Articles from IEEE Electric Vehicle News

EPA tightens ground-level ozone standard to 70 ppb

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
issued its final rule revising the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone to 70 parts per billion (ppb) from 75 ppb to protect public health. Ground-level ozone forms when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react in the air.

Honda Fuel Cell Car Estimated To Deliver 435-Mile Range

At the end of this month, Honda is planning to unveil its near-production fuel cell vehicle, currently named the FCV.
The debut – scheduled to occur at the Tokyo Motor Show – will feature a hydrogen-powered sedan very similar to the final version Honda is bringing to market next year. Honda said it has made a few changes to the FCV since introducing it as a prototype in November 2014.

Michigan State partners with ExxonMobil to advance algae biofuels

A new $1-million relationship between Michigan State University and ExxonMobil will expand research designed to progress the fundamental science required to advance algae-based fuels.

GM planning to “own” the customer relationship beyond the vehicle; autonomous Volts, car sharing and fuel cells

General Motors CEO Mary Barra and her leadership team outlined the company’s plans to capitalize on the future of personal mobility by owning the customer relationship beyond the vehicle, building upon nearly two decades of connectivity leadership.

ITM Power, Symbio FCell and Arcola Energy partner to provide integrated package of fuel cell vehicles, fueling and support to UK fleet operators

ITM Power has signed an agreement with Symbio FCell and Arcola Energy to provide an integrated package of fuel-cell-based commercial vehicles, on-site fuel and after-sales support for UK commercial fleet operators. The agreement is to work together to provide fleet customers with the assurance of a one-stop complete solution including preparation, insurance, site approvals, vehicle registration and staff training.

Ricardo demonstrates processes for evaluating light-duty diesel emissions under coming Real Driving Emissions (RDE) regs

Despite the continuing and significant reductions in the legislated limits of light-duty diesel vehicle NOx emissions under the European Euro 1 through 5 regulations of recent years, many studies have demonstrated that real-world NOx emissions appear not to have been reduced as significantly. The Volkswagen emissions scandal has certainly spotlighted this issue, but more by the intentionality of the cause rather than by the effect.

Barley straw shows potential as feedstock for biobutanol

The hemicellulose sugars of barley straw can be effectively fermented into biobutanol, when starch is added during the pre-treatment or fermentation process, according to a new University of Eastern Finland study.
Seeking to find alternatives to ethanol as a fuel, the study established optimal pre-treatment conditions for turning straw lignocellulose and barley starch into fermentable sugars that can be used in the production of biobutanol.

INL analysis of 5 large-scale PEV and charging projects finds public charging infrastructure not needed everywhere to enable PEV adoption

Idaho National Laboratory has released the voluminous findings from its analysis of five large-scale PEV and charging infrastructure projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Collectively, these projects represent the largest-ever deployment, data collection and analysis, and reporting of PEV and charging infrastructure petroleum reduction benefits.

Joule achieves US EPA registration for CO2-recycled ethanol

Joule, the developer of a direct, single-step, continuous process for the production of solar hydrocarbon fuels using engineered cyanobacteria, announced that its fuel-grade Sunflow-E ethanol has been registered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for commercial use in E10 and E15 gasoline blends.

WPI team develops process to recover rare earth elements from discarded motors of electric and hybrid vehicles

In an effort to help develop a sustainable domestic supply of rare earth elements and lessen US dependence on China for materials that are vital to the production of electronics, wind turbines, and many other technologies, two researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have developed a method of extracting rare earths from the drive units and motors of discarded electric and hybrid cars.