Category: Transportation

Click to Open Overlay Gallery Zonar products are used in a variety of Daimler Trucks North America vehicles, including trucks made by Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses. Daimler We’re moving into the age of the connected vehicle. And as excited as we might be to have cars that play our ’90s alternative rock Spotify playlists and let us send text messages via voice control, such things are frivolous compared to the safety and efficiency benefits that come when you wire up tractor trailers. Daimler Trucks North America signed a deal Thursday to take a small stake (less than 25 percent) in Zonar, which specializes in connecting truck computers, drivers, and fleet operators who can use all that data to increase efficiency and safety. The tech provider will remain independent, but it’s a sign that Daimler’s committed to using new tools to make trucking as efficient as possible. […]

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General Motors Co. has released early prototype images of its Chevrolet Bolt electric car, evidence the Detroit auto maker is likely well ahead of Tesla Motors Inc. in the race to launch a more affordable long-range battery-powered car. The images show a car that is similar in size and design to the Bolt concept vehicle shown at the Detroit auto show in January. The company says the car will achieve 200 miles of driving distance on a charge, and cost about $30,000 after factoring in federal tax incentives. GM’s Chevy Bolt is slated to hit the market in 2017, at roughly the same time Tesla and other auto makers are expected to be close to launching similar offerings. Currently selling a pricier sedan called the Model S and in the midst of launching the sibling Model X SUV, Tesla expects its Model 3 to help take the product lineup […]

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WASHINGTON—The government on Friday proposed new carbon-emissions standards for big trucks as part of President Barack Obama ’s broad climate-change agenda, a move many in the trucking industry cautiously support as a way to save money on fuel. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department jointly announced draft standards for big vehicles ranging from garbage trucks to 18-wheelers, as well as from vans and buses to heavy-duty pickup trucks. “In 2014, trucking spent nearly $150 billion on diesel fuel alone,” said Glen Kedzie, a vice president of the American Trucking Associations. “So the potential for real cost savings and associated environmental benefits of this rule are there.” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy The administration is proposing two broad categories of standards for big trucks: one for the load-pulling tractor unit of large so-called semitrailers and one for the trailer it hauls. The tractor standard will require that a truck […]

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Tesla Motors Inc. has locked a leading advanced battery researcher into an exclusive partnership designed to help the Palo Alto, Calif., electric-car maker sharply lower the cost of its batteries. Jeff Dahn, a professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia known for his work innovating lithium-ion batteries like those Tesla uses to power its Model S sedan, will cooperate with Tesla researchers. Now working on a project with 3M Co. MMM 0.29 % , he will enter a research partnership with Tesla when his current work is completed. Financial terms weren’t available, but Tesla said it would sponsor Mr. Dahn’s research efforts roughly 6,400 kilometers from Northern California in return for his help solving Tesla’s cost problem. JB Straubel, Tesla’s chief technologist, said this week that lithium-ion battery costs need to come down significantly in coming years so the auto maker can offer lower-priced vehicles. Tesla is the largest […]

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Trucking fleets may be considering natural gas as their fuel of choice, a report from IHS finds. File Photo by UPI/Ezio Petersen PARIS, June 3 (UPI) — China may take the lead, along with the trucking sector, in the transport shift from oil to natural gas and liquefied natural gas, a report from IHS finds. Michael Stoppard, chief gas strategist for the consultant firm, said lower crude oil prices have taken the spotlight off the pursuit for natural gas as an alternative transport fuel. "Nonetheless, the shift to greater use of gas in trucks is set to continue," he said in an emailed statement. "It is widely accepted that power generation is the primary growth market for natural gas demand, but gas as a fuel offers a new market with potentially more value." While passenger vehicles and trucks are comparable in terms of oil consumption, the study finds truck […]

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« China Steel Corporation making $46M investment in LanzaTech commercial waste-gas-to-ethanol project | Main | Toyota embraces the “Bullsh*t” about hydrogen » Vehicle cost, current battery technology, and inadequate consumer knowledge are some of the barriers preventing widespread adoption of plug-in electric vehicles, according to a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council. Developing less expensive, better performing batteries is essential to reducing overall vehicle cost, and a market strategy is needed to create awareness and overcome customer uncertainty, the report finds. The report recommends a range of incentives that the federal government can offer to address these and other barriers. The premise of the report—“ Overcoming Barriers to Deployment of Plug-in Electric Vehicles ”—is that there is a benefit to the United States if a higher fraction of vehicle miles traveled is fueled by electricity rather than by petroleum due to the resulting reduction in dependence […]

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Industry-wide cost estimates for battery packs for electric vehicles have declined by approximately 14% annually between 2007 and 2014, from above US$1,000 per kWh to around US$410/kWh, according to a systematic review of more than 80 different estimates by a team from the Stockholm Environment Institute. Further, they reported in their paper published in Nature Climate Change , the cost of battery packs used by market-leading BEV manufacturers are even lower at US$300/kWh, and has declined by 8% annually. The results further suggest that it is possible that economies of scale will continue to push cost towards US$200/kWh in the near future even without further cell chemistry improvements. Their study, said Björn Nykvist and Måns Nilsson, has significant implications for the assumptions used when modeling future energy and transport systems and permits an optimistic outlook for BEVs contributing to low-carbon transport. Cost of Li-ion battery packs in BEVs. Results […]

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LONDON (Reuters) – Traffic on U.S. highways has hit a new record as the economy recovers and the lower cost of gasoline and diesel encourages more travel. Cars and trucks drove a record 3.050 trillion miles on U.S. highways in the 12 months ending in January, passing the previous peak of 3.039 trillion set in the 12 months to November 2007, according to the Federal Highway Administration ( link.reuters.com/vyj44w ). In January, traffic was 4.9 percent higher than in the corresponding month in 2014, the agency said on Tuesday. Information on traffic volumes is collected from 4,000 roadside monitoring stations across the country and published with a two-month delay. Traffic fell more than 3 percent between November 2007 and November 2011, as the increased cost of fuel coupled with the recession and increased unemployment to produce the most sustained drop in motoring since World War Two. Traffic volumes have […]

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LONDON (Reuters) – Demand for oil is intimately connected to the demand for transportation in the United States and the other advanced industrial economies. Cars, trucks, airlines, railways and shipping accounted for 71 percent of total U.S. oil consumption in 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Petroleum-derived fuels, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and fuel oil, met 97 percent of the transportation sector’s energy needs. Before the oil shocks of the 1970s as much as half of U.S. oil demand came from power producers and for heating homes, offices and factories. But following the sharp rise in prices, oil’s role in other parts of the economy was largely replaced by cheaper coal, gas, nuclear and eventually renewables, leaving oil as a transport fuel. The same pattern was repeated across the other advanced industrial economies. Oil demand has become inseparable from the demand for transportation services. But […]

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ENLARGE Pat Hoban, of Capitol City Nissan in Chamblee, Ga., expects a lot of late model Leaf electric cars to soon land in a weak market for used electric cars. Photo: Dustin Chambers for The Wall Street Journal Nissan Motor Co. ’s Leaf electric car has been a big seller for Atlanta car dealer Pat Hoban over the past three years, thanks to its low monthly lease price. But as those car leases are beginning to expire amid cheap gasoline, the vehicle is becoming a bit of a headache. Mr. Hoban expects between 100 and 150 of the leased vehicles to be returned to his Capitol City Nissan dealership on a monthly basis over the next two years as their leases expire. The problem: used Leafs aren’t attracting much demand. With gas prices down 33% from a year ago, and buyers cooling toward electric vehicles, some auto makers are […]

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« French Post Office and Renault Trucks testing electric truck with fuel cell range extender | Main | Proterra introduces new extended range battery pack for electric transit buses; up to 180 miles » Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed a new electrolyte that allows lithium-sulfur, lithium-metal and lithium-air batteries to operate at 99% efficiency, while having a high current density and without growing dendrites that short-circuit rechargeable batteries. An open-access paper on their work is published in the journal Nature Communications . “ This new discovery could kick-start the development of powerful and practical next-generation rechargeable batteries such as lithium-sulfur, lithium-air and lithium-metal batteries ,” said PNNL physicist Ji-Guang Zhang, corresponding author of the paper. Lithium (​Li) metal is an ideal anode material for rechargeable Li batteries due to its extremely high theoretical specific capacity (3,860 mAh g −1 ), low density (0.534 g cm −3 ) and the […]

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(Bloomberg) — Apple Inc., which has been working secretly on a car, is pushing its team to begin production of an electric vehicle as early as 2020, people with knowledge of the matter said. The timeframe — automakers typically spend five to seven years developing a car — underscores the project’s aggressive goals and could set the stage for a battle for customers with Tesla Motors Inc. and General Motors Co., both of which are targeting a 2017 release of an electric vehicle that can go more than 200 miles on a single charge and cost less than $40,000. “That’s the inflection point — the proving ground — that brings on the electric age,” Steve LeVine, author of “The Powerhouse,” a book about the automotive battery industry, said on Bloomberg TV Thursday. “Now you have Apple coming in and this is critical mass. Was GM really going to be […]

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Apple’s CarPlay system is seen in the touchscreen console of a Ferrari FF automobile A maker of electric car batteries is suing Apple for poaching some of its best researchers, providing further evidence of the iPhone maker’s plans for a big push into the automotive market . In court filings this week, A123 Systems accused Apple of “systematically hiring away [its] high-tech PhD and engineering employees, thereby effectively shutting down various projects/programs” at the Massachusetts-based company. “They are doing so in an effort to support Apple’s apparent plans to establish a battery division that is similar if not identical to A123’s,” the lawsuit states. The company is also suing five former employees from its R&D lab who have joined Apple since June last year. The lawsuit follows news of Apple’s extensive hiring efforts from carmakers, first reported by the Financial Times last week. The creation of a top-secret automotive […]

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« Porsche names GKN Driveline “Technology Partner” for eAxle system in 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid supercar | Main | Study: stopping at red lights exposes drivers to high levels of particulates » Concept GC-PHEV. Click to enlarge. Mitsubishi staged the North American debut of its Concept GC-PHEV (“Grand Cruiser”)—a next-generation full-size crossover plug-in hybrid. ( Earlier post .) The Concept GC-PHEV features a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 gasoline engine paired with a high-output electric motor; 12 kWh lithium-ion battery; 8-speed automatic transmission; and Mitsubishi Motors’ advanced full-time Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel drive. The PHEV drivetrain offers high performance (335 bhp/250 kW) combined with excellent fuel economy. For additional power optimization with reduced exhaust emissions, the 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 engine benefits from the latest iteration of Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control (MIVEC) variable valve timing. The system’s high-capacity main drive lithium-ion battery pack can also act as a mobile […]

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ENLARGE As shipping lines seek to cut costs, new container ships larger than the CSCL Globe, one of the biggest such ships now in service, are in the offing or on the drawing board. Photo: Agence France-Presse/Getty Images The big container ships that ply the world’s trade routes are growing ever larger, holding down the cost of ocean shipping, but also raising concerns among vessel operators, insurers and regulators about the potential for catastrophic accidents. The ships, designed to carry freight stowed in large metal containers, transport much of the world’s seaborne cargo, including manufactured goods and, increasingly, farm products. Their increasing size already is straining the unloading resources at some port facilities and—along with labor troubles—has contributed to major traffic snarls at the nation’s West Coast ports. Since the economic downturn, shipping lines have sought to stay competitive by running larger, more fuel-efficient container ships in major shipping […]

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ENLARGE Thomas Wallner, a mechanical engineer with the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, adjusts Argonne’s "omnivorous engine," an automobile engine that Wallner and his colleagues have tailored to efficiently run on blends of gasoline, ethanol and butanol. Photo: Argonne National Laboratory When most of us picture the high-tech personal mobility of the future, we tend to imagine a sleek, dead-quiet electric car, packed with voice- or motion-directed gizmos and self-driving features. We see ourselves gliding around almost effortlessly, free to talk, work or text as we see fit. What few of us conjure up is having this sort of experience in a gasoline-fueled car. But that may be changing in the face of recent design advances. The internal combustion engine—the workhorse of the industrial age—is proving to be much more than a stubborn technological incumbent. More than a century after becoming the dominant way that people […]

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ENLARGE High gasoline prices in recent years helped give public-transit agencies across the U.S. their best ridership numbers in half a century. Now, falling prices run the risk of putting those gains in reverse. The swift drop in gas prices, to less than $2 a gallon in much of the nation, already appears to be encouraging Americans to drive more. Miles driven increased 3% in October from a year earlier,the largest year-over-year gain since 2006,and advanced 1.1% in November, according to the U. S. Federal Highway Administration. It is too soon to say whether those Americans who are driving more are forgoing public transit, but an extended run of low gas prices could change the cost calculus for transit riders. And a lasting shift could boost pressure on governments from Seattle to Salt Lake City to Cleveland to re-evaluate their expansion plans for buses, subways and trains amid limited […]

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Tesla Motors Chairman and CEO Elon Musk (in driver’s seat) and chief designer Franz von Holzhausen (in passenger seat) drive the new Tesla Model S all-electric sedan out into the street as members of the media look on, at the car’s unveiling in Hawthorne, California on March 26 2009 Tumbling oil prices look set to hit electric cars and biofuels harder than other parts of the green power industry, the head of the world’s leading renewable energy agency has warned. That is because they compete directly with rivals such as petrol-fuelled cars that are becoming cheaper to run as oil prices fall. More On this topic IN Energy But wind farms, solar plants and other renewable electricity generators should not be affected by the price plunge because they do not face anything like the same level of competition, said Adnan Amin, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency , […]

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Chris Bortz has seen the cost of gasoline for his car drop by almost half since June. The price of diesel used by his construction business has lagged behind. That’s about to change as sliding farm demand after the U.S. harvest and milder weather brings diesel, nearly identical to heating oil, more in line with gasoline. Government forecasts show the fuel dropping to $2.73 a gallon by June. The average retail price slipped below $3 this week for the first time in four years. Diesel’s drop will aid everyone from truckers to industrial users such as Bortz, chief executive officer of Towne Construction Services in Batavia, Ohio , which uses 300,000 gallons of diesel a year. Haulers have cut fuel surcharges to shippers, lowering the cost of delivering two-thirds of retail goods in the U.S. “Truckers are going to love this,” Phil Flynn, senior market analyst at Price Futures […]

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The self-proclaimed king of electric vehicles is welcoming General Motors Co. to the party, saying the more the merrier. Nissan -Renault Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn , speaking to media at the Detroit Auto Show Monday, said the auto maker’s Leaf electric car is in line for an upgrade. Currently capable of traveling less than 100 miles on a charge, the Leaf is far behind what’s coming — GM’s Chevy Bolt, for instance, is slated to launch in 2017 with a 200-mile range. Mr. Ghosn said there are big things in store for the little Leaf, but didn’t elaborate on details. “You can expect us to come along with a lot of enhancements.” The Leaf has been on the market for several years, selling over 75,000 units in the U.S. since 2011. Mr. Ghosn expects sales to grow in 2015 by double-digit margins. In the meantime, as BMW AG, Audi […]

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ENLARGE GM promises that its redesigned 2016 Chevrolet Volt will go 30% farther on an single electrical charge than the current model. Bloomberg News General Motors Co. is readying a one-two punch in the electric-car market, hoping to emerge from the shadow of Tesla Motors Inc. Later this year, GM plans to introduce a next-generation Chevrolet Volt that sports a new exterior design and room for five passengers. More important, it promises that the redesigned 2016 Volt will go 50 miles on a full charge, 30% farther than the current model. Like its predecessor, the new Volt automatically switches to gasoline when its charge is depleted. The total range of the new model, using gas and electricity, will be 420 miles. The auto maker also intends to launch a $30,000 all-electric vehicle in 2017 called the Chevrolet Bolt, which would be capable of driving 200 miles on a single […]

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ENLARGE Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, shown last year, is pushing hard to sell 500,000 vehicles a year by 2020. Getty Images When Elon Musk , who loudly disdains the traditional auto industry, makes his first public appearance in Detroit in two years on Tuesday, it will be easy to see how much has changed since then. Mr. Musk’s Tesla Motors Inc. is worth six times more in stock-market value. He is pushing hard to sell 500,000 vehicles a year by 2020, up from 90 a day in the third quarter. And giant auto makers are on a collision course with Tesla like never before, with General Motors Co. showing off a new electric car at the Detroit auto show on Monday. Mr. Musk’s response? He says he doesn’t plan to change a thing, from his proclivity for F-bombs to double duty as chief executive of rocket maker Space […]

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« BNL/Stony Brook study provides insight into optimized electrode architectures | Main | VW unveils Cross Coupe GTE plug-in hybrid concept SUV at Detroit show; 70 mpge; previewing 7-seater SUV in 2016 » The new Chevy Volt has a decidedly more sculpted look than its predecessor. Click to enlarge. Chevrolet unveiled the second-generation Volt extended range EV at the North American International Auto Show. With a sportier design and an entirely new drive system ( earlier post ), the 2016 Volt electric car features a higher capacity battery pack and 50 miles of all-electric range (MY 2015 = 38 miles); greater efficiency; and stronger acceleration. GM estimates fuel economy to be 41 mpg combined (MY 2015 = 37 mpg) with 102 mpge (MY 2015 = 98 mpge). The 2016 Volt goes on sale in the second half of 2015. The new propulsion system will offer a General Motors’-estimated total […]

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As oil prices have plunged, US gas demand has soared, something that seemed unlikely just a few years ago. According to Morgan Downey, CEO of  Money.net , “A few years ago people were saying that US oil demand had peaked and would never recover — some called it ‘peak demand.’” In an email to Business Insider, Downey said the recent surge in demand is unusual because oil has a low price elasticity of demand, meaning demand is not very sensitive to changes in price. “Now with gasoline at almost $2/gallon on average nationwide, US gasoline demand has not only recovered, but is at all-time seasonal highs and likely to be at a record high throughout 2015,” he wrote. “This 2014 demand rally is a little unexpected and shows that oil consumer behavior changes during 2008-2013 were temporary and not permanent like many claimed they would be.” Here is Downey’s chart […]

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In 2013, there were about 70,000 battery electric vehicles (EVs) and 104,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)—small numbers compared to around 226 million registered vehicles in the United States. Total U.S. sales of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) have increased in recent years, but still represent only about 0.7% of new vehicle sales in 2014 so far, up from 0.6% in 2013 and 0.4% in 2012. California is home to almost half of all of the nation’s PEVs, but even in California, only about 5 out of every 1,000 registered vehicles are PEVs. Several states offer tax incentives to reduce the upfront cost of PEVs to consumers. These incentives are in addition to a federal (nationwide) tax credit, which ranges from $2,500 to $7,500 depending on battery capacity and gross vehicle weight. Examples of incentives include the following: California offers rebates of up to $2,500 for EVs that run only […]

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« Availability of total electrification option for components used with Allison H 40/50 EP hybrid system | Main | Volkswagen providing e-Golf to Stanford for research » Print this post In his remarks made at Stanford University during the award of the third Science Award for Electrochemistry to Dr. Vanessa Wood ( earlier post ), Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen noted again the challenges of energy density, cost, reliability and lifespan for batteries enabling longer range electric mobility. In that context, he said that he sees “ great potential ” in solid-state batteries, which possibly could boost EV range to as much as 700 km (435 miles), representing a volumetric energy density of about 1,000 Wh/l. Current Li-ion batteries, with about 260 Wh/l are enabling a range of some 190 km (118 miles), he said. He then added that, with a higher […]

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4666 Votes You won’t find the 300 MPG Volkswagen XL1 in an American showroom, in fact it has even been denied a tour of America because it is too efficient for the American public to be made widely aware of, and oil profits are too high in America with the status quo in place. No tour has been allowed for this car because the myth that 50 mpg is virtually impossible to obtain from even a stripped down econobox is too profitable to let go of, and when it comes to corporate oil profits, ignorance is bliss. Years ago I had calculated that it should be possible to get a small car to exceed 100 mpg by putting parallel direct to cylinder water injectors side by side with the fuel injectors, and using the exhaust manifold to preheat the water so it would enter the cylinders as dry steam, […]

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Westport Innovations Inc. unveiled the first generation of its new, proprietary enhanced spark-ignited (ESI) natural gas system. The new approach to natural gas combustion technology is designed to provide vehicle and engine original manufacturers (OEMs) with a “downsized” natural gas solution that is cost competitive while providing similar levels of power, torque, and fuel economy to a larger diesel engine. Using 100% dedicated natural gas as fuel, Westport’s new technology optimizes the combustion and thermal efficiencies of the engine by taking advantages of the positive properties of natural gas. The Westport ESI combustion system is targeted at sub 9L engines for Class 6 and 7 trucks applications and is also adaptable for sub 2L applications for use in automotive and non-automotive applications. Mercedes-Benz 7.7L mono-fuel gas engine Mercedes-Benz has also developed a new all natural gas engine for medium-duty applications that delivers the performance of diesel but with the […]

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A factor limiting natural-gas-powered sales is the arrival of new, more efficient diesel engines. Pictured, a trucking firm’s fuel pump in Florida. Edward Linsmier for The Wall Street Journal In the midst of the strongest market for commercial trucks in eight years, North American sales of natural-gas-powered haulers are just crawling along. Higher purchase prices compared with diesel trucks, improved diesel fuel economy and continued scarcity of fueling stations are damping natural-gas-powered truck demand. About 10,480 of the heavy-duty trucks are expected to be sold this year, up 20% from the 8,730 sold last year, according to Power Systems Research. However, some forecasters had expected sales to about double to 16,000 vehicles this year amid the trucking industry’s enthusiasm for natural gas a year ago. What happened? A big roadblock remains the premium for a heavy-duty gas truck—$50,000 more than the about $150,000 for a new diesel-powered truck. In […]

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GM’s Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid currently gets fewer than 85 miles in range on a single charge. Getty Images The electric car era may hit in 2017 when at least two battery-powered cars that can attain 200 miles of driving range and cost less than $40,000 enter the market. In addition to Tesla Motors Inc. ‘s forthcoming Model 3, a leading battery maker says it is preparing a pack for an electric car that is more than double that of most vehicles on the road today, but at a similar price. "We are definitely working on making a 200-mile-range battery electric vehicle at around the $30,000 to $35,000 price target," said Prabhakar Patil, the chief executive officer of LG Chem Power Inc., a U.S.-based research arm of the South Korean battery company. "It’s more than a possibility. We feel we will be able to support such a vehicle around […]

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GM’s Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid currently gets fewer than 85 miles in range on a single charge. Getty Images The electric car era may hit in 2017 when at least two battery-powered cars that can attain 200 miles of driving range and cost less than $40,000 enter the market. In addition to Tesla Motors Inc. ‘s forthcoming Model 3, a leading battery maker says it is preparing a pack for an electric car that is more than double that of most vehicles on the road today, but at a similar price. "We are definitely working on making a 200-mile-range battery electric vehicle at around the $30,000 to $35,000 price target," said Prabhakar Patil, the chief executive officer of LG Chem Power Inc., a U.S.-based research arm of the South Korean battery company. "It’s more than a possibility. We feel we will be able to support such a vehicle around […]

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Volkswagen of America, Inc. introduced several e-mobility sustainability initiatives to commence with the US launch of the battery-electric e-Golf ( earlier post ). These begin with an investment in carbon reduction projects via a partnership with 3Degrees to offset emissions created from e-Golf production, distribution and from the estimated emissions produced from keeping the vehicle charged through the initial 36,000 miles of its life. VoA made the announcement at the Management Briefing Seminar, hosted by the Center for Automotive Research. Volkswagen of America also selected SunPower as VW’s official solar energy partner; Bosch Automotive Service Solutions as its preferred home-charging and installation services provider; and ChargePoint to provide charging stations to the VW dealer network and to provide US e-Golf owners access to consumers to more than 18,000 charging stations nationwide. The 2015 e-Golf will go on sale later this year at participating dealerships in select states. Separately, Audi […]

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Vehicle price and fueling costs are important factors consumers take into account when deciding to purchase a new light-duty vehicle. While vehicle purchase is influenced by cost and fuel economy, other important factors such as environmental concerns, performance, and style also play a part. Comparison of the fuel savings and incremental vehicle cost among various vehicle fuel types sheds light on how at least some consumers may perceive the value of purchasing a given vehicle fuel type relative to another. Standard gasoline vehicles. The compliance fuel economy of midsize passenger cars using gasoline is projected to increase from about 35 miles per gallon (mpg) today to more than 53 mpg in 2025 by adding fuel efficiency technology, including micro and mild hybridization. These additions raise the average vehicle price from about $25,000 (2012$) to more than $27,000 . For a vehicle driven 12,000 miles annually, 116 gallons of fuel […]

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Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) , among carmakers developing driverless technology, said the appeal of autonomous cars carries the risk of adding to urban sprawl and pollution as they may encourage commuters to travel farther to work. Technologies that let a driver turn vehicle controls over to the car itself should begin arriving late this decade, said Ken Laberteaux, senior principal scientist for Toyota’s North American team studying future transportation. Faster commutes can bring unintended consequences, Laberteaux said in an interview at the Automated Vehicles Symposium in San Francisco yesterday. “U.S. history shows that anytime you make driving easier, there seems to be this inexhaustible desire to live further from things,” Laberteaux said. “The pattern we’ve seen for a century is people turn more speed into more travel, rather than maybe saying ‘I’m going to use my reduced travel time by spending more time with my family.’” Toyota and other […]

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With crude oil prices averaging higher than natural gas, the U.S. Energy Department said Monday it expects freight locomotives to start switching fuel sources. The Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the Energy Department, said the U.S. freight railroad industry spent 23 percent of its operating expense on diesel fuel in 2012, the last full year for which data are available. "EIA projects that liquefied natural gas will play an increasing role in powering freight locomotives in coming years," it said in a Monday briefing . "Continued growth in domestic natural gas production and substantially lower natural gas prices compared to crude oil prices could result in significant cost savings for locomotives that use LNG as a fuel source." The railroad industry consumed 7 percent of all the diesel fuel used in the United States in 2012. From 2017 to 2040, EIA said […]

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In a pair of studies using real-world driving conditions, scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) found that hybrid cars are significantly more fuel-efficient in India and China than they are in the United States due to traffic and driving conditions in those countries. They found that driving a hybrid would achieve fuel savings of about 47 to 48% over a conventional car in India and about 53 to 55% in China. In the United States, hybrids are rated to produce a fuel savings of about 40% over their conventional counterparts. Currently hybrid and electric vehicles have a tiny share of the market in India and China and are seen as a higher-end product. Their results were reported in two papers, “Understanding the fuel savings […]

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ATDynamics projects 200,000 semi-trailers to be equipped with fuel-saving rear-drag aerodynamics technology by end of 2017 The patented TrailerTail design lowers vehicle fuel consumption by reducing low-pressure suction drag directly behind a trailer. Source: ATDynamics. Click to enlarge. ATDynamics , a supplier of semi-trailer aerodynamics technology, projects that, based on current trucking fleet adoption trends, 200,000 semi-trailers will be equipped with fuel saving TrailerTail technology by the end of 2017. TrailerTail technology, which reduces aerodynamic drag at the back of tractor-trailers and improves vehicle fuel efficiency by approximately 5%, has been incorporated into three of the Department of Energy’s SuperTruck Projects. ATDynamics launched the patented thermoplastic composite TrailerTail design in 2010. At present, 350 US trucking companies, including top 100 US fleets such as Mesilla Valley Transportation; Prime Inc.; Roehl Transport; and C.R. England operate approximately 20,000 semi-trailers with TrailerTails. Department of Energy SuperTruck with TrailerTail Technology. Credit: Sarah […]

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APTA reports record public transportation usage in US in 2013; growth outpacing population and VMT growth Growth in public transit ridership since 1995 has outpaced population and VMT growth. Data: APTA. Click to enlarge. In 2013, Americans took 10.7 billion trips on public transportation—the highest annual public transit ridership number in 57 years— according to a report released by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). This was the eighth year in a row that more than 10 billion trips were taken on public transportation systems nationwide. While vehicle miles traveled on roads (VMT) went up 0.3%, public transportation use in 2013 increased by 1.1%. Since 1995 public transit ridership is up 37.2%, outpacing population growth, which is up 20.3%, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT), which is up 22.7%. Some of the public transit agencies reporting record ridership system-wide or on specific lines were located in the following cities: Ann […]

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« IHS Automotive forecasts global production of plug-in vehicles to rise by 67% this year Global electric vehicle production forecast for 2014. Source: IHS Automotive. Click to enlarge. Driven by tighter emission standards in Europe, worldwide production of plug-in electric vehicles(PEVs)—including both battery-electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models—will increase by 67% this year, according to IHS Automotive, driven by Polk. The jump in the PEV market this year contrasts with an expected 3.6% rise in global manufacturing of all motor vehicles expected in 2014. Total production of PEVs is projected to rise to more than 403,000 this year, up from slightly more than 242,000 in 2013. Growth will accelerate sharply from the […]

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How soon you’ll see them on the roads in our region remains to be seen, as auto manufacturers, fueling companies and policymakers look for ways to tackle serious challenges that now stand in the way — not the least of which is where do you refuel with hydrogen. “It’s coming, this is the next wave, and from what some of the manufacturers are saying, it’s an even better bet than some of the alternatives already on the market,” said Kevin Reilly, owner of Alexandria Hyundai and chairman of the Washington Auto Show . “Now all we need is the infrastructure to make it a viable option for drivers.” What are the advantages? Manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda and Hyundai — the latter of which will soon begin selling its first hydrogen-powered vehicle in parts of California where fueling stations already exist — say this new propulsion system tackles the […]

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CMU researchers find controlled charging of PHEVs can cut cost of integration into electricity system by 54-73%; higher benefits with wind power In a new study published in the journal Applied Energy , Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) researchers found that controlled charging of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) reduces the costs of integrating the vehicles into an electricity system by 54–73% depending on the scenario. More specifically, controlled charging can cut the cost of integrating PHEVs approximately in half. The magnitude of these savings is ~5% to 15% higher in a system with 20% wind penetration compared to a system with no wind power, and the savings are 50–60% higher in a system that requires […]

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Americans Driving Down Their Driving Miles We may be witnessing a historic change in our driving habits. Americans love their cars and love to drive their cars. With each American traveling on average less than 10,000 miles a year  and the country as a whole nearly  three trillion total vehicle miles traveled per year  (VMT), we are hands down the champs at racking up the miles . But of late, something remarkable and, for many, unexpected has been happening. It’s not so much that our automobile love affair has ended, rather that maybe, just maybe, it’s not quite as hot and heavy as it has been. (See related story: “ U.S. Teenagers Are Driving Much Less: Four Theories About Why .”) Driving Habits Switching Directions And what is the evidence for this cooling of the passion between American drivers and their wheels? Exhibit A is the graphic below showing U.S. […]

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Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) , the world’s biggest seller of hybrid-electric vehicles, vowed to surpass U.S. rules intended to double fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions . Automakers agreed in 2011 to a plan by President Barack Obama targeting an industrywide increase in Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, to 54.5 miles per gallon of gasoline by 2025. Increased sales of hybrids and other alternative-powered autos will help Toyota comply with that rule, said Bob Carter , the automaker’s U.S. senior vice president. “The 2015 to 2025 CAFE regulations will require automakers to significantly reduce emissions and increase fuel economy across their fleet of vehicles,” Carter said in prepared remarks at Deutsche Bank AG’s auto industry conference in Detroit yesterday. “That won’t be easy, but at Toyota we plan to exceed these new standards.” The U.S. efficiency push has brought dozens of new hybrids, plug-in cars, electric vehicles and […]

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Drivers deserted the big three US brands and their once-popular sport utility vehicles in favour of smaller cars from Asian and European marques ©Getty Drivers deserted the big three US brands and their once-popular sport utility vehicles in favour of smaller cars from Asian and European marques Ford Motor , which pioneered the affordable mass-produced motor car, is looking to play a bigger role in building public transport vehicles or integrating cities’ transport systems as it grapples with the growing challenge of helping people move around the world’s traffic-choked cities. Alan Mulally, Ford’s chief executive, said questions of “personal mobility” and “quality of life” were some of the “most important and exciting developments” around the world and simply providing more and more cars was “not going to work”. Mr Mulally’s comments at a Detroit auto show event offer a rare insight into a senior auto executive’s thinking about the […]

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When Ford Motor Co. unveils its new, aluminum F-150 pickup truck on Monday, it will do more than reveal a critical new product. It will mark a new era for the auto industry in which successfully managing big technological risks will separate winners from losers. Six years after the financial crisis, oil prices have stabilized and the U.S. auto industry has rebounded from depths not seen since the […]

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When Ford Motor Co. unveils its new, aluminum F-150 pickup truck on Monday, it will do more than reveal a critical new product. It will mark a new era for the auto industry in which successfully managing big technological risks will separate winners from losers. Six years after the financial crisis, oil prices have stabilized and the U.S. auto industry has rebounded from depths not seen since the […]

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