti-EV rhetoric is getting annoying. It's also very shortsighted, as we've told GM directly. Read onafter the jumpto find out why.

First, the pro-EV arguments we've all heard before: electric cars don't send oil money overseas and they don't emit any pollutants from the tailpipe. It's also much cheaper to drive on electrons than gasoline. Okay, that's all old news. The most important reason GM should not denigrate EVs– which the Volt's"It's More Car Than Electric"tagline most certainly does– is that GM itself is working on electric cars. Yes, right now. There are two small EV test fleets that we know of,the Cruzes in Koreaandthe Opel Merivas in Germany, and who knows what else is happening behind closed doors. GMwillhave to play in this segment at some point, so the less it bashes EVs now, the easier it'll be for them to sell one later.

GM's marketing departmentmaywin the current public relations battle against Nissan and the Leaf by attacking EVs in 2010, but it is totally shooting the GM of 2020– or whenever GM actually tries to sell a real electric car– in the foot. In effect, GM will eventually be calling out its own technology for being inadequate. A more positive message– something that explains how amazing this Volt is (andit really is an amazing vehicle) and hard GM has worked to make it– would work so much better down the road. After all, down the road is where we all want to see plug-in vehicles, right?

Gallery:2011 Chevy Volt

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First real-world range test of 2011 Nissan Leaf covers 116.1 miles— Autoblog Green

2011 Nissan Leaf - Click above for high-res image gallery

Initially,Nissanquoted theLeaf's estimated range at an even 100 miles. From the get go, we knew that this single number was more or less an average of what the car could travel between charges and not a figure that was set in stone for all drivers on any given day. Recently, the automaker laid out somevariable range estimatesthat took into account weather variations, speed, HVAC settings and more and showed that a Leaf's range could drop as low as 47 miles and top out at 138 miles under ideal circumstances.

Real-world results are usually a better indicator than some drawn up estimates written on paper, and, as luck would have it,Plugin Carswriter Nick Chambers was recently given the chance to conduct a total range test of the battery-powered Leaf. Chambers plotted a course from Nissan's North America Headquarters in Nashville, TN to the infamous Jack Daniel's distillery. The 116.1-mile drive took Chambers across country roads, through small towns flooded with stoplights and onto local byways. Chambers claims that he didn't drive aggressively and often stayed below posted speeds, but did not baby the Leaf"like an obsessed hypermiler"might have.

In the end, the Leaf made the trip. Yep, that's 116.1 miles traveled under real-world conditions. The range-testing run utilized around 22.76 kW of the Leaf's total 24 kWh battery, indicating that it was pushed to the limits. Surprisingly, Chambers claims to have called upon the cool air of the range-depleting A/C system for much of the journey. He also engaged the Leaf'srange-boosting Eco-modebefore starting his jaunt, giving us a decent prediction for what a green-footed driver can expect.

Gallery:Nissan Leaf

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Photos copyright©2010 Sebastian Blanco / AOL

{Source:Plugin Cars}

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BMW on Demand car sharing program offers short thrills in any new Bimmer— Autoblog Green

2011 BMW M3 Frozen Gray Coupe– Click above for high-res image gallery

With its just-introducedBMWon Demand program, the automaker has entered the car sharing industry to compete withheavyweight player Zipcar. Unlike Zipcar, which provides a range of mostly fuel-efficiency models, the BMW on Demand pilot car sharing program offers access to all of the automaker's vehicles, including asphalt terrors like theM3andM6. Program members sign up for short-term rentals at a price that's estimated to be in the range of $22 to $45 per hour, depending on model and time of day. The BMW pilot project allows rentals via phone, in person or online from the company's event center in Munich, Germany. If the pilot gains traction, BMW will open additional rental sites in other major European cities.

At first glance, BMW's on Demand program might not appear all that green. In fact, it took some back-and-forth bartering before this article graced these pages, but here's why it did: First, BMW has been honored, not once, but five years and counting, byDow Jones as the most sustainable automobile company in the world. Second,BMW's diesel-powered1and3 Seriesmodels are efficient oil-burners that are also a hoot to drive. Let's not forget that BMW also offers several small, efficient diesel models in Germany that are not available stateside. Finally, car sharing allows many customers to forego private ownership of a vehicle and rely upon a service only when a ride is absolutely necessary. This, in theory at least, couldeliminate millions of vehicle from the roads.

If you're still undecided about the inclusion of the BMW on Demand program on this site, then perhaps the candid words of Autoblog executive editor, Chris Paukert, who uttered,"it's probably a more efficient setup to get your yayas out for one hour in an M6 than to buy one,"will forever change your mind.

Gallery:2011 BMW M3 Frozen Gray Coupe

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{Source:Reuters}

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Honda Insight wins alternative-energy rallies in Quebec and New Zealand— Autoblog Green

Rallying often conjures up images of vehicles going fender-to-fender in a battle to conquer the dirt. The course tends to be packed with locals who often stand far too close for comfort. That's traditional rallying. In alternative-energy rallies, there's no fender-to-fender action, no high-speed thrills and few spectators. Instead alternative-energy rallies focus on maximizing fuel efficiency. Contestants are given a route, must abide by preset minimum and maximum speeds and, in order to capture victory, must arrive at the finish line having burned less fuel than the competition.

At this year's running of theRallyeÉnergie Mobilité Alternative near Mont Tremblant, Quebec, 20 teams set out to conquer the course. Entrants included severalHonda Insights, a fewHonda CR-Zs and someToyota Priuses. The race is the only FIA-sanctioned event of its kind in North America. Competitors hit the 311-mile course and, when the dust settled, twoHondaemployees in an Insight hybrid captured victory. Second and third place went to two teams in Toyota Priuses. Unfortunately, race results do not include overall efficiency numbers, but the Insight did capture the top spot, knocking the Priuses out of the winner's circle.

On the other side of the world, the Honda Insight captured the crown in the2010 AA Energywise Rallyin New Zealand. The Insight, piloted by Honda employees, covered 1,095 miles with a total fuel cost of NZD$147.83 ($110.98 U.S. at the current exchange rate). Considering that gasoline in New Zealand costs nearly $5.57 (U.S.) a gallon, the rally-winning Insight managed 55.3 miles per gallon, a number which was more than sufficient to beat out 48 other vehicles and win the title. Hit the jump for more on this year's alternative-energy rally in Quebec.Hat tip to Kevin!

{Source: Rallye Ernergie Alternative}

PRESS RELEASE

Honda wins fuel efficiency rally in Quebec

Boucherville, Quebec– Two Honda employees have won the fourth annual RallyeÉnergie Mobilité Alternative, which requires participants to drive in an allotted time while using as little fuel as possible. Maxime Caron and Marc Quirion, who work at Honda's regional office in Quebec, drove a 2010 Honda Insight hybrid.

The only event of its kind in North America, the rally is sanctioned by the Fédération internationale de l'automobile (FIA) and took place early in October in the Upper Laurentians. The two will have the opportunity to participate in the fifth annual Monte Carlo Rally for Alternative Energy Vehicles in March 2011 through an exchange program with the Automobile Club of Monaco.

"We are proud of the effort by our two associates and the result they achieved,"said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice-president of Honda Canada."Of course, we believe that all participants were winners because ultimately the customer and the environment win due to these various technologies to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. As a leader in fuel economy and low-emission technology, Honda is committed to offering Canadians a wide range of fuel-efficient cars that are designed to help ensure blue skies for our children for generations to come."

This is the second year in a row that Honda has participated in the event, for which approximately 20 teams were registered this year. The participants follow a 465-kilometres course, staying within speed limits, driving within a specific time, and consuming the least amount of fuel possible.

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Will GM's electric vehicle policy be dictated by the success of its IPO?— Autoblog Green

2011 Chevrolet Volt– Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motorsis getting closer to the day it takes thatfinancial plunge and once again offers its stock to the world. The day of theIPO, which is speculated to occur in November, will be a very important day for the future of GM. If it goes well, it will provide the automaker with a massive infusion of cash, much of it which figures to be used to repay the government. The money could also be tucked away into the General's treasury where it can serve to fund product development. One such area of development? Electric vehicles.

GM is finally getting ready to release theChevrolet Voltupon the waiting world, and early demand for the vehicle is high. However, the technology's long-term financial viability at GM remains very much in doubt, and according toTheDetroitBureau.comsources, while other Voltec programs are being explored, nothing has been approved yet because executives and board members are waiting to see how the IPO affects their research and development budgets.

Gallery:2011 Chevrolet Volt: First Drive

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Photos copyright©2010 Chris Paukert / AOL

{Source:The Detroit Bureau}

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Bosch exec: Significant battery improvements are plausible, but still a decade away— Autoblog Green

Sulfur crystal from Agrigento, Sicily, Italy

If a significant battery breakthrough surfaced today, electric vehicles might be able to duplicate internal combustion engine vehicle's cost and utility by tomorrow. Of course, that's a big if and, as we all know, not going to happen. But these breakthroughs are coming– the question is when. Opinions differ, with some automakers suggesting that meaningful battery advancementsareright around the corner, while others believe that electric vehicles' ultimate potential won't be unlocked for decades. It's a contentious issue and the future of electric vehicles are at stake. So, what's the likelihood that a epochal battery breakthrough will surface within a few year's time?

Unfortunately, that's not a question that can be answered with any degree of certainty, but at least one auto exec, Bernd Bohr, chairman of Bosch Automotive Group, believes that breakthroughs in battery tech are a decade, or perhaps even further away. Speaking at the commercial vehicle show in Hannover, Germany recently, Bohr said he believes that certain chemistries, likelithium sulfur, display properties that could potentially increase battery efficiency, but"they are in the basic research stage."Bohr added:

Before serial production for consumer electronics, which we always see as the entry point for new battery technologies, it will be much more than five years, we think.

Battery technologies used in the consumer electronics market typically reach the automotive industry several years later. So, let's assume that 2020ish looks like an appropriate target date for the epochal breakthrough, Maybe.

{Source:Automotive News– sub. req.}

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