Honeywell and ZoneFlow Reactor Technologies (ZFRT) announced a joint agreement to commercialize ZoneFlow Reactor Technology. This technology promises to provide a step-change improvement in the efficiency and carbon intensity of steam methane reforming for the production of hydrogen. When coupled with Honeywell H2 Solutions’ carbon capture for hydrogen production, the... Read more →

New research led by Mohammad Masnadi, assistant professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, offers a closer look at the relationship between decreasing demand for oil and a resilient, varied oil market—and the carbon footprint associated with both. An open-access paper on... Read more →

In Europe, Volkswagen has launched a new ID. family top model as part of its ACCELERATE brand strategy: the ID.5 electric SUV coupé and the sporty ID.5 GTX with dual-motor all-wheel drive. Like the ID.3 and ID.4, the new ID.5 is manufactured at the Zwickau plant and both models are... Read more →

Volvo Cars has sold 581,464 cars worldwide in the first 10 months of 2021, up 12.6% compared with the same period last year. In October, Volvo Cars global sales reached 50,815 cars, down 22.2% compared with the same period last year. The decline was related to a shortage of components... Read more →

Ford set an internal electrified vehicle sales record in October, with 14,062 electrified vehicles sold—up 195% over last year. Additionally, Ford’s E-Transit—due to start production in a few weeks—is sold out, according to Ford, and the electric F-150 Lightning now has more than 160,000 reservations. Mustang Mach-E retail sales jumped... Read more →

The decarbonization of EU road transportation will increasingly impact the demand for fossil and biofuel, especially after 2030. The long-term outlook for biofuels, beyond 2045, does not look promising, as the expected decline in demand is likely to encourage biofuel companies to look for alternative uses for their products, according... Read more →

Canadian National Railway Company (CN) and Progress Rail, A Caterpillar Company are partnering with Renewable Energy Group (REG) to test high-level renewable fuel blends including both biodiesel and renewable diesel in support of the companies’ sustainability goals. Trials and qualifications of up to 100% bio-based diesel fuel are important steps... Read more →

Gridtractor has launched from stealth to develop charging technology, fleet electrification, and energy management services for electric tractors and heavy farm equipment. Gridtractor will help farmers integrate electric charging and vehicle to grid (V2G) into their operations to strengthen the power grid with its smart energy platform. In addition, the... Read more →

CNH Industrial has entered into an exclusive, multi-year licensing agreement for electrification technologies with Monarch Tractor, a US-based AgTech company specializing in fully electric autonomous tractors. This agreement is the latest development between the two parties, building upon the minority investment stake made by CNH Industrial in March 2021. The... Read more →

Qorvo, a provider of innovative radio frequency (RF) solutions, has acquired United Silicon Carbide (UnitedSiC), a manufacturer of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors. The acquisition of United Silicon Carbide expands Qorvo’s reach into the fast-growing markets for electric vehicles (EVs), industrial power, circuit protection, renewables and data center power. United... Read more →

SES (formerly known as SolidEnergy Systems), a developer of high-performance hybrid lithium-metal rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and other applications (earlier post), unveiled Apollo, a 107 Ah Li-Metal battery that is the largest in the world and is targeted at the automotive industry. SES also announced the largest Li-metal... Read more →

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed an intrusion detection and defense system (IDS) to protect military ground vehicles against cyberthreats to embedded systems and connected vehicle networks. While developed for military vehicles, the system can also be used to scan for anomalies in passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The IDS... Read more →

Germany-based MTU Aero Engines has entered into an innovation partnership with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to investigate the potential ways forward for future certification of what MTU calls a “flying fuel cell” (FFC)—i.e., hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion systems for aviation. The hydrogen-powered fuel cell is a promising propulsion... Read more →

Texas-based fuel company Nacero (earlier post) will build its second low- and zero-carbon fuels plant in Newport Township, Pennsylvania. The $6-billion investment will bring approximately 4,000 construction jobs to the area. The completed facility will employ approximately 450 workers. The new manufacturing facility will produce low- and zero-lifecycle carbon footprint... Read more →

Volvo Cars has published a lifecycle analysis report on its second fully electric car, the C40 Recharge, which shows the potential CO2 reductions if a car is built and charged using clean energy sources. Key findings from the report include: The C40 Recharge has approximately 5% lower total carbon footprint... Read more →

In Las Vegas for SEMA, Ford revealed the all-electric F-100 Eluminator concept—a zero-tailpipe-emissions demonstration truck powered by the all-new Ford Performance Parts Eluminator electric crate motor that customers can now buy online. Based on a heritage 1978 F-100 pickup, the F-100 Eluminator concept features all-wheel drive via two powerful electric... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing comprehensive new regulations to reduce methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry—including, for the first time, reductions from existing sources nationwide. Source: EPA Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that traps about 30 times as much heat as carbon dioxide... Read more →

Incorporating energy efficiency measures can reduce the amount of storage needed to power the nation’s buildings entirely with renewable energy, according to analysis conducted by researchers at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). As more communities plan to eventually rely on 100% renewable energy, the... Read more →

Fisker Inc. and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd announced a formal agreement cementing battery capacity for the Fisker Ocean SUV. Under the terms of the agreement, CATL will supply two different battery solutions for the Fisker Ocean SUV, with an initial battery capacity of more than 5 gigawatt-hours annually, from... Read more →

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have additively manufactured (3D-printed) a lightweight aluminum alloy and demonstrated its ability to resist creep or deformation at 300 ˚Celsius. Materials that can perform under high pressure, high temperature environments are needed for automotive, aerospace, defense and space applications. The alloy, which combines aluminum with... Read more →

REV Fire Group, comprising the REV Group companies E-ONE, KME, Ferrara, Spartan Emergency Response, Smeal, and Ladder Tower, will build an all-electric E-ONE Vector fire truck for Mesa Fire and Medical Department in Mesa, AZ. REV Fire Group first announced the introduction of its all-electric fire truck, now named Vector,... Read more →

The first China-developed hydrogen fuel cell hybrid locomotive—from core power to main components—has started trial runs on a 627 km railway line for coal transport in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Source: Xinhua The hydrogen energy locomotive project was jointly launched by the Inner Mongolia subsidiary of the State... Read more →

Canadian Pacific will significantly expand the scope of its hydrogen locomotive program (earlier post) with a $15-million grant announced by Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA). The grant enables CP to increase the number of hydrogen locomotive conversions in the project from one to three and add hydrogen production and fueling facilities.... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $71 million to 20 research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects with industry, academia, and non-profits including Clean Cities Coalitions for the creation of solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for on- and off-road vehicles and to accelerate the expansion of EV infrastructure... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy initially launched the SuperTruck Initiative in 2009 to improve heavy-duty truck freight efficiency by 50%. A second iteration, SuperTruck 2, sought to double fuel efficiency for 18-wheeler trucks. Now, selectees for SuperTruck 3 (earlier post) will work to improve... Read more →

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released a report that provides a snapshot of the state of EV charging infrastructure in the United States in the first calendar quarter (Q1) of 2021. The report also measures the current state of charging infrastructure compared with the target infrastructure volume for... Read more →

KazMunayGas, the state-owned oil and gas company of Kazakhstan, and the technology company Linde have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate and develop jointly clean energy projects in Kazakhstan. The first stage of cooperation will focus on exploring the opportunity of producing hydrogen and ammonia using natural gas as... Read more →

DT Midstream, Inc., a premier natural gas pipeline and storage provider, and Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc., a provider of power generation and energy storage solutions, have entered into a strategic joint development agreement (JDA) to advance clean hydrogen energy development projects across the United States. The partners will identify, develop... Read more →

The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has released a report it commissioned from Sonoma Technology, Inc. (STI) that estimates the cumulative avoided nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and well-to-wheel carbon dioxide equivalent (WTW CO2e) emission reductions beginning in 2025 if 12 states plus the District of Columbia... Read more →

Tide Bus Danmark in the Danish city of Aalborg has ordered 14 Solaris bi-articulated 24-meter electric buses. This is an unique order on an European scale, both as regards the length and specific design of the vehicles. The bi-articulated Solaris e-buses will be deployed for passenger transport in Aalborg, a... Read more →